#god my gif went wonky

[pigtailedgirl]

Expanding on Good For The Soul, and the question of what Fraser's motive is.

I said elsewhere before, but what strikes me as difficult to reconcile in the episode is the idea that Fraser suddenly can't stand to see the injustice of the busboy getting slapped and it being ignored by both public and system. By Warfield himself.

Fraser is not that naive.

And he normally operates in understanding that not everyone follows the same tenets or ideals he does. And that when he pushes, it’s usually to help.

But not here.

He judges and tries to shame Warfield. He tries to shame the public. He judges the 27th for not thinking this is big enough to pursue. He judges everyone subtly for their fear or their letting this mob power win. On pure principle alone.

Did he believe the obligation to get what would've amounted to fake apology without the unintended escalation was actually justice? Or is it, as he says, about a first pillar of not letting that enemy's belief system win? As he was down with the 27th going hard in the club to support him finally at end, no matter the skirting of legality in that part, it seems Fraser is looking for a fight for Christmas.

He wanted more than justice; He wanted to beat back the idea of intimidation of the mobster.

He doggedly pursues not to right the wrong, to really tackle the actual offence, and not to champion the busboy or restore the old man's desire to stand, but his own.

It's interesting in context of: Why now Fraser? Why this one for you?

A mobster he didn’t see coming.

Why, when in an episode that this one heavily references The Deal , he understood and sympathized with the nuance of and fear of inability. Or the grief of in Juliet is Bleeding.

And I think that comparison keys into the answer.

Because Fraser no longer wants to accept inability or fear of or not being a hero who stands against that mob power. Or imagine himself or someone having to do it alone.

As Ray Vecchio did for Joey Paducci outside in The Deal. As Fraser did outside in Juliet is Bleeding. Here is the third turn. Here is a bully mobster and a lonely Christmas Fraser who wants to believe you don’t have to be alone in believing the ideal is worth it.

This scenario is playing on a fear of his commitment to the ideal hurts worse than the slap to the face taken or beat down encore.

That say, someone out there alone facing down the mob might also lose or break to that system or have justice fail to keep good too.

Ahhhhh as they say.

So Fraser faces this stand-in in place.

Fraser’s unfortunately having to do it sans Ray Vecchio who would have never let Fraser take on Warfield himself or left him alone at that club.

Though Fraser finally gets a measure of comfort and closure as Ray Kowalski and the 27th pick up the support by end, closing what the 27th couldn’t do in Juliet is Bleeding in it’s own griefs and cop justice vices. Here they apologize and come to support him and we close that family loop like he finds some comfort in Bob's Christmas gift.

[bookshelf-dust]

gentle fingers, gentler boy

carmen berzatto x fem!hairdresser!reader

gif by @hotch-girl

word count: 3,589

warnings: swearing, joking mentions of arson, one donna mention, i don’t think anything else??

synopsis: carmy needs a haircut—desperately. or so natalie tells him. she sends him to you, and it’s safe to say carmy never would’ve expected a trim would turn into the best date he’s ever had in his life.

a/n: hello, my loves! don’t even ask my why this fic has taken me so long to write because i couldn’t tell you. but i do imagine it has something to do with the fact that i have the attention span of a goldfish these days. anyhow, i wrote this as a kind of predecessor to this fic, because something about carmy and his hairdresser gf is so special to me. let me know what you think!! happy reading <33

————

“You really do need a haircut, Bear.”

Sugar leans up against the office door frame. Her younger brother is hunched over the desk, an Igor incarnate, flipping through a pile of papers Cicero left for him. 

Richie’s voice booms throughout the kitchen. “I been tellin’ him that, Sug! It needs a wash, too. He’s startin’ to look like Jack…Jack…” He snaps his fingers, searching for a name. “The psycho asshole from The Shining!”

“Jack Torrence,” Marcus chirps.

“Jack Torrence!” Richie claps, making Sugar roll her eyes. She moves closer to Carmen, leaning against the corner of the desk. She crosses her arms. 

“I told you, Carm, you can go see my girl. She’s never done me wrong.” 

That small, gentle smile she has grows on her lips. Natalie gently pushes her brother’s shoulder. “And hey, she stopped me from getting bangs again a few weeks ago.”

Richie’s hands fly upward, pressing together in a prayer pose. “Thank fuck. Bangs were never your look, babe.”

“Shut up, Richie!” Sugar and Carmen’s voices ring out simultaneously, as if they’d rehearsed for this very moment of synchronization.

Carmy’s clogs drag against the tile floor as he braces his palms against the desktop and pushes himself backwards. He scrubs his face with his hands, leaving it tinged red when he finally relents.

He looks up at his sister, a firm wrinkle formed between her brows. Carmen huffs.

“What did you say her name was?” Carmy asks, eyes darting to the clock, searching for the time only to realize no one ever fixed the damn thing. “Hey, Richie! Can you get some fuckin’ batteries in here?”

Sugar’s eyes squeeze shut at the volume Carm’s voice has just reached. But nevertheless, she pinches her nose and says your name. 

“She’s like, fifteen minutes down the road. She went to school for it, she respects shy people, and I promise–she’s not gonna cut your ear off.”

Richie rounds the corner at that exact moment, a pile of double A’s shoved in his pocket. He pulls the analog clock off the wall and pries open the back panel. “Oh, you mean like that time Mikey snipped the tip of his ear clean–”

“Oh my god, enough, Richard!” Sugar’s hands fly around in front of her face. Unfortunately it only encourages Richie further, laughing to himself as he snaps four batteries into place. He’s still laughing—clapping his hands together because he’s so tickled—when he walks back toward the front of the house. 

Carmen’s fist covers his mouth. He’s tempted to laugh himself, but he at least knows better by now. Natalie sighs loud enough for the people across the street to hear. 

“Look, Carm. I’ll even make the appointment for you if that would help, but it’s gotta happen. You look like shit.”

Carmy snorts, standing up from the wonky office chair. “Thanks, Nat.”

Sugar’s phone is already in her hand. 

“So that’s a yes? What time would be best? Actually, I’ll just tell you when you’re going. Settled.”

————

“You getting off, Leigh?”

Your coworker ties her hair up in an artfully messy bun. “Yeah, babe. I took a half day because it’s date night tonight.” She wiggles her eyebrows at you, shimmying her way across the floor so she can plant a sweet kiss on your cheek.

“Your mom got the kids?” You ask, laughing to yourself as you rinse the leftover conditioner from your sink. 

Leigh claps her hands. “All weekend, girl!” 

You toss your gloves in the trash, letting her hug you and bounce up and down in glee. She deserves this. She hasn’t gotten a night out with her husband in months, their three-year-old twins keeping them more than occupied.

“I hope you have fun tonight. Drink something with Irish cream in it for me, will you?” 

Leigh’s hands pat your cheeks gently. “Oh, you know I will. Just wish you were getting out there too.”

You wave her away, and she’s quick to hold up her hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. Is Natalie’s brother still coming in today?”

Your eyes dart to the clock over her head. “Should be here in like, five minutes.”

The doorbell chimes. 

Both yours and Leigh’s heads snap in that direction. 

“Or…now.”

“Oh, fucking Christ.”

Your eyes flick back to each other immediately, having spoken at the exact same time. Leigh is not gonna let your outburst go. 

There’s already a devilish grin growing across her face. “You think he’s hot, don’t you?”

You dart around her. “No. Those words never left my mouth.”

She catches you by the belt loop. “You’re right, I believe your exact words were ‘Oh fucking Christ, he could bend me over right here.’” Leigh’s laughter bubbles up and you fear she might keel over. 

“That is an exaggeration,” you huff. 

Leigh slings her worn out, bright red purse over her shoulder. “Bet you were thinking it though.” She risks a glance over her shoulder. “You’re not wrong though. His arms are huge. And you better go help him before we get a bad Yelp review.”

You start to wave her away. “Yeah, alright.” You follow her towards the front desk. “Have fun tonight,” you shout, “and remember to make sure you have meds for tomorrow’s hangover.”

She fake gasps, pausing just beside where Carmen is standing. “Me? Hungover? Never.” Leigh lowers her sunglasses just slightly and directs her next few words at the man in front of her. “She’ll take real good care of you, youngest Berzatto.”

The doorbell chimes as Leigh makes her way out to her beat up Mustang, leaving you and Carmy alone out front. 

He laughs awkwardly, shuffling towards the front counter to meet you.

“Sorry about her,” you say. “She’s full of it. Anyway, Carmen, right? Natalie told me you’d try and come by today.”

Carmy’s cheeks burn with embarrassment from being put on the spot. But also because you’re so…pretty. He manages to pull together a few coherent words. 

“She really said try?” he asks, the barest of smiles gracing his lips.

You cross your arms and walk over to your station. “No. It was more of ‘He’ll be there at 4:30 tomorrow or else I’m going to burn down The Bear and keep the insurance money for myself.’”

Carmen scratches at his curls. “Yeah, that I believe.”

You gently pat the back of your leather chair. “You can sit whenever you’re ready. I realize I never really introduced myself.” You say your name, and even if it’s a name Carm has heard a hundred times before, it somehow sounds hypnotizing falling off your lips. 

The leather backing is cold through Carmy’s t-shirt. He hopes the shiver that moves down his spine when you thread your fingers through his hair passes off as the coinciding goosebumps. 

“So, what are we thinking today, Carmen?”

His big blue eyes blink at you through the mirror. “Carmy,” he says.

“Hm?” you hum, running a wide-toothed comb carefully through his curls so that nothing snags. 

“You don’t have to call me Carmen. Makes me feel like I’m in trouble.” A low laugh tumbles over his lips. “Carmy is fine.”

You smile at him. “Okay, Carmy. What would you like me to do with your hair today? Buzz cut? Mohawk?” You walk around to face him head on. “Extensions?”

You notice how nervously he plays with his hands. But you get it. You’re hoping to make him as comfortable as you can, and not just for that good Google review.

Carmy runs a hand over his mouth, hiding the sweet smile that’s growing there. The crinkles by his eyes give it away. You’re so fucking charming he can’t stand it. 

He clears his throat. “I was thinking just a trim? It’s kinda long over my eyes, and sometimes it’s good to see things.” You giggle. 

Good god, how’s he gonna get through this?

“Maybe a little shorter on the sides, too.”

“Like a mullet?” You quip.

He snorts. “Nah, not a full mullet. Maybe where it’s barely noticeable that it’s shorter there? I’m also shit at taking care of it, so if you could help with that…”

You take your bottom lip between your teeth. Carmy has to clear his throat, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. “How ‘bout this. I’ll take you to the sink and give it a wash, and then we’ll trim it, and I can have you help me style it so it’s easier when you’re at home?”

Carmy nods. “Yeah, that’d be great, thank you.” 

Your hand slides across the back of his shoulders as you move away and towards the back room full of head-sized basins. “Come on then, Mr. Berzatto. Let’s wash that pretty head of yours.”

————

“That feels so good,” Carmen says, the words leaving his mouth before he has a moment to think them over. “Wait—is that a weird thing to say?”

You laugh from your place behind him. “No, not at all. That’s why I keep my nails a little longer, because my clients always tell me this is the best part.” Your hands are covered in a lavender-scented shampoo, your fingertips massaging the foam into his scalp. “A good head scratch does wonders for the soul.”

You watch Carmy’s lips lift at the corners. His eyes are closed, and you wouldn’t be surprised if he dozed off. You’re always happy to keep a conversation going with clients, but the silence is just as well.

The sounds of foils getting folded in place by your coworker out front, the air conditioner, the radio—it’s all oddly soothing. The radio station Leigh always sets it on has the oddest selection of music choices for one given channel. Not that you mind that either. 

You rinse Carmen’s hair out and apply conditioner to the mids and ends of his curls. You blindly grab a comb, muscle memory putting it in your grasp in seconds.

Carmy swears he’s gonna knock out. He’s trying about as hard as he did in school when he knew he should be paying attention to whatever math lesson but couldn’t keep his eyes open. And when your words reach his ears, he thinks you’ve just read his mind. Sensed the sleep pricking at his eyelids. 

“You do have really nice hair, Carmy. Anyone else in your family have curls?”

You watch the way his brows knit together. “I think my mom? You’d never know it though. She’s straightened it every day since I was a teenager, like even when we weren’t leaving the house.”

You focus on your final rinse of his hair, allowing him to continue. “When I was a kid though, if she showered before bed and I needed her, her hair would be all wet and curly. That’s the only time I saw it like that.”

Carmy sits up when you wrap a thin towel around his head, holding it secure as he follows you back to your station. 

“Leigh, the woman leaving when you came in? She has lots of clients like that. A lot of people weren’t taught how to take care of their curly hair.”

“Is that a hint?” Carmen quips. It makes you snort. 

“Just a gentle one.”

Carmy watches while you cut his hair. Every once in a while your tongue will poke out, or you’ll wiggle your hips to a song on the radio. When you’re almost finished, what Carmen thinks is a Madonna song comes on. 

You start humming, and Carmy knows he’s done for. Richie would call him whipped. He probably will tomorrow morning, just by reading Carm’s face. 

“Out of the sky, I close my eyes…heaven help me.”

Carmy lets out a little laugh because you’re doing this little dance as you sift through his curls. You hear it, and it only encourages you more. 

“Big Madonna fan?” he asks, his hand rubbing over his mouth to hide the boyish grin there. The tattoo on his hand catches your eye. 

“She’s good for the soul.”

You crouch in front of him, rummaging through a cabinet for he doesn’t know what. “Your tattoos are pretty, by the way,” you say. It takes him by surprise. 

“Oh. Thanks.”

You emerge with two bottles. “Do people not usually compliment them?” You spray his hair down with cool water, getting it to the stage of damp you need for the products to work. 

Carmy laughs lowly. Maybe with a little hint of embarrassment. “Nah, they usually ask me what the hell they are or if I was drunk when I got ‘em.”

“Were you?”

He meets your playful gaze. “Only for a few.” Your smile is downright gleeful. 

“M’kay, Carm. Let me give you the rundown.” He straightens and you get a glimpse of the chef he left at The Bear to visit you today. “So this is a leave-in conditioner. After you shower, you put just a little of this in your hands—like this—and kinda run it through your hair all over. Just so it’s in there well.”

You demonstrate, and for the first time, Carmy finally understands how people can look at him and question his ability to cook so seamlessly. That’s the way you do hair. Like it’s as easy as breathing for you. 

“And this is a gel. It’s super lightweight, so it won’t feel gross or anything, and it’s not expensive either. You wanna use a little more of this, but not by much. You can do the same sort of thing, because your hair takes shape really easily since it’s not damaged any. And once that’s distributed, I want you to scrunch it some, just to get any excess product, but also to help any curls that need encouragement.”

You bite your lip because Carmy is nodding along, giving you his complete attention and it’s fucking adorable. 

“And if there’s any curls by your face or anything, you can use your fingers to define them so they look how you want. You think you can do all that?”

Carmy laughs. “Not a chance.” Then you’re both laughing, and it feels so comfortable anyone would think you’d known each other for years. 

“It takes practice. I’m gonna give you these to take home and use.” Your hand disappears in your back pocket for just a moment. “But if you want to put your number in my phone, I can always send you instructions if you need help…”

Carmy pauses. Freezes, even. You look at him nervously, afraid that maybe your ability to read the room has evaporated. Luckily, he proves you wrong. 

“Wow. That was smooth.”

You exhale and laugh into the back of your hand. “I’m never that smooth, I don’t know how I managed that,” you chuckle. Carmy’s fingers fly over your keyboard. 

“Thank you for today, really. I usually avoid the hairdresser at all costs.”

“Sugar did tell me that,” you grin. 

“M-maybe I could make you dinner or something, for putting up with me…?”

Your face warms. “I’d like that, yeah.”

Carmy blinks. His phone goes off where you’ve shot him a text with just your name and a smiley face. “Yeah?” 

“Yeah.”

He rubs his hands together. “Okay, cool. Alright, yeah. What do you like?”

“I wouldn’t say no to pasta. Pasta is good in all forms.”

————

“You can tell me if you hate it. I won’t be offended.”

“I think you might have a nervous breakdown though, and you’re too pretty for that.”

Carmy blushes, shaking his head at you. 

“What?” you laugh. “It’s true.” Your voice has a sing-song lilt to it. Over the past few weeks you’ve gotten to know Carmy a bit better. He’s been busy though, so it’s taken longer than expected to have dinner together. 

He made up for it by providing you with pasta and cheesecake for dessert. He’s wearing this thick sweater, your eyes locking on his forearms where he’s rolled up the sleeves. 

Sugar was so excited when you texted her after his hair appointment. 

Natalie B: How’d it go? Was he a total pain in the ass?

You: it went well! got him all sorted out. he offered me dinner as a thank you (after he paid, of course). would that weird you out??

Natalie B: OMG NO!! He’s got such a giant stick up his ass, maybe your charm pulled it out! Go have fun. Leigh was telling me you hadn’t been on a date in forever last time I was in anyhow.

You: brb blocking both of you shitheads ♥️

You hadn’t expected a haircut to lead to any of this, but sitting here, in Carmy’s sparsely furnished apartment, looking at the soft smile on his face and the nervous way he’s fussing with his fingers as you eat the dinner he made you, you’re grateful.

Not that you’ll tell Natalie that. Or Leigh. They don’t need that ego boost. 

You wipe your mouth on a napkin and look up to see that Carmy is gazing at you expectantly. You laugh, his eye contact making you a little nervous. 

“It’s good, Carm. Really good. You can eat.”

He swipes his hand down his face, but when it comes down to grab his fork, he lets you see his smile. “I’m glad you like it. Not too much parsley or anything? I didn’t add lemon because Sugar mentioned you saying you didn’t like pasta with too much lemon juice in it.”

Your mouth drops open. That’s such a small, easy to forget thing. Maybe you will have to give Nat a hug. 

You reach out to touch his hand. Tentatively, just in case it’s too far. “That’s so sweet, Carmy. It’s perfect, really. And honestly the lemon thing is from one very overpowering pasta experience. Maybe whatever you make me will be better.”

Carmen takes a big bite of pasta and a swig of beer so he has time to collect himself. “Maybe we can fix your lemon-related trauma.”

“As long as there’s a backup snack in case the lemon PTSD can’t be fixed.”

You both burst into a fit of giggles. The rest of dinner goes by, filled with conversation about everything and nothing—Carmy’s lack of knowledge about current television, your love of reading and need for someone to share the plots with. 

Carmen is making you a plate to take home with you when he’s finally psyched himself up to ask his question. He says your name and you peer at him from your spot against the counter. 

“I-uh…I’ve been trying to do my hair the way you taught me, but I can’t get it right. I was wonderin’ if you’d show me? Maybe? You don’t have to—”

“Of course I can. All you had to do was ask.” You push off the counter and beam at him. “Come on, I’ll help you.”

You’re lucky you already learned the way to his bathroom so that your streak of confidence would continue working so well. And when you squeeze out some of the hair gel into Carmy’s hands, you know he just needed an excuse. He’s got it down pat. 

He runs his hands through his hair, scrunching clumps together every now and then, finger-curling the pieces up front and by his ears. Now you’re just waiting to see what he really wanted to say. 

You cross your arms, attempting to look serious, but you can’t hold back the grin spreading across your face. 

Carmen looks over at you, drying his hands now that they’re free of product. He’s never been great at reading people, but that look in your eye tells him he’s a shit actor. 

“So, that didn’t fool you, huh?”

You giggle. “Not at all, Berzatto. You couldn’t even fake how well you’ve learned to do your hair.”

Carmy takes a step closer to you, rubbing his nose self-consciously. “I’m very bad at saying what I’m thinking. Or saying what I want.”

“I can see that.”

He squints at you, his lips ticking up just slightly. 

“So what is it you want but are too scared to say?” you start. “Do we need to play hangman?” 

That would normally get a laugh out of him, but he���s too on edge. Inhale. Exhale. Oh, just fucking say it, Carm. 

“I wanna kiss you.”

Your ears burn. You release your bottom lip from where it was pinned between your teeth. “I was hoping you’d say that. Please do.”

You push up on your tiptoes, suddenly bursting with excitement and hoping that’ll convey to Carmen that he doesn’t need to be nervous because you want this just as bad. 

It works. 

You put your hands on Carmy’s collarbones the second his fingers slip into your hair. Your nervous system lights on fire, thoughts of how much surface area his palms cover racing through your mind. He kisses you all shy and hesitant at first, like he’s nervous he won’t do what you’re hoping. 

His lips are warm, and you can feel the spots where he’s chewed them raw. You can’t help but think that kissing him might be a good way to break that habit. His nose presses into your cheek, tickling you and making you giggle.

Carmen pulls away, smiling at you. “What’s so funny?”

“Your nose was tickilin’ my cheek.”

“Oh? Like this?” He starts dragging his nose across your face and then down to your neck when he feels you start to laugh harder. He thinks he’s finally cracked the code. It seems like pasta and nose tickles are the proper way into your heart. 

————

note: none of the gifs or images i use are mine! i get most of my images from pinterest or here, and gifs from about the same. please let me know if i ever don’t credit someone properly!

rb banner from @steph-speaks

[tryingtobemysterious]

face masks

you started your morning bright and early. Waking up at 7 am, you had class and didn't want to be late due to morning traffic. hamzah was still sound asleep even when you finished getting ready, before leaving you went over to his side of the bed and gave him a kiss on the cheek. as you began walking away he pulled you by the arm and gave you a kiss in return

you ran your fingers through his hair, "go back to sleep, ill be back later"

he nodded and closed his eyes falling back into a deep sleep

Your day consisted of going to class and then the gym right after. It was about 2 pm when you finished your workout and you knew hamzah would probably be busy filming a video, so rather than go home and be bored waiting for him to finish you decided to go to target and shop

After 2 hours of shopping you walked out with 3 bags full of items that you definitely didn't need, they consisted of face masks, new makeup and snacks you hadn't tried before when you arrived home you opened the front door and found hamzah on his computer, wearing his nap queen hoodie, black sweatpants and a beanie

at the sound of the door opening he got up and began walking towards you. he greeted you with a hug and kiss to your forehead. you smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek

“ there’s some Wingstop in the fridge if you’re hungry" he offered while taking the shopping bags out of you hands and placing them on the table, you nodded but began walking towards your shared bedroom, with him following right behind you

"I already ate before I came home, but thanks" you took a seat at your vanity and began brushing your hair trying to get any knots that formed throughout the day

as you continued your routine getting ready to relax the rest of the night, you began telling hamzah about your day and the things you bought, he watched you but didn't speak up until you brought up the face masks

"ooh and I found these super cute hello kitty face masks I think I'm gonna do one tonight" you smiled excited at the thought of getting to use your new masks

"we should do them right now" it was a bit of a surprise that he wanted to do a face mask with you, he was never someone big on skin care but your excitement when describing the sheet masks was enough for him to act interested in doing them

"okayy, let me go get them" you stood up and offered your seat to him

you walked to the table where he had set the bags down and grabbed the one with all your self care products

when you walked back into your bedroom he was sitting on his phone, now wearing a baby pink headband that replaced his beanie pushing his hair out of his face

as you got close to him placing the bag on the vanity he pulled you onto his lap with his arms wrapping around your waist. you began rummaging through the bag and cheering once you found the masks. as you pulled them out he grabbed the bag and placed it on the floor, giving you more room

"you first" you told him now adjusting yourself so that you could face him, with his hands still on your waist you smiled at him as he looked at you with adoration in his eyes

you opened the packaging and then began moving the mask to his face, he closed his eyes. you were completely concentrated making sure the placement wasn't wonky

"open your eyes" he opened them finding you smiling brightly in his face happy with how goofy but cute he looked, he smiled back at you although more restricted trying not to move the mask

you move your head out of the way so that he could look into the mirror and see himself

"oh my god" he laughed

then he moved to face you "your turn"

you nodded and gave him the packaging giving him complete control of the process

"close your eyes" you listened and jumped slightly at the cold mask touching your face, all you felt was his finger smoothing out the mask making sure it sat correctly

"okay open" he spoke

you did and turned to the mirror now looking at how goofy you both looked, you giggled and reached for his phone that he left on the vanity opening the camera and beginning to take selfies

once you finished taking your pictures and filming tiktoks you guys moved to the bed now cuddling while watching a random episode of impractical jokers

even with the episode playing you were distracted reading the comments of the tiktok you had posted of both you and hamzah, everyone jokingly clowning him for being down bad enough to wear a hello kitty face mask, he payed no mind too focused on the punishment the guys were giving murr

[gavisuntiedboot]

We Can't Be Friends (but I'd like to just pretend)

Pedri x Reader

Part 1

Warnings: None

Word count: 8.7k

A/N: After a lot of consideration, I have decided to start posting my Pedri series. I think that I can get a lot of interaction with these, and I think it is a good way to feed my soul and get eyes on what is happening in Palestine. So please, if you enjoy this series, consider helping out Palestine. Even if it's just with a click (second link!)

(Also if there are any continuity errors pls pls pls lmk)

Operation Olive Branch is an org working to help raise money to evacuate people from Gaza. I have decided to highlight Anwar and his family, who need to raise $35,000 in order to survive. Please donate what you can:

I will continue to highlight this family on all my posts until they reach their goal inshAllah.

Synopsis: Moving to a new country can be a pain in the ass. So can starting a new job when your position is completely different to what you thought. But nothing is going to stop you from achieving your goal of being the next Law Roach. Not the language barrier, your aching feet on the wonky streets, and definitely not your annoying, full of himself client. Because everything is going to stay professional, right?

~~~

"Bryce, can you please pay attention? God, I hate Americans."

The slow and thick laughter flowed through the line, peppered with static and cutting off whenever a particularly loud vehicle rolled past.

"Self-hating much? You are also American."

"I'm Texan, sweetheart. We are basically our own breed. Now can you help me?" You were finally able to flag down a taxi, stepping in carefully to make sure you didn't flash the driver. The stark white of the flowy skirt contrasted heavily with your bright orange cowboy boots, worn to match the white "TEXAS" baby tee with orange lettering. Your bangles clinked happily against your wrist as the door closed, hair mused by the late September wind. It was a comfort-from-home turned fashion statement, a way to stay close to your roots but show everyone at the office you were the type of girl that people saved on their "cool y2k outfit inspo" Pinterest boards. At least, girls back home would.

"How the hell did you move to a foreign country without learning the language?"

"Because I was supposed to be in PARIS, remember? I didn't minor in French just for mierde and giggles."

"Yeah, yeah, and then Paris decided to self destruct. I've heard the story. Just put me on speaker already."

Through the phone, Bryce's Spanish flows fluently as she instructs the driver to deliver you at your new place of work. Style Di Fortuna was one of the best styling firms in Europe, if not the world. Located a mere two streets from the Passeig De Gracia, there was nowhere better for a young woman to start her career in the fashion world. Except you weren't supposed to be here.

The plan had been perfect. After 4 years working your fingers bloody at UT Austin, you finally turned the bright orange tassel and accepted your B.A. in fashion. You were able to say "couture" with the perfect amount of phlegm to be taken seriously by the French snobs you had interned with, the ones who were supposed to be your colleagues after you graduated. The dreams of smoky cafes, bike rides through the city, and the lights of Paris fashion week were often the only things that helped you push through your professor telling you that you sewed like a blind sloth.

But then the French did what they do best: went on strike. For months. And after the long periods of no productivity and the destruction of half the inventory, you got the concise email that you would need to find employment elsewhere. About a week before you moved to France. So in a blind panic, you applied to every job you could think of within Europe, desperate to not have your first year post grad be spent at the soup kitchen or bagging groceries. You finally heard back from one of your contacts, another alumni from your school who said they could get you a job in Spain, but it was a little far from the type of fashion you wanted to do.

A "yes please I'm begging" email and 24 hours later, you had a job with SDF. Hey, fashion is fashion, and if you have to start by styling TikTokers in sparkly mini dresses before you could get to the good stuff, so be it. There were dues to be paid after all. So you grabbed your already packed bags and changed your ticket from Paris to Barcelona.

"I can speak Spanish. I lived in Texas for 21 years. Just not... Spain Spanish." You said quietly, rummaging through your bag for the ID that had been mailed to you the week prior.

"Right, and my white ass took it in school and he seemed to understand me just fine. So you, Miss Texican, need to stop with the perpetual fear that people will think you're stupid. Be confident and just speak. The company is Italian, anyways. Most of them will probably speak English, and if not, they'll think you're exotic and sexy."

"Mhm I'm sure."

"You're going to do great, okay? Just be yourself. You had like ten billion friends at home. It's almost impossible not to like you. You got it girl - go hook 'em."

Laughter bubbled out of you at her cheesy pep talk, feeling lighter already. She was right - even if you had gotten this job on the fly, your portfolio was super impressive, and people had no trouble liking you. So what was there to be worried about. After bidding her goodbye and having the courage to thank the driver in Spanish, you stepped out of the cab to the front steps of the new building. It was much taller than the surrounding, standing out like a sore thumb amongst the lower buildings and pale stone. Making your way up to the 16th floor, you were quickly ushered past bolts of bright fabric, racks of shoes worth millions, and some very stressed (yet very stylish) other employees.

"So excited that you're going to be joining our team! It is going to be so helpful having some international input to make sure we are not pigeon-holing our clients into fashion that is not received well globally. You will be reporting directly to Katerina, and she will report to me. Your colleagues are mostly male given the nature of the division. But Tania, Silvia, and Maria should be a good support as you move into the role. We also have Juliana who is between here and the Milan office. So it isn't a complete boy's club."

Huh?

After years in fashion, one thing you definitely knew was that it often was not a "boy's club". Sure, all the suits and big investors were often old and withered men, but most of the creative side of the business had been run by almost fully female teams (and the exceedingly rare stylish man).

"I'm sorry, the nature of the team? What do you mean?" You asked, trying to keep smiling while running after her towards a more and more barren part of the office.

"Sorry, was it not included in your offer letter? You're working in our athletics division. We are horribly understaffed in that department, especially now that we have taken on all the Adidas athletes in Spain. My word there are a lot of them. Bellingham alone needs three team members for every event."

No no no no no. This cannot be happening. You had come in prepared to style a lot of things: prom dresses, lingerie, even the scraps of fabrics that were rented out by the local burlesque show. But sports???

Now don't get it twisted, this isn't some "I'm a girl and I don't know anything about sports!" kind of thing. On the contrary. You were at every football game rocking the longhorns, cheering on your friends as they crushed it at basketball, and even tried watching a formula 1 race (there was a three car crash and you fainted) - you were totally hip with sports. Although you were not a fan of stretch materials or athleisure, you were willing to bite the bullet as a first step. The issue was the hidden undertones of your job. It was the fact that you would be working with, from what you could surmise, a lot of male athletes.

Bryce was right - it did feel like you had ten billion friends back home. Everywhere you went, you spoke to strangers with ease, and people warmed quickly, conversation flowing and bonds forming. But that's the issue: everyone seemed to warm to you, and so it meant a lot of male attention. And despite your best efforts, you always made a "too flirty" comment to someone's crush or "inappropriately smiling" at someone's boyfriend. And so as fast as they liked you, suddenly you were public enemy #1, and the drama became all-consuming.

No one seemed to understand. There was constant advice to just brush it off, to ignore the people who brought pain to your life. But you couldn't help it, laying in bed, stomach in knots, questioning why no one could see that you were just trying to be kind to everyone around you. The cycle of worrying had created a very isolating experience.

"Tania! Where are the other girls? I want to introduce you to the newest member of the team."

A girl with blown out black hair turns around, double nose piercings taking a back seat to a piercing charcoal stare. She was in high waisted jeans and a leopard print button up, the first two unbuttoned to show off the black strap of her bra. Her neck was adorned with a simple gold cross necklace, and she flashed a cordial smile as she stuck out a hand.

"I love your shoes." You said sweetly as you exchanged a shake, eager to make your first friend at work (and maybe in all of Spain).

"Oh, thank you. Dolce and Gabanna - they're friends of the firm. Your shoes are..." She gave a glance to the cowboy boots you had on, "muy naranja" (very orange).

You crossed your legs, self confidence waning after she addressed you like you had traffic cones on your legs. You were introduced to Silvia (a tall girl with short blonde hair and vintage Adidas Sambas paired with boxer shorts) and Maria (dark blue hair slicked back to show off her Italian football jersey). All of them oozed the coolest essence, and you were excited to get to know them.

"Alright, girls, not too much chattering. Barca arrives in 15 minutes, and there is not a single jersey in sight. Lets go! Rápidamente!"

A gasp spread across the room, accompanied with a groan from Roberto in the back, and there was suddenly a mad dash. Stretch fabrics in a hundred different colors were flying across the room, and it seemed like no one could move fast enough.

"I'm sorry to ask but... what is a barca?"

Silvia's sambas squeaked loudly as she came to a halt, whipping her neck towards you. Her eyebrows knitted together, looking at you like you had just said Jesus was a goat.

"Who is Barca? You cannot be serious. Please don't say anything like that when they walk in the door. Just stand out of the way and do some googling. We will fill you in when the team leaves."

You stepped back towards the mannequins, trying not get trampled by the other employees. A quick search on Instagram gave you the basics. Soccer (or well, football now) team that was super famous. SDF was tagged in their post from their TV series premier, so you came to the conclusion that they were long time clients. You were so consumed with your search that you didn't notice the gaggle of young men enter the constricted space until you heard a chorus of voices chant "Bon Dia, Pedri!"

You glance up, trying to see the man that the girls were addressing, but he was covered by a crowd, which was comprised of Tania, Silvia, and girls from the other departments of the building (you could have sworn that red head worked at the café in the lobby).

"Bon dia, ladies."

The giggles that came as response were far too exaggerated for just politeness, and before you could roll your eyes, you heard the gag from beside you and turned to who was ultimately Maria.

"Don't mind the girls. They aren't usually like this, but their brain turns to mush around the magician."

"The magician?"

Almost as if planned, the swarm of girls parted in that moment, a pair of sickly sweet molasses eyes meeting yours, holding your gaze in something that felt warm and almost intimate. His stubbled cheeks spread into an infectious smile, and suddenly a gorgeous man in a hideous pair of jeans was giving you a subtle wave across the room.

"Pedri "The Magician" Gonzalez, current reigning golden boy at FC Barcelona. Who knew God could pack so much talent and trouble into such a small package? Anyways, the other girls in the office are obsessed with him. They all think they're going to be the special little snowflake to pull him away from the line of Instagram models waiting to jump in bed."

As you listened intently to Maria's rant about the sports star, the two of you couldn't keep your eyes away. As Tania and Silvia went back and forth, talking his brain into oatmeal, he couldn't stop himself from asking, "Who is the new girl?"

~

Pedri Gonzalez was many things: a generational talent, a laid back 20 year old, and (though less known) a shit-stirrer. These monthly team visits to SDF ranked very highly on his list of favorite activities. He was able to sit with his teammates as they watched some of the hottest girls in Europe fall over themselves just for a kind word or a prolonged glance. He just wished the boys would have seen the way they moved when he came in for personal sessions whenever there was a new Adidas campaign. Not even the king was served so wonderfully.

As the team bus parked outside the building, he lazily draped one arm over Gavi's shoulders, ripping his attention away from his phone screen.

"You know she does have a life outside of answering your texts, Gavi."

There was no attempt to hide or deny, just a continued scowl coupled with scrunched brows.

"She was really weird during the drive home the other day. After Martin was a little bitch on the field, she hasn't been the same. I think there's something wrong, but I don't want to push her away. I just want her to be happy."

"Ay, you'll have lots of time to make her happy after you confess your undying love in her passenger seat and kill her boyfriend." Pedri quipped back, taking a few careful steps off the bus and rushing into the building, the squeals of his name from adoring fans fading into the background.

"Okay, maybe not the best idea I've ever had, but now you do have work with Adidas and Springfield and all the other brands that want a piece of Pedri Potter." The nickname earned Gavi a light smack on the back of the head. "So in the end, I did you a favor."

The boys make their way upstairs, greeted at the elevator by Pedri's fan club.

"Bon dia, ladies."

"Bon dia, Pedri. We missed you."

Gavi tried to tone down the look of confusion that painted his features, watching these two girls trail behind his teammate in a way that was anything but professional. But there was a natural air to Pedri that had women swooning whenever he uttered a sentence, so Gavi supposed this situation would be no different than the one he had seen before in the club, at the beach, in the grocery store - basically anywhere Pedri went. He said a silent thank you to the powers that be that their types were vastly different.

The girls vying for his attention were promptly shooed away, with only the two who were actually part of their styling team remaining. Pedri scanned the room, making a mental note of who he would be looking up on the SDF Instagram once he was done for the day. He was a humble young man, but he wasn't self depreciating. He knew the number of women that wanted him was rising into 6-figure range, and he was not one to deprive himself of a pleasure that wasn't closely regulated by the staff over at Camp Nou. He loved entertaining the occasional tryst with an influencer or model or bottle service girl - whoever caught his eye for the evening. The world was his field, and boy was he ready to sow.

His newest playthings were his regular stylists. Since he was going to be spending a lot more time at the firm, he decided to at least enjoy himself a little bit. He dropped casual compliments, noticed the changes they made to their appearance, let them talk his ears off about how well he did in the previous match. Whatever they wanted he would provide. Why not? He was young and single. If they were to delude themselves into thinking he was going to settle down and take a wife at this stage of his career, then really they had no one but themselves to blame.

Tania and Silvia were nothing if not wholly entertaining. They always bounced around the office together, blonde and black hair making them look like a salt and pepper shaker set. Today, they dedicated themselves to dressing Pedri in the vintage Barca jerseys that were being photographed, leaving the rest of the squad to be dealt with by Maria, Roberto, and the bright spot in the corner of the office that caught Pedri's eye.

"Who is the new girl?"

He knew the question was going to cause the bile to rise in the throats of the two girls in front of him, who were already milliseconds away from killing each other if it meant he would take the survivor to dinner. But there was something about the flash of color that had caught his eye, hair falling in front of a pretty face that was glued to a screen and trying to stay out of the way.

"What new girl?" The response came from Tania, the more jealous of the pair by a mile. Pedri had often caught her stalking his account, his brother's account, and the account of every girl DeuxMoi "spotted" him with during the international breaks.

"Her. In the corner. She's new, right? That's someone I would remember seeing." He raised his head to get a better look at her, taking in the tight shirt and bright colors, watching her jewelry sway along as Maria (his least favorite in the office by far) called her over to help dress the rest of the team. The girls whipped around, taking in the same view that Pedri was.

"La naranja?!" Tania asked, disgust evident in her louder-than-appropriate tone. At the use of what was quickly becoming your office nickname, you looked towards the sound of the commotion, seeing Pedri staring intently at you once again. And while the depth of his gaze threatened to ignite a warmth somewhere within your chest, it was Tania's furious expression that had your heart racing in fear. You hadn't even been at work for an hour - what could you have possible done to have invoked such a murderous glare?

"I didn't think foreign girls were your type." Silvia said, much calmer but tone still icy.

"Maybe I just like the color orange." He replied smoothly, whipping off his shirt to slip into the one from 1980 that he would be modeling for the Barca site. The sight of bare skin was enough to make his playthings forget their rage, being replaced by lustful stares and lingering touches as they "adjusted" the fabric over his pecs about 20 times over.

"I think orange is a hideous color on girls." Tania couldn't help but mutter and she fixed his collar, putting in a couple pins so it wouldn't move as he walked to the photographer.

"I think the ugliest color on a girl is jealousy green." Pedri's eyes met hers in a silent warning. She was officially nothing more than one of his stylists. He was a busy man, and the last thing he needed was for his distractions to become a new stressor. He was notorious for being quick to cut girls off for the most superficial reasons, and Tania was not eager to be one of those deprived of his affections. She smiled sweetly, biting the inside of her cheek.

"Oh, of course. Especially when there is obviously nothing to be jealous of. Go welcome her on her first day - if she can even understand a thing you're saying. I don't think the American school system teaches Canarian." She left Pedri in that moment, calling sweetly to Ferran to come get dressed.

"Ay, Gavi, I knew you were short, but they can't even find pants that fit you now?"

The sudden voice behind you made you jump, causing a yelp from Gavi, who had been stabbed with a stray pin due to your scare. Your head whipped around, meeting that same smile that was brighter up close.

"Perdon, Naranja. Didn't mean to startle you."

Your eyebrows came together, a small frown on your features.

"I don't know what Tania told you, but that's not my name."

"I didn't think it was, but it's quite fitting, don't you think? A cute nickname for a cute girl."

The complement caught you off guard, and your mouth dropped open, reply unable to form in your mind. Was he seriously flirting with you? After half the office just threw themselves at his feet?

"Thank you, but I would really prefer if you called me-"

"Your accent is strange. Where are you from?" Pedri cuts you off, giving you a once over and taking in your figure, focusing intently on the writing across your chest.

"Texas. Can't you read?" You asked, growing more annoyed by the minute. Maria would be back any second to grab the boy who you were hemming, now identified as Gavi. You weren't eager to be seen as a slacker on day damn one.

"Houston?" He asked, accent preventing him from getting the "S" in the word quite right. "My brother used to live there for a bit."

"San Antonio, actually. But I went to school in Austin." As desperately as you wanted to make a good impression on your first day, something inside your chest wanted to make a good impression on Pedri, who was listening intently to the mini tour of Texas you were giving him.

"Is that close to Dallas? We are meant to play a game there in the summer. Maybe you can come along, show me around your city." He punctuated his sentence with a wink. You wanted to speak, tell him that Austin was actually several hours from Dallas, San Antonio even further. But your heartbeat was in your ears, and you could do nothing but nod along.

Pedri was not much better off. He had spoken to some of the most gorgeous women in Europe, maybe even the world in his mere 22 years on the planet, but something about the way you looked at him while speaking, eyes locked onto his, made his heart race in a way that was foreign but not unenjoyable.

"Hey! Hurry up - they need Gavi next. Or are you incapable of putting in a couple pins?" It was Silvia barking down at you, causing you to tear your gaze away from Pedri and back to Gavi's leg. Thankfully, the boy was typing away and didn't notice the break you had taken to chat with his teammate. "Pedri, stop distracting la naranja with your flirting and go get a pair of shoes from Maria."

You burned with embarrassment, the nickname turning from something affectionate to something sour, used to remind you of your outsider status as 'Cinderella' was reminded of her place by the coals.

"I was just being friendly." Pedri said, standing to follow her instructions.

"I think you have enough friends in the office." She bites back, shoving him lightly towards the wall of sneakers.

Your cheeks burn, embarrassment causing your hands to tremble as you continue hemming the trousers in front of you. Maria had gone out of her way to warn you that Pedri was off limits, and yet here you were again: persona non grata with your coworkers because some boy had taken an interest in you.

"You speak really good Spanish for someone from America." A quiet voice said from above you. Looking up, Gavi was gazing down at you, distracted by his phone every few seconds.

"I'm half Mexican, and most people in Texas speak Spanish anyways." You reply, trying to tone down the annoyance in your tone.

"Oh, I didn't know that. My friend- eh, physiotherapist also studied in America. She has this really cute accent when she says some of her words now." You watched his eyes glaze over in a way they probably shouldn't if he was just talking about his doctor.

"You don't have to make conversation with me, you know." You mutter back, scared that maybe this player was Maria's and you would sever the final connection you had left in the office inadvertently.

"Oh. I didn't mean to annoy you." The tone in his voice and his crestfallen expression made you feel like you had just kicked a puppy.

"Oh no! You're not. I just... It seems like I just pissed off the girls by talking to Pedri, and I don't want to make any other mistakes."

He laughed, eyes crinkling and head tilting back. "Pedri is a special case. When you flirt with everything that moves, someone is bound to be upset eventually."

The admission caused a pit to form in your stomach. Everything that moves? The romantic heat you felt earlier cooled into a slimy, sickening emotion. What kind of person toyed with people's feelings for fun? As you entertained the thought, you tapped Gavi on the leg, instructing him to hop off the stand and go get photographed. A shadow loomed over your form as you tidied pins from the floor of the workroom.

"So, I believe you were about to give me your address before we were so rudely interrupted." It was Pedri, returning with a grin, standing coolly with his hands in the pockets of his cargos. "Of if that's too personal, I'll settle for a phone number. Or an Instagram handle - I'm not picky."

"I can tell." You muttered back, unease still sitting in your chest. You avoided his gaze, chewing nervously on your bottom lip and directing your eyes to anything but Pedri.

"I'm sorry about Silvia. She can be... intense. And let me just go ahead and apologize for Tania as well, in advance. They're weirdly possessive over me for some reason." Pedri sounded sincere, eyes doing their best to catch yours and convey his message.

"Don't worry about it. I can see why you're so popular." You shuffled to collect stray pins off the floor. Pedri was not like any other guy you had ever been attracted to. Usually they were tall, lanky frat boy types, all blue eyes and khaki shorts. But the combination of beautiful brown eyes brushed by dark hair, chiseled jaw and plump lips, and strong arms that lifted a mannequin out of your way did weird things to your heart and your stomach.

"Can you now?" He was smirking. You could practically hear it in his voice, the amusement dripping from every syllable. He was obviously completely unbothered by your clear signs of distress.

"Yeah. Every girl I ever knew wanted to be the sugar baby of an athlete. Watch out or you'll get your bank account drained." Despite your best efforts to come across as cutting and sharp, he laughed at the statement. A full head thrown back and hands on his belly type of laugh.

"It's been a long time since I've spoken to a girl as funny as you." His eyes held yours, and the look was so captivating you simply couldn't avert your gaze. In that moment, it was also lost on you that you had, in fact, only made one joke. You responded with a half smile and heat radiating from you.

"Hey listen, a couple of the boys and I are going out tonight. You should come with us."

The invitation started to knock some sense back into you. Out? As in out out? Back home, going out usually meant getting shit-faced and riding a mechanical bull. It wasn't the best look to pull up to work the following morning looking like death and smelling like tequila. You were already on the way to holding the record for the worst first day in history.

"I don't know... I think Tania would put Nair in my shampoo if we were seen together when not contractually obligated."

You looked up shyly, and a part of you waited for him to insist, to feel somewhat special.

"Ah, I won't make you do anything you're uncomfortable with. Just DM me on Instagram if you change your mind. I'm not hard to find."

"Do you answer DMs from every girl that finds you?" You asked, rocking back and forth on your heels.

"No. But I'll be looking out for yours."

Another voice called out to Pedri, and he left you standing there slack-jawed. Who was this man? And what was so special about you to have piqued his interest? You asked these same questions of Bryce, who was now fully awake.

"Girl, the answer is obvious." She said through face time, words garbled by her teeth-brushing.

"Please don't say-"

"You're hot."

"That. Bryce, these girls in the office, they're stunners. 10s across the board. If he was going for looks, he wouldn't be going for me."

"I think you're over-thinking this whole thing. He just wants to talk to you for now," She paused to spit, "So talk! What's the worst that could happen?"

A shrill voice cried out 'Naranja!' and the trill of your new unwelcome work nickname was the signal that your lunch was over. You trudged back into the office, abandoning the warmth and sunshine for the cold front put up by Tania and Silvia. They bumped you every time they walked past, making comments about your clothing, your hair, the speed of your work, your taste level - everything. You stuck close to Maria, getting only two smug "I told you so's" before it was back to business. The boys left a disaster in their wake, with jerseys, trousers, socks, shoes, and all manners of accessories scattered about the workroom. Maria exchange stories of her childhood in Rome for your escapades in San Antonio and Austin, and the day passed with relative ease. Katerina click-clacks into the room an hour before your sweet release, huddling together everyone who worked with the team for a summary of what was accomplished.

"Great job team. I think Barca will be very happy with the photos, which will make me very happy. Now," Katerina handed out a series of files to everyone in the circle. "As some of you know, we have been fighting tooth and nail against Fordham Fashions for the new Adidas Rising Stars contract. Well, we have finally won! Here are the clients that we will be working with closely for individual Adidas campaigns, collaborations, and so on."

Opening the file, a familiar face grinned back from the first page.

"Everyone already knows Pedri, so we will move past him. Now, let us begin the style briefing for Bellingham..."

You stared for another moment at the bright grin on the page before turning it to take notes on everything Katerina was saying. The meeting wrapped 30 minutes later, with one final request from the boss.

"The new Predator boots have just come in from Adidas. We will be sending a pair to each of our athletes to allow them to adjust before we style and shoot in the coming weeks. And to avoid another, ehem, hair pulling incident, the new girl will be sending Pedri's. Sort the rest out among yourselves. See you tomorrow!"

The glares burned your skin before you even had the chance to process that the 'new girl' in question was you. Everyone scurried to the wall of blue shoe boxes as you looked over the brief again to find the man of the hour's shoe size. Pulling it out of the pile, you moved to a far corner of the workroom, but that did not seem to stop Tania from coming your way.

"So, you think Pedri likes you?"

The statement caught you off guard, hands slowing and your eyes widening at your coworker.

"Excuse me?"

"You think that now he's going to date you just because he laughed at one of your jokes? Because trust me, you're not his type."

You were prepared to rebut, tell her that she had completely misunderstood the situation, and you were just being nice to a client. But it died on your lips as the meaning of her words washed over you like an icy tidal wave, leaving you to pathetically whisper out,

"Why not?"

Her laugh trickled out lightly, delicate and beautiful and cutting all at once.

"Just look at you, Naranja. Anyways, this is a note from the agency that needs to be included in Pedri's box, so slip it in there, 'kay? See you tomorrow!"

Swallowing thickly, you didn't watch her walk away, staring at the table top to stop the flood of emotions that was clogging your throat. You knew you weren't ugly. Quite the opposite actually. It usually only took a coy glance and the bat of an eyelash for you to have people eating from the palm of your hand. But the self doubt started to eat away at you. What was wrong with the way you looked?

And then your eyes focused on the crisp white envelope on the table. The girly scrawl of Pedri was too... romantic to be a formal note. The green slime of jealousy seeped through every one of your veins. You took a quick look around the room, and finding no one, you carefully opened the envelope. Immediately a strong perfume assaulted your senses. The letter was a quick confession of love, and you couldn't help the increase in your heart rate. If your coworker was determined to hate you, then you should at least give her a reason.

Your childish antics came two fold. First, you tiptoed over to the cabinet with the stationary, grabbing a blank envelope and some corrector fluid. You carefully removed Tania's name from the bottom of the letter, writing in a little "S" with a heart beside it. You refolded the letter and placed it into the new perfume-less envelope. The letter found its home in the shoe box, and on your way out of the building, you dropped it off at the mail room. As you waited for your cab home, you typed five familiar letters into the Instagram search bar, and sent a message asking,

"Am I still invited out tonight?"

~

Pedri could not contain the Cheshire cat grin that lit up his face when he saw the DM from you. Scrolling quickly through your Instagram, he zoomed in on your pictures from the summer, swimsuits the same bright orange that had hugged your chest earlier that day. He responded quickly, telling you that you would be the highlight of the entire outing, and as he predicted, your phone number quickly followed.

"See, Gavi? I told you." He turned the screen to his teammate, who could not possibly be less interested. Being met with silence, he quickly snatched Gavi's phone from his hands, eliciting a protest.

"Gavi, this is an intervention. You need to stop this sad puppy behavior. After the sixth unanswered text, it's time to accept that she's not going to respond."

Pedri almost regretted it as soon as he said it, the sunken look painting Gavi's features being too much to bear. It was like taking a baby's favorite toy away.

"I just mean that she's probably busy, hermano. She'll respond when she can. Now, back to me."

Gavi rolled his eyes and leaned back against Pedri's couch. He displayed his most exasperated expression.

"Please, Pedri. Tell me again how you got a girl to swoon for you in a matter of minutes. It's always my favorite story."

Gavi barely missed the pillow chucked at his head, but pressed on anyways.

"Come on, Pedri. It's the same story every week. Find a cute girl, flirt, invite her out, sleep with her, and then block her on all your socials."

"Okay but this one is different. She's my first American."

Gavi gave him a look that told Pedri that maybe the joke should have been reserved for Ferran. Despite all the wisdom Pedri had imparted, Gavi hadn't listened. Instead of taking advantage of the swarm of women ready to show him heaven, he had gone and fallen in love with one of his coworkers. Sheesh. What a stupid idea. But he had never seen Gavi, or anyone really, care so much about a person. So he was being a good friend, just pretending that this love story wouldn't go down in flames (badum-tsss).

Pedri was not willing to be a hopeless lover boy. He killed himself on the pitch, and there was no way he wasn't going to enjoy life after the whistle blew.

"I just don't think it's an idea to start involving girls you're going to have to see again."

The statement cut straight through Pedri's daydream of what you would wear to the club that evening. Gavi may have been right. When messing with Instagram models, it was easy to avoid previous flings. A block online, a slip of their photo to Camp Nou security, and worst case scenario, when they came up to him at an event, he just put on his best confused face and asked, "Do I know you?"

But this was new territory. He had toyed around with Tania and Silvia for months now, but it never left the office. Inviting a girl who he would have to see again and again for work out was risky. But the risk-assessing brain cells were on vacation. All that was left were the party neurons, the ones that craved dopamine and finding out what your skin would feel like against his palms. So he pushed all of Gavi's valid objections into a dark corner of his brain. He opted instead to ask,

"So, are you coming out tonight as well?"

Gavi lifted his hoodie up to cover his face, using all his self control to not grab his phone from its place on the coffee table.

"I don't think so. I'm not in the mood to see Ferran or... anyone really. Just want to sit home and watch my show."

"Suit yourself then. I'll let you know how the night ends."

"I'm begging you not to."

~

You smoothed your hands over your dress one final time. You were pacing around your living room, eagerly waiting for Pedri to pick you up. Despite your best efforts to assure him that you could Uber yourself to the club, he refused, and you couldn't help the giddy feeling at the gentlemanly antics.

Staring at yourself in the mirror once again, you thought of the dates you had been on in your senior year of college. From darties on frat lawns to drive-thrus to fine dining, many guys had tried to win your favor. It wasn't that all of them sucked (even if the majority did). It was just that the guys back home in America were... boring. All of them were pretty self centered and shallow, nice to look at but nothing deeper. While a pretty boy was nice at 19, it was time to grow up and look for something more.

The buzzing of your phone knocked you out of the trance you were in. "Pedri from work" illuminated the screen as you rushed to answer.

"I was going to come in and knock on your door, but I can't get into your building."

You laughed lightly in response, apologizing about the door code while grabbing a jacket and heading downstairs. A low whistle greeted you, dark eyes tracing your figure with a look that you tried not to interpret for your own sanity. A shy smile played across your features as you allowed Pedri to open your car door, sweet talk you throughout the drive, and escort you in to what was more of a lounge than a club. Live musicians played just loud enough for ambiance, but not enough to completely drown out everyone chattering amongst themselves. The two of you walked up to a table of Greek Gods, which you assumed were his teammates.

Pedri introduced you to the group, making sure that his body was physically situated between you and Ferran. He was a good guy somewhere deep, deep down, buried under the anguish of his last girlfriend, who left him upon finding out about the pay reduction that came with moving from Manchester City to FCB. Pedri tried to stop him from taking out his rage on a coworker (and Gavi's crush), but he was hard headed and couldn't be swayed. Eventually he would calm down, and they could go back to being young and single and not bitter. Pedri's phone glowed with a notification from the boy on his mind.

[Gaviiii]: dude i foujd her outside my house just sitting in her car n cryng so im gonna take care of that

[Gaviiii]: dont tect me or call me im not gonna answer

The typos were normal, as it was hard for Gavi to avert his eyes for even one second when his most precious was in sight. Pedri shook off the text and turned his attention back to you, arm coming to rest around your waist in what was meant to be a comforting gesture.

You were not comforted. On the contrary, you were on the verge of throwing up. You were one of only two girls in a circle of incredibly attractive men, the other being someone's wife. You couldn't remember the names of any of them, except for Ferran, who you had been specifically warned about on the drive over. The devil really is a charmer. His short cropped hair showed the angels of his face beautifully, long lashes fanning against his cheeks. A few tattoos peaked out from under rolled up sleeved, and you had to remember that you were with his friend on a... what was this exactly? Pedri had never said anything more than that he wanted to be friends. But he asked you to go out with him, picked you up, gave you the pre-date compliments, and now was shielding you from other men. Were you on a date?

You tried your best to participate in small talk, listening to them go back and forth about football and training and life in general. The various accent were not kind to your brain that was barely used to the Canarian lilt to Pedri's speech.

"Are you okay?"

The whisper came softly in your ear, hot breath against you skin causing an eruption of little bumps. Pedri's arm had not left your waist, but now he was rubbing delicate circles into your skin.

"I'm fine. Just... a little overwhelmed? I feel sort of out of place."

"Don't worry, linda. No one can take their eyes off you."

The affirmation only increased your heart rate once again, the thump against your chest beating in rhythm with the base from the speakers. You were acutely aware of the warmth of his palm against your skin, radiating through the fabric of your dress. You loosened up as the evening progressed, participating in the conversation more confidently and laughing more freely. Slowly, the boys excused themselves from the gathering one by one, and soon it was only you and Pedri in the low light, talking about the most beautiful scenery you have ever seen.

He was lost in describing his home island, the clear waters and lush foliage that he called home. You leaned forward, enraptured by the passion that he spoke with about the places and people he loved. Slowly, you found yourself getting closer and closer, until there was only a few inches of space between you. The gold flecks interspersed in dark brown became clearer, and you struggled to breathe as you watched Pedri's gaze drift to your lips.

"I am getting the impression you want me to kiss you. Please correct me if that's not the case." Pedri breathed out slowly, more strained than you had previously thought. You don't know what you were thinking. Maybe you weren't thinking. You just acted on what felt right. Closing the distance, you joined Pedri's lips to yours, arms around his neck as you kissed with a hunger borderline inappropriate for the public.

You weren't usually this person. It was usually a couple dates before you would allow for a goodnight kiss, let alone the almost make-out you were currently engaged in. You pulled away from Pedri, the heavy breathing a commonality between the two of you. Maybe it was the being in Spain. Maybe it was that he was hot and young and famous. Maybe it was that of all the girls throwing themselves at him, including your coworkers, he picked you after an hour of conversation. Something told you to take a chance on what could be your love at first sight moment. So when Pedri leaned close and asked,

"Do you want to go back to your place?"

There was no answer but yes.

~

The following morning was filled with bliss. Pedri had woken up just as the first rays of sunlight were painting the stone. He kissed you on the cheek, whispering something akin to "see you around" before he left to training. You floated through your morning, making a coffee in a daze and dressing with a permanent smile. Bryce was still fast asleep, so you left her about 30 minutes worth of voice messages before you had the guts to step out and hail your own cab to work.

You walked into the office still riding the high from the night before. Your skin was ablaze, and every time you thought of the "activities", heat spread through you rapidly. Luckily the November chill kept you from sweating through your bones. Your bliss lasted for most of the morning, as you worked with Maria and a couple of people you had never met to create a mood board for an upcoming photoshoot. As you flipped through paint swatches, a piercing scream split the air, causing you to drop to the ground and cover your head.

"Why are you on the floor, Naranja?"

One of the boys looked at you with raised eyebrows, and a part of your brain registered that your new work nickname had trickled into other departments.

"Oh, sorry. I went to high school in America. Screams like that meant someone was getting jumped. Or shot."

Another scream rippled through the hallway as Maria helped you up.

"That was Silvia. Given recent history, your prediction about her being attacked might be correct."

The both of you scurried down the hall, the clicks of the other department workers followed behind you, eager for the newest and juiciest chisme. The sight before you made you stop dead in your tracks. Roberto was holding Tania by the waist, apparently the only thing that was keeping her away from Silvia, who was on the other side of the room crying and grabbing her head. There was a trail of silver thread between the two hysterical women. No, not thread - hair.

"She cut my hair! She came up behind me and cut my hair!"

"She's a traitor and, more importantly, a whore! I should've slit her throat."

Katerina had finished ushering everyone who didn't work there out of the room, and now she was standing in the middle of the room ready to mediate.

"You two have 5 minutes to explain what the hell happened and why I shouldn't fire you."

Tania had calmed, no longer straining against an iron grip and gaze filled with slightly less murderous intent. She released the clump of hair that she had in her hand onto the floor, revealing the absolute carnage that had taken place. Safe to say Silvia was going to be rocking a pixie cut for the next few weeks. Both of the girls remained silent. The prisoner's dilemma in real time. Katerina clicked her tongue after the moment of silence and simply said, "Roberto."

You could swear you saw a smile on his face briefly before he cleared his throat and began.

"Tania gave the new girl a note with her phone number in it to send to Pedri. Pedri texts the phone number, but instead of addressing it correctly, he says-"

"HEY SILVIA. THIS MORNING HE TEXTS MY NUMBER WITH HER NAME." Tania's outburst had everyone stand up, fearing that she was going to lunge. She remained in place, but no one sat back down.

"So you decided to attack her because he can't tell you two apart?"

"She must have done something to my note. She-"

"No." Katerina interrupted. "I have hear enough. Both of you are no longer working on any project Pedro Gonzalez is involved in."

Protests came from both of the girls, suddenly sullen and docile. They began to plead to be punished with anything else, but not exile from their favorite footballer. As they whimpered to your boss, who reminded them they were lucky to still be employed, it dawned on you. This morning. He texted who he thought was Silvia this morning. In response to a flirty message. After he left your bed. Maybe before he had even left the apartment.

There it was again. The nausea. The urge to projectile vomit. All because of Pedro Gonzalez. Fuck a nickname. He was a rich fuckboy that had played you like a fiddle. You held the tears back as you went back to fabric swatches, taking a moment to block him on Instagram.

"So, how does it feel to be Pedri's personal stylist now?" Katerina startled you, and the shock caused a delay in processing what she had just said.

"His what?"

"Well, now that those two are not allowed to be within 50 meters of him, it's only you and Maria working the Adidas contract. Especially now that Roberto is part of the Olympics team. So you get Pedri, and she gets Bellingham. Perfect, no?"

You nodded, swallowing hard to push the bile back down. This very unfortunate one night stand maybe have been the worst idea you have ever had. You walked through the rest of the day with disgust and rage flowing through you. You decided to brave the cold of the November afternoon and walk home, stopping by a bakery to get something with chocolate to keep the tidal wave of intense depression at bay.

How could this be happening? You weren't this girl. You weren't someone who let yourself be gullible and played. Hell, you had gone the last four years with all of Texas and parts of Mexico vying for your affection. But this little Spanish boy took advantage of the connection you felt, and he had barely left your bed before starting to text your coworker. Your phone buzzed with several messages in rapid succession.

[Pedro Gonzalez]: My agent just told me you were my own personal stylist

[Pedro Gonzalez]: that's good to hear.

[Pedro Gonzalez]: At least I'll have a friend at all these long and boring photoshoots

No mention of the night before. No "I had a good time". No question about your wellbeing. Nothing except his own self interest. How the situation would be good for him. Again. You felt awful as you pushed a teenage boy out of the way, barely making it into the bathroom before throwing your guts up. What the hell. How did you manage to fuck up so poorly so quickly? It was day damn one. And now you were throwing up in a bakery bathroom in Spain because of a man that's 5'9". You sat at a table, cake and coffee cooling in front of you. You didn't trust your legs or your stomach just yet, so you decided to type out a response instead.

Pedri was in overall low spirits. His injury had had another flare up, causing him to limp to the locker room. The email from his agent brightened his day, as he saw your name in the email. He shot a quick text your way, excited at the prospect of seeing you again, only to sour at the response.

[Naranja]: dont speak to me pedro

[Naranja]: we are not friends

[Naranja]: and we never will be

[You can no longer send messages to this user]

~~~

A/N: Here it is! The first part of the new series! Just some preemptive answers: I don't know what my posting schedule will look like and idk how many parts it's going to be. I hope you enjoy this first part. It might be a little rushed because I just wanted to set up the main story. Please let me know your thoughts in comments and asks! I'll try to reply to as many as I can. I love you all <3

Palestine: I will try to donate $1 for every comment that has a watermelon or an olive in it. I will keep y'all updated with how it goes.

Here are some more links to please please please look at while you're here.

Care for Gaza: an org that has been getting help and aid to people on the ground -> https://www.gofundme.com/f/careforgaza

Daily click that donates money to help Palestinians -> https://arab.org/click-to-help/palestine/

[billzoned]

dream praising female reader while fucking her? 👀

tysm for the request <3 and im SOSO SORRY FOR THE WAIT, i literally got this request SO long ago but i couldnt bring myself to write it. also sorry if the format's wonky, its my first time writing fully on pc...

ps. sorry it's so short, i couldnt think of much to write for it and idk why. no aftercare written, but im js imagining him running a bath for her afterwards and telling her how good she was for him:((

NOT BETA READ ! NSFW UNDER CUT

it was a longshot; he didn't know if you would be fully into it at first- but it just slipped out, and it went farther than he would have expected.

"god, you're such a good girl f'me. taking my cock so well." he muttered whilst biting your shoulder as an attempt to keep himself grounded as he fucks into you from behind, hearing your moans and mewls. he groans as he feels your cunt flutter around him, an obvious reaction to the way he started praising you all of the sudden.

he was almost surprised, but he took advantage of the new knowledge. "you like it when i call you a good girl, yeah? praising you like the good little slut you are?" he teases. "yes- yes! i do- i- do!! fuuck-!" you manage to make out the response shakily; you were practically fucked dumb in dream's arms.

as dream was consistently praising and degrading you, it felt like hours had gone by; you could barely even make a sound other than moans anymore. it wasn't until dream reached his free hand down to rub your clit that you were brought back to reality. the small bundle of nerves had a dull ache from how many times you've come, but it didn't stop him from making you release over and over. you moan at the unexpected friction coming from dream's fingers, as you feel the oh so familiar feeling of your abdomen tightening, begging for release.

"please- fuck- pleasepleaseplease-! c-can i cum, please i need'a cum.." you beg, your voice getting higher pitched as you get closer and closer to impending release. dream slows his fingers on your clit for a moment, almost contemplating if he should let you cum, or make you wait. but, he decided to be nice this time as he speeds up his fingers once again. "you wanna cum, yeah? then cum, now. cum on my cock like a good girl." all you saw was white as the coil in your stomach snapped abruptly, just mere moments after he finished his sentence. he finished as soon as he felt your walls tighten around him, filling you with his own cum.

ty for reading!! and again, i apologize for how long it took me to get this out. requests are officially, fully open!!

[lycanlupins]

┌─ “ „ EYES LIKE SKY ─┐

Roy Harper x F!Reader - Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Cam Girl Au! [+18]

Same warnings apply as Chapter 1 ♥️ ALSO!! This chapter is LONGGGGGG

Your blaring alarm had been going off for the better part of 5 minutes now and you couldn’t be bothered to wake up enough to turn it off. Fuuuuuck. It was so early, too early in fact, and you didn’t want to get up to start your mundane little morning tasks. But you had to, especially because this morning you were expecting your hot neighbor to pick you up. So you begrudgingly make your way to the bathroom, going through the motions of your normal routine.

You make sure to finish off your morning shower with an extra layer of perfume, the kind that you reserved for special occasions and the like. It wasn’t overpowering in the slightest, just a simple perfume that would turn heads if they were lucky enough to get close.

Knock, knock, knock. Shit. He was here just a tad too early.

“In a minute! I’m getting my shoes on!” You call from your room, struggling to tie your sneakers. You rush to the door, slightly disheveled but putting on a smile nonetheless. Opening the door you give him a quick once over. Jesus he’s huge.

“You ready to go?” He smiled, and by god it was infectious. He had the most gorgeous dimples you weren’t able to see the night before. You were floored, how was anyone allowed to look so effortlessly hot. And in gray sweatpants no less.

“Hello? You there?” He waved his hand in front of your face to try and get your attention.

“Sorry, I guess I’m not awake just yet.” You sheepishly reply.

“Yeah I can tell, let's go get you that coffee.” He moved from in front of the door to give you room, your mind barely processing how to move your legs forward. You locked the door to your apartment and took a deep breath, hoping the coffee would take your mind off of things.

In the time that you locked your door and turned around, you caught him staring at your hands. Embarrassingly, you hadn’t done your nails in a few weeks and they looked sort of wonky, chips on the polish and gems missing from the design.

“Oh god, I’m sorry, they look awful right now. I have an appointment to get them done, don’t look.” You quickly hide your hands away in shame.

“No you’re totally good I just…they look so familiar. I’ve seen that design recently somewhere and I can’t put my finger on it.” He shrugged after a few moments of deep thought and started to lead the way outside and toward the coffee shop.

Your face instantly lit up at the sight of the shop, you had been there so many times before, you even had a favorite barista. But alas, he wasn’t working that day, something about a family emergency. Oh well, you could still enjoy coffee with the hot man at your side.

“Shit, I gotta take this call. Can you order for me, I just want a black coffee.” He looked desperate to take the call so you obliged, a bit sad but you weren’t on a real date so it didn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter, but it still did in your mind.

You ordered and waited by the pickup area, watching him as he excitedly answered the call. He even turned on facetime but you couldn’t catch a glimpse of who he was talking to, again not that it mattered…but it did. Once the call ended, you could tell he was a little sad when he walked back into the shop.

“You okay?”

“Hm? Oh yeah, I’m fine!” He completely ignored what occured on the phone, grabbing his coffee once it was placed in front of him.

“Wanna get a seat?” He asked. You simply nodded, pushing his phone call to the back of your mind. The rest of the “date” went without a hitch, some light flirting here and there but nothing too serious.

You could sense tension on the way back home, what kind you weren’t sure, but you fully intended to find out if it was the kind you could get behind.

“It's still kind of early, don’t you think? Do you maybe want to come inside and hang out?” You unlocked your door, standing under the door frame.

“Uh…” he looked down at his phone, texts from someone undecipherable to you rolled in at a steady pace.

“Sure, I’ve got some time.” Something didn’t sit right but still, you pushed through. A bad feeling wasn’t going to get in the way of you getting what could be the best dick of your life.

The second you closed the door you rushed to your bedroom, forgetting the state of disarray you had left it in from last night.

“Give me a few minutes!” You slam the door, assuming he’d find something to keep him busy while you cleaned. And find something he did, he got to work fixing a few stray wires hanging from your TV.

Once you were done changing the sheets and packing your cam setup away in a bin, you headed back out to the living room where he had somehow managed to fix the TV connection.

“I’m not even going to ask how, but thank you. The repair guy was supposed to have come by weeks ago to fix the issue.” You plop down on the large sofa next to him.

“Consider me your new repairman.” He chuckled, handing you the remote and placing both arms behind his head. Oh Jesus Mary and Joseph his arms were massive.

You were practically drooling at the sight, they were perfectly flexed and distracting you from your task at hand. Not that it mattered anyways, you were just putting on a movie.

“Eyes on the screen doll.” He shook his head and smiled, not once did he take his eyes off the TV. How the hell did he notice you staring? You couldn’t think straight so you put the first thing that came to mind; a horror movie. Nothing in particular, something that just popped up on your suggested tab.

“Horror huh? I didn’t pin you as the type.”

“It’s the first thing I could think of honestly.” You scooted a bit closer to him, trying to gauge his comfort.

“I know what you’re doing, just come here.” He relaxed his posture, giving you room to curl up by his side. His smell was intoxicating, something akin to fresh rain and cold air was the best you could describe it. It comforted you deeply, enough to lull you into taking a quick nap.

When you came to, the movie was still playing and he was also fast asleep. Fuck he’s cute when he sleeps. You thought, his brows scrunched just slightly made him look like he was pouting in his sleep.

But, you didn’t stay for long, you had to get up and change into something more comfortable. You grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a large tee out of the clean clothes basket by the hallway closet. You figured since he was still sleeping you could quickly get back in and snuggle once you were done.

As you bent over to pull your pants back up, you heard a shift and a groan behind you. Shit. You froze immediately, what else were you supposed to do when you were half naked?

“Ain’t that a sight to wake up to.” He chuckled. You could feel your face heat up, trying to pull your pants up as quickly as possible.

“There's no use, I already saw everything. But, I’ll cover my eyes, scout's honor.” He immediately covered his eyes, giving you time to finish changing. But now you had a choice, two little beings on your shoulder telling you what to do. Take the safe route and finish changing, or…who were you kidding, you knew what you were going to do.

You quickly ripped off your top and immediately straddled him, taking his hand and placing it around your neck.

You watched him for any sort of reaction, a smirk playing on his lips. You could feel him getting hard under you and that only served to make you emit a light moan.

“Shit, you look good enough to eat.” He let his other hand ghost against your skin, grabbing and pulling at the mismatched lingerie you had underneath.

“Do you want to spend the night?” You could see his gears turning, his hand stopping at your ass.

“Fuck it, why not.” He picked you up with one arm, your legs immediately straddling around his waist. He only got a few steps before he needed to pin you against the wall. He was desperate, you could tell from the way his cock was throbbing through his sweats.

“I wanna be a gentleman, fuck you on your bed like a proper man should, but I can’t even think straight. I just want to be buried inside you like it's a necessity.” He growled in your ear, his whole weight pinning you against the wall, your breathing in sync with his. Both of you were taking big heaving breaths as if you had run a marathon.

He used one free hand to quickly undo your bra, sliding it off with ease. The sight of your exposed breasts was enough to send him over the edge. He slipped your underwear to the side and pressed a finger against your slick cunt. Your brain was going haywire, not one coherent thought forming.

“In…put it in please.” You could barely form sentences but it was enough to give him consent to touch you the way he wanted to. He slipped a thick finger inside and immediately you saw white. How the hell does his finger feel that good, not even your vibrator could do that.

“You still there princess?” He tried to bring you back to consciousness. When he started to pull his finger away you whined, giving him the okay that you were still there mentally.

“Had me scared for a second there. Thought I hurt you.” He chuckled, teasing a second finger. You wanted it, you wanted it bad, but he wouldn’t give it to you. He pulled away, bringing his fingers to his mouth and licking them clean, only to kiss you right after.

Fuck fuck fuck. Why was that so intimate? That was the single most hot and intimate thing you’ve ever experienced. But you couldn’t focus on that anymore, not when he was pushing his boxers down and exposing his cock.

“That’s not gonna fit inside me. There’s no way.” You said plainly. It's not that it was insanely huge or anything but you were used to 6 inches, that’s the size of your dildo anyways. He was somewhere far beyond the usual thickness of the plastic you were used to and you were afraid nothing would ever compare.

“We’ll make it fit, won’t we?” He lined himself up at your entrance, his head sliding in with ease, slowly pushing farther and farther until he was fully pressed against you.

“Oh my god.” That’s all you could say, your mouth wouldn’t allow for anything else. You could feel your walls stretching and squeezing around him, forming to his size. You fit together like perfect puzzle pieces and you both knew it. After sitting in silence for a few brief moments he started to move, slowly at first.

“Shit doll…you’re sucking me in.” He could barely pull out, not that he wanted to anyways, he was feeling pure bliss. Your plush walls felt like heaven to him and he never wanted to leave.

“Don’t…Don’t leave please. Stay.”

“I’m not going anywhere, I’m gonna stay right here.” He replied, his thrusts slightly speeding up. He wanted to fuck you relentlessly, it took all of his strength not to put you down on the floor and fuck you like an animal. But he resisted, he knew he wouldn’t last if he gave in.

Your hands found their way into his hair, pulling every time he managed to hit that lovely little spot that sent what felt like electricity through your body. The sounds in your apartment would put porn to shame, the skin slapping, his moans mixed with yours, it's surprising no one came knocking to tell you to shut up.

You felt his hips stutter for just a second, you knew what that meant. He was getting sloppy, he needed his release and you were damn sure you could feel yours brewing.

“I’m on the pill, you’re safe.” You reassured him. That only served to make him chase his release more, thrusting into you relentlessly. With every thrust you felt that coil within your lower stomach grow tighter and tighter until—

“Oh fuck! Roy!”

You felt your whole body tighten, his cock buried all the way inside you as his warm, thick cum coated your walls. It slowly dripped from you as he pulled out, leaving you empty.

“Let me uh…clean you up? Where do you keep your towels?”

“In my room, there’s a basket by my bed, just grab one from there.” You slowly slumped down against the wall, catching your breath as he ventured to find a towel.

Wait. Your cam stuff was under the towel by your bed. Shit shit shit. You quickly hop up to your, wobbly, feet and run into the room only to find him staring at the stuff beneath.

“You didn’t tell me you were into some kinky shit.” He said. Oh thank god he’s dumb.

“Ha, yeah. It’s just fantasies of mine really, nothing that would come into fruition.” You quickly pushed the basket under your bed and tried to clean yourself up the best you could.

“Shit.” He looked down at his phone, and sighed.

“Raincheck on the sleepover, I have to head home.” He kissed the side of your head and cleaned himself off before getting dressed.

“We should really get coffee again some time.” He said, just before heading out the door. You smiled, albeit a sad smile. You watched him leave as you changed back into your sweats and tee. Something in you wanted to watch his window, see what he was up to after what just happened. Complete and utter silence. No movement. Until moments after he got back home he bolted to the door, figures appearing as shadows in his window. A woman.

“Oh.” Was all you could muster before turning away from the sight. Surely he hadn’t played you right? You tried to put it out of your head, it was mid-day after all, there was no point in sulking for hours on end. You gathered yourself, turned on another movie and logged on to your cam chat. A new user appeared, someone you had never seen before.

[bigred]: hi there, i usually lurk around your shows but i decided to stop by and see if you were coming online today.

[seraphicsiren]: i'm not too sure i will, sorry.

bigred bought a private show.

Shit.

[staawberru]

my childhood friend wrote a gay omegaverse faction about me! chapter 9

chapter one | next chapter | last chapter | masterlist

Your pov

    You followed Payton around long enough to find yourself at Abo High. It was the same school listed on Geo’s ID so you assumed you went there too, because what else could you do? There were a lot of gray people here, none as developed as Payton; the annoying girl, or Preston; the flirty boy. You sadly overheard them talking, even though it wasn’t that hard Payton was practically yelling. You still haven’t learned the quiet boy’s name who’s next to Preston, though. He looked uncomfortable, well you assumed he was, because he kept tensing up. 

    Geo was just following you like a lost puppy as you walked, it was kinda funny at first, but now it was just getting annoying. Like, has he ever heard of personal space? But, you guess he has a pass because he saved you. 

    “What are you doing out of school?” A voice boomed. Geez, way to burst your eardrums. You looked over and saw a buff gray man, dang he was big, and kinda menacing. He was yelling at Payton, and she didn’t even look at him, just walking past. 

     “Don’t ignore me you brat!” He yelled.

     “Remember who pays your bills!” She yelled back, over her shoulder. He stopped. That really worked? He just gave up? Damn, how rich is she? And what guard just gives up? You look over at him and he's back to standing idly at his post, unmoving and unblinking. 

    “Geo,” you asked, still watching the guard. He looked at you. “Is this our school?”

    “I’m not sure,” he whispered. His gaze drifted to the school in thought. You rolled your eyes. Well you and him are already here, there’s no point heading back into the city. 

     Thankfully the guard didn’t bother us when we went into the school, even though we were an extra five minutes late. Maybe he just hates Payton. Walking into the school was interesting, the hallway completely packed, like any normal high school, but everyone was making way for Payton like she was some type of leader. They were all gawking at her. Was she really that famous? Geo grabbed your hand, and your head snapped towards him.

     “What are you doing?” You asked, glared. He seemed to understand you didn’t like it, because he let you go. 

    “I’m sorry, you looked stressed.” He said, seemingly genuine enough. You looked at him, you wanted to get mad at him but you couldn’t. Were you stressed, angry, or confused? You didn’t like feeling like this, you hated it, but you do, and you can’t deny it anymore. God, you really hated this, you were so tired.

    “Don’t apologize,” you demand. You hate people who apologize for everything, it’s like a pet peeve. Jobie was like that. Well, before he went psycho anyway. You’d tell him to stop saying sorry multiple times, but of course he never listened.

    Maybe Geo reminds you of Jobie, in a good way of course. Maybe you liked having someone look up to you like Jobie. Maybe you miss Jobie? No, you don’t, you don’t miss someone who doesn’t listen when you tell him to stop. Never. It’s missing being the one in control, probably. Dang you don’t remember being this heavy. Or tired. Or the world being this wonky.

    “Hey, are you okay?” Geo asked. You look at him, or at least you think you do, your eyes are acting up a bit right now. Why wouldn’t you be okay? Why can’t you talk? Why are you moving? You're not telling yourself to move. Oh, now you're falling. 

-

    “Wake up,” Something padded your face. It felt soft. “Wake up,” you felt something heavy land on your chest. 

     “Ugh, come on fuckface, wake up.” Something… bit your elbow? And then bit it again. What the hell? The feeling stopped, maybe it was just your imagination. Whatever, you're just going back to sleep.

   “Don’t make me do it,” a voice called out. Okay, someone’s definitely there. You sit up and see a gray cat about to chomp down hard on your toe, tiny jaw wide open. It quickly stops, sitting up like nothing happened.

    “Oh you're up,” the cat says casually, like it hadn’t just been trying to eat your toe. It sat down and stared at you. You stared back. Why is the cat talking? What is happening? Oh, you must be dreaming. The cat stretched and walked up to you, still just staring. It looked a bit like the devil to be honest. You can’t place it, but something about it was sinister.

    “Oh! [last name],” a woman’s voice called out. “Are you doing alright? Do you still feel dizzy at all?” 

     “No?” You look at her, does she not notice the cat on the bed? Wouldn’t it be a health concern? 

     “She can’t see me [name],” the cat said. How does it know your name? She said your last name, so it doesn’t make sense?

    “Uh yeah I’m good, I’m good, I’m just going to go,” you got up. You look back at the cat. It was cleaning itself. Disgusting.

     “Oh, alright. Well, your friend is in the waiting room, meet up with him and go off to class ok?” She smiled, a tinge of concern in her expression. Friend? Oh, Geo, he waited for you? What a nice surprise. 

    “[name] are you ok?” Geo rushed over to you and hugged you. It was kinda weird, he seemed a bit different, somehow.

    “Yeah, okay,” you say awkwardly, peeling off his arms. He frowned. 

    “Um, well we should go to class,” you say. You don’t know your classes, but that doesn’t matter. There was something uncomfortable about what you’re feeling. Whatever.

    “Oh! Before you go, I have something for your parents to sign.” The nurse said, smiling. She handed you a letter, You eyed it suspiciously, but you took it. 

    “Come on Geo,” you walk away, accidentally slamming the door. The door opened again. Oops, you must have slammed the door on Geo's face. Oh well, you’re not going to apologize, it’s his fault for following you.

    The hallways all look the same, this sucks. All you want to do is get out of this godforsaken school. You don’t know if Geo was still following you, but that was honestly the least of your problems. The main problem is that damn letter.

     “[name]!” Geo panted. “You're going too fast!” You look back at Geo, he was a leap away. Sighing, you wait for him to catch up.

     “Gosh you're fast, also, where are you going?” He questions. 

     “Outside, hopefully,” you continue to walk.

     “Oh um, are you okay?” He asked.

     “Yes.”

     “Really?”

     “Of course I’m fucking fine,” you snap. You can’t deal with someone pestering you right now. This school is starting to suffocate you. 

    “[name],” Geo whispered. “Please talk to me about it.”

    “No,” you glare. You turn and continue to look for the exit to this giant fucking building. Once you turn around the corner, Geo's voice breaks the silence.

    “Oh come on angel, why do you keep running from me?” Geo smiled creepily. 

    “You know he’s never going to love you,” the cat said, cleaning his paw.

    “Oh, you're here,” he glared at the cat.

    “Of course I am, it’s my job to protect him, and that includes protecting him from you.” Geo rolled his eyes. 

     “I just don’t get it, he’s all over Geo but as soon as I come out to play he runs away like a little coward.” Geo frowned.

     “Maybe he recognizes what a shitty person you are.” 

     “Oh shut up, he loves me.”

     “Does he? Or is that just a delusion you tell yourself to make sure you don’t go completely insane.” The cat sat up. “Well I better go back to stalking him for your selfish desires.” 

       “I could delete you, cat.” He threatened.

      “Oh really? Who would do the stalking for you perv?”

      “I would.”

      “Oh and how has that turned out?” The cat smirked. “Just give his body back and I’ll do all the hard work, mmkay? You can just go back to lazing around.” The cat walked off towards your direction. Geo glared at him.

      “I could end you any day, you know that, cat?” Geo threatened. “And replaced you with a nice little dog, who doesn’t have the ability to talk back.”

      “Okay, you do that.” The cat rolled his eyes, stalking off.

[kdramaxoxo]

wanna ask for any recommendations for dramas (country no matter) where a deity/god/angel/demon/higher power of some sort (not fairytale beings like mermaids) falls in love with a human. like doom at your service or bride of habaek. higher power doesn't have to be ML but preferably so

Oooh I love when a god/deity falls in love with a human!

K-Dramas where a God/Diety/Angel Falls for a human:

Hwayugi/ Korean Odyssey: A monkey god falls in love with a human who can see spirits. It's got a great enemies to lovers plot and the side characters are great! While not perfect, it's very funny and also has amazing romance.

Angel's Last Mission: Love: I'm a sucker for this romance about a blind ballet dancer and an angel that fall in love. Shin Hye Sun is everything in this drama (fun fact: registration for ballet classes went up while this was airing). Also L is very sweet and you'll totally root for them (even if it gets a little wonky toward the end)

My Love From The Stars: This super popular romance about an Alien that falls for a human isn't exactly a deity but his abilities are basically the same and it feels like the same dynamic.

Goblin: One of the most popular k-dramas of all time, this romance between a god and a human is iconic. Perfect? NOPE. Did I watch it 3 times? YUP!

Hotel Del Luna: This fantasy drama is about a 1300 year old owner of a guest house running a hotel for departed souls on their way to the afterlife. I was not into this drama as much as everyone else (I didn't ship the ship!) but it is very beautiful!

Kiss Goblin: A short web drama about a goblin who wants to become human. Silly and sweet, featuring my web drama bb In Hyuk before he got major roles!

Do Gumiho's count? They are nine tailed fox spirits so if they do...

My Roommate Is a Gumiho: Super cute rom com about a gumiho and a college student living together. I LOVED the second couple so much in this!

Tale of the Nine Tailed: features gumiho (s) or nine tailed foxes that fall for a human. If you liked it, there's a season two, tho the romance IS with a mermaid so it's not specifically what you're asking for.

My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho: While very popular, I'll admit I haven't watched this yet! I just know it's a rom com with Lee Seungi

And of course Doom at your Service, and Bride of Haebak (which I do not recommend lol!)

Enjoy anon!

[as-u-w1sh]

You'll be alright (Wanderer x AFAB! Reader)

Hello! This is my first post on Tumblr! I really like scaramouche so I decided to make some of my own content of him! I hope you enjoy! <3 I apologize if it's wonky! It isn't proofread... ehe-

___

Summary: You kept Scaramouche from hitting the cold floor and now he's repaying the favor back while having some character development! Pst! I think he likes you!!!!

(Scaramouche/Wanderer x AFAB! Reader: Fluff/very light angst! 1.3k words)

____

Warning! Descriptions of danger, mentions of SA, trauma!

______

How can one be a god if they lack a gnosis? How could one reach this supreme level of ascension over other beings if they lack a key part in being one of Teyvat’s gods? How could’ve I have been within arms distance of my goal yet so far? There’s a plethora of questions that will never be answered and would it even matter? It didn’t matter at all. I don’t ultimately matter. As soon as the last thought appeared, the tubes attached to me tore, as I pathetically begged for my gnosis to be given back. It’s rightfully mine so why? Why can’t I have it back?

                                                         But.

As soon as the gnosis was in Lesser Lord Kusanali’s hands; unfortunately, even I knew that it was defeat. Too much to bear; my chest hurts. Everything hurts.

Why would I believe that my inner being hurts if I don’t have what it takes to be an actual human?

Nothing but a discarded puppet.

Just like a puppet, my strings had finally been cut.

*No one’s POV*

Scaramouche closed his eyes as the blur of the Traveler and Nahida left his vision. Without the strings to control him; how could he possibly move? Nonetheless, he accepted it. Thrown away once more. Nothing new, Scaramouche is used to this. The emotional trauma and fight causing his consciousness to slip gradually into the abyss he despised much so. His godly mechanical ‘form’ fading from existence as there was no use in looking at a mirror of himself; a failure. Scaramouche never hit the ground though. A strange pair of warm hands held him as he forced himself to take a glance at the being who decided he deserved to be treated as if he wasn’t the bad guy. As if he wasn’t just about to destroy the natural order of Teyvat. As if he wasn’t just about to commit undeniable atrocities if he had succeeded.

He doesn’t even deserve the warmth of a real pair of human hands.

It doesn’t matter if they felt better than the insufferable metal tubes that had just went through his back.

Yet, he couldn’t help but relish the feeling of what a real heart can provide.

Warmth, for he would forever be cold.

Like the radiant sunlight on his skin of the meadows in the painful past.

He hated the sun.

Oh how, he loved how it caressed his superficial body though.

Who did these hands belong to?

He shifted to look up as he laid in the lap of a maiden. The maiden he attempted to struck as he fought the Traveler. Why does she hold him with so much warmth? The mysterious maiden pursed her lips as she wiped the singular tear that fell down the puppet’s cheek; she was the barrier of Scaramouche and the ravaged floor. She gently held his hand and took pity on him. The only thing the maiden could think of is that this “boy” is like a wounded animal lashing out in fear; she put her hand on his chest. All she whispered was, “I’m sorry for those who had hurt you. You’ll be alright”, the indigo-haired boy’s breathe hitched. His throat caught with emotion as the light shined from above behind the maiden who ‘saved’ him. A halo of light that shrouded her amidst the darkness of the room they were in. The maiden took a small cloth to wipe his silent tears as he drowsily was captivated in her presence. Y/N put the detailed handkerchief in Scaramouche’s hand.  The puppet was lulled into a sleep like state as Nahida and the Traveler with Paimon watched on.

Nahida couldn’t help but smile.

The puppet did indeed have a heart.

Not one of a “human”, per say.

But.

One of his own within his man-made self.

*Time passes*

“Crap! Crap!”, I cursed as treasure hoarders corned me against the edge of a cliff. I took a quick peak at the fall gap and man; I was really NOT excited to possibly die. I scooched bit by bit as the treasure hoarders yelled obnoxiously, “just hand over the embroidered garments and anything valuable. We will let you go!”, the “leader” smiled at me. He looked to his gang chuckling. Yeah, right. I’m not dumb!

“Funny how you want me to strip in front of a group of disgusting lowlifes!”, I gagged. Ever so close to the edge as my breathing grew erratic. It’s either let these men degrade me and use me for their own inhumane pleasure…or…I jump.

“Just saying! If you jump, we will just snatch your possession from your body from the bottom dead…or here while you take your clothes off!”, the hoarders neared closer as I observed their hideous predatory gaze.

“The forest would be kinder to my body than you ever would!”, I huffed while I fell back as to what seemed like my demise. I could see the sheer horror on the treasure hoarder’s faces as I let my body go limp against gravity; come get your stupid valuables from my corpse then! I clenched my eyes shut and waited. Until, I heard shrieks as screams from the cliff edge I fell from. A bright flash of blue as well as a rough gust of wind that surged through me. I identified a silhouette reaching out from me as the mid-day sun surrounded their body. I closed my eyes again as the sun blinded me while this person’s hands clasped around my body. The stomach-churning feeling of gravity came to a gentle halt as two cold hands held me. One under my knees and one around my back. I wrapped my arms around their neck out of fear of falling.

A soft voice spoke, “I’m sorry for those who had hurt you. You’ll be alright”, I fluttered my eyes open. The wind still surging and the faint jingle of a bell of sorts; the smell of clean linen and faint cologne. A boy with indigo hair and matching colored eyes. Vibrant bold red eyeliner lining his observing eyes. Eccentric styled clothing with similar blue tones. He occupied an anemo vision; no wonder I felt the wind.

“who are you and why-?”, I asked as he let me down on the floor from the way he was carrying me. 

He chuckled mischievously, “you will remember soon and anyways. I was just repaying the favor”. This boy still held his hand out to me, “come on”, he tipped his hat. I was dumbstruck. Yet, why do I feel like I’ve seen him from somewhere.

My heart was beating loudly, and I could feel my ears flush. My mind wasn’t alerting me, and neither was my heart for sure.

I softly ran my hand into his own, he squeezed it immediately, “there we go, see, not that hard”.

“I…Have we met…?”, I paused, and he stared at me with an indescribable expression. Ease? Embarrassment? Tenderness? What was it? Either way, he is beautiful.

“Tch…such dumb questions. Yes, we have met before briefly”, he cocked his head to the side slightly and never once letting go of my hand. I giggled lightly and he murmured, “what’s so funny?”

“Nothing, I just feel happy to see you for some reason”, his cheeks were a tinge of pink as soon as I said that.

“I’m about to leave you here if you keep stalling!”, he grumbled as he tipped his hat to hide his face. “Okay Okay…I get it. Where to?”, I asked.

Nonetheless, I couldn’t deny there was a connection of sorts.

What did he mean by ‘repaying the favor’?

Ah, I should ask his name, shouldn’t I?

How odd, I swear I’ve seen him somewhere before.

_The end_

Let me know what I can improve on! Tysm for reading! I'm sorry if it wasn't super long!

[lootsofathousandsworld]

Flint x Reader: Princess and a Pirate One shot.

Guys..what the fuck just happened?  O_O  All of sudden I have urge to write this oneshot thanks to the song im listening and holy buckets I couldn’t stop having the feels! 😭💖 Anyway enjoy this oneshot! :D  and sorry if the grammer is wonky lol. 

Underneath the full silver moon, you were in a royal palace garden.   As the wind gently kisses your few hairs,  you were welcomed with the sweet smell of different plants, which came from different planets. 

 But you weren't here to admire them.  You were on an urgent mission.  And you prayed to the Gods that the letter you sent a few days ago was received.  You had been anxious after the dreadful news your father announced last week.  

You rubbed your both hands in worry as you sat on a polished garden chair stone. And your mind raced on what if the person never got it. Or else someone has it and never bothers to give it to him.  

Then your breath came short when you hear a footstep.  You got up fast and turn towards the sound.  Soon your heart made a flip when the voice you knew dearly spoke.

"Sorry, it took long love," 

"Nathaniel," You made a smile with your heart still beating hard. When he walks out in full glory you couldn't help to run to him. When you leap in his arms he catches you.   And you caught his scent you miss dearly.  It made you feel safe and warm from the outside world.       

"There were few errors and troubles I had while journey here," He spoke lowly in your hair.  

"I know," You reply,  and buried your face in his broad shoulder."  I miss you so much,"    Soon he lets go of your embrace and looks at your seriously. 

"Now what is this emergency  you want to see me?"   You almost forgot about the reason he came that you're facial changed to wretched.  You lower your head, feeling you can't bring this out to your only love.  

"Y/N,"  You feel his long bony fingers tip your chin up and he gently brushes your cheekbone with his thumb.  "What is that yer are being dreadful about? 

You swallow and made a soft reply, "It's about my father,"  You saw all his six eyes glowed.  

"What about yer father?" He whispered lowly.   

You shut your eyes as you can feel your tears coming and you manage to answer.  

"He made an arranged marriage on me.  I'm engaged to a prince from another kingdom,"  Right after you answered, you saw Flint's nostril flared with his eyes now flaring with rage. 

You can feel his tension as he holds you. And you being to worry he'll release his wrath on this night and will blow your both's cover.  You grip his arm wanting to have him know you were here with him.   

"I'll kill him," He growled.  Your eyes went wide in horror at his statement. 

No!" Your voice almost raises.  "Nathaniel he's my father,"

"But he's taken yer freedom!" He barked.  "And yer letting him doing it,"

"I didnt have any choice!"  Your tears came and continued with a lump in your throat. "If I tell him my refusal he'll learn our secret and he will have his men hunt you and take your loot," 

He clenches his teeth out of anger and lets you go and walks away to cool himself off.  You only stood and watched him breathing through his nostril.  One tear escaped and it ran down your cheek.  After a moment of long silence, he begins speaking darkly. 

"Then what ye expect to do?"   

"I don't know," You answered softly. "That's why...I need you here, to help me solve this,"  He came over to you and added.  

"That's why ye want me here? To seek my help?" 

You nodded truthfully and  you use your hand to wipe your tears off,"  If we can figure out a way, we can both be free and be together."  You watch his golden eyes now slowly soften and he uses his finger to gently finish getting rid of your tears. 

"We'll figure a way, love, I won't let him break us apart,"   You gently kiss his palm when he cups your cheek.  Then all of a sudden a break word came to you.  Your eyes lit up with an idea,

"That's it,"

"What?" Flint asked. 

"I can fake my death," You answered and glance up at him.  "If I did it I can start a new life with you.  "You beamed with hope at him.  "And we won't be bothered by the royals anymore. A-and I can go on a voyage with you, helping you steal treasures and joining your life as  a pirate."  

Flint made a low chuckle at your excitement with a smile through his monstrous fangs.  "I think that be a great idea love,"  You stood on your tippy toe to kiss him on his fangs.  

"I'll make arrangements on a voyage with my father and I'll send you a letter with a map of where we're heading and give you more info."  

He nods and then perks his head up," Aye, and I must be going.  I hear yer guards coming.  It was true that you hear more footsteps coming.  You took a last long look up at his beautiful golden eyes and touch his cheek with your small hand. 

[idiotwithanipad]

Happy Death Day (Pt4)

How Humphrey asked Alison for a special favour for Amy (My OC)

With a cameo from Silver, @moonah-rose 's OC🥰

The day turned into the evening, things went as planned, everything was set. 

Amy slept for the rest of the day, and, incredibly, through the whole night as well. She awoke, in the TV room on that dusty and disused old sofa against the wall. Recollections of the previous day were a fog at first, they always were after her dizzy spells. All she had to do was wait for them to come back. 

She could hear the hustle and bustle of the visitors wandering the old house and chatting outside on the grounds enjoying the sunshine. She rubbed her forehead and gave a drawn out groaning curse as she sat up and dropped her heavy platforms off the edge of the sofa with a thud. 

Vertigo hit her as though someone had grabbed an old metal dinner tray and swung it against her forehead as she clutched onto the arm of the sofa. Her vision blurred and doubled as she flopped to the side again, her head thumping against the tattered cushions. It won't take long. She'll be back to normal soon. She'll be able to find him. 

Alison swarmed through the house looking for The Captain, despite his occasional bossy side coming through, she knew she could trust him to keep everyone under wraps. She finally located him outside watching a set of golfers, yet she kept up her charade of pretending to be on the phone. She held the device up to her ear and spoke loudly from the gravel. 

"Cap?!" 

The Captain whirled around, clutching his stick at the ready. 

"Ah! Alison" He perked up and strode towards her, tucking his stick back beneath his arm. Alison tilted her head to the side and walked towards the side of the house, headed for the gardens so that they could talk more privately. 

"I have a job for you..." Alison mused with a smile. The Captain perked up and jogged to catch up with her. 

"Excellent. What is it?" 

"Tomorrow is Amy's death day. Humphrey plans on adopting her, I told him to stay hidden all day today so that we can all surprise her tomorrow" Alison explained, chewing at the bit to hear what he'd say. 

"What?... What? He's doing what-? I- good Lord, I never thought that he'd be the one to-" The Captain righted himself and continued walking with Alison. 

"It's just- he never struck me as the type to-" He was about to continue before Alison chipped in. 

"Regardless, he's gone into hiding now and he's staying where he is until tomorrow. It's your job to make sure everyone meets in the Higham Suite tomorrow at noon, except for Amy. If she asks where he is, be totally oblivious. You can tell everyone apart from Amy and Kitty, I've got a bunch of films on up there on a loop, Kitty'll be occupied until then" Alison spoke, sounding like she'd gone up in the ranks from Cadet to General. 

The Captain cleared his throat. 

"But- isn't the girl with Humphrey every day? She'll be in a terrible state if she thinks he's gone missing. She might even think that he's, you know, gone elsewhere... " For the first time, The Captain seemed to be concerned for Amy's emotions. 

Alison looked up at him from the side. 

"Like I told Mike all those years ago, its a small misdemeanor for the greater good... "

The ranking officer paused a moment and took some breaths, understanding the depth of his task. 

"Alright. Keep a tight ship of everyone, except Amy and Kitty. Gather everyone in the Higham Suite tomorrow at twelve o'clock?" The Captain repeated. 

"Exactly" Alison nodded. 

"Operation 'Happy Death Day'?..."

"Operation 'Happy Death Day'"

Amy regained a sense of her surroundings finally, her vision clear and her blood running normally. She could sit up at last. 

"MORNIES!" 

God, every time... 

Amy jolted and gripped at her wonky headphones. The springy caveman perched on the far end of the sofa like a cat, staring. 

"Good fuckin' mornies to you too..." Amy grumbled, rubbing at her eyes. 

"You not go buzzy anymore? You feel better now?" Robin leaned closer. Amy stretched and groaned again. 

"No. I'm fine now. Thanks" 

Amy dropped her hands down to her sides and felt nothing. Strange. She glanced down to her side. 

"Sorry, Humphrey, I got-" He wasn't there. Amy checked her other side. Not there. She dropped her head down and peered around on the floor. Not there. 

"What?" Robin asked, watching her every move. 

"Where's Humphrey?" Amy asked, scratching the back of her neck. 

Here we go, no turning back now... 

"Dunno" Robin lied, shrugging. 

Amy paused and thought back, what happened before Zumba? 

"Hold on..." Amy said, more to herself than to Robin, and groggily made her way out of the neglected room and down the stairs. Robin followed suit, his arms at the ready in case he had to make a catch. 

The halls were almost completely empty; most of the living occupants had gone outside to enjoy the sun. Amy made her way clumsily downstairs and looked in the Reception, unseen by the front desk man. 

"Humphrey?" Amy asked, nearing the windowsill. He wasn't there. But he COULD hear her. 

"Must be back on the body bit. Sometime it find him and he go off somewhere" Robin said, standing behind Amy, glancing over his shoulder at the fireplace behind him, only a few feet of stone and brick kept the silent Tudor hidden. 

"Yeah but, it's not like him to not come show me he's whole again. He gets well proud of himself if he gets his body back without help... " Amy explained, confusion pinching her brain. 

Robin shrugged again. Amy frowned in bemusement, leaving the windowsill and going to other rooms to search. Robin still followed. 

"Humphrey?" Amy called but no reply came. She passed by Fanny who sped off at the mere mention of the man. Pat didn't even acknowledge her as a set of young men talking about football went outside for a chat, which he soon followed to earwig. 

Thomas flourished his wrist at her and told her some overblown tripe about being 'scorned' one too many times to care. Julian practically fled to the basement for cover when Amy sped over to him with wide eyes. Nobody knew where he was. Truthfully, they felt awful for lying, but as Alison said: it's a small misdemeanor for the greater good... 

Amy started to panic. 

"Robin? Robin, this isn't funny, where is he?" Amy turned to face the scraggly caveman who stopped in his tracks like a deer in headlights. 

"Dunno. Told you before..." He scratched his ear. 

Any beg or protest which formed in Amy's throat had died with a helpless whimper. 

"Well- can't you just sniff him out or something?" Amy asked, a last resort request; she usually felt guilty for asking Robin to sniff things out, she preferred to treat him like a man rather than an animal. 

To appease her for a moment, Robin took a few short sniffs of the air and froze. Amy watched him with batted breath, her eyes glued to him for any sign that he had picked up the scent. 

A resounding shrug. 

Amy's heart dropped; if Robin couldn't help then nobody could. The Captain rounding the corner from the staircase and paused as Amy's eyes locked onto him. 

"Cap?! Have you seen Humphrey?" Amy pleaded. His jaw clenched. 

"No, as a matter of fact I haven't. I thought he would've been with you?..." He said, tucking his stick under his arm again. 

"Well, where's Alison? She could know" Amy asked, her lip trembling. 

"She's gone out, to that 'Tesco' she talks about..." 

Amy grit her teeth. 

"Fuck..." Amy spun around and ran through the wall. She checked every room, every surface, every crevice, every cupboard, under every chair and cabinet. He was nowhere. 

"Is Operation 'Happy Death Day' working out, Robin?" The Captain whispered. The caveman nodded, but he didn't smile; he thought this would be easy, but his pulse fluttered with a sense that he was committing a huge wrongdoing: betrayal. 

Amy left the house, through the gardens, maybe he'd be there? Or maybe she was just an idiot who hoped too much? This was her punishment for getting used to having a friend. 

She wept, mascara stained her cheeks, her jaw ached from gritting her teeth so much, her hands tingled with the urge to swing a punch at the nearest tree. Every time she heard a living person laugh, she wanted to scream at them to shut up, every child who cried because they couldn't have a toy pierced into her skull like a heavy duty drill. 

She dropped down underneath a Cherry Blossom tree and took deep, ragged breaths. She may have truly lost him. 

A soft footstep made her snap back to attention, swirling her head around to see who it was. Hoping that it was him. 

"Ever wondered why the-...woah, hey, hey what's wrong?" Her friend asked, crouching next to her. The familiar pink fringe of hair glistened in the sun. 

"Sil... I think Humphrey's gone..." Amy trembled. Silver's concern turned to worry. 

"Gone? Like- GONE-gone?" 

Amy broke. Her tears flowed like Niagara Falls. 

"I've been looking for hours and-" An abrupt shaky inhale stopped her. 

"I can't find him! Nobody's seen him! Even Robin can't pick up his scent, Sil!" Amy wept into her sleeves. Silver dropped onto her knees beside Amy and slung her arms around her bereaved friend. She could sympathize; Amy may not have gotten the chance to meet a certain special woman with the timidness of a lamb but the heart of a lioness, who changed Silver's afterlife, but Silver could recognize the deep sadness and peril in Amy's cries. 

"It's alright, it's alright..." Silver shushed, patting Amy's back and staring at the grass beneath them. 

"This is all my fault!" Amy cried. Silver's brow furrowed in sympathy and familiarity; she'd cursed herself for not being able to be there for her special friend either. 

"No it's not, don't say tha-"

"Yes it IS! I never should've left him alone, he'd probably still be here if I had just-!" Amy berated herself, her harsh slander of herself cut off by Silver. 

"Listen to me! It's nobody's fault. It never is anybody's fault. This happened with me and- and Mary... I was asleep when she went up. I know how you feel" Silver spoke, she still clutched onto Amy but her tone was more stern, the type of tone Mary would use whenever a child would try to blame themselves for any wrongdoing that was beyond their control. 

Amy sniffled. She never intended on being consoled by her close friend for the entire day, especially when she only had a set few days of wandering before her slumber would return. She never notices the sun going down beyond the trees, and she never heard the sound of Alison's car returning to the house. 

[moonchild-in-blue]

Ohh, this is nice! Brb I'll be wiping my tears 🥺💔 Thank you for this wonderful question!

(tw: depression; implied sh/suicidal thoughts)

Alright, so. I heard about them earlier this year when The Summoning came out. I had seen their name pop-up a few times before (when they toured with Issues back in 2019) but knew absolutely nothing about them and payed no mind (still beating myself up for it).

There is this one account on Instagram (also TT but I don't use/have) that kept popping up on my discover page. I never interacted with his content, nor had any interest, but every few weeks his reels would show up and he often used the Sexy Funky Part™ on them. The comments were always crazy over it, but again, I payed no attention.

Until the 3rd of June (I have the date on my journal). That day I woke up with that section on my head, and I finally decided to look it up. And oh. My. God. I heard it once, twice, three times. Then I listened to TMBTE (the song). Then Chokehold. CHOKEHOLD. Listened to The Summoning again. Decided that, okay, I need to listen to this album, who are these guys?? Listened once, twice. Looked them up. Oh, they're anonymous? Oh, there's lore?? Oh, there's masks??? Oh, oh, oh-

And so it began. About a week later I posted here, saying that I needed someone to talk to me about them, not really expecting to see any replies - I was mostly venting since I had no one else irl to talk about them. To my surprise, so, so many wonder people actually reached out to me. It was so heart warming. For the first time in a very long time, I felt genuinely part of a community. Not just as a spectator, but as someone actively in it. Everybody was (and still are!) so welcoming and friendly, it's great.

(if any of my moots reads this, I'm sending you a billion hugs and kissies and wonky heart signs 🥺��)

Now, for context. I have been in the metal/emo/alt scene since I was around 11/12. It's always been my main music, and the reason why I'm still alive and standing today. About 7 years ago, when I moved away for uni, I coincidently started to get super into kpop, which then led me to embrace many other genres, like r&b and hip-hop (my 14yo self would call me a normie if she knew I was obsessed with Tyler the Creator).

For several reasons, I stepped back a little on the heavier side of music. I had a really bad depressive episode in 2018, and I was scared I'd go back to old habits. I needed to break my usual "listens to sad music to cope" cycle, because during that particular time, I was in very real danger of hurting myself again. Things got better, and I still listened to my old stuff, but with a much broader range added. I shifted my focus, and what was once an overwhelming presence in my life, became just one more thing. I changed and silenced many parts of myself. Some for the better, some because they were necessary to survive.

Fast forward to late 2021. I moved back home after graduation, as I needed some time to heal. My mental health had been wrecked beyond recognition during the pandemic, and as an art student, I was experiencing extreme burn-out. In a way, I still am. I went to painting and being in a studio everyday, to completely stop creating. Even just simple sketches were a huge task for me. I stopped writing my poetry, my stories. In the last year, I may have picked up a paintbrush twice.

I was glad to be back, but started to feel so left behind, as if time had moved a much slower pace to me than to everyone else. Somehow, three of my closest friends got married within months of each other. Others were finishing degrees, getting Big Jobs, moving in with partners. Me? I was back to living with my parents. I was taking driving lessons - something most of them had been doing for years. I had left 5 years ago, with plans and hopes and expectations, and came back absolutely broken, nothing but a shell of a person that no longer existed.

I was lost. I spent so much time not knowing what to do, or where to go. I had plans post-grad, but everything seemed impossible to achieve. I had 0 motivation, 0 energy. Somehow, somewhere along the way, I had forgotten about who I was.

But when I got into Sleep Token, something inside me clicked. It was as if their music took all the scattered fragments of me and glued them back together. For the first time in a very, very long time, I was so excited for something. The music was so unlike anything I had ever heard. Every cell of my being glowed and vibrated with each new song, each element. The lore was so interesting to study, the people here were wonderful to interact with. The words, his voice, everything - it was like I had woken up from a very long, hazy dream.

Thanks to them, I began writing again. Lore and lyric analysis, fanfiction, my own personal things, you name it. I have just picked up painting and I'm so happy to be creating again. Thanks to them, I've connected and met so many wonderful people here. It may sound silly, but I'm genuinely having so much fun these days in here.

Also thanks to them, I've re-kindled my love for my older music/bands, and I feel like myself again. I can't say I'm 100% okay, as I'm very much not, but I at least have the strength to face and accept that things are not okay, instead of bottling it up. I spent so long trying to adapt and survive the next thing, and the next thing, and the next thing, that I ended up abandoning who I was.

I don't know if this will make much sense or not but, yeah. Listening to Sleep Token has allowed me to connect with parts of me I thought were gone, while still allowing me to confront and make piece with my struggles. I think Euclid is a very fitting description of all the changes ST has brought in me. It's accepting reality for what it is, and knowing that, even though there are still things that linger, there is more to life. To myself. There is more than wallowing in grief or staying stagnant - and I am deserving and capable of that.

Like Vessel once said, "We are here to remember. We are here to forget. We are here to worship". Above all, I think Sleep Token's music is defined by connection, by shared experiences. Be it through the music, the lyrics, the band/Vessel, something about it allows us to connect with ourselves and with each other. And I think that's what I was missing - the ability to make a meaningful connection to something/myself.

By now, the night belongs to you

This bough was broken through

I must be someone new

How did you find out about Sleep Token and how have they changed your life?

Even if it's the smallest of changes,it still matters. I'd love to hear everyone's stories.

[queers-gambit]

High Noon

prompt: the tournament begins, and plans for a funeral looms

pairing: Daemon Targaryen x female!reader

fandom masterlist: House of the Dragon

word count: 10k+

warnings: cursing, more non-specific smut, author projecting her loneliness, violence, more but wonky brain shut down!

previous: part one: Midnight Calls

next: part three: Darkening Hour

The morning was still, quiet, rigid with tension after the previous night's fiasco. Mary had come to your door early, finding you already sat before your vanity, pulling a hair brush through your locks. Your handmaiden kept quiet and selected a gorgeous gown from your chest, but then paused, and pulled a different one out.

The colors of the first dress was that akin to your husband's House, but the new dress was the darkest of coal in color with red threading along the bodice. Mary turned to show you the dress, cocking her head, "You've not worn this one before, Lady... Perhaps today is a good day to wear it?"

Your lips quirked in amusement, head cocking some as you focused on the mirror before you. "Those are interesting colors, Mary," you mentioned casually, "surely, that is pure coincidence?"

Mary looked to your chamber door and darted towards it, only pausing to toss the dress onto your freshly made bed, and shut the door firmly. She turned with her back to the wood, finding you twisting in your seat to face her, "Surely, you must have something to tell me of last night, my Lady?"

"What makes you think that?" You wondered.

"You met with the Prince," she rolled her eyes lightly, moving towards your body to turn you again towards the mirror. "What happened? Oh, please, Lady, you know the gossip in the castle is only half-truth, and I would never get to experience something like this."

You sighed gently, "Nothing happened, Mary, we only met and..."

"And?"

Your shoulders shrugged meekly, "And he told me of his Lady-wife's passing, I offered my condolences, and he wondered if I would support him in the tournament. I told him that it would be a great scandal in the court if I supported him, and not my husband."

Mary rolled her eyes, "Your husband's always been a pig, Lady, I am sorry." You nodded in agreement before silence befell the two of you, then, an idea came across your mind.

"Mary?" You prompted.

"Hmm?"

"In a perfect world, who would you choose?" You wondered, watching her through the mirror as she started to intricately braid your hair.

"From the courts?"

"Sure," you sighed.

"Hmm, well, Ser Harwin Strong is... Mhmmm," She hummed, nodding, making you both giggle. "And of course, there's a few others..." She went on to name a few names, before rolling her eyes, "Yes, yes... And I do suppose Prince Daemon is handsome, and brave... And strong, and handsome, and talented, and rebellious, yet so very charming, and cunning with a reputation that precedes him, and he's handsome, too..."

You laughed, "Think he's handsome, do you?"

"Perhaps a bit," she teased, winking back at you. "Though... I do know who I would marry if the Gods permitted it."

"Oh?" You perked up, grinning at her in wonder. "Are you going to tell me who it is, my friend, or let me be the only one sharing secrets?"

She sighed lightly, "His name's Edwin."

"Where did you meet?"

"He's a stablehand," she admitted, shrugging some. "Met through work, if you will. He's handsome... The third son of one of the blacksmiths, and doesn't truly keep up with his family, I suppose."

"Hmm," you considered. "And how does he feel of your family?"

She was one of ten siblings. Oh, her mother was a saint.

"Yes, well, in truth, he loves them," Mary breathed, "and my parents adore him."

"Then what's the issue?" You asked gently. "Why not court him properly?"

She shrugged, "He is... Courting another... Well - it is complicated, my Lady, and I am unsure of how it makes me feel."

"Who else is he courting?"

"The Lady Deena."

"No!" You gasped.

"I know!" She whined. "Their father's set it up, but Edwin does not wish to enter service, for he is talented as a smith, but he loves horses more and likes what he does now. He's truly a humble man - but it's put delay on their betrothal."

"And now you've fallen in love with him, oh, Mary," You sighed. "Would you point him out to me? I wish to put a face with the name."

"Of course," she nodded, already dressed for the tournament after agreeing to be your escort as your husband was competing. "And Lady Deena has been boasting about her seats for the tournament. Edwin's going to compete..."

"We need to make you a token, so you can give it to him! Oh the look on the Lady Deena's face!" you gasped lightly as you shook your head, looking around your room. "Okay, I'll make you one if you do those braids I like?"

"The thick ones?"

"Please," you nodded, your maid agreeing; and leaving you sat in the chair for another hour (or longer) with a woven favor in your lap as Mary tucked, twisted, and braided your hair.

Your make-up was perfected after, and then, you decided to wear the beautiful black dress. Just as Mary was lacing the corset, there was a knock at the door. "Enter," You called, revealing another maid. "Yes?"

"From the Prince, my Lady," she presented a sheet of suede; laying it on the table, and bowing out of the room as if in fear. Her eyes had never lifted from the floor, and you wondered what abuse the servants in the castle usually endured.

You made a mental note to ask Daemon about it later.

"What's that?" Mary wondered as your heels clicked over the floors to reach the small table holding a pitcher of wine and a few books; pulling the suede flap up to reveal the most beautiful sight.

A strand of thick rubies that were posed as a choker necklace, making it look like the jewels would drip off your neck. There was a pair of matching ruby earrings, with another matching ruby ring; complimenting your choice of dress perfectly.

"Gods," Mary swore when she saw the jewels. "Those are a pretty thing, hey?"

"Beautiful, I'd say," you complimented, petting the sparkling gems intimately. "Would it add insult to wear? I would be wearing Targaryen colors, Mary..."

"No, you look ravishing in this," she assured, gesturing to your dress, "that I do not think anyone would interpret this as betrayal. And the jewels?" She tutted lightly, "I would think the Prince be offended to find you not wearing them, Lady."

"I fear you might be right," you admitted, trying to fight your smile. "Would you put it on?"

"Of course," she agreed, taking up the necklace with gentle hands. She latched it on as you fixed the earrings into your piercings, slipping the ring on you right ring ringer; opposite the wedding band you wore for your husband. "Gods be good," Mary nodded, stepping back to admire you. "You look incredible, my Lady. Honestly - I am finding the words hard, you look... Just wow," she nodded, clasping her hands together. "How you have grown into a stunning young woman. No wonder the Prince is so smitten."

You sighed lightly, "Oh, Mary - "

"No, my Lady, you just look breathtaking," she nodded, waving her hands frantically. "Oh, enough of that from me, you don't need an old woman telling you how beautiful you are." She sighed almost sadly, nodding, "Just wish your mother could see you now."

Your smile faded slowly, "Might I be honest a moment?"

"Of course."

"Since I left home and came here, you've been more mother than I've known before," you admitted. "And your praise means everything to me, so, please, don't hold back," you both giggled lightly.

"Come," she nodded, fixing a portion of your necklace. "The joust is to start soon, and I do believe our men are competing - both of yours, I do mean."

"Hush," You nodded with a smile, and took one last look at yourself in the mirror, the jewelry making you look and feel powerful - as if cloaked in Daemon's sigil, and his protection. Mary's arm looped around yours as you departed down the halls of the Red Keep; pushing out of the doors, and joining a stream of other royals heading for the tournament grounds.

You both held your woven favors in your hands and found your seats easily; giggling lightly and pointing to different things. Ser Harwin Strong passed by and paused to bid you both a good day, kissing the back of your hand, and even taking the seat beside you to mumble to you and Mary about the happenings in the sandy arena.

In an interesting turn of events, your husband was announced against the Rogue Prince - and your heart stalled in your chest as your hand blindly slapped Mary's thigh. Concern spiked as your husband boisterously rode into the arena on a brown horse, the crowds weakly cheering for the fattening knight, but then muttering in confusion when he approached the side of the stands you were not on, and accepted the favor of another Lady.

"Oh," Mary whispered, eyes wide; glancing at you with nervousness.

Harwin cleared his throat, "A simple curtesy, I'm sure."

"Hmm," You hummed, nodded as if it did not sting to witness. The Lady across the stand was Lady Regina - who had a renowned reputation of wrecking homes. She bit her lip and stood at the railing, watching your husband like he was prey, and you understood why. The only appeal of your husband was the location of his home as it was strategic, and a great host to farmlands.

He also commanded some 3,000 soldiers that he had pledged to the crown...

Your marriage was great in the sense that he left you alone, but all of his wives had died... And for the first time, you questioned how. "Ser Strong?" You mumbled, making the knight lean in some. "Might I ask you something?"

Prince Daemon was announced, the crowds cheering harder as Harwin agreed.

"How did my husband's first three wives come to pass?"

Mary leaned in to listen as the knight cleared his throat nervously. "Naturally, my Lady," he nodded, Daemon galloping around the arena in his dragon-suited armor.

"Do not lie, Ser," you demanded. "Tell me truthfully."

"Truthfully - it was all presented as natural," he lowered his voice. "But there are those who like to whisper that your husband... Might've tampered with their fate. There was never any proof, and once he married you, he has had no reason to be rid of you..."

Your lungs shuddered, "How, my good Ser?"

Harwin nodded, Daemon's horse pulling into a high-stepping trot while the high noon's sun beamed over you all. "The first turned septic after their second daughter was born. The second was lost on a hunt to freezing temperatures..."

"And the third?" You asked, lifting your chin to feign passiveness; eyes scanning the arena.

"Birthed two sons, and then fell headfirst into the river," Harwin answered, your eyes finding his. "He found them all, and there were never any witnesses."

"My Lady," A new voice called, making all three of you look up to discover Daemon Targaryen keeping his horse in a halt at the fence, but his eyes were drinking you in with a knowing smirk on his lips.

Not waiting to be told twice, you stood dutifully, and descended the wooden steps to the fence. "My Prince," you greeted softly, eyes raking over him in his dark armor.

"Would you honor me, my Lady? As your husband foolishly hasn't?" He smirked deeper, presenting his lance forward towards you.

Your lungs exhaled as you dropped your favor through the pole, his smirk never dimming in radiance. "Good luck, my Dragon," you whispered in Valyrian, sending him a soft smile as his smirk turned into a full-on grin. "And thank you," your hand shot up to pet over the rubies decorating your neck, flashing the ruby ring you wore.

He nodded, "They look ravishing on you - better than I imagined."

Worried for his public compliments, you nodded, "It's an honor to wear such a gift. I'll pray for a swift victory, my Prince."

He nodded, "My Lady."

Daemon backed his horse up two steps before turning and spurring him forward to reach the Targaryen side of the arena. You turned for your seat and the moment your bottom landed, the flag was waving, and both men were charging at one another at full speed. Each strike of their lances made you flinch as your husband's husk made him heavier, and a lot harder to unhorse; yet Prince Daemon's blows continued to land without yield.

Understanding he would face difficulty trying to unhorse his opponent, Daemon changed tactics; and the next lance was jolted into the ground before your husband's horse, sending them both careening into the sand. You gasped, standing in alarm with Mary and Ser Harwin as Daemon whipped his horse around with a menacing glare.

"SWORD!" Your husband roared, making the crowds cheer. "SWORD, NOW!" The three of you rushed for the fence, your hands taking the posts in a bruising grip as Daemon easily swung off his horse.

Two squires rushed into the arena. One presented your husband with his family's sword, the other taking hold of Daemon's horse, and holding the scabbard of Dark Sister.

Daemon revealed the Valyrian Steel blade, and you swore you saw your husband tremble in his armor. But he could not back down now, and took the first lunge with a wild battle cry. Each clang of metal made you flinch, watching with unblinking eyes as the two knights swung fatally at one another.

Their feet danced over the sands, and you heard only a portion of their conversation. The Prince had growled with hacking swings, "You never deserved her!"

Two swords continued to swing and hack at each other, until, the Prince of the City had more than enough of the fat knight before him, and with his teeth bared in a snarl, drove his sword through a weak-spot in your husband's armor. Daemon lowered his mouth to his ear, assuring with a hiss, "When I pull this blade free, you'll die within a minute. But you'll feel every ounce of pain as I flood your lungs, and know, this is all you deserve for what you did to her." He drove the sword an inch deeper, "You'll rot for what you've done, but fear not, for she is mine again, and will never know pain again."

Daemon yanked Dark Sister free, and the man stumbled to his knees; hand desperately trying to hold the spurting wound as the Lady Regina screamed from the other stands, and rushed into the arena to hold your husband as he died. You had firm belief that this was why nobody pitied the dead knight, why nobody reprimanded Daemon. It was a tournament, after all, and men died in all of them - and when your husband's consort rushed to him in your stead, they felt no sympathy for him. You were always viewed as a prize, even after your marriage marked you as 'taken'.

Your breathing slowed as time stilled when your husband hit the ground in the arms of the woman he chose over you. Not like you cared much, but something burned in your gut and left you feeling ashamed and embarrassed. It did not last long as Daemon was nearing where you still stood, nodding in respect.

"My condolences, my Lady," he panted lightly. "I will have his funeral transport arranged."

You swallowed, and with the eyes of the city on you, forced a nod, "That would be... Most gracious, my Prince."

He nodded again and turned to stalk out of the arena, leaving you, Mary, and Ser Harwin to watch Lady Regina sob loudly over your dead husband. Her dress was weighed heavy with his blood, and two more squires rushed out to pulled the body away. Your throat cleared and you felt at a loss, looking at Mary to whisper, "What the hell just happened?"

Her tone matched yours, "Prince Daemon just killed your husband."

Your head nodded, "Hmm... Thought so, means I'm not dreaming."

"Come," she pulled you by the hand. "We should go, get you out of here."

"What of Edwin?"

"It matters not - "

"No, we will watch," you insisted; glancing around as you stoically reclaimed your seats. Two more knights were presented, and it was like everyone forgot they witnessed a man die as the excitement of the tournament trumped any discomfort over the public murder of your husband. Your hands wrung nervously and time passed, your only salvation being that you got to see Mary bestow Edwin with her favor - and not the Lady Deena, who looked far too put out for the public eye.

And Edwin won his match, unhorsing his opponent!

It was a grand affair, and as you left the stands finally, a messenger found you and presented you a scroll. It was an official death certificate signed by the King, citing the natural causality of the tournament as the nature of his death. You nodded and showed Mary, parting ways as you were required to decide what to do with his body.

An hour later, you were stood above his sheeted-body; glaring at his pale, swollen face, and cursing his name under your breath. After you were allowed 'to say goodbye', you signed off on his transport home, where he was to be laid in his family's crypt, and his eldest son would inherit the title 'Lord'.

After deciding to return with the body, still set on playing your part as dutiful widow, you were given rest for the night as you'd embark on your journey 'home' tomorrow. The festivities would continue for the week, and you would miss it, but you were unsure of your standing in court now. Sure, Daemon promised to marry you - but you did not know where you would live now. Your husband's children were not overly fond of you that you did not know how welcomed you'd be, and returning to the Red Keep after the funeral felt wrong.

Worriment weighed your heart to your feet, and for the first time, you let the tears fall. Servants bowed out of your way as your emotion was tangible, pushing into your bedchamber before slamming the door, and panting against it.

No, you were not grieving your lying, cheating husband, but the public did not need to know that you were actually relieved about it. No, you were mourning the idea of Prince Daemon because surely it would be easy for him to go back on his word now.

You were confused, and scared, and while you had dreamt of your husband's demise before, the reality of it felt crushing. Would you return to your parents? Could you stay where your husband was Lord? Did you return to the Red Keep? What were you to do?

Feeling suffocated, you swiftly tore through the room and packed anything your hands touched. You were drowning in panic and sorrow that you missed the knock at your door; Daemon entering to find you shoving dresses into a trunk - rubies still latched around your neck.

"Dove?" He asked slowly, watching you jump in shock. His hands rose in peace, "What're you doing, pretty girl?"

"What am I doing? I'm packing, Daemon, what does it look like!?" You snipped, voice rattling from tears and mucus; hands shaking.

"All right," he nodded, "but why, dove?"

"Because I am to return my husband's body to his family's crypt!"

"Mhm? And then?"

"And then - I have no idea!" You shook your head. "Where I go after, I am not sure - I do not know what I am to do right now, I have never been a widow before."

Daemon's head cocked and his brows furrowed, stepping into your room, and shutting the door for privacy, "What're you talking about? You will return here - "

"Why? So, I might bury my husband, and return to court as a sign of my single hand? So that others might try to court me? That is a desperate look, my Prince - "

"No," he stepped forward, hands still held out calmly, "you would return here as my guest."

"Oh, because that's better!"

"Sweetheart," he spoke patiently, taking the clothing from your hands to set aside, "listen to me, you are thinking too much. You cannot remain anywhere but here - "

"Why?"

"Because I can protect you here," he nodded, reaching for your cheek. "You think I would abandon you?"

"You did once before..."

"And I am not the same man," he promised, leaning in to nuzzle his nose into your cheek. "I am not leaving you in this. I... I have spoken to my brother, my dove."

"What?" You gasped, stepping closer to press into his chest and look up at him. "About what?"

"About what is to happen," he assured gently, petting over your jaw and chin. "He has agreed to invite you back under his name to avoid any gossip, and when the time is right, announce our engagement with his full support and blessing."

"Daemon - "

"You forget, my dove, he is my older brother," he smirked down at you; gently cradling you to him. "He remembers us, and who we were before. He has agreed to give his blessing when the time is right, for none will go against his word."

Your brain felt like it was short circuiting, "Y-You did that for us?"

It made him chuckle, "Yes, dove. I was serious when I said I wanted you for the rest of my life. I know you are scared, I know you are unsure about what is to pass, so, listen to me. I will give you till the end of next month to settle his affairs, and if you are not back by then, I will come retrieve you myself with Caraxes."

"Why don't you come get me at the end of this month?"

He smiled lightly, "Gods, I was hoping you'd say that."

"Yeah?"

His nose nuzzled yours, "Yes, my dove. You will return and burry your husband, settle his estate, and I will come get you. You will be a guest of my brother, King Viserys, and in six months," he teased lightly, "we will announce our engagement - and I will not waste time in marrying you."

You nodded, "I do not need a feast, my love, only you."

He chuckled, "You say that as if I would not spare an expense to celebrate you."

"I know you wouldn't," you breathed, feeling a little more at ease. "You make this sound as if it's easy."

"It will be," he assured. "And when we are saying our vows, I promise, this will be worth it."

Your hand flattened to pet over his chest, "If you are so confident, I will not doubt you, my Dragon."

"So pack, dear, sweet Lady," he mumbled, "because I will have your things moved tomorrow."

"Might I ask where?"

"Wouldn't you rather be surprised?" He teased lightly.

"Or perhaps I would like to ensure you are remaining within respectable bounds," you answered, smiling when his lips finally descended to press against yours. He hummed, hand cradling your jaw and cheek now; letting your tongue sweep across his.

"My Lady is not acting very respectable now," he smirked, pressing his lips against your lips in hurried kisses; but his grin assured you that he was only jesting.

"You do not make me act very respectable, my Prince," you breathed, licking over his lips after. "But I am set for a long day tomorrow. It would take us a week to reach - "

"Sh," Daemon's head shook, resting his forehead on yours. "Worry not, my dove. I am here only to aid you. What might you need? How could I help?"

You smiled lightly and stood still, relishing in his warmth while his hands splayed across your back, and rubbed up and down. "I suppose I could finish packing my things," you finally mumbled, cheek pressed to his breast, and your arms tight around his ribs to anchor him against you.

Daemon nodded and turned to pour you both goblets of wine when you let go (after a few more kisses), making your heart skip a beat when he domestically began to help you pack. He joked lightly and folded clothes messily, letting you show him the 'proper' way; storing your belongings for his easier transport tomorrow. By the end, the pitcher of wine was dry, and you were both left in bed with sleepy eyes and nightwear.

Your hand traced patterns over his bare chest while one of his hands held your waist, and the other held the elbow of your bent arm. "I did not congratulate you on your victory, my Prince," you mentioned quietly, the only sounds of the room being that of a crackling fire from the end of your bed. "A well-fought battle."

He hummed and his lips pressed to your forehead, "Thank you, dove. I must say, it was a sweet victory."

"Oh?" You smiled lightly, and his hand tightened on your waist.

"How could I not? Look at my prize," he praised.

"Might I make a request?" You wondered in a whisper, lifting your gaze to his; lips ghosting over his jaw for you to press a few slow, soft kisses.

"Anything," he agreed, just as soft.

"When we are married, you would still compliment me as you do now. I do not tire hearing it."

Daemon chuckled, "Oh, my sweet princess, you are going to be spoiled in my affection, do not worry over that."

"Promises, promises."

"Hmm," he nodded, "I see - you do not believe words, but action. Very well, my dove, you will see," his eyes fluttered tiredly as his lips found your forehead again. "Might grow tired of the way I worship you."

"Never," You promised, just as tired. He sighed sleepily against your forehead, and the pair of you drifted off to sleep; finally content with the person sharing your bed and body heat.

At some point in the night, you both had shifted so that you faced the open window and Daemon's chest was snug against your back with his one arm stretched out under your head, and his other, coiled tightly around your waist. His nose had burrowed into the junction of your neck and shoulder, and it's where he woke up.

Well, you both woke due to a midnight, drunken duel taking place nosily in the courtyard beneath your window; his arm subtly constricting to alert you he was awake.

"Do you want me to close the window?" You asked in a hoarse whisper, eyes still closed.

Daemon's breathing shifted some, a kiss being pressed to the skin of your neck, "'S all right, dove. Air feels nice."

You nodded and settled again, subtly smirking when his hand pulled up your stomach and palmed your bare breast under the tunic you wore - one that smelled of his sweat and blood and overall natural scent. He felt your breathing deepen, licking the shell of your ear in a slow, upward motion, and humming, "Sorry, cold hands."

"Mhm," you mumbled, reaching a hand back and up to pet over his neck and cheek; then lowering it again. But your breathing shifted again when his thumb and pointer finger gently pinched and rolled your nipple, almost forcing your back to arch lightly as you whined. "Daemon," you breathed, sleep slowly escaping your body. "'S late, my love - uh!" You moaned when he pinched sharper, mouth opening against your shoulder while pushing his hips up into yours.

"Shh, my darling girl," he spoke quietly in your ear, palming your breast again as his new focus became thrusting his hardening cock into the swell of your ass. "You are leaving me for the rest of the month," he groaned, "and I will be without you, unjustly. You can lay there if you desire, I just need to feel you, my dove."

You chuckled lowly, grinding back against him, "You have gone this long without me, my Dragon."

"Which was too long to start with, and now that I've had a taste," he groaned, "I do not wish to go without. But I promise you," he shifted so the arm under you was curled at an angel to toy with your tit, and the other dropped to your hip to help guide your motions, "this will be the only time we are apart, my love. I will never be without you again - and you will not know my absence."

Tears prickled your eyes, "Do you swear it?"

His tongue flattened against your neck, making your head jut to the side for his better access; grinding sharply into you, "I swear it, my love. Fuck," he moaned, sniffing into your neck, "my wife."

"Not yet," you teased breathlessly, the hand on your hip moving to gather the long tunic and pull up to free your bare bottom.

"Soon," he promised, snaking his hand along your hips to push between your legs. You gasp and let your leg move back to hook over his hips, his groan of approval assuring you it was the right move as his hand curled to push his fingers into you deeply.

"Daemon," you moaned as if in heat.

"I will not taste you yet," he purred, biting the tip of your ear and making you jolt. "But I will fill your cunt with my seed," his finger increased, "and leave you with my memory. I would spend tonight in you, my dove."

"Please," you whined, a hand over his to encourage the grip he had on your tit, as the other reached back to keep his face and mouth close to your flushing flesh. Your hand contracted over his, making it roughly paw at your breast; voice breathless, "My Dragon, do not tease me longer."

Daemon panted from behind you, both hands dropping to free his hips of trousers; stroking his throbbing member only a few times while lifting your leg. "Remember, dove..."

"You've got me," you finished, nodding as one hand lined himself up and the other held your leg; plunging into you at this new angle, and making you both cry out with unfiltered ecstasy. "Daemon, oh, my Gods," you praised, head tossed back to his shoulder as he grunted against your ear; settling himself in position.

One arm shot under your body to hold you in place; hand able to twist to rub at your clit, as his other hand coiled around you, laid between your breasts, to clamp around your throat in a hold.

You had heard other ladies mumbling about being 'fucked into bliss', and didn't understand until now. Daemon kept your body in position to allow his hips to piston into your own, balls slapping noisily, and teeth bared to let a few mangled grunts escape.

Your mouth felt like it was broken and could only hang open, turned slightly into the pillows beneath you both. Daemon was flooded with pleasure, muttering sweet, dirty nothings in your ear; warning you he was close, and fingering your clit. As you released around him, his praise was voiced like a sure stream - just as sure as his cum filled you to the brim, slightly leaking from around him and wetting the crack of your ass.

"Fuck," you begged with a pant, his breath fanning over the skin of your shoulders. When you shifted, he grunted lightly but seized your hips to anchor you in place.

"No, dove," he whispered, still behind you, "let me stay."

"I was not disinviting you from my bed, Daemon," you jested.

"Hmm, that is good," he smirked, landing a single kiss to your shoulder. "But I meant let my cock stay - buried in this sweet cunt. Just for the night, my dove."

His vulgar words made you shudder some, "Daemon..."

"I will leave you in the morning," he promised, "and have the tea sent. But for now," he stifled another groan, "let me stay, my pretty princess."

"How could I say no?" You smirked.

"That was the point," he grinned, chuckling lightly as you both shifted some for comfort. "Sleep, my love," he whispered, letting you twitch a little before settling. As you drifted off, your mind conjured would-be situations you might find yourself in with Daemon once you marry, pending if you could keep this affair hidden for a respectable amount of time.

Three weeks after your arrival to your husband's estate, you were finally done aiding in settling the estate and bringing his eldest son into his Lordship, and you were so fucking ready to head back to Kings Landing.

Lucky for you, as you had finished breakfast that morning, someone was shouting from the outside, "DRAGON!"

You gasped and nearly tripped over your own feet to rush for the windows, catching just a glimpse of Caraxes gliding through the air to land outside the stronghold's territory. You had dressed in black as a symbol of mourning, but something in your gut stirred with the idea of wearing the color to represent your new married name.

With as much calmness as you could muster, you met your step-son (who was only a few years younger than you) in the court room, and waited. Being as you were 'Lady' of the estate, he had trusted you to help him learn the ropes, and while he was technically on his own now, he still liked having your ear.

The doors of the court room opened, and the Prince Daemon surged through the doors with a (familiar) knowing smirk.

"Lord," your step-son greeted.

You leaned towards his ear, "That's Prince Daemon, love, he's addressed as 'Your Grace'."

"Oh," he nodded, eyes widening in embarrassment; but Daemon only smirked and clasped his hands in front of him as he came to a halt before the new Lord. "My most sincere apologies, my Prince, I uh... I have never met Royalty, I did not know."

"No apologies necessary, my Lord, you have offended no one on your quest for knowledge," Daemon smoothly assured.

"To what might we owe this unexpected pleasure?" You had taught the new Lord to be dutiful and polite, to always ask how he might offer aid before making any assumptions for anyone's arrival.

Daemon lifted his chin, "Much like she has done here, my brother requests the Lady of the House to return to King's Landing, where she might aid in tutoring the King's son."

"Oh," your step-son's eyes widened, and your hand laid over his clutching the arm rest of his seat. "Yo-You are being summoned, step-mother."

You internally cringed at the term. "Yes... So it would appear."

"We cannot reject the King, no matter how I wish for you to stay," he sighed, nodding. "Right, we will offer the dragon three sheep for his long journey," he nodded to a guard, "and tonight, we will feast. On the morrow, we will see you off," he nodded to you now.

"With respect?" Daemon took a step forward. "The King has sent me on my dragon to ensure the lady's swift and safe arrival back into the city. The sheep are appreciated, but not necessary," his hands waved your step-son's offering off.

You lifted your chin and spoke the lad's name. He turned to you, eyes almost hopeful - but you would not be offering any now. "Come to court this season, and I will sponsor you," you spoke quietly. "Only for the season, and if you do not find a wife, come for the next. The dynasty of your family now lies on your shoulders, love, and you will be expected to produce heirs."

He nodded, "Father mentioned it before..."

"He wasn't wrong," you nodded softly. "So, I will go with the Prince now and report to the King, and in three months, you will be a guest of the city and partake in the courts."

"My first time," he mumbled nervously.

"Ah," you sighed, "think not of it, for you will be with me."

"Thank you," he smiled with gratefulness. "Who would watch here?"

You smiled, "Who would you trust?"

Your step-son paused, "Maester Arwyn?"

"A good choice, love," your lips pulled with pride. "And court is only a season long, you will return soon."

"Hopefully married."

"Hopefully," you teased, standing from your seat. "With your leave, Lord?"

He nodded, "Of course, yes. Yes, you should pack - come, Prince Daemon, let me show you the grounds while the Lady makes herself ready."

"A splendid idea," you praised as Daemon smirked.

"I agree, I've never seen what your town's to offer," Daemon smirked, turning to follow your step-son; shooting you a smirk and wink over his shoulder, and leaving you alone.

The moment the doors clanged shut, you took a sobering breath, and tried to remind yourself it was real - and in five months, you'd call that man husband.

You were shameless in your rapid packing, most of your desired objects already in the Red Keep. Daemon was lead on a total tour of the stronghold, and you met the pair where Caraxes was waiting - Daemon making introductions, as your step-son nearly quivered in fear of the scaly beast.

You were quiet as you approached, not daring to interrupt the moment. Daemon beamed in mischief as he caught sight of you, backing up to wrap his arm around you, and after an assuring glance to make sure your step-son's eyes were still 100% on Caraxes, leaned in to press a searing kiss to your lips.

In his native tongue, Daemon whispered, "I've missed you, my sweet princess."

"I've missed you more," you whispered in reply, words drowned out by Caraxes' deep breathing. "Making friends?" you asked a little louder, in the common tongue, directing it at your step-son's back; pushing Daemon's hands away with a teasing smirk.

"He's incredible..."

"Isn't he?" You agreed, coming to his side; spying his hand still flat on the reddish scales. "You all right?" You whispered, spying the tears shining.

"Just... Mesmerized, I'm okay, promise," He assured you. "This is incredible."

"When you come to court, I will show you the Dragon Pit," Daemon nodded, clapping the lad on the shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Course."

"Thank you, Your Grace," the lad nodded, beaming in glee and excitement. "Oh, you are packed already," he noticed your rucksacks. "I suppose you are ready to depart, then?"

You sighed, "I will write - and you can write me."

"And I'll see you in three months..."

"You will," you sighed, pulling him in for a tight hug. Smoothing over his hair, you paused to give him an affection squeeze - press a quick kiss to his forehead - and release him. "You're gonna be fine," you whispered.

He nodded and turned to Daemon, bidding the Prince a goodbye, safe travels, and promising to take him up on his offers. Daemon smirked and watched him walk away before leading you to the other side of his dragon. "Nice lad," he complimented, pushing your rucksacks from your shoulders. "Bit young, no?"

"He'll learn," you panted, reaching up to hook your hand around his neck and yank him into you - lips colliding in a frenzied mess. "Missed you - so fucking much."

He huffed through his nose, meshing your lips together messily before pulling back, "Missed you more, my dove. More than you know."

"I think I know," you winked, kissing him again, and then straightening up off of Caraxes hide. "So? How does... This all work?" You asked, glancing to the dragon providing you with limited privacy.

"Come," he spoke steadily, grabbing your bags, hoisting them up his shoulder; then climbing into the saddle, storing the bags, and reaching for you.

In Valyrian, you asked Caraxes, "Am I allowed to mount you? Not gonna eat me, right?"

The dragon snorted and shifted his weight, turning his head forward, and seemingly giving the O-K. Daemon reached for you, guiding you up to the saddle, and let you settle behind him. "Go easy on me, yes?" You whispered in his ear, aware of the eyes still lingering from the stronghold.

"Course, dove," he smirked - and everyone heard from the ground how you screamed in fright as Caraxes took off in a (clumsy) sprint, spread his wings, and took flight.

"DAEMON!" You scolded once in the air, clinging to him as if your life depended on it.

"Get used to this, my love," he laughed.

"Oh, my Gods," you whimpered. "Listen! If the Gods wanted us to fly, they would've given us wings, Daemon, oh, my fuck! Please! Please!"

"You're safe, my love," he assured, a hand over your tense ones that held the front of his tunic in a vice grip. "I would never let anything happen to you, you know that. And Caraxes is bonded to me - he would not let anything happen to you, either."

"Okay, that's reassuring, love, but we're still hundreds of feet in the air," you worried, tightening your hold on him.

"Sweetheart," he spoke softly, caressing your arms around his middle, "just open your eyes a moment. I promise it's worth it."

With mustered bravery, you wrenched your clamped eyes open, and the breath was knocked from your lungs. You were higher than the clouds, and by the Gods, you could see all land and clouds; the sun streaming between gaps; and providing a view you could never of imagined unless on dragon-back.

"See?" he smirked. "Not too terrible, is it?"

You breathed against the back of his neck, "No - it's beautiful, even, my love, do not mistake that. Doesn't make this any more safe."

"You are with me - how much more safe can you be, my love?"

"On the ground!" You groaned, burying your face into his shoulder blades. "Being on the ground is safest."

"Debatable. On dragonback, we can make a quick getaway. Safety is paramount up here, and Caraxes is a firece companion who has saved my life more often than not."

You hummed, wondering in a quiet voice, "Would I ever have to ride without you?"

"Never, my love."

You sighed with relief, "Then I suppose I could try to get used to this. But... Not right now."

"I understand," he chuckled, patting your hands again. "But I will need you to do one thing for me, my sweet."

"Hmm?"

"Come here."

"I'm right behind you, Daemon."

"No, come to the front," he smirked, twisting in the saddle to lean to the side. "Trust me, please," he nodded, guiding you around his body to settle in front of him; facing, and koala hugging him. "See?" He mused, hands smoothing over your back and waist, "Not too terrible."

"No," you shuddered lightly. "But we are not doing that again."

"In truth, it was a test," he admitted, gently curling a strand of wild, loose hair behind your ear.

"For what?"

"To see the extent of your trust," he sighed lightly. "I know you have not spent a lot of time around dragons, but for you to then climb around me? Tells me more than you'll know."

You hummed lightly, snuggled against his pectoral, "Did I pass your test then, my Prince?"

Daemon nodded, pecking your forehead, "Yes, my dove."

The rest of the ride wasn't as exciting as the start, but you did feel safer than before; might've even stretched your hands back some to support your upper body. With your legs hooked around his hips, and his hands casually sweeping up and down your thighs, it was otherworldly to just gaze at the man you were set to marry.

"What is it?" He wondered after an hour, the dragon gliding lower as you surged towards the capital of the country.

"Nothing," you assured, biting back your smile. "You just look so handsome."

"Oh?"

"Mhm," you nodded, elaborating, "this is where you belong, my Prince. Not on an Iron Throne, but here, on your dragon's back."

Daemon's eyes slitted some, "Careful, dove. We are nearly home."

"That matters?"

"Considering if another compliment such as that one passes through your lips, I might not wait until we're back to fuck you," he purred, hands tight over your thighs and slightly prying them open more.

"I'm surprised you've waited this long, truthfully," you smirked, his bare hands then slipping under your skirts to hold your calves. "How has it been without me?"

"Miserable, my love," he groaned lightly, letting his hands slide up to grasp the backs of your knees. "You were dearly missed, I almost stopped showing up to court, but figured it'd be suspicious if I returned when you did."

"My poor Prince," You eased, letting your knees widen. "Worry not, for I am back. And this coming season won't be like the others, hmm?"

"I imagine not," he admitted, raking his eyes over you. "Black suits you, my dove."

"Not for the reasons I wear it now," you cocked your head. "But in a few months, I'll wear this color to represent my husband."

Daemon smirked, dragging you forward gently as he leaned forward until his lips hovered over your own, "How I cannot wait to hear that."

"Hmm?"

"Being called your husband," he purred, smirking lightly before letting his lips descend upon yours. His hands pushed to grip at your thighs now, pawing at the meat of your inner thighs to hoist you into his lap, and keep you spread for him.

You let out a shuddering breath when his fingers danced down either side of your crotch; Daemon smirking when you whimpered as he pet to the sides of your sopping hole. "Daemon," you whispered, stomach knotting in anticipation, "if you do not stop now, we will not anytime soon."

He sighed, letting his face fall into the crook of your neck as his fingertips danced down your glistening slit. "I know you are right, but fuck, dove, you smell divine."

"Wait until we're home," you whispered, licking the shell of his ear after to save yourself from releasing a desperate cry as he added slightly more pressure. "I don't want us seen for the rest of the night, my Prince."

"'S still early," he pointed out.

"Exactly," you panted, cunt contracting as he simply toyed with your lower lips; spreading your arousal as you resisted the urge to hump into him. "Daemon," you warned now.

"Too much, my love?" he teased.

"Do not make us land with me bouncing on your cock, hmm?" You returned, hearing him chuckle lowly. His fingers retracted and you almost whined in disappointment.

"Fine," he relented, readjusting to hold your hips over your black dress. "I will resist this sweet cunt, but when we get in, we are not leaving the bed. Hmm?"

You smirked, "I would not want to. Might we be interrupted?"

"I might have, possibly, alleged... Told Viserys not to bother us," he admitted, shrugging some as his eyes casted down. "Hmm, speaking of home," he nodded, your head twisting to gaze down at the approaching city. "C'mere, dove," he sighed again, twisting you so you were forward in the saddle; straddling the dragon with your Prince's hands tight over your hips. "You're a natural up here, you know?" He mused gently in your ear, hands moving over yours to properly position them on the pommel of the saddle.

"I have a decent teacher," you mused, now eagerly peaking over scaly shoulders.

"Is that right? He take you flying often?"

"Hmm, no," you answered. "Though I think I might be interested in trying it more. Think he'd be willing to lend some time to me?"

"Who could say no to someone like you, princess?" He teased in your ear, Caraxes soaring lower to loom over the city.

"I am not sure," you smirked over your shoulder, "but it's a damn good thing I find it hard to say no to him, too."

"That right?" his teeth scraped over your ear, making you inhale deeply and grind back against him - relishing in the feeling of his hardening cock that would soon be plunging into you. "Easy, my princess - don't need me finishing in my pants and giving us away now, do we?"

You sighed lightly, "Guess not."

He chuckled, pecking your neck before taking control of the dragon's reigns, whispering, "I cannot say no to you, either, my dove."

Your hand rose to pet over his cheek with a hum, his chin resting on your shoulder; the Dragon Pit coming into view, and after circling it, Caraxes was landing with a distinct thud and bellowing roar.

Your lungs had stuttered in nerves but one of Daemon's hands smoothed around your hips to keep you anchored against him as you rocked dangerously upon landing. When the dragon was stable, Daemon loosened his grip to peer around at you, "You all right, dove?"

"Yeah," you sniffled. "Bit rougher than I thought, but all right."

"You will get used to it, my love, promise," he promised, nudging his forehead to your temple for a brief moment. "All right, c'mere," he sobered up, grabbing your few bags, and dismounting first. When standing on the dragon's hide, he tossed your things to a guard on the ground, and reached up for you. "I've got you," he assured, easing you down from the saddle.

You grunted lightly when you landed, sighing with slight relief, and telling Caraxes in Valyrian, "Though that was incredible, it is nice to be on the ground again."

The dragon snorted a bit as if in humor, his master smirking as he shouldered your bags. "Come," he ushered, bags strategically placed in front of the tented fabric of his crotch.

Your hand wrapped around his bicep and had to hustle some to keep up with his strong stride, but then an idea came to mind. You looked around the streets you were passing through to reach the Red Keep, finding the one you were in deserted. Rolling your bottom lip between your teeth, you quickly sidestepped into an alcove and yanked Daemon behind you.

Before he could question you, your hands pushed against his shoulders so he was against the stone wall, and only gave him a moment to breathe before your lips were sucking over his. Daemon's throat released a moan while you pushed the straps of your bags from his shoulders, then sliding up to his short hair to twist your fingers between.

Daemon, like a man starving, kissed you with overwhelming need; tongue instantly lapping with your own as his hands held you tightly by your waist, hips, up to your jaw; raking through your own hair, and doing everything they could to keep you close.

Your hips rolled forward into his, making his lungs inhale sharply, and his fingers to bruise your flesh deliciously. With a low growl, Daemon turned you both, shoving you into the brick as if his resolve was crumbling; moaning into your mouth when you tugged his locks.

"Daemon," you panted lightly, petting your fingertips down his cheek.

"Yes, my love?" He whispered, licking into your mouth again.

You hummed, hand moving to steel around his neck and jaw to force his lips off yours. "Listen to me," you grinned, clinging to him as if a young Lady - new to love. He nodded, nose nuzzling yours. "The estate is settled, and the new Lord reigns. Everything went to plan, my Dragon."

"He's buried?" Daemon checked, switching to his native tongue in case of anyone lingering. "Gone?"

"Gone from us," you promised, caressing his cheek after. "I am yours, my love..."

"Fucking finally," he groaned, surging forward again to capture your lips in a grinning-kiss. "You're all I've ever wanted, my princess. Fuck..."

"The moment it's acceptable, I will marry you," you promised, kissing him again.

"My love," he chuckled, pecking your lips happily, "if you do not control yourself, I will take you right here."

You sighed with a small whine, bottom lip pouted. "Sounds ravishing."

"My dirty girl," he seethed, kissing you once and forcing himself away. "Gods," he paused, breathing through his nose as he tried to force the blood from his engorged cock - but nearly crumpled when your hand palmed over him. "Dove - "

"I will thank your brother for welcoming me back," you promised, giving a squeeze, "and then I will fuck you all night. Three weeks was far too long."

"How we went a decade, I'll never know," he cleared his throat, losing the battle to press into your working hand. "Sweetheart..."

"Do not lose this," you purred against his mouth, "I want you to cum in my mouth first."

Daemon whimpered when you let go, biting your lip with a knowing grin. "Dangerous woman," he cursed, forehead to yours. "And now I must see my brother? Like this? Truly?"

"Or you can wait for me," you whispered in his ear, "and be naked when I return."

Daemon let his teeth gnash across your neck. "We will see the King," he decided, pulling back to inhale deeply, "and then I will show you where we are residing."

"'We'?" you questioned gently.

He smirked, nodding, "I might've bargained for a better set up for us, my dove."

"What does that mean?"

"A bigger, much more private room," he smirked. "For you and I only."

You fought the grin threatening to overtake your face, "I'd like that."

"Good," he whispered, pecking your lips gently. "You deserve it all, my sweet."

This time, you lifted your chin to let your nose brush up his, "So long as I have you, my Prince, I am overly blessed. You're all I need."

"Good," he beamed, caressing your cheek. "Come, the faster this is over, the sooner I can have you in my mouth."

You smiled and took his arm again; bags on his shoulder once more to cover his trousers, and within minutes, you were entering the Red Keep. Perhaps it was a simple stroke of good luck that Ser Strong was seen, Daemon calling his name.

"Ah, my Prince," the Hand greeted, stealing a glance at you. "And my Lady, what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Do you know where my brother is?"

"In his chambers," Strong answered. "He's not in the best of states at the moment, Your Grace."

Daemon only hummed and lead you past the Hand of the King; barely letting you sputter your thanks before you were pulled around a corner. "Where are we going?" You asked as he lead you to a part of the castle you've never been in before.

"To see the King, and give our thanks," he eased. "Do not fret, my dove, you will need to get used to visiting the King in his private residence."

"Seems out of place for me," you mentioned.

"You will be the Princess of the City, my sweet," he smirked, "and you will never be out of place. Come," he soothed, leading you up to a pair of doors.

An hour later, you and Daemon were bowing out of the room, and leaving Viserys to rest. He asked of your husband's funeral, and when you informed him of your step-son coming to court this season, he was most intrigued to meet the new Lord. He was a kindly old man, and Daemon just smirked proudly as he watched the two of you catch up and chat.

By the end, Viserys was tired, and let you and Daemon take your leave. His raging hard-on had soothed some, no longer requiring your bags to be used to strategically hide his crotch. However, when you left the King, Daemon smirked and laced your hands together before leading you towards a separate tower.

"Love?" You wondered, watching him check up and down the hallway before prying a large portrait from the wall; swinging out to reveal a lone hallway.

"Private, just for us," he muttered, leading you through the doorway, and showing the mechanism that would keep the door secure.

"Who'd you have to kill for this, my Prince?" You sighed patiently, the hallway short, and leading to another door.

"It was closed off," he admitted, "but I convinced Viserys it would be good for us until we're publicly married. It's been renovated during your leave."

"Your brother is doing us too many favors," you frowned slightly, entering the new room. "Gods," you breathed, looking all around in wonder. The room was large, circular, and already fully furnished.

"He's happy to help," Daemon answered, watching you soak in the surprise. "Well? Do you like it?"

"Love it, my Prince," you beamed, nodding in reassurance.

"Good," he nodded. "It's ours if we wish to keep it past our wedding night."

"Maybe," you admitted. "The privacy is to die for."

"Thought you might appreciate it, my dove," he whispered, wrapping his arms tightly around your waist to peer out of the balcony doors. "It's ours, then."

"For now," you mused.

"Hey?" He let his lips press to your neck.

"Daemon," you turned in his arms, sighing lightly, "have you not given thought to what we are to do after we marry?"

"Besides have babies?" he mused lightly.

"Besides that, yes," you chuckled. "Where we might live, Daemon. You are second son, and I am but a daughter - set to marry for the second time. There are no lands in my name," you sighed, petting over his chest, "and I cannot offer you anything."

"You are enough for me, my love," he promised. "And we can live where we choose - that I promise you. Worry not," he sighed lightly, leaning in to press his lips to your forehead.

"What of the Stepstones?" You wondered, chin pressed to his sternum as he hummed.

"What of them, my sweet? To live?"

"Are you not King there?" You teased lightly. "Maybe it has the making for a new kingdom... Just needs a bit of man power to ensure it goes to plan, hmm?"

Daemon nodded, "Only problem, my love, is that the Stepstones are temperamental and unpredictable. Hardly a place to raise a family."

"Where would you raise our children?"

He paused a moment to consider your words, asking, "In truth?"

"Please."

He sighed, "Perhaps... On Dragonstone, but with family around. I grew with my brother, mother, father, cousins - aunts, uncles..."

You nodded sadly, "Perhaps we could..." Your shoulders shrugged lightly, "Stay here? Where you are with your brother?"

"No," he spoke with conviction, pulling your face to his so he could see you in full, "for this is not a city to raise a family in. Our children will be free of the burdens this capital brings."

You nodded, "So, where, my Prince?"

He chuckled, "I hear Lys is nice."

"And Pentos," you added.

"And parts of Essos."

"Maybe even Dorne."

"Maybe not," he chuckled lightly. "Wherever we want to go, my sweet, we will. For now, do not fret, we have time to plan our next move."

"Being a wedding," you smirked.

"Hmm," he paused, "no, I believe it would first be to court you - then I'll marry you."

You chuckled and rocked onto your toes, agreeing, "I cannot wait."

"At the end of this season, you will be mine," he beamed, nuzzling his nose with yours. "And I might start actually thanking the Seven."

"Oh," you laughed, watching his lips almost involuntarily spread, "it's that serious, is it? Moved to religion, are you?"

Daemon smirked and leaned in close, slowly kissing you before whispering, "I've finally got the woman of my dreams, yeah... Yeah, I'm moved to religion, my princess. I've waited too long for this."

Your throat felt thicker than before, your toes pushing you up to wrap your arms around his neck; burrowing into his warmth, and feeling his arms tighten around you. "You'll never be without me," you promised him, petting down the back of his head before threading your fingers through his short locks. "I love you, Daemon..."

He breathed a sigh of relief, lips puckering to place a kiss along your shoulder, "I love you more, my sweet dove."

part three: Darkening Hour

Midnight Calls masterlist

requesting rules and masterlist

HOTD masterlist

[harrywavycurly]

Hello my darling Sarah! So I’m here to simply ask you to combine the best of both worlds and hit us with some conversations with Eddie but make them about Wayne😂 love you and thank you💕

Hiii babes!! Ask and you shall receive!! Love youuu more and you’re so very welcome!! Enjoy💖

*You and Wayne will be the reason Eddie gets gray hair before he’s thirty*

“Wayne called me and told me he saw you on the roof? Tell me he’s high on his cough meds again.” “Oh it was one time Eddie you have to let that go.” “You’re avoiding the question baby…” “i had to fix one of the lights…it was causing the whole strand to blink all wonky like.” “Sweet fucking Jesus you were actually on the roof?” “Only for a brief amount of time…Wayne came and yelled at me so I got down.” “You need a babysitter when I’m not home.” “I thought that’s what Wayne was for?” “You managed to get on the roof so he’s obviously not doing a good job.” “On a brighter note all of our Christmas lights look great now.”

“So Wayne told me you were a horrible toddler is that true?” “He told you what?” “He said that you were stubborn and had tantrums.” “Stubborn? He must’ve gotten me mixed up with himself.” “Right…” “why were you two talking about me as a toddler anyway?” “I was just curious on how our kids would act one day and he just said we should hope they turn out more like me.” “You’re the stubborn one out of the two of us sweetheart so maybe they should be like an even mixture of us?” “So like…your hair and my personality?” “Exactly.”

“How was lunch with Wayne?” “It was great I made that cheesy rice casserole he loves and some cookies.” “Damn all that for him and I’m sitting over here eating ham and cheese?” “Sorry I only have the capacity to cook for one Munson man at a time and today it was Wayne.” “I get it…so what did you two talk about over this casserole?” “Ya know..stuff.” “Stuff? What kind of stuff?” “Just things.” “Stuff and things huh?” “Yup nothing for you to worry about.” “Too late for that baby. You two make me nervous.”

“He told me I could do it.” “I swear to god the two of you can’t be left unsupervised.” “Don’t be so dramatic Eddie it’s not a big deal.” “It’s not a big deal? Wayne let you use a chainsaw and you’re not seeing how that’s a big deal?” “I wanted to help him cut some branches down he was out there for over an hour.” “You’ve never used a power tool in your life and he thinks it’s okay to just hand you the same tool they made a whole horror movie franchise about? He’s lost his fucking mind.” “I didn’t kill anyone with it I just got to cut off a few branches and it was kinda fun.” “Fun? Wielding a chainsaw was fun?” “Yeah i felt really badass and Wayne said I looked cool.” “I can’t…I just…you two are going to be the fucking death of me.” “I’m sorry you came home and saw me but just know he was out there the whole time you just…caught him when he went to get some more water.” “Oh sure yeah he was watching you the whole time…this is the same man who didn’t realize he left me at the mini mart until he was home and looking for me to ask if I’d seen his cigarets when I was like ten.” “That’s you��he’s different with me. I’m his favorite.” “You’re everyone’s favorite sweetheart. Did he at least give you safety glasses?” “You mean sunglasses? Yes.” “Sunglasses?…thats it…you two are grounded from each other for a week.”

[aeinzzzketchup]

oh thank God it went through 😮‍💨 my wifi was acting wonky & technically it DID SAY IT GOT RECEIVED.... but it FROZE TOO. i had to refresh my screen and it went back to default inbox!! so i just went comatose and hoped for the universe to be on my side but lemme tell u rn if it hadn't gone through, i would've deadass logged off for a good day or two to resist the voices.

BUT YOOOOO IT WENT THROUGH??? IT WENT THROUGH!!!!! THAT MEANS YOU'RE READING/YOU'VE READ IT

@aeinzzzketchup YOU. IN MY INBOX?!

[koitrash]

I like your voice p4

SMUT SMUT SMUT SMUT it took me HOURS to finish this because i had to keep taking breaks to compose myself. This is my first ever smut and i'm actually kinda proud of it :) Also you don't have to read the other 3 parts to read this one, just in case y'all r just horny without the plot (it b like that sometimes) LMFAOO anyways i hope you enjoy this was super fun to write! Sorry if the intro is a little wonky it's literally starts where the last part stopped

Pairing: Ellie x Fem reader

Warnings: MDNI! NSFW, Fingering, fem oral receiving, swearing ✨praise✨ Overstimulation

Word count: 2.1k

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Your mouth hung open as you gawked at the question, face on fire. "Dina!" Ellie started when the silence went on for a little too long.

"I wouldn't....not ... kiss her." You chewed on your lip looking down at your hands for a second until you couldn't handle the mystery Ellie's expression held. You peeked over at her, face blank and cheeks red as she returned the glance. She breathed in, shifting her jaw almost like she was upset.

"Look, it's getting late and I have to get up early tomorrow, I think it's time to call it a night." Ellie stated as she stood, moving to turn the TV off. You let out a breath you didn't realize you were holding. Dina whined as she grabbed the popcorn and Jesse headed towards the door. You couldn't be upset at her kicking everyone out really, Dina was the one who invited you guys over in the first place. Ellie opened the door as Jesse and Dina walked out hand in hand, curtly saying their goodbyes. You followed stepping out into the cold air.

"Y/n wait-" Ellie called, lightly gripping at your bicep. "You said you like horror novels right?"

You nodded slowly at her, curiously gazing around the room. Ellie smiled and stabbed her thumb towards the back of the room. "There's something I want to show you." She leaned back on her heels making her way to the desk in the corner of the room. You followed her till you got to the desk, leaning with your thigh against it, peering over to the guitar while she rummaged through papers to find whatever it was she needed.

"You play the guitar?" You asked.

"Yeah... Joel taught me." She slowed her pace as she turned towards you. "Maybe I can play for you one day." She smiled, eyes darting to something behind you.

Watching her slowly move forward, she reached her arm to grab a book behind you. She lingered there long enough for you to look back at her, incredibly close to you. Your breath hitched at the sudden step into your personal bubble. Ellie glanced back at you, then your lips, then back up to your eyes, her face nearly inches away from yours. Her tongue slightly poked out as she curled her lips in to lick them quickly, bottom lips catching under her teeth.

"What was that you said about kissing me?" She grinned, warm breath tickling your skin. You leaned in slightly as you felt her fingers dance along your neck to your jaw as you gripped her shoulders, needing to steady yourself with something. This whole thing was making your head spin, remembering you still had alcohol rushing through your system.

You fluttered your eyes closed as her lips collided with yours. The kiss was soft, timid, scared almost. You pulled away first, frankly you couldn't believe what just happened and needed a second to process. Her heavy eyes watched, carefully studying your features. She was so beautiful, you wished you could just stare at her all day.

Letting your hand settle into her hair, the other resting on her neck, you pushed back into another kiss. This time more passionate, hungry. One of her hands gripped your waist, pulling your hips closer. God her touch makes you want to do so many unspeakable things. Her warm hand pressed into your back as she leaned forward into the kiss, tongue swiping your bottom lip, asking for permission. You opened your mouth slightly as her tongue began to explore. Breathing was becoming difficult now, letting a soft sigh escape your lips. Your hand left her hair and slammed into the desk behind you, happily greeting a pen. You hissed as you broke the kiss to see what it was that stabbed your palm.

"You okay?" Ellie asked, her hand remained on the small of your back as she stepped back a bit.

"Yeah." You tossed the pen to a messy pile of drawings a few feet away, not missing the portraits of someone who looked eerily similar to yourself. You turned back to her, placing your hand close to her ear, guiding her face back to yours as you placed a sweet kiss on her lips. She sighed as she melted back into your body, desperate to make contact again.

She started to move down your neck, leaving open mouth kisses trailing down. You sighed leaning back into the desk again, careful to not hit anything. You let your mind wander as you paid special attention to how her hands moved on your skin. This is really happening. Ellie was here in your arms. She made the first move.

Your eyes flew open as Ellie's lips explored behind your ear, a soft gasp escaped your lips as you bit back a moan. Sweet spot. You listened to the wet sounds Ellie's mouth made as she sucked at your skin. Her hand also had some exploring to do as she snaked one under your shirt, causing your back to arch slightly.

It wasn't until her hand palmed at your breast that you actually moaned. This did nothing but make Ellie more hungry, listening to the lewd sounds emerging from your lips. "Oh my god can you get any more perfect?" She sighed as she moved her knee between your thighs, pressing against your heat. This was too much for you to handle. You almost missed the fact that she just called you perfect which made your heart damn near stop pumping. You fisted her hair pulling her back up to meet your hungry lips again. Ellie softly moaning into your mouth before moving her hand down your stomach. Her making these amazing sounds combined with hands swirling around your body with ease was making you dizzy as heat pooled in a familiar area.

"Bed." Was all you could manage to say and even that was barely above a whisper.

She pulled back, eyeing your kiss swollen lips before grabbing your hand and leading you to the bed. You watched as she sat you down, hands moving to lift your shirt up. You helped her push it past your head, colliding with her lips again as you grabbed at the hem of her shirt. She broke the kiss as she reached behind her head, pulling her shirt off to reveal a black sports bra and soft abs. You sucked in a sharp breath, reaching forward to touch her soft skin. Your fingers grazed her stomach like it was an expensive art piece as she sighed into your touch, clearly wanting more. Looking up, you made eye contact with her staring down at you, lip caught in between her teeth , as her eyebrows pushed together. A small whine escaped her mouth as she grabbed your wrist, pushing your hand to press firmly against her abs. "Touch me." She whispered as she leaned forward, meeting your lips yet again. You swore you were seeing stars at this point.

You did exactly as you were told, letting your hands explore every inch of skin you could. Ellie continued to release soft moans as she also explored your body. Her hand slipped down between your thighs, earning herself a moan as she pressed against your heat. She moved to unbutton your pants as you accompanied her. As soon as they slipped off your foot she was back latched onto your neck, marking her territory. You moaned as your hand cupped the back or her head and the other one held yourself up right. Ellie's warm lips started to make their way down your chest as she unlatched your bra, keeping contact with your skin.

"Is this okay?" She asked, lifting her head to look up at you. You shifted your hips, trying to ignore your heat becoming increasingly wet.

"Ellie, you can punch me in the face and I'd thank you."

Her eyebrows furrowed together as her eyes widened, lips curling into a smile as she laughed, leaning her forehead into yours.

"Well for starters," She said as she pressed a kiss to your forehead, then to your temple. "I could never punch you in the face, babe." She smiled against your mouth before she pressed another kiss into it. You giggled to yourself as she started caressing your thigh.

You hummed as she got on her knees, pulling your hips closer to the edge as you spread your legs open. She fit perfectly as she propped one leg on her shoulder, leaving heated kisses on your inner thigh. Your hand settled on holding the back of her head. She sighed as she kissed your lips through the underwear, which you so desperately wanted off, your thighs involuntarily pushed closed on contact. Ellie took this opportunity to pull your underwear off, quickly moving to make contact with your heat again.

"Fuck, baby, your so wet. All this from kissing?" she teased, making you groan with anticipation. "Ellie." Your plea was cut short by a finger dipping into your entrance. You sucked a sharp breath in as you looked down at her to see her looking back up at you.

"Hmm? What was that?" She continued to tease, watching as your mouth opened, eyes squinting at her. Her finger started to move as her thumb made contact with your clit, circling slowly. A high pitched moan left your open mouth as you smacked your hand up to it. Ellie's fingers curled around your wrist, pulling your hand away. "No no baby, I wanna hear." She whined, inching closer to your face.

"Please" was the only thing you could get out before she shoved another finger inside, causing you to throw your head back in pleasure. Your breath became shorter and heavier as you watched Ellie move back down, lips making contact with your clit. Her fingers remained thrusting in and out of your entrance, tongue opting to press flatly against your clit, making you tighten your grip in her hair. She sucked and licked so elegantly as she gently moaned, sending vibrations up your spine as your walls hugged her fingers. The pressure was building fast in your lower stomach, threatening to release soon. Your moans got louder and quicker as your hips jerked, hinting that Ellie's playtime was almost up. You've never felt pleasure so intense. "Ellie I'm gonna.." You moaned out.

"I know baby, cum for me." She lifted her head to fully watch you finish with just her fingers. Her other hand moved to interlock with yours as your head snapped back letting the coil in your stomach snap as you let out a loud high pitched moan. "Good girl." She smirked, continuing to finger you, picking up speed. You gasped as your eyes flew open to see her smugly stare at you. Pressing your hand to her chest you cried out feeling overstimulated, tears forming at the corner of your eyes. You moved your knee up more, giving Ellie's fingers a better angle as she made a 'come here' motion with her fingers. Your toes curled as she kissed down your neck again. Your moans loud and erotic.

"Fuck!" You cried as your hands grabbed anywhere you could, from Ellie's body, to the covers, to your own mouth, not that she allowed it to stay there long. Ellie's hand collided with your throat, squeezing it slightly. "You're doing so good, baby." Her mouth hung open slightly as her eyebrows pressed together, hair sticking to her temple. "Let me hear you one more time." Her thumb rubbed at your clit again as you moaned eroticly. Feeling the pressure snap and pleasure overwhelm your senses as you rode the high.

Ellie removed her fingers from you, popping them in her mouth she moaned at your savory taste. Leaning down to sweetly kiss you as you caught your breath. "You have the prettiest moans I've ever heard." She looked down at you, proud that she was the source of it. You breathed out a laugh.

"I want to hear you too." You moved your hands down to her jeans.

"No no, I've got an early morning, remember?" she laughed as she grabbed your hand and you whined. "Let me get a rag to clean you up." She pressed a kiss into your temple before you were left cold wondering how the hell you got here. You slipped under the covers, resting your head on her pillow and praying she wasn't going to kick you out because that would be a different level of embarrassing, but that's what most hook ups do.

Ellie returned, smiling at you wrapped in her blanket. Sliding under as well she wiggled her arms around you, cuddling you tightly like you would disappear at any moment. Now most hook ups wouldn't do this. Aftercare and cuddles were relatively new to you, and frankly you couldn't believe it was something you were missing out on for so long. You curled your head into her neck as you melted into her arms. Her fingers tracing circles into your back. You could get used to this. Fuck, you could get use to this.

Next chapter you and ellie patrol together and oh the ANGST. I hope you enjoyed sorry if it's a little cringy i tried my hardest and this is also my first smut ever so :P