#gracie law

[priscillablog]

Naomi Campbell on an airplane.

[muncysvelasco]

“I’m sure that i would like her if i were slightly nicer” is the definition of how grace felt when she saw velasco interacting with churlish

[madamescarlette]

Maybe ace attorney is the same thing as that critical role quote about how one day someone will pray for a miracle and that miracle will be you that I heard once and it lodged itself in my heart forever. Just a thought.

!!!!!!! YOU'RE SO RIGHT IT STUNS ME. Maybe it should have been more obvious to me since it's a series about, well, a public defender, but I just think it's so so so beautiful that as a story it always goes back to this heart of when you feel abandoned and you feel like no one in the world will listen to you and when you have nothing left to you but your own will to live that's when Nick shows up like a beam of light and honesty and he'll see you through it to the end, no matter how hard-won that may be!!

That quote lives in my heart always as a reminder of like, we don't know how or when our prayers will be answered, but in the same vein we don't know how or when we might BE the answers for somebody else, and there's a mystery and beauty to think that if your great work is to believe in other people despite constantly being shown the worst of humanity, sometimes your only guide is to believe the best of people even when that seems like the foolish option (when in fact it's the very hardest path to take). idk I'm not making sense anymore but EVERYTHING to me!

[buggy-d-hoe]

Gracy, BSN (officially)

[myfriendtheghost]

good morning from your most favorite girl ever (gracie)! i hope you know that you just single handedly ended my life by sending me that tiktok of the new song! 🥰 i’m feeling so many emotions i don’t know how to process them! 🥰🥰🥰 love u! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

GOOD MORNING GRACIEEEEE SORRY FOR RUINING YOUR LIFE but if one bestie suffers, the other must suffer too

[effervescentdragon]

I will be thinking about fernando torres and international law every time I say I wanna kms now for the rest of my life

i made a very specific meme

[hamsterclaw]

You end up being responsible for Jeon Jungkook, who's impulsive, annoying and in the habit of breaking the law. Unfortunately for you, he's also funny and sexy as fuck. There's no way this can end well, can it?

Pairing: Jungkook x f!reader

Genre: Crack, smut, rookie lawyer reader and criminal JK

Rating: 18+

Word count: 11k

Warnings: Sex, swearing, criminal activity, smoking

Present day

‘Who,’ breathes Gracie, your new client, ‘the fuck is that?’

You look in the direction she’s facing, and die inside, as the black custom Skyline glides to a smooth stop on the road, in front of you.

‘Uh, so I’ll call when I hear back about the patents,’ you say hurriedly, before….

Too late. 

The passenger door opens, and you hear Gracie gasp audibly as she sees the man in the driver’s seat.

His wavy dark hair almost covers his eyes. He rakes his tattooed hand through his hair casually, his silver piercings gleaming in the light from the streetlamps above you.

You get in before he can say anything, shutting the door firmly behind you. 

‘Just drive,’ you say, through gritted teeth.

‘Seatbelt,’ he reminds you, but he’s already pulling away from the curb.

You buckle up and stare out the window so you don’t have to look at his ridiculously pretty face.

‘Nice skirt,’ he says.

‘Don’t talk to me,’ you snap.

‘Fine,’ he says, just to annoy you.

He flicks the music on, and the interior of the car fills with the pulsing synth of the early 90s house that he’s been into lately.

He’s a good driver, you’ll give him that.

By the time he pulls into the underground car park of your building, your head is pounding from the loud music he’s played the entire journey home.

You know from experience that if you complain he’ll just turn it up louder.

‘Did you get into anything when I was with my client?’ you ask, because you have to.

The lying asshole has the audacity to give you an innocent look. It’s surprisingly effective, he was born with the wide eyes and pouty lips required to pull it off.

You remind yourself again that Jeon Jungkook is not to be trusted.

You raise an eyebrow, and wait.

Finally, he says, ‘Nothing.’

You harden your stare.

‘Nothing,’ he insists. 

He kills the engine and you both exit the car and head for the lifts.

He lives in the apartment next to yours, and the only reason a rich asshole like him is in your building is because his rich parents have paid for him to stay next to you, as his appointed guardian.

It’s an unconventional arrangement which he’d only agreed to because the alternative was jail time. 

You’d only agreed to it because his mother is your boss at the law firm you work at, and it’s not just that you need the job, but you’re also one step away from becoming an associate.

Jungkook holds the lift door open with a booted foot.

‘After you,’ he says.

‘The doors are automatic, you don’t have to hold them open,’ you point out.

You know he knows this.

Anyone who’s ever been in a lift knows it.

Jungkook admires himself in the lift mirrors. You look away, but not before he catches you looking at him.

‘Like what you see?’ he asks, voice velvety.

‘No,’ you say flatly, turning away.

He snickers softly but says nothing else.

You reach your floor and sigh with relief. 

Finally. 

It’s been a long day, and you can’t wait to go home and recharge in the solitude of your apartment.

You can already feel yourself sinking into the plushness of your new sofa after a hot shower. It’s Thursday, too, so there’s a new episode of your favourite drama being released today, and there’s leftovers in the fridge….

Jeon Jungkook’s annoying voice interrupts your daydream.

‘I have to go out again tonight,’ he tells you.

One stipulation his parents made to your unusual arrangement is that you have to accompany him whenever he leaves the apartment after dark.

‘Why?’ you ask, letting your irritation show in your tone.

‘I said I’d meet some guys,’ he says. He holds his hands up as you glare at him. ‘It’s for business.’

You’ve reached your door. You think longingly of your sofa and your drama, and stifle a sigh.

‘I just need a shower and to eat before we go,’ you say, resigned.

‘Fine. I’ll knock in an hour, ok?’ he says.

You don’t bother to respond.

By the time he knocks at your door, you’re out of your work clothes and in sweats and a hoodie.

At his surprised look you raise your eyebrows at him. 

‘Am I underdressed for your business meeting?’ you ask, like you care.

He rolls his eyes. ‘I just thought you only wore business pantsuits,’ he replies, smiling sweetly at you.

Your stomach growls. You’d spent too long in the shower and hadn’t had a chance to eat. It’d been worth it.

You ignore it and lock your apartment door.

‘I’m ready.’

Jungkook whistles the tune from a newish pop song as you head for the lifts.

He’s annoyingly melodic, and now the infectious tune’s in your head.

You focus on not humming along as you follow him to his car and get in the passenger seat.

‘Seatbelt,’ he says, and you roll your eyes.

‘Yes, mum.’ 

‘You look and act like you’re 14,’ Jungkook retorts, navigating out the car park.

‘Where are we going?’ you ask, looking out the window, ignoring his comment.

‘Verve,’ he replies, casual.

You sit up. ‘What?’

Verve is the newest, hottest restaurant in town. It opened a month ago, and it’s still impossible to get a table.

‘I can’t go there dressed like this!’

Jungkook shrugs. ‘No one asked you to get into your PJs.’

You’re livid. ‘You should have told me.’

Jungkook shrugs again. ‘You didn’t ask specifically.’

You have to sit on your hands to stop yourself from punching his smug, pretty face. You catch sight of yourself in the rearview mirror and whip the towelling headband you use when you wash your face off your head.

You seethe silently in the passenger seat until Jungkook turns to you. 

‘Stop breathing so angrily.’

‘I’m sorry my essential functions are expressing unacceptable emotions to you,’ you gripe. 

‘That’s not normal breathing,’ Jungkook argues.

There’s a few beats of silence, then Jungkook prods your side. 

‘Don’t hold your breath either.’

You suck in an irritated breath and try to moderate your tone. ‘In the future I’d appreciate some notice if we’re going anywhere with a dress code,’ you tell Jungkook.

‘Fine,’ Jungkook agrees. ‘I like short skirts, if I may express a preference.’

‘You. May. Not.’ You say, clipped.

He just laughs to himself as he reverses effortlessly into a slot on the street outside the restaurant.

‘These guys,’ he starts, then breaks off. ‘Are you wearing a bra?’

You cross your arms across your chest defensively. ‘Shut up.’

‘Your tits look great,’ Jungkook says. 

‘Shut up!’

Jungkook opens the door to Verve, and you wait nervously next to him.

You can feel eyes on you, as soft and snuggly as your hoodie and sweats are, they make you stand out in all the wrong ways in this place full of people in discreet labels.

You shuffle self-consciously as the host arrives and gives you a none-too-subtle once-over.

He opens his mouth, and Jungkook says, ‘We have a reservation at eight, Frederic said he’d block out the terrace for us.’

The whole demeanour of the host changes at Jungkook’s words. 

‘Of course. You must be Mr Jeon.’ 

You find yourself being ushered through the restaurant and up a back staircase to a huge terrace with heat lamps, a glass ceiling and Koi pond in the centre of the terrace. 

‘What the fuck,’ you mutter. 

Jungkook gives you his greasiest smile, and you glower at him in response.

The two men he’s here to meet are dressed like mafia consiglieres, and they, like the host, look at you doubtfully as you approach with Jungkook.

‘My lawyer,’ Jungkook says, not bothering to introduce you by name or with any accuracy.

You’re a lawyer, but not his lawyer, and you’re glad for it because you have no obligation to keep any of his assholery confidential.

The mafia guys eye you with renewed respect, and you keep quiet.

‘Before we start, can we order? My lawyer here skipped dinner,’ Jungkook says.

You’re so surprised at his thoughtful gesture you stare at him. 

He ignores you, already looking through the tablet one of the men has handed him. 

***

The buzzing of your phone is insistent and pervasive, pulling you further and further out of the warm cocoon of the best sleep you’ve had in a while.

You’re floating on clouds, weightless and boneless and warm and in the distance you can see an angel, smiling at you. He’s got dark hair, a physique sculpted by Italian masters, and a tattoo sleeve…

What the fuck!

You bolt upright and your phone falls off your pillow, clattering onto the floor.

You pick it up and accidentally answer, only to be greeted by the grinning ass face of one Jeon Jungkook.

It’s a video call, which means…. 

He can see you!

With a horrified yelp you toss the phone onto your bed.

‘I’ve already seen everything,’ he assures you, muffled on account of your phone being face down in your sheets. ‘Now you’re awake, can I come over?’

‘What do you want, Jeon Jungkook?’ you snap, pulling your covers up to your neck.

‘I want your opinion on something,’ he says.

‘What’s the magic word?’ you ask. 

‘I’ll tell my mum you’re associate material….’

‘Please, don’t act like I don’t deserve that position off my own back,’ you reply, bored. 

‘I’ll let you watch me work out shirtless at the gym,’ he offers.

‘Like you’re going to be able to resist posting a gym selfie later,’ you scoff. 

‘Please,’ he says. 

You sigh. ‘Fine. Give me five minutes to brush my teeth.’

‘Don’t feel you need to put anything on, over that silky pink thing you’re wearing,’ Jungkook tells you.

You hang up without taking the bait.

When he knocks at your door, you give him an assessing look. 

‘Does helping you involve anything illegal?’ you ask.

‘I have a date. You’re a woman,’ Jungkook says, adding ‘almost’ under his breath. 

You scowl at him. ‘Go on, keep insulting me, that’ll make me want to help you more.’

He holds out a mug. ‘I made you coffee.’

You look suspiciously at it. ‘Did you roofie this?’

Jungkook scoffs. ‘Please why wouldn’t I want you to remember the best sexual experience you’ll ever have.’

‘Get out of my apartment.’

‘No, please,’ he pleads, holding up his hands in surrender. ‘I need your advice on which set to wear.’

You realise he’s also holding a garment bag.

‘Fine,’ you say, waving a hand.

You sip your coffee. It’s surprisingly good, but you nearly choke on it when Jungkook slips his shirt over his head and starts unbuttoning his jeans.

‘Wait!’ you shriek. ‘What are you doing?’

He looks down at his beautiful naked torso, feigning confusion. You know he’s faking because of the smug smirk on his face.

‘I need to try them on so you know what they look like on me,’ he says, innocent.

‘There are two bedrooms in this apartment,’ you say, stern. ‘Use one of them to change. Do not come out until you are fully dressed.’

Jungkook pouts but still flexes a little as he struts past you. You pretend not to notice how his back muscles taper into his slender waist.

As he gets changed, you consider what you might want for breakfast. It’s Saturday, so the brunch place down the corner opens earlier. 

Shit! Saturday?

Jungkook mistakes the expression on your face as a reaction to his outfit rather than your own internal screaming.

‘Shit. I knew it. Too much?’ he asks, turning around so you can see how the rips running up the backs of his legs in the jeans he’s wearing go all the way up to the edges of his boxer briefs.

‘No, you look like a sexy whore,’ you say absently, scrolling your calendar.

You look up to see him frowning at you.

‘And yet, you’re not looking,’ he complains.

‘I have a date tonight too,’ you tell him.

He looks so surprised you toss a throw cushion at him.

‘Are you lying because you don’t want me to think you’re a sad workaholic who’s been chronically single since university?’ he asks, with such accuracy you throw another throw cushion at him.

You wonder if that’s why they’re called throw cushions.

‘It’s a blind date,’ you say. ‘My friend Hyunjin set it up. Also I don’t give a shit what you think, at least he’s not an ex-con.’

Jungkook looks hurt. ‘I’m not an ex-con either,’ he points out.

Which reminds you of your arrangement.

‘We can’t both go on dates tonight,’ you say. ‘I’ll cancel.’

‘What, so you can blame me for being single forever? No way. I’ll take care of it. Where’s your date?’

Jungkook pulls his phone out of the pocket of his almost jeans.

You tell him the name of the restaurant.

‘I’ll have my date there too,’ Jungkook decides. He flashes you a smarmy grin that makes you throw your last cushion at him.

He’s already heading out the door. ‘Pick you up later and we can go together,’ he says.

Your door closes behind him, then opens again almost immediately. 

‘By the way,’ he says, holding up a pair of your silk panties. ‘I’m borrowing these.’

You fumble for something else to throw at him but he’s already closed the door again.

His infuriating laughter echoes in your ears long after he’s gone.

***

Jungkook’s taunts sound in your head as you get ready for your date.

You gaze in the mirror at your reflection critically.

Is your dress too short? Are your shoulders weird looking? And what the hell is happening with your hair?

You remind yourself that you can’t go another year of being single at your family’s annual get-together. You can already hear your  Auntie Rina’s probing questions, your cousin Binna’s smug comments, your brother Jin’s increasingly acidic barbs to anyone who tries to criticise you.

Besides, it’d be nice to meet someone who’d care if you were sick or who’d come over to chase away a spider if it took up residence in your bathtub. 

You purse your lips for a coat of lip tint and put the wand back just in time before the familiar, side-of-fist banging on your door starts.

At least he’s consistent, you think ruefully to yourself as you yell, ‘Coming, keep all your clothes on!’ 

You pull on your coat and belt it snugly as you slip your shoes on.

You nearly get Jeon Jungkook’s fist in your face as you yank open the door.

You duck at the same time he startles and says ‘Shit, sorry!’

‘It’s fine,’ you say, hoisting your bag on your shoulder.

You turn to go and realise he’s still standing by your door, staring at you.

You’re conscious of your heels and bare legs and that you’re wearing more makeup than usual. 

‘Spare me whatever is about to come out of your mouth,’ you say, spiky.

You’re honestly one rude comment away from going back into your apartment and your cosy couch. You still haven’t caught up on your drama.

You head for the lifts without looking to see if he’s following.

***

Jungkook holds the door open for you at the restaurant your blind date picked.

‘Do you have a reservation?’ asks the hostess. 

You give her your date’s name and she beams at you. ‘Right over here, follow me.’

She leads you to a table where a man is already sitting waiting.

He stands as you approach, and holds his hand out.  ‘Jang Junwoo,’ he says.

You introduce yourself and notice he’s looking awkwardly over your shoulder.

You realise Jungkook’s still standing behind you. 

‘Can I get you something, Jungkook?’ you ask, teeth gritted.

‘Nope,’ he says, cheerfully. ‘I’m just waiting for you to move so I can take my seat.’

You realise with horror that he’s indicating the table right next to yours in this cosy restaurant.

‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ you say. 

Jungkook winks at you. ‘I hear the steak’s good.’

***

Jang Junwoo is kind of pretentious, you think, but then again a lot of these finance bros are. He spent a minute more than necessary pontificating over the wine’s bouquet, but he’s been polite enough to the waitress, and he has asked you a few questions about yourself.

Looks wise, he’s kind of your type, you think. He’s clean cut, tall and with a lean physique set off by his well-fitted shirt. He’s not got any visible tattoos or piercings, which is fine with you.

You’re not into that at all.

Beside you, Jungkook’s date, a petite bottle blonde in a low-cut dress with the best natural-looking cleavage you’ve seen laughs at one of his jokes.

She’s been laughing a lot, which is funny, because Jungkook’s really not that funny at all.

You realise Junwoo’s asked you a question.

‘I’m sorry,’ you apologise. ‘I missed what you said.’

‘He asked if you like to work out,’ Jungkook supplies helpfully from beside you, barely two feet away. 

He leans forward, and in a stage whisper, tells Junwoo, ‘I’ve never seen her in our gym.’

‘Stop eavesdropping on my date,’ you hiss. 

Jungkook continues, ‘But she looks good in athleisure.’

He smiles like he’s just helped you, and you turn pointedly away. 

‘I’m sorry,’ you apologise again to Junwoo. ‘I’m his court appointed guardian. It was this arrangement or prison, wasn’t it, Jungkook?’

Instead of looking put off, Jungkook’s date looks even more intrigued.

Junwoo, bemused, says, ‘Don’t worry about it. Should we get dessert?’

You split up with Jungkook after dinner when Junwoo suggests a nightcap at a bar nearby.

Jungkook assures you he’ll go straight home. 

Looking at the way he and his date are draped over each other, you don’t doubt it. Thankfully, your apartment building was built pre-war and the walls are decent quality.

Junwoo ushers you into the bar, and, alone together with him for the first time all night, you feel your self-consciousness return. 

You catch him looking at your thigh where your skirt’s ridden up and when he sees you’ve noticed, he smiles smoothly like it’s no big deal.

He orders another bottle of wine and you let him drink most of it because your tolerance is low.

His tendency towards pretentiousness is more pronounced when he’s tipsy, and it’s when he’s telling you about how you should try to experience genuine Lyonnaise cuisine that you decide you’ve had enough for now.

‘I should go,’ you say, smiling at him. ‘Thank you for a lovely evening.’

‘I’ll escort you home,’ he says. ‘It’s late.’

He pulls on his coat and offers his arm, and you take it because you’re three blocks away from home and you can walk it in under ten minutes.

When you reach your door, you turn and hold out your hand. 

‘Thanks again, Junwoo, it was really kind of you to walk me home.’

He takes your hand and shakes, but doesn’t let go.

‘Aren’t you going to invite me in?’ he asks.

‘Not tonight,’ you say firmly, trying to pull your hand away. 

‘I paid for dinner, and drinks,’ he points out, like that’s going to convince you.

‘You insisted,’ you counter. ‘Anyway, good night.’

He’s about to say something else but you don’t hear it because the lift dings and the doors slide open, and Jungkook steps out. 

His shirt is half undone, and there’s a big-ass hickey on his neck, but you’ve never been so glad to see him. 

‘Ah Jungkook,’ you say. ‘Did you have a good night?’

Jungkook pauses in front of you and Junwoo, eyeing the way your hands are still entwined.

‘Yeah, I did. How about you?’ he asks. 

‘We’re doing great, bro,’ Junwoo says.

‘Yeah?’ Jungkook asks, eyes on you. 

You swallow your pride. ‘Not great, JK.’

‘Yeah,’ Jungkook agrees. He makes eye contact with Junwoo. ‘You should get going, bro.’

Junwoo’s hand tightens around yours. ‘Yeah, bro?’

Jungkook shrugs. ‘You know why she’s my court appointed guardian? I’m not going back to Cheonan.’

At the mention of the notorious maximum security prison, Junwoo’s eyebrows rise. 

He squeezes your hand again, hard, then lets you go.

Jungkook stares at him the whole way as he leaves.

As soon as the lift doors close behind Junwoo, you sigh and slump against your door. 

‘Thanks, Jungkook.’

‘No worries,’ Jungkook says. He runs a hand through his dishevelled hair. ‘Guess my date went better than yours, huh?’

‘I shouldn’t have let that asshole pay. I knew he’d take it as an invitation,’ you say, ruefully. 

Jungkook looks at you. ‘Is that what he said? What an asshole. Jangmi told me not to expect anything.’

You look pointedly at the hickey on his neck, and he laughs but doesn’t say anything else.

You fish your keys out of your bag. ‘Anyway, thanks. Your timing was pretty good.’

‘Yeah I waited in the car outside for you and saw you guys arrive,’ Jungkook says.

You stare at him. ‘What?’

‘Wanted to make sure you got home ok,’ Jungkook says, yawning.

He’s already heading to his own apartment.

‘Hey,’ you call. ‘I didn’t know you were in Cheonan.’

Jungkook laughs. ‘Youth detention centre, not the prison. Spent four months there when I was 14.’

He’s reached his own door. 

‘Good night, Y/N. You looked really pretty tonight.’

He smiles at you crookedly and goes inside.

***

Six months earlier

You have no idea why you’ve been summoned to Jeon Mido’s office, and waiting outside in her secretary’s workspace isn’t helping your nerves.

You’ve been working for Albion for two years, and in that time you’ve never met her. 

Why would you?

She’s one of the founding partners of Albion, the biggest law firm in the city, and you’re a relative newbie hired straight out of law school two years ago. 

You’ve never had cause to venture beyond the tenth floor of this Albion-owned building, and now you’re in the penthouse.

The doors open, and Jeon Mido steps out.

‘Ms L/N,’ she says. ‘Please, come in.’

You take a seat in front of her sleek modern desk and wait.

‘Park Sejun tells me you worked extremely hard on your last case,’ she says, gazing at you. There’s a shrewdness in her eyes that reminds you that she built this law firm from nothing, despite her soft demeanour.

‘Thank you,’ you say.

‘You did an excellent job.’

You thank her again, wondering where she’s going with this. Is she about to dismiss you? Surely Park Sejun could have done that for her.

You haven’t done anything to warrant a promotion.

‘I’m sure you’re wondering why you’re here,’ Jeon Mido says. 

She sets her hands on her desk gracefully. 

‘I heard what you said about the defendant on your last case. He has a record, he’s been in and out of trouble since he was a teenager. Our client was the plaintiff and you did enough to ensure the win but you didn’t go for the jugular like some of your colleagues would have.’

You get a sinking feeling. Is this why you’re being fired? Because you didn’t completely annihilate your opponent?

She seems to be waiting for a response, so you compose your thoughts.

‘I knew we had enough to win,’ you say carefully. ‘I didn’t want to waste my efforts completely destroying the defendant’s credibility when his only mistake was that he relied on his staff instead of verifying things for himself.’

‘That’s not what you said, though,’ she prompts.

You think frantically but can’t remember anything you said that would have stood out, particularly. 

You sigh. If you’re going to get fired, you might as well come clean.

‘My brother Jin got in trouble when we were teenagers,’ you say. ‘He got mixed up with a gang and he was too naive to get out before the gang leader got busted.’

You’ll spare her the details. ‘Anyway, he’s got a criminal record now, and because of it he can’t get a ‘respectable’ job. He couldn’t be a lawyer like me and he’d be a hell of a lot better, if I’m being honest.’

You shrug. ‘He made a mistake but he’s still the best person I know. I guess the defendant reminded me of him.’

Jeon Mido’s looking closely at you, but hasn’t said anything. 

‘Thank you for hiring me,’ you say. ‘If you want my resignation —-‘

‘You’re mistaken,’ Jeon Mido says, finally. ‘I don’t want to dismiss you. I wanted to ask for your help.’

Which was how you ended up in a coffee shop with Jeon Mido, waiting nervously to meet her son.

Jeon Jungkook.

She’d filled you in on the details. He was her younger son, and he’d been in and out of trouble with the law since his teenage years for various things. Fighting, stealing cars, and even, hilariously, once for posing as a valet at a high society event and parking all the cars at the foot of Mount Samo for the illegal drag racers to take their pick. 

After his most recent infraction she and her husband had sat down with Jungkook and given him an ultimatum to clean up his act or be cut off from his family’s fortune. 

You were to be an additional factor to tip the scales in his favour. 

Her proposition that you be Jungkook’s unofficial guardian and try to keep him out of trouble had sounded ludicrous at first, you were barely responsible enough to look after yourself. You certainly weren’t responsible enough to become a glorified babysitter to a grown man with a history of getting his own way. 

The only reason you hadn’t disagreed to this insane-sounding plan outright was that Jeon Mido had built the very building you worked in, from the ground up, off her own intelligence, strength and force of will, at a time when successful self-made women in South Korea were virtually unheard of. 

Additionally, Jungkook had agreed to meet you so he must be somewhat willing to comply with his parents’ ultimatum. 

You’d been expecting a degree of charm and good looks in her son, Jeon Mido was an attractive woman, but you still had to stop yourself from staring when Jeon Jungkook arrived.

Tall, broad-shouldered and built like an athlete, he’d smiled at you and offered his hand, and you’d shook it praying your own weren’t clammy with nervousness.

He was so good looking he made you want to throw up.

If this was what a life of crime made Jeon Jungkook look like, it certainly suited him.

He flicked his tongue out over his lip ring, dark eyes on you, and you wondered what that tongue would feel like on your skin.

Fuck. 

Fuck.

You were fucked from the moment you saw him, and it was only much later that you realised how bad the damage was.

It’d started off innocently enough. He’d moved into the apartment next to yours.

You’d hung out together a bit to get to know each other, and that first week had been fine.

Then he’d said, casually, one evening, that he was popping out for a cigarette, and he’d be back in fifteen minutes.

It was three frantic days before you found him, in some seedy pool hall, drunk and blazed with a new tattoo and the keys to a Maserati he didn’t own in his front jeans pocket.

He’d made you fish the keys out yourself, and he’d giggled like a schoolgirl the entire time.

After that, you’d been more insistent about sticking to the stipulations his parents had laid out, and had accompanied him everytime he left the apartment after dark.

You’d realised what a mistake that was when he offered to buy you brunch and paid all in unmarked bills out of a duffel bag filled with stacks of cash. 

Jeon Jungkook didn’t confine his criminal activity to night times.

Fuck that shit.

Then there was that time he’d offered to pick you up from work in a new car you’d assumed was his parents’. The penny had only dropped when the police sirens had sounded behind you and you’d asked, nervously, if he should pull over.

Jungkook had taken one look in the rearview mirror, and said, dismissively, ‘It’s only one patrol car. I can lose them, easily.’

He’d proceeded to do just that in a high-speed car chase in a stolen car that spanned the busiest road in the city.

It’s the first and only time you’ve been on the seven o’clock news. 

On the plus, you’d found out that he really was as good a driver as he’d claimed. 

You’d gone to see Jeon Mido in her office as soon as your legs stopped feeling like jelly, ready to apologise and say you weren’t able to do the job you’d agreed to do.

To your surprise, she’d just encouraged you to carry on.

For his part, Jungkook’s always treated you with an irreverent kind of tolerance. He’s annoying as hell and you’ve learned not to trust most of what he says, but for all his sexual innuendo around you, he’s never once crossed the line you’d drawn in the sand at the beginning. 

He’s danced along it a few times, though.

By the time you’re six months into your year-long arrangement, you’ve reached an uneasy stalemate with Jungkook. 

Sometimes, you almost like the guy. 

Annoyingly, he’s also stayed as hot as the day you met him.

***

Present day

You haven’t seen Jungkook in a few days, so you text him to check on him.

You’re already trying to remember how to get to the strip club you found him in the last time he went missing when he texts back. 

Jungkook: I’m dying

He’s fucked with you enough times that you’re not all that concerned yet.

Y/N: Yeah? How?

Jungkook: The plague

You consider this as you plate your lunch. You lift a forkful of greens to your lips, then hesitate, and sigh.

Five minutes later you’re knocking at his door. 

He answers so quickly you wonder if he was waiting on the other side of it.

He does look like hell, to be fair. 

His nose and eyes are red, and he looks pale under his golden tan. He’s wrapped up in a duvet from chin to feet. 

‘I’m dying,’ he tells you, melodramatic as fuck.

‘Do you have a cold.’

‘It’s way worse than a cold,’ he insists.

You shake your head, but he does look worse than you’ve ever seen him.

You sigh. ‘When did you last eat?’

Jungkook’s already looking at you so hopefully you haven’t the heart to say anything as you turn back around and let him into your apartment.

‘Try not to infect me,’ you tell him, as you lay a place setting in front of him at your kitchen island.

Jungkook replies, ‘I got my regular tests done last week, all negative.’

You look at him in disgust. ‘With your cold, asshole.’

He leers at you, but it lacks his usual panache.

You serve out the food and sit down opposite him to eat.

‘I always use condoms, anyway,’ he says, after a moment. He winks at you, but it’s still half-hearted. 

You pass him a glass of water.

‘Drop the sex pest act for a few minutes,’ you advise him, helpfully. ‘No one’s fucking anyone in the state you’re in, anyway.’ 

He looks at you, and you can almost see him clicking through the repertoire of innuendoes he has in his head.

Finally, he says, ‘Thanks for this. It’s delicious.’

You tilt your head, pretending to be confused. 

‘Did you just say something without sexual connotations, Jeon Jungkook?’

His smile is crooked.

‘Don’t worry, I’m still thinking sexual things about you in my head,’ he assures you.

You laugh. ‘Shut up and eat.’

***

Jungkook starts to look a bit less like death warmed over after he’s eaten, but the clingy asshole’s parked himself on your sofa and shows no sign of moving.

You shrug and put on the TV. At least if he’s with you, there’s less chance of him being in that strip club where there’s no parking outside. What a ballache that had been.

You put on the latest episode of your drama and he perks up. 

‘I haven’t seen this episode yet,’ he tells you. 

His duvet’s slipped lower, and you’ve yet to see anything but his skin.

‘Please tell me you’re dressed under there,’ you say, warningly. 

‘Yeah but I can take it all off,’ Jungkook offers.

You don’t dignify that with a response, just pass him some flu meds and a bottle of kombucha and settle in to watch the show.

After the episode ends he still shows no sign of moving, so you put on a movie and pass him some snacks.

By the time the movie ends it’s dark, and when he asks you what you want for dinner you let him order takeout for both of you.

You eat sitting alongside each other on the couch as the next movie plays.

After a while you realise he’s fallen asleep, and that this is the most male company you’ve had in a while, and that you don’t hate it.

You don’t hate him.

In fact, in the dim light from the TV and with his mouth closed and his hair rumpled over his relaxed sleeping face, he looks….. 

Tempting.

Like the boyfriend you could have if you could ever get over yourself enough to date someone seriously.

For some reason that makes you feel a little sad.

That you’re so starved for male company you’re longing after your neighbour who’s only hanging out with you because you’ve made an arrangement with his parents. 

If you’re being honest with yourself, he’d probably have never shown an interest in you otherwise.

You pull the duvet over his shoulder, switch off the TV and top up his water and meds before heading to bed.

***

The banging on your door startles you and your elbow jostles the glass on the edge of your kitchen counter. It drops to the floor and shatters, and you think dryly that it’s a metaphor for how close you are to the edge of killing Jeon fucking Jungkook.

You yank open the door with a scowl.

‘Yes, Jeon Jungkook?’ 

He looks a little edgy himself. ‘I want to show you something.’

‘Is it your dick?’ you ask, tiredly, letting him in.

‘Always, but it’s something different today.’

You glance at the clock. It’s six in the evening. 

‘Watch out,’ you say, as he passes the kitchen. ‘I dropped a glass.’

He doesn’t even blink. 

There’s a nervous energy about him today, he looks like he’s buzzing out of his skin.

You follow him warily to the window that overlooks the street behind your building.

‘Are we looking out for the police?’ you ask, in a dramatic whisper.

He gives you a half-smile. ‘There were two plainclothes cops staking out the place all of last week. I think they’re dealing out of apartment 4B.’

You stare at him. ‘Are you serious?’

He scoffs. ‘How do you not notice these things?’

‘I never really have to worry about the police coming for me,’ you say, straightfaced.

‘Sucks to be you,’ he says, without his usual conviction.

He reaches down towards his jeans and your scowl returns. ‘Jungkook, I really don’t want to see your dick.’

‘Stop lying,’ he says, but what he takes out is a small black rectangular plastic object.

It’s about the size of half of his outstretched palm. 

You wonder where he’s going with this. 

He says, ‘Look.’

You both watch as a man in a business suit pulls up to a parking spot on the street, gets out and locks his car. The headlights flash, twice.

He heads into the apartment building opposite yours.

As soon as he’s out of sight, Jungkook hands you the tiny black rectangle. 

‘Press the button.’

You press the small grey button, and to your surprise, the car headlights flash again.

The car’s unlocked.

‘What the—-‘ 

‘It’s a car key cloning device,’ Jungkook says. 

He takes it back from you.

‘All I have to do is press it at the same time as the person locking the car presses their own key, and it clones the signal.’

He says, with more than a hint of wistfulness, ‘I could steal any car on this street.’

You’re shaking your head. ‘Where did you get this?’

‘I made it,’ he tells you. ‘I didn’t invent the tech, my friend did, but I made this.’

His eyes meet yours. 

‘Can you keep it?’

His words hang in the air between you. 

He mistakes your silence for hesitance. 

‘I just — ‘

He clears his throat and starts again. There’s pleading in his voice, a wild kind of spark in his eyes.

‘Can you keep it? I don’t want it to be this easy to steal a car tonight.’

You swallow past the lump in your throat. He’s never asked for your help like this before.

He usually goes ahead with whatever impulse he has and you’re stuck playing catch up.

Today, he’s given you a head start.

You take the device from him and stick it in your bra.

‘Don’t try to seduce me to get it back,’ you warn.

He’s already eyeing up your tits. 

He clears his throat again. 

‘Actually, I’m surprised you managed to fit it in there. Are you on your period? Your tits look huge.’

As usual, you don’t deign to respond.

‘I was going to make dinner,’ you say. ‘Do you want some?’

‘You can cook me dinner,’ he agrees, like he’s doing you a favour. 

‘But wait. Let me clean up that glass first,’ he says.

‘It’s fine,’ you say. 

He stops you. ‘Nah. Look at your hands.’

You hold a hand out, palm up, and he traces a callused finger along your life line.

Warmth unfurls along your skin, following the path of his finger.

You look up to see him looking at you, heat in his eyes. 

Your heart pounds, slow, and his tongue flicks along his lower lip.

When he speaks, his voice has dropped, low.

‘You’ve probably never even changed the oil in your car,’ he says, but he sounds affectionate, almost.

‘I wouldn’t want you to cut yourself.’

He smiles, and lets go of your hand. 

Your skin feels like it’s crackling with electricity from his touch, and god help you, you want more.

You don’t trust yourself to speak.

Jungkook says, very quietly, ‘You’re doing something for me, let me do this for you.’

Your eyes meet again, and you find your voice. 

‘The oven needs a clean, too, if you’re offering.’

He laughs, and just like that, whatever that moment was, ends.

‘I’ll clean your oven,’ he says, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.  ‘Put a bun in it too.’

‘You’re disgusting,’ you complain, trying to punch him, but he’s already too far away.

***

You’re balancing on the back of the couch on your tip toes, trying to reach the lamp shade so you can change the blown lightbulb in your hanging lights, when the now familiar banging starts on your door.

You turn too quickly, lose your balance and fall headlong onto the floor. 

The resulting crash against the parquet flooring is all the louder because Jungkook’s stopped banging on your door.

You roll onto your back, groaning a little as the wrist you held out to protect your face flares with pain.

Jungkook’s started banging again, and your phone, out of reach on the coffee table, starts ringing.

You can just about make out his name on the screen, and the ridiculous selfie he took of himself shirtless that he put in as his profile on your phone.

All the racket is enough to make you sit up and hobble to the door.

‘Shit, are you ok? I heard a crash,’ says Jungkook, wide-eyed.

‘I’m not good with blood,’ he warns, but he’s checking you over gently anyway.

‘What was so urgent you needed to bang on my door?’ you ask, grumpy.

He presses your sore wrist, gently, and you wince.

‘I got pizza and wanted to know if you wanted some,’ he says. He ushers you to your couch. 

‘I’m getting ice,’ he calls over his shoulder.

‘You could have texted to ask if I wanted pizza,’ you call after him.

He emerges with a bag of frozen peas you didn’t know you had.

‘But then I wouldn’t get to see your face,’ he protests. ‘Also, you never answer my video calls, not since I saw you in your underwear that time.’

You don’t bother correcting him. 

He wraps the peas in a towel and passes the bundle to you. 

‘Your wrist looks bad, you should get it checked out,’ he advises. 

You grimace. ‘I have a case coming up,’ you tell him.

‘Just tell them it was a sex injury,’ Jungkook suggests, helpfully. He offers you a hand to get up. ‘Come on, I’ll take you to the hospital to get checked out.’

‘Fine,’ you say. ‘Grab the pizza.’

***

You’re waiting to see the doctor with Jungkook and trying to ignore the fact that he’s pulled a burner phone out of his back pocket.

He glances around furtively and you’re craning your neck to look at the screen when your name is called.

The doctor who’s said your name looks at Jungkook. 

‘Mr Jeon,’ she says. ‘What is it this time? Another broken metacarpal from fighting?’

Jungkook’s face creases into a smile and you can almost hear the adoring sighing of men and women around the room.

‘Dr Lim,’ he says. ‘You know I don’t break my hand anymore since I started winning all the time.’

You gag at his corniness, but Dr Lim just smiles back. 

‘Well, you’re always welcome to get checked out for any injuries,’ she says. ‘You have my number.’

‘Did you save it on your burner?’ you ask loudly, but they both ignore you.

By the time you’ve had an X-ray and been told your wrist is just sprained, not broken, you’ve heard enough of Jungkook’s smarmy flirting that your ears are burning.

‘Yeah, I’m still going to the gym every day,’ you mimic, flexing your bicep as you get into Jungkook’s car. ‘Want to feel?’

Jungkook rolls his eyes. ‘I don’t talk like that.’

You give him your sleaziest grin. ‘Wow you have your name embroidered on your white coat? Amazing!’

Jungkook starts the car. ‘Still don’t talk like that,’ he mutters.

‘Yeah, let me take you for a spin in my Skyline sometime,’ you say, puffing out your chest and deepening your voice.

‘Seatbelt,’ Jungkook says. 

When you reach for the seatbelt and wince because you forgot about your wrist, he sighs.

You press back into the seat, startled, as he leans over you to fasten your seatbelt for you.

He pauses with his face directly in front of yours. 

He’s so close you can feel his breath on your cheek.

He leans forward and kisses you. 

It’s a peck, and over before you know it, but it’s enough to shut you up.

‘Stop being cute,’ he says. ‘Or I’ll kiss you again.’

He throws the car into gear.

‘Besides,’ he adds. ‘The only woman I’ve tried to impress with this car is you.’

You’re staring at him, still trying to process, when he adds, thoughtfully, ‘then again, I haven’t had this car very long….’

***

You’re trying to get your suitcase down from on top of your wardrobe when there’s a blur of movement in the periphery of your vision. 

You scream and hightail it off the ladder you’re on.

The spider you saw stops right above the corner of the ceiling where your suitcase is.

You’ve already dialled Jungkook without even thinking about it.

He answers with a lazy, drawled, ‘yo’, but his tone sharpens quickly when he hears your voice and panicked breathing.

‘Jungkook. There’s a spider holding my suitcase hostage,’ you whisper, dread in your voice.

‘Why are you whispering?’ Jungkook asks. You can hear the amusement in his voice, and for once you don’t care that he’s laughing at you.

You fight to regulate your volume. ‘It might hear me and attack,’ you say. 

It seems completely reasonable to you.

Jungkook laughs so loudly you have to hold the phone away from your ear. 

‘What does he want with your suitcase?’ Jungkook asks, when he’s re-composed himself enough to speak. 

He’s definitely laughing at you rather than with you, but you’ll take any amount of taunting if he deals with the spider for you. 

‘Please,’ you plead, ‘can you get rid of it.’

Jungkook yawns. ‘Ok. But don’t expect me to put on a shirt.’

A moment later he’s in your apartment, looking up at the ceiling at the spider.

‘Just grab the suitcase please,’ you say. ‘The spider can have this room from now on.’

Jungkook snorts. 

He grabs the suitcase and places it next to you, then, before you can work out what he’s going to do, he taps on the wall next to the spider and it runs down to the floor.

You scream and jump into his arms.

He really did come over bare-chested, the asshole, and the sweatpants he’s barely wearing are low on his hips, so it’s a little more indecent than you’d like, but there’s no fucking way you’re sharing the floor with a spider that can run faster than you.

Automatically, like he’s done this a lot, Jungkook’s big hand reaches down to support your ass. 

He’s still laughing. ‘Is this like, do you want to see my cat, but it’s a spider instead?’ 

You ignore his taunts and bury your face in his shoulder.

His laughter fades. 

‘Shit. Are you crying? Listen, don’t worry. I’ll get rid of it, ok?’

You’re too scared to look at the floor. 

‘You don’t even know where it is now,’ you sob.

‘I know exactly where that fucker is,’ Jungkook assures you. 

He’s probably lying but you don’t want to check for yourself.

He deposits you onto the bed and tries to peel your legs off his waist. 

‘As much as I want to fuck you, let me deal with this spider first, ok?’

At his words, you loosen your legs from around him and he pats your thigh. 

‘Stop crying. Stay here and I’ll get rid of it,’ he promises.

It’s several long minutes and muttered curses later before he returns, a little sweaty but with a glass of water for you.

He hands it to you and brushes your hair back from your face as you drink.

‘I didn’t know you were that scared of spiders,’ he says. His tone is gentler than you’ve ever heard it.

‘They bite,’ you say. 

‘They bite—-‘ Jungkook trails off, shaking his head.

Jungkook sits next to you on the bed. ‘I’m sorry I laughed at you.’

‘It’s ok,’ you say. You swipe at your tearstained face. ‘Did you get it?’

‘Promise I did,’ Jungkook says. ‘Cross my heart. That fucker isn’t bothering you again.’

‘Where did you put him?’ you ask. ‘In the bin?’

‘Nah. Chucked him out the window,’ Jungkook says. ‘Fuck Spiderman.’

‘Fuck Spiderman,’ you echo.

‘Listen, if you have a spider problem again just call me, ok? Or you can text if you’re worried the spider’s going to hear you. I’ll take care of it.’

Jungkook grins. ‘I won’t put a shirt on either.’

He leans back onto his forearms, and the way his abs stand out make you feel pretty tingly, you’re not going to lie.

‘I don’t mind you staring,’ he tells you. ‘I know I look good.’

You roll your eyes, but he’s been so decent about helping you that you’ll let him have that.

‘What’s the suitcase for, anyway?’ he asks.

You sigh. ‘It’s my annual family get together this Saturday,’ you tell him. ‘My entire extended family go to this beach house and we have dinner together and hang out. It’s been a thing since I was a kid.’

‘Sounds nice,’ he says, but his tone is incredulous.

‘It is nice,’ you say. You smile a little. ‘My grandma cooks and my brother Jin goes fishing and I have so many little cousins now.’

You get up. ‘Of course, there’s the usual round of relatives asking ‘why aren’t you settled down and having babies?’ And my cousin Binna’s a pain, but it’s only once a year.’

‘It’s too bad Junwoo was such an ass,’ you say. ‘I was hoping if I came with a date this year that it’d take some of the pressure off.’

‘I can help,’ Jungkook says.

‘For the last time, Jungkook,’ you say, ‘we are not having a baby together.’

‘Firstly,’ Jungkook says, ‘our baby would be so good looking. But that’s not what I meant.’

He looks tentative for the first time since you met him.

‘I can go with you, if you want.’

***

Your suitcase is by the door, ready to go.

You’re waiting for Jungkook to come by so you can leave together for your family retreat.

You’re not sure what to expect, if you’re being honest. It had felt like a good idea having Jungkook come with you at the time. After all, with the amount of time you’ve spent together over the last few months, he knows recent you as well as anyone.

He’d promised on pain of death and dismemberment that he would refrain from excessive sexual innuendo in front of your elders, but that was all you’d managed to get out of him.

You’re almost afraid to look at him when he knocks on your door.

You start from his feet, in the boots he’s favoured lately, to jeans with no visible rips that you can see in the front, to his fly which is done completely up, to his belt and then a white wife-beater over which he’s layered a black shirt.

When you get to his face he’s smirking at you. 

‘Spent a long time checking out my dick,’ he comments.

‘Just checking your fly was done up,’ you say, semi-truthfully.

He lifts your suitcase for you.

At your expression he says, ‘Don’t worry, you can pay me back by giving me a blow job whilst I’m driving us to the coast.’

‘Sounds dangerous,’ you reply.

‘Jagiya,’ he says, smarmy, ‘Danger is my middle name.’

‘Don’t ever call me that again,’ you threaten.

‘Princess?’ he wonders.

‘Shut up and drive, Jeon Jungkook.’

***

Jungkook’s driving is so steady that you fall asleep and wake only when he stops for petrol.

You look around, disoriented, and see him looking at you through the glass of the rear passenger window.

He opens the door. ‘Want anything from the shop?’

You yawn. ‘No thanks.’

When he gets back in the car, you say, ‘Hey, let me know what I owe you for gas.’

He snorts as he drives out of the petrol station. ‘You know my family owns the biggest manufacturing company in Busan, right?’

You shrug. ‘Money ain’t everything.’

He nods. ‘Yeah, money ain’t everything, if you’re just normal rich. I’m fuck you and all your ancestors rich.’

You say, lightly, ‘I’m never paying my share of takeout again.’

He laughs. ‘That’s what I like about you. You don’t give a shit.’

‘That’s not true,’ you protest. ‘How many people would have chased you across town to track you down when you stole that French ambassador’s diplomatic car?’

He’s quiet. 

The road stretches out in front of you.

‘I’m seeing someone, you know,’ he says.

‘What?’ you scoff. ‘Who’s dating you?’

‘Not like that,’ he tells you. He glances at you in the rearview. 

‘I don’t want you to have to be a crutch for me forever.’

Now it’s your turn to be quiet. 

Since that time when Jungkook came over to hand over his key fob cloning device, he’s dropped various things over at your apartment for various periods of time.

A pen drive.

The keys to his Skyline.

His burner phone.

Once, a black jewelled thong, but you think he was just fucking with you that time.

You cleared a drawer in your hall table for him, and things appear and disappear.

He doesn’t always talk about it, not like that first time. 

‘I’m glad you’re working on it,’ you say, sincerely.

You lean back in your seat. ‘You know you can always drop stuff off in the drawer if you need to.’

‘Oh in the drawer?’ he says, feigning surprise. ‘What about your spare room wardrobe? I left weed and maybe a couple of stacks in there.’

‘Fucking hell,’ you grumble, ‘No wonder all my linens smell like a college dorm.’

You’re both smiling.

‘Thanks for helping me out with this,’ you say. ‘I appreciate it.’

‘How come you couldn’t get one of those Yonsei dipshits to take you?’

You roll your eyes. ‘Firstly, you asshole, I went to SNU.’

Jungkook snickers.

‘Secondly, sad as it is, you’re the only man I’ve spent any time with lately.’

‘That’s what I mean,’ he says. ‘You’re hot, you put up with a lot of shit and you have an ass that won’t quit. How come you’re not dating anyone?’

You look out the window. ‘You’re right, I’m such a catch, why am I single?’

Jungkook asks, ‘Are you really bad in bed?’

You’d laugh if the turn of conversation wasn’t so depressing.

‘Yeah. I’m really bad.’

‘I wouldn’t mind if you were a pillow princess with me,’ Jungkook says. You think he means it as a compliment.

You say, just to move the conversation on, ‘Did you bring any snacks?’

‘Yeah,’ Jungkook says. He reaches into the center console and tosses you a pack of corn chips. ‘Please feed me too.’

You spend the rest of the drive placing corn chips into Jeon Jungkook’s filthy but admittedly beautiful mouth.

***

You and Jungkook are one of the first to arrive at the beach house. Your parents and Jin are already there. 

You’re worried Jungkook might be nervous about meeting your parents, but he surprises you again.

Once introduced, he chats easily with your dad about cars, and you can tell from your dad’s reactions that he likes Jungkook.

Jin nudges you as you follow your parents and Jungkook into the house.

‘Binna’s going to be all over him,’ he says.

Your cousin is beautiful, sexy and could flirt with a rock.

You shrug. ‘Don’t worry, Jinnie. You’re still the prettiest around.’

Jin says, crossly, ‘I wasn’t worried about that.’

You’re both distracted by the arrival of your cousin and her children.

The minivan pulls up almost to the entrance of the beach house, and your cousin Daeun jumps out.

‘Dasom superglued her hand to Jinah’s face,’ she announces grimly. 

She hands you baby Taehyun. ‘Can you watch the baby? I’m taking them to the drugstore to see if they can give us anything to get this shit off.’

‘Mama said a bad word,’ chants Dasom. 

‘I’ll drive you,’ volunteers Jin.

He ushers Daeun and the girls into his car. 

You look for someone to help.

‘Need a hand?’ Jungkook asks, popping up from behind you.

You huff. ‘Can you sort this car out?’

Jungkook appraises the minivan in silence for a moment.

‘Yeah,’ Jungkook replies, serious. ‘It probably won’t sell for much as it is. I’ll have to take it apart to sell it for parts.’

You glare at him. ‘I meant park it, Jungkook, not sell it on the stolen cars black market.’

Jungkook laughs incredulously. ‘Stolen cars black market? What even is that? Have you learnt nothing from the last year?’

Taehyun, in your arms, giggles along with Jungkook. 

You can’t believe you’re being ridiculed simultaneously by both a baby and the grown-ass man you’re babysitting.

Jungkook’s still chuckling to himself as he maneuvres the minivan expertly into the space beside his car.

You can see him through the window, the asshole.

***

Jin hadn’t been wrong about Binna being interested in Jungkook. To be fair, even happily married Daeun had given him a second look.

Even your conservative grandmother had looked past all his visible tattoos and piercings and declared him a good boy.

You’re pretending not to notice as Binna, sitting on the other side of Jungkook at the dinner table, leans into Jungkook’s arm as she reaches for the green beans.

Your Auntie Rina fixes you with a look. 

‘I’m so glad you finally found a man,’ she says. ‘We were so worried you’d be single forever.’

Beside you, Jungkook stiffens. 

‘I wasn’t worried,’ says your mother from opposite Jungkook. ‘Better no man than the wrong man.’

‘It’s true,’ sniffs Auntie Rina. ‘Who was that awful boyfriend of yours who kept asking if you really wanted more helpings? As though there’s anything wrong with your weight…’

You resist the urge to roll your eyes. She isn’t saying anything she hasn’t said before, to be fair.

Jungkook, beside you, nudges his full glass of soju towards you. 

‘Is your car the 2019 model outside?’ he asks your aunt. ‘I know a man who can fix it for you.’

‘Fix it?’ Auntie Rina asks.

‘Yeah. Looks like it has a flat tire,’ Jungkook says, wide-eyed, all innocence. 

Your eyes meet his, and you choke back a laugh. 

As soon as the conversation moves on you turn to Jungkook. ‘Does it really have a flat tire?’ you ask, under your breath.

Jungkook leans so close his lips brush your ear, making your skin prickle. 

‘I’ll make sure it does,’ he promises. 

After dinner, you excuse yourself to get some air and find Jungkook sitting on the steps leading down to the sand, behind the house smoking a cigarette.

You sit next to him. 

‘Thank you,’ you tell him. ‘I hope this isn’t too awful.’

He just smiles, exhales. 

‘I’m enjoying it,’ he says simply.

There’s a breeze blowing in from the sea, ruffling his hair. 

He’s so pretty like this you’d take a picture if you weren’t worried he’d never let you hear the end of it.

Jungkook reaches out, curls a finger in a lock of your hair.

He opens his mouth like he’s going to say something, but he doesn’t get a chance to.

You lean forward, close your eyes and kiss him.

It’s short and it’s lovely. 

You start to pull away, but he cups the side of your face and kisses you back.

His lips are soft, and he kisses you slow, like he wants to learn the shape of your lips with his own.

He hums, deep in his chest, as his lips meet yours. 

For all the crass sexual comments he’s made to you over the last year, Jeon Jungkook’s kisses are undemanding, sweet.

When he pulls away, you’re both breathless.

His cigarette glows on the step next to him, forgotten.

‘I knew I’d like kissing you,’ he tells you. 

You look down at his hand, somehow entwined with yours.

‘Are you holding my hand?’ you ask.

‘Yeah. You’re a little sweaty but I don’t mind,’ he tells you.

He laughs when you try to pull away. 

‘Do you want to come to my room?’ you ask.

He hesitates. 

‘I’d like to, but you know, I’m really good at fucking, are you going to be able to keep your voice down?’

‘Shut up, I’ve changed my mind,’ you say, getting up.

He tugs you back down. ‘Hey.’

He waits until you’re looking at him.

‘If you really want me there, I’d love to go to your room,’ he tells you.

For once, he sounds completely serious.

‘Yeah. Come.’

***

You’d been a bit worried it might be awkward, but true to form, Jungkook jumps into your bed and pats the covers like he’s the one inviting you into your own bed.

‘It’s my bed,’ you grumble, but he just laughs. 

He kisses you again, his mouth warm over yours. He tastes like the soju he’d been drinking, and he hums when you part your lips to taste more of him.

His tongue licks into your mouth, and when you run your hands over his shoulders he slips his shirt over his head. 

He stops you when your hands go to the hem of your top to do the same.

‘Can I?’ he asks.

You nod, and raise your arms to help.

‘Fuck,’ he murmurs. He’s staring at your breasts. ‘I’m going to need to cum on your tits as my last dying wish.’

‘Jeon Jungkook, shut the fuck up.’

‘Screaming my name already,’ he teases, but he starts kissing down the curve of your neck and the whine that falls from your lips is involuntary.

He hums approvingly as your arms tighten around his shoulders.

He dips his head between your breasts and then nips over the curve of your left breast.

He reaches around your back to unhook your bra, waits until you nod to undo it. 

‘Pretty,’ he says, then he’s sucking a hickey into your skin, laving with his tongue when you whine in protest.

He’s hard. You can feel him even through the layers of clothing as he grinds his hips on yours.

You tuck the tips of your fingers into the waistband of his jeans and tug. He kisses you again, then pushes up onto his knees on your bed.

He unbuttons, slips his jeans down, and holy fuck, it’s not like you haven’t seen him in his boxer briefs before, but it’s a whole different ball game when he’s looking down at you, heat in his eyes and his dick so hard your mouth waters at the sight of it.

No pun intended.

Jungkook pushes your hands away when they go to your own waistband.

 ‘Let me do it,’ he says. 

He tugs your jeans down over your ass and thighs.

‘Fuck,’ he breathes. ‘These silky panties look even better on you.’

You press a hand over his open mouth.

‘Shut up and fuck me,’ you say. 

You trail your hand over the length of him in his briefs, and then he’s moving fast, fumbling with his jeans.

He pulls out a strip of condoms and catches your eye.

You giggle at how ridiculous he looks, and a moment later, he’s laughing too.

‘How many times —‘

You’re cut off by his mouth on yours.

‘Many. I’ll fuck you as many times as you want,’ he tells you, breath hot on your cheek.

He nudges your thigh with his. ‘Spread.’

He fits himself between your legs and kisses you again. 

The blunt head of him nudges you, and you don’t realise you’re holding your breath until he’s in you all the way and you’re dizzy with pleasure.

He buries his head in your neck. 

‘Fuck. You feel so fucking good,’ he groans.

He moves, a slow stroke that makes you arch into him.

You moan his name, and he moves again, rocking his hips against yours, deep, hard.

You close your eyes but realise what a mistake that was when you open them again and see how beautiful Jeon Jungkook looks when he’s fucking you.

He hooks a forearm around your thighs and drags you to the edge of the bed so he can stand and fuck you.

Fuck, how have you never realised how strong he is?

He smirks at you, and you’d want to slap it off his face except he’s doing something with his hips now that’s making the pleasure spiral and you’re two short steps from —-

He lowers his mouth to yours again and then you’re coming, legs wrapped around his hips, his chest flattening yours, his sweat all over you. 

He murmurs what sounds like approval as he fucks you through it.

You gasp his name and he groans, fucking you harder, speeding up and then slowing until he comes, buried deep inside you.

He pulls out, yanks off the condom with a whine and ties it off, dropping it on the floor carelessly. He collapses down next to you, panting. 

For a moment you’re both quiet.

Then he says, ‘Shit. That was way better than jerking off with those panties I stole.’

You slap him on the chest. ‘Shut up, asshole.’

‘Stop flirting with me. I need a minute before we can go again.’

Jungkook grins at you but he’s still got an arm around your hips and his thigh slotted between yours so you can’t be too mad.

***

You wake up to bright sunshine right in your face even though you drew the drapes last night before you went to bed because Jeon Jungkook is halfway in your open window.

You sit up, confused as hell. 

‘What the fuck—‘

You can’t work out if he’s coming or going.

You get your answer then he drops into your room with a thud.

‘Sorry,’ he says. ‘Forgot to slash those tires last night.’

‘You didn’t?!’

‘Keep your voice down,’ he advises. ‘We don’t want her to know it was me.’

You’re speechless.

‘Did you seriously just —‘

‘Don’t finish your question so I don’t have to answer it,’ Jungkook tells you.

He’s getting undressed again, kicking off his shoes, staring hard at your bare chest half covered by the duvet.

He jumps back into bed with you and you greet him with another kiss.

His hand trails over the curve of your breasts.

‘Let’s not talk about it again,’ you say.

‘Yeah,’ he agrees.

‘Do you want to come on my tits?’

Jungkook groans. ‘Fuck, yeah.’

***

You’re back at home in your apartment unpacking when the familiar banging on your door starts.

You yank the door open. ‘You literally just left, Jeon Jungkook,’ you complain, before you realise he’s not alone.

Jeon Mido, Jungkook’s mother and your boss, is standing outside your door and you’ve still got sand in your hair from fucking Jungkook on the beach before you left the beach house. 

Jungkook adjusts the collar of his shirt in a vain attempt to hide the hickey you gave him.

‘I’m sorry,’ you apologise. ‘I wasn’t expecting you.’

Jeon Mido smiles graciously at you. 

‘Jungkook tells me he met your parents over the weekend,’ she says.

‘They liked him a lot,’ you tell her, wondering where she’s going with this.

She nods. ‘Good. I thought maybe you’d like to come to dinner with us tomorrow night. My husband would love to meet you.’

You’re so surprised you can’t do anything but accept.

Jeon Mido smiles at you and takes her leave.

You turn to Jungkook. ‘What was that?’

Jungkook shrugs, shaking sand out of his jeans pockets. 

‘She’s always said she wants to meet my girlfriends.’

He’s not looking at you directly, and the tips of his ears are red.

‘What?’

‘I don’t know,’ he says, finally.  ‘I’ve never had a girl I’m dating meet my parents before.’

‘We’re not dating!’ 

He’s looking at you now. ‘Aren’t we?’

The way he’s looking at you gives you pause.

‘We see each other every day. We hang out at each others’ places. You help me with my problems and I help you with yours. I’ve met your family.’

He smiles. ‘And you’re the most fucking amazing girl I’ve ever met.’

You stare at him.

‘Unless,’ he continues, ‘you just want to be fuck buddies. I’m down with that too.’

He looks like he’s about to turn away so you grab his arm and tug him towards you. 

‘Ok, Jeon Jungkook, I’ll date you,’ you say.

He nods. ‘I thought so.’

He leans down so you can kiss the smug smirk off his face.

©hamsterclaw 2024

With thanks to bloviating-vy for introducing me to the phrase 'fuck you rich' and the works of Smashy for the immortal phrase 'Yonsei dipshits'.

[chasingfictions]

anyway so glad amber bronzing and starr pewtering were the only things that happened last night :)))))))))

[sublimeinal-messages]

How great would it have been to have Lila and Diego’s marital problems actually be that they’re both tired of normal marital life, when both of them are secretly getting back into the superhero / assassin gig behind eachother’s backs?

Like, ok Diego can still has his infidelity suspicion plot, thinking lila is cheating on him with five (which is fake. Didn’t happen at all. We all agree right?) but it turns out that Lila and Five are actually meeting up to plot, talking about old commission stuff on the downlow. Diego sneaks out to find them having dinner and he’s heartbroken, but it’s actually them eating takeout over assassination plans with files all over the table detailing how to kill someone without a trace, with pictures of alleyway vantage points and sniper rifles.

I didn’t expect this to end up being A Whole Thing but I had to write it out. Full thing under the cut:

Meanwhile, Diego’s been lying to Lila about losing his job. He hasn’t shown up for work in weeks, and recently got fired. Levaing the family financially unstable. Diego’s still showing up to be a dad during his usual scheduled times, but he hasn’t been paid in a while and both parents seem to be pulled away in different directions. And now the kids have begun to notice. This comes to a peak when one of their kids spot someone in their house at night dressed in black, and they tell Lila later that they saw Batman. Obviously Lila sees right through this and confronts Diego, who confronts her right back over her infidelity. Lila laughs in his face, because he’d have to be insane to think she’s ever do that, and with Five?? The barely-legal teenager who killed her parents? Are you stupid?? (Stares directly at the camera). But Diego’s hurt. He can’t get a clear answer on what they’re doing because she doesn’t want to admit she’s tired of being a housewife and wants to kick ass again. All they can agree on is that this isn’t working anymore, neither of them are happy, and they just hurt each others feelings.

So this fight ends in Diego storming out. They’re on a break. Lila is heartbroken, the kids don’t know what’s going on, and Diego throws himself wholeheartedly into being a vigilante again. It’s shown he’s fighting some shady organization that seems to have far reaching ties—related to Reginald, Abigail, and their new reset empire. Lila doesn’t know what to do, she gets some in-laws to stay over and look after the kids as she goes out to look for him (to no avail) and it ends up being the day she and five planned on their big assassination happening. Lila caves and says to five he’s gotta do this himself because her family is falling apart. Five is annoyed and makes a quip about how this is why he never lets romantic attachments get in in the way of him doing a job (stares directly into camera).

So five takes his sniper rifle and goes to the location early, where he’s positioned to take out their mark. Lila is out looking for Diego, and Diego is kitted up, on his way to take out these shady people he’s been making a case on, and intends to stop what they’re doing before they do it.

Anyone pick up where this is going yet?

Diego shows up at the location—a shady laboratory owned in secret by Reginald Hargreeves. The place is familiar. Diego slips into an alleyway. but what’s this? We’ve seen It’s the exact same alleyway but from a different point of view! Five is perched on the roof with a sniper, looking down at him. He gets his quarry in his sights and takes one final, steadying breath. This mission is going exactly as planned. The idiot showed up right as predicted. He didn’t even come with backup this time. It’s a textbook fish in a barrel. It’s almost disappointing how this couldn’t be an easier kill. But maybe Five’s glory days are just behind him. He puts his finger on the trigger.

Cut to diego and Lila’s house. It’s dark inside. Gracie and the twins have been put to bed and the in-laws are tired and in the living room. A phone rings, and it’s Lila, calling to say she hasn’t found Diego and is hoping he came back, but it’s not the case. Lila says she’ll be back soon and the in-laws begin packing up to go home. Gracie stands in the hallway, overhearing. To her, her whole world is falling apart, and she runs back to the twin’s bedroom in tears. She can’t believe this is happening. The lights are turned off in the hallway and the house grows quiet. The front door opens and closes and it’s implied that the in-laws have just gone home. Mum will be back soon, but the twins won’t stop crying, so Gracie gets up to get them some milk and cookies to make them happy again. She steps out into the dark hallway

To see a man dressed like Batman, in full fight gear. And she looks up at him with hope in her eyes, saying “daddy?”

Only surprise! It’s not, and they grab her as she lets out a scream. We cut to Diego as he reaches to open the door at the end of the alley only to find it locked, and realize he’s been set up. He spins around only for a gunshot to sound, and it cuts to black.

Lila comes back to the house. Finds it trashed. Finds her Inlaws murdered in horrific fashion in the driveway. Gracie and the twins are gone. And the little domestic life she and Diego made destroyed as we cut back to Diego, bleeding out in the street from what looks like a fatal gunshot.

Then five comes down from his perch to confirm his kill, only to realize what he’s just done.

So there. Here’s a dramatic, non-cheating subplot that has a similar amount of stakes that we could’ve had with season 4. Maybe Lila and Five end up going on a crusade for everyone to get their powers back so they can bring Diego back from the dead. Maybe this is what leads them to the subway, to mess with the timeline again, because as commission agents they can’t let go of the idea that time can be fixed and it isn’t theirs to mess with anymore. Maybe this sends Lila over the edge, and when trapped in the subway with five—she tries to murder him instead!! After all, he’s not only killed her parents, he’s now killed her husband! Why not have five scramble to figure out a way back for all those years while running for his life? (While a scooby-doo like soundtrack plays and they get all turned around and confused). Maybe Diego isn’t actually dead in the end, and it’s all a bait and switch to fool Reginald, who was watching and lines the whole thing up to fuck with them. Taking the kids as a deterrent so they won’t dig any deeper. But maybe in the last second before five pulls the trigger five hesitates. Maybe he doesn’t have what it takes to murder anymore. He swore it off earlier—what glory is he really chasing anyway? Maybe he recognizes the gait of the person in the alley and makes a non-killing shot to just take them out. Maybe he saw ahead that this was a setup by Reginald and made an agreement with Diego and filled his vest full of blood packets. And he fully knows Lila and Diego are both doing secret little vigilante gigs behind each others backs but tells neither because he really doesn’t want to get in the way of some stuffy marital dispute. Nooooo thanks. He had enough of that when he and Delores were together and bickering constantly. Five just wants his family alive and happy in whatever timeline they end up. (Chokes the spirit of Steve Blackman just a little bit harder)

Anyway, everyone else thinks Diego is dead; and all get together again. Weddings and funerals uniting them once more, and each of them reveal how life didn’t turn out how they wanted on their own, and they get to bond and unite to track down Gracie and the twins. “One last time” they agree, to be heroes and finally do something right. To save some little kids. Members of their family! Innocent ones, who don’t deserve to be caught up in their mess. And it culminates in confronting Reginald once and for all and destroying the ill-gotten gains he warped the universe in his favor for. And Reginald’s gone the rest of them can finally have peace of mind. Maybe the timeline genuinely gets better now that one monocoled megalomaniacal maniac isn’t in the centre of the universe anymore. The very thing that doomed the timeline before. And now the umbrellas are able to disband and go on in their lives as normal people in a timeline that exists with no favouritism at all. It’s all just what they make of it

(and hey! Maybe Diego comes back out of hiding and saves the day! And he and Lila both confess they want to take more active roles outside of being parents. And their kids are wowed by the fact that their parents are both superheroes. And it’s cool and awesome and I don’t sob at a very tragic defeatist ending of all I hold dear).

I don’t know guys. There’s so many different ways the final season could’ve gone, but not in a million years would I have chosen to make it go the way it did. That’s a whole other post—but in the end, I just know I’ll be entertaining my own little ideas for what happens to these characters I’ve grown and loved, and keep them alive in my own heart and AU story ideas. Thats the true canon for me, and the rest is just… fuss and marigold dust

[yourplayersaidwhat]

Me, Lawful Good Ranger, about to coup de grace a downed raider: Say good night gracie!

DM: Your alignment immediately shifts to evil.

Me, ooc: No wait!

[muncysvelasco]

“Rockland” by gracie abrams is gonna be so veluncy coded when he gets his new love intrest

[anaargent]

You know season 4 yeah it was bad, and it made me so angry😭😭 and I want revenge, (delulul) so can you right something where reader finds out of five cheating on her, and her getting her little revenge, thank you (≧▽≦) (sorry if my grammar sucks)

Girl I totally loved this, hope you like it. contains slight suggestion of Diego x reader

MARRY MY HUSBAND

You sigh as you take another sip of the whiskey that Five had methodically stocked in your shared apartment. The thought makes you sick, your Five... or it was before his silent betrayal. You were fine, happy and unaware of the passionate acts of Five, your work and life partner, with none other than Lila, your sister-in-law, and a friend you held dear.

Oblivious to all of this until a few weeks ago, when you noticed that Five and Lila's days off had been modified, while you thought he was in some long-term affair, you did the obvious, investigated. But nothing prepared you for the scene you witnessed, a Five affectionately holding his sister-in-law in his arms, a sweet smile on his face as he gently rocked her in a restaurant, YOUR favorite restaurant, in the neighboring city. It was adorable, such a beautiful scene of two lovebirds in love.

You came up with crazy ideas to get revenge on the jerk, including throwing Five's body into the Seine River, to a simpler one like kicking his ass.

...

And here you were, at Diego's door, ready to use him as a pawn to knock Five off his damn pedestal "Holla, y/n! Where's Five?" Diego opens the door and smiles warmly. You were ready to manipulate your brother-in-law, but he was in front of you, pathetic as he wore a jellybean necklace, his hair was parted in two messy pigtails and his black outfit was covered in purple glitter "come in, come in, we were in the middle of an afternoon tea, you'll love it" he pulls you inside while three agitated children corner you with cute little eyes.

Five liked you for being calculating, rational and other adjectives that he saw as ideal in a partner, you considered yourself an equal. You bet he would take back his compliments when he saw you bent over in a small chair with an imaginary cup of tea.

After an endless afternoon, the little angels fell asleep from exhaustion "Thanks for helping with the mess, and sorry for dragging you into this" Diego says as he finishes cleaning up the mess in the living room "I wouldn't have the energy for the three of them alone"

"Don't thank me, they're so cute"you smile melancholy as you see the three children piled up, Gracie holding the twins protectively "Five and Lila are having an affair" you blurt out before you can explode with guilt.

You stare at Diego, the air tense as you watch the man's grateful species turn from confused to disbelieving "what?" he laughs incredulously.

" They...they're together"you look away from Diego, unable to maintain a rational facade as you watch Diego process everything. A pang of guilt hits you "I needed to tell you, I want to end that bastard...but I need you to agree, you have more to lose than I do"you say and see Diego look at his children, his lips in a thin line.

" Please go home y/n, it's already late" Diego sounds as polite as possible.

" I'll go... think about it" you say before leaving silently.

...

That was a few weeks ago, no sign of Diego. Five would come and spend a few days, always formal and distant as he talked about the cases he was working on, nonsense and more lies.

Then Diego was at your door, in the middle of the night, panting as if he had run a marathon, soaked from the torrential rain that was falling outside "Holla y/n" he tries to smile as you pull him inside.

"Are you crazy? You're going to catch a cold, come in, come in" you guide him to the living room and get a towel, quickly wrapping it around him.

" It was my fault, s/n" he says, trembling, you look at him, lost "Lila and Five... I... Lila wasn't happy, it was too much... the kids... work... the routine, she told me she was tired, I didn't hear her, I was only thinking about myself and the kids, I should have paid attention to her " he says everything at once, his shoulders still shaking from the cold, his voice weak, you didn't know if it was from the rain or emotional.

"Hey, hey" you try to sound affectionate, having no experience in supporting anyone, you sounded kind of robotic -but you tried, that's what counts, right? - "Come here" you pull him into a hug, it was clumsy and kind of strange, you didn't make physical contact with people, but Diego didn't seem to mind as he held you closer and sniffed softly " They betrayed us, Diego, you're a wonderful father. Routine hits everyone, but it's no excuse to stab anyone in the back" you patted his back.

" about your plan.."Diego steps away and looks at you, looking more composed, although his eyes were red "I'm in, what do I do?"

You try to contain the devilish smile that forms on your lips " All your little brother loves most is power.. I think he loves it more than his own family, we're going to take away his position at the FBI.

"But how are you going to do that? He's not like a Shellock from there?"

"he's...distracted" you try not to sound too suggestive of the fact that your boyfriend and his wife were, maybe at that exact moment, fucking each other " it means that his cases are open, he has a case, a big and old one, nobody solved it, I helped him with some clues. If someone solves the case, he loses the position he wanted" you smile and settle into the couch.

"okay... but who's going to solve it?" Diego asks, after a moment of silence he laughs, the first one you've seen in so many days, you missed that smile.

" You always wanted to go in there, Five never sent the letters Diego.."- Maybe it was a low blow, but you needed Diego by your side -

" what?" he asks looking disappointed, then gives a bitter laugh " I don't know why I still waited for him to really believe that I could get into the FBI"

"you have potential Diego" you pat his shoulder -were your comforting techniques better? " and you're going to walk into that damn office with a solved case"

You shake hands, smile and nod, sealing the little deal between you.

...

"What's going on here?"Five opens the doors aggressively, his irritated expression causing you immense pleasure even more when you notice Lila towing beside him.

You smile sweetly at your partner and your friend, walking towards then with your hands behind your back - someone solved the Alien case, everyone is impressed. Did you guys meet at the entrance? How great that we are all together"

"What? How? Who? - He cut the subject and looks around, examining the people, then looks at you again, suspicion filling his eyes " What did you do, s/n?" He approaches like an animal ready to tear its prey apart.

" Me? Nothing my dear, I would never do anything... behind your back, we're partners, right? No lies like you always tell me" you smile, seeing him narrow his eyes. It was worth every hour spent with Diego to solve that damn case, nothing would take away from you the sweet taste of seeing Five Hargreeves fall from the highest pedestal he placed himself on.

A part of you was still hurt, it was years of partnership, were you just a pastime for him? Didn't it mean anything? Before you could sink into the spiral of self-humiliation, Diego appeared with a huge smile

"oh Little brother, my dear wife, you didn't tell me you were in the secret service too, what an incredible knowledge. it's good to have all you here, it seems that we are now coworkers. I know we will get along well, don't pressure me too much, I'm new to this whole chief detective thing, but y/n was very kind and will accompany me until I adjust to the position - he puts an arm around your shoulders, the two of you watch with delight as Five and Lila finally realizes what was happening

[cozage]

The Daughter's Return Part 3

Chapter 24: Where to Go From Here

Start From Beginning | Next Chapter | Table of Contents | Read on AO3

Characters: female reader x Portgas D. Ace Word Count: 1k

He didn’t wake up the next morning. Or the next. Or the next. 

But you kept your faith in him. You sat with him all day, only leaving to get checkups done by Law. 

You told him about the changes and updates, about life with a crew that didn’t belong to you. Law knew the gender of your baby, but you refused to find out until Ace was awake, and you reminded Ace of that every chance you got. You talked about the food you ate, and the journey you went on by yourself to rescue him at Marineford. 

You also went to visit Luffy for a bit each day, talking to him and theorizing out loud about where his crew was and what they were doing. You told him about the baby, and how he was going to be an uncle, and how he definitely could not use his rubber powers to make your baby fly into the air. Though you doubted he would listen to you. If he ever woke up. 

Every day Shachi, Ikkaku, or Penguin brought you meals so you could eat with Ace. Law moved your room closer to the brothers so you could sleep in your own bed, but it was pointless. You slept in the chair by Ace’s side every night, even though Law scolded you every morning. 

Jinbe sat outside of the room, guarding you and the brothers fiercely. You weren’t actually sure where his loyalty was between the three of you, but you were grateful for his presence regardless. 

On the third evening, Law moved a cot into Ace’s room, demanding you actually sleep on a bed. 

“It’s bad for the baby for you to sleep slumped like that,” he said, and you finally took his advice, though you pulled the bed next to Ace’s so you could be close to him. 

On the fourth day, Law came and told you he had found the Whitebeard Pirates. They had been searching for you, Marco specifically. He handed you a transponder snail to make the call, but you pushed it away. You didn’t want to call unless you had good news. You weren’t ready to face the reality that waited for you outside of this steel ship. The reality of your father being gone. The unknown future of your family. 

Who had lived? Who had died? You had no idea of the casualties. You weren’t exactly eager to find out, though. Law forbid you from reading the News Coo, afraid that any upsetting emotions would cause negative impacts on the baby. It was imperative that you didn’t go through any more distressing occasions. Your pregnancy was already a high enough risk right now. 

You didn’t fight him on that. You didn’t fight him on anything. You only spoke to Ace, trying to will him back to life. 

You didn’t talk about what would happen if the brothers didn’t wake up. In your mind, that wasn’t even an option. They survived Marineford, so they would make it through this. 

You laid down in the cot next to Ace’s bed that night, reaching up and intertwining your fingers with his. 

“If you don’t wake up tomorrow, I’m finding out the gender of our baby without you,” you threatened. Maybe all Ace needed was some motivation to wake up. Hopefully a gender reveal was enough of a motivator. Even if it was an empty threat. You wouldn’t move forward without him. You couldn’t. 

“We could disappear, you know,” you whispered, closing your eyes. “Live on a small island where nobody knows our past. Start over. Be those boring island people we always made fun of.” You squeezed your eyes tighter, trying to ignore the tears pooling behind your eyes. 

“All you have to do is wake up, Ace. And we can be whoever we want to be. Go wherever we want to go. Just wake up.”

The dreams were the same as always. That stupid island that had grown strangely comforting. Ace and your child playing in the field. 

Nothing bad happened here. Not anymore. The nightmares you once had became hopeful dreams of the future. 

The next morning, you woke to dark, warm eyes staring back at you; your favorite freckled smile gracing your sight. 

You let out a sob, and your hand flew to your mouth to stifle it. 

“S’okay,” he whispered, his voice hoarse and groggy. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Am I dreaming?” you cried, not even bothering to hide your tears. “Please tell me I’m not dreaming.”

“You’re not,” he whispered. “I’d pinch you if I could move any.”

You cried harder, overwhelmed with the fact that Ace was awake. He was here. He had chosen to live. He had chosen you.

“Are you hurt?” he whispered, his eyes moving up and down your body. 

You shook your head. You couldn’t speak, sobs overtaking your body. You hadn’t given up hope but…this was a miracle. He was here. He was okay. 

“Hey-” Ace reached out for you and then let out a low groan that was full of pain. 

The door opened, Law entering. “Y/N-ya, time for your-” he stopped, processing the situation unfolding before him. 

“You’re awake.” He was trying hard to keep the surprise out of his voice. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I took a bath in a lava pool,” Ace moaned, wincing as he shifted in his bed. 

“You’re not far from the truth,” Law responded. He looked at you. “I suppose you can contact your crew whenever you’d like. I’m sure you’re eager to get back to them.”

You gave a nod, your eyes still fixated on Ace, drinking in the fact that he was in front of you. Awake. 

“Wait-” Ace gave a quick cough, trying to clear his throat. You could feel his grip tighten around your fingers. “What’s the gender?”

You almost laughed at his question. He had heard your threat, even in a coma. 

“Oh.” Law scratched his head, suddenly looking very awkward. “Congratulations. It’s a boy.”

--

Tag list! @taeyoge @teiza @tojislawyer @trafalgardnami @bloopbopsblog @dancingnewcat @dxestyi @flooofity @nyxthedragon01 @deadsnothere @h-rhodes1598  @morgyyyyyyy @trafalgardvivi  @fiestynatureweeb @frogpogjoghurt @beepboopcowboy @ms-portgas @luvyallbabes @appalost @zuchkaa @saybeyonce @stray-npc @kitsunechan707 @theyluvmesblog @heartysworld @aira-needs-sleep  @mothmomjay @ophelias-flowerss @aqualein @sehyojae @fanficwriter5 @forgotten-blues @amberash05 @firefistnoct @depressed-but-make-it-cute @stuckinthewrongworld@lizpoir

[maud-blyth-wannabe]

I have the most bombastic “he wouldn’t fucking say that” disease over Alex Claremont Diaz- bisexual, married to a man, pro-choice, pro-trans, liberal- Alex Claremont Diaz moving back to Texas. More so, Alex would not move Henry to Texas.

In the US, you have to live in a particular state for 5 years (and the particular voting district if you’re running for local office for one year) to run for public office in that state. So there is no reason Alex’s political career would be hurt in New York (on the contrary, imo).

Texas in the year of our lord 2024 has become an alt right shit show as bad as Florida and not only would it completely break Alex and Ellen and Oscar’s hearts to see what came of their beloved home state, but I think beyond that fact, Alex loves Henry too fucking much to move him somewhere that would be unkind and unsafe to him. Weather or not Alex is sad with the state of things in Texas or not, it’s more of a “this isn’t fair to Henry” deal.

A New York City resident, married queer man of color with a law degree is something that NYC voters very much like. We havent had a good mayor in this fucking city since Bloomberg. Put him in Gracie mansion. He deserves it.

Ok thanks for coming to my ted talk.

[lucienarcheron]

Spirit Meets the Bones XXIX

Genre: Angst/Romance/Drama Warnings: Mentions of physical abuse. Author’s Note: In case you missed it, here's a little art I commissioned of my darlings <3

shoutout to @abruisedmuse for being on this journey with me <3

Tagging: @climb-the-mountian / @vanserrass / @zenkindoflove / @animezinglife / @readthelastpaage / @teddyhoneybear / @positivewitch / @clockwork-ashes / @carnythian / @secret-third-thing / @runningwiththeoceans / @readychilledwine / @goldenmagnolias / @that-golden-lyre / @thedarkinmansfield / @mali22 / @maidr-00 / @electromagnetic-waves / @eastofatlanta / @moobell55 / @bibliophiliaxvignette / @devilsfoodcake22 / @weesablackbeak / @ladywhilemia / @alohaangels / @feysandfeels / @corcracrow / @dawneternal / @gracie-rosee / @mage-neve / @queenoftheworld1998 /@wolvesnravens / @illyrianvalkyrie / @rainbowsnowflake

Find it all here.

The room was quiet as Iris lay on their bed, feeling a tad foolish for how clingy she felt waiting for her husband to return. She wanted to be embarrassed by it, considering she had only made fun of him for being the same way not that long ago, but instead, Iris only found herself embarrassingly eager to see his stupid face. 

Her eyes flickered towards the door, trying to sense any movement but it was silent. Eris had reinforced the wards for additional protection so Iris didn’t worry as much but…he was taking longer than anticipated and it made her a little nervous. The last time he had taken longer than she expected, it hadn’t ended well.

But she hadn’t felt any negative emotions — no painful tugs like that night. 

Iris sighed then turned over, Atlas shifting closer to her. “He would be so smug to know I’m waiting like this,” she said to the hound who whined sleepily in return. Iris chuckled, scratching behind the hound’s ear. “You’re absolutely right. I am too pretty waiting here for him.” 

And indeed, Iris felt very pretty. She had donned a satin baby blue nightgown with a side slit that made her giddy in anticipation for him to see. Even if she was currently covering it with a matching robe. 

It might be the acknowledgment of the mating bond or her head had finally caught up with her libido, but Iris found herself more and more worked up whenever she was around him and she craved his touch. 

Her husband. Her friend. Her mate. 

She bit her lip and flushed deeply. Who was she becoming? 

Every time she remembered her life before Eris, it came as a shock. The days had always blurred together, time passing her by with nothing to show for it. She had been suffocated. Isolated. So alone, it had been crippling. But in that loneliness, Iris had always kept hope tucked away, hidden so deeply that her father could never reach it. The hope that she would get out, that she would find a way to feel alive. To dream. Despite the struggle of being stuck under her father’s fist, she always yearned for the light at the end of the road. She had believed in it so desperately, it had been the only thing keeping her sane. 

Her father had gone out of his way to break her down and Iris thought back to her wedding morning, how she had believed getting married would be a death sentence, a way her father had won. That marrying her off to Eris was how he finally broke her spirit and took away any hope she had held on to.  But now…she realized how Eris had been exactly what she’d waited for. Everything Iris had been waiting for and yet, so much more than she ever thought she’d deserve. 

Things may not be perfect living with the monster of a High Lord now but…Iris was happier than she imagined she’d be with Eris. This dream was all sitting within the palm of her hands. 

Shifting again, she shook her head and Iris let her thoughts drift back to her time with her mother-in-law earlier and it had wrecked her to know how much Lady Enya had struggled; that she felt so comfortable to share with Iris meant the world.

She didn’t miss how Lady Enya’s hope and desperation to get out mirrored her own. It became exceedingly clear the more they had spoken and Iris marveled again, at the resilience her mother-in-law had to tolerate this life.

“My sons are the only reason I’ve been able to manage anything.” Lady Enya said quietly. “My flame would’ve long been extinguished had I not had them and the only way I can thank them is by taking so long to leave.”

Iris frowned. “I’m sure they’d be crushed to know you think of it that way,” she said carefully. “Eris…he loves you and wishes for whatever you want for yourself.”

Lady Enya smiled sadly. “He has carried so much on his shoulders,” she said and glanced at Iris. “How is he really doing? I know Beron had not held back that night.” 

Iris’s lips thinned, her expression troubled as she thought of a way to word it carefully. “...It was a hard night. I healed him as best as I could and he’s making good progress. I’ve tried to force him to be careful with his movement.”

Lady Enya’s smile brightened slightly. “Having a healer in the family is a blessing we didn’t know we needed,” she said and Iris flushed happily. “I daresay having a healer on the throne will be a soothing balm to this festering wound of a court.”

“Your faith in my abilities is very flattering, Mother.” Iris chuckled. “I have so much more to learn.” 

“And I’m sure you’ll do wonderfully.” Lady Enya said and reached out to squeeze Iris’s hand. “I have all the faith in the world in you, Iris and I am honored for my son to have you in his life. He’s needed you more than you know.” 

Iris flushed at the memory of the words. Her mother-in-law may think Eris needs her but she needs him just as much. If not more. 

Sighing, Iris forced herself to sit up. She was becoming restless with her wait. She wanted him to be home already. To sit with her. To talk with her. And maybe, to touch her. Maybe they could both be a little more brave.

She’d noticed his hesitation and blamed it on his healing back even with the scent in the room giving away his desires. It was almost too embarrassing how the tables had turned and now she was the one waiting for Eris to make his move. 

And it was almost as if Eris had heard her thoughts – his scent hit her as she sensed movement by the door and her husband materialized before her. She hoped it wasn’t too obvious how eagerly she’d been waiting for him, feeling herself perk up as his eyes quickly swept the room and landed on her.

Eris closed the door of their suite behind him and Iris watched his shoulders sag; she could feel the wave of anxiety and knew he’d been worried by the way his fingers flexed at his sides. His expression hadn’t eased until his eyes landed on her, clearly safe and sound. She knew the thread that pulled at her ribcage had told them both they had no reason to be so worried about the other and yet, he couldn’t relax until he saw her. The thought spread a warmth across her chest.

“You’re back.” she breathed with a small smile. 

“Do keep your disappointment in check.” he replied, the corner of his mouth lifting and Iris rolled her eyes, shifting off the bed. 

Iris could feel his gaze on her as she adjusted her robe and tried to be casual in the way she straightened – tried not to make it too obvious how she had felt herself brighten as his scent enveloped her. 

“How did the meeting go? You took longer than I expected.”

“Ah, you really missed me, didn’t you?”

Iris shot him a playfully chiding look, curling a strand of hair behind her ear. “Please don’t project your delusions on me.” 

Eris snorted as she moved towards him, his eyes cataloging the baby blue robe she donned. She’d been experimenting with more colors in her nightly clothing and whenever Iris picked a color she didn’t usually wear, it was always worth it for his reactions alone. 

“The only delusions here are your own, thinking you’re not obsessed with me,” he said, his mouth curling into a smirk. “What a beautiful little liar you are.”

Iris flushed and fought back a smile, pursing her lips instead. “I don’t even like you, let alone am obsessed with you.”

“Mm.” Eris hummed. “She says while she was just lying in my bed, hugging my hound.”

She crossed her arms, shrugging a shoulder playfully. “I’m only with you for the puppies,” she said. “I told you that from the beginning.” 

“Not puppies.” he corrected with an eye roll and Iris straightened, leaning forward until she was a breath away, meeting his gaze.

“One hundred percent puppies.” she enunciated slowly and Eris’s eyes flashed, his gaze locked on that pretty mouth of hers, her scent hitting him in full force. 

He had to hand it to his wife; the sheer magnetic force she possessed that had him so eagerly wrapped up in her always took him by surprise. He couldn’t resist her and didn’t know why he’d ever tried to. Slowly, he closed the distance between them, his eyes never leaving hers and for someone who called him out on his hungry eyes, his wife sure replicated it very well. 

The two watched each other and the bond between them pulsed, tugging them closer as they breathed each other in. The pleasant tension that sat between them always flared up so viciously whenever they were alone and at the same time, breathed a sigh of relief to be near once again. 

And then —

She was in his arms quicker than he could blink and Eris melted into her. He wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her close as they kissed, her mouth as hungry as her eyes were.  Iris’s hands traced his biceps before wrapping them around his neck, letting out a small delightful sound when he squeezed her into him. Kissing him always left her breathless and Eris did not shy away from stealing every single breath he could from her.

His hands slid, squeezing and kneading her flesh as he walked her backward toward their bed, desire coating each brush of his tongue on hers, a melody of emotions crashing together. 

“Puppy –” Iris managed and Eris groaned against her mouth, pulling away for a moment.

“Atlas. Off the bed. Now.” Eris commanded sharply and in the same breath his hound moved with a whine, he had Iris flat on her back and settled between her legs.

The weight of his body on hers was delicious and so very welcomed, especially when his hardness pressed against her, and Iris could feel exactly how much he wanted her. Since she had pulled his body over hers that night, Eris did not hesitate to keep doing it. Even with her robe and his night clothes between them, every inch of him lined up with every inch of her each night, as if he no longer knew how to sleep without the heat of her beneath him. 

He rocked against her as his lips memorized hers and gods did she want him to press harder. A raspy moan slipped from her lips when his sinful mouth moved to her throat and her hands traced every inch of him they could find and Iris would’ve torn his shirt off and bitten whatever skin she could find – had he not stiffened — had he not paused with her hands digging into his back. 

Iris froze – suddenly remembering the sensitivity of his skin and guilt overwhelmed her as she slowly relaxed her hands with a swallow, gently sliding them down his arms. Eris’s face remained buried in her neck and they waited as his panting calmed. 

Slowly, Eris pulled back and Iris hated to see the slight color in his cheeks, his mouth a thin line of embarrassment at his own reaction. Her touch light as a feather, she held his face and pulled him down to give him a chaste kiss.

“Sorry,” she whispered against his lips. “I forgot myself.”

He gently shook his head in assurance. “It just goes to show how obsessed you are. Can’t keep your hands off me.” 

The humor in his tone eased her worry and she ran a hand softly through his hair. “I suppose you’re right.” she murmured. “It must be the witchcraft in your lips that’s causing this.” 

And Iris couldn’t help her smile at the way his whole face brightened when he laughed. 

“So alongside your lies, you steal the lines I use on you?” he said, his hands finding their way to the loose strands of hair again, brushing it gently out of her face.

“You’re so inspiring, how could I not?”

Eris shook his head with a low chuckle and leaned in to murmur against her mouth, “We haven’t even said hello and you’re already making fun of me.”

“You are very easy to tease.” she said with a coy smile and Eris’s smoldering gaze made her heart stutter, especially when he kissed the corner of her mouth and whispered, 

“Well, then. Hello to you too, mate.” 

The bond went taut as the word spread heat through his chest, especially when Iris flushed.

And it was like Iris was hit by the revelation of the mating bond all over again. Slowly but surely, she had been coming to terms that indeed, they would be tied together forever and again, rather than panic, Iris’s reaction bubbled between excitement and caution. Excitement because her mate was already her husband, someone she wanted, and caution because…well, there was still so much to navigate between them. 

But every time he called her that — every time he claimed her this way, Iris felt her heart want to explode. Eris had wanted her before any of this came to light and to go from having no one in her corner to having someone who wanted her so deeply…it overwhelmed her in the best way. 

“Hello…mate.” she finally replied and couldn’t look away from his reaction, the way his eyes honed in on her, the stupid male satisfaction of it, especially when her legs involuntarily squeezed him.

“You have very hungry eyes on you, wife.” he said and his voice had dropped low, the way it always did that made a heat pool in her body.

“I have no idea what you mean, husband.” 

Eris couldn’t help the smirk from forming on his lips at her typical response. His coy little wife. Was it normal for him to have missed her, even if they’d only been a few hours apart? Was he truly that pathetic? Probably. 

But beneath the slight patheticness,  he felt a sense of…giddiness? Excitement? Whatever it was, it pulsed beneath her skin too. He could almost taste it. 

“This is a very pretty blue you’re wearing.” he muttered and the tone went straight to Iris’s core. “I like it.”

“You think so?” she teased and bit her lips before she whispered, “I think you’d like what’s underneath it too.” 

Iris flushed deeply and held back a giggle when he dropped his head into the crook of her neck with a groan, his grip tightening on her.

“Do you…want to see it?” she asked in that whispered tone and Eris sucked in a breath, going silent at the invitation. 

Did he want to see it? Given his current one-sided and very stupid stance on holding back on their intimacy? 

“I think I’d die right here if I didn’t.” he murmured and lifted his head to meet her gaze. 

“Well. We can’t have that, can we?” she said and Eris shifted to slide next to her, giving himself enough space to take in the complete sight of her. She lay there, like a gift to unwrap and he couldn’t help but slip his hand down the silk robe, a smirk blooming on his face when he felt her suck in her stomach beneath his touch.

“Are you sure?” he asked and when Iris bit her lip, nodding, Eris had to remind himself that he was a very, very patient male. He did not lose control.

So very slowly, he pulled on the sash holding the robe together, and let the robe slide open, revealing the gown she’d hidden beneath it.

He had to suck in a breath of his own. 

Eris had played with silk before. He used it quite a few times over the years and while he’d tied partners up and blindfolded them with silk…he hadn’t anticipated that silk nightwear would be his new kink. 

Specifically on his very, very pretty wife.

His eyes traced every inch of exposed skin and like the morning she stood in their bathroom and showed him that gown, Eris felt his pulse skyrocket. She would be the death of him as she lay there, roses blooming on her cheeks, fidgeting just slightly as he licked his lips.

The material hugged her body so beautifully, tight in just the right places, the color doing wonders for her skin and if Eris could stop himself from losing his absolute mind, he’d lean in and allow himself to indulge in her. 

But gods, he would devour her. He would — he stilled when Iris shifted and the slit he hadn’t seen exposed more of her lovely legs.

Touch her. Taste her. Claim her.

The bond wrapped around his neck nearly choked him and Eris realized too late that the sound of a wounded animal he’d heard had slipped from his own lips. His hand slid on its own and traced the exposed skin by that tantalizing slit wondering if he just slid his hand further, what would happen?

What if he let his hand touch her most sensitive flesh? Allowed his fingers the blessing of being soaked by her pleasure? They’d both enjoy it. He could stop himself after. He could – 

Iris shifted and the scent of her arousal hit him like a sack of bricks, especially when it wrapped around his own shameless lust. Gods, every time he remembered that she wanted him as badly as he wanted her, Eris wanted to combust. 

To be wanted, in a way like no one had ever made him feel before…

“Wife.” he rasped, refusing to be embarrassed by how guttural he sounded. 

“Husband.”

“You’re getting too good at riling me up. I don’t like it.” he mused, narrowing his eyes at her and Iris gave him an innocent smile.

“Well. It’s not really hard when you make it so easy.” she said and patted his cheek. 

Eris shifted as he watched her and prayed to whatever gods were listening that he didn’t come from the way she looked at him alone. 

This flirting was going to make their conversation more difficult. He knew she would object to their separation and yet…Eris couldn’t bring himself to ruin the moment with serious conversation just yet. 

He narrowed his eyes at her again as she watched him and Eris couldn’t help but kiss her once more, sinking into the softness of her body beneath his, so much of her skin on display beneath his touch. 

Their lips met and it was soft and welcoming and Eris would love nothing more than to stay right here and fuck everything else. When her body turned pliable beneath his and the small sounds she made threatened to kill him, he forced himself to pull away.

He took in her flushed cheeks and swollen lips and nearly came undone.

“All was well in my absence?” he asked – if only to distract himself from launching himself at her again. “Nothing happened?”

Iris shook her head, her hands tracing his shoulders. “I spent some time with Mother, spent some time with the puppies, then finished my other duties. Nothing happened. All was well.” she answered and Eris nodded, willing his pulse to calm. He allowed himself to lean in and kiss the corner of her mouth, a finger playing with a strand of her loose hair and it took all of his willpower not to let his fingers shake. 

And as her heartbeat started to settle, Iris took the opportunity to blatantly drink him in, assessing his expression – his body language; she didn’t miss the irony of doing the one thing Eris had always done to her.

“So.” she said and tried very hard not to grin when he smirked down at her. 

“So.”

“How did your meeting go?”

“You’ll be pleased to know I only threw a punch.”

Iris tsked. “Only one? Don’t lie.”

Eris made a non-committal noise as she shifted beneath him and he tried very hard to stay focused. 

“Well.”

“Oh gods, what did you do?”

“Why must you assume I did anything?” Eris replied indignantly. “It’s not like I was the one who created this mess.” 

Iris gave him an all-too-knowing look and it made him want to kiss her senselessly. “Yes, but did you make it worse?” she asked and he pursed his lips.

“Well.”

“Eris!”

He chuckled at her outrage and slid his fingers between the strands of her hair, nipping at the corner of her mouth again. “Izak is a big boy. He can handle a few punches.” Eris said. “He’s lucky I didn’t snap his neck.”

“Causing trouble everywhere you go, I see,” she replied, shaking her head with a small smile. “Heathen.”

“Heathen, husband. Tomato, tomato.” he said with a casual wave of his hand. 

She couldn’t help the low chuckle that escaped her. “Did Lucien end up joining?”

“He did. It went better than I expected,” he said then pursed his lips before reluctantly adding, “They all send their regards. Though I wasn’t keen on passing it along.”

Iris rolled her eyes. “You can’t handle anyone being nice, can you?”

“Doesn’t really keep to the theme we have running in our family now, does it?”

“I can’t wait until everyone finds out you’re all just so nice.” Iris said, smiling knowingly and Eris immediately scowled. 

“No, we’re not.”

“Just the nicest young boys around.”

“I am not a boy. I am a grown male.”

“Are you sure? You sound exactly like a young boy with how defensive you got there.”

Eris squinted at her. “Wife.”

Iris’s smile was full of innocence. “Husband.”

“If you keep being a nuisance, I won’t give you any details and hoard all the information to myself,” Eris warned and proceeded to almost die when Iris immediately pursed her lips in a small pout.

“That’s not fair! I didn’t even get to ask about Helene.” she objected and Eris winced.

“About Helene…” His expression must’ve shifted again because Iris’s eyes narrowed. “I think first impressions could’ve gone better,” he said carefully and Iris’s brows shot up. 

“And what does that mean?” 

With a sigh, Eris forced himself to slide off his wife again and instead, lay next to her. The two lay on their sides, face to face, and the tone of their conversation shifted as Eris recapped the meeting, even as his hand traced her skin. Iris was an apt audience, her expression shifting as he explained things and while Eris had dreaded repeating things to his brothers, he enjoyed telling Iris things more than he’d care to admit.

It helped that she was just as interested in information as he was. 

It fell silent between them as Eris concluded and anxiety began to prickle at his fingertips, thinking about what else he wanted to discuss with her. He watched as she digested what was shared and when she met his gaze, her expression was serious as she sat up and he followed her lead. 

“The timeline makes everything so much more urgent.” Iris finally said quietly. 

“I know.” 

“I’m happy for Mother that she feels prepared to leave but…” she began and licked her lips. “I’m also worried about what that means for you. What that means for everyone.”

Eris’s mouth went into a thin line and he ran a hand through his hair. “Well.” he began and glanced at her. “It means the end is near. It’s either we finish him or…” 

He let the rest of the sentence hang in the air between them and Iris felt her heart stop at the implication of it. Before she could control it, her mind conjured image after image of all the things that could go wrong that night. Her face fell. 

“Eris.” 

His expression tightened and he hated that he could sense her distress so clearly. “I’m not saying that to alarm you, I’m preparing you,” he said. “I can’t guarantee anything. I know we will do everything to have all of this end that night.”

“I’m trying to imagine how badly it could go, “ she said, her hands clenched. “But I — my mind is having trouble limiting just how horrible it will be.”

“My mother is leaving Beron and the second she sets foot in Day Court, Helion is going to announce their mating bond, openly claiming her and Lucien,” Eris replied. “It’s going to be as horrible as you can imagine if my father is still alive to witness it.” 

Iris’s throat bobbed, her brows furrowed as she watched Eris. She knew this would be the deciding factor of things. She knew whatever happened that night, her husband would be a changed man and Iris prayed everything in her that it would be the night he wanted.

“What role do you want me to play during the ball?” she asked quietly. 

A muscle flexed in his jaw as he thought about how to carefully word this. He took a breath and steeled himself. “We will go to the ball and we will be presentable and have a great time.” he began. “Then you will leave and slip away with my mother.”

Iris nodded. “I can cover for her while she disappears.”

Eris ran his tongue over his teeth and then took a breath. “You misunderstand me, Iris.” he said, his smile thin. “You will leave with my mother.”

Iris blinked then blinked again. “What?”

Eris swallowed then nodded. “You need to leave with her.” 

A tense silence fell between them and Iris felt the happiness she had only just attained, slip right through her fingers. She shot up and stared at him in disbelief. “You want me to leave you? Knowing what will be happening?”

“Yes. It is the only way I can guarantee your safety.”

“What about your safety?” she demanded. “How am I supposed to go and be left wondering if you’re safe? Or hurt? Or even alive?”

Eris stood and gently, in the way he only was with her, held her face and pulled her near him. “My life has always been on the line when it came to this. I know what I’m walking into,” he said quietly. “You cannot be here in case things go wrong. The idea of him getting his hands on you makes me want to –” He forced himself to take a breath all while she stared at him, crushed. “I cannot risk it. You have to leave with her. You’ll be safe in the Day Court.” 

“That’s not fair.” Iris whispered. “You can’t expect me to let you face this and just leave, wondering what will happen to you.”

“Lucien will be waiting for any news and will inform you of any updates immediately.”

Iris looked at him in disbelief. Only moments ago, she’d been blissfully thinking about the happiness she felt near him, relishing in the weight of his body on hers and his touch on her skin – but with what he was saying – it seemed their life together was now a ticking time bomb. It would explode and no one knew what the damage would be.

“What if you get hurt and I could’ve been here to heal you?” she demanded again, pulling away. “We don’t know what kind of harm Beron will cause. I can help.”

“No.” Eris said immediately and his expression hardened. “That would leave you here, defenseless, and I will not allow you to be in that kind of position for him to take advantage of you.”

“But –”

“Iris.” 

His sharp tone startled her and Iris blinked at him, her expression crumbling at his gaze.

“We just —” she began again and waved a hand, trying to find the right words to express exactly what she felt while a boulder sat on her chest. “We just found out we’re mates. We’re still figuring out what that means for us. You’re my husband. My friend. You’re one of the few people I care about in this whole world. How can you expect me to be okay with leaving you?”

Eris had to swallow hard as he closed the gap between them again and grasped her hands in his tightly. “Do not think the idea of you being far from me during a trial like that would be anything but agonizing,” he whispered. “But it would be so much harder for me – so much worse if I knew you were within his reach. He will make you pay the price for everything we planned and hurt you to spite me. I cannot risk it.” 

Iris’s lips trembled and she blinked back emotions she wasn’t ready to release yet. Instead, she channeled all the anger she felt at this situation and glared down at their joined hands.

She wanted one blissful moment – one night they didn’t have to worry about what would happen. One occasion that wouldn’t be tainted. 

“I know it’ll be better for you if I’m not here when you all challenge him. I know it’ll let you focus more without having to worry about me. But…” she paused and bit her lip then continued in a whisper, “I…just got you and we may be slow and steady but you and I both know there won’t be anyone else. The idea of me pretending to have a great time at this ball while knowing I’m leaving you and having no idea if it’ll be the last time I see you or not…” 

She finally glanced up at him and Eris knew the sight of her panic could kill him before his father ever got the chance. “You’re asking for something too grand.”

Eris’s battered heart broke in his chest; he didn’t think there were too many pieces still held together but she was the reason he still believed in the beat of his own heart at all at this point. 

This would be the goddamn fight of his life and Eris will be damned if it didn’t end in a way for him to have her in his arms by the end of it. 

“I thought you didn’t even like me.” he attempted to humor her, squeezing her hands and Iris scoffed, shaking her head.

“I’m obviously obsessed with you.” she replied with a forced smile that fell quickly the longer he gazed at her.

Eris let go of her hands to hold her face once more and leaned it to brush a chaste kiss across her lips. “If it helps, I think I’m pretty obsessed with you too.” 

“I know it’s the safer option, to be farther away but…what if I don’t want to?” she asked, her gaze pleading and Eris felt his chest tighten. He had promised himself he wouldn’t let her plead for anything but this…this couldn’t be something he budged on. 

“I’m afraid what you want won’t be on the table for this one, wife,” he said, brushing a strand of hair back behind her ear with one hand, the other still caressing her face. “As I’ve told you before, your safety is non-negotiable.” 

Iris gazed at him silently for a moment, her mouth forming into a small pout, gazing at him almost accusingly. “You’re evil.”

His brow lifted and he gazed at her indulgently, curious. “How so?” 

“You made me fall —” she cut herself off, flushing deeply, and Eris’s heart lept into his throat at the almost confession, his pulse quickening. “You made me develop these feelings for you that aren’t hatred or dislike and now it’s all up in the air.” 

Eris’s expression softened despite his pulse still all over the place. They both knew where they stood, yes. It was hard not to be aware when being married and mated meant you had a bond that fed you the other person’s emotions. But with the way emotions had always been wielded against him before her – and the way she had always been forced to hide any feelings before him, Eris knew how much it meant for her to confess this here. 

His mother’s words rang in his head. 

“Watching you fall in love has been one of the highlights of my life, Eris.” 

This was what this was, wasn’t it? This thing between them, outside of any bond. This feeling that had bloomed with time. And he could deny it all he wanted, but with the risk of it being taken away from him…Eris could feel his resolve crumbling, especially as he sensed the slight embarrassment she seemed to feel at the confession.

“I apologize for my nefarious plans,” he said, the corner of his mouth curling up. “But I could say the same to you. You’ve gone and made me my father’s worst nightmare. Soft.”

“You’re everything he wishes he could be and more. Don’t you ever let him make you believe otherwise.” she said firmly and her immediate defense had Eris’s shoulders sagging, his hands dropping to his sides as he let himself finally give in to the stress of it all.

“I know the situation isn’t ideal but we will make the best of it and things will end the way we want them to.” he tried to assure her despite the tightness in his throat. “This won’t be some dramatic goodbye. Have some faith it’ll end in our favor.”

Iris assessed him. She knew the kind of strain he would be under the next three weeks would be like nothing he’d ever experienced before. She wouldn’t be an additional cause of stress for him, even if the idea of the next three weeks being a countdown of some sort did nothing to ease her concerns.   

Iris’s expression hardened into determination. “Of course, this isn’t going to be a goodbye. If anything happens to you, I will come back and kill you myself,” she said and Eris couldn’t help his strained chuckle. “I know you have it in you to finish this and while again, I hate the idea of not being around if you need me, I know it’ll be the safer option for us both for me to leave at that time. It doesn’t mean I like it and if you end up changing your mind, I will be happy to stay.” 

“You’re just itching to sink that blade into someone, aren’t you.” 

“I’m the wife and mate of the Autumn Court’s future High Lord.” she said and lifted her nose in the air. “It comes with the job.” 

Eris couldn’t help his smirk. “I look forward to having you by my side when the time comes.” 

And as they watched each other, Eris knew he would do everything and bleed as much as he had to, to give them that time together. He deserved it. His brothers did too. His wife hadn’t signed up to live half a life with him. His brothers deserved to live their lives in the sun and Eris would be damned if he let Beron snuff them out after all this time. 

Iris tilted her head as she watched him. “How do you want these next few weeks to go?”

Eris hummed and found himself pulling her back towards their bed, seating them both, her hand still in his. “Ideally, as smoothly as possible.” he said.

Iris sighed quietly and attempted some bravado when she spoke next, “I was hoping my first ball would be less dramatic but I suppose I married the wrong person for that.” 

Eris snorted. “The Vanserras are nothing if not dramatic.” he said quietly and Iris managed a small smile before it faded. 

She moved closer, reaching out to squeeze his hand once more. “Then I guess it’s time you taught me how to dance.” 

The corner of Eris’s mouth curled up. “It would be my pleasure.”

The weight of the impending events to take place hung heavily in the air and though it dampened the initial mood they reunited with, Eris felt stronger for it. He wished he could shield her from this all, from the chaos he knew this ball would ensure but he knew there would be no way around it and he didn’t think Iris would appreciate being minimized because of his fears. 

For now, he just wanted some peace. And for his wife to touch him.

“If you’d be so kind,” Eris began, tracing the back of her hand with his thumb. “I could use my wife’s healer hands before bed.” 

Iris squinted at him. “You messed up those bandages, didn’t you?”

“No rest for the wicked, as they say.” 

She rolled her eyes but went to get her materials nonetheless, trying to stay in the moment and not think about what was to come. Even if it was all happening so fast. 

When she finally turned back to Eris, she found him lying on his stomach shirtless with his arms crossed beneath his pillow, waiting for her. She didn’t take for granted how he trusted her to do this. To touch his scars and bring comfort to them. 

Iris began removing his old covers and gently cleaning and reapplying the balm. Not wanting to sit with her own thoughts and the confession she had released about her feelings, she filled the silence.

“Are these balls usually a big show?”

“It’s one of the fanciest parties of the year,” Eris said quietly. “Everyone is dressed their best, endless food and drink, dancing…it’s usually quite fun.”

“I sense a but there.”

“Nothing was the same after the war.” He murmured and winced when she touched a particularly sensitive spot he’d been ignoring all day. “We could dress up and pretend all we wanted but it didn’t erase how similar it was to Under the Mountain. We pretended a lot back then.”

Iris’s brows furrowed. “Mm. I suppose this event can be the one to reset things to how they once were.”

“One can hope,” Eris said then shifted to look at her. “Do you have any ideas for the kind of dress you’d like to wear?”

She shook her head with a frown. “Mother sent me some designs to look at though she made it seem like it wasn’t something to worry too much about.”

“Only because your dresses are prioritized by our seamstress,” he said with a chuckle. “People get very mean about their outfits for this ball.”

Iris chuckled. “Sounds like you were among those mean folks.”

Eris’s mouth formed into a smirk. “As someone who was always the best dressed there, I can’t deny I am always a little mean when it comes to how I look.” 

Iris rolled her eyes. “Spoken like a true princess.” 

He chuckled but gave her a pointed look. “You can and should make your dress however you’d like.” He said. “I want my wife looking the best.”

Iris’s hands slowed with a slight frown. “I…feel silly thinking about a dress when I’m really going to spend the time worrying about you.”

“Iris.” Eris chided and carefully sat up and Iris held up her hands before he could continue.

“I know we should focus on making the most of these next few weeks before everything goes to hell but I still…feel guilty. I don’t want to waste that kind of time with you putting yourself in danger. Who cares about a stupid dress?”

“I do,” Eris said and Iris’s frown deepened. “I care very much.” He paused for a moment, the tips of his ears heating as he glanced at his wife. “This will be our first ball together. You and I will be opening the event with the first dance and presentation is everything. We are a united front and this is the opportunity to showcase that, regardless of how it’ll end.”

He watched her as she processed what he was saying. Despite all the stress Eris knew he’d be under with this event, this was something he wouldn’t budge on. This day meant too much to him and maybe it was selfish of him to worry about something as minuscule as a dress but with it being Iris’s first ball…he wanted her to have that moment that every beautiful female deserved. And he wanted to be the one to give that to her. 

She narrowed her eyes at him. “It sounds like you’re the one with ideas about my dress,” Iris said and Eris really couldn’t help the corner of his mouth lifting.

“I may have an idea or two.”

“Oh my gods, you have entire sketches, don’t you?” 

Casually, he shrugged. “My designer is always on hand.”

Iris shook her head with a small laugh. “You’re unbelievable.” 

“Wait until you see some of the ideas then complain.” He argued with a huff. “Almost all of them have pockets and folds to hide your daggers.”

“Hide my daggers you say?” she asked and he gave a pointed look as she hummed in response.

Eris could tell he had piqued her interest but Iris only gestured for him to lay back down and he obliged, letting her quietly think. 

“Does this mean we will include some time for additional training in preparation for all this?”

“Absolutely.”

And so, he spent the rest of the evening explaining as much of the plan as he needed to. He wouldn’t let her go into this blind. When they finally laid to rest that night, her body tucked even closer than usual to his, Eris wondered how much longer he could keep his other thoughts about them to himself, especially when Iris wasn’t hesitant to let him slide his hand beneath her robe and caress her skin. 

The look in her eyes and the color on her cheeks told him he could slide his hands wherever he wanted and gods did Eris crave to. Though he didn’t need to use his aching back as an excuse when indeed, it did hurt – Eris wasn’t ready to let himself indulge in her just yet and he didn’t know exactly how he’d explain that to her.

“Is your back bothering you too much?” she asked quietly, attempting to shift again. “I can move for you to be more comfortable.”

Eris shook his hand, gently pulling her back down next to him. “There’s something else we need to discuss.” 

“Alright,” she said carefully, her confusion evident on her face. 

He swallowed, his gaze assessing her from top to bottom, and debated how to explain. How to tell her his thoughts on the matter of their bond. The conversation with his brothers had only solidified this stance in his mind further and despite his hands itching to touch her and his mouth to taste her, the urgency of the situation dampened the carnal desire that was always lingering in the back of his mind. His craving to claim her never went away and Eris knew she felt it, knew she also wanted it. But...

Eris met her gaze and his nerves made him ask a different question, “Do you want children?”

Iris blinked at him, her brows furrowing. “Oh. Um. This is an unexpected question.”

The corner of his mouth lifted as his hand gently traced the sleeve of her satin robe. “We are married. The conversation is inevitable.” 

“I suppose seeing Izak and Helene made it more prevalent for you.” 

He made a non-commital sound and watched as Iris sat quietly for a moment, her expression thoughtful. Considering they hadn’t gotten physical yet, he was jumping ahead with the question but Eris’s answer wouldn’t be any different from what he told his mother earlier; until Beron was dead and gone for sure, it would never happen. 

“I don’t think I’ve considered it as an option where my opinion mattered,” she said carefully. “I knew I’d have to get married and whether I consented or not, I would have to give this person a child. Especially a Prince of Autumn.”

“Ah yes. An heir to the bloody throne.”

Iris chuckled softly. “Yes. I was to be the incubator for your children,” she said and glanced at him. “So in all honesty…I’m not sure. Do you want children?”

Eris glanced at her and shifted slightly, his leg tangled in her own. “Much like you, it’s never been much of an option. It’s always been something inevitable because the Vanserra line must continue.” 

“Mm.” Iris hummed. “Well. If you remove that factor, does your answer change?”

Eris fell silent. Would his answer change? He wasn’t sure. If his father was gone and he didn’t have the pressure of the throne to worry about it, did he see himself as someone who could be a father figure? He had no role models that made fatherhood an enjoyable experience. In fact, from anyone he’d seen, the experience seemed dreadful. 

The only people he could think of who seemed to enjoy it were Rhys and Kallias. They were both mated and married so he supposed they had chosen to have their children rather than feeling forced into it. But how had they navigated that conversation with their wives? Where, whatever children they had would be targeted by people who despised them? 

He met his wife’s gaze and like always, Iris was patient with him. So in the end, he opted for what had always worked best between them, the truth.

“I don’t know,” he confessed quietly. “I hate the word father. I hate the sound of it. I hate the feeling of it leaving my mouth. It’s hard for me to picture being one that doesn’t cringe at the idea of being called that.” Eris licked his lips. “I feel the same way about the word son and I’d hate to think that I would react poorly if I did have a son of my own.”

Iris was silent for a moment before adding, “I hate the word daughter…He rarely used my name but always just called me ‘daughter’. I don’t know how I’d feel to use it.” Shifting beside him, her expression was serious as she continued, “I don’t know if I would be ready to have a child anytime soon.”

Eris shook his head. “As long as Beron is breathing, I will never let myself bring a child into this world so on that, we can agree.” 

“And once he’s gone?” Iris asked and Eris’s brows furrowed as he considered.

“Well. What would you like to do?”

“I think…that I would like us to live life together first. ” she began, her cheeks a lovely rosy color. “You and I both never really got a chance to do much without their influence. I’d like us to experience that before we think about having children.” 

His expression softened at her words and as he looked at his wife, it surprised Eris how the idea of becoming a parent wasn’t as daunting when he had a partner who understood him like this. 

“Do you think we could be good parents?” he asked so quietly, Iris had almost missed it. 

“I think…” she began and allowed a finger to trace his jaw. “That we know what it’s like being around parents who aren’t good examples and that means, we know how to be better.”

“You truly believe that?”

“Eris.” she started and shifted again, her hand now settled on his chest. “I think once the burden of all this is gone, we can do anything. And whenever we’re ready and agree on whether having children is something we want to explore later…I believe we could be great parents.” 

And before he could stop himself, Eris’s mind conjured images he had never let himself consider. Though Izak’s words rang in his mind and he couldn’t help but agree with his brother, about how he never imagined himself being a family man – suddenly, the image of a child – maybe two, of his own was something that sat there. Something he could, possibly, in the very far future…it was something he could imagine. If only because Iris was the one with him.

The corner of Eris’s mouth suddenly quirked up. “It’s strange but…” he glanced at her. “I can easily picture the kind of trouble a mini version of you would cause.” 

Iris snorted, her cheeks tinted pink. “Not as much trouble as a mini version of you would be.”

He chuckled and slid his open palm closer to her for Iris to rest her palm in his. “It’s a good thing we’re putting a hold on that until further notice then.” 

“True.” she said and narrowed her eyes at him curiously. “Is that all you wanted to discuss?”

A heartbeat passed and as his wife watched him, Eris realized he wasn’t as ready to discuss his thoughts on their mating bond just yet. He didn’t know how to tell her that despite craving her so deeply, he wouldn’t tie her down to him in that way just yet. That intimacy between them would have to wait. That while it was agony, it would be…for the best. Even with the bond chafing at his very soul, he was not one to be dictated by desire no matter how deeply he craved it.

And he hated that he wouldn’t bring himself to do more. To approach this better when he should be making the most out of the next three weeks with her. After the promise he had given her the night she found out, that she would be his and he would be hers forever. But he couldn’t bring himself to say anything else, to bring down this mood further, so he nodded tightly. “For now.” 

Her brows furrowed and Eris knew she had started to worry the moment the words left his mouth so before she could open her mouth further, he leaned forward and kissed her gently.

Iris hesitated for a breath before allowing herself to sink into his kisses. She knew he was holding back on something and even as he settled himself over her, his body aligning with hers and the weight of him on her welcome, in the back of her mind, she sensed that whatever the subject was, Iris wasn’t sure she was going to like it. 

[gracies-baby]

Break Up Prank

(Gracie Abrams x Reader)

——————————————————————————

"I wanna prank Gracie" Y/n says to her girlfriend's cousin, causing her to look away from her phone to the girl.

"What kinda prank? It's kinda hard to do anything right now. She's on tour" Abby replies, putting her phone down to give Y/n her full attention.

"I was thinking.. I'm gonna pretend to break up with her" Y/n looks at the girl sheepishly.

"What?! That's so mean! She's gonna cry!"

"There's another part to it. I need your help though"

"How are there two parts to a break up pranks?" Abby asks as she eyes the girl with a suspicious look.

"When she comes back, I wanna pretend to cheat on her. And who better to do that with than her cousin?" Y/n replies as she gives Abby a toothy smile.

"You're actually insane! She might break up with you for real"

"Well, this is payback for the proposal prank she did on me a few weeks ago. Who pretends to propose to their girlfriend of 4 years? Of course I said yes!" Y/n exclaims angrily, waving her arms in the air while the blonde gives her a knowing smile.

"Okay, I'm gonna help you but you can't let her kill me!" Abby tells her with a glare.

"Yes! Thank you so much! You're literally the best cousin in law" Y/n replies as she gives the girl a big hug.

"You guys aren't married though"

"Yeah, and whose fault is that?" Y/n glares at a photo of Gracie on the wall.

"So, when do you wanna start?" Abby asks, taking her friends mind away from the subject.

"Now" Y/n pulls out her phone and begins typing.

LOML❤️

We need to talk

Gracie Baby 💙

Sure is everything okay ? I love you xx

LOML❤️

I think we should break up. The feelings just aren't there anymore. I'm sorry

Gracie Baby 💙

What?? Everything was fine when I left. Can't we talk about this? I only have a few more shows and I'll be home. Please wait a few days

LOML❤️

Fine but it's not going to change anything. All I'm doing when you get home is giving you an explanation.

Gracie Baby💙

That's all I ask. I love you so much  xxx

"Oh, I feel so bad now. Why's she so sweet? I love her so much" Y/n whines as she puts her phone down, leaving her girlfriend on read.

"She's sweet because she's so head over heels in love with you, you dumbass" Abby replies before her phone starts ringing.

"Oh, that's her" she tells her friend before answering the phone, putting it on speaker.

"Hey, can you make sure Y/n's okay for me? I just feel like she might be going through something"

"Yeah, sure, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, just wanna make sure she's doing okay. Thanks, I'll see you in a few days" Gracie replies before hanging up the phone.

"You are so mean for doing this. How's she supposed to focus on these shows?" Abby glares at her friend.

"We're not actually breaking up. I wouldn't actually do that. But she should know not to mess with me. Unless I want her to, you know?" Y/n gives her friend a smirk as Abby pushes her shoulder.

"You're disgusting. You know she's my cousin right?"

—

Gracie arrives home a few days later, leaving her suitcase by the door as walks through the house.

"Y/n? I'm home!" Y/n walks out of the room, greeting her girlfriend with a frown.

"Hi"

"Hey, can we please talk about that text?" Gracie asks, reaching for the girls hand only for her to pull it away.

"There's not much to talk about. I just don't feel that way about you anymore" Y/n replies, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"How long has this been- wait.. is that a hickey? Who gave that to you?" Gracie asks, voice breaking.

"What? No.. I just burned myself on the curling iron" Y/n denies watching as tears fill her girlfriend's eyes.

"Baby, that's a fresh hickey and I know I didn't give it to you! Is there someone else?"

"Don't call me that, Gracie! I told you we're not together anymore"

"Do I know them?"

"There's no one else! You really think I would cheat on you? Even if there was, we're broken up! Who I'm with has nothing to do with you anymore" Y/n feels her heart break when she sees the look on her girlfriend's face.

"Right. Sorry. Do you want me to go? I'll stay with Abby or Audrey for a while. I'll come back later for my stuff. Uh, I love you" Gracie mumbles, walking to the door.

"I miss her! I love her so much!" Y/n exclaims to the blonde, pulling her into a hug.

"You're not actually broken up remember? She'll be back soon" Abby replies, hugging the shorter girl back.

"Sorry, I just forgot my suitcase-" Gracie's cut off when she sees the scene in front of her.

"When did you get here? Have you been here the whole time? Wait... did you give her the hickey?" Gracie asks, looking at her cousin in betrayal.

"Gracie wait!" Abby exclaims pulling away from Y/n.

"How could you do this? You know how much I love her!" Gracie yells, tears running down her face.

"I didn't do anything! You were the one that wasn't around! You really wanted her to wait for you?! You were gone for months!" Abby yells back in fake anger.

"I was doing my job! So I can afford to give her a good life-" their fighting is cut off by the shorter girl.

"Guys! Please stop! It's a prank!" Y/n yells.

"What?" Gracie questions watching as Abby bursts out laughing.

"That was payback for the proposal prank you did. Of course I don't wanna break up with you! I love you so much, you dummy!" Y/n responds pulling the brunette into a hug, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"But what about the hickey?" Gracie asks, wiping her tears and sighing in relief.

"It's just makeup. See?" Y/n responds, wiping the makeup off her neck.

"That is definitely the meanest thing you've done. Why would you help her do that? I was so fucking close to punching you!" Gracie tells her cousin with a laugh, pulling her girlfriend closer.

"You did pretend to propose to her. This probably hurt you just as much as that hurt her" Abby responds with a smirk.

"Yeah, you literally brought an entire engagement ring for a prank!" Y/n playfully glares at her girlfriend, gently punching her shoulder.

"It wasn't just for a prank" Gracie responds, watching her cousins leave the room.

"You really think I wouldn't wanna marry you? You are the best thing that has ever happened to me!" Gracie kisses her girlfriend's hand before getting on one knee and taking a small box out of her jacket pocket.

"This isn't the time or place I wanted to do this, but I guess it didn't happen in the way I wanted" Y/n giggles as her girlfriend references her own song, looking at the scene in front of her with a wide smile.

"Y/n, I love you so much. I have never loved anything the way I love you. I know my life is kinda crazy but you deal with that so well and I can't thank you enough for that. And as much as I love your last name, I was hoping you would wanna change it? Y/n Abrams has a nice ring to it" Gracie grins up at her girlfriend nervously waiting for her response.

"Of course I'm gonna marry you! I love you so much!" Gracie stands up, wrapping her fiancé in a big hug and pressing their lips together.