#god i want takis so bad

[bitchfitch]

Sometimes people are intentionally swinging bats at wasps nests on this site, and other times someone accidentally trips into a pit of hornets and gets swarmed. and it's. Extremely funny when you see a post that the op clearly doesn't know is about to summon every single Mexican on this website to come yell at them

[chainreh]

rewatching mygo bc im very sane and normal about this anime its so clear to see that soyo is just using anon as a means to get to tomori. when anon says she wants to do vocals she just doesn't respond and instead talks about they should get a keyboardist and drummer. even when anon gathers up the three crychic members soyo says "how about the three of us try the band again; me, taki, and tomori" and tomori is actually the one who says she wants to do the band with anon too. pushing against playing haruhikage "that songs fine for practice but we should do something else for the performance, maybe a cover" and even dismissing taki when she wants rana to rehearse with them more arghhghhhg i feel so fucking normal about this anime!!!!<3

[wonustars]

how do i- how- i-

coming back to the text post cuz i hit the 30 tag limit but i could go on about this story for hours it’s not even funny. there’s so many things i just want to unpack here but ill refrain because im severely sleep deprived and i should probably get sleep before i go to work . but jess, this was amazing, thank you for writing this i absolutely loved it (as a huge wonwoorideul). i’m gonna listen to take a chance w me by niki and call it a night because im going to need 3-5 business days to recover from this masterpiece. thank u for letting me read this for free i’m so happy now 💕

edit: there are many many typos pls jus pretend u can decipher my anna language 😭😭🫶

34.6037° S, 58.3816° W | jww

(your latest assignment has you jetting off to argentina hoping to finally catch the infamous art thief that's escaped your agency one too many times already. you know what's at stake if you lose your focus. enter the beautiful stranger that has you questioning everything you know.)

pairing: jeon wonwoo x f.reader genre: strangers to lovers, (kinda, v light) enemies to lovers | smut, fluff, angst rating: explicit, minors DNI word count: ~22.8k (idk what happened) warnings: art thief!wonwoo, secret agent!reader, brief mentions of death & bloody past (again, reader is a secret agent), mentions of past violence, mentions of weapons, food, drinking, VERY ambiguous ending smut warnings: multiple smut scenes, multiple positions, unprotected sex (don't do this), slightly rough sex, mild dom!wonwoo?, fingering, oral sex, choking, spanking, multiple orgasms, squirting, light marking, semi-public sex, food play (whipped cream, chocolate), i think that's it

a/n: this is for @svthub's world tour collab (check out the other fics here). i had so much fun writing this even if it got away from me a bit. thanks to @effortandmore for lending me her art brain. thanks to @highvern for constantly listening to me and @multi-kpop-fanfics for fit inspo. and as always, thank you to my bby @wongyuseokie for the banner & divider.

tag list: @wonustars, @minisugakoobies, @crepecakeu, @tinyelfperson, @dokyeomkyeom, @amoryeonjun, @miriamxsworld, @hongrizoon, @gyuminusone, @aaniag, @naajaeminsgf, @straykidswhoo789, @kimseokgen, @beomesbabe, @haolistic, @vanishingboots, @babybae-shisui, @pyeonghongrie-main, @nuttywastelandmentality, @writingbarnes, @tomodachiii, @gyuhao365, @jjin-kun, @sdoulc, @wonwootakemyheart, @divinityyyy, @nightshadeinmoonlight, @imma-queencard, @jelly-n

“We’ll be landing in about 45 minutes, according to the pilot,” a voice says, interrupting your laser-like focus.

You look up from your tablet and blink at him for a second. It takes you a moment or two to register he’s even standing there. Another moment to register what he actually said to you a second ago. In the meantime, you switch the program open on your tablet.

“Oh, thanks,” you say in response. 

He sits down in the seat opposite you and fixes you with a smile. “Must be a good book, you’ve barely looked up for the entire flight.” 

“Guilty,” you say with a practiced smile. 

Chan, you think that’s his name, seems nice enough. A little overeager and too ready to agree to something when his bosses tell him what to do. There’s that real thirst to prove himself. But, at least from what you hear, he’s got a bright future. He’s done well with what he’s been given so far, which are increasingly difficult assignments. You can see why. He’s easy on the eyes and he’s got that soft smile down. The kind of unassuming smile that makes people want to trust him. If he can keep it up, he’ll go far. 

“Thanks again for letting me catch a ride,” you say to fill some of the space between you. 

Chan only shrugs. “Any friend of Mr. Choi’s is always welcome. Plus, nobody really says no when the boss says something.”

A lesser person would have probably laughed at that. Hearing him referred to as Mr. Choi and the boss is a little comical to you. Not that it isn’t true because he is definitely Chan’s boss. It’s just, well, it’s a little more complicated than that. 

“Honestly I don’t really even understand what Cheol does,” you lie and turn on a little bit of the charm. It’s always good to practice on people that are trained to be charming themselves. 

“Do you call him that?” Chan wonders.

“Call him what? Cheol?” you ask and Chan nods, eyes a little wide. It catches him just off guard enough. “Yeah, but I’ve known him for years. What do you call him?”

“Sir, usually,” Chan answers too quickly. You can’t fully fight the smile that answer brings to your lips. “Glad to see I entertained you.” 

“He’s not nearly as bad as I’m sure he seems at work,” you say like you’re sharing a secret.

The truth is that you’ve been hearing about this new agent that Seungcheol is personally training for over a year now. So, you know that eventually, you’re going to all be laughing at this conversation in hindsight and he’ll also be calling his boss Cheol. For now, though, things are a little bit different. 

“He mentioned that you were heading down to do some research?” he asks and you nod. 

This part has always been a little tedious to you, the part where you come up with a cover story that you even have to feed to other people within the same organization. It’s been this way for your entire career. You were recruited at 18 years old and went through special training along with obtaining a degree. The Agency had two divisions, but you only ever learned about the second one if you were recruited to work there. It was that second division you joined right away. 

Training had been grueling. If it wasn’t some kind of physical endurance training, it was sitting in a windowless room studying history or a foreign language. Or it was combat training with whatever weapon was on deck that day. Or working to blend into any situation. You quickly learned that did not mean not being memorable. At least not in every situation. Sometimes that meant looking at ease in your surroundings even if eyes were on you. Thankfully, the charm seemed to come naturally to you and that was one less thing you had to worry about learning. 

The Agency officially works in maintaining international relationships between countries. That can mean a number of different things. Sometimes it involves an agent or team heading out to a location as official representatives. They can help with negotiation, security concerns, smoothing out issues, anything really. Unofficially, it often involves going undercover on a mission. That can involve either division, depending on the sensitivity of the mission. If it’s simpler, then someone like Chan gets sent out to work his way into a situation and influence the outcome so that everything stays calm. In fact, he’s here to charm a wealthy heiress that’s getting a little too close to revealing confidential information on government contracts. 

You, on the other hand, are officially here to study Argentinian culture and immerse yourself in local traditions. Chan doesn’t know that you work for The Agency as well. He doesn’t know that Seungcheol is like a boss to you. It’s not his preference. Seungcheol misses the days when he was by your side in the field instead of stuck in the office behind a desk. Unfortunately, several years ago he suffered a severe injury that just made field work impossible for him. It took a lot of convincing, most of which fell on your shoulders as the person closest to him, to get him to transition to his current role. Where you had never set foot in the main offices, he had been there periodically. He was known to people there. And he was so insanely smart that you pointed out he would be bored trying to assimilate into regular life. Why not get to do one of his other favorite things and tell younger agents (or even older ones) what to do? That had been the biggest selling point because he was good at being in charge. It had been a bit of a rocky transition at first, but now it’s smooth sailing. 

Unofficially, you’re here tracking one of the most infamous art thieves in the world. This is the kind of thing that has to be handled with the utmost secrecy. Other agencies and your own have tried to track him down and apprehend him only to have him slip into the wind. If you had to hazard a guess, you’d assume that there had been leaks during the previous attempts. You’ve also considered that he’s just really good at making a mark and blending into his surroundings. This is one of the most secretive missions you’ve ever been sent on despite seeming relatively innocuous. How much harm can an art thief really cause, right? Except, The Agency is largely funded by private investors and several of those investors have been victims and had art stolen. Despite that, the only people that know you’re making this attempt now are Seungcheol and the head of covert operations. His counterpart doesn’t know that you’re handling it, or even who you are. Instead, the main division of The Agency has a team headed to Amsterdam thinking that they’re after the notorious thief. 

Although it seems like it should be straight forward, this thief has been working in the shadows for years without anyone really knowing what he looks like beyond him being a man. The reports about what he actually looks like vary so greatly that nobody really knows what to believe. You and Seungcheol have spent months trying to put together a profile that seems most realistic and you feel as comfortable as you can. His appearance seems a little elusive, but the information that he’s going to be in Buenos Aires is the best lead you’ve gotten. It comes from someone that you worked with on a previous mission. You had been studying your profiles when Chan came over and quickly exited to a different application. 

“I am. I’m working on understanding the history of Argentinian culture through the eyes of Buenos Aires for a project,” you say with all the affection of someone who was actually going to be doing that. “I’m going to spend most of my time just out talking to people, learning their stories, that kind of thing.”

“Do you, uh, speak Spanish?” Chan wonders with clear apprehension. 

“I do,” you say with a light laugh. “Be a bit awkward if I didn’t, right?” 

“That’s impressive,” he says. 

“I speak several languages,” you say nonchalantly and then make a show of catching his eye. “I studied language and culture in university.” 

“You’re not what I’d imagine for one of my boss’s friends,” Chan admits. “Especially one close enough to get added to the manifest.” 

You shrug. “I’ve known him for a long time.” 

“He doesn’t strike me as someone with a lot of time for friendships or someone that you can ever really know,” Chan presses and you laugh.

“Married to the job, right?” you agree. “I’m a low maintenance friend. I spend a lot of time out of town for research, immersed in local culture. We’ve probably got more in common that you’d think.” 

“That makes a lot of sense,” he concedes, seeming to easily buy your cover. He stands up. “I’ll let you get back to your reading.”

The rest of the flight goes smoothly and you say your goodbyes to Chan and the others from the flight once you get off the plane. As is the plan, you take your suitcases to a local taxi and head to your hotel, checking in under one of the many fake names you used when on a mission. The room is nice, too, even if it’s nothing all that extravagant. It’s just another part of the cover. 

Since it’s been a long day, you figure that you might as well just order room service and settle in for the night. It’ll give you the chance to start getting your body used to the local timezone. Not that your body really has a home timezone anymore with how you’re constantly on the move. But, you still don’t mind the idea of resting for the night. 

You’re incredibly thankful to be in Buenos Aires in July since it’s the coolest month. It makes it easier for you to just walk everywhere. Before leaving your room for your first full day in your new city, you double check your messenger bag to make sure everything is in there: camera, multiple lenses,  journal, tablet and keyboard, sunglasses, wallet, and all your little bits to make it look like a bag you wear all the time. You smile at the receptionist on your way out, letting her know that you’re going off to explore what the city has to offer. She seems happy to see that you look better rested than after your long travel day. Even if heading out is mostly a cover for your mission, it’s also a little true. This city has been on your bucket list to visit for years and you’re not going to waste what might be your only opportunity to explore. It might even make it more believable as you’re trying to blend into the crowds around you.

After spending several hours wandering around and taking in everything you could, you find yourself at a local cafe in the early afternoon to have a cup of coffee and a light lunch. The whole morning flew by in a rush of colors and culture. It’s so easy to be interested in everything that’s before you because it’s just so vibrant. So full of life. Such a juxtaposition of history, tradition, and new influences. It’s one of the first times you’ve been somewhere and had to remind yourself that you are actually on a mission. You’re not just there to sightsee and fall in love. 

There are a lot of tourists in the cafe, which doesn’t really surprise you. Most places in Buenos Aires stay open during the afternoon for tourism, but you know that cafes in smaller towns would close. You figure that most locals probably avoid shops during this time of day as well. It feels lucky when you spot an open table in the corner until another patron moves and you see there’s actually someone sitting in one of the seats. It’s an uncharacteristically awkward moment for you, especially given how confident you are with everything else, that he catches you mid-decision. His eyes meet yours before looking at the coffee in one hand and the plate in the other. When he looks back down at the table, it clicks into place before you can turn around. 

“You, uh, can sit…” he starts with deliberate slowness that shouldn’t be throwing you off even more. 

You shake your head to clear it and smile. “It’s fine, I don’t just speak Spanish.” 

“Oh,” he says with a breath of relief. “Well, you can sit here.” 

“I don’t want to intrude,” you say and go to turn around.

“It’s busy. Are you going to just eat standing up?” he asks with a challenging raise of his eyebrow. 

“Well,” you start.

“I probably won’t be here much longer anyway,” he offers.

Reluctantly, you move to sit down with him. It’s kind of insane the way he’s thrown you off your game by just existing. Usually, you’re the one that’s disarming strangers with your charm, not the other way around. As soon as you sit down, he looks back at the book he has open in front of him. It gives you a chance to figure out if he’s actually that attractive that it’s thrown you off or if you’re still just jet-lagged. 

His glasses slide down a nearly too perfect nose and he pushes them up without missing a beat. His black hair is a little messy and a little long, falling carelessly around his face as he gets lost in whatever book he has open in front of him. His clothes make him look a little too fancy to be sitting in a cafe overrun with tourists like this. Somehow, he makes a cardigan over a dress shirt with nice, pressed slacks work without looking like he’s trying too hard. Everything about him just exudes calm, confident energy. Like the kind of person you would assume comes from old money. Unassuming, yet standing out without even meaning to. It reminds you of some of the landmarks you saw that morning, like rich history perfectly combined with modern needs. 

Thankfully, at least some of your training kicks back in and you manage to keep it from being too obvious that you’re one step away from fully checking him out. Your new tablemate seems content to sit in silence, though, so you pick at your food while going through some of the pictures on your camera. Today is about getting the lay of the land as much as anything else. It’s not like you can just find your infamous art thief without knowing where to look. 

“I’m sure you got some great shots,” he says, drawing your attention again. When you look up, his eyes are on your camera. 

“Oh, yeah, it’s so hard to really capture the feeling of something through a camera, but I definitely try,” you say.

“I saw you at The Obelisk and I thought, I’ve never seen someone so focused in my entire life,” he says, except now he’s looking at you.

“There must have been thousands of people there. How did you pick me out?” you ask with a laugh. 

The mystery man shrugs. “Like I said, you were focused. And not in the way a lot of influencers who travel for the perfect picture are. I knew that it was more than that for you.” 

“It is,” you agree. “I’m studying the history and the culture down here. Just got in last night.” 

“Can I see the picture you landed on?” he ventures. 

You hesitate. Your pictures are good, sure, but you’re not actually doing anything that serious when you’re down here. Since it’s supposed to be part of your cover, you should feel confident. After a moment, you hand your camera over to him with your favorite picture in the display window. 

“Be kind. My focus is language and history first, not photography,” you toss out. Another layer to the cover. It’s convenient, though. Not that you expected to be talking to someone like him about photography.

“This is amazing,” he says and seems earnest. “Can I look through the rest?”

Again, you pretend to consider. This time it’s for the sake of the persona you’re committing to. It’s not like there’s anything on there from before today since it’s a fresh SD card. 

“I promise to be kind,” he presses and you roll your eyes.

“Fine,” you say and he smiles. 

It’s hard not to notice the amount of care he uses while handling your camera. Maybe he knows something about photography and realizes it’s an expensive model. Or maybe he’s just gentle with something that clearly means a lot to someone else. It’s also easier to feel like you can appreciate things about him when his attention is somewhere else. Like he won’t notice the way your eyes map his features, noting the furrow in his brows or how smooth his skin is. Or the way his hair seems absolutely perfect without any product in it. None of it seems fair that he should just get to walk around looking like that.

“I’m surprised not to find a picture of myself on here,” he starts and it pulls you from your thoughts. There’s a moment where you wonder if he’s secretly self-centered, until you meet his eyes and see the glint there. “You know, with how you’ve been studying me.” 

“I appreciate beauty wherever I see it,” you answer, trying to channel more boldness than you feel. 

“Are you saying I’m beautiful?” he questions, entirely too at-ease. 

“I don’t think you need confirmation on that,” you scoff and look out the window. “Besides, it wasn’t me that noticed you earlier.” 

“A shame for me,” he muses. “I appreciate beautiful things as well.”

He hands your camera back with his eyes locked on you. It makes your skin feel a little flushed and you hate it. Hate that you’re always able to keep your cool in any situation and still so completely disarmed by this man. Hate that it’s him that breaks the moment, too, when he looks down at the expensive watch on his wrist with a sigh.

“Late for something?” you venture. 

“Something like that,” he agrees and puts his book away in a bag you hadn’t noticed. “I’m glad you sat down though.” 

“Me too,” you admit a little too quickly as he’s standing up.

“Enjoy your afternoon, beautiful stranger,” he says and you twist around.

“Wait, I didn’t get your name,” you call and he stops by the door. The smile he throws your way sends a tingle down your spine.

“I hope we’ll run into each other again, then,” he says.

And just like that, he’s gone. Slips into the crowd like he wasn’t even there in the first place. It makes you wonder, just for a second, if the entire exchange actually happened. Until you look back at the table and see the cup of coffee he had been drinking. Beside it, you notice a small piece of paper advertising a new installation at one of the local art museums. Not entirely out of the question, you think, for someone visiting this city and also interested in seeing your camera.

It’s then that you remind yourself why you’re actually here. You shake your head to clear it of any thoughts of the stranger, knowing you can’t make any effort to run into him again. The mission is the only thing that matters. Getting close to someone that could distract you in that way is not part of the plan. So, you can appreciate the banter and get back on track.

The next few days pass relatively uneventfully. You continue to explore the city while always keeping your eyes and ears open for any indication of the art thief. It’s a little frustrating to not have much to go on, but you’re also one of the most patient agents and you know it’ll pay off eventually. Seungcheol keeps in regular contact, sending along each new nugget of information he’s able to find. Even if they’re seemingly insignificant, you file them all away, appreciating how hard you know he’s working given how few people know about the mission. He has to pull the relevant pieces to send to you without tipping off the team in Amsterdam. 

You’re also splitting your days. Making sure to get out to experience the local culture to maintain your cover, while spending just as much time locked away in your room so that you can do your own research. Everything points to him already being in the city as well. It also seems like this next heist might be two-fold for him. It appears that he’s got a client that wants a specific piece of art and that he’s also going to steal some pieces for himself to sell at later dates. It’s a bit unusual, from what you’ve been able to tell. He usually likes to keep each job simple to reduce the likelihood of getting caught. Then again, he’s been active for years and doing just fine. 

Today you decide to go to check out a museum that you’ve been putting off. It’s silly, but you didn’t want to show up there the day after that cafe since it seemed a little convenient to leave behind. You have to familiarize yourself with all the museums in the city, though, and it seems like this one could be your thief’s target. It has just the right amount of traffic. Just the right combination of popular pieces with lesser known artists. 

Once you’re there, you immediately move away from the popular sections. That’s not the kind of art you’re after because it’s not the kind of art the thief ever steals. It’s too recognizable. Too hard to move. Just too risky. Once you’re in a quieter part of the museum, you fight off any feelings of being a fraud. Art has never really been your strong suit. If it weren’t for this mission being so sensitive, you definitely would not be the first agent anyone would choose. But, it is sensitive and so you have to rely on your training to carry you through any conversations that might pop up. You have to rely on the hours spent pouring over lectures about the different styles and influences, the different periods, different techniques. Hopefully your talent at rote memorization will serve you well. 

“It’s a shame they keep one of the best artists tucked away in a corner like this,” a voice says from your side, pulling you from your thoughts. 

You answer without even thinking much about the voice or even turning to see the person who appeared next to you nearly soundlessly. “Makes it easier to appreciate in peace, though.” 

“You like surrealism, then?” he asks and it’s only then that you notice something familiar about the voice or the manner of speaking. Or the fact that he’s not speaking to you in Spanish. 

Before you even turn to your side, you know who you’re going to find. He’s looking just as put together and at-ease as he did several days ago in the cafe. His hands rest in his pockets, but his eyes on you are sharp. There’s something a little hard to read about him, you think. 

The smile you give him is practiced, designed to seem genuine. “I like Leonor Fini.” 

“You’ve got good taste,” he says and turns back to the piece. 

“I do like surrealism,” you carry on, turning back to the piece yourself as well, “but, with her work, I really appreciate the way she used female subjects through a female lens. Too many artists…”

You trail off, pretending you’re unsure if you should continue. He falls into the setup easily. “Men could only show female subjects through their own eyes, but women look different through the eyes of other women.” 

“Exactly,” you say and smile at him before turning back to the painting again. “There’s something so captivating about the work she did.” 

“I agree. That’s why this is my favorite piece here and in my favorite section of works,” he says confidently. 

“You already have a favorite?” you joke.

“Well, I’ve been here every day for the past several days,” he shares.

This makes you turn to him fully. “Because you love this section and this work so much?” 

This mysterious man actually looks down like he’s embarrassed to admit whatever he’s about to tell you. Like he’s gotten shy for a moment. “I do, but I was actually hoping to run into you.” 

That catches you a bit off guard and it takes your brain a minute to remember, once again, you’re here on a mission. “It would have been easier to run into me if you just asked for my number.” 

“Kind of ruins this whole mysterious thing I have going on, though,” he shrugs. 

You roll your eyes and extend your hand, giving him your fake name for the mission. His eyes sparkle for a second before he takes your hand. 

“Wonwoo,” he answers.

“Nice to finally get your name,” you tease.

“I figured you’d come check out the museum when I left the card there at the cafe,” Wonwoo says. 

“I knew that was on purpose,” you mumble.

“Yet you didn’t come until today,” he observes.

“I wasn’t trying to make it easy on you,” you throw out quickly.

“Okay, time to switch tactics, then,” he says. “Can I take you to dinner tonight?” 

“I’m not sure, can you?” you ask.

“Please let me take you to dinner,” he says.

It’s a bad idea and you know it. Everything about him screams distraction. This isn’t what you’re in Buenos Aires to do. Yet, there’s something about him that has you curious. There’s also the fact that this museum seems to be the most likely target for the art thief and this man admitted he’s been here every day. A small part of your brain is sending up alarm signals to keep an eye on him. He doesn’t seem like a secret art thief, but hasn’t your training taught you how to hide in plain sight? It’s entirely possible he’s doing the same.

Your brain goes into overdrive as it often does on missions. There are a million little details in the pages of your profile on the art thief. They come flooding back to you. The profile so thoughtfully pieced together by The Agency says he’s probably unassuming. The kind of man that fits into any situation in the same way as you do, like he’s not trying to fit in and it means he doesn’t stand out as not belonging. The profile suggests that he’s confident. That he would appear calm. Most importantly, he’s the kind of person that would absolutely look at home in the midst of art. So, whether it’s a good idea or not, you know you’re going to say yes. He must see the answer in your eyes before you voice it because he smirks. 

“What time?” 

Wonwoo offers to pick you up at your hotel, but you insist that you’ll meet him at the restaurant. It’s safer that way, after all, being a woman traveling alone. At least that’s what you tell him. Not that anything about Wonwoo seems that threatening and you’re better equipped to handle yourself than most. You just don’t need him anywhere near your room even with everything put away. After going back to get ready, you made time to pour over the information you have. The more you consider it, the more it seems plausible that he could be exactly who you’re looking for. There’s only one issue: he asked you out. Everything you have suggests that he made agents in the past and slipped into the wind. You’re not cocky enough to think you’re too good to fall victim to the same fate. You keep your update to Seungcheol vague in case the lead doesn’t pan out. 

Surprisingly, Wonwoo picks a nice place off the beaten path for dinner. It’s not overrun with tourists and it’s not too expensive. Like him, it’s unassuming but quietly impressive. You try not to let your heart skip a beat when you see him in a simple white dress shirt and black dress pants. He stands to pull your seat out for you and then settles back into his seat across from you. This is for the sake of the mission. Either he’s the person you’re looking for or you’ll have enjoyed a free and tasty meal. Nothing more to it. 

His Spanish, it turns out, isn’t that great and so you help him through ordering since it’s definitely a place more for the locals. Or maybe it’s just an excuse to get your help. You’re not really sure you mind either way. He makes suggestions about which wines he prefers, but ultimately lets you pick, insisting that he will take care of whatever you land on. Once you get through ordering and all the small talk, it gives you a chance to really get to know him.

“Have you been here before?” you ask.

“This restaurant or this city?” he asks.

“Either,” you shrug.

“No to both,” he answers. “Clearly, my Spanish is a bit rusty. I’m so lucky that I found someone who’s so fluent.” 

“I’m not sure I believe you can’t speak the language,” you muse.

“I can speak enough Spanish to get by, but it’s not that good,” he assures you. 

“Interesting place to visit, then,” you observe.

“I’d miss out on a lot of beauty if I only went where I spoke the language fluently,” he retorts and you smile genuinely at that. He’s right. 

“Like the art in the museum?” you suggest.

“Or a charming stranger,” he counters. You’re impressed. “I do like the art as well, though.” 

“What other beautiful places have you visited?” you ask.

“Oh, I hardly think it’s that interesting,” he dismisses.

“Humor me,” you say. 

There’s a moment where he’s careful in listing off places. Like he’s weighing something that you can’t really place. He ends up listing some places that catch your attention. Each of them has some wonderful art museums and it piques your curiosity. You try to look just politely interested, commenting on how he’s lucky to be able to travel as extensively as he seems to. He plays it off with a vague comment about being fortunate with help from his family. It’s the kind of thing that you know passes on a first date. It’s not appropriate to mention money on a first date. So, that would be fine, if it didn’t also make you curious about who this man really was. After all, your art thief being well connected through family would definitely make sense.

Throughout the rest of the dinner, you try to enjoy it. Not that it’s hard to do. Wonwoo is actually a lot of fun to be around. The conversation flows easily and you’re able to connect on a lot of shared interests. At least, interests that you pretend to have for the sake of this mission. But, it feels like he might also be pretending on some of his interests. He’s just a little too calm and put together. A little too quick with his answers. A little too rehearsed with his comments. Maybe you wouldn’t think twice if you weren’t doing the same. 

By the time you finish the main course, you’re pretty sure that you managed to stumble into a date with the exact person that you’re here looking for based on his stories. It may have been a guess before. It feels nearly for sure  now. He mentions how you have to visit Japan when the cherry blossoms are blooming, which sounds stunning. He mentions Oktoberfest in Munich and how he barely remembers anything from that trip. Then there's the ice festival in China, Nordlysfestivalen in Norway, and a few other locations that sound beautiful. They also have one thing in common. Each place is also on your list for stolen art around the time of the events. 

Once you finish dessert, you’re making a decision that you know you should really clear with someone else before making. Sure, you’re pretty sure that Wonwoo is the art thief. And yes, it’s true that keeping an eye on him is in your best interest. One way to do that is to continue with the date. Yet, you’re not stopping to check in with Seungcheol. You’re not analyzing the pros and cons of doing this. After giving Seungcheol a vague update about a lead and promising you’ll have more information later on, he should be the first person you call. He’s not swept up in the atmosphere of a foreign city with a gorgeous stranger. No, you don’t do any of that. You’re just agreeing to go back to his room with him without a second thought. He’s painfully hot and you’re incredibly attracted to him, which is wildly unprofessional. But, you’re not sure you care. At least for the night. You can figure it all out later.

Wonwoo is quietly confident without being cocky. His gaze is so penetrating that it feels like he’s undressing you without it being slimy. He can hold a conversation about seemingly anything, but he’s also just as interested in what you have to say. In fact, you have his attention the whole night, regardless of anything else going on. It’s a little overwhelming to have someone so focused on you. But, when it feels a little overwhelming, he makes a perfectly timed, slightly sarcastic joke that makes you laugh harder than you should. The smile you wear all throughout the date is genuine. You’re actually enjoying yourself so much that you’re not sure you want it to end. Life has never felt so simultaneously complicated and easy.

Wonwoo’s lips are hot on yours as he cages you against the door of his hotel room. That intensity you saw all dinner reappears and you feel like you might burn under his touch. He’s so in control. You’re still not entirely sure how you wound up here, but you’re not really trying to think too hard about it. The fact that he’s almost definitely the art thief becomes an issue for future-you the second he kisses you like it’s your last day on Earth. It’s not like he knows you’re tracking his movements and it isn’t exactly a bad thing to keep a closer eye on him. Nor is it the first time you’ve done something like this. It is the first time you’ve done it without thought, though, and genuinely been interested in the man you let seduce you.

He has his body pressed against yours with his arms on either side of you so there really is nowhere to go. It’s kind of hot and you’re not even pretending to be turned on. A definite bonus. Your hands quickly undo his belt so that you can pull the edges of his shirt out. The moment your hands make contact with his skin, he pulls away and hisses. They’re likely cold, not that you care. It gives you the chance to catch his lower lip between your teeth. You watch his eyes darken with lust as you run your hands up his back, scratching down lightly. 

“Just who do you think is in control here, baby?” His voice is so low in your ear that it makes you swallow hard. Everything about the endearment sounds sarcastic and it shouldn’t work, but you’re only human. Then he nips at your earlobe and you actually moan. 

“What are you going to do about it?” you challenge. It feels like a lot of heat between you. If your head were clearer, you might consider that it feels like two people who know they shouldn’t be fucking. Almost like he’s punishing you a little, which he might want to, given why you’re here.

“That’s a dangerous question,” he warns you. 

“Afraid I can’t handle it?” you ask and watch the way it nearly breaks his composure. You press forward into him, pulling him down so his ear is by your mouth now. Barely raise your voice above a whisper. “I’m not that fragile. I can handle a little pain.” 

That seems to set him off. You’re worried for a second when he pulls away, but that disappears as you watch his nimble fingers rapidly undoing the buttons on his shirt. He casts it aside and looks back at you. 

“I want you stripped naked and on the bed,” he commands. 

You’re not typically in the habit of taking commands but something about him makes you want to listen. Even if you want to challenge him a little. He turns his back and you do strip down. Mostly. You climb onto the bed wearing only your panties, legs spread open and waiting for him. When he turns around, you miss the flare of his nostrils at your defiance looking at his muscles. For someone so unassuming, he was certainly in good shape. 

“Is this your idea of naked?” he questions.

It’s funny, since he’s still got his boxer briefs on, though they leave little to the imagination. You can already see that he’s getting hard from the lead up. 

“I thought I’d leave that honor for you,” you say, injecting as much innocence as you can muster into every word.

Wonwoo looks at you for another long second before climbing onto the bed and getting between your legs. He pushes them further open and you bite down on your lip. 

“You don’t get to muffle those moans from me, sweetheart,” he teases, running a hand up the inside of your thigh.

“Or what?” you challenge again.

He raises an eyebrow at you and pulls his hand away from your thigh. You’re about to whine when he brings it back in a sharp slap. 

“Shit,” you hiss. 

“You liked that, didn’t you?” he asks. You nod with big eyes. “Use your words.”

“Fuck, yes, I liked it,” you rush out the second his finger traces a light line up your clothed cunt. 

“I can tell,” he snarks. “Just tell me if it’s too much.”

“It won’t be,” you insist. He pulls his hand away and looks at you surprisingly soft for a second.

“Tell me if it is,” he repeats.

“I will,” you promise. 

“Good,” he says and hooks his fingers inside the band of your panties, pulling them down your legs and casting them aside in one motion. “That’s better.” 

In another surprise, Wonwoo doesn’t dive right into your cunt the way you expect him to given how frenzied everything has been so far. Instead, he trails kisses from your knee up your inner thigh. Pausing occasionally to nip into the skin before running his tongue over the mark to soothe it. You’re writhing on the bed by the time his breath ghosts across your cunt. The chuckle is low and deep as you squirm when he moves to your other thigh. You’re going to die before he even touches you. 

“Jesus fuck, Wonwoo, if you don’t start eating me out…” you start, a hand winding into his hair.

He pops up and glares at you. “You’ll what? Did you already forget who’s in charge?” 

“I’ll…” you start, before cutting off with a sharp, “FUCK!”

He’s still got his eyes on you when his thumb runs quickly through your folds to press against your clit. There’s barely any movement but it anchors you in place. “That’s what I thought.” 

His kisses up your other thigh are much sloppier with a thumb still in place. It only makes you squirm more, searching for some kind of relief. When he finally gets to your lips, you expect he’s going to tease you again. You’re wrong. Again. His tongue dives into your pussy while his other hand keeps you spread open. This man knows what he’s doing and it’s immediately more than you’re expecting. You can’t stop your legs from snapping closed to box him in. That is, until he pulls his hands off you to spread your legs wide again, giving him the best access to you. It’s clear that he’s in charge and he wants you to know it. 

It’s everything you can do not to thrash around, but Wonwoo seems to be ready to help there. He’s got a hand on your stomach anchoring you down to the bed. You’re not even sure how he’s got enough hands to move them along your body the way he seems to. Without warning, he moves his mouth up to pay attention to your clit. And he doesn’t give you a break, sliding two fingers into you and immediately scissoring them open. He sets a brutal pace, curling his fingers to hit you where he seems to know you need him on some of the passes. 

“Fuck, Wonwoo, oh my god, fuck,” you scream out.

“You gonna come for me, baby?” he sneers at you from between your legs.

“Yes, fuck,” you moan. “Your fingers, oh my god.” 

“You’re so fucking tight,” he groans.

In the next moment, you’re coming so hard you squirt over those amazing fingers of his. Your vision whites out around the edges and your toes are curling. It’s all you can do to catch your breath as Wonwoo’s fingers pump through the high. 

“I don’t remember the last time I came that hard,” you admit.

“We’re not done yet,” he shares and the tone of his voice has you nearly clenching your legs together. “Turn over. Get on your hands and knees.” 

“So bossy,” you say with a roll of your eyes. You turn over anyway, though, and put your ass in the air. 

“This is a really good fucking view,” he says. You feel the bed dip when he gets back in place after removing his boxers. 

Wonwoo has one hand on your hip and the other is running up your back to press you down further. To help you get that perfect arch of your back. You wiggle your ass at him and are rewarded with a stinging smack. Your moan is muffled by the pillow, so you turn your head to the side. Already know he wants to hear you. When he smacks your other ass check, you nearly scream out.

“That’s it, I want to hear you,” he encourages. 

“Please, Wonwoo, just fuck me already,” you beg. 

“One orgasm wasn’t enough?” he asks and you can hear the cockiness in his voice. Bringing a ringing smack down on your ass again. You scream out at the sting. 

“No, I want you to split me open,” you whine. In any other situation you might be embarrassed by the admission, but not now. Not with him. Not when it’s so clearly turning him on. 

“Greedy little thing,” he comments. His fingers press into your cunt again and you nearly yelp. 

There’s no time to adjust when Wonwoo removes his fingers and immediately lines himself up at your entrance. With one snap of his hips, he’s fully inside you and you’re hissing. He’s bigger than you were guessing, even with the outline in his boxers. And he doesn’t give you a break as he starts fucking you hard. All you can hear is the sound of his skin slapping against yours and the mingled moans from both of you. You’re sensitive from both the pace and the earlier orgasm. Your legs feel like they would collapse under you if they could. 

As if the pace isn’t enough, Wonwoo snakes an arm around you to reach for your clit, rubbing circles into it at the same pace as his thrusts. You can tell he’s nowhere near close, but you’re about to lose control again and you’re not sure how to stop it.

“Fuck, Wonwoo, slower, I’m going to - fuck!” you whine out. 

“You gonna come again? So soon, baby?” he taunts. 

“I can’t - fuck, please,” you beg. “I’m so close.” 

“I want you to  make a mess of my dick the same way you made a mess of my fingers,” Wonwoo directs. 

“But you haven’t…” you start and Wonwoo removes his hand from your clit. You cry out at the loss until his other hand grabs your hair to yank you back against his chest. When it’s clear you’re not going to move, his hand moves from your hair to your throat.

“I want you to come for me. Right now. Show me how good I feel inside that tight pussy,” he directs.

It’s one of the most surprising reactions, the way your body immediately responds to him. He’s got you coming just as hard as the first time and he doesn’t give you a chance to second guess any of it. As the shocks rip through your body, you notice that Wonwoo does slow down his thrusts. Doesn’t pull out of you, though. You collapse forward and arch your back again so it’s easier to meet Wonwoo’s continued pace.

“You’re so good at listening,” he praises.

“Not usually,” you mumble into the pillow through the haze. 

“I must be special,” he says as he lazily fucks into you.

“Jesus Wonwoo, you can fuck me. I know you haven’t finished yet,” you grumble.

“In a rush to go somewhere?” he teases. 

“No, but it must be…well, I don’t know. Hard for you,” you mumble into the sheets. 

“I’ve got excellent control,” Wonwoo says, all confidence. “I’m not in a rush to end this.” 

Despite your instance, he continues to lazily snap his hips into you. It’s so slow, way too slow. He reaches down to pull you up against his chest again, still keeping the pace. His hands are on your breasts, squeezing them to anchor you to him. He rolls one of your nipples roughly between his fingers to see what he gets as a reaction. Your moan seems to spur him on further. Each time pain shoots through some part of your body, it only seems to turn you on more. It’s easy to forget why you agreed to this in the first place. 

For all the demands, Wonwoo is actually very attentive as well. He peppers kisses from behind your ear all the way down your shoulder and back, paying special attention to the areas that seem to get the best response from you. He’s also careful with where he nips you, never biting hard enough to leave a mark somewhere that couldn’t be easily hidden. The entire experience has been so all-consuming that there isn’t space for any other thoughts in your head. It’s just him and this hotel room that’s entirely too fancy. 

He must feel that you’re starting to get worked up because he pushes you back down into the bed. His pace finally picks up again, which is good because you’re sprinting towards being too sore to actually enjoy it anymore. The pace gets much faster again, not nearly as rhythmic as before. His fingers dig into your hips as he thrusts. It’s the first time it actually feels like he’s losing control. 

“Oh my god,” you cry out. “I’m gonna come again. Oh my god!” 

“Me too,” he groans through a stuttered breath. “Fuck, where can I come?” 

“I don’t care,” you cry out. You’re about to have your third orgasm. “On my back, on my ass, I don’t fucking care, just come with me.” 

You press a finger to your clit to try and help you over that last bit to tumble over the edge so that Wonwoo can chase his own relief. The second your body starts shaking, you feel him pull out. He must pump his cock a few times because there’s a slight delay before you feel something hit your back. You feel a little proud with how much cum you feel on your skin, like maybe he was a little more affected by you than he wanted to let on. 

As soon as Wonwoo lays down next to you on the bed, you also collapse onto your side. The bed is soft, but your knees are still a little sore from spending so much time on them. Wonwoo immediately pulls you into him so that he can kiss you breathless. His hand is behind your head, keeping you from pulling away. The chemistry between the two of you is intense. Not something you were prepared for. It’s clear that if one of you doesn’t stop, then you’ll be fucking him again. And your body needs a break.

“I should get cleaned up,” you say when you pull back, more than slightly breathless. 

“Let me just get cleaned up a little and then you can take a shower,” he says. 

He presses a kiss to your temple and then gets up off the bed. There’s no point in pretending you aren’t watching him as he walks to the bathroom. He’s all lean lines and unexpected muscles. Nobody should be allowed to look the way he does, to look so good that Greek gods would be jealous. And yet here he is. 

A few minutes later, he emerges from the bathroom and arches an eyebrow at you. There’s a towel slung low around his hips in a way that should be a sin. “You’re going to make me think that you want more.”

“I don’t even know if I’m going to be able to stand,” you joke as an answer.

It surprises you a little when he comes over to the bed and helps you up. That is, until you see the way his eyes take you in. There’s nothing soft there, only predatory. Like you’re a meal he wants to return to. Your brain still feels a little slow to catch up, but registers something like he’s analyzing you. Still, he helps you get to the bathroom, points out the toiletries, and then disappears back into the room. 

By the time you’re clean and wrapped in the softest bathrobe you’ve ever worn, Wonwoo is sitting at the table wearing shorts and his glasses with nothing else. He’s scrolling absently through his phone and picking at some snacks that hadn’t been there when you had gone to shower. You didn’t think you’d been in there long, so it’s surprising he was able to get something up so quickly. When he notices you’re out of the bathroom, he indicates the food.

“I ordered us some snacks and they were happy to get them up here quickly,” he says. 

You take a seat across from him a little apprehensively. This is the part that you hadn’t really considered. How do you excuse yourself from the situation in a way that ensures you’ll see him again? It’s not that you want to have a repeat, though there’s part of your brain that is not opposed like you should be. It’s just…well with the room and the toiletries and the fast room service, you’re sure that this is the man you’re looking for. Which, admittedly, might make things a little complicated. But, you do have a job to do.

“I guess I am hungry,” you admit and reach for something.

“Glad you’re not going to make me eat alone,” he muses. 

“You already paid for dinner and drinks, I wasn’t expecting more treats,” you admit. 

“Seems fitting after the mindblowing sex,” he says and watches you, a clear glint to his eyes. “I can’t get over how insanely hot it was to watch you squirt for me.” 

Your cheeks redden without your permission. He’s so free with admitting it even with the moment having passed. Maybe he’s more trouble than you realized. 

“Seems like I wasn’t the only one to enjoy myself if my back is any indication,” you toss out. 

“I really enjoyed the way you told me I could come on your back,” he shares.

“And my ass,” you remind him.

“I got that too,” he reminds you. “And what a nice ass it is.” 

“Careful or I’ll ask you to blow my back out again,” you say, voice slightly betraying that you’re affected by his very presence. 

“That makes me think you were going to head out and never see me again,” Wonwoo ventures.

“I haven’t decided yet,” you say, trying to be coy.

Wonwoo fixes you with a stare that you can’t quite decipher. It nearly makes you squirm under the intensity. Is he just like that? The kind of person that does everything with that burning look in his eyes. 

“Let me ask you something, Agent,” he begins and your mouth runs dry. You do everything you can not to let him know that you’re a second away from losing it. “Do you fuck all your targets? Or am I special?”

The way he smirks at you lets you know that he knows he’s onto something. Knows exactly who you are. Or maybe who you work for, at least. He’s made you and you’re not entirely sure you’re safe anymore. You’re also not entirely sure what the best move is. Probably take half a second too long to decide if his face is any indication. 

“Agent? Target?” you laugh out. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” 

“Don’t you?” he presses. “Really, we shouldn’t be lying to each other so early in the relationship.” 

“I’m here doing…” you start.

“Research, yes. That’s what you said. And you almost had me when it took so long to run into you again. Your Spanish is flawless. It doesn’t sound like someone that learned at some secret agency. You’re much better at languages than any of the other agents that have come after me. And waiting so long to meet me again, genius. It really had me second guessing who you were,” he says. “But then, you made a mistake. Do you know what it was?” 

“Going on a date with someone that’s clearly a little delusional?” you ventured. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“Oh, I think you do,” he says, confident. “I’ll tell you where you fucked up. It was dinner tonight. No, not something you said or did because you were shockingly smooth with it. It’s that you agreed to it at all. I suggested a place no researcher would ever go to. Because it used to be the site of a religious monument, but it fell into disrepair. A local crime family took it over. Only locals bother going there, but no researcher ever would.” 

Your heart sinks. Through all your research and all your planning, you knew that you would never be able to get everything. There just wasn’t the time. So, you had to hope that the person you were chasing wouldn’t notice any small missteps. Or would write them off with your cover story. What you had not planned for was this. In all your careful consideration, you had not planned to go on a date with the art thief himself. He had you and he knew it. It’s hard to see the right path out of this. 

It had been a gamble to get close to him the way you had. A gamble that you questioned taking and took anyway. A gamble you took without clearing it with Seungcheol. Usually, getting close to a target this way, you talk to him to make sure that he thinks it’s a good idea too. Make sure that this kind of move will fit the profile for the person that you’re chasing. This time, you’re flying blind. You had gotten a little ahead of yourself. A little sloppy. This isn’t the type of work you’re known for. It’s not the reason that you were sent down to Buenos Aires to chase him on a secret mission. 

“One mistake,” you sigh with a shake of your head. 

“Yeah, just the one,” he agrees. 

“So why did you invite me back here?” you ask. 

Wonwoo shrugs. “I’m curious about you.” 

“Curious? You risked inviting me back to your actual hotel room over curiosity?” you ask, looking around. 

“Who’s to say this is actually my room?” he says with another casual shrug. You clock it on his face as soon as he says it. 

“No, it is your actual room. The comfort, the speed of the room service, the way things are laid out. It’s not staged. This is just where you’re staying,” you observe. That makes him smile in a way you’re not expecting.

“Good eye,” he agrees. “Now for my question. Do you fuck all your targets?” 

“No,” you say shortly. 

“Why even agree to go on a date with me, then?” he presses. 

You sigh and sit further back into your chair. Take a piece of fruit from the table to buy yourself some time. “I don’t know. It wasn’t a good decision, obviously. I wasn’t even sure you were my target. There was just…something about you.” 

“So you’ve never fucked a target before? I’m special?” he asks with a smirk.

“I didn’t say that,” you respond. “I just don’t usually fuck a target without clearing it first.” 

“Who knows you’re here with me?” he asks.

“Nobody,” you answer. It’s too honest. 

You’re not sure if you should have admitted that and even less sure if he’ll believe you. It is the truth, though. Nobody in the world knows where you are right now. It’s kind of a crossroads for you because Wonwoo isn’t dangerous. He’s never been violent, as far as your information shows. Despite being physically separated from your bag, you’re not exactly unarmed. And yes, he does look like he’s in shape, but you’re still confident that you can take him if it comes to that. Once again, your mind is running through a million calculations a second as you realize you definitely should have talked to Seungcheol. 

“I’m trying to figure you out,” he admits.

“How’s that going?” you ask sarcastically. 

“Not as well as it would normally,” he says. It’s something else that’s honest between the two of you. More honest than you’re expecting. “Most people are too easy to figure out. It’s boring. Nothing about you makes sense to me.” 

“And what about me is so difficult for you to figure out?” you ask, still lacing your words with sarcasm. 

“You know, despite me figuring out that you’re after me, you’re actually the best agent that they’ve ever sent. You fit into your role seamlessly. You’re just the right amount of charming. You blend into your surroundings because you don’t try to do anything to dull yourself. Against my better judgment, I am impressed. And yet, you still decided to come on the date. You’re clearly the best they have and you’re still here,” he says, gaze soft but analytical on you. 

“I’m going to keep my mouth shut,” you say carefully. 

“Why?” he asks. 

“You disarm me,” you admit. “I know so much about you and yet, here I am. Unwilling to leave even though you know what I’m here to do.” 

“Do you still want to turn me in?” he asks.

“Are you going to disappear into the wind the second I walk out that door?” you counter. 

He regards you for a moment. A moment too long, really. It makes you squirm in your seat. This isn’t going at all how you would have imagined. “No.” 

“Why?” you ask.

“Because I’m waiting to see how this whole thing plays out. You haven’t said that you want to turn me in. I can see you’re conflicted about it. So, I’m going to see how this plays out,” he answers. He holds up a hand when you open your mouth. Seems to predict you’re going to ask why again. “Because…okay, look. I know this is really weird. I know you’re here to try and find me. But, you’re actually interesting and that sex was fucking good. So, I don’t know, call me cocky. I’m not ready to let you walk away just yet.”

“If I can walk at all,” you grumble. 

“You were walking just fine from the bathroom. Maybe I need to really make sure you can’t walk,” he muses. 

The eye contact is too much and you turn your head away. You’re positive he’s onto you, especially when you carefully cross your legs. It’s just that he’s right, isn’t he? You can sit here and pretend that you only slept with him to keep him close while you tried to figure him out. Can say that it was all just part of the job and you didn’t enjoy it. Can say that you wanted to take a different approach since nobody else has been able to catch him.

That’s also very clearly a lie.

Seungcheol likes to know what his agents are up to, particularly when it comes to agents like you that deal with secret missions. Since you started as friends before he had to retire to his desk, he’s also very protective of you. He hates it when you suggest using your charm on a target like this. So, no, this isn’t just another target. This is something else entirely. You have to admit that you actually enjoyed it. That you would like to do it again. That you actually don’t even want to leave his room because you’re not convinced you’ll ever see him again. Which is really stupid, isn’t it? You should not care if you never see him again. Unless it means that you failed your mission. That’s not why you’re worrying about never seeing him again, though. 

Just as you’re about to open your mouth and say something else, your phone chirps from your bag. It’s a sign. You know it is. The sound is tied to Seungcheol. Which means he’s looking for a check-in. Which means you’re late, something that never happens with you. You’re standing up to get your phone before even realizing it. Wonwoo’s eyes track your movements. 

Cheol: hope you’re enjoying your trip! Send pictures when you can

It’s code. Sent through a normal message so that it doesn’t look suspicious. And so that it gives you the chance to ignore it if you’re not in a place where you can answer him. You don’t even hear Wonwoo approach as you’re mentally calculating how to respond to this.

“Is that code?” he asks and you nearly jump out of your skin at the sound of his low voice by your ear. God, nobody should have a voice like his.

“It’s my handler, I guess you could say,” you answer.

“Are you going to call him?” he asks.

“He’ll worry if I don’t,” you say and realize it’s true. 

Wonwoo steps around you to grab his own phone and then returns to his position at the table. “I’ll be quiet if you want to call.” 

There’s something kind of hot about how he says it. Like he doesn’t actually want to let you leave. Or like it’s an order to stay. You’re not sure if you’re reading too much into it. When you look over at him, his eyes are on his phone, but his lips turn up in a smile. He knows your eyes are on him and he’s still playing a game. A game that you just might lose, for the first time in your life. 

With a sigh, you shake your head and just fire off a text in response. You don’t have it in you to call Seungcheol and you also aren’t exactly sure what to say. He’s always been able to read your tone like it’s his own. After telling him you might have a lead, he’s going to know something is wrong. This is going to be a problem.

You: it’s been amazing, i’m loving each new thing i get to see in person. I’ll have some pictures to show you tomorrow!

It’s a signal that you’re not going to have anything new to share with him tonight and not to contact you again until you check in the next day. You’re not really sure if this is the right decision, but you need time to clear your head. This is the only way that you can see getting that. It’s too hard to think about making a decision when Wonwoo is still half naked and looking at you like you’re prey. At least you can assume that you could take him if you needed to. Thankfully, he’s not really looking at you like that kind of prey. 

“I’ll call him tomorrow,” you say.

“And what will you do tonight?” Wonwoo asks, looking up at you.

“I’m all yours, at least for tonight,” you say. 

You’re surprised the look he gives you doesn’t melt you into the floor. “I can work with that.”

The next day brings more confusion than the night before. At least you’re back in your own hotel room and out of the intoxicating orbit of Wonwoo. The downside is that you couldn’t leave his bed without agreeing to lunch plans with him. Both of you wanted to get breakfast together, but hadn’t been able to get out of bed in time for that. You turned down his offer to just buy you new clothes so you wouldn’t have to leave his sight. Thankfully, he does seem to understand that you need a minute to process everything in the last 24 hours. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind.

That’s not what you need to focus on right now, though. You don’t have any more messages from Seungcheol, which is what you expected. Still, you need to call him before he doesn’t something to check on you. Like sending Chan to your hotel with some made up story. You don’t want to put anyone in that position. You also don’t really know what you’re going to say. When you left Wonwoo’s hotel room, he made it clear: the choice was yours. He wants to see you again and he also knows that he’s asking a lot. Too much, probably. So, he’s giving you a choice. If you show up at lunch to meet him, then you’re at least willing to get to know him a little more before deciding anything. If you stand him up, then he’ll know you can’t agree to that. It’s a major gamble for him because you know what he looks like and his real name. You have more than you need to put an end to years of his hard work. 

Nothing in your life has prepared you for this. Not really. Sure, you train for missions and you perfect your skills. But, emotions have never been part of it. It’s always been so easy to separate your humanity from your job. Kind of like you just switch of anything that makes you normal and go into mission-mode. You once compared it to being an actor because you’re just playing a part. None of it is real and none of it is really your decision. This is uncharted territory for you.

Once you catch your breath, you pull a device out of the secret pocket in your bag so that you can connect it to your phone. It’ll scramble the signals and make the line secure so that you can call Seungcheol. It’s a bit of normalcy that you’re craving in the madness around you. 

“Finally, I’ve been worried,” Seungcheol answers. 

“I answered you right away,” you point out.

“Yes, to say that you would not be calling me,” Seungcheol presses and you sigh.

“Because I don’t have anything new to report,” you say without even realizing when you made the decision. The lie flows so easily. “I’ve been cataloging everything on everyone I see at the museums and galleries. Cross checking the names coming into the country. Surveying anyone that sticks out as I check things out.” 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Seungcheol cuts in.

“I’m here to find him, though,” you point out. You’re not sure why you’re doing this. 

“I know,” he says. “But, I’d rather you be safe.”

“I’m always safe,” you lie. Thankfully, he doesn’t seem to pick up on it. 

“I know, but I also know you’re competitive,” he says. “Remember, we’ve already sent no less than 6 teams to find him and they’ve all failed.” 

“I don’t fail, though. That’s why you sent me,” you say. You’re not even sure why you’re arguing with him. 

“Just be careful. What happened with that lead you thought you had?” he asks. 

“A dead end,” you say with a practiced sigh. “Does the intelligence say he’s still in the city?” 

“I can’t imagine he’d leave without taking anything,” Seungcheol says. 

“Good point,” you say. “I’ll keep looking.” 

“Do you want me to send back-up?” he asks.

“It’s your mission,” you say noncommittally. “If you think it’ll help and we can still fly under the radar, then by all means.” 

“I was thinking of Chan since he’s still kind of in the area,” he says.

“Ah, yeah, I’m not sure,” you admit.

“You’re right, I know. I do want you to formally meet him soon, though. But, definitely not mid-mission,” he agrees. “Just be careful and keep me updated. If it goes on too long, we’ll just pull you. Maybe he got spooked.” 

“Yeah, that works,” you agree. 

“See you when you’re back,” he says.

“See you,” you answer and hang up.

It feels awful to lie to him, of all people. He’s one of the only people that you’ve ever trusted in your life. The only one that knows exactly who you are, knows all your demons, and still accepts you. He knows just how many people are six feet under because of you, knows the ways you’ve had to use your body, knows the lies you’ve told and the people you’ve hurt, both physically and emotionally. He knows all your scars and he accepts it. Because you know all his scars, too. It sucks to lie to him.

Sometimes they say that indecision is still a decision. That’s where you are now. You can say that you haven’t made a decision about what you’re going to do with Wonwoo. You can say that you’re waiting for more information. But, in a way, you’ve made at least one decision in his favor. You didn’t tell Seungcheol that your lead turned out to be the art thief himself. No. Instead, you’re showering and getting ready to meet him again, about to make yet another decision. Maybe you were always going to agree to lunch rather than stand him up. He’s got a lot to lose here too. It’s far more complicated than it should be. 

Your head is a little in the clouds by the time you leave your room to head down to the lobby and out into the comfortable winter air. If you spend a little more time than strictly necessary making sure you look nice, well that’s your business. The only drawback is that you don’t have Wonwoo’s phone number, at your own insistence, and so he may think you decided to stand him up. That worry lasts as long as it takes for you to reach the lobby. That’s where you see him, sitting casually in an armchair with his eyes locked on you. There’s no reason for the way your heart skips over such a simple outfit. It’s just a t-shirt and a leather jacket. Why are you nearly losing your mind?

“What are you doing here?” you ask and he gives you the most charming smile you’ve ever seen. It probably even puts your own smile to shame.

“I took a chance that you would decide in my favor,” he says and stands up.

“Confident,” you say, “but still, I was supposed to meet you at the restaurant since I hadn’t decided.”

“It’s a date. I’m picking you up,” he says and surprises you by placing a gentle kiss on your cheek . 

“Isn’t that chivalrous of you,” you comment while trying to convince your heart to stop beating out of your chest. 

“Shall we?” he asks and motions for you to walk ahead of him.

The chivalry doesn’t stop at picking you up at your hotel, unfortunately for you. He opens the door and then gently takes your hand. There’s a hand on your back when you step around him. He puts himself between you and any traffic. It’s the best anyone has ever treated you and you hate that you’re even noticing that. Now, you’re thinking that you should have stood him up for an entirely different reason.

Lunch feels like the most normal thing in the world. The real reason for being in this beautiful city doesn’t come up at all. Instead, you talk about life and interests. The type of music and food that you like. What you do in your free time. It’s exactly what you imagine first or second dates to be like. Not that you have much experience with actually dating. 

It only gets deeper from there with Wonwoo telling you more about himself. Not about how he really makes money, but it certainly helps you understand how he got involved and how he stays under the radar. As it turns out, he comes from a lot of money. He doesn’t say it in a way that sounds like he’s bragging. It makes sense, though. Everything about him screams old money, which fits the profile you put together. The way he carries himself, the way he speaks, the way he dresses. It doesn’t feel like someone that’s made his money from stealing art. You learn that he’s involved in a lot of charities, which surprises you a bit. You also learn that he sponsors students in a video game design program in his home country. There’s so much more to him than stealing art. In fact, that seems to be such a small part of who he is. It’s more than a little surprising, which is odd since it’s usually so hard to surprise you. It’s clear that he’s grown up around art. All this time and he’s just been hiding in plain sight. 

The two of you sit at lunch for so long that the servers finally, very politely, indicate that it’s time to leave. It’s never been this easy to sit with someone in your entire life. It’s a level of comfort that you should absolutely not feel with someone like Wonwoo. But, you can’t help it. You can’t help the way you feel around him. Can’t really fight the feelings that keep threatening to bubble up. 

The roads aren’t nearly as busy when you walk back towards your hotel. Even though it’s a tourist city, it still quiets down in the mid-afternoon when the local businesses close down. The tourists seem to use the time to also relax or take advantage of certain monuments being quieter. It lends itself to the comfortable silence that settles around you and Wonwoo on the walk. 

When you reach the lobby, you turn to face Wonwoo and your breath catches a little. The sun in July isn’t as strong, but it still provides a backlight like he’s some sort of dark angel. Which sounds insane, even if your head. There have been so many beautiful people in your life, yet this is the one that has you forgetting how to put words together. It’s like he knows exactly what you’re thinking when he steps into your space and takes your face in his hands. He kisses you so fiercely that you forget your name. It’s the kind of kiss that doesn’t look like much from the outside, but changes your entire world on the inside. 

“Well how am I supposed to go back to my room and leave you now?” you ask against his lips when he pulls back. You can feel the smile on his own lips when he kisses you again.

“Isn’t it obvious?” he whispers. 

“No,” you whisper back and kiss him again.

“I don’t want you to leave me,” he says. 

That makes you pull back sharply so that you can search his face. Does he realize how that sounds? It makes you wonder if he means more than just tonight. What is he trying to do to you? How many ways can one man make you reconsider everything you stand for? Nothing about his face looks smug or even insincere. In fact, he looks the way you imagine you feel. A little smitten and a lot unsure of what to do next. 

“And what would I do instead?” you ask, though you have an idea where he’s going.

“Go pack a bag of some of your things and come stay with me for the next few days,” he requests. It’s just bordering on a demand, even though it’s clearly your call. 

“Are you crazy? We barely know each other,” you protest without much heat. 

“What better way to get to know each other?” he counters. He grabs your hips, pulling you close to his body so he can wrap his arms around you. “And think about it. I can see you’re still not sure what you want to do. If you’re with me, you’ll know where I am at all times. I can’t get into any trouble while you’re still deciding.” 

“I suppose you do make a point,” you concede. 

“I have never done anything this reckless in my life. So, I’m just asking for a chance,” he shares.

It’s a little insane for him to say this is the most reckless thing he’s done in his life. Surely, stealing art is crazier than this. Which would make you lean towards not believing him if it weren’t for the voice in the back of your head. That little voice that agrees with him. You’ve put your life in danger more times than you can count, but saying yes to the man in front of you feels like the most dangerous idea yet. Maybe it’s because you know it’s not your body you’re putting on the line, but your heart. And maybe, just maybe, that’s what he means too. That he’s never taken the chance to chase someone like this. Or maybe you just want to believe that you might be special. 

All you can do is nod at him and watch the smile that breaks across his face. It’s honest, unguarded. It’s real. There’s nothing behind it except genuine happiness that you agreed to spend the next few days with him. Before you can second guess your decision, you give him one more kiss and nearly run up to your room. 

Being separated from him gives you the chance to actually catch your breath. To focus on what you need to bring with you. Since, apparently, you’re not going to reconsider if this is actually a good idea or not. You know you should. You know that this is another one of those moments that you chalk up to indecision when your actual decision could not be any louder. Again, you’re reminded of what you’re doing here. What you’re supposed to be doing here. This man is your enemy. He’s the person you’re supposed to be arresting and bringing into The Agency to face sentencing. You’re a good agent. You always put the mission ahead of yourself, your thoughts, your beliefs, or even your relationships. This isn’t a version of yourself that you recognize and it should stop you in your tracks.

Instead, you decide which dress to pack away and what pair of shoes looks best. For the first time in your life, you’re diving in first and asking questions later. Or never. 

It shouldn’t be surprising that you end up naked in Wonwoo’s bed minutes after crossing the threshold to his hotel room. Not with how things have gone so far for the two of you. Yet, what is surprising is that the sex is even better than the night before. You’re catching your breath, tucked into Wonwoo’s side, body tacky with sweat but so impossibly happy. His hand that’s around you absently traces patterns into your skin. It’s honestly like you’ve known him for years. It’s insane to realize how comfortable you feel when that’s not something you ever experience. Not like this. 

It’s also shocking to you how much this man wants to share with you. He carries on your chats from lunch as if he hadn’t just fucked you into his mattress yet again. Like this means more than some dirty sex holed up in a hotel in a foreign city. Makes you feel like you might actually mean something to him, which is a very dangerous feeling to have. Both of you know that this can’t mean more than what it is. At least, you think you know that and you think he might too. But, there’s a clear understanding that you won’t talk about it. Not now, at least. 

Wonwoo decides that he wants to take you somewhere fancy for dinner. The type of place that you would never consider going to while on a mission. Though, you’re always prepared for anything. When you were packing up your things in your hotel room, you even grabbed a couple nicer dresses. All they needed was a quick steam, which the hotel staff had been only too happy to accommodate. Any protests about it being too much fell on deaf ears. He was set and the two of you were going to a famous restaurant. All you had to do was shower and get ready. Your dress would be ready by the time you needed it. 

It’s clear you don’t really understand the limits to Wonwoo’s wealth, if there even are any, when you arrive at the restaurant. It’s the kind of place where you usually need reservations well in advance. It’s not the kind of place you can just show up at. Despite that, the host leads you back to a semi-private area where you’re tucked into a corner booth. It’s clearly one of the nicest tables in the place. You think you catch Wonwoo sliding the host something when he shakes their hand before he turns back to you. All thoughts go out the window when he slides in right next to you, not leaving any space. 

Wonwoo’s Spanish really is very remedial and so you help him decipher the menu and order. It gives you pause when there aren’t prices anywhere on the menu, but he’s quick to wave off any concerns. Insists that it’s his treat. You don’t want to think that’s something you could get used to. It isn’t like you have any real trouble affording nice things. Your salary is high and you don’t have much to spend money on. This is a different level, though. It’s even different from the times you’ve gone on a mission and charmed your target. That always feels temporary. Like you’re something of an imposter. You don’t get those feelings here with Wonwoo.

Letting him pick out which outfit you wore may have been a mistake. You discover this once you get your drinks and the waiter leaves you alone. His hand rests possessively on your thigh, against the bare skin of your leg exposed by the slit in your dress. His body is angled towards you and he’s encouraging you to continue telling your story. But, he has to know he’s distracting, too, with the way his hand slides further up your thigh. What started as arguably innocent ventures quickly into dangerous territory. 

“You were saying?” he prompts. His hand is inside the fabric of your dress now, keeping you from pressing your thighs together like you want to. 

“I, uh…” you stutter as he digs his hand into the soft flesh there. “Wonwoo, aren’t you worried?”

“About what?” he asks innocently.

“Getting caught,” you hiss and look down at your lap.

“No, sweetheart, I’m not worried,” he says and you glare at him, “because you’re going to be good for me and be quiet.”

“I don’t know…” you start and stop as soon as his pinky grazes along your entrance through your panties. “Fuck.” 

“Doesn’t seem like you actually want me to stop,” he points out.

“I, fuck, you know I don’t but there are people,” you say softly.

“I paid good money for this table. I don’t think we’ll be disturbed,” he tells you. 

“I…” you start. When he pulls his finger away, you nearly whine.

“I need to hear you say you want it,” he says.

“What?” you ask, a little louder than you intended.

“Use your words,” he directs and you glare.

“Fuck you,” you hiss, earning a chuckle out of him. 

“Not yet,” he retorts.

“Fine, yes. I want your fingers inside me here in this damn restaurant,” you say.

He’s expecting this answer. It’s written all over his face. This time, he doesn’t tease you. Doesn’t waste any time because you may not have much of it. He simply pushes your panties to the side and slides his first finger into you. The angle doesn’t make it easy but his fingers are long and slender, like they were built for something like this. It’s hard to keep from making a sound, so you try to do anything to distract yourself from the way he pumps into you. Or the way he adds a second finger so quickly. 

When you pick up your drink to take a sip from the straw, you watch his eyes on you. They seem to darken the second that you wrap your lips around the straw. His fingers pump into you even faster. And his lips are demanding on yours when you set the drink back down. You moan softly into his mouth without really considering if anyone is paying attention or if they can hear you. His tongue tangles with yours frantically while he tries to get you off right in that booth. 

This is new for you. You definitely didn’t think you would get so turned on by the fact that anyone could walk back over to see what you were doing. Anyone could hear the noises you’re making. Anyone could figure it out. When he feels that your pussy clenching around his fingers, he pulls away from the kiss. Leans his forehead against yours so that he can whisper filthy things in the space between you. Tells you how good you feel and how he loves watching you when you’re about to come. Moans about how tight you are. How pliant you are for him. Reminds you to be quiet. Tells you he can’t wait to taste you on his fingers. That’s what finally pushes you over the edge.

Your fingers grip the edge of the booth underneath you as you come hard and fast. He lazily guides you through it and then follows through by bringing his fingers to his lips. It’s so hot that you consider asking if you can just leave and go back to the room to be fucked properly. But, then your stomach rumbles and you think better of it. It’s only another few minutes before the first course arrives with a slightly knowing look from the waiter. After that first course, you excuse yourself to the bathroom to clean up, at least a little. You deem your panties ruined and just remove them, tucking them away into your bag. You’ll have to be a little more careful the rest of the night.

This dinner is somehow even better than the first and it has nothing to do with the place being expensive, though the food is definitely amazing. You also don’t think it really has anything to do with the way Wonwoo fingered you under the table. That’s definitely a first for you. Exhibitionism hasn’t been your thing before, but maybe he’s got you learning new things about yourself. It had only taken him a minute to realize that you weren’t wearing underwear anymore. It definitely took him another minute to regain his composure.

The thing that actually makes this dinner better than the first is the man across from you. With his walls down, the entire night just feels that much more. It’s one of the only times you’ve ever felt your own guard come down. It’s not smart and you don’t care. You think you probably look a little punch drunk to anyone that can see your table. Then, you meet Wonwoo’s eyes again and think he probably looks the same. You never really have the chance to enjoy dates, but even if you did, this would still probably top them all. It’s all the little things. The way Wonwoo carefully brushes a strand of hair out of your face. The way he offers you a bite off his own plate when you say it looks good. The way he brings your knuckles up to his lips and presses feather light kisses to them. 

“Are you going to insist on ordering dessert here too?” you ask after the main course. 

“I was thinking we might have dessert back in our room,” he says and you raise an eyebrow.

“Our room?” you question.

“Don’t test me,” he cautions. 

“I wouldn’t dare,” you say and lean into him to press a slow kiss to his cheek. Your hand brushes over his lap as a way to get closer.

“Is this you not testing me?” he asks when your hand brushes across his lap again.

“What? You can make me come on your fingers but I can’t tease you a little?” you ask innocently.

Wonwoo grabs your hand and anchors it on your own thigh. “We’re getting out of here and then you can show your appreciation however you want. We don’t need to give them more of a show.” 

It seems like it takes an eternity to pay the bill (which Wonwoo doesn’t let you see) and get a cab back to the hotel. The promise of something else simmers between you the entire time. Wonwoo keeps a hand on you the entire time. A hand on your lower back out of the restaurant, fingers intertwined with yours in the cab, an arm around you walking into the hotel. When you get into the elevator, he pulls you back against his chest as more people join. He masks it as affection and presses a kiss to your cheek, but you feel the desire beneath it. 

The moment you cross into the room, you slip out of your shoes and turn around to press a kiss to Wonwoo’s lips. The tension between the two of you is thick and it’s hard to remind yourself to come up for a breath. He overwhelms every one of your senses. There’s nothing but him in every corner of your brain when he kisses you like that. 

It’s almost embarrassing when he breaks the kiss and you chase his lips. “How about dessert?”

“I thought that was just your way of saying…” you start and he directs your attention to the table. There’s an assortment of fruit, whipped cream, and melted chocolate there. 

You’re a little hesitant when he starts to walk to the table. It just feels incredibly intimate, which is true for a lot of what's happened with Wonwoo. But, this still feels different. It feels like more, once again. Wonwoo realizes that you’re not behind him and turns back to you. He closes the space between you yet again and places a hand on your cheek, impossibly soft. 

“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” he asks. 

“I’ve never done…this,” you say softly into the quiet between you and him. 

“Pretty sure we’ve already fucked several times,” Wonwoo says to lighten the mood.

“No, I mean, this…I don’t know. The desserts and the whipped cream and chocolate. It just feels, I don’t know, intimate,” you admit. 

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” he assures you. 

It’s absolutely insane that you’re hesitating. It doesn’t have to be some super intimate thing. It’s not like Wonwoo hasn’t already seen every inch of you and gotten to know your body better than anyone should in that period of time. But, this is far beyond the point where you can convince yourself any part of this is for the mission anymore. This isn’t just to keep him close. This is no longer indecision, as much as you want to pretend that it is.

“Is this your go-to move, then? Have a bunch of sweets delivered to the hotel room and seduce people with being all gentle?” you ask.

“I’ve definitely never done this before,” he says and it’s too honest. 

Instead of answering him you just kiss him because it’s the only answer you can think of. Somehow, knowing that this is different for him too makes it feel less overwhelming for you. You drag him back towards the table until you’re leaning against it. Your back arches into him as he licks into your mouth. His hands wrap around you to keep you tight against his body. He pulls away again and you’re ready for it this time. 

Wonwoo reaches an arm behind you and dips a strawberry in some of the chocolate. He brings it to your lips and watches intently as you get your mouth around it. The first bite sends a little bit of juice and chocolate over your lips. Just as you’re about to wipe it away, Wonwoo pulls the remainder of the strawberry back and kisses it away. It’s like that one action unlocks any hang ups you have. You twist around to scoop up some whipped cream with your finger. Your eyes lock on Wonwoo as you slowly lick it off. With it still in your mouth, you kiss him hard, enjoying the way your tongues dance and the tastes. 

The two of you take turns dipping fruit and feeding it to each other. The kisses become more and more desperate in between feeding each other. It’s a little messy, though, so you unbutton Wonwoo’s shirt and slide it off his arms. He undoes your dress to slide it off your body, removing your bra along the way. You rid him of his pants and briefs as well so that you’re not the only one standing there naked. 

When you reach back to get more fruit, Wonwoo grabs your hand to stop you. There’s a question in your eyes that he leaves unanswered as he moves things out of the way behind you. Then, he’s sitting you on the edge of the table and reaching for the whipped cream, which also answers your question. He puts some of the topping on your breast and sucks into your skin to lick it off you. Your legs part on their own as you lean back on the table to encourage him to get closer. He swirls his tongue around your nipple before softly nipping at your skin. Without warning, he bites into the flesh of your breast and laves over the spot to soothe you. 

Food should not be this sexy. Maybe it’s just that it’s Wonwoo tempting you, but you’ve never been this turned on. His tongue is everywhere across your breasts and your stomach. Covering you in kisses while also licking the whipped cream or chocolate off of you. Your nails scratch down his back each time he nips into your skin. Somehow the sensations are everywhere all at once. You wrap your legs around his waist to anchor him closer to you. 

“I need you inside me,” you whine out with Wonwoo kissing along your neck.

“Are you sure you’re ready for that?” he asks into your skin.

“Feel for yourself,” you encourage. 

Wonwoo pulls away from your neck and looks at you with lust. He presses his fingers to your mouth and you suck them in without even thinking about it. They’re sweet as you swirl your tongue around them. “Fuck, that’s hot.” 

As if it’s confirmation, he ruts against you, seemingly hard just from all the making out and the food. You pull his fingers from your mouth and guide them to your already dripping pussy. He’s not the only one that’s gotten insanely turned on. As soon as you guide his fingers through your folds he groans again. 

Neither one of you is in the mood to wait and he doesn’t waste any time angling his hand so he can pump his fingers inside you. Just presses two fingers right in and adds a third to try and open you up. It makes you scream out, praising his fingers with how quickly they work you over. He removes his hand entirely too quickly and you’re whining at the loss. Wonwoo runs a hand along his cock, pumping a couple times and catching some of the precum to spread it along his length. It’s not enough, but you don’t really care right now. 

“Please, Wonwoo, I need you,” you beg.

“Feeling a little desperate, princess?” he teases, that cocky smirk back on him. 

“Just fuck me already,” you whine. 

Wonwoo doesn’t say anything else, just lines himself up and presses his tip into you. It stretches you out and you’re a little surprised that he goes so slowly. Then, you realize that it feels like more when he’s inching into you like this. His eyes watch you for any signs of discomfort. He leans forward and catches your lips in the neediest kiss of the night when he bottoms out in you. You lean back onto your elbows, bringing him along with you. The kisses get sloppier as he starts to thrust into you. 

He pulls away from you to reposition and presses your leg up so that he can get deeper. You let your leg fall over his arm so that you don’t have to hold it up. The moans between the two of you are loud enough to drown out the sound of skin on skin as he fucks into you hard. You can’t help it, though, and you throw your head back in pleasure.

“Look at me,” he directs roughly. 

You moan in response but tilt your head back towards him. It feels like a chore and that’s when it occurs to you. Taking hold of his free hand, you move it to your throat. For a second, his eyes go wide and his pace slows. He’s searching your face for a clue before he grabs your throat a little more forcefully.

“Are you sure?” he asks.

“Yes, fuck,” you groan out. “I’ll tap you if it’s too much.” 

“You’re so fucking hot,” he utters, flexing his fingers on your throat.

Somehow, Wonwoo seems to know the perfect amount of pressure. It’s just tight enough that it makes it a little harder to breathe, but not so much that it’s actually choking you. He seems more comfortable than when he did it the first time. It also makes it easier to keep your eyes on him the way he wants. Everything feels heightened and it’s entirely too soon that you’re rushing to your high. You clench your walls around Wonwoo and he fucks you harder, groaning at the increased tightness.

“Gonna come all over my dick again?” he asks and you moan. 

You can’t really say anything and you don’t want to. This is all you need. Your hand winds down your body and you look at Wonwoo with a question in your eyes.

“Go ahead, baby, touch yourself,” he directs you. 

Asking for permission to do anything is unlike you, but there’s something about wanting to please this man that drives you to all sorts of new things. You rub your clit in time with his thrusts and it seems like only moments pass before you’re tipping over that edge. 

Heavy breaths eventually subside to find Wonwoo slowly, almost lazily, fucking into you. His hands are now both on your hips as he waits for you to come down. You sit up with him still inside you and kiss him, slow and full of all sorts of unspoken things.

“You really are fucking amazing,” you say, voice a little hoarse. “You can move faster.”

“I was thinking we might need to get into the shower,” he says with a smirk, pressing a finger to your skin. You’re about to object when you watch him pull it away and it sticks. 

“Maybe I can take care of you in there, then,” you say and kiss him softly. 

His eyes seem to light up a little at that. He slides out of you gently and walks slowly into the bathroom. You meant what you said. Shower sex is definitely not your thing because it’s never as sexy as people make it out to be. It can be slippery and there aren’t really any good positions. That doesn’t mean you can’t help him out a little. 

Wonwoo has other ideas first, it seems. Once the water is warm enough, both of you get in and he lathers up a loofah to gently wash all the stickiness from your body. It’s gentle in a way you’re not expecting and impossibly thoughtful. You relax against his back with his arms around you while he makes sure all the remnants are gone. 

When you’re clean, you turn around to face him and kiss him hard. The water falling on your back creates the perfect sensation with the heat between the two of you. He gathers you against his body, hands sliding down to grip your ass. It’s all you can do not to melt right on the spot. You think that you could probably kiss this man for the rest of your life and never get bored. Or never fully prepare yourself for the way it makes you feel. 

You drop to your knees and take his cock in your hand. He leans back against the wall of the shower as he looks down on you. It’s crazy to you how turned on this man gets (or stays) just from kissing or skin contact. No matter what, his body always seems to be ready for you. You run your tongue along his length and swirl your tongue around the tip. You’re impatient and you know he’s been waiting, so you don’t waste any time before you suck him into your mouth. You relax your throat and swallow as much of his cock as you’re able to, alternating between bobbing and hollowing out your cheeks. 

“You look so good looking up at me like that,” he groans. 

You hum around his dick and Wonwoo grabs the back of your head to anchor you there. Tears prick at the corners of your eyes before he releases you and you can get a breath. Even in this position, you can tell that you actually have control over this man. It’s a great feeling since he’s been in control every other time. His hips buck when you suck him back into you. It’s definitely a powerful feeling. The groans also tell you what you already know, you’re good at this. He’s putty in your hands. 

With a few more bobs, he’s coming down your throat and then slumping back against the shower wall. It doesn’t stop him from helping you up off your knees. You pepper light kisses along his collarbones before he surprises you and pulls you into another kiss. It’s never been your experience that a man wants to kiss you like that, but he doesn’t shy away. 

“We better get out of this shower before we run through all the hot water,” he says between kisses.

“You’re right,” you say with a sigh. 

The two of you step out of the shower and Wonwoo is quick to wrap you up in a towel. It takes everything in you to tell your heart to calm down. You know Wonwoo feels all the same things you do. Even if he's not free with vocalizing his emotions, his actions tell you exactly what he’s thinking. If you know where to look, that is. You’re realizing that you definitely know where to work. 

Twenty minutes later, your skin care routine is done and you’re curled up in bed in one of Wonwoo’s oversized t-shirts. You know your alarm is going to be too early tomorrow since you need to check in with Seungcheol, but all you want to do tonight is curl up and talk more with this incredibly interesting man. 

Something seems to shift now that you’re holed up in Wonwoo’s hotel room with him for the next however many days. Before, he seemed hesitant to talk about the real reason you two crossed paths. You’re not sure what causes the change or why he trusts that you’re not going to just turn around and burn him. Maybe it’s just that you haven’t done it yet. 

“What made you want to start stealing art?” you ask while the two of you are sitting outside on the balcony. This room really is too nice. It almost makes it hard to leave and explore. 

“I don’t know if it was that I wanted to steal art,” he chuckles. 

“Okay, how did you start, then?” you ask with an affectionate eye roll. 

“It’s going to sound stupid,” he says with an uncharacteristic shyness. “I guess, I don’t know, I grew up in this house where nobody ever seemed to care what I was doing. I stole the first piece from my parents and sold it off to someone I’d met at this underground club. I figured my parents would catch me and then at least I’d have their attention for a minute.”

“I’m guessing they didn’t catch you,” you comment.

“They didn’t even notice it was gone,” he says with a chuckle. “How old were you?” you ask.

“16,” he answers immediately.

“So you’ve been doing this…?” you start, doing the math in your head.

“12 years, yeah,” he says. “It took awhile to get to the point I’m at now. I think for a while I was figuring that my parents would somehow catch on and give a shit about my life. By the time I was 19, I was really good at it and I’d made a lot of contacts. I still moved in all those circles so I never looked out of place at a gallery or a museum. Nobody looked twice at me.”

“Did it ever get lonely?” you ask and Wonwoo regards you for a moment. “I just mean that you were still part of all these circles. You still went to all these parties and it seems like none of them knew you at all. You were hiding in plain sight because nobody knew you well enough to see it.”

“I had the networks of people that I sold to or accepted jobs from,” he says.

“But everything I’ve ever seen says that you rarely met with those people in person. It was always online contact and leaving pieces somewhere after the money had been wired,” you share.

“I guess your agency got a few things right,” he mumbles.

“It sounds loney,” you say sympathetically.

“I wish you were a little less observant,” he says like he’s trying for a joking tone. 

It’s immediately obvious that he’s a little tired and definitely lonely. You can’t really imagine that type of life. Sure, you’ve been working on your own or with a single partner for your entire adult life. But, you’ve still been part of an organization. There are people that know you at your core. There are people that you can turn to when everything in life feels like it sucks. No matter how bad things get, you know there are people out there who can support you.

Almost involuntarily, a series of images pop into your head. Wonwoo in a suit at a charity gala, the type of person that everyone wants to approach. You can imagine people whispering behind their hands about going to speak to him or ask him to dance. Maybe trying to approach him at the bar. Then you see him just as clearly at home afterwards, alone and sitting on his couch with a drink in hand. You see him perusing a museum to get the lay of the land so that he can steal it later. Once again, alone. You see how he probably sits at home communicating with all his potential buyers. 

Wonwoo reads the look on your face and assures you that it’s probably not as bad as you’re imagining things. Yes, he admits that he’s lonely sometimes and that he’s alone more than he’s with other people. It’s hard for him to let anyone in. He doesn’t want to have to account for his time or trust that they won’t blow his cover. There’s nobody in his life that he can be totally himself with, at least not until meeting you. But, he insists that it hasn’t been so bad. Mostly, he prefers to be on his own anyway. He likes the quiet and the solitude. Likes to be able to enjoy his down time however he likes. He gets enough socialization when he goes to events as he’s expected to. 

Which brings up a question. After over a decade of doing everything solo, why has he trusted you with all of this now? His answer comes more immediately than you would expect, yet it makes sense. You have something to lose here, too. Possibly even more than he does. After all, there have been a lot of teams that have been close to unraveling his mysterious identity. You, on the other hand, are supposed to be tracking him down. Not spending time locked away in his hotel room with him. That brings you up a little short because he’s right and you’re not planning on going anywhere. 

He admits that you intrigue him. All his life, Wonwoo has appreciated a good puzzle or a good challenge. You present both to him, though it hasn’t been as much of a challenge to get you to give him a chance as he expected. It is a challenge to try and unravel you. To try and figure out what made you say yes to the date and what makes you stay now. You also meet him on a level that nobody ever has before. You nearly blush at the way he describes your intelligence and how he feels more turned on by your brain than anyone before. Normally something like that would make you cringe. But, somehow Wonwoo makes it sound both sexy and endearing. You’re just as challenged by him, too, so maybe you get it. 

It also brings up some very conflicting feelings in you because it’s a reminder that you have a life entirely separate from him. You have a life that doesn’t allow you to account for this time. At some point, you have to make a final choice. It’s way too late to just turn Wonwoo in without any sort of repercussion. It’s too late to act like this is all just in the name of bringing down one of the most difficult targets you’ve had to track. In the name of getting to know Wonwoo better, you’ve also shared a lot about yourself. A lot that someone like Seungcheol would be able to clock immediately as being true. Every moment you stay with Wonwoo makes your future more complicated. Things are already too hazy. 

“Okay enough heavy stuff,” you declare and stand. “Let’s go do something.”

“Such as?” he prompts. 

“We’re in a beautiful city, let’s go see some of it,” you suggest.

Wonwoo wants to take a minute to actually plan something, but you veto that. He’s definitely not the spontaneous type, which you figured out before you were even sure who he was. It makes more sense now, knowing who he is. So it feels like more of a win that he relents and agrees to just go with the flow. It’s not as if you’ll be flying totally blind anyway. You did a lot of research before coming down for the mission and you know a lot of the places to see, both tourist places and some that are off the beaten path. 

Once you’re outside of the hotel room, things feel different in a way you can’t quite put your finger on. Everything in the hotel room feels real in the sense of getting to know each other. The conversations can be heavy and there’s that constant need to rip each other’s clothes off. Being outside exploring a foreign city feels real in an entirely different way. None of the conversations are heavy since you’re just appreciating the sights. But, you and Wonwoo trade off in taking pictures of each other (or even snap some together) and it feels like a glimpse at another life. It isn’t a fantasy world because it does feel real, but it doesn’t feel like an actual reality either. It almost feels like a mission you’re on where you and him would pretend to be a couple. You have to remind yourself this is actually a mission and you’re running around with your target because Wonwoo isn’t your partner.

When you’re in Plaza de Mayo, you take a step back to allow Wonwoo to purchase something to eat. It’s too cute to watch him stumble through his Spanish, constantly looking over at you as if asking for help. All you can do is smile as he mixes up hombre and hambre. The older woman putting the food together only smiles softly. There’s something incredibly cute about watching this stoic man get flushed over ordering in another language. 

The next few days follow mostly the same pattern. You wake up earlier than Wonwoo so that you can pretend to work on the mission and actually check in with Seungcheol. Wonwoo pretends that he’s still asleep sometimes. Other times, he gets up and works on his own things. It’s cute that he’ll do anything to make it seem like you have privacy. Breakfast in the room always comes next because it’s an easy way to get ready for the day. 

The days themselves are all a little bit different. You see the Piramide de Mayo, the Floralis Generica, the monuments to Juana Azurduy and General Jose de San Martin, Teatro Colon, the planetarium and several other interesting sights. The planetarium is a personal favorite of yours because it’s just kind of weird in an affectionate way. It’s hard to truly pick a favorite though because each new stop teaches you more about the local culture. It’s the kind of place that just makes you want to fall in love with it. There’s so much beauty and so much to appreciate. Each new stop also seems to involve learning something new about Wonwoo and somehow him trying his hand at Spanish again, only to fail. You’re wondering if he does it just to entertain you. 

While you’re seeing all the tourist spots, you take time to see the things the locals recommend as well. Sometimes that’s hole-in-the-wall food places or stands that someone mentions. Other times it’s a park that’s too out of the way for tourists. Even other times still, it’s a hidden access point to the beach. Thankfully, it’s still cool out and getting Wonwoo to agree to the beach isn’t difficult. You idly wonder what it would be like to try and get him to visit the beach in January when it’s the dead of summer. 

You want to try as many local dishes as you can while you’re there, too. Given his way, Wonwoo would probably eat in the hotel room just as much as out of it, but you don’t know when you’re going to get this chance again. So, even though he’s worn out from spending so much time around people, he lets you drag him out again every night. He even seems to enjoy himself.

At the start of whatever this is, it was always you asking Wonwoo all the questions and trying to volunteer as little about yourself as possible. You’re still an agent and you’re still supposed to be after him. The least you can do, while you’re totally ignoring your mission, is try to better understand Wonwoo and his motivations. Even if you don’t end up turning him in, it's an invaluable experience to get to look into the mind of a criminal. When will you get another chance like this? When will you be this close to someone to ask personal questions? No part of you even considers that he’s lying to you. You’re positive that he answers everything truthfully.

Somewhere along the line, it shifts. Maybe because you know everything you want to know about the man across from you. Or maybe because you genuinely feel comfortable about him. Either way, he’s the one that’s asking you questions now. Surprisingly, though, he doesn’t want to know anything about your work. He doesn’t seem to care about any of that. There’s a nagging thought that thinks he might just be trying to make you comfortable. You try to quickly brush it away, though, and just answer any of the personal questions he asks. Wonwoo wants to know the simple things like where you grew up, what your family was like, and what you wanted to do when you were younger. The things that allow him to really know you. It’s terrifying. 

By the time you get back to the hotel that night, you’re exhausted. It feels like it’s been a never ending span of days in the best way. You collapse on the bed without changing. All you manage to do is take off your shoes. Wonwoo leans over you and kisses you, softly at first. But, like every other kiss with him, it leaves you gasping for air after a minute.

It’s amazing how he seems to take your breath away and even more amazing how he always seems like he’s ready to tear your clothes off. You’ve never had someone like him in your life. But, that also brings you back to reality. Wonwoo asked you to give him a few days staying in his hotel room. It’s definitely been longer than that without either of you seeming to notice. There’s a level of comfort that neither of you talk about given that this all has an expiration date. And that expiration date is rapidly approaching. 

Staying with Wonwoo turns out to be longer than either of you planned and neither of you has a complaint about it. You’ve been checking in with Seungcheol every morning and Wonwoo pretends not to listen. It’s been like living in a little bubble where reality isn’t a concern. 

That’s just the thing, though, isn’t it? This isn’t real life, not for you. This isn’t something that lasts long term or that you can even sustain. The reality is still there. Wonwoo is one of the most infamous art thieves to ever live and you work for a secret agency tasked with bringing criminals like him to justice. You’re not exactly sure what the last however many days have been. All you know is this is just a break from reality. A brief glimpse into an alternate life that can never be. It’s been amazing and something you won’t ever forget. You’re hoping that you’re both on the same page about that, at least.

“I should probably go back to my hotel today,” you say. 

Wonwoo looks up from across the room where he’s reading while you pretend to work on your case. It helps to at least log in to the system. “To get more stuff?”

“I can’t stay here forever,” you point out. 

“No, I expect at some point we’ll leave and head to the next place,” he agrees with a shrug. 

“We?” you ask, eyebrows flying up. 

“Yes, we,” he says like suddenly you’re slow on the uptake. “I’ve got a few places in mind that I’d love to take you, but it’s really up to you.” 

“Wonwoo,” you start and your heart sinks.

You are definitely not on the same page. Probably not even in the same book, if you’re honest. Everything over the past days with him has been amazing. The perfect little escape from your reality. But, that’s all it’s been: an escape. Or maybe that’s all you’ve let yourself think it was. Anything else seems like entirely too much. His face drops as he watches you.

“You’re not coming with me,” he realizes.

“I didn’t even know you would want me to!” you state, too loud for the space.

“How could you not? I’ve been telling you all the places that I wanted you to see,” he says and that hits you harder than a physical blow. He’s been giving you all the signs that this isn’t just a bubble.

“I didn’t think you were serious,” you point out.

“Clearly,” he says, voice thick with disappointment. 

“Wonwoo, come on. It’s not like I can just, what? Run away?” you say.

“Oh, no, there’s a whole life waiting for you back at your precious agency,” he says with derision. 

“It’s all I’ve ever known,” you plead.

“And I’ve shown you that there’s more to life than whatever this is for you,” he counters.

“I can’t just leave them,” you say with a shake of your head.

That seems to make Wonwoo angrier than you expect. “No, of course not. How silly of me. You have to get back to your handler that so clearly loves you.” 

“Seungcheol does not love me. We’re friends, sure, but that’s it,” you disagree.

“Let’s pretend that’s true and it’s normal for a handler to speak to you the way he does. Or that it’s normal for him to worry so much about your safety. Who are you going back to apart from him? Who’s waiting for you?” Wonwoo asks.

The questions wash over you like acid rain. Painful and harsh and unrelenting. The worst part is that he’s right. You have wondered if there are some feelings there from Seungcheol. You also don’t have anyone waiting for you. It’s really a half-life, if you’re being honest. Less than a half-life, probably. The past few days with Wonwoo are the most alive you’ve felt since you were a child, before joining the agency. 

“I can’t just…this is my job, Wonwoo. And you’re an art thief. A very famous one and…” you start.

“Have I stolen anything here?” he asks and that brings you up short.

“Well, no, of course not. You’ve been with me,” you say simply.

“And I will leave this city without stealing. I will switch careers entirely if it’s that important, though it doesn’t seem like it is since you haven’t turned me in,” he says and it’s almost like he’s talking to himself. “I’ve been all over the globe trying to feel something. Trying for anything. I started stealing because I could. I wanted to get the attention my parents never gave me. I kept going because I was looking for a challenge, which it is, at least sometimes. I was looking for someone, I think. Then, I find you and you’re everything I didn’t know to ask for. But, you’re telling me some job where you can’t even have a life is more important than this? That my job, which I’m completely willing to give up, is too much of a barrier?”

“I have a life,” you scoff.

“Really?” Wonwoo challenges and folds his arms. “When was the last time you went on a real date? Not with a target, but a real date just with someone you wanted to know? When’s the last time you let yourself just breathe and explore a city? When’s the last time you did something just because you wanted to?”

“Plenty of people are married to their jobs,” you begin.

“I thought you were brave, you know,” Wonwoo muses. “I thought you were someone who would realize how rare this is. It’s not like everyone is lucky enough to meet a person that completes them like this. I guess I was wrong. I guess all I was really good for was fucking you and that’s all it was.”

“Of course that’s not all it was,” you disagree. There are tears threatening to spill over. This isn’t at all how you imagined it going. You weren’t prepared for him to try to fight for you. “The last few days with you have been everything I never thought I’d experience. But, it hasn’t been real, Wonwoo. It can’t be real. Life doesn’t work that way.” 

“Why can’t it?” he fires at you.

“Because I don’t deserve it!” you scream, tears finally streaming down your face. “Because you don’t know my scars. You don’t know the things I’ve done. You don’t know the mistakes I’ve made. You don’t know that I have demons that are constantly chasing me.” 

“I’m a fucking criminal,” he points out. “Who am I to judge?”

“Exactly,” you agree but rush to finish your thought before Wonwoo can interject. “You don’t…question the decisions you’ve made. You stand on everything you’ve done. But, you also do so much good with charities and helping students and just giving back. Plus, I’ve looked at your crimes. You only ever stole from the rich to sell to other rich people.”

“Yet you still were sent to chase me,” he points out. 

“Yeah, who do you think pays our salaries?” you ask flatly. “My point is that…I don’t know. I’m standing here across from you and I feel like I’m the infinitely worse person in this situation.” 

“It really can’t be that bad,” he reasons.

“I’ve taken lives, Wonwoo. More than I can count. And without even questioning if our reasoning was solid for taking them out. I’ve used my body in ways that I may never recover from, thinking it was my choice at the time. I’ve done what I was told and I’ve been good at it. Too good, maybe,” you say. You’re talking to yourself more than him at this point. “I’m the one they send when they don’t want a record. I’m the one they send when nobody else can do it. I’ve spent the last 10 years of my life training and doing what I was told. It’s given me scars that you can’t see and won’t ever heal. All I know is this. They’re not just going to let me go. And even if they did, you don’t deserve all the baggage that I come with. You’re not a bad guy.”

“And you think you are? A bad guy?” he asks.

“I know I am,” you say.

“That’s all you are if that’s all you see, but I see so much more,” he argues. 

“I still can’t just ask them to walk away,” you press.

“I wasn’t suggesting that you ask,” he says. “You deserve a chance to start fresh. To see what you can be without the weight of the world hanging over your head.”

“I don’t deserve anything more than what I have now,” you disagree.

“What about love? Do you deserve that?” he asks, changing directions.

“I don’t know,” you admit.

“And me? Do I deserve love?” he asks.

“Yes, without question,” you answer immediately.

“So give me the chance to experience love,” he begs. “I never thought I’d love anyone and I’ve never taken this kind of chance on anyone. But, I’m asking you for a chance. Just one more.” 

There’s so much tension in the air between you. So many things still left unsaid and so much emotion. The air between you and him seems to crackle. A storm brews behind his eyes as he waits for you to answer him. It seems insane to think that he could feel that for you after such a short time. But, really, what do you know? You have unquestionably never been in love before, not really. There’s never been the time or space for it in your line of work. Relationships never seem to get deeper because you’re always keeping secrets. Can’t ever tell them what you really do for work. And then there’s Wonwoo. He knows so much about you already and even though it’s barely scratched the surface, it’s still more honest than you’ve ever been. He doesn’t want to run away and that scares you more than any mission you’ve ever had.

It’s just…it’s too much to decide now. You spend your whole life having to make split second decisions, yet can’t about this. Don’t have the data that you have on missions. Don’t know the pros and cons. It’s uncharted territory. It’s scary in a way you’ve never experienced. You’ve stared down the barrel of too many guns and this still feels infinitely more terrifying. Maybe he can love you after such a short amount of time because he seems to realize what you’re going to say before you say it. 

“Don’t,” he says softly when you open your mouth. “I’m going to leave the day after tomorrow. I’m going to set the flight to leave at 1 in the afternoon. That gives you time to change your mind.”

“And if I don’t reach you before then?” you ask softly.

“Don’t ever expect to find me again,” he says with a finality that surprises you. When you meet his gaze, it’s harder than you’re expecting. “I really care about you and I’d love you to come with me. But I know how stubborn you are. It’s part of why I love you so much. So I’m leaving my heart open until the day after tomorrow. Then it’s over.”

“You’re an amazing person, Wonwoo,” you say and press a kiss to his cheek. “You’ve challenged a lot of my ideas about right and wrong. I’ll never forget that.” 

“I’m not accepting this as goodbye. I’ll still hope to see you before I leave,” he says and presses the gentlest kiss to your forehead. 

Your throat is too tight to say anything in response to that. All you can do is gather up your things and head out of the hotel room. Everything in your body feels tired from the unexpected heaviness of the conversation. It hurts to see Wonwoo looking so hurt. As crazy as it sounds, you do mean that he deserves the absolute best. You also meant it that made you rethink a lot of your preconceived notions. You actually questioned things for the first time in your adult life. Despite all of that, you still walk right out of the hotel room.

You spend nearly every minute after walking out of Wonwoo’s hotel room considering his offer. Go as far as scheduling your flight out of Buenos Aires for the same time as his. Genuinely, you’re not sure what you want to do. At least Seungcheol understood failing the mission. Somehow, he still sees it as a win that nothing was stolen from anywhere in the city while you were there. He assumes that your presence somehow spooked the notorious art thief. Thankfully he doesn’t realize just how right he is. 

The biggest surprise is that Chan, the slightly overeager agent from the flight down, will be meeting you when you get on the plane. He’s only wrapping up a second mission that popped up in the area. The Agency is sending him along so that you can debrief about your actual mission and start looping him in going forward. Apparently, as great as you are and as (almost) perfect as your record is, the agency still wants to have someone for you to work with when you need them. Since that can’t be Seungcheol, he’s recommending a promising younger agent. This apparently also includes you being the one to tell him all of this yourself. 

The airport is busy when you get there, an unsurprising side effect of planning flights during the afternoon. There’s also the fact that private planes have to leave from the international airport, which is always somewhat packed. Getting through customs and security is surprisingly smooth and soon you’re going to have to face your literal crossroads. 

In one direction is the familiar. Nothing about working for The Agency is easy. There’s a sense of routine to it, though. A sense of generally knowing what your days or weeks or even months will look like. You know how to make coffee in the shitty break room when you’re actually on site (a rarity). You know how to play nice with the other agents. You know how all the tech works. And you’re good at the missions themselves. That’s just to say you don’t have to learn anything new. You’re lucky enough to have a semi-boss that you get along with. There’s a sense of routine to everything from mission briefings to flights to the missions themselves. There’s comfort in knowing you don’t really have to make the decisions. Sure, you have to figure out which course to take on the ground with a mission. But, that usually only means picking option A or B. All of the possible courses of action come in the briefing. You just have to evaluate the factors and figure out which pre-determined option fits best. It’s easy. As fucked up as it might be to admit, you like doing something that you know you’re good at. It’s nice to get praised for constantly succeeding. It’s the easy decision.

And in the other direction…well, it’s the unknown. Being with Wonwoo has been nothing short of the best feeling of your life. The most alive you’ve ever felt. It’s kind of crazy but part of you thinks you may love him. Can see how the whole future plays out, even if it’s not crystal clear. The two of you could start over somewhere new where he doesn’t have to steal art and you don’t have to chase criminals with questionable methods. Both of you have the funds (even if he’s better set up) to start over. Both of you clearly have the skills to disappear into the wind, too. It’s not like your legal name exists anywhere anymore. Very few people even know it, not that you would go back to it. 

It’s easy to get lost in the daydream. As much as you love the sun of Buenos Aires, you can’t imagine Wonwoo in a place like that during the actual summer. Everything about him makes you think of somewhere cooler, somewhere that you’re not constantly sweating. That would let you take breaks to sunnier weather. Places where you could soak up the sun while he took refuge under an umbrella, watching you with all the affection in the world. Actually, you can picture visiting a lot of places with him. He would be the perfect travel partner to see all the beautiful corners of the world that you’ve never been able to appreciate. It’s like going somewhere for a business trip. You’re there working, not to appreciate everything around you. 

There’s something kind of poetic about being at an airport as an actual crossroads in your life. It’s like you can get on a plane going anywhere. Quite literally, since you’re not sure where Wonwoo’s plane is going. Not that it really matters. If that’s the path you pick, then it’s for him rather than the destination. 

The only question left is whether you’re ready to leave your entire life behind. Are you ready to say goodbye to the agency that saved you? Are you ready to cut yourself off from the few people who actually know you and accept you as you are? Can you live without having any closure on that part of your life? Would you feel guilty that Seungcheol would be left with a million questions about what happened to you? Or would it hurt you to know that he would blame himself for your disappearance somehow? Then again, maybe he would know, on some level, that you just finally reached the point of needing to walk away. That’s something you and him have talked about before, in the early hours of the morning after too much to drink. What would you do if you could walk away from this life? What would life after The Agency look like? 

With a deep breath, you pick your path and you don’t look back. That’s the only way you know you’ll have the strength in your decision. 

i hope you all enjoyed this as much as i enjoyed writing it! please reblog or comment and let me know 💕

[carlyraejepsans]

Rate UT characters on likely they are to eat spoiled food

premise: as monster food does not spoil, this speculation is based on how i think they'd treat human food in the post pacifist ending

frisk. trash burger. enough said. (also i hc that they grew up on the streets, so... not a lot of chances to be picky with your food.)

sans. second most likely. there's milk in the fridge bought specifically for him to drink out of the carton whenever frisk's or papyrus' friends come to visit, like a stereotypical disney channel older brother (he loves being annoying on purpose). it's been there for a month. he's still not done with it. it's probably rancid. enjoyer of food and lover of even shittier food. mr worst burger on the menu. he is ESPECIALLY gross about food and he is gross about it on purpose, he will peel an apple for papyrus and then take a bite out of it before cutting him a slice. and then call him a wuss when he acts disgusted. ("stop being a baby bones, we have the same germs anyway" "NO WE DON'T. *YOU* HAVE GERMS! AND I DON'T WANT ANY OF THEM!!" "why? they're pedigreed" "OUGH!?!!"). he mostly uses it as a chance to make a gag (or a lack of gagging, lol) but his strong stomach did also come in handy in the early days of papyrus' interest in cooking

mettaton, of sequins-and-glue hamburgers fame. he's technically tied for 2nd place with sans, but i put him in third because i feel like sans does it on purpose, for mettaton it's more like... a side effect of starting life off as a ghost. few people question it since he's a robot now.

alphys. she doesn't go out of her way to do it, but she buys her snacks in industrial pallet-fuls to reduce social interactions to a minimum, so by the time she reaches the last 3 or 4 packets of blue takis, they're well past their expiration date. not that it stops her. now, this wouldn't happen on the surface because she gets better and has a solid support system, but if monster food could spoil back when she was going Through it with the amalgamates, i feel like she'd either be too depressed or tired to care and eat it, or she'd tumble into a "g-god. you can't even take care of your own f-food. is there anything you can't fuck up" self-deprecation spiral and lose her appetite altogether

flowey. did it to see what would happen. nothing did. never did it again. tbh I just don't think he eats much of anything, spoiled or not.

undyne. getting into the "wouldn't eat spoiled food" tier. she actually thinks it's really gross but papyrus tricks her into doing it by challenging her machismo. she gets SO sick from it. they do this aprox 3 times a month. rinse and repeat

asgore. he's a gardener, and i can see him working in a community garden on the surface, so he'd have access to a lot of fresh produce, for both himself and to give away. however, if some of it were to go bad, he'd probably cut off the affected bit and eat the rest so it doesn't go to waste.

toriel. she is SUPER careful about expiration dates and mold and checks to make sure all she owns is still safe to eat almost weekly. this level of care, however, is mostly meant for other people, not herself, but she would really rather not eat anything that's gone bad. same reasoning as alphys', IF monster food could spoil when she was still in the RUINs, i could technically see her biting the bullet, if only because 1) she was also heavily depressed and struggling to take care of herself, though i think she might sooner skip out on the meal altogether, rather than eat something spoiled, and 2) the awkward stares from the other monsters in the RUINs supermarket might not be something she's willing to deal with on any given day.

papyrus. he would NOT. no way. master of cleaning, germophobe extraordinaire papyrus (well, not really, but he plays the part). if toriel is meticulous, papyrus is obsessive. there better not be a SINGLE spot on his food. and no lines or plaid patterns either!! he WILL wash it untill it goes away. with soap probably. canonically a picky eater to begin with (his picks are just weird as balls). can should and WILL get on sans' ass about his unhealthy eating habits, and that includes eating food that's gone bad.

[vinestaffery]

Hey guys, I am so sorry for all the angst. As for a gift, I've decided to give you all some sort of comfort scenario. I've also lately been on a very bad writer's block, so I apologize for no posts. School is back, and I am not doing well, but I decided to let my heart out through writing comfort scenarios.

Make sure to take care of yourselves and to always look out for your immediate needs. You are special, you are loved, and you are adored in this world. Even though it may not feel like there is never going to be an end to a certain pain of suffering, it will get better in the long run. You are deserving of all the love in the world; you are cherished gracefully and gently by the wind and nature. Never let yourself down. <3

Some of these scenarios may not have had written paragraphs, but I probably explained them well enough in their bullet points!!!!

CW/TW: briefly mentions of abuse/attempted kidnapping, self-harm, attempted suicide, and harrassment. These topics aren't described perfectly or explicit, but are mentioned within the scenarios. If these trigger you, please avoid this post at all costs. Thank you.

B. ZUKA.

He knew not to trust you at night alone, weary that you could've gotten lost or hurt somewhere.

People in Cross Roads can be dangerous, as the mixture of different factions all combine together there, right in the center.

When you came home late, he wanted to discuss where you were.

"Where were you all night? I was worried and concerned."

He looked serious, and it frightened you.

"I was just out with some friends."

He didn't take it too kindly that you were ignorant and gave him the cold shoulder.

Even avoiding eye contact.

He knew something was up, and he was going to get to the bottom of it.

He investigated your arms, especially the one you held onto with your spare hand.

Bruises that were scattered across your forearm

God, the fury he felt when he found out you had been harmed at night made him even more angry.

Not just angry at the prepatrator, but not even being there to help you.

To support you

What good of a boyfriend is he if he can't even protect you alone?

"Who did this?" You couldn't breathe.

"It was no one, Zuka, I promise you."

"No, who did this?" There it was.

The full-blown worry and anger that he would relish in if he found out who did it.

You listed the appearance of the demon that had tried luring you into an alleyway.

Lucky enough to escape with a few bruises, you had gotten home.

Home to where now, your boyfriend cradles you in his arms.

He treated your wounds, making sure they didn't hurt as much as they did before.

"I'm sorry for not being there." Hearing him so defeated, it was too much.

You could feel the brink of tears escaping your eyes.

"Who did this to you?" Zuka threatened. You hesitated, not wanting to burden him with your worries. But his protective nature was evident in the way he held you tighter, waiting for an answer that you weren't ready to give. The fear of retaliation from the demon kept you silent, knowing that revealing the truth could only lead to more danger.

"I... I don't know; look, it's nothing." You tried to avoid the topic. The thoughts and feelings of their hand on the direct spot were bruised; it was too much to handle. Zuka's gaze softened as he wiped away your tears, his concern evident in his eyes. "You don't have to face this alone," he reassured you, his voice filled with determination to protect you from whatever was causing you pain.

"Can I please see what they did? So I can treat it." Zuka asked, permission was key in times like these and was definitely needed. Your mindset was scattered everywhere, untidied wires trying to connect comforting topics and memories. It struggled to block out the demon moments ago. Zuka's A gentle touch on your shoulder brought you back to the present moment, his calming presence giving you a sense of security. "I trust you," you whispered, allowing him to inspect the bruise and provide the care you needed. He nodded, taking your arm into his gentle palms. They were calloused and rough, but they brought back the feeling of love and home. A place you were fond of, set in your destined memories. Zuka's Touch was a reminder of the unwavering support he always provided, a beacon of light in your darkest moments. As he began to tend to your bruise, you felt a wave of gratitude wash over you, knowing that you were not alone in facing your demons.

"There, it should be able to not hurt as much, but still be careful." Zuka muttered, his hands laying on your elbows before pulling you into a hug. He kissed the top of your forehead, swaying slowly left and right. In that moment, you realized how lucky you were to have someone like Zuka in your life. His presence brought a sense of comfort and reassurance that everything would be okay in the end. With a deep breath, you closed your eyes and allowed yourself to fully embrace the warmth of his embrace.

DOM.

You understood that popularity wasn't your thing.

So did Dom.

But when it came to paparazzi, it was horrible.

Every day, you had to live with trying to cover yourself from photographers and fangirls that would pretrude on your residence.

Sometimes, I even have to deal with harassment every morning because of it.

It overwhelmed you a lot, especially when you just wanted to be with your partner.

You'd have to watch Paparazzi get scared off by Firebrand.

But one night, you had a weird text come through.

Some anonymous fangirl who had threatened the lives of you and Dom's

It was terrifying and heartbreaking to see such threats made against you for just having Dom as a partner.

Of course, you didn't want to bring it up.

Why bring up something that you can totally deal with yourself?

Oh, how you were wrong.

Days on end, you were getting texts and calls.

It made you unbearably grouchy, and Dom could tell.

When it started to get mentally twisty, your arms became a stress reliever for you.

That's when Dom had to step in after finding you in your bed, completely drained.

The phone is going off constantly.

"My Eminence, what seems to be the matter? You've been locked in your room for days."

All you could do was croak and fall to tears.

"I can't do this anymore, Dom, the calls, the messages!—"

He was shocked when he heard your phone go off again—another call.

When you went to pick it up, Dom grabbed it first before you.

A snarky, swearing demon screamed on the other side.

Death-threats and others, it was revolting to hear.

"Who is this? You best own yourself up, you freak. Harassing my girlfriend? I'll have you burnt to a crisp," and boy, that shut them up real good.

You were shaky, taking deep breaths to calm yourself down as Dom hung up and placed the phone flat on its screen.

His eyes seemed to go from rage to soft care and worry.

"My Eminence, my Universe, why didn't you tell me about this?"

You fell into his caring arms once more.

Maybe, just maybe, if you weren't afraid of speaking up, this would've ended.

The thoughts grew stronger, and he could tell.

"My Universe, Eminence, don't let thoughts that may fill your mind with unneeded water fill your mind; it was not your fault; it's okay to be afraid if you can't speak up about that stuff."

You only let out a shaky breath, a sniffle, and a sob.

"I was so afraid you'd hate me that you'd call me horrible things."

His heart broke, and you couldn't trust him at all.

"Oh, my star's goddess, I'd never hate you; I'm worried sick! Please, never ever let yourself be afraid to inform me of such poverty."

You only let out a smile and a confirming nod, which he took in as an answer.

"How about we go to your favorite store, hm? The one you love dragging me to."

SCYTHE.

Days were growing overwhelming by the second.

When you decided to move to Lost Temple as one to join Scythe, you didn't expect it to be so hard unboxing everything and walking down the streets in opposite attire.

Lost Temple and Thieves Den had entirely different aesthetics, especially for you.

Scythe knew how hard it is to change factions, especially with how they are looked down upon.

"Angel Eyes, is that you?"

You had only been ridiculed a few hours before Scythe's return home from work.

Sobbing endlessly, it never seemed to stop.

"Angel Eyes?"

Her voice was more worried as she soon began to kick down the door.

You had forgotten to get her a spare key, but mostly because of the stuff going on.

They had been rejecting all offers to you, overpricing food access, etc.

It was overwhelming.

You were subjected to such measures of torment for even being there.

"Darling! I'm coming' in on a one, two."

You unlocked the door, letting out a loud click! The door is slowly sliding open.

"Aah, my dear. What's got 'ya lockin' the door so early?"

"Just some things, safety, and all that."

Scythe knew you were wrong, as for the look in your eyes.

"Angel Eyes, I know what's up; how's about you letting me in?"

You nodded, letting her in as you watched her march on in and grab onto you.

She dragged you onto her lap as she spread her legs across the couch, laying her mechanical weapon down on the side.

Her hands lay on your hands and thighs, staring up at you.

She could see the tears that twinkled ever so neatly.

"Ya' been cryin'; what's the matter?"

"Just... some things happen, Scythe."

"Just some things, ay?"

You nodded, but she knew much more than you did.

Her eyes stared gently into yours, a gloved hand reaching to lay neatly on your cheek. Scythe sighed. "Sugar, You know you can always talk to me, right?" She whispered softly, her voice filled with genuine concern. You knew you were afraid to open up, but you did so anyway. You were hesitant.

"Some of the people in this town don't like me at all. "You really don't like me at all." Scythe's expression softened as she listened, her hand gently rubbing your cheek in a comforting gesture. "I'm sorry to hear that, sugar. But don't you worry, I've got your back," she reassured you with a warm smile. You felt a wave of relief wash over you, grateful for her unwavering support in the face of adversity.

"You're a good person, and that's all that matters," Scythe added, her eyes filled with understanding. With her by your side, you felt a newfound sense of courage to face the challenges ahead. "I know, I'm just... afraid? What if something happens to me?" Scythe's eyes darkened as she nodded. Something could happen to you if you weren't careful or someone took your presence wrongly.

"Stay vigilant and trust your instincts," she advised, her voice firm yet comforting. With Scythe's guidance, you knew you had a strong ally to help navigate the uncertainties that lay ahead. "And the broker is always a call away." Broker was a close friend of yours, so you knew what to do if Scythe wasn't around to support you.

"You got me, sugar?" Scythe asked, fingers holding onto your chin as you stared and nodded. "Yes, Scythe." She let out a smile. "That's my good, angel."

SUBSPACE.

THE GREATEST INVENTOR OF ALL OF BLACKROCK!! And he's YOUR partner!

If that didn't risk you getting strange looks from others and such an overwhelming reputation in Blackrock,.

Subspace was always busy, sometimes never having as much time as you two used to as kids.

After Medkit's whole fasco, he's been going insane over the crystals while you watched you two lose time with each other.

You thought maybe, just maybe, Subspace would slowly forget about your own existence.

But you couldn't let those thoughts trick you! He'd never do so!!!!

That's if they weren't 'true' from the start of the gossip train.

"Did you hear? Subspace was out with another demon!"

"Isn't he supposedly with someone already?"

It was heartbreaking to find out that your own partner had decided to spend time with someone entirely different, and even much longer than ever.

"I heard it was a date!"

"I feel bad for his actual partner; that's so sad."

Then, the mean comments started riding in about you.

Rumors.

Endless, endless rumors.

It was getting so much that you ended up attempting that very night.

Yours and Subspace's anniversary.

"MY PRECIOUS TREASURE!! I'M HOME!"

You sat in the bathtub, the pill bottle clear of any, as you slowly dunked your head.

"Precious? Where are you? I must tell you about my new biograft invention!!!"

Only a few more seconds, as the voice of his became nothing but a fine line of void.

The blaring light of the hospital ceiling eroded through your vision.

Was this heaven? Valhalla?

"MY PRECIOUS!!"

Subspace? Your partner? What's he doing here?

His arms wrapped around you as he sobbed. How could you do this to him? How could you leave him?

"Never, ever, do that again! You had me scared half to SOFTH!"

You stared at the pink-red demon that had been crying endlessly at you. You could tell by his puffy, red eyes.

"What happened?"

"I found you in the bathtub; I was lucky enough to even get to you in time."

The seriousness in his voice conveyed serious regret as you sobbed and cried.

"I don't deserve this; why'd you take me away? Why aren't you with the other person you met up with in the cafe?"

"ANOTHER PERSON!? What are you talking about, my precious?"

"The RUMORS!! Everyone's been talking about how you were on a date with someone else, cheating on me!!"

Subspace was confused. Is she cheating on you? Oh, he'd have his own creation chop his head off and finish him!

"Cheating!? My precious, my pearl, my gem! What ridiculous rumors you've managed to get ahold of! I'd never cheat on you, never!"

You stared at him.

"Really?"

"REALLY! I was just meeting up with Hyperlaser about my biografts and inventions! Nothing more! I had even purchased you fine, delicate flowers to put in your vase once more."

You were stunned— absolutely stunned. He never cheated on you; it was all a misunderstanding.

"But the proof? The…"

"Whoever was stalking us, my precious, it is not true! I love you with my fullest heart, and I would never replace you with anyone else. You deserve the world, if not the whole universe! I would do anything to make you happy, precious!!"

"Now, please, never pull such stunts again... I love you dearly!!!!"

Maybe, just maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

"Alright..."

"Rest, my gem!! I will be here always, from now on."

And so, you did.

[fairlyang]

Thank you 🕷️

spider-man saves you

w/c: 3.1K

pairing: miguel o’hara

tags: 18+ smut. getting robbed, getting saved, then getting chased, saved, a spider-man kiss, then surprise visit, blowjob, almost getting caught

I was walking back home after going to the bodega to get some snacks when I was suddenly pulled into the alley by some man, followed by two others. "Let me go!!!" I yelled but then a hand quickly went over my mouth.

My heart was beating at a very alarming rate and panic surged my body but I couldn't think of how I could escape. I was still yelling and wiggling about trying to escape but it was no use, this man was big and so were the other two. I was a goner.

The man grabbing me had one hand over my mouth and the other around my waist, one of the other men had snatched my purse and bag of snacks. So fucking infuriating.

I have no fucking cash and all they're going to get are takis and sour skittles-

Suddenly the last guy disappeared and was pulled up so fast I stopped my theatrics and looked up to see the man webbed to the wall. Could it be?

My eyes widen when the second guy is snatched up and thrown to the floor. He is then webbed down and the guy holding me quietly gasps, his grip on me getting harder.

He then removes his hand from my mouth and went down to his pocket but before he could take out what he wanted, Spider-man finally popped up and webbed his hand to his pocket.

The man lets me go and tries to get his hand off but obviously struggling, crazy how that was his first priority.

I run towards Spider-man and he steps in front of me, watching the man struggle to get the webs off. I breathe in then out, thank god.

Then I hear scrambling but couldn't see considering Spider-man was big and tall. Not what I expected, at least he doesn't look this big on tv..

Spider-man quickly took a few steps forward and punched the mugger in the face then webbed him to the floor multiple times. I sigh in relief and feel my breathing calm down.

Spider-man turns around and looks down at me, "are you alright? Hurt at all?"

I nod, still feeling a little shaken then speak up, "I'm okay, but thank you-"

"It's no problem, just doing my job." He says making me smile.

"Well thanks anyway." I say as he walks over to the second man that he webbed up.

He goes through the webs and digs up my purse along with my bag of snacks. He then walks over to me and hands them back, "assuming these are yours..."

I nod and take them both, "thank you again-"

I get cut off by hearing the familiar sound of police sirens nearing us. I turn my head to the head of the alley seeing the lights blare through but the car wasn't in sight yet.

I turn to spider-man but he was gone, then I look up and see him just stuck to the wall above me. "Stay safe, and yell if you ever need help again." He says making me laugh.

"Can do!" I exclaim and hear the sirens getting closer and now hearing the car as well.

Spider-man swings out and I turn my head to look at the cop car that was driving towards me. The car stops in front of me and out comes the captain looking over the scene. "What happened he-"

"Mija?!? Que haces aqui- estas bien?!? Que te paso?!?" My dad rushed over to me and I just laugh while he checks me for any wounds. (Dear/honey, What are you doing here- are you okay? What happened to you?!?)

"Estoy bien papa! Unos hombre me quisieron robar pero el spider-man me salvó!" I say and smile as he raises an eyebrow at me. (I'm okay dad! Some men wanted to rob me but spider-man saved me!)

I motion to the guys webbed up and he sighs then cups my head, "estoy bien." I reassure and give him a small nod. (I'm okay)

"Mira tal ves el no está tan mal-" I say but he shoots me a glare. (Look maybe he's not that bad-)

He then sighs and nods, "nomas por hacer esto." (only for doing this)

I nod back and then hug him, "me llevas a la casa?" I ask and he laughs. (take me home?)

"Claro que si, mi niña." He whispers hugging me back tightly. (Of course, my girl. its endearing!)

——————

I didn't think that I'd be in any trouble after getting saved by spider-man because surely getting mugged would only happen to a person once right? Wrong!

Apparently the guys that mugged were a part of a gang or was it the mafia? Who knows but they got mad that I apparently sent their men to jail-

Because who else could they blame? Not spider-man as if they would be able to just find him and beat his ass up.

Now I was running the streets downtown as I was being chased by like six huge men trying so hard to juke and lose them but all of them were on my ass.

My legs were growing tired and I wish I hadn't decided to take a walk for fun. Especially by myself. And at night...

But still I ran as fast as I could and quickly ran in the direction of a park I knew nearby. Hoping I could tire them out and try to hide as best I can, I speed up and run straight to where there's loads of trees.

I run deeper, hearing their yells way back but I stop and start climbing a thick tree. I climb up fast and get high enough to where there's a thick branch that can hide me well enough.

I hold my breath and look down, hearing many sets of footsteps near me until I hear all of them stop one by one. I cover my mouth and try to calm my breathing down when I hear a noise I heard a few days ago.

Webs.

I then hear some groans and grunts then pure silence. I sigh and start climbing down, looking around carefully as I slip down the tree to see the men scattered all over the trees.

But no sign of him.

I get off the last bit of the tree and peer through trying to find spider-man but to my luck he was gone. Until I felt a breeze behind me and there he was hanging upside down, scaring me half to death.

I jumped and held a hand onto my heart feeling it thumping hard. "Jesus fuck-" I mutter and roll my eyes.

"No thank you this time?" He teases making me laugh. Ah so he had a sense of humor too?

I shake my head and chuckle, "not anymore." I say looking up at his masked face and smile. "Jump scares aren't very nice." I joke and pout.

"Couldn't help myself." He admits and I see the outline of a grin through his mask.

He had a really nice voice...

"So does trouble usually follow you or...." He asks and I scoff.

"No! And if anything this is your fault-"

"My fault-"

"Yeah!! They got mad you beat their friends asses and needed someone to blame." I say and playfully glare at him.

I bite my lip trying not to laugh and cross my arms against my chest as he just chuckles. "Hey does your head not hurt when you do that?" I ask earning me a laugh.

He shook his head and I shrugged, "just curious."

"Somewhat nosy-"

"Nosy?!?"

He snickers making me groan and roll my eyes, why did it feel as if we've known each other for years?

Who would've thought New York's very own hero would be easy to talk to?

"So really no thank you?" He teases again and it was now my turn to laugh in his face.

"Why are you so desperate for a thanks Spidey?" I ask and bite my lip wanting to break down laughing. Was this really happening? This didn't feel real...

He shrugs and I could practically hear and somewhat see him smiling as he spoke, "just to feel appreciated." He says sarcastically and I couldn't hide the smile that slipped through.

"Aww need some appreciation then?" I tease and he slowly nods.

He then lowers himself down, his face directly facing me. I instantly made the connection and couldn't hide the warmness that crept onto my cheeks. Oh my...

I mean how could I say no?

I take a step forward and slowly bring my hands up to his neck. Finding the end of his mask I slowly bring it down his throat, chin, then his lips. Of course he had to have pretty lips.

Bet he was fine underneath as well-

I ignore my thoughts and just lean in, I move my hands to cup his cheeks and close my eyes as I kissed him softly, him kissing back instantly. I felt a shiver run down my spine and I unfortunately smiled through the kiss.

As embarrassed as I was, it made me feel better when he did as well. I pull back then peck his lips a few times then stop, letting our lips be millimeters apart while I grinned ear to ear before pulling away completely. I grab the ends of his mask and bring it up to his lips then over to conceal the rest of him.

I lean in and quietly whisper, "thank you."

I let go of the mask and walk away feeling my heart face and my cheeks grow even warmer. Wow.

——————

I was fortunate enough to have gone a week with no trouble or anyone bothering me.

Which on one side was a good thing because I wasn't getting chased or mugged but on the other I wasn't getting saved by the spider.

I couldn't get that kiss out of my head and that voice-

It wasn't my fault I had a thing for nice voices... If anything it was his fault for sounding so hot...

But I wanted more and it was getting so hard to control my thoughts when I was home alone or in general. My dad took notice of this and was getting annoyed I wouldn't tell him why I was so distracted lately.

How could I tell my father that I couldn't get spider-man out of my head? Bad enough he only barely tolerated him now and ONLY because he saved me. Otherwise he'd still be anti-spiderman.

Even then he stills complains about him but tried not to do it to my face considering I'd tell him how thankful I was that he saved me, twice.

Mom said third times the charm and I'd get a kiss and before I could respond my dad started choking on his food. So that immediately was something I knew I wasn't going to admit to them. Ever.

Now I was on the roof of our apartment building looking out into the starry night sky and tall building while somewhat falling asleep on the lawn chair I was in.

The only reason I hadn't knocked out was because the sounds of the literal crickets were keeping me awake. Very quiet but I could still hear them and it was a good thing because I'd be getting yelled at if I were to accidentally sleep up here.

Or for what I was about to do...

I was dozing off again when I heard footsteps behind me which made me jump and go into panic mode assuming it was my dad. "Papi te prometo que no me estaba durmiendo-" I say quickly and whip my head behind me only to see spider-man. (dad I promise that I wasn't falling asleep-)

What-

"De verdad? Porque creo que tus ojos estaban cerrados..." his now familiar voice teases and I blush. (Really? Because I think your eyes were closed....)

Spanish? Oh god I'm fucked-

I clear my throat and cough, what the fuck-

"Well I uh- hmm.. just wanted to chill up here." I say and scratch the back of my neck.

"What's your excuse? Are you stalking me?" I tease and turn my head facing the buildings again.

I bite my lip and feel my face grow warmer like never before. God at least he could hide his face and reactions under that mask...

I hear him chuckle and feel his presence now next to me. I turn my head to the right only to be met with his crotch to my face instantly making me whip my head right back around in embarrassment. Oh my god he's going to kill me- unknowingly too-

"What would you say if I was?" He whispers, barely audible, and I feel my breath hitch. Oh shit-

" I'd say you're crazy...." I mutter and clear my throat, finding newfound confidence.

I turn my head then tilt my head to look at him, "I'd say it looks like you want a proper thank you..."

I bat my eyelashes at him and I could almost swear I heard him groan. Didn't look like i misheard him based off the way he was tilting his head back. I breathe in and smile up at him, "so which is it?"

He looks down at e and grabs a hand down to cut my cheek. He rubs his thumb against my skin and I could swore I felt like I was going to melt. "Enséñame que tanto estás agradecida de lo que hice." He whispers and I nod, subconsciously squeezing my thighs together. (Show me how thankful you are for what I did)

I then bring my eyes down to look at his crotch, his bulge already popping through his skin tight suit. The shape itself was enough to send me into cardiac arrest and maybe pass away.

He was so thick.

I gasp and gulp before placing a hand against him, slowly rubbing him through his suit. He hissed and bucked his hips forward making me giggle. "Con calma.... Trust me I won't be leaving right now..." I say and look up info his eyes I continue my slow movements.  (With calmness)

He moans and bucks his hips towards me again, I giggle and stroke him faster. "Nomas quisiste esto?" I tease and he groans. (You just wanted this?)

"Usa esa boca para algo más nena." He murmurs making me look up at him with wide eyes. (Use that mouth for something else baby girl)

Holy fuck...

Nonetheless I paid attention, I pull the bottom half of his suit and he had some boxers on, which was a bit surprising. "Di menos." I mutter and bring the boxers down making his cock spring up to his stomach. (Say less)

My mouth hung low and I squeezed my thighs together again, for any kind of friction . I took his shaft in my hands and gathered a good amount of spit in my mouth before spitting on his dick having it go from the tip and down to bis balls.

I licked my lips and felt my body shake in articulation as I leaned in and left a small kiss to his red leaking tip. I then left little kitten licks on it as I collected all his precum in my mouth. I slowly start stroking him and taking more of him in my mouth as I heard his moans above me.

I felt his hands go down to grip onto my hair and couldn't help the whimper escaping my lips when he pulled on my hair. I go down deeper feeling myself gag on it a bit before even reaching halfway and pull out. I continue stroking him as I catch my breath and moan when he makes me take him in my mouth again.

I take him in my mouth happily and bob my head up and down making sure to have his tip hit the back of my throat. "Fuck- that's such a good girl- asi mami no te muevas." He moans out and slowly starts thrusting his hips forward. (Just like that baby don't move)

I bring my hand down and just let him fuck my face, letting him choose his own pace as he was now doing deep thrusts. I closed my eyes, feeling them swell up  but not giving a care in the world.

"Your mouth feels so good baby- so fucking good." He purrs as he now moves faster, not caring if I can breathe properly.

His thrusts become more rapid and deep and I just let it happen, this was all too hot and I was just thinking with the ache between my legs.

I usually prefer receiving but with the way he's letting out all these noises I wanted to always be there to please him.

"Such a good girl for me- shit!" He moans and suddenly I feel him throbbing in my mouth.

He's now thrusting a bit slower but still making sure to hit the back of my throat as his orgasm hit. He grabbed my head with both hands and made me go all the way down that I felt his happy trail tickle my nose. I moaned and felt my legs shake as I tasted and swallowed all of his warm cum.

I opened my eyes and looked up at him with his head tilted back and the eyes on his mask closed. His hands drop to his sides and I slowly slip his cock out but then quickly take it down my throat again earning myself the hottest whimper I've ever heard.

I squeeze my thighs together and now actually slip his cock out of my mouth. It slips out letting out a nice 'pop' before he finally looks down at me and smiles. "Thank you." I whisper looking up at him with innocent doe eyes making him groan.

He then brought himself down and propped himself to my level before bringing his mask up revealing his lips and without a second thought, kissing me.

I kissed back immediately and wrapped my arms behind his neck as his hand went down to my thigh. He traced circles I've fit and slowly started going up when he stopped and pulled away.

Quickly scrambling to pull his boxers and shut up while I look at him confused. He then leans down giving me a quick kiss that I couldn't reciprocate when he runs off the roof jumping off and swinging away.

I frown and look at the spot where he just was, where I just took him in my mouth. Then I heard the roof door open and my eyes shoot open. Shit.

"Mija ya es tarde! Vente a dormir no mames." My dad scolds and I just stand up and nervously laugh, walking on over to him. (It's late! Come to sleep don't exaggerate. but literally means 'don't suck')

If he knew what I just did I'd be dead-

[trashytrashsblog]

So the "event" is here, you have to spend ap to get the exlusive set. 1000 ap for taki... a bit too much? Maybe fair (?) 4000 ap for an exclusive pack but I don't know how I'm gonna spend it. I should do a replay but I don't think is gonna be enough (also I don't have that much ap so the options for me are two: going vip one month or buy some valute or pack idk).

With the next episode I can spend 2000 APs but god strike me doooown if I knew it I wouldn't have played ep7 and I want this set soooo bad sufsiuhvovhbav

Also this is near the Halloween Event so it's even worst :')

Edit: after various calculations and speaking with other players yes is impossible to reach 4k ap and it's not fucking fair byee

[notmyprey]

Annon sent me an ask with a lot of Ninjagº sfw vore prompts, and this one caught my eye specifically, and I want to dedicate a post to it.

I dont have time to draw much, but yall can have a short story-

(Also, wanna preface this with: no, I dont ship Lloyd and Kai. They have a sibling bond imo, and idk it'd be kinda weird with the age gap for a lot of the show. But I'm not gonna send hate to those who do see it like that. Just know this is written with a sibling bond in mind.

Also, this is written abt Lloyd after he grew up and matured a bit. So like- season 5+ Lloyd)

Click

The sound was faint, yet Lloyd knew exactly what it meant. Drop, cover, and prey to the gods it wasn't aimed towards you. Not even a moment after he dove behind the nearest bolder did he hear the thundering boom followed by the bright flash. Wind rushed past him, throwing ash and debris his way. The deafening sound echoed through his very core. It never seemed to end, his body left still shaking minutes after it was done. The cavern bounced the noise, rolling it off one wall and onto the next. It felt like it lasted ages within the few minutes it actually occurred.

The fighting, the punching, the swords, and the guns, all of these never fazed him. But explosions? Those were his weaknesses. His mind would always race back to his past and, consequently, his father. Lloyd didnt know exactly why it reminded him of his dad, but the fact that, like his father, an explosion would hurt anyone, even those on its own side, seemed to be a part of it.

The cavern soon quieted down, but his fear did not. The images of his father still fresh in his mind. He shook his head, trying to snap himself out of the haze he was in.

Him and Kai had gone into a cavern alone since there were 3 diverging paths. Up until now, we had only encountered arrow traps and small pits. But this? This was a new threat.

Was it over, the blast? He wondered, slowly inching towards the edge of the rock. He turned his head, looking for the brightness that would signal it was not over, yet all he was met with was dark.

He peered his head around the bolder, scanning for any sight of Kai. The smoke and ash coated his vision, making it ever more difficult to locate him. After a moment, though, he spotted Kai's fiery red suit. No matter how quickly he wanted to rush over to him, he needed to keep low as to breathe in the least amount of smoke, and he needed to scan for any more explosive traps. So, as such, he slowly inched his way along the cave floor.

By the time he made it to Kai, he could see Kai was in bad condition. His breathing was uneven, meaning he probably breathed in a lot of smoke and ash, and although he didn't seem to have any burns, he still had a lot of cuts and bruises from flying rocks.

Lloyd turned his gaze upward once more, showing the smoke had mostly cleared now. Normally, he would call Cole, Zane, or even Kai over, and one of them would be able to swallow whoever was hurt down. But now, there was no one else but him and the now injured Kai.

He forced his head back towards Kai, who had now opened his eyes. "Hey," Lloyd started, unsure of how to even approach this, "uh... how are you feeling."

A small smile tugged at Kai's lips, even through the pain. "I-", he devolved into a short coughing fit but slowly gained his ability to speak once more, "I have been better." He had to stop to take a breath after every word, something that worried Lloyd further.

Lloyd nodded and continued to fumble over his words. "I... I think it's maybe best... maybe if I..."

"It's ok, do what you have to do, kid." Kai gave a weak but reassuring smile, which gave Lloyd that little extra confidence he needed to continue. Kai knew what had to happen, and Lloyd did too. Kai couldn't stay on the ground here, and Lloyd couldn't carry him either for fear of hurting him further.

Taking a deep breath in, Lloyd stretched his arms out above Kai, holding his palms down, and his fingers stretched out as well. He softly recited the words taught to him. He himself had only done this twice before, but both times were in a controlled setting, and neither times had he actually been the one to eat the person that was shrunken down. Green light fluttered down from his palms, brushing downward with grace. As he finished, he saw Kai quickly start to shrink down.

Soon, Kai was a bit shorter than Lloyds hand from top to bottom. It was strange, seeing Kai so small and fragile. In his mind, Kai was his stronger older brother, the one who had always taken care of him. And now, Lloyd had to be the one to take care of Kai.

He pried Kai off the ground, gently rolling him into his hands and carefully curling his fingers a bit to create a barrier so Kai wouldn't roll immediately off his hands. He lifted Kai to his face, prompting a small groan to come from Kai, who was probably in a lot of pain now that the adrenaline was wearing off.

Now that he was face to face with Kai, Lloyd felt the need to say something. Cole and Jay normally said some sort of joke before eating someone, and Zane normally comforted them, but Kai, he would say something motivational. Perhaps that's why Lloyd always gave so many motivational speeches before missions.

Right now, though, as he thought on what to say, he found that he couldn't really say anything. He was speechless. He couldn't find the words to say to make Kai more comfortable. So he didn't. Instead, he gently brought Kai to his chest, giving him a sort of hug, and held him there for a moment. Kai's breathing slowed, and just for a moment, it felt as though everything was alright again.

Lloyd brought Kai back up to his face, smiling once more before gathering up the courage to open his mouth.

He maneuvered his hands, allowing him to slowly slide Kai onto his tongue. Immediately, Lloyd tasted blood and ashes on Kai's suit. He had to stop himself from gagging. Fighting every instinct that told Lloyd not to eat Kai, he slid him further into his mouth. Finally, only Kai's feet remained outside his lips, but due to how small his mouth is, he couldn't slip them inside without beginning to swallow Kai first. No matter what he did, Lloyd couldn't seem to get any saliva on Kai, his mouth joining in on telling him not to eat what his body must think is poison.

Regaurdless, he took a loud, thick swallow. Although it didn't do much, it did succeed in sending Kai's head into his throat and Kai's feet into his mouth. He promptly clamped his mouth shut behind him and desperately tried to get any amount of saliva in his dry mouth to coat Kai with.

It was horriblely uncomfortable having just a small portion of Kai in his throat. It kept triggering his need to swallow, but he couldn't yet. He knew he needed Kai to be at least lightly coated in drool to get him down, as learned from Jay not doing that once and nearly choking. Finally, after what seemed like too long, his mouth decided to cooperate, drenching Kai in thick goopy saliva.

He gave in to the instinct to swallow, almost happy to get rid of the unpleasant feeling of having someone on the edge of his throat. Kai slipped deeper into Lloyds throat, his muscles idly helping him along. With each gulp, Kai slipped further out of his mouth until finally he was gone. Now, a great lump sat in the middle of his throat. As he continued swallowing, Kai drifted deeper and deeper within him. When Kai went past his heart, he couldn't help but stop breathing for a moment.

After a bit longer, Kai drifted even further down and now was nearing his stomach. Lloyd braced himself. All of his brothers had told him this was the strangest part, but what he felt no amount of his brothers describing could ever replicate. At first, the feeling was sickening. A sudden bout of pressure built up inside his stomach, and it wasn't exactly pleasant. But after that initial sickness came the feeling similar to a hug.

He could feel Kai pressing against his stomach much more than he had originally thought he would have been able to feel. His stomach stretched a bit to accommodate for Kai's presence, and it didn't feel unnatural. As the last of Kai finally slipped into his stomach, Lloyd brought his hand up to his middle.

Gently, he pressed where he felt Kai, and to his surprise, Kai, although weakly, pressed back. This small pressure sent a strange shiver up his spine. He was able to keep Kai safe, ever so so safe. Nothing could get to Kai without going through him first. All those years of Kai helping him, he was finally able to start to pay him back.

Not being able to help the small smile that tugged at his lips, Lloyd got up, continuing on down the cave in search of their mission.

So yah, sorry I kinda took the turn of, whether Lloyd wants to or not- but yeah I still loved this prompt and idk I may make more stories based off of this prompt alone lol.

[urauntiefaye]

&Team as Yanderes🔪

CW: Cussing by me, yandere content, some suggestive content

A/N: Jo a little special for my girl @luneengene2, also this is not how the members are in real life it’s just fiction, 

WC: 494

Kei- Kei is known for having a calm demeanor, but he does like to be in charge, he has set rules for you and specific punishments. I see him being pretty violent with his punishments, He’s not much of a brat tamer as he wants his princess/prince to be good and obedient, he has a God complex so he wants you to worship him. 

Fuma- So soft yet so so protective, he has a lot of anxiety when it comes to you, you’re just way too innocent and weak for this world he has to be there 24/7 to protect you. Is the type limit what you do, like you’re not allowed to cook or clean in fear you’ll end up hurt. He won’t ever lay a hand on you though, but it can be mentally draining having someone constantly watching you…

Nicholas- HA GOOD FUCKING LUCK, mans a sadist try to tell me other wise, He will punish you when you haven’t even done anything and then gaslight you into thinking you did actually something bad. He loves the look of fear in your eyes and he’s so cocky about it I swear. 

Euijoo- *sighs* the clingy type, poor baby can’t live without you, like Fuma he will be near you 24/7 and has deep routed anxiety when it comes to you. But unlike Fuma it’s because Euijoo sees you as this Goddess and that you’ll leave him at any moment. He is literally obsessed with you and is in constant fear that one day you’ll find someone better than him…

Yuma- So you know how I said good luck with Nicholas? Yeah same thing here, I honestly don’t know which is worst tbh. Yuma just loves seeing you in pain, but he’s more sexual about it. Dude needs to have sex with you everyday just to remind you who you belong too. 

Jo- Stalker, he has stalked you and is right now as we speak. He’s too shy to say anything but he is insanely obsessed over you, like this dude takes photos of you and has a wall dedicated to you, he even broke into your house and stole a few pieces of article of clothing just so he could uh ya know…feel good👁️👁️ 

Harua- Seems innocent at first but honestly I think he’s probably the most dangerous out of all of them. His mood will change ever so slightly depending how you act. Like he will be all lovey dovey with you first but you smiled at the barista today? Suddenly he’s worse than Nicholas and Yuma combined. 

Taki-OMG He’s so hyper about you, probably the most calm and less violent, but he just wants your attention 24/7, he’s like a puppy who needs his owner at all times. He always calls you “mine”, will do anything for you, this mans is just head over hills for you and will even possibly murder someone for you. 

[lunicho]

leaving hickeys on taki n the teamies seeing them when he lifts his arms, making his shirt ride up .. god i want him so bad

it's a taki kinda day today ‼️ this is so likely to happen i feel like. he's not the type to try to intentionally hide or anything, but when someone (probably nicho) points it out and lifts his shirt more to see he'd smile sooo shyly and like try to hide it cuz he's admittedly a little embarrassed. he loves to show off sometimes but the fact that this was unintentional just catches him off guard 😭 he'd be so cute tho but trust he's not gonna make u stop marking him up. he loves when u mark him up, leaving bites and hickeys all over him, he thinks the marks u leave on him are so beautiful, he wouldn't change it for the world 🙏🏾

[divinesolas]

Hi there ❤️

I saw that your requests are open and i would like to request something if you dont mind.

Maybe one where reader has the same age of ethan but she was in a relationship with Richie (she meet Richie in the store when she was hired and Richie was a worker at that store ) but Ethan was in love with her (they go to the same school /college) so he got heartbroken when he discovered that reader its dating his brother the time that he went to the store to buy something (angsty) In the end he convinces her that he is a better option. Thank you so much ❤️

The better brother

Warnings | highschool!ethan (seniors), RICHIE 🤮 (you are 18 richie is 20 ethan is 18 quinn is 19), you and richie work at a convenience store, neglected and insecure ethan, cursing, richie is a major asshole, angst with happy ending !!! seriously richie is an ass. not proofread !!

wc | 2.4k

a/n: thank you for the request i really liked writing this prompt! maybe a little different than what you wanted but i hope you enjoy!!

--

"Ill see you later." "bye richie." he kissed you on the cheek before he got out of the car and walked into work. You had school today so you just had come to drop him off, you watched him walk in before driving off.

The two of you had been dating for almost two months now. You started working at the same place as him, for four months, he was the store manager so you two were constantly with each other and he asked you out soon after.

You were happy, mostly. Richie was nice yes but he seemed kind of distant most of the time unless you two were at work and you were helping him stock or he needed a ride to work. But he was nice, yes....

You dont wanna think about it any more as you arrive at school. You get out of your car and walk towards the building, "Good morning." You turn and see ethan standing in his usual spot waiting for you like he always does.

Ethan has been a friend of yours since the beginning of the school year, he was sweet and smart (and super cute.) You two had a couple of classes together so he waited outside for you every morning so he could walk to class with you.

"Good morning e." He smiles at you and you smile back, "did you finish the paper for english yet?" you groan, "dont even remind me." he laughs and begins to walk along side you to class.

---

Ethan didnt know when he began to like you. Maybe it was when on the first day of school this year when you sat down next to him you smiled or maybe it was when you didn't mind as he talked your ear off about comic books or maybe it was when you comforted him while his cat was at the vet and he had to go to school.

He didn't know and frankly he didn't care all he knew is that he liked you, he liked you so much he didn't know how to tell you. Everyday he would try to build up the courage to confess to you and once he finally tries he sees your smiling face and he fails.

Today at school you looked especially gorgeous, he tried to tell you but he just wouldn't come out and hes so frustrated with himself, why cant he just suck it up and say you looked pretty. On the walk home hes beating himself up, maybe he should just text you? no you said you had work after school he shouldn't.

He rolls his eyes at the text from quinn to pick up a bag of takis for her and tries to tell her no but shes insistent he gets them so groans as he begins the walk to the store. He finally arrives and begins to look around to find the chips, where the hell were they?

He finally finds the isle and spots two employees standing in the isle stocking the shelf, they look so familiar-

"it wasnt that bad."

"you cannot be serious the menu was actually horrible."

oh my god, it was you. and his brother? he hides around the corner unable to take his eyes off the scene, you work here? with his brother?

"well i liked it." you shrug as you put another bag on the shelf.

"you just dont understand good movies babe its not my fault."

He feels his stomach drop as he watches richie kiss you, no. He might throw up as he watches you shove him and shake your head saying something about being at work. his eyes begin to water as his hands shake.

Richie. Of course. the shadow he'll always live behind, the man he can never compete with. His older brother, hes the star of the family, his dad adores him so much to the point ethan was so neglected by his father to the point he decided to take his mothers name instead. His father never cared, not when he had his star son.

In his shock ethan drops his phone and it hits the hard ground with a bang, "shit." this was awful, ethan bent down to grab it but unable to spot it behind his watery eyes. The loud sound must have alerted you two and he looked up to see the two of you standing over him.

"Ethan?" You looked the most shocked to see him. He quickly looked back down and grabbed his phone hoping you didn't see his watery face.

"oh hey ethan." richie wrapped an arm around your shoulder with a smirk while greeting him. ethan cant even look at you. Of course youd date a guy like richie, he was a lot cooler than he was. God why did he have to suck so fucking much?

"you know ethan?" you sound confused as you look at richie, ethan looks at the ground wishing it was open up and shallow him whole so he could get far far away from here. "of course i do hes my baby brother, isnt that right ethan?" he's mocking him. ethan's tears begin to flow freely down his face.

You brush richies arm off and take another step closer to ethan, you look concerned and it makes him feel awful he was so fucking embarrassed.

"Ethan are you okay?" Ethan nods his head and races out of the store ignoring you yelling after him. He begins to sob as he feet hit the ground hard as he runs away from the store.

At some point he cant run anymore, he can barely breath because of how hard he was crying. He sits at some random bench and cries his heart out.

His heart is broken. its squeezing in his chest, he puts his hand over it and wishes he could just rip it out of his chest because that's exactly how it felt.

--

You stand frozen in the store looking at the soot ethan was just standing. You move to go after him before a hand grabs your arm, "dont worry about him babe." You turn to richie who was a smirk on his face.

"He was clearly upset-" Richie rolls his eyes, growing more annoyed at the conversation about his brother, "hes always been a fucking crybaby, it's nothing to sweat about. fucking annoying." He mumbles to the last part under his breath but you can hear it and you stare at him in disbelief.

"Hes your brother you shouldn't take about him like that-" richie groans and throws his hands uo in the air, "thats just how he his babe," "dont call me babe." "hes a fucking whiner! thats just how it is, he always has been. And he never shuts the fuck up sometimes like jesus christ no one gives a shit about your fucking comic books man. Me and dad make bets to see how long he'll keep his mouth shut." He laughs to himself as he reflects on the memories but you can only stare at him in disgust.

Who the hell was the guy standing in front of you? Your face contorts into anger as you feel yourself get defensive over ethan, "You make me sick." You hiss at him, "How dare you talk about him like that?" He rolls his eyes, "Why do you care so much-" "Cause hes my fucking friend! and you disgust me with the way you talk about him. I feel like i dont even fucking know you right now."

"if you like him so much than you go fuck him or something." You stand in shock, who the fuck did he think he was. you grab your name tag and rip it off your shirt. "Go fuck yourself richie. I quit and we're fucking done." You storm off and he sighs, "you cant be fucking serious right now." you turn back to him, "yes richie i'm done serious you make me sick."

He rushes over to you and grabs you by the arm, He looks at you with a disgusted expression, "over him? really?" Youre face contorts to one of disbelief, "Yes! Youre a piece of shit! ethan is a nice guy, much nicer than you."

He shakes his head at you in disbelief as he lets go of your arm, "What so youre in love with him or something, i didn't know you were a fucking whore. Its good were done i dont wanna be dating a slut."

Your fist slams into his jaw and he hits the ground, hard. "Never. Ever. Speak to me like that. And if i ever catch you talking shit about ethan i will do worse than punch you seriously." You spit on him as you walk out slamming the door hard behind you.

You feel yourself shaking with anger. Was that a stupid decision, maybe. did you regret it? hell no. You can barely believe richie and how mush of an ass he was, thankfully you found out sooner rather than later.

You can barely even be bothered with richie right now, but right now all you can think of is ethan, you begin to look around trying to see if you can spot ethan, he doesn't drive so he must have walked here.

"Ethan?" You call out and begin to walk in what what hopefully the right direction, you're mind races as you try to find him. Was he okay? He was clearly crying before, you continue to call for him before you see a figure crouched over on a bench. Ethan.

You rush over and call for him, "Ethan." You sit next to him and you feel your heart drop at his shoulders which are shaking and you can hear him sobbing into his hands.

You try to grab his face out of his hands but he doesn't let you, "Ethan please." You feel your heart break as he shakes his head furiously, "Leave me please." His voice breaks as he tries to speak, you can barely make out his words. "Im not going anywhere, ethan please."

He reluctantly moved his hands from his face and you cup his cheeks, you frown as you see his teary eyes, his wet face and the pout on his face. "Ethan." Its hushed, you pull him into your arms. he wraps his arms around you tightly as his head finds its way to your neck as he begin to cry again.

You attempt to comfort him by running your hands through is hair, "what wrong ethan? please talk to me. I hate seeing you like this." His cries only get worse, "ill never be good enough." youre confused, "dont say that ethan its not true-" "of course its true! ill never be good enough for anything or anyone, especially not you."

You freeze, the hand in his hair stops its motion as he continues, "why am i so awful, if i wasn't so terrible, if i wasnt so annoying, if i was him, you would choose me. Why cant it ever be me who gets choosen?"

You pull back and grab both of his cheeks, hes look down at your lap. You wipe the tears of hiss face, "Ethan-" "I dont want your pity." he continues to look down and he pulls away from you and begins to furiously wipe his face with is sleeves, "Ethan-"

"hes always had everything i ever wanted, i dont know why im so surprised he got you too." Your heart is racing at the implications of his words, does he mean- "of course he got the girl im in love with."

You rethink over everything interaction youve had with ethan over the past couple months. you always looked forward to seeing him every morning at school with his smile and his awkwardness. He told the most horrible jokes but they made you laugh so much that when you thought about them later in the day you laughed to yourself to the point you must have looked crazy to everyone around you, he always cheered you on if you had a test and always made time to help you study even if it conflicted with his schedule. You hated the days he was out of school, they would feel lonely and empty and you would spent the whole day texting him. even the thought of his smile made you smile- oh my god. You were in love with him.

With richie it felt like just passing time, like you knew it was never going to be you and him in the end but you still wanted it to work. You grab his face for the third time and force him to look at you. "Ethan, you have to be honest with me, do you mean what you're saying?" He nods, "Of course i do, ive been in love with you for forever." he covers yours hands with his, "i know youre with my brother but i need you to know i've always loved you and if you could ever consider the possibility of liking me back-"

You kiss him and you feel in gasp against you, he soon enough begins to kiss you back. It feels like electricity running through your body as the sparks between you two fly out everywhere. It was perfect, richies kisses were rushed, like he wanted to get it over with but with ethan he was slower, like he wanted to savor every second of you and every bit of you.

You two pull away for a air and he stares at you in disbelief, "im in love with you too ethan." His eyes widen as he shakes his head, "no no youre not richie-" "me and richie are done. Hes a dick." Ethan laughs, "I realized while he was talking shit about you that it was never him. When he was talking about you and then me i got so mad i fucking quit and punched him across the face." you laugh as his mouth opens in shock, "no-" "yes! because i felt so much for you. i love you ethan and im sorry i didn't realize it sooner."

A huge smile falls on his face and yours reflects his, more tears begin to fall but this time theyre happy ones, "god im so fucking happy right now." you laugh as he pulls you into another kiss.

"did you really punch him?"

"yeah and i fucking spit on the asshole too."

"I fucking love you."

[insane-fanfic-author-4life]

If you don’t mind questions; would it be okay if I ask about the culture of New Rome/Camp Jupiter in your AU?

I saw you mentioned in one of your one-shots about Jason that he and Dakota hate mortals (or used to in Jason’s case). I know with how outsider-averse New Rome seemed in canon I figured they’d have at least SOME distaste for mortals (especially from old families), but I want to know your thoughts on it! Maybe we could possibly get a story where Dakota meets Sally👀?

If you’re willing, do you have any ideas for the Sea of Monsters quests Jason and Dakota went on? I’m assuming they went after the Golden Fleece, and can only imagine their (or even all of New Rome’s) faces when it’s found out that Percy got to it before them😄. I’m assuming on that quest they found Reyna!

(If you can’t tell I love hearing people’s New Rome headcanons and what life was like for them)!

Apologies for the mini-rant and if it ends up not making too much sense😅! Hope you’re doing well!

🫶🫶🫶

HI! Thank you so much for this ask, I've always wanted to share my New Rome World with someone.

Sorry in advance for my rambling.

Rick gives us so little about new Rome it's crazy! So, I've kinda came up with my own world-building and culture while writing/planning my Jason Grace fics.

New Rome, in my AU, is very cut off from the mortal world, and I know that in the Riordanverse it's the same way, but I mean so cut off from the world outside Oakland Hills and Mortal culture. Any hint of Mortal Culture- or even anything that isn't New Roman is looked at as taboo. You've never handled a weapon before? Look at the time I've gotta go. You don't speak Latin or use Roman Numerals on a regular basis? Oh, sorry my dad said we can't be friends. You don't enjoy the traditional meals but like Takis? Why didn't the Wolves eat you.

In my horridly-named-au there's a lot of racism/bitterness towards mortals, definitely from the Golden families who've lived there since the fall of Rome. Mortals have always been very oblivious towards the gods and mythology going on, but still they tend to put their noses in places they shouldn't be. We see in all of the quests that when this happens, things tend to get sticky for the Demigod in question. And because of how cut off the New Romans are from the Mortal world, just one bad experience in the outside world can shape entire generations of legacies.

Forget openly thinking you'd rather live outside of New Rome.

Most of the time that isn't seen as an issue though, because why would you want to leave? There's an already structured city with schools, apartments, hospitals, restaurants, and everything you need to survive. To raise a family and grow old. While outside of New Rome you're constantly surrounded by the very thing that attracts monsters to you.

Besides after serving the ten years you have too in the military, you know more about the New Roman Way than the Mortals. Everything the Mortals do now is strange. What do you mean they have free time? That they eat pizza for dinner? That's so unhealthy.

I feel like the people in New Rome don't really understand free time and pleasures very much. Even if they're safe and can have those things they're still demigods/legacies. They always have to be at their top game, or they'll die.

Their little understanding of the outside world (plus horribly views towards mortals) leads to racism and jokes towards them.

I have a lot more on New Rome culture but that's the gist of their views of the outside world.

Also, I've been planning a one-shot about Dakota (and some others) meeting Sally!

I've been planning a longer fanfiction about Jason's childhood/ quests leading up to HoO. I want to start publishing by the end of this year, but I want to have a few (maybe ten) chapters written up and edited.

Anyways here's my ideas for the Sea of Monsters Quest with him and dakota (plus whoever else was with them)

They get stranded on one of the islands in the sea of monsters, which is where they find the Maenad rave (another implied thing in the series) They're preteens and awkward and just need help but these maenads... aren't very helpful, so say the least.

They run into Triton at one point, who is a little bitchy and ends up sending them towards Black Beards Stolen Ship, where all the former C C's Island Resort people are captured.

Jason hates what's going on, and jumps on and concidenlly is like 'I'm here to save you. I'm the son of Jupiter' to Reyna while she, Hylla, and Kinzie plan their escape. Reyna doesn't really need Jason and his peoples help, but it'll give her a better advantage, so they all for a plan. She ends us showing off and Jason realizes she has to be a demigod.

That's pretty much all I have for that so far, sorry if that wasn't what you were expecting and rereading it is very messy.

I'm so happy you asked and if you have anymore New Rome questions I'd love to hear them. Also if you have any New Rome headcanons that you don't mind share with me that would be great cuz it's so underrated and I love people who like the Roman Side of the riordanverse.

Hope you're doing well as well! Thank you for sending this and if you, or anyone else, has anymore asks let me know!

[uniformbravo]

since i've spent the past few days essentially staring at nothing but natsuyuu volume covers i thought it'd be so fun and silly to try and redraw them all from memory tee hee. all 30 (thirty) (三十) of them!!! wheee!!!!

i haven't actually looked at them next to the originals yet so guess what time it is!!!! LET'S COMPARE

starting with volume 1. iconic. show stopping. masterpiece. the mona lisa of natsuyuu SURELY i reproduced every single detail perfectly such that it kickstarts my career as a forgery artist RIGHT

well feast ur eyes

(im using the english volumes for comparison btw they have a good clear view of the art)

CAN U TELL WHICH IS WHICH OOO THEYRE SO ALIKE BET U CANT!!! SPOT THE DIFFERENCE LEVEL 1000 WHICH ONE DO U SHOOT

all i remembered for this one was GREEN and it's not even the right shade of green ajgosugdjfkdgj i even made the fuckin. what do u call it. i'll just say yukata??? I MADE IT GREEN AND ITS SUPPOSED TO BE RED i stg if u held a gun to my head & asked if there was any red on vol 1 i'd be DEAD

but i remembered the book of friends is like. weirdly purple? ok well in this pic it looks p gray BUT ON OTHER COPIES...... IF U UP THE SATURATION GKSJKDNFKDG

why is nyanko sensei smack dab in the middle HUH i couldve sworn he was bottom left this is so fucked up and scary. haunted manga volume??????? i bought it from a grarage sale idk you guys-

at least natsume's pose is like kind of right but also that's most definitely a complete accident i can ASSURE u (im rereading this the next day and the pose isnt even CLOSE what are u TALKING ABOUT)

anyway can i just fucking point out the kanji on the book of friends bc that is from MEMORY YEEHAW here's what it's Supposed to look like: 友人帳

LIKE even tho i got the last one wrong ITS LIKE STILL PRETTY CLOSE??? i think i deserve 100 points for this objectively

MOVING ON THO....

OK NOT AS BAD AS I THOUGHT SURPRISINGLY im actually like. i thought i bombed this one completely but liKE THE COMPOSITION??? KIND OF ON POINT. KIND OF GENIUS TBH

i remembered Blue and Madara and like what else do u need rly. butterflies are optional in all scenarios imo

also i NEVER have any idea what natsume's wearing in any of these so i always just like default throw him into his school uniform LMAO u will see a pattern

why is the book of friends burgundy in this one btw. it was GRAY i mean purple definitely purple aha

ok volume 3 im actually scared for i know i fucked up SOMETHING

HGLKFKGLKFKGFN OK!!!!! OK NOT SUPER AWFUL!!!! just noticed i forgor to color the book of friends fukg

main thing i remembered abt this one was the color of natsume's... attire.... and which characters were present. whats sensei doing all the way up in the top corner tho 0/10

return of the school uniform lmaooooo hm. irrelevant who cares plus didnt ask. all things considered this wasn't as bad as i thought. THE NEXT ONE HOWEVER,

hsngjfgnfjn okayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

sensei's way cuter in this one than i realized wait wtf this cover's cute af how did i never notice. underrated cover -10 @ me. look at his lil BLEP >:O!!!!!!!

i knew there was some fuckshit going on w the yukata in this one ourhg i was just like hehe greeennnn also sensei's there. my work here is done

what is natsume's pose even hgnkg i was straight up making shit up at this point LIKE the first 6 or so covers are SO hard for me to distinguish in my head i should get a free pass for the poses in all of them like i can do whatever i want IM the artist now

oh god whats next vol 5

OK!!!! like a straight 5/10 TBH i literally forgot i was planning on rating these LMAO

i remembered the like white v-neck shirt thing and his pose kind of??? i had NO idea what to do for the yukata tho i just made it orange and u know what?? close enough. my rule of thumb is just like pick a color and then throw flowers all over it u cant go wrong

taki looks so much more mysterious on the original and also wearing a skirt. i gave her a big stick bc i thought i remembered her having one in general but i think i made that up tbh wouldn't put it past me. got her hat right tho hee haw

cant believe i didn't get natsume's beautiful artwork tho look at that little shit sensei up there god hes so ROUMD literally moma material

PROBABLY my best one yet uhhhh but i maybe cheated JUST a little for this one ITS LIKE BARELY CHEATING STOP BOOING ME

as i was toying w the idea of doing this redraw thing i was still working on collecting my Images and Pictures so i kinda started taking note of a few small things here & there and one of them was just. the general gist of this cover SO LIKE that's why it's so good LOL

forgor the flowers tho. i literally forget everything that isn't a character like immediately BUT OK CUT ME SOME SLACK like after a point the covers start being whole ass scenes which are SO much easier to remember shit abt than the fuckin Green Void (p sure this is the last green void cover tho)

8/10 composition is gr8 but details like the shirt & the yellow flowers are wrong, also the stick is backwards. i literally looked up what that thing is called and forgot already tee hee

OK WE'RE NOT DONE W THE GREEN VOID I REPEAT-

fuck dude. fuck. i rly thought vol 6 was the last one LOL not to spoil but as i was grabbing these images i saw a Preview of what's to come and the green void lasts until fuckign volume TEN LOL collapses onto the ground and dies

so erhermrm this is vol 7 lolllll i remembered the bg flowers this time can u believe hahaha distracts u from the fact that LITERALLY everything else is wrong auhghg

u know what the green void turned into bushes and i think that's beautiful.... like points for creativity on my part tbh. like to be completely honest. 3/10 i got the characters right

YO????? GATE CONFIRMED LET'S GO?????? it's definitely the school gate but i choose to believe natsume & tanuma r in jail for crimes and u should too

actually this is shockingly accurate for how much i goddamn struggled w this one gkjsldkg the CHARACTERS are right the OUTFITS are right SENSEI'S THERE urgh i knew one of these covers had tanuma holding sensei like that but i couldn't remember Which

i can't believe i actually got tanuma's pose that close i rly thought i was bullshitting w that one wtf. +5 points instantly

do u like how i just scribbled sensei wherever lmaoooo i drew natsume & tanuma & went like. i think sensei's in this one. PLOP

6/10 honestly closer than i thought

OK........ I SEE........ literally dies

this one i was getting MASSIVELY confused w vol 4 bc i could remember nothing distinct abt either of them except Green and natsume w Big Doggie

i remembered the BARE essentials of the composition but not much else... since i thought the green void was gone i put the green i remembered into natsume's yukata (and then put him in the school uniform again LOL) and went WELP. GUESS I'LL DIE NOW

2/10 honestly one of the worst fucking ones lskdjflsdkg

OK THIS ONE.... i almost died irl trying to remember this shit, even before i started and i was still viewing the covers i was like there is no way in HELL im remembering this shit for vol 10. and i was right

like. Purple. White Mask. Antlers. WILD layered clothing. at first i drew the mask as an actual deer skull but later had a straight up epiphany and redrew it like that which... still not correct but I MEAN.... IT'S PRETTY GOOD

i cant believe most of the purple is the bg oughgh his clothes are WHITE..... this is fucked up. i DID remember the stick tho, bells and everything!! actually bells and nothing else!!!

7/10 ok it might seem high but CONSIDERING this design..... i think i did shockingly well TBH

NOT...... the worst...... one....... i could've sworn he was sitting on a pile of books this is so sad that woulda been so cute 😭

for a second when i saw the real cover again i thought he was sitting ON the bookshelf and i was about to RIOT but its okay it's a step stool. still physically possible

my version of natsume here is so much more like Proper gksld he looks like a school boy... studying in the academy's library... hardworking student.... but no the real one is just sitting there like a wet puppy orz he's not even READING i rly thought he was reading. this is such a huge L

cannot fucking believe i was right abt the window tho. like wrong shape but the fact that it's even there.... giving myself a whole ass point for that one

5/10 i rly thought i nailed this one gksgndfkj

also RIP TO THE GREEN VOID U WILL NOT BE MISSED o7

ah shit ok. well one of them was in the school uniform at least fjgugjdkf

why is my natsume lying there like hes abt to start a therapy session, boy would NEVER-

also the plushie hmnmhnmhngnf i dont KNOW i knew there was some kind of prop there but like gun to my head i woulda died again. main colors that stood out to me for this were green and that bluish purple so i got those into mine but i mean. well u can see

once again a random window in the bg i got correct let's gooooo 5/10

LMAO SPITS OUT MY DRINK WHOOPSIE!!!!!!

this is so fucking bad im choking im gurgling LOLLLL i was SO sure natsume's paper had an eye on it i was POSITIVE this is so fucked up. i mean obvs i picked that up from sensei but like i didn't even KNOW sensei was there. or that there were bg characters at all uuuuuououohghh (matoba ignored +5)

i was like. black yukata red flowers CHECK piece of paper w eye CHECK horns CHECK i even went back and edited the horns to be more accurate i was so proud of myself sobs

ok but i knew it was shit trasjh when those were the ONLY details i could remember bc obviously there was gonna be more going on I JUST DIDN'T REALIZE HOW MUCH MORE.....

straight up dookie/10 no jk fr like 3/10 @ me u need to use ur EYES

OK..... I WAS VERY CONFIDENT ABT THIS ONE..... except for his outfit i knew i was bullshitting that BUT I THOUGHT I NAILED THIS ONE....... the one fucking time i didn't just default to his uniform LMFAO

even remembered the pink flower ball smh and for WHAT. i knew he was sitting in a pile of plushies & blankets or smth but no way in HELL was i even gonna attempt to draw them with a speck of detail. but HEY the plushie i drew for vol 12!!! i knew he existed Somewhere. he doesn't even have a horn tho thats so fucked up i thought he did

obviously the most striking thing abt this cover is the bg w that deep burgundy & the circular window so that was the main thing i nailed down right away (my palette was more muted tho). also natsume sitting there w paper in his mouth but i thought he was mid return when rly hes playing like keep-the-balloon-off-the-floor or whatever the fuck he's doing. i love u natsume

(if i thought he was in the middle of returning a name WHY didn't i include the actual book of friends flksglkd automatic fake fan/10)

8/10 this was like my ace in the hole i was like if i got nothing else i got U volume 14!!! and then

NOT THE FAMILY PHOTO......... FUCKING DIES

man idk shit just end me. whats even going on in this cover im gonna deck u natori. dont ask why this makes me want to commit violence hes just so. URHGHGHnH

i dont know whats happening to me rn looking at this im losing my fucking grip dude who let this happen im gonna hurl this volume into the sun??? i think???

why did i add the other two youkai i just thought they should be included but i played myself i had to draw them from memory and for WHAT. pls tell me i got them at least a little bit right i stg

it's the crossed legts dude if he was just sitting there like a board the way i drew him id be like ah shit it was just natori sitting not natsume too but he just HAS to cross his legs and the fucing elbow propped up holding the glasses im S MAD IM SO MADdestroy him

it's 1am i gotta go. i have to go. right now my mom is calling me i have to fukcng. 4/10 i got the couch colorr right. bye

---

tumglr...... only allows 30 pictures per post..... bc im not on desktop? or is that a site-wide thing now. in any case this is getting long so i think im gonna split it right down the middle into 2 posts so there u go, first 15 volumes. so far my score is ermmm

well i didn't rate the first few volumes.

vol 1: 6/10 decent

vol 2: 6/10 also decent

vol 3: 5/10 composition is Scramboled

vol 4: 2/10 it's SO BAD

so now my overall score is 74/150 fjggudjofjdkgjk doing gr8!!!!!!!!!

ok bye for real ✌️

[plumoh]

a prayer and a coin; chapter 6

Natsume Yuujinchou & Noragami crossover fic.

Rating: G Wordcount: 3220 Characters in this chapter: Natsume & Sensei & Yato Summary: Takashi, despite Sensei's clear mistrust, calls the phone number. AO3 link

So lost in his own thoughts and distracted by Nyanko-sensei’s hasty retreat, Takashi completely forgot about the kappa who witnessed the entire meeting without saying a word.

When he goes back to the river on his way to school, the kappa jumps out of the water and looks so dejected that Takashi feels his guilt increase tenfold.

“Natsume, were the boy and the man from yesterday dangerous?” the kappa asks with wide eyes.

“No, I don’t think they are,” Takashi replies instantly, refusing to let Sensei’s suspicions pollute the kappa’s mind. “Rest assured, Sensei and I are going to make sure that nothing happens to you or other youkai in the area.”

“I swam back home once you left, so I don’t know what they did. This morning when I came here nothing looked different.”

So nothing has been destroyed, at least, which is good to know. If a god truly got upset because of an abrupt and rude departure, then Takashi is certain the country wouldn’t be standing anymore. Bad luck or not, gods are supposed to care for the land they walk on, right?

Takashi makes the kappa promise him to seek him out if he encounters any anomalies before heading to class. Sensei said he’d be on the lookout, in case Yatogami comes back for whatever business he has in the area—it should reassure Takashi, but instead it makes him worry that things will get messy should Sensei and Yatogami meet again. He can only hope that the day will be normal for everyone involved.

He doesn’t recount the encounter to Tanuma or Taki. There is no need for them to imagine the worst when nothing happened truly; on top of that, he doesn’t want them to fret over the existence of real gods, and the knowledge that their prayers might be actually heard. It’s already disturbing enough that Takashi himself has apparently met a god in the past and forgot him… The Dew God’s story remains fresh in his memory and he can’t let it repeat for anyone else.

-----

As soon as the bell rings, Takashi rushes out of the classroom while apologizing to Nishimura for leaving early. Sensei is already waiting for him, sitting at the top of the gate’s wall, like a polite pet waiting for his master to return. The other students love watching him, but as soon as they try to pet him, he hisses at them (“he’s not a real cat, after all”). Sensei jumps down, glancing back at Takashi to make sure he’s following, and together they head near the forest.

There is a payphone next to the bus stop. Somewhere isolated, away from prying eyes, and within easy reach of youkai friends. Takashi thinks the precautions unnecessary, but they are more for Sensei’s peace of mind than for his own. Sensei worries too much, sometimes, when Takashi least expects it.

“If the god doesn’t answer your call, we’re going home,” Sensei says in a tone that doesn’t leave room for negotiation.

Takashi fishes a few coins from his pocket, inserts them into the payphone, and dials the number written on his note. It hits him, then, that the motions of going through all these steps are comforting; there is giddiness and anticipation in equals measures, like this is the first time he calls this number. It brings back the memory of seeing the phone number tagged on walls and billboards, thinking that calling it was a last resort. He’s thrown back to his childhood and he thinks that maybe, this is a bad idea.

What if he’s repeating a past mistake and only setting himself up for disappointment…?

Takashi can hear his heart hammering against his ribcage all the way into his skull. When the phone keeps ringing and ringing, he thinks he might throw up.

And then, a click.

“Hi, thank you for calling! Fast, cheap and reliable, delivery god Yato at your service!”

It sounds surreal. At that moment, Takashi blanks—how do you greet someone you don’t really know anymore?

“Hello? Is anyone here?”

Something bumps into his leg; Takashi looks down to see Sensei narrow his eyes, impatiently waving a paw. Like he’s telling him that this was Takashi’s idea, and that he should take care of the situation alone.

Takashi swallows. His heart has never beat so fast, and so loudly.

“Y-Yes, sorry… I actually don’t know how I should put this…”

This conversation feels like déjà-vu. Takashi isn’t one to talk on the phone.

“Um… Do you remember the beast youkai you met yesterday…?”

Takashi hears Sensei groan and he feels himself getting flustered while his palms are starting to get clammy. What an embarrassing sight he must display.

“…What beast youkai?” Yatogami asks, confused, but still willing to continue this call.

“A wolf-like beast. White and big.”

“Oh! Yeah, of course I remember that one. Who’s asking?”

This is it. This is the moment where Takashi has to reveal himself. The ringing in his ears is killing him.

“I don’t know if you noticed yesterday but I… was with the beast youkai… My name is Natsume Takashi. We met a long time ago.”

A long time ago for Takashi, in any case. He most likely wouldn’t have remembered they ever met, had Yatogami not shown up. How many people and youkai did Takashi see when he was younger, and completely forgot as he grew older?

For an agonizing moment, only silence greets him. Sensei is sitting very still at his feet, ears clearly on alert even if he can’t hear much from his position.

“Were you a kid who asked me to kill an ayakashi that was bothering your family?”

Takashi wants to cry.

“I was!” his voice nearly cracks. “I mean, I think I did ask something like that? It’s been years so I don’t really remember but I know that you’ve helped me in the past.”

Takashi doesn’t even need to glance down to know that Sensei is sighing heavily, like he can’t believe that Takashi is still spouting this nonsense when he clearly warned him against gods of calamity. Yatogami’s voice is quiet and pensive, so unlike what Takashi is used to; is it a bad sign?

“Hey, you mind if I teleport to your location?” Yatogami asks.

Takashi blinks. He doesn’t object to it, of course, but… Oh well. Sensei will get over it soon enough.

“I don’t see why not.”

The words barely left his mouth that suddenly a silhouette appears next to him in a flurry of light and flicker, startling both him and Sensei. Yatogami still has his phone stuck to his ear while he stares first at Sensei, assessing and prudent—Sensei returns the distrustful gaze, going as far as taking a step forward to place himself closer to Takashi. Then Yatogami shifts his attention to Takashi, and the storm in his eyes immediately clears.

“The little Takashi, of course!” Yatogami exclaims, all smiles. “Wow, you weren’t joking when you said it’s been years, you’re not a kid anymore!”

Yatogami snaps his phone shut and approaches Takashi, ignoring the way Sensei seems to puff up and ready to pounce. He claps Takashi’s shoulders with both hands eagerly and keeps them there, in a gesture reminiscent of a family member seeing a young cousin or nephew and showing approval. Takashi, confused, feels a bit out of his element.

“How many years has it been? Do you know?” Yatogami continues on a joyful tone. “Must have been something like five years.”

“Six years, actually,” Takashi replies absentmindedly. “I’m going to turn sixteen this year.”

“Huh. You look way too well-behaved to still be a teenager. But I’m not surprised, you were a polite child.”

That might be the first time someone ever said that about him to his face and meant it. The glint in Yatogami's eyes shines with so much cheer that Takashi is starting to think his entire reaction might be forced. He dismisses the thought as soon as it comes because he is absolutely not going to be influenced by Sensei’s doubts.

“I didn't think you would remember me,” Takashi says softly. “I'm sorry I forgot about you.”

Yatogami snorts in an undignified way and withdraws his hands to stuff them in the pockets of his jersey, absolutely unconcerned by the remark. He’s exuding that carefree attitude that Takashi remembers most about him; it might be a façade to better lower people’s guard, in the scenario Takashi thinks like Sensei does.

Yatogami still doesn't acknowledge Sensei's hostile aura as he keeps conversing.

“Don't worry about it, humans don't always remember encounters with gods. I don't blame you for something you can't help.”

But it doesn't feel right, Takashi thinks. He doesn't want to continue living as if nothing happened; what if he forgets again in a few months? Isn't he the one who should make efforts to remember instead of simply accepting that it is the way the world is? Gods can’t keep living if there are no believers left.

“Besides, if I remember correctly, we only met a handful of times,” Yatogami continues. “It wasn't enough for your kid brain to believe that gods actually exist.”

Takashi isn't convinced, but Yatogami is smiling and it would be rude to ruin the mood by insisting that something feels wrong.

“I suppose,” Takashi answers, nodding slowly.

“Anyway! I’m really glad that you’re looking well. It’s rare for me to meet again past believers, after all, so seeing you all grown up is making me think I should check on other people. I could be surprised.”

“Are all gods of your caliber always this infuriating?” Sensei finally snaps.

When Takashi glances at him, he half expects to see his bodyguard baring his teeth—instead, Sensei is sitting very still, simmering in his wariness and irritation. Yatogami’s words haven’t alleviated any of his suspicions and he looks even more incensed than before. If a fight breaks out between a beast youkai and a god, Takashi isn’t sure he will be able to stop it.

“Sensei,” Takashi chides gently. “Don’t antagonize Yato-sama.”

“This guy hasn’t given me a single reason to want to be in his presence,” Sensei scoffs, and he manages to convey disdain by simply staring down at Yatogami from his position on the ground. “What does a god of calamity want from a human except making them their follower?”

Takashi should be used to Sensei’s blunt words and lack of tact but he can’t help wincing. It’s in this kind of situation, where Sensei is too stubborn and unwilling to disclose what actually bothers him, that Takashi realizes there is much about Sensei he still doesn’t know. He truly cannot read what is going through his mind—the last time he saw him so guarded, it was against Matoba-san.

Yatogami, for his part, waves a hand in the air in a dismissive gesture. Even to Takashi’s eyes, it somehow looks insulting, which further exacerbates his feeling of dread.

“I didn’t even do anything and I’m accused of committing some crime! Who is this, Takashi?”

Sensei doesn’t miss a beat and scowls.

“I am a great and noble beast youkai, one who will make you cower in fear,” he says haughtily. “You can call me Nyanko-sensei.”

A beat. Takashi opens his mouth, then promptly closes it. Doesn’t Sensei want to look more intimidating by revealing who he truly is…? Doesn’t this nickname severely undermine his reputation…? Now that he thinks about it, Sensei has never introduced himself with his real name; even in front of Matoba-san, he only ever responded to the name Takashi bestowed him.

Yatogami picks up on that detail as well, judging by the quirking of his eyebrow. He looks amused, but not angry or confused. Maybe he is used to youkai giving names other than their own—who knows what youkai think of when they want to play pranks on people.

“Very well, Nyanko-sensei. That’s a cute name for a youkai.”

“I, uh, gave it to him”, Takashi explains hurriedly. “Please don’t pay attention to him, Yato-sama, I don’t know why he’s acting like this. He’s not as rude usually.”

“I can be plenty rude if I want to,” Sensei grunts.

Takashi side-eyes him. “Don’t.”

“I have no idea what kind of relationship you two have, but it’s quite entertaining,” Yatogami says, nodding sagely like this is some performance he’s watching. “You’re too careful, Takashi. Your friend seems the type to dislike going in circles while no answers are provided, so my continued presence is driving him crazy.”

“I didn’t think you would be able to understand that so quickly,” Sensei snorts. “You’re smarter than you look.”

“I have experience dealing with people who don’t want me around.”

This entire conversation is bad for Takashi’s heart. This is like watching Misuzu and Hinoe wrangling Sensei into doing something that “sounds stupid and unworthy of his attention”, but ten times worse. If they don’t stop, he fears that they will truly start fighting.

“Stop antagonizing Yato-sama,” he tells Sensei again, with a pointed look. “He hasn’t done anything harmful and he doesn’t intend to. I think it’s pretty obvious he’s not the malevolent god you pretend he is.”

Before Sensei has time to retort something most likely scathing, Yatogami claps his hands and catches his attention.

“Everyone calm down! I still have no idea why I’m the topic of a misunderstanding but I swear that Takashi isn’t going to get hurt or anything. He hasn’t seen me in years and as a god, I’m more than happy to see that he remembered me.”

Yatogami turns towards Takashi and winks while holding two fingers near his temple in a salute, the perfect picture of someone being unperturbed by the circumstances. Takashi offers him a strained smile; this is the type of attitude that is most difficult to read and predict—even if there is no imminent danger, Sensei isn’t going to take at face value such blatant, over-exaggerated enthusiasm.

“Since I can’t hide it from the noble Nyanko-sensei, yes I am a god of calamity,” Yatogami continues, unreserved. “Used to, anyway. I don’t tend to announce it, it’s bad marketing, you know? I’m a delivery god who aims to become rich and revered by lots of people.”

“I do remember that,” Takashi pipes up, feeling the heavy weight of 5-yen coins in his pockets.

“Unbelievable,” Sensei mutters. “Gods don’t get to decide what they are or are not.”

Then, for a fraction of a second, Yatogami drops the act. His curled lips aren’t quite smiling, and the glint in his eyes looks…appraising. Dangerous. Takashi resists the urge to take a step back or to let shivers take control of his body.

“That’s what you think,” Yatogami says in an almost whisper, confident. “Watch me.”

Takashi thinks this is a prayer.

Who listens to the prayers of gods?

Thinking that enough is enough, that Yatogami doesn’t have to put up with them longer than necessary, Takashi bends down and gathers Sensei in his arms, ignoring his cries of protest. The flash in Yatogami’s eyes is a warning—against what, Takashi is not sure, but there is no doubt Sensei will take it the wrong way.

“I believe in you, Yato-sama,” Takashi states firmly. “You may be a god of calamity, you still helped me when no one wanted to.”

He reaches into his pocket, closes his fingers around a coin, and extends his fist towards him. Yatogami, momentarily stunned, only stares. Takashi shakes his fist a bit in invitation.

“I’ll remember you. And if I don’t, Sensei is here to remind me.”

“I didn’t agree to such a thing,” Sensei complains.

Slowly, Yatogami reaches out as well and places his palm under Takashi’s fist. Takashi drops the 5-yen coin onto his hand, and he doesn’t miss the way Yatogami slightly tenses upon being offered the proof of their shared past. Maybe more than shock that colors his face, it is surprise at getting that precious coin without even asking.

“I didn’t fulfill any wish yet,” Yatogami indicates, though he still closes his hand around the coin.

“I know. It’s a gift for answering my call and coming here.”

Sensei doesn’t try to ruin this moment. Takashi knows he senses that this is important to him; whether he’s acting in childish wonder or blind trust, Takashi will not abandon Yatogami like he did once. No more.

It is hard to pinpoint what emotion is flickering on Yatogami's face at that moment, unsmiling and still as he is. He most definitely didn't expect such a gesture, and it occurs to Takashi that he must have been wondering all along what would happen during this meeting. Nobody ever requests the presence of a god for a chat, after all.

“I'm not a child anymore. I will keep my promise,” Takashi says fervently.

Yatogami slowly, deliberately, relaxes his shoulders. It wouldn't have been visible if Takashi wasn't paying attention to it.

“Thanks, Takashi,” Yatogami says. “If only there were more humans like you.”

What a loaded statement. Takashi doesn't think he's anyone special.

“Time to go,” Sensei grouches, swatting at Takashi’s arm. “We've stayed here longer than necessary.”

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Nyanko-sensei.”

Yatogami flashes him a smile that is more mocking than sincere, and Sensei ignores him with such grace that Takashi feels oddly proud.

“Take care of yourself, Yato-sama,” Takashi tells Yatogami.

Yatogami nods. “You too. See you around then!”

And just like this, Yatogami turns on his heels and walks away, waving a hand in the air. This sight is familiar to Takashi, but instead of feeling like he’s lost something precious, his heart swells with relief. He commits that moment to memory.

Sensei waits until they are back at the Fujiwara house to speak about the encounter.

“I wouldn’t trust him yet,” he announces calmly, a lot less irritated than he had been during the day. “Don’t stick your nose into business that’s not yours to deal with.”

“Come on, Sensei,” Takashi sighs. “You saw that Yato-sama wasn’t dangerous, right?”

“For now he isn’t. You don’t know what will happen in the future.”

Takashi dangles a piece of the pancake he’s eating and Sensei immediately snatches it from his hand, successfully distracted. There is no point discussing about the topic further, given how adamant Sensei is—nothing, for now, will change his opinion on Yatogami. Takashi isn’t against practicing some caution or keeping a safe distance from a god who is apparently malicious, but he can’t bring himself to doubt Yatogami’s kindness. Who would spare so much effort into creating a positive image of themselves if they weren’t at least a bit honest about it? Is he being too naive again?

Gods and youkai are different, of course, but Takashi remembers missed opportunities he’s had with youkai. Misunderstandings, even, especially in Reiko-san’s memories. Gods most likely experience this feeling as well, despite their status. Takashi wants to believe that he still has a chance to reconnect with Yatogami because Yatogami looked so vulnerable when he accepted the 5-yen coin, as if that simple gift was something world-shattering.

Takashi won’t forget again. He knows so much now, thanks to Sensei—it is his own wish that he will fulfill.

[euijoosorangeslice]

i want taki so bad rn god hes so fine esp this comeback oml on my knees for him i’ll give him all the head he wants

REALLL LIKE UGHH FUCKKK

I’m tryna give him the sloppiest top ever istg…

WHI TOLD YOU YOU COULD GO OUTSIDE LOOKING THAT FINE BABBBBBBEEEEED

I just know it’s veiny with a brown tip 🤭

[2af-afterdark]

Ooh ooh, spice tolerance. Despite being Asian...I uh...am very bad at eating spicy food... take your time with this long thought 😂

No doubt Tartaros devils would be able to eat really spicy food, but since devils have higher pain tolerance, the spiciest earth pepper wouldn't even affect them, but they'd have spicy food that would be dangerous for humans to consume, one bite and MC would be sent to the hell hospital immediately regardless of their ability to handle spice.

Besides Tartaros devils, Abyssos devils would probably have decently high spice tolerance as well. Except Naberius, idk why but I wanna see someone who seems so lowkey trying not to tear up even though their face is red because of the spice from the shared dish. That would take off some attention from Stolas being a "child," by having both Amon and Stolas noticing that Naberius' face is red, and he looks like he's about to cry. Or double down and bully Stolas even more with him being weak to spice. (Note: Weak spice tolerance MCs should tell Bael not to make anything spicy, cause some food might not taste spicy to him but it could strip the skin off of your human tongue)

With Gehenna, they have varying low to mid spice tolerance but I think Paimon would weirdly be the one who can handle the spiciest out of all of them. Zagan would look really cute with his face blush with heat tho, he won't be tearing up but would still struggle a bit at mid spice level. I feel like Astaroth would be the weakest, with his snake being the reason, since he possibly have the snake on him at all times, he would most likely avoid food that could irritate the little one's respiratory system. Satan would probably seconds to Paimon, since in the past Mammon pissed Satan off by teasing him for being weak at eating spicy food that he had to get better. Leraye would most likely be weak to spice, idk why but I just feel it, since he's so puppy, I can't see him eating really spicy food at all. Then Sitri and Belial, I have a feeling they would avoid spicy food, not because they can't handle it, it's just that they don't take pleasure in eating spicy foods as much as others. Ppyong and Jjyu would most likely be able to handle between low and mid spice level? Not too sure about the little ones, since they're little.

Leviathan seems to be someone who doesn't care for spicy food? But then seeing people being able to enjoy more variety of food than him, he gets jealous and started eating spicy foods just because of that. Foras would be comfortable at mid spice level I think, all my brain could think of is him eating his food with a slight blush to his cheek from the heat. I would say Barbatos doesn't like spicy food, it's because of his plant vibes, and pepper isn't even an option to fertilize plants with from my knowledge. Glass can probably eat really spicy food, just so he could have a stance when trying to start a fight between other devils about spice tolerance.

I'm stopping there since I don't know much about the other devils just yet. But I hope I'm not forgetting anyone from the specified countries 💦 I'd feel bad if I did

P.S. heaven probably wouldn't have spicy foods, since uh idk maybe because it doesn't taste pleasant, and because they're so "prestige" that I can't imagine the horrible fate await some peeps after eating spicy food. And OH MY GOD, I just found out Gabriel have the same zodiac sign as me-

-🐰

Fuck having a high spice tolerance. Give me the devil that thinks vinegar is a nightmare seasoning. The devil that always wants it hotter but their stomach suffers for it later. Give me the devil that eats their equivalent of takis for fun. I want devils with bad decision making in regards to their own spice tolerance. It's no fun if all of them just... gobble down a Carolina Reaper like it's nothing. I need at least one that it a wimp when it comes to spice and heat.

Amon, Eligos, Stolas... are definitely team high spice tolerance. I think Beelzebub tries to eat spice, but doesn't even notice it at all. Meanwhile, I kind of want to say that Bael likes spice, but his stomach does not. Naberius is dying inside. Dogs may actually be more affected by the heat that humans, so... hell hound cries about it. Leraye also cries, because the man is a metaphorical puppy. Jjyu won't admit that it hurts and tries to maintain a brave face while Belial is enjoying the burn. Bimet is not foolish enough to eat such intense spices when he could make a pretty penhy of them instead (one chip challenge, hell edition).

No one in Paradise Lost is eating that shit because they are too busy dealing with all the other idiots that tried.

Damn. There are just... so many of them...