#had to check the notes to see if this is real

[fear-is-truth]

CHO SANG-WOO (조상우)

₊‧꒰ warnings ꒱ ‧₊˚ soft dom!sang-woo ۶ৎ age gap ۶ৎ s1 spoilers ۶ৎ nsfw 18+ . . . headcanons ˚₊˙⋆ ˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊. ˚₊‧꒰ note ꒱ ‧ i was trying to be realistic so…

PRE-GAME

۫ ꣑ৎ he takes you to meet his mother early on—this is huge, considering sang-woo is a private person, and his mother is the only family he has. so if you meet her, it means he sees a future with you. she adores you, treating you like the daughter she never had.

۫ ꣑ৎ your parents simply love him. they can’t believe their child is dating a graduate from seoul national university. it doesn’t even matter that he’s a few years older than you—they brag about him constantly. “he’s a genius,” they tell their friends. “successful, hardworking. polite, too.”

۫ ꣑ৎ if you don’t like him smoking, he promises to cut back. never smokes in your presence, doesn’t lets the scent cling to his clothes when he comes home to you. he’s careful about it, rinsing his mouth before kissing you. if you catch him sneaking a cigarette on a particularly bad day, he sighs and stubs it out before you even have to say anything.

۫ ꣑ৎ sang-woo thrives on intellectual conversations, especially enjoys debating with you, because he finds your mind fascinating.

۫ ꣑ৎ he’s a perfectionist in every aspect of his life, including your relationship. sang-woo holds himself to an impossibly high standard, and sometimes, that extends to you—he doesn’t mean to be critical, but he has expectations, and when they aren’t met, he gets frustrated. he learns, over time, to be gentler with you, to let go of the idea that everything needs to be perfect.

۫ ꣑ৎ chronic insomniac. but if you’re beside him, if your hand is resting on his chest or your leg is tangled with his, he sleeps a little easier. on nights when sleep won’t come, he watches you instead.

۫ ꣑ৎ occasionally gifts you with expensive jewellery, but nothing gaudy. real gold and diamonds—elegant in their simplicity. he prefers to see you in things with longevity that won’t lose their value. doubles as an investment piece, not just accessories.

۫ ꣑ৎ no matter how busy he is, sang-woo never forgets important dates. your birthday, your anniversary, even the day you first met. he never brings it up in advance, but he always has something special planned.

۫ ꣑ৎ he’s disciplined, wakes up at the same time every day, drinks his coffee black, works for hours without rest. but for you, he bends—just a little. if you want to sleep in, he lets you, only sighing fondly when you roll over and wrap your arms around him, pressing your face into his back. “five more minutes,” you moan, and against his better judgment, he stays.

۫ ꣑ৎ not outwardly possessive, but he is a bit controlling. he won’t tell straight up dictact who you can and can’t see, but he will casually criticise them if he thinks they’re a bad influence. he won’t demand your location either, but will insist that you check in with him, just so he “knows you’re safe.”

۫ ꣑ৎ he’s very reliable (until he isn’t) at first, he’s the perfect lover. calls when he says he will, never forgets your birthday or anniversary, handles things efficiently. but as his debts mounts and pressure builds, there’s a certain tightness in his jaw when money is mentioned. he won’t talk about it. he won’t let you in.

POST-DEBT

۫ ꣑ৎ not emotionally available, prefers to keep things bottled up. when sang-woo is stressed, he withdraws into himself.

۫ ꣑ৎ he’s haunted; the investment failure eats him alive. gradually becomes distant, distracted, and hates when you ask questions about his finances. sang-woo lies—first to you, then to himself—because the truth is unbearable.

۫ ꣑ৎ he’s frustrated at himself, but it manifests in other ways—he snaps over small things, withdraws from conversations, goes through more cigarettes per day.

۫ ꣑ৎ still tries to take care of you. he won’t let you pay for things, even if he can’t afford them. he’ll miss meals before letting you notice that money is tight. his pride is too big to let you see how bad things have gotten.

۫ ꣑ৎ he hates that you don’t leave; he wants to tell you to go. you should be with someone who isn’t drowning in debt and in constant fear of the police. but he can’t bring himself to say it. instead, he avoids you, keeps you at arm’s length.

۫ ꣑ৎ if you ever found out about his debt, the man would break down—nobody is supposed to know. not his mother, especially not you. if you find out and don’t leave? he’ll be both relieved and devastated, because you should leave. and yet you don’t.

۫ ꣑ৎ he debates leaving you “for your own good.” he genuinely thinks you’d be better off without him. if you catch onto his self-destructive tendencies and reassure him that you want to be here, he just stares at you like he doesn’t understand why.

NSFW

۫ ꣑ৎ not the type to outright deny you, but when he’s teasing, it’s in an excruciatingly nonchalant manner. he’s busy, he says, without even looking up from his laptop. too much work, too little time—yadda yadda. he makes you wait, makes you impatient, until he finally shuts his laptop and pins you to the mattress as if he hadn’t been ignoring you for the past hour.

۫ ꣑ৎ doesn’t experiment much, because he knows what works and doesn’t see a reason to change it. but if you want to try something, he won’t shut it down, either. he’ll simply raise an eyebrow, consider it for a second, and say, “if that’s what you want.”

۫ ꣑ৎ doesn’t talk much in bed, but because he doesn’t see the point. he’s focused, too busy paying attention to you to bother with unnecessary words. at most, you’ll get quiet groans, maybe a low, approving hum if you’re particularly responsive.

۫ ꣑ৎ mostly vanilla sex. no elaborate kinks, except for the occasional bondage using ties (but it’s more for effect). he likes routine, and that applies to the bedroom too. sang-woo knows exactly what he’s doing and exactly how to get the reaction he wants out of you.

۫ ꣑ৎ when he’s stressed though, he gets rough; burying his face in your neck as he fucks you like he’s trying to forget everything else.. not intentional, just a byproduct of the pressure he’s under. afterward, when he realises how rough he was, he’s gentle again—hands smoothing over your skin, lips pressing on your temple as an apology.

۫ ꣑ৎ he’s a soft dom!!!! and you’re his pillow princess, whether you intended to be or not. he prefers to the one doing the work.

SQUID GAME

۫ ꣑ৎ he’s shocked to see you there. horrified, even. sang-woo was ready to do what it takes to win, but you weren’t supposed to be here.

۫ ꣑ৎ will not let you slow him down. sounds cruel, but sang-woo is in survival mode. he will help you, but only as long as it doesn’t jeopardise him.

۫ ꣑ৎ if it comes down to a split-second decision—you or him—sang-woo doesn’t want to think about what he’ll choose.

۫ ꣑ৎ tells himself he doesn’t afford to love you under the deadly circumstances. but when he closes his eyes, all he sees is you.

pic creds to AESTHCORE_276 on pinterest

 fear-is-truth 2025 — all rights reserved. do not modify, repost, translate, or plagiarise my content.

[angelthefandomobsessed]

After putting it off continuously, I have downloaded and started to play chapter 1. I’m riiiight before the trial, so I decided to go back and read this analysis to see if it was still holding up…

(Some chapter 1 spoilers ahead)

Desmond is totally a bodyguard to Eloise or something, right? Eva had his secret which implied his priority was protecting someone else (unless I’ve gotten mixed up which is a real possibility, I am very tired). He’s seems to be around her a lot (if memory serves, they were both in the courtyard in the prologue), and fencing is a very upper class pastime. Plus, one of the most famous swan stories is the swan princess, adding to that air of nobility that Eloise has.

I wrote: ‘Sharks, apparently, symbolise protection and guidance, so I think Desmond will probably pair up with another character... which will lead to an untimely death, with a very sad flashback scene at the end of a trial.’

Hi, hello, I fear I may have been on point with that.

I also wrote about Wolfgang being a wolf in sheep’s clothing, which was directly mentioned through the motive. Not the most outrageous of predictions, but good for my ego all the same.

To put my predictions for the first trial down (for funsies):

I don’t think it can be Damon, Eva, Cassidy, Jett, Mark, Kai, Jean, or Grace. The only potential exceptions in this list are Jean and Grace, who arrived late. For either of them to be the culprit, the murder would have needed to involve a trap that could be set off without them. However, for that to be the case, there would need to be another person in the boiler room, as someone was heard running away, and all eight people were accounted for at the time.

Ruling out Jean and Grace, I’m left with Toshiko, Ingrid, Diana, Wenona, Ulysses, Eloise, and Desmond.

I believe that Ulysses wrote the note. It matches his handwriting the closest, and he is always seen with a notebook. The wire piece at the scene also looked like a leg from a pair of glasses, with how rounded the end was. I’m pretty sure Wenona gave him an alibi, so I’m not fully convinced that he’s the killer, but I have sus on him.

Toshiko is a little suspicious, as she mentioned cereal at the start of the chapter, and cereal was apparently involved in the breaking of the generator. I’m not double checking this in case I get spoiled, but I imagine she wears socks and sandals of some sort because that’s traditional wear? Eva (I think it was her) mentioned that the person running sounded like they were in socks. There’s also the fact that Ingrid was sick, and Toshiko was her room mate, and that she was confirmed that have visited the pharmacy, and that Wolfgang appears to have a pin prick at his neck… She’s afraid of needles, though, so that might clear her (unless she was lying, but that seems… convoluted).

Diana is super suspicious, but way too obviously so? It could be her (she eluded to having some sort of pre-established plan for the morning, but then claimed to be testing make-up).

Logically, I suspect Ulysses. Narratively, I suspect Eloise.

I am not confident either way, I will be amazed if it’s someone one of the tournaments 8.

As for the method, I’ll go with this theory: Wolfgang was either called down to the boiler room through the note (OR he intercepted a summons meant for someone else), he arrived around 8:10, as instructed. He was knocked out with the rolling pin, the killer drew blood from his neck to splatter through the halls (falsifying evidence), and set some kind of bomb up at the generator. They put Wolfgang in the water, reversed the lock, locked the door. If this is anything close to the order of events, then I’m actually more suspicious of Jean.

Some kind of magic battery was mentioned, which Jett and Jean spoke about. If that was the basis for the destruction of the generator (or, if it was the cause of the electricity), that would implicate the two people who knew about it. Jean was late to the tournament, and knew that being there would give him an alibi. Wolfgang had burns on his hands - maybe Jett knows a thing or two about that specific burning and can crack the case open.

Okay, I’m going to bed now, before I start putting red wool on the walls.

Danganronpa Project Eden's Garden: Animal Symbolism

Okay, so I just finished the prologue (adored it, the writing is impeccable), and noticed that each character features an animal on their clothing. I'm sure tons of people have pointed it out already, but I thought it'd be fun to go through the symbolism of each, alongside any other observations I had.

Damon Maitsu:

Damon's signature animal is one of the more obvious ones - it's the big snake on his tie. Biblically, snakes are kind of a big deal... Just one snake, really, which gave all of the others a bad name. In 'Garden of Eden' arc of the Bible (which is relevant for obvious reasons), a snake tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. The snake basically says "Hey queen, the apple won't kill you, it'll show you the truth, God's a liar." Adam and Eve eat the fruit, condemning humanity to eternal suffering.

Painting Damon as the snake tells us a lot about his role in the narrative and his characterisation. The main theme for Eden's Garden seems to be 'head vs heart', or 'logic vs emotion'. While some characters lean towards emotion, Damon leans towards logic... But based on the Pathos system, he doesn't fully condemn emotion - it can be a good tool when it comes to winning arguments, after all.

At the end of the prologue, Damon disagrees with seeing the good in everyone. He argues that the ultimates are more likely to stab each other in the back than to help each other unconditionally... In other words, he argues that ultimates are ambitious, to the point of throwing away their morals - because he himself is ambitious to a fault.

While a lot of people see snakes as creatures of evil (particularly when it comes to THE snake in the Bible), it could be argued that the snake is an agent of the greater good. Yes, the snake was the catalyst for the fall of humanity, but you could argue it was also the catalyst for the first critical thought. Adam and Eve questioned the word of their creator and chose to go against him. That didn't end very well for them, but you could argue it liberated them.

Would you rather be a sheep, at the mercy of your shepherd, or a snake that sees the world for what it truly is?

Wolfgang Akire:

Speaking of sheep... Wolfgang has a pretty neat (very symbolic) sheep pin. The idea of him picking out a sheep pin in like... a Claire's Accessories is very funny to me.

Much like snakes, sheep are also very Biblically relevant. In the Bible, God's people are usually cloaked in sheep imagery. God is the shepherd (fun fact: 'shepherd' derives from 'sheep' 'herd'), and the sheep are at his mercy. In that light, a sheep is a truly powerless thing.

Perhaps Wolfgang's sheep pin denotes him as a follower rather than a leader. Not to a specific person, but rather to an ideology - to his own morals, which he seems very attached to. Sheep are often seen as weak, existing only to be devoured by stronger, more predatory animals.

But this symbolism might exist here to be subverted. One of the most popular sheep-based phrases is (drum roll please): "Wolf in sheep's clothing".

Lawyer man is, quite literally, a wolf in sheep's clothing. His name has the word 'wolf' in it. He has a sheep on his clothing.

Does Wolfgang obsess over justice due to a guilty conscious? Is it a cover to mask his deepest, most despicable thoughts? Only time will tell, but I'm onto you, lawyer man... If that's even your real name.

Eva Tsunaka:

Okay, so I'm not 100% sure if Eva's animal is a raven or a crow, but I don't think it matters too much, people tend to perceive 'ominous medium-sized black bird' in a similar way, regardless of the specifics. Eva has a black feather in her hair and a badge with a bird's head on it. The badge looks a little bit emu-ish (which would be really funny), but the general vibe is more in line with a crow/raven.

For simplicity's sake, I'll mostly talk about ravens, because I think (don't quote me on this, I have not read the actual Bible) crows are never actually mentioned... but ravens are, so we'll go with that.

SO, ravens, black birds. Apparently, the first bird to be mentioned by name in the Bible is the raven, which... lines up with Eva being the first named bird character we meet (there are a lot of bird people, we'll get to it). During the whole Noah's Arc debacle, Noah sent out a raven to scout for dry land - it didn't come back (I think? It gets mentioned, 'tos and fros' and then doesn't get mentioned again, so I think it dipped which honestly, girlboss move).

Other than that, a raven was used as a divine messenger at one point, but I think the much more interesting (and relevant) aspects of the raven is the general symbolism.

Ravens are usually seen as bad news - much like the snake, they get a bad rep. While they are often seen as bad omens, they can also be seen as beings of spiritual wisdom. They see more than others can, much like Eva. When the others start to do the whole 'We'll never kill each other!' it's Eva who disagrees, seeing the reality of the situation.

Based on the word 'Danganronpa' being associated with the game, we can assume she's correct, and that the bodies will start hitting the floor very soon.

Eva is wise and holds a lot of knowledge, but she is distrusted for reasons outwith her control. She didn't ask to be the ultimate liar - some random organisation sent her a letter one day putting that label on her.

Interestingly, ravens are the natural enemies of farmers... and Wolfgang has a distinct agricultural reference on his lapel.

To summarise: people don't like ravens, but they're very smart birds who can (in certain mythologies/cultures, at least), see beyond the surface level).

Toshiko Kayura:

Toshiko's assigned animal is a little harder to spot. Two flamingos are on her skirt as a decal, making them less obvious (especially during waist-up shots).

Okay, so I'm no expert on this, but I'm pretty sure there aren't any flamingos in the Bible. Flamingos played a part in Egyptian beliefs, being associated with Ra, and they might actually be the original inspiration for phoenixes which... is kind of hilarious? The Aztecs saw them as sacred, and in Hindu culture they symbolise hamsa, a divine vehicle, which symbolises the realise from samsara, aka the cycle of suffering.

So... that could be a thing relating to Toshiko. She could be destined to act as a turning point in the narrative (either through death or through character development, same difference).

Or, we could go with the really obvious interpretation of 'flamingo = romance'. Which is very on-brand. Additionally, flamingos represent balance and elegance - mainly because of their 'standing on one leg' trick. Toshiko most likely strives to embody the qualities of a flamingo in these regards.

The use of flamingos in Toshiko's design might point to her being 'the heart' of the group. She's shown to be quite emotional (becoming flustered when challenged, avoiding the investigation, getting into an argument over gremlin-hood with Grace), despite trying to emulate a mature aura. She speaks in frivolous, convoluted imagery, which is peak fourteen-year-old behaviour, and if anything bad happens to her I will cry :D

Ulysses Wilhelm:

Rather than having a picture of an animal, Ulysses wears an owl pendant. Owls represent wisdom, and are particularly fitting for Ulysses due to him being more of a night owl.

Biblically, owls are seen as unclean birds, alongside ravens. They aren't overly relevant, but are (allegedly, according to some random Bible forum) used to symbolise loneliness, desolation, guilt and mourning. In a broader sense, owls are seen as wise, critical-thinking creatures, and independent.

Because of this, I think Ulysses will fall into the Damon/Eva camp of thinking, due to his historical knowledge. Because if history's taught us anything, it's that people can't be trusted, they will self-sabotage, and murder is inevitable.

I don't have much else to say - Ulysses feels like an early victim/blackened candidate, unfortunately, so I don't think he'll be playing a major role narratively.

Desmond Hall:

This one's a little hard to spot immediately (and when I did spot it, I wasn't sure which animal it belonged to), but according to the concept art Desmond has a shark tooth earring.

There are no sharks in the Bible. Sharks, apparently, symbolise protection and guidance, so I think Desmond will probably pair up with another character... which will lead to an untimely death, with a very sad flashback scene at the end of a trial. Or he'll survive, who says Biblical relevancy matters? Sharks are pretty cool and so is Desmond.

I think he'll be an optimist in the situation, but I... don't have much to say regarding his animal motif.

Grace Madison:

This one is pretty up there for the 'easiest to spot award'. Grace's animal is a rabbit, which can be seen by her (adorable) rabbit-eared visor.

Biblically rabbits are pretty irrelevant, but symbolically they're very prominent. Rabbits are probably most famous for their easter connotations (you'd think they'd be Biblical, but no, it just says not to eat them). Rabbits are also known as lucky animals - 'rabbit feet' are seen as lucky talismans...

If Grace ends up with a severed foot, I'm going to lose my mind.

Anyway, since Grace is the resident 'reckless and crude' character, I would theorise her link to rabbits would be 'rebirth'. Rabbits are associated with spring, which is associated with rebirth. I think Grace (who is described as someone who burns every bridge she makes) will undergo the Fuyuhiko treatment and see a lot of character development.

Not much else for me to say here, but rabbits are generally seen as active animals (energiser bunny, the Scorbunny line), so... yay sports..?

Diana Venicia:

I do not trust this girl as far as I can throw her. I saw her across the room and thought, "No, you're evil", and the chameleon bracelet did not help her case.

Like... not only does it suggest she's hiding something, or that she's a social chameleon, but it looks like a handcuff, that cannot be comfortable. And oddly enough, chameleons do feature in the Bible... and it's very odd, and very interesting.

Basically, chameleons conform to their surroundings through their unique abilities. God likes that for them, but not for humans - apparently, they should challenge things rather than just conforming to them. Which like, okay, someone changed their tune from "Don't do this one thing, no I will not elaborate". In actuality, what this means is "you should not be different on Monday to how you were on Sunday", aka, be #authentic.

Also, chameleons are seen as 'not standing up for what's right', so I guess that's where Diana falls on the morality spectrum, maybe possibly?

Diana is hiding something, she's on my mastermind radar but it feels a little too obvious? If she's not a mastermind, she hiding something and is a killer, nothing can redeem her from being shady in my eyes. I'm onto you, make-up girl...

(My guess is the beauty industry/Hollywood requires a degree of fakery, and she hates it, but she wanted to be successful so she gave into the fakery, and lost her true self in the process. And hey, maybe at some point she decided that she had to see the true twistedness of humanity via a killing game, who knows? Plus, make-up, that's very Junko-ish of her, just saying-)

Jean DeLamer:

Okay, so some people got 'owl' or 'flamingo', but this man got a whole dragon. And he cannot be more deserving of it, fly high king.

I really didn't think there were dragons in the Bible, but apparently they get a mention (in all fairness, it's a real big book). Fun fact: Biblically, they are usually mentioned to reference sea monsters. On brand for our sea captain. Bad news though, dragons are pretty exclusively evil (sometimes straight-up Satan), and are vanquished by God. So... Not great for Jean, honestly, that's concerning.

Could he have a connection to the killing game? He could be a traitor of some sort, or he could try to rise up against the KG and get struck down.

Basically: Jean has no power here, he will lose every time, if the Bible-dragons are anything to go by.

Anyways, dragons are pretty relevant in... most cultures, so this is probably the most interesting thing I can dig up.

Jett Dawson:

In my original post, I mislabelled Jett's animal as a wolf. Somebody in the comments corrected me, pointing out that it's a coyote. Coyotes are closely related to wolves, so there's some symbolic overlap, but I'll rewrite the section anyways, because the original didn't shed much light on anything.

Biblically, coyotes are in a bit of an odd spot. They're seen as cunning and dangerous for the most part, but in Isaiah's passage (disclaimer: I haven't read it, I'm doing the deeply unacademic thing of trusting 'straightforwardguidance'.com) he complains that coyotes and lizards are more grateful to him than humans. This is used to demean the coyote; a wild animal is better than people in Isaiah's eyes, placing them at the low end of societal importance (not literally, ofc).

Apparently, the bible also describes these animals as being wise, due to their hunting tactics. Coyotes will hunt rabbits as a team, with one tiring a rabbit out and another finishing it off. This little tidbit does not bode well for Grace, our rabbit. But, to be fair, the presence of a coyote wouldn't go well for most small animals.

I don't have too much to say about coyotes, beyond their obvious similarity to wolves. Wolves tend to hunt sheep (which gave them a bit of a negative biblical rep), but let's be real, a sheep isn't winning many battles out in the wild.

Jett strikes me as a 'tragic killer', like our usual chapter 2/4 killers. There's wildcard energy to him, though - I could see him killing, surviving or dying, but whatever happens, there'll be a plot point surrounding his face, it seems too interesting to not be a thing.

Kai Monteago:

Butterfly, on chest, let's go.

Most obvious interpretation: social butterfly, he's an influencer.

Biblically, they're pretty irrelevant, but symbolically they're all about transformation. This could indicate character development, a change in tune, etc. Not much to say here, it could represent vulnerability (butterflies are fragile), but it's most likely a reference to the phrase social butterfly.

Mark 'Mayhem' Berskii:

His hat is, indeed, an alligator. At first I thought it was a dragon, then a crocodile, but the concept art confirms it to be an alligator.

Google couldn't tell me much about Bible alligators, which was expected. What it can tell me is the symbolism behind them, though.

Alligators are cunning and wise. Which adds up here, Mark seems way smarter than he lets on. He makes a comment at the end of a non-stop debate (something about setting the trash fire) which suggests he's a critical thinker, seeing the misguided logic in the room.

They are also apex predators with a lot of strength which... is concerning, in terms of potential murderers. Since they've been around since the prehistoric age, alligators are seen as having an ancient, primal aura about them.

I feel there's more than meets the eye with Mark - he'll carry a key discovery or two, just you wait.

Wenona:

Wenona is the girlboss we need, as well as the girlboss we deserve, no further questions. Her animal decal is a little less obvious than others', being bear pawprints at the bottom of her coat.

My favourite Bible story ever (because it's hilarious out of context) is the one about Elisha and the bears, where two bears maul forty-two children because they made fun of a guy. So, maybe don't get on her bad side via mockery.

Interestingly, bears are used to symbolise cruelty and self-servedness which... adds up here, I guess.

Symbolically, bears are a little more cuddly than the Bible makes them out to be. They're known for hibernation, making them quite patient and cautious animals. Bears are grounded animals and represent strength, being fearsome predators.

Wenona is very set in her views, and appears to be unwavering, much like a bear.

Eloise Taulner:

Eloise wears a swan pin in her hair, making that her signature animal. Swans are graceful and vicious; a fascinating combination for a character like Eloise.

In the Bible, swans are everything you'd assume a white bird to be. It's all very 'this bird is the serene love of god, do not eat it, but for different reasons'.

Symbolically, swans are loyal birds, being of the 'mates for life' variety. Something interesting to mention is the concept of a swan song - a song that laments death, said to be the most beautiful song ever sung by a swan, despite the birds being far from natural singers. In Greek mythology, swans were sacred to both Aphrodite and Apollo, with Apollo being the god of music.

Which presents the possibility of a friendship between Mark and Elodie, with him being 'music' and her being a swan.

Swans are very powerful birds, so Eloise's character arc will probably involve her becoming stronger in terms of willpower and confidence.

Ingrid Grimwall:

This one's a little harder to spot, but Ingrid's animal symbol is on her bag, in the form of a lion.

Lions are generally seen as brave, proud animals. The main Biblical story that comes to mind is the story of Daniel, who was thrown into a den of lions. A lion's roar is intended to paralyse its foes with fear, but can its bite match its bark? I suspect Ingrid will be a big talker, but less keen to take actual initiative. Male lions are known for being less active than their pride members, with the female lions doing the hunting.

Although, you could argue that a lion is a natural leader. These qualities don't need to be exclusive though - why not be a leader and a layabout?

Besides that, there's pride and family and strength, but the less prominent placement of Ingrid's emblem tells me she'll be less fearsome than her classmates.

Cassidy Amber:

Cassidy's a little bit different from the others. Her animal motif doesn't have a specific portrayal of the animal (much like Wenona's and Ulysses'), and hers is repeated as a pattern - Cassidy wears tights with a spiderweb pattern.

Now, spiders are pretty well known for trapping things. It's kind of their whole deal. This gives Cassidy some serious mastermind vibes to me, especially when coupled with the fact that she's married to the content grind, loves games, and has a lot of money to throw around.

But anyway, the Bible just kind of complains about their webs being fragile, which could be interpreted as 'her fanbase isn't a true connection to others, they'll abandon her the second someone new catches their attention'. In reality, the Bible doesn't hold up for most of these, but like... it's interesting, right?

Spiders could be described as patient killers. They weave intricate webs for their victims and wait for the opportune moment to strike. Spiders are often feared, with arachnophobia being one of the most popular phobias. Cassidy herself is capable of projecting an unsettling aura and might be described as unnerving.

Fun fact: Red spiders specifically symbolise wealth, passion and excitement, which lines up pretty well with our pro-gamer.

In Conclusion:

I spent way too long making this.

Also, the Bible was pretty useless for most of these BUT the Bible reflects a lot of general perceptions (because it set quite a few of them), so it was sometimes interesting, I think, I'm tired, send help, goodnight!

(If you've made it this far, say hi or something, this took three hours and for what?)

[seumyo]

IDIA SHROUD ✰ THE BOUQUET

Let’s just say that your boyfriend wasn’t as subtle with gifts as he might think he is—

“Oh, holy Seven—that’s a bouquet that’s the size of an ogre!”

Yeah, scratch that, your boyfriend knows how to make his gifts known. Not even the slightest intention to tone it down or even conceal it, nope.

You could only blink in surprise as the large bouquet of pastel flowers was thrust into your arms the moment you set foot outside your classroom. Though you had to admit that the petals that were soft pinks and creamy whites are elegantly arranged with delicate ribbons that cascaded down like vines.

So pretty.

Pretty expensive.

“For [Name]!” The messenger gave you a quick nod before hurrying off, leaving you standing there in stunned silence. You noticed a note nestled between the delicate petals, the familiar, neat handwriting (that was annoyingly tiny) unmistakable:

I figured real flowers are better than virtual ones. Happy Valentine’s Day <3 You deserve pretty things IRL too /ᐠ > ˕ <マ ₊˚⊹ – Idia

The message made you smile. Trust Idia to go overboard, even when he refused to leave his dorm room today. You could almost imagine him, huddled over his desk, blue flames flickering with anxiety as he double-checked his order online.

“Ne, those are beautiful!” one of your classmates exclaimed, eyes wide with awe. “Who sent them?”

You hugged the bouquet closer, your heart racing. “My boyfriend,” you tried to sound casual, but the warmth blooming in your chest made it hard to keep a straight face. The collective gasps of your classmates only added fuel to the fire.

Yes, you and Idia have mastered the art of keeping your relationship private. Intimate.

You hurried down the hallway, the scent of fresh flowers lingering behind you. As you made you way to your dorm, you couldn’t help but think of all the little things Idia had done for you. Last week, you found a box of rare sweets from the other side of the globe outside your door. He texted you that he heard they were popular in some dating sim and figured you’d enjoy them. The week before that, you received a plushie modeled after one of your favorite video game characters.

He was always thoughtful in his own quirky way. But flowers... in public? This was bold. Next level. Even for him. Even if he wasn’t physically the one to give them to you.

You placed the bouquet on your desk, admiring the delicate petals. You traced your fingers over the soft petals. You could picture him now, nervously pacing in his room, overthinking every detail—probably wondering how you reacted. If you didn’t say something soon, he’d probably be up all night worrying about your reaction.

But let’s be honest, Idia has enough gadgets and technical equipment to see your exact reaction even if he was on the opposite side of the planet.

Without a second thought, you made your way to the Ignihyde dorm. Access was by no means that difficult because as long as there’s a secret passage, there’s a way. The eerie blue glow of the dimly lit hallways was familiar by now, but it still sent a chill down your spine. You stopped outside his door, hesitating for a moment before knocking gently.

A specific pattern that only he would recognize to know that it was you (as if you hadn’t already sent him a text that you were coming over minutes earlier).

There was a shuffle on the other side, followed by a muffled, “Just a sec!” The door creaked open a bit, and you saw Idia’s golden eyes peeking out, softening when he saw you. “Hi.”

“Real flowers are better than virtual ones, huh?”

His face turned bright pink, the blue flames of his hair subtly matching the hue of his face. “Well, uh—you liked them, right?”

You laughed softly, stepping inside his room. “They’re beautiful. You didn’t have to go this far, though.”

“W-Was it too much?! I knew it… I should’ve just sent a text—or a digital sticker—maybe a GIF. This is why I never do real-life stuff—”

“Idia.” Your voice was gentle, your eyes warm. “I love them. Really. Thank you. It was sweet of you.”

His shoulders relaxed, relief washing over his face as he let you hold his face with your hands. So soft and tender. Idia’s tempted to have you this close forever.

Oh, god.

He’s been reduced to a sap. Like one of those helpless, pathetic male leads that just admires his female love interest for the rest of his days—putting her on a high pedestal. Not that he’d mind that.

“Oh, good. I was worried you’d think it was cringe or something... like... NPC-level cringe.”

“I’d never think that. Besides, it was… romantic.”

“Huh.” He sounded as though in thought, though most coherent thoughts are currently unavailable the moment your face is so close to his. “Does that raise our relationship stats by 10%?”

“Mhm, I guess you could say that. No one’s ever given me flowers before.”

“Wait, seriously? But you’re—I mean—you’re like—goddess-tier…” His face flushed, his pout making itself known. “No one before me ever thought of it before? Those normies are blind and stupid.”

You laughed. “Well… I’m glad it was you.”

Silence hung between you, warm and serene like Idia’s hair supposedly. Your boyfriend’s gaze softened, his expression overflowing with what’s known to be love.

“I’m happy it made you happy.”

“It did. More than you know.”

Before Idia could second-guess himself, he leaned in and pressed a soft, chaste kiss on your lips. The moment was quick, fleeting, but the feeling sent you tiny waves of electricity.

This side of him was rare. So maybe it really went off on the right occasion.

Idia’s entire face turned bright red, his hair blazing in a burst of pink. He stumbled back, his back hitting the door with a thud. “I— uhm—sorry! I got ahead of myself, ugh... I should’ve asked.”

You laughed, your heart contented and at ease with his reaction. “It’s fine, it’s fine! Happy Valentine’s Day, Idia.” You waved to your boyfriend, knowing that you had to finish a few more schoolwork before the day was over. “And thank you, again. I love them.”

You turned to leave. Idia stood frozen at his door, his heart pounding, face still burning. He must have a fever by now—probably went over new high temperatures. As the door slowly closed, he slumped against it, his hands covering his face.

“G-Goddess-tier event… unlocked… SSR rarity,” he murmured, his hair flickering with excitement. He replayed the scene over and over in his head, cheeks still red.

The bouquet was just to start.

SEUMYO © 2025. PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, PLAGIARIZE, MODIFY OR TRANSLATE.

[aerynwrites]

Cards and Flowers

Simon "Ghost" Riley x Fem!Reader

A/N: you all voted for Simon for the Valentines Day fic so I;m here to deliver! Hope you all enjoy this soft Simon goodness. Word Count: 2.8k Warnings: emotional hurt/comfort, simon being a big softie (probably OOC lol), angst, fluff, so much fluff.

*apologies for any spelling errors this was quickly proofread*

The note showed up a few days before Valentine's Day, slid beneath the door of your room in a simple red envelope. You were confused at first, but curious enough to pick it up the moment you saw it and carefully open the small envelope to pull out the card inside. 

Will you be my Valentine? 

Brevard’s, Friday at 6 pm. 

- Your Secret Admirer

Immediately your skepticism reared its ugly head. You’ve never been asked out for Valentine's day, never been asked out period. What if this is some sick joke?

But then, all the memories of the little things that have been happening over the past week come to the forefront of your mind. The simple bouquet of daisies in the common room with your name on them. The singular candy bar with a sweet note resting on front of your door. a simple take out meal addressed to you one night when you were up late doing reports. 

Maybe…maybe it was real. 

Maybe, finally, you had piqued someone’s interest enough for them to go for it.

And, unbidden, the faint image of an all too familiar skull balaclava popped into your mind. 

You smile, tucking the note away in your pocket before heading to the rec room.

Maybe valentines day won’t suck so much this year after all. 

——

Ghost watches as you bounce into the commons area, eyes bright and an unusual pep in your step as you approach where he, Soap and Gaz sit around a small table playing cards. Your changed mood doesn’t go unnoticed by the other men either apparently, Soap looking up from the game to glance at you. 

“What’s got you in such a good mood, lass?” He asks, drawing a card. 

You smile brightly, and Ghost doesn’t miss the way your eyes dart to him as a flush creeps up your neck. 

“Guess who has a secret admirer,” you say excitedly, pulling out the card and placing it on the table. 

Gaz is the first to grab the card, brows rising as he reads it. “Brevard’s?” He asks, impressed, “That’s a fancy place, the guy must be well smitten to go in on a place like that.”

You nod, clearly thinking the same thing. “So I take it, you’re not my admirer then?” You ask, not all that seriously. 

Gaz smiles, shaking his head, “Brevards’ above my pay grade,” he claps you on the shoulder as you move to take a seat at the table, “you deserve the best though. Glad someone finally caught on.”

“Garrick’s right, lass,” Soap chimes in, reaching over to take the card, “Whoever this is, must be heelster-gowdie for ya…” he trails off for a moment. “Any idea who it is?”

Ghost watches, always watching - observing. It’s why he catches the way you look at him again before dropping your gaze back down to the card as you shake your head. 

“No, not yet, anyways. Guess we’ll find out Friday, huh?”

It’s also why he doesn’t miss the amused over the shoulder glances a group of officers send their table, almost silent chuckles meeting his ears. 

Your phone buzzes in your pocket, and you’re up almost as fast as you got here when you check the notification. You mumble something about Price needing reports you hadn’t finished before rushing off, Gaz and Soap wolf whistling after you - earning them a loud laugh from you. 

They return to their game, but don’t get far before Soap pipes up. 

“So, finally decided to make your move L.t.?” he asks, a knowing smirk on his lips. 

Ghost shakes his head, readjusting in his seat. “Wasn’t me.”

Both his sergeants look confused at his revelation, and Ghost internally curses himself for being so apparently obvious with his feelings towards you. Obvious to everyone except you it seems. 

He sees Gaz preparing another question, a rebuttal, probably some snarky comment - so he’s up and out of his seat before he can speak, muttering something about getting more tea. 

Mug in hand he approaches the small kitchen area, now well in earshot of the group of officers from earlier - all of them still sniggering about something. 

“Ah, I don’t know, Jennings - Don’t you think it’s kind of cruel-”

The man is cut off by Jennings, as Ghost approaches turning the electric kettle back on. 

“It’s just a little joke, Davies, quit being a buzz kill-”

Ghost watches from his peripheral as Davis shifts uncomfortably. 

“I just think it’s a little much. I mean - standing her up, really? on valentines day no less-”

The pieces click into place for Ghost in an instant, and red fills his vision. Jennings set you up. Plied you with fake gifts and cards all in order to play some cruel joke on you - the final act leaving you sitting at a restaurant by yourself on valentines day. 

He grips the handle of the kettle so tight, he hears the plastic creak beneath his fingers. His initial reaction is to toss the now scalding water right at the other officers face or at the very least step in and tell him what a terrible fucking mistake it would be to mess with someone on his team. 

But he stops himself as an idea curtails his rage. It’s a terrible idea - a selfish, horrible, will probably blow up in his face, kind of idea. But it takes root before he can stop it, and almost immediately he’s stalking from the commons area - Brevard's number dialed into his phone and kettle and card game long forgotten. 

——

Friday - Valentine’s Day - came quicker than Ghost expected. And even though he had done everything he could to prepare, he couldn’t snuff out the nerves boiling his blood. He’d called the restaurant the day you got the card to make a reservation - not too shocked to hear that they didn’t have anything available. But he wasn’t taking no for an answer, and after having a rather vague conversation with Price that left the captain more confused than anything - he was able to have some strings pulled. And now, there was a reservation for two under your name at a restaurant Ghost probably would never have stepped foot in otherwise. 

He stands outside the restaurant now, dressed in his nicest civvies, a simple bouquet of your favorite flowers in hand, paper crinkling in his sweat damp palms. You got here near half an hour ago, he can see you sitting at the window side table for two, nervously glancing around, checking your phone as the minutes pass by. 

He’s giving Jennings the benefit of the doubt, he tells himself, maybe he started to feel bad and would actually show up. 

But Ghost knows better. He knows Jennings is probably out wining and dining some other poor woman, completely unbothered that you sit at a table alone, the waiter’s pitying gaze getting worse and worse each time they come by to check on you. 

He finally shoves past his own insecurities, his own nerves when he sees you wipe at your eyes and start to fumble with your purse. He’s stepping through the restaurant doors, muttering to the hostess that he’s meeting someone and knows where to go. He just barely makes it to your table before you get up, tears bubbling up in your eyes as they land on him. 

He’s sure he’s a sight - a hulking man you’re so used to seeing in tactical gear and a skull mask - now dressed in dress pants and a plain black button down, sleeves rolled up, black surgical mask replacing the usual balaclava. Ghost isn’t even ashamed to admit he tried to style his hair, Soap helping him when he failed miserably the first time. 

You stare at him for a moment, eyes wide and mouth agape as you take in your Lieutenant standing before you with…flowers in his hand?

“Sorry ‘m late,” he says, pushing the flowers towards you, “took longer at the florist than expected.”

The lie is easy, just another one to add onto the calamity that is this evening. But when he sees the way your eyes fall down to the bundle - so much simpler than the extravagant roses typical of the holiday - your eyes light up, and a smile replaces the tearful frown that was present just moments ago. And Ghost knows he could give less of a fuck about little white lie. 

He slides into the empty seat at the table, the dainty wooden chair groaning under the bulk of him, while he watches you try to take stock of the situation. Only after staring at the flowers for an unusually long time do you finally turn to sit back in your chair, eyes flitting up to meet his as you set the bouquet to the side. 

“You’re...You’re the one who gave me the card?” You ask, voice soft. 

And god…if he could put that bashful look on your face everyday, he would. 

He responds with a soft hum, not quite a confirmation, but not quite a denial either. You take it as an affirmative, splaying manicured fingers out over the menu as the tension leaves your shoulders. 

“I…” you trail off, eyes falling down to the menu as you pick at the edges of it with your nails. “I was starting to think I’d been stood up. Some cruel joke or something -”

Ghost reaches out across the white table cloth, taking your hand in his as easy as breathing. 

“No joke,” he says, clearing his throat. “Not from me.”

You smile at him then, ducking your head down to hide your nervousness. 

“I was…” you bite your lip, and Ghost squeezes your hand to encourage you to continue. “I was hoping it was you, Ghost,” you finally whisper, words almost lost to the din of the restaurant. 

But Ghost hears them, and they spark a warmth in his chest he hasn’t felt in decades. A warmth that has him clutching your hand tighter in his own, thumb brushing over your knuckles. 

“Simon,” he says in return, reaching up to tug at the elastic around his ears, setting his mask aside. “No need for callsigns here, love.”

You smile again, this time the small action staying put on your lips instead of slipping away like sand through an hourglass.

“Okay, Simon,” you say, picking up the menu, “What’s good here?”

Simon can’t stop the chuckle from slipping past his lips, picking up his own menu in turn. “Hell if I know,” he grunts, “Never been to a place this fancy.”

You laugh then, and it’s in that moment that Simon realizes he never wants to let you go. 

——

You and Simon exit out into the cool evening air, a slight breeze nipping at your cheeks as you tug your coat on with Simon's help. 

Dinner went well - amazing - actually. You thought for sure you’d been taken for a fool when you were sitting in that restaurant alone, half an hour past the supposed meeting time. But then the one man you were hoping would show up, finally did. Blond hair styled just so, black button up neatly pressed, and a subtle tinge of red on his cheeks that you never expected to see from your unflappable Lieutenant. 

You were nervous at first, of course you were, but it dissipated quickly as dinner went on. The waiter came over, relief on his face at the sight of your date finally showing, and you almost laughed at how happy he looked for you. Wine was served shortly - bourbon for Simon, naturally - with dinner courses shortly after that. 

And Simon didn’t deny you a thing - he saw the way you wavered between ordering a steak and a salad, telling the waiter to bring both. Was in tune with the way you seemed to want dessert but hesitated at the prices. You both got what you wanted, you with a decadent chocolate mousse and Simon a simple piece of cheesecake drizzled with strawberry glaze. 

“That’s all?” You’d asked, slightly teasing.

Simon smiled, fork sliding into the dessert like a knife through butter. “I’m a simple man, love.”

You smiled then, heart fuzzy with warmth as you take in the man before you. 

“I highly doubt that, Simon Riley.”

You adjusted the bouquet in your hands, moving to cradle it in the crook of your elbow as Simon takes your free hand in his own - an action done so naturally you don’t even think to question it. But you do relish in it - in the warmth of his rough hand in yours, palm calloused with years of military work. You can’t help but lean into him as you both walk down the sidewalk towards the carpark, your eyes drifting to the bundle of flowers in your arms. 

You only find the courage to speak when you reach your destination, Simon stopping when you both reach your car. The words linger on your tongue, afraid to voice your suspicions and ruin the one thing you’ve longed after for the past year. 

You turn, resting back against the driver’s side door as you look up at Simon, neither of you saying anything for a long comfortable moment. You squeeze his hand, tugging him closer, smiling wryly as he obeys the silent request instantly. 

“You didn’t give me the card…did you, Simon?” You finally ask, voice soft, unable to keep the disappointment from your words. 

The silence that follows is answer enough, but Simon was never one to leave things unsaid. Not between you. 

“No. I didn’t.”

Three simple words. 

That’s all it took to make your heart sink to the floor, chest aching so fiercely it makes your eyes sting. 

“So...” You sniffle, “You just -”

Did it out of pity? did it to make me feel better about being stood up on valentines date? Couldn’t let poor little me be looked over again-

“Hey.”

A hand cups your cheek, rough palms sliding against soft skin as Simon’s fingers move to tangle gently in your hair, tilting your head up to look at him once more. 

“Don’t do that,” he says softly, brown eyes swimming in an emotion you’ve never quite seen from him before. “I…” he pauses, fingers twitching against your scalp as he struggles to find the words. 

And he must not find them - or at the very least decides they won’t convey what he really feels. Because, before you can react his free hand reaches up, tearing the medical mask from his face before he’s leaning in and claiming your lips with his own. 

You’d imagined kissing Simon more than you’d care to admit, but - as usual - he surprises you. It’s both gentle and all consuming. His lips moving against yours like he needs you to breathe. He releases your hand in order to take your face in both of his hands, pulling you towards him at the same time he leans forward to press into you, his warmth seeping in through your coat a stark contrast to the chill against your back from the car. 

You only pull away when his tongue presses against the seam of your lips, afraid that if you give in you’ll never be able to let go, and right now there’s still so many questions despite most of them being answered by that kiss. 

Simon doesn’t press, although he does chase you slightly when you pull away, instead shifting course to press a featherlight kiss to the corner of your lips. 

“How did you know?” He asks, breath warm against your cheek. 

“The card,” you admit gently, looking up into his eyes, “it wasn’t your hand writing.”

You continue when he doesn’t speak. “And the flowers. I…I hate daisies. I remember telling you that on a mission once. And what my actual favorite flowers were instead,” you rustle the bouquet in your arms. “You remembered.”

Your words are like a punch to the gut, stealing the very breath from his lungs at the knowledge that you know him on a level deep enough to remember his handwriting. To know that he’s the type of person to remember something as trivial as your favorite flowers. 

“I didn’t send the card,” he confirms again, pulling away just enough so his lips are brushing yours once more. “But I’m glad that fucker did,” he practically growls, “Gave me the push to finally take what I’ve wanted.”

And then he’s kissing you again, this one just slightly hungrier than the last, both of you devouring the other, finally - finally - taking the plunge you both were too terrified to take before tonight. 

And as Simon pulls you closer to him, one hand slipping beneath your coat to get just that much closer…You can’t help but be thankful for that damned card. 

“Happy Valentine’s Day, love.” Simon murmurs against your lips. 

You smile. 

“Happy Valentine’s day, Simon.”

[dpspcehntr]

💝 Valentines Day Special 💝

Paring: LADS OT4 x Reader

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: MC and her four boyfriends, voyerism (if you squint), group sex, P in V, fingering (f receiving), oral (m and f receiving), double penetration, squirting, over stimulation, cream pie, cum eating ,masturbation, pure filth, not beta read

A/N: Hello all! Happy Valentine's Day to all who celebrate 💖. This request was too fun not to turn into a full fic. I worked on this instead of doing my homework so I hope you enjoy! It's all of them and its me going ham as usual. I tried my best but oh man writing for five people is HARD! I hope you enjoy and remember that reblogs are deeply appreciated and help me out lots. Lots of love! Byeee!

It was unusual to not hear anything from either of them for an entire day let alone on such an important holiday to you. You didn't think much of it as you went along with your work day, which of course was mostly just paper work. When you finally look up from your screen the time read 6pm and it was time to head home. You sigh, get up to stretch your limbs and check your phone. There was only one message from Sylus saying they had a surprise in store for you once you reached your apartment. Again you shrug it off and pack up your belongings for the day. Once you made it home you see a note placed on your door.

Open Me

You chuckle as you put your key in the lock and open the door. To your surprise you walk in to see all four of them waiting for you. The place is decorated with hearts and flowers with a designated spot on the couch for you to sit. Once seated you put the pieces together on what the "surprise" is. You shudder with excitement as you look each of them in the eyes. Zayne places a hand on your thigh and pulls you in for a kiss. Xavier lingers over your neck, letting you feel his breath over you. Rafayel sits at your feet, watching and waiting. Sylus is no where to be seen as of yet. You feel yourself getting wetter and wetter as they become more assertive with their touches.

Zayne slips a hand down underneath your skirt. His finger drags along the wet fabric as you bite your lip. Xavier groans in your ear as he kisses down your jaw and neck. Rafayel sits on the floor humping your leg and waiting his turn. Sylus sits across the room watching it all with a smirk on his face. It was much too early in the night to feel overwhelmed but you didn't know how much longer you could last. Zayne slips a finger underneath your underwear as Xavier pulls your legs open wider. You throw your head back as a moan escapes your lips. When you open your eyes you find Sylus leaning down before pulling your lips in you’re a searing kiss. You felt gluttonous as you whined into his mouth begging for him to touch you. So many hands and lips on your skin and you still wanted more. He pulls away from you with a chuckle and once again takes in the scene in front of him. Zayne curls his fingers inside you as Rafayel leaves a bite mark on the inside of your thigh. You wanted so much more but you were too enwrapped in extasy to voice it. Xavier grips your chin and plants a fierce kiss onto your lips as his tongue slips into your mouth. His tongue grazes yours as he moans into your mouth. Your hand grips him through his pants and strokes his hard on. The other is snaked into Zayne's hair pulling just enough for him to pant next to you. Zayne pulls his fingers from inside you and holds them up to Sylus for a taste. Xavier takes your chin to make sure you can see. Sylus takes the digits into his mouth with a hum. He makes a show of licking and sucking every drop of your wetness from his fingers before releasing them with a pop. Your face erupts into heat as you watch, the fantasies of your late nights only becoming more real as the night goes on. Rafayel continues to leave bites and hickeys on your thighs as he continues to hump your leg, oblivious to what is happening above him. You tear your eyes away from the three men and look down at him. You take his chin in your hand and pull him into a kiss. He greedily accepts you and licks the inside if your mouth. He moans into your mouth and slows his humping. A string of spit follows you as you pull away from his mouth. Your shirt is lifted over your head by Xavier as Rafayel undoes the buttons on your skirt. You lift your hips as he pulls your skirt and underwear from you. You're left naked and under the lustful gaze of their watching eyes. You waited for someone to make the next move as the anticipation made you drip onto the couch. Each of them takes their time ridding themselves of their clothes and surrounding you once again. Zayne takes your hand and leads you to the bedroom.

"Wait here."

Without another word he leaves the room. You lay down on the bed waiting for somethings. Overwhelmed with desire you slide a hand down your body and lightly trace circles on your clit. You sigh as you arch into your touch as you take one of your breasts in your other hand. You twist and twirl your nipple in your fingers as you increase pressure on your clit. You're so engrossed in your pleasure you don't hear them enter the room. You feel Xavier grip your wrist and pull your fingers away from your throbbing clit.

"Impatient are we? Don't worry you'll get what you want soon."

He climbs into the bed and settles by the headboard. You crawl over to him and pull him in for a desperate kiss. You grip his face as you moan into the kiss. You feel someone grip your hips and line himself up with your hole. You groan into Xavier's mouth as they thrust into you fully. He presses down onto your back and whispers into your ear.

"I've been waiting for this."

Rafayel kisses the base of your neck before pulling out of you and thrusting fully back into you. You pull away from Xavier's lips to take him in your mouth. He hisses as you close around the head and suck. Rafayel pounds into your harder making you take more of Xavier in your mouth. The taste of him was intoxicating as you moan around him. He grips your hair and thrusts deeper into your throat. Rafayel continues his brutal pace, fucking Xavier deeper into your throat. Xavier pulls you off of him and into another searing kiss. He moans at the taste on himself on your tongue as you lick into his mouth. Rafayel scoops you up and presses your back onto his body, continuing to fuck into you. In Rafayel's grip you watch as Xavier gets closer to you. He kneels to pull you into another kiss as he lines up with your entrance. Rafayel pauses so Xavier can push into you with him. The stretch of this makes your head spin as Xavier settles into you. Your brain goes blank as they thrust deeper into you. You clench down on both of them as your orgasm crashes over you, squirting as they continue to fuck into you.

"Fuck!"

Rafayel's hips stutters as he sinks his teeth into your shoulder and releases his load deep inside of you. Xavier continues to pump into you as Rafayel pulls out of you. You hold onto Xavier as another orgasm washes over you, the mix of your juices and cum going sticky on your thighs. Xavier pulls out briefly to lay down with you on top of him. Once situated he lines himself back up with your entrance and thrusts in. You scream as he picks up his pace chasing after his own high. The sound of skin on skin fills up the room as he thrusts faster into you. You feel the pressure of your release building up inside of you as Xavier reaches his own high. He paints your walls with his cum as he continues to thrust into you bringing you to completion. You clench down on his, milking every last drop of cum before he pulls out of you completely. He slides out from underneath you and places a kiss on your forehead. Before long you feel another pair of hands grip your hips into position. You feel the head run up and down your dripping slit as you let out a shutter. Zayne rubs the tip onto your clit coating it in the precum leaking from his hard on.

"I'm not going to last much longer.

He pushes deep into your dripping core with a hiss. You squeeze him for dear mercy, begging to cum again. You grip the sheets as he begins to pick up the pace, plowing into you like a madman. You thrust back into him, meeting his hips. Your voice hoarse from yelling as you cry out for him to keep going. You were so close, teetering on the edge. He continues his pace, too lost in the feeling of your clenching around him. He thrusts in as far as he can before blowing his load deep inside you. You clench around him as you leak all over him and the sheets below. The mix of your juices and cum leaking onto the bed below. You collapse onto the mattress as he goes soft inside you. You wanted more, so much more. You whimper at the lost of him as you clench around nothing. He plans a soothing kiss on your lips as Sylus takes his place behind you. Xavier and Rafayel climb onto the bed while lazily jerking themselves off. With his other hand Rafayel and Xavier reach under you to play with your nipples and stroke your clit. You feel Sylus line himself up with your entrance and push in. He takes his time, letting you feel every single inch of him inside you. Xavier continues to play with your clit, rubbing and pinching it lightly. Rafayel finds a way to take one of your nipples in his mouth as he lightly swirls his tongue over the bud. Their touch was overwhelming but it just wasn't enough to reach your high. You whine and moan as they each take their time with you. Once Sylus bottoms out he stays there to let you adjust to his size before pulling out and thrusting back in completely. You can only lie there and take what they are giving, over stimulated and blissed out beyond your imagination. The feeling of Sylus pounding into you has your head spinning. Just a little bit more and you'll reach your peak again. Rafayel switches to the other nipple while Xavier increases his speed on your clit. You let out a silent scream as your release takes you by surprise. You clench down on Sylus as he groans at your tightness. Xavier and Rafayel leave the bed soon after, letting Sylus have his way with you. He grips your hips harder as he fucks you onto him. His rhythm growing more erratic and his own release is coming up. Your grip the sheets underneath you for dear life as your another orgasm washes over you. He thrusts deeper into you, kissing your cervix as he begins to cum. He fills your dripping hole with yet another load of cum. You cry out as your orgasm washes over you and a feeling of exhaustion settles in your limbs. Yet you still crave more, you want more of them, your cravings only growing stronger with each release. He pulls out of you with a squelch and sits back on the bed. You lay there for a moment before you feel a set of hands on your hips. The grip of Zayne was undeniable as you feel his face linger closely to your abused hole. You shutter at the thought of what is to come.

"May I?"

You look back to him, his pupils are blown wide as he watches and waits for you. You choke out a yes and wait for him. His tongue is instantly on you, licking and sucking as the sting of over stimulation settles in. You beg and plead for him to let you cum just one more time. His tongue expertly licking into you and slurping up the taste of all of you on his tongue. He hums into you as the cum coats him tongue, he was addicted to it. You cling onto the bed sheets as another orgasm runs through you, leaking over his lips and jaw. He grows more desperate as he sucks harder on your clit extending your release. He unlatches with a pop as he takes a look at you covered in hickeys and bite marks. You shutter under his gaze as you roll over onto your back. All of their eyes watch you in desperation as you settle into your new position.

"Whose next? "

You muse as you wait for round two to begin.

[dilf-docs]

Tuyo Será, Y Tuyo Será

sub!javi peña x younger!reader

summary: after an stressful day at the office, javi finds solace in your warm embrace: you, his informant, who he has yet to cross that line he always crosses, like a goddamn vice.

warnings: 18+ (minors dni), age gap, pwp, sub!javi, mommy/daddy kink (they call eachother mami and papi), oral (m. and f. receiving), hand job, face-sitting, fingering, creampie, p. in v., overestimulation, praise kink, degradation kink (u call him a slut once or twice lol), real men yearn™, bit of angst sprinkled, no sense whatsover just feels™

word count: 5,924 words

side note: i'm gonna be very honest with y'all. i listened to the theme song of narcos, tuyo (so good check it out), and got infested with a real bad crave to re-watch (but before reheating my narcos nachos i want to finish my romcom february marathon and finish the mission impossible movies). also, my tl is filled with javi gifs and my lewd thoughts abt him have gone beyond comprehension (not the bush reblog doing numbers...). see, it all started with an audio of him yelling maricón while i browsed twitter, which in case u don't know is the spanish equivalent to the f slur. sorry, it made me horny. javier's so bossy and intimidating but what if he wasn't? i'm all in for brat taming but i have a thing for sub boys lowkey. ah, i almost forgot, HAPPY VALENTINES MY LOVELY CITIZENS! (it's literally 12am) this is a gift from my single delulu romantic ass to you (and it's filthy sex? well, yes! isn't that a testament of our town's core beliefs? that's true love to me idk)

The air around him was tingued with women for the night, licor, suave conversation and burnt cigarettes.

The Cali cartel case had been stuck for a while. After the success of Pablo Escobar's hunt and Murphy leaving, besides his ascend, Peña felt the need for things to go fast; succesful. Besides, he had found it hard to balance the stress left behind, the one women and nicotine used to fix before.

He's nursing a glass of whiskey, despite claiming he was going to quit that too, eyes scanning the bar for you.

Sure, informants weren't his thing anymore, but he had a long history with you: you, who despite the violence and danger stayed, probably for the money, probably for him. Yes, he likes to think from time to time that your reason for choosing Colombia and denying the fake ID and passport he gave you was for this borrowed time you had with each other, filling the gaps between long nights at an office too big for a person, all to avoid the same loneliness waiting for him back at his apartment, because home meant warmth, and there was no one waiting for him back there.

So he chose to entertain you when he picked up the phone.

"Peña" he answered the call, fingers drumming against his desk and the poor hues of the lamp above scattered paperwork, some pages tinted with coffee circles caused by the base of his mug, filled over and over again.

"It's me" and he smiles at the sound of your voice, sweet, unlike the bitter taste of caffeine. "Is it a bad time to call? Are you busy?"

Filler questions, to steady your heart. The lonely office answers back mockingly on Peñas side.

"For you, I'm always available" he responds instead, cheeky. "What are you doin' up late at this hour?" he's asking, even if the question applies to himself as well. "Stayed up thinking 'bout something?"

Your tongue backfires you, speaking before you can stop yourself.

"You" there's a satisfied hum on the other line.

"So I take you call for a lead?" he leans back on his chair, arm resting behind his face. "Would be real helpful, hermosa"

"Sorry to dissapoint" how would you reveal the real reason you called? No. Never. "I just wanted to hear you"

He's standing up before he can register, pacing around the dim lit room.

"Baby..." he's already speaking up, condescending. No, not you too.

"C'mon, Peña" your heart beats dangerously, feeling it swell painfully on your throat. "It's been a long week, hasn't it?" a beat, "I'm on this bar near the office, mind if you join an old pal for a drink? I know you are alone too"

The feeling settles in, like his mind.

"Yeah?" he challenges.

"I see the office lights, all dark. 'Cept for yours"

He laughs, "You're a true detective, baby. Might have to hire you"

He's always calling you baby, because that's what you were when you started working this. Baby first, laced with intrigue and amusement at how you'd stand tall despite your age, ready to risk your life to free your home of the violence and terror drugs had brought upon. Baby now, more like a reflex, a habit Javier Peña can't break; the worst of his vices.

"Well, am I not already?" you laugh. "Come, will you? Just a drink and I'll leave you alone. You're free to drown on paperwork after that"

Worst is, Javier had already agreed the moment he picked up the saccharine tinge of your voice on the phone, impossibly addicting.

"Deal"

So now he's here. And he's finally seen you.

"You're here"

He takes a quick scan of your body, sporting a rather simple outift. Yet you seem to pull it off, hair cascading down in soft waves that ressemble the sea, very fitting in their job to compliment your tan skin.

"I am"

"You said you were here" he remarks, finishing his glass.

You take the glass from his hands, stiff from all day at the office, then raise it, mockingly alluding a toast.

"Wanted to let you relax for a bit" you add. "Thought you stopped"

"I needed it" not to admit out loud your call had made him nervous, hidden desperation and fire behind your apparent casual words. Or maybe it was his mind, far too tired and stressed to think straight.

"Good. Ready to go?"

"Where?" but he's already stand up from the stool.

"My place" and there's that same undertone he picked at first (once an agent, always an agent) now less hidden and more out in the open for him to follow or quit, much like any other of his addictions.

"For?"

"It's up to you to find out"

"Cheeky baby" he's chastising, his eyes full of something dark, and not punishing. "Are you going to murder me? Drugged my drink?" he attempts to do a terrible joke, all to calm down the fire on his soft belly and the throb of his cock. Fuck, when was the last time he had blown off some steam?

"You don't bite the hand that feeds you" you quip, but your teeth ressemble fangs. "¿Quién te crees que soy?" (who do you think I am?)

The walk to your apartment felt longer, despite having been here on a pass before, or when sending novice agents to watch for your safety.

He's never been inside before, but now he's taking the stairs two at a time, despite being tipsy, reaching your floor while you giggle with confidence, yet there's some uncertainity when you fumble your keys due to shaky hands, probably because you've never let him inside or because of your plan for tonight.

"It's very you" he comments out loud while you mumble a soft Shoes off. He takes another quick scan, some dishes drying on the counter, a rugged carpet and a flower vase with some petals fallen over the coffee table in front of your TV. It looks like a home, lived in: unlike his, that seems a curated effort to show someone occupies it, as a hotel room rather than a place to live. It's your warmth, thought, the one that wraps him up like a blanket or a fire.

Peña's been so busy looking around that he doesn't notice you've dissapeared.

"Baby?" he searches around, "¿a dónde te fuiste?" (where did you go?)

"In here" coming from the yellow-ish light at the end of the hallway.

He walks in slow steps, the floor creaking under his weight. Javier is opening the door, and the last he expects is to see you like this: on the bed, sprawled out. Fuck, he had imagined it alright: pumping his cock to the thought of you, but never thinking he'd got the very real thing for him.

"Baby-"

But here you were, all while he drools like a pathetic hungry dog, wordless and so fucking touch starved.

"Like what you see?"

His eyes roam over every dip and curve of your body, how your skin trembles even if he hasn't touched you and the room is hot. Heat is building within him, primal instincts fighting to take you, claim you, and make you his. It's a goddamn burning feeling he knows all too well.

"Mucho" he grins wolfishly, purring "bet it tastes as good as it looks" (a lot)

You sport a victory grin. "Why don't you find out?"

Your voice is like a siren call, and he's surrendering to the years of depriving himself of you.

He slowly walks to the bed, afraid if he speds up things, he'll wake up of this dream. He begins to unbutton his shirt, revealing his honeyed skin and soft belly from stress eating and licor, a smattering of dark hair trailing down past his navel.

Peña makes a pause at the edge of the bed, where you have sat up. He delicately cups with his rough hand your soft cheek, capturing your lips in a short n' sweet kiss. Finally, tasting all of you, tongue in your mouth wet, exploring every corner to get to know you: not the brave and loudmouth but the needy and touchy side of yours in bed. It speaks about pent-up passion and a hunger that seems to be only sated by the taste of you; the water to calm his thrist.

"Need you, baby" he breathes against your swollen lips. "Want to feel your skin and heartbeat as my own"

But a smile paints your lips as you sit on the edge, and he's unsure what it means.

"Slow down, needy boy" you taut, kissing the tip of his nose. "Do you remember our call? Said you've been through some stress" Javier lets out a little whine, "haven't you?" he nods eagerly, melting under your confident touch across his bicep, tracing his stomach that protudes over his jeans and belt. "So, how about this? I had an idea"

He raises an eyebrow, trying not to get distracted by your persistent touch.

"Better make it good. My patience is wearin' thin" and you can't help but coo at his strained pants and needy demeanor, so contrasting to his broody and serious nature.

"You've had a terrible week" fingers now getting lost down his happy trail, dangerously low to his pulsating cock. "Why don't I help you? But not like you think, no" you smile. "Let me take care of you, baby. I'll do all the work, and all you have to do is follow my orders like the obedient pretty boy you are. Sounds easy, right?"

A shiver runs down his spine as his dick strains against his pants. He bites back a groan, hips twitching involuntarily as you tease him.

He gulps, thinking about it. It's a new proposition that makes his cock pulse. Truthfully, it's been a week, no, weeks filled with stress, and the idea of letting someone else take control, despite his preference on him being the one in charge, aligned with his powerful masculine husk, makes it hard to picture it. But your parted swollen lips, eyes set with that determination he loves and his aching aging body...

Al carajo con todo. Peña is in. (Fuck this shit)

"Are you sure you can handle all of this?" with a stupid grin on his face, signaling his heating body, glistening with a sheen of sweat from the make-out session from before. "I'm not used to this, but for you, baby, I might make an exception. I trust you to take good care of me, yes?"

You hum, standing up. Even if he towers over you, you feel in power.

"¿Cuál es tu plan, mami? I want to hear every filthy sinful thing you have in mind" (what's your plan?)

You stand in your tiptoes to lick his lips, then planting a wet kiss that sends a jolt of electricty straight to his aching cock. Javier's heart pounds with anticipation while your tongue roams his mouth, making out until his pupils are blown wide and hair disheveled. He must look pathetic now, but he doesn't give a flying fuck about it.

"Oh, but I don't want to spoil any surprises... it wouldn't be fun" you grin. "Are you willing to be obedient for me? So you get to see what I have planned. Now sit, on the edge of the bed, now"

Wordlessly, he sits on the edge you previously had, his feet planted firmly on the floor, his thighs spread wide in a delicious manspread Peña often did.

"I've done as you asked, baby" voice firm with a low desire. "What's your next move?"

His chest heaves with each ragged breath that drags like a cigarette.

You drop on your kness, pushing his thighs further apart, red nails (just as he liked; did them a day earlier for him) digging into his jeans as you squeeze the thick muscle. Then, you lean down and press a kiss to his bulge. A low, guttural groan tears from his throat, touch igniting sparks of pleasure that raise through his veins., hips bucking involuntarily, seeking fricction. His hands clench on his side, hold as white as your sheets, trying not to grab you and disobey the looming domineering aura you had imposed on him.

"Want to hear your pretty sounds when I treat you good, baby. All of them; don't hold back"

"Fuck, baby" he pants, voice starined with the effort of holding back. "W-want to hear your every breathy moan, every filthy curse and-"

You nuzzle your face into his bulge, cutting his words effectively, the rough fabric scratching your face over his painfully hard bulge, eyes teasing.

"Hmh, hear me? No, papi. Today is all about you, just you"

He shudders at the contrast of your soft skin over the rough denim. He gazes down, eyes as dark and intense as yours, a bead of sweat sliding down his temple from the intensity of his arousal.

"You're torturing me, baby" his voice is a low rumble on his chest. "You want me to beg, plead for your touch like a desperate man?"

Peña reaches down, calloused fingers skimming along your jawline before tilting your chin up to force your gaze to meet his own. His thumb brushed across your lower lip, the rough digit dragging across the delicate rosy skin.

"Very well. I'll play your game and be what you want me to be"

"Please, want to hear you baby: beg, plead for me. And I shall give" you squeeze his thigh, playing with his belt buckle, a soft metallic clink echoing in the charged air. "Would you want me to help you? Use your words"

"Please, y/n" he raps, your name a delicious sound on his lips. "Please, I need you. Your touch, your kiss, your everything... I'm begging you, baby, help me"

He never imagined he'd have you like this, let alone, on this scenario. Why had he restrained himself when you had always wanted this as much as he did: with the way your eyes took him in everytime he walked in the room, or the way your hand would linger on your brief meetings to share information. It was the way you held onto him, like faith.

Peña reaches down, fingers fumbling with the buckle of his belt hidden under his belly, struggling to undo the clasp. The agent curses, feeling dumb all of a sudden with his display of desperation, at how a young girl gets him so out of himself, horny stupid. May be the lack of women or just, well, you.

"Touch me, baby" he pleads, his eyes dark and intense. "Wrap your hands around my cock and stroke me- Want to feel your mouth on me, for you to take me, please-"

He leans back, chest heaving. This raw need he feels, it tugs at his heart and cock.

"Since you've been such a good boy, I'll reward you" you smile, oh so sickenly sweet, as if you weren't edging him. "Gonna shove my cock so far my throat you won't be able to think of anything else"

Javier shudders at your words, cock leaking with precum at the thought of your lips around his shaft. The room falls silent, and he swears you might just be able to hear the beat that pounds in his ears, that be the reason why you're smiling while he anticipates your touch.

You unzip his jeans with a calculated sense of purpose, the denim material parting to reveal the straining bulge of his erection.

"Such a pretty cock, Javi" the nickname makes his groan, "is this for me?"

He lifts his hips, allowing you to tug the jeans down his thick thighs, dick in display.

"Fuck, y/n" his voice echos a needy rumble. "I'm not a man who begs, cariño, but for you, I'll do"

Peña's rough fingers grab your hair, guiding your face closer. The room grows hotter, and you swear you can smell his musky aroma, impregnated with desire and arousal.

So your reward is to wrap your lips around his tip and suck harshly. Javier lets out a rough hiss at the sensation of your mouth, even if just the tip. He feels your tongue swirling around the sensitive flesh, lapping at the drops of precum that had already leaked from his tip.

"Dios" he cries, his head falling back as he archs into your touch. His hand's hold on your hair turns more rough, as he's fighting the urge to thrust deep into your warm welcoming mouth.

You pull back, a string of saliva connecting your lips to his tip. You enjoy every second of his disheveled state, and the way your eyes darken, reveling in the power you hold over him, Peña's desire burns even more ardent.

"Please" he begs, "need to feel your throat around my cock as you swallow me down" and then he's bucking his hips slightly, not to force himself on you, but to let you set the pace. He moans at the wet sounds of your sucking, lips stretched around his girth.

Over and over, you take him, your technique getting more confident with each turn.

"You're a natural at this" he praises, voice rough with arousal. "You're gonna be the death of me"

You pull out with a Pop! making him whine.

"Don't talk, baby. I just want to hear your moans you desobedient old man" he barely registers your next move, slapping his cock. He lets out a sharp, breathless moan at the contact. "Will you behave now and let me jerk you off?"

"Sí, sí, sí" he pleads without a second thought, or embarrasment of his needy state. He feels your hand wrap around his throbbing dick, fingers barely able to encircle his thick girth. You stroke him with a teasing slowness, and his hips buck involuntary as he gasps, the pain bordering on pain at the intensity.

He then bites his lips, trying to hold back the desperate pleas that'll sink his masculinity even further, but his chest heaves with the effort, his skin sweat-slicked over his tense muscles.

"Mmm, yes..." he breathes out, the wet sounds of your palm gliding along his arousal, more than he could take. "I'm all yours, baby. Use my cock the way you want"

You smile, "that's my good boy"

He tangles his fingers in your hair once more, guiding your hand as you stroke him. Your fingers and lips brushing drive him wild, whines he can't contain coming out.

"D-don't stop" he begs, eyes fluttering as he looses himself in the haze. "P-please, keep on touching me, making me feel this good. I want to paint your skin with my seed-"

"Beg for it" your voice is low, and you slap his cock again. "Go on, wanna hear you, pretty boy"

Javier lets out a shar gasp at the sudden sting of pain mixing with the pleasure coursing through his veins. His balls tighten, the pressure a ringing sound on his ears as you continue to stroke him ruthlessly.

"Please" voice reduced to a desperate, needy whine. "Please, I need it. I need to cum so fucking badly. Te lo pido, cariño. Déjame, por favor" (i'm asking you, honey. let me, please)

He bucks his hips frantically, fucking himself with your fist at the amounted pleasure.

It's a real picture: disheveled hair that sticks to his equally sweaty skin, fluttering droopy eyes, ragged panting and desperate moans spilling from his pretty lips.

"Fuck, I can't- can't hold it back" he mumbles, eyes wild and fevered. "I'm going to cum, all over your hand. Please, let me have this. ¡Te lo ruego!" (i beg you)

He was lost in the haze of lust, body trembling with the force of his impending climax. The pressure was unbereable; he needed to find release.

"Aw. Pretty boy can't take it anymore, can he?" you coo, laughing a bit. Your nails dig on his thigh. "Do it, baby. And don't hold back: I want to hear every filthy little sound out of your lips"

Peña throws his head back at the same time a low, guttural roar of pleasure rips through his throat. His cock jerks and spams in your grip, spurting hot shots like a volcano. Javier's never felt like this before: so fucking hard, hips bucking and thrashing as he rides out the waves of his intense climax, painting your hand with his cum.

"S-so good. Se siente jodidamente bien, carajo" he moans, hips jerking erratically as the last spurts of his release dribble out onto your fingers. (shit, it feels so good, fuck)

His body slumps back against the bed, and from your knees, you get to see his chest and tummy rising up and down, struggling to catch his breath. His seed still glistens on your hand, so you do the most reasonable thing and suck it off. Javi's cock goes hard again at the sound, dying to see what it looks like, if the image is as obscene as what he can hear, but his back is killing him, so he lays still, fluttering eyes as he looks at the ceiling, a satisfied smirk at the corners of his mouth.

"That was-" he can't even speak, oh God, "I want to" he fumbles his words, "want to please you in return, baby"

But you're not done for tonight. You get up, and he gets to observe your body as you slowly undress the last remanents of your clothes (underwear), a show for him and his hooded eyes. Peña licks his lips like a starved man, but fuck, wasn't he?

Then, you push his body to stay against the mattress, sitting on his lap. He gasps sharply as you pin him down, straddling his lips with a wicked gleam in your eyes.

"Do you think you deserve to cum inside me, Javi?"

He can feel your core pressing against his sensitive cock, wet and hot, making him shiver.

You pinch is nipple, waiting for an answer. A soft cry escapes his lips, and he's arching into your touch. There's a jolt that goes straight to his dick, and he can feel himself getting overestimulated, twitching and jumping under you.

But his eyes are dark and hazy, wandering with lust your body, hands roaming wildly with teasing touches. You brush his too, no, burn it where your touch meets his soft tanned skin, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.

"Mmm, I don't know if I deserve such a reward" his tone low and seductive, but there's a twinge of insecurity laced, as if he does believe he isn't worth it. "But I want it. God, I need it" you smile at his pleading. "Want to feel your tight little cunt squeezing my cock, for you to milk me for dry, to take every last drop of my cum"

He rolls his hips slightly, semi-hard cock brushing against your dripping sex.

"Tell me what I have to do to earn the privilege" he whines. "Haré lo que sea, sólo dilo" (i'll do anything, just say so)

"That's my good boy"

You grab his cock, settling it on your entrance, wet folds receiving him. You tease the tip before sliding it slowly inside, and Javier's body shivers when your slick heat taunts him, making him gasp sharply. He feels your moist coat his dick, allowing him to glide his cock along your slit with ease.

"So fucking wet, baby" he praises with a groan, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of your hips as he fought the urge to surge forward, to bury himself in your welcoming heat in one hard thrust. "So ready for me"

You sink down slowly, every inch of your tight walls gripping him. It flutters and squeezes around his cock perfectly, making his eyes roll back in ecstasy.

"Feels so good, baby" he pants, hips lifting slightly to meet yours as you settle onto his lap. He can feel you enveloping him completely and its driving him mad. "Gonna make me cum before I'm even fully hard" 

He meets your gaze, drowning in your dilatated pupils, your breasts bouncing with every move and breath. Javier finds that, with such a view, it's not hard to fall into this supplicant version of himself.

You start bouncing on his cock, letting it hit all your spots. You whine, softly.

"God, Javi, feels so good-" he's babbling nonsense in spanish as he holds you by your hips. You feel your release coming.

"Shit, Javi. Mami is cumming-"

You fuck yourself faster on him, making Peña moan louder when you ride him harder, hips slamming down onto his with urgency. The wet slap of fleash against flesh fills the room, mingling with his cries and your whines.

"Do it, baby. Cum for me, want to know I made you feel good" he urges as he feels your walls flutter and squeeze around his dick, his fingers sinking into your ass' soft skin, guiding your movements.

With one final, brutal thrust, he buries himself to the hilt inside your cunt. You come undone around him, pussy clenching and rippling along every inch of his cok, sending him over the edge.

"Fuck, mami. I have to-"

You hold his hips down, still on your senses despite just having an orgasm.

"Wanted to cum without my permission, you needy slut? I said I want to hear you beg for it, ask me to come, and don't ever do it without me telling you to"

He can feel his cock pulsing and throbbing inside her, the urge to release his load overwhelming. But at your stern command, he forces himself to hold back, gritting his teeth as he fights for control.

"Perdóname, bebé" he pants, voice strained as he holds back. "It won't happen again without your permission" (forgive me, baby)

"Good. Have we learned, then?"

"Yes, yes!" he cries out, eyes wide and pleading. "Please, y/n. I beg you. Need to cum so badly, I- it's too much, please let me. Please, please, please!"

His fists ball tightly on his sides, knuckles turning white as his body trembles with his impending release.

"Please, let me have your permission to cum," he begs, voice a desperate, needy whine. "I'll do anything, baby. I'll be your good boy, your obedient fucktoy. Just say the word. Please, I'm begging you- let me cum for you"

You push your erection against your core, nodding in response.

"Cum for me, loudly, so I know that you're thankful for this"

With your permission granted and hips pressing down firmly against his, Javier allows himself to surrender to the overwhelming urge to cum.

Thick, hot ropes of cum erupted from his shaft, painting your velvety walls with his essence. He can feel each powerful spurt of his release, the sensation of his balls emptying inside you pushing him to even greater heights of ecstasy. The pleasure was almost too much to comprehend, the feeling of your hot, slick walls milking his cock for every last drop of his release sending him spiraling into a state of euphoria.

"Thank you, baby" he pants, struggling to catch his breath. "Thank you for letting me cum inside you"

"Is that so?" I chuckle, "want to really show me how thankful you are?"

Without telling him so, you slip out of his dick, cum still leaking from your legs, and place on top of him: on his face, even if he slightly struggles for air, keeping yourself held up on the headboard of his bed, barely putting any pressure on him.

"Then eat me, baby" you feel his hot breath against my folds, "reward me for riding your needy dick; wanna hear just how pussy starved you are"

Javier's eyes widened as you suddenly straddle his face, the scent and taste of your combined releases filling his nostrils and coating his tongue. He could feel the sticky essence, a mix of your arousal and his own cum, smearing across his cheeks as you ground your dripping core against his mouth.

Without hesitation, Peña dives in, his tongue delving between your folds to lap up the sensitive nub. He moans deeply, the vibrations rumbling through his chest and against your cunt.

"Mmm, fuck yes" he growls, his hands gripping your thighs tightly as he pulls you down harder against his face, savoring your sweet pussy that tastes like him too. "I'm starved for this pussy, baby, could eat this pretty little cunt for hours and never get enough"

Peña seals his lips around your clit, suckling the swollen bud as he fucks his tongue deeper inside. He can feel his cock twitching and hardening once more, the sensation of your dripping sex against his face and the taste of your releases on his tongue reigniting his desire.

You grind my hips up to meet his face, moaning loudly as he continues to devour your cunt. He looks up at you, mouth still glued to my pussy. His eyes are glassy and he's whimpering into your folds. The image alone makes your pussy gush.

"Sweet boy, keep going. Doing such a good job with your tongue" you moan while his hips buck into nothing in the air, "love how you eat me out"

Javier moans into your dripping pussy as you ground her hips against his face, the praise and encouragement spurring him on. Your juices flow freely, coating his chin until they drip down onto his chest.

"Love eating this perfect pussy. I fucking love the taste of you, the way you gush and quiver against my tongue. I could spend all day with my face buried between your thighs, worshipping this sweet cunt"

He could feel his own arousal growing, his cock hardening and throbbing as he lost himself in the act of pleasuring you.

Spurred on by your praising moans, he redoubled his efforts, sucking your clit hard as he plungs two fingers deep into your soaked cunt. He pumps them in and out, curling them to stroke that sensitive spot inside you.

"That's it, hermosa. Ride my face. Please, use me baby, please"

He can feel your thighs trembling on either side of his head, body tense as he brings you closer and closer to the edge. The thought of tasting your release, juices flooding his mouth, made his own arousal swell to painful proportions.

"Would you let me use your nose, papi? Wanna cum on your face, grind off of it" you say, but even if you ask for permission, you're already over it, riding it.

Javier lets out a muffled moan of approval as you begin to grind your dripping pussy more firmly against his nose, using it to stimulate your most sensitive spots. He can feel the sticky essence of your coupling smearing across his upper lip and coating his nostrils as you ride his face with increasing urgency.

"I want to feel you cumming, drenching my face with your sweet juices" he pleads. "Paint my fucking nose with your release, baby"

He could feel your thighs quaking and clenching around his ears, body tensing as you chase your rapidly approaching climax. The scent of your arousal is overwhelming, the sweet aroma filling his nostrils and clouding his mind with lust.

"That's it, baby. Fuck my nose, use it to make yourself cum," he urges. "Give it to me, y/n. Give me everything you have"

You grip the back of his head, pushing him down while grinding your wet pussy across his face. You feel yourself tightening your hold as you come against his mouth, Javier letting out a muffled cry of pure, unadulterated pleasure as he feels your fingers tangling and tugging demandingly.

"Then be a good boy and take it all"

"Yes, mami!" he gasps, the words vibrating deliciously against your soaked, sensitive flesh. "I'm your good boy. I'll take it all, every last drop"

Peña feels your pussy clench and spasm against his mouth, walls fluttering wildly as your climax crashes over you. He whines deeply, the sound drowned out by the gush of your release flooding his mouth and pouring over his chin. The taste of your arousal is as sweet as he imagined, intoxicating, exploding across his taste buds and sending a bolt of pure lust straight to his aching cock.

"You taste so fucking good, baby. So sweet and perfect" he pants, his voice hoarse. "I could drown in this pussy and die a happy man"

He feels your body shaking and trembling above him, hips still grinding weakly against his face. But you still have the strength to lace your fingers through his hair and pull his head back.

You can feel his dick barely grazing your ass, rock-hard again.

"Now swallow it, and I might help you with that" you slap his cock with your free hand. He bucks and jerks at the mix of sensations; the way you toy with him and tease him, only heightening his desperation and desire. "Be a good boy just as you've been. I want to see this throat swallowing it all"

You taut his neck and adam's apple with your nails, the pull exposing the vulnerable column of his throat. He can feel the sharp sting of the nails digging into his skin, the sensation sending a dark thrill of pain and pleasure racing down his spine.

"Yes, mami" his voice a low, submissive rasp. "I'll swallow every drop, just like a good boy"

He tilts his head back further, Adam's apple bobbing as he gulps and swallows, trying to obey. The taste of your cum coats his tongue and slides down his throat.

"Good boy" you praise, stroking and slapping his shaft, your eyes never leaving his.

"Fuck!" he cries out, his hips thrusting up to meet your hand.

He can feel his release swiftly approaching, the pressure in his balls growing to an unbearable level. The way you touch him, the taste of your release still lingering on his tongue... he's gone insane, and it's your fault the same man who took down the biggest druglord of the world is now reduced to a moaning mess.

"Please, mami" he begs, his tone desperate. "I need to cum so badly. Will you allow me?"

"Do it" you pant, "and don't hold back any cute cries coming from your lips"

With your permission granted, Javier's cock spams violently in your grip.

"Fuck, yes! I'm cumming so fucking hard, mami. Thank you, baby, thank you so much!"

Thick, hot ropes of cum explod from his cock, painting your hand and his own abdomen with his essence. His body convulses beneath you, muscles clenching and unclenching as his climax tears through him.

He gazes up at you, eyes hazy and mind fucked.

This newfound pleasure was almost too much to comprehend, a weird feeling of ecstasy he had never dreamed of. And it was you, of all people, who had made him come by rendering him to a whiny and needy submissive part of himself he didn't know.

"Thank you for letting me cum, mami" he pants, his voice a low, rough rasp. "I am forever in your debt, baby"

You giggle, laying down next to him, while pressing a soft kiss to his sweat glistening temple.

"Anytime" you reply, so sweet and simple, as if you hadn't completely ruined his life.

But well, wasn't he known for his love to get into places he shouldn't have?

dts: para @ann-gell u know i love u right? my mx valentine, xoxo. no autorizo que te sientas mal así que ten una cochinada ft. javier peñita, te la dedico con amors, my hot funny lovely friend ♡

[metalheadsforblacklivesmatter]

DEI seems to be redhats new code for "black" (are they still using "woke" as code for "black" or...? Whatever.

Let me explain what a DEI program REALLY IS. If a disabled veteran is applying for a cashier job, the job description may have basic requirements like good with customers, able to stand for long periods of time, familiarity with point of sale systems, etc.

But let's say he's missing one of his legs due to his time in the military. That's his disability. It doesn't effect his ability to do any of the tasks.

Even though the dude is perfectly capable of completing all of the listed tasks, he goes in for an interview, and the hiring manager sees his disability and decides not to hire him. In the hiring manager's mind, he feels just. "What if it's holiday season and I need him to lift 50 lbs up the stairs to help the stock workers?"

Now nowhere in the job description does it say that this person may need to lift 50 lbs up a flight of stairs. In fact, they're not even asking the other people that they're hiring for this role if they're capable of that. They're just assuming that this disabled man can't do it as a reason to not hire him. Even though he's not a stock worker and 99.99% chance the situation will NEVER come up that they need this cashier specifically to lift 50 lbs ever. (Also they never asked if he could lift 50 lbs, they're first assuming he can't.)

"BUT THAT'S ILLEGAL! SUE FOR DISCRIMINATION!" Yeah... I mean if you get a denial email saying "Yeah we don't want to hire you because you're disabled." Then I guess. But people are lucky if they don't just get ghosted by potential employers, and if they receive a reply it's a canned "We move forward with other applicants" from an email address that doesn't accept emails.

"BUT THEN IF NO ONE IS SAYING THAT THEY DON'T HIRE HIM BECAUSE HE'S DISABLED THEN HOW DOES HE KNOW?"

Because we KNOW ("we" being anyone that's experienced discriminating not just disabled people). Because we're told be people in the industry (that we're not applying for) "Oh, I'd never hire someone like you because..." and they list something that's not even in the job description. Because we spend a lot longer unemployed than others. Because we apply for jobs where we'd be a perfect fit and we're passed up for less qualified applicants. Because people that don't understand that discrimination is real are just BAFFLED that you, this perfect applicant have just a hard time finding a job. Because even when we do find a job we're treated differently. We're infantilized, treated as less capable, and don't always experience the same perks as the able-bodied cishet Christian white man. Because when we apply for jobs but cover our "DEI" characteristics (change our name to be more masculine or white, don't check that we're disabled in application forms, etc) all the sudden getting interviews becomes a lot easier for us.

Because just because you think we're stupid because of our race, disability, gender, sexuality, etc doesn't mean we are.

DEI simply means "Yo... maybe stop applying that random 50lb box requirement only to disabled people as an excuse to deny them..." (metaphorically speaking).

And yes. I have literally heard people say, "I would never hire a woman in tech because I've had to lift a 50lb server up 5 flights if stairs and what if we needed her to do that? I don't think a woman could do that." I've been told that MULTIPLE TIMES. Never have I been asked about my ability to lift 50lbs up a flight of stairs (spoiler alert, I can do it). And never have I been told this as a reason for my denial because no one says they're turning you down, you just get ghosted. But I have noted that the women I graduated with (especially the women of color) had a lot harder time finding jobs than the men did (and the women of color had harder times finding jobs than me even though they were a lot smarter than me).

-fae

[pjmmania]

If Snow Decides to Fall

8. “Bumps in the road.”

Author's Note: Another rollercoaster of a chapter…oops ;)

Chapter Warnings: heavy smut (extremely kinky), pregnancy, explicit language, toxic parental relationship, mental health struggles

Taglist: @marihoneywk @amarawayne @chimmy-licious

Back to Chapter Index

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Jimin you can't just leave now," Yoongi said, "This is serious."

Hoseok scoffed, "Yeah, you can't just tell us 'Seoyeon's back' without a little elaboration."

Grabbing his room key off the mini bar, Jimin paused. His back was turned to the group. He could hardly think, after having just screamed at Namjoon and received the most unexpected information.

His shoulders dropped from a tense height as he exhaled a deep breath. He had sent you a text immediately after getting off the call. You were awake and agreed to speak with him about it. It wasn't like you were going to be able to sleep anytime soon.

His voice was now scratchy from yelling, "I need to speak to Y/N. She’s meeting me in my room. I think she tried to tell me this earlier, multiple times. We just kept getting interrupted."

"I agree that she needs to be a part of the conversation, but so do we," Jin replied gently, "It's a delicate situation. I'm sure the company will handle it, but we should all be on the same page here. This woman almost...well we all know what she almost did."

"Then come with me if you want. I don't care," Jimin turned to face them all, his eyes firmly alert as he pointed at Namjoon, "But not you. I don't want you near her."

The blonde man was completely calm at this point, maybe even humble, "Jimin-"

"No,” he held solid, “I haven’t told everyone in this room yet, but at the ultrasound we found out that her blood pressure is too high. It’s largely due to stress, and it could become a real problem if she can’t get it under control. The last thing she needs is to feel under attack.”

“I’m sorry,” Namjoon said, his tone sincere and soft, “I didn’t know that. And I’m sorry for the argument. I think it’s important for us all to know what’s going on, like Jin said. You have my word that I’ll shut up and listen. But I don’t want to affect her health and if you truly don’t want me there, I’ll respect it. I’m…I’m really sorry.”

His head dropped as if to hide in shame. The man rubbed his palm against his forehead.

No one spoke, waiting for Jimin’s response.

He pursed his lips together and closed his eyes, “Fine. Let's go."

As they all filtered out of Hoseok's room and into his, which was further down the hall, you were on your way up in your sleep shorts, another one of Jimin's t-shirts, and slippers.

You were so glad that the company didn't book you a shared room with Chaeyoung. Otherwise, this would be tough to explain.

The guys were on the top floor. They had an entire hallway booked out for them, to give them a nice cushion of privacy. You were confident no one would see you, but just in case, you wore your company staff badge on a lanyard around your neck.

You could feel the anxiety bubbling up within you, so you focused on controlling deep breaths in the elevator. When you reached their floor, no one was around. A blessing, amid the mess.

As you rounded corner after corner, you checked Jimin's text to recall his room number.

When you came upon the correct door, you knocked. It was opened instantly, as if he’d been waiting by the entry for you.

He pitied the sight of you standing there, looking worn down. Suspicion of any wrongdoing on your account was impossible. He saw it all on your face, but he wanted an explanation nonetheless.

He pulled you inside, closed the door, and brought you into his arms, “Come here, baby.”

You settled in his embrace as you peered at the group behind him. To your relief, none of them looked upset with you, not even Namjoon.

“I’m sorry,” you mumbled, “I was trying to tell you.”

His hand stroked your hair, “I know. It’s okay. Nothing is horribly wrong.”

The other members were shocked he could say such a thing. They all had cause to be very worried, but if he wasn’t going to panic, then neither would they.

When he released you, he checked your face to make sure you were calm. His lips pulled upward into a soft grin, putting aside any of his own worries for the sake of your mental state. You nodded at him, letting him know you were ready to talk about it.

Holding your hand, Jimin brought you into the suite. You exchanged subdued greetings with the others and decided to sit on the edge of the king-sized bed. Your partner sat beside you and handed you a bottle of water, in case you needed it.

“I, um, I guess I’ll just say what happened…” you cleared your throat, “At the airport yesterday, I got shoved in that swarm of fans and the woman standing behind me picked me up. It turned out to be Seoyeon. We sort of just went through TSA together and grabbed a coffee. Until Chaeyoung showed up and recognized her, I wasn’t certain it was really her. I know that you all rightfully have a negative view of her, but she was actually very kind to me. Our conversation ended when she realized that I worked for the company…and that I know you guys. It made her uncomfortable.”

“What did you guys talk about?” Jimin asked putting a soothing hand around your wrist, “I mean…did she mention anything or infer anything?”

“About you or BTS? Not specifically. She made a comment about the industry, though. She said it ‘wasn’t her scene’.”

Jungkook jeered at that, rolling his eyes, “Oh please.”

Your boyfriend scooted a little closer to you, swallowing up his pride, “I’m afraid you’ll need to be more specific. What did you talk about?”

You closed your eyes, wanting to sink into the mattress beneath you, “Babies. We talked about babies. She’s pregnant as well.”

Jimin let go of your wrist. The room went stiff.

You sighed, looking down at your lap, “She married a CEO and was on her way to LA to see him. Nothing nefarious. She wasn’t following you guys or anything. I-I think it was all just a coincidence.”

The guys were waiting for Jimin to reply first.

“No,” he looked at you with all the assurance you needed, “I’m sure it was. If she’s married and starting a family, I highly doubt that she has the time or motivation to screw with us.”

Namjoon looked like he was biting his tongue.

Taehyung leaned against the wall with arms crossed over his chest, “That is, unless she could have had any indication that you two are together now.”

You gulped and looked at your boyfriend, “No, she couldn’t have. Your name never even came up. And we didn’t discuss BTS beyond a brief mention of the airport mob. When she realized who I worked for, she left. She had no interest in digging for more information.”

He sensed your nerves and put his arm around you, “Hey, it’s okay. I believe you. Management told me they will keep an eye out for any rumors, but they weren’t very concerned either. It appears we don’t need to worry about her, so we won’t. Just wanted to hear it from you, that’s all.”

“Yeah,” Yoongi reinforced, glancing at Jimin before you, “Don’t sweat it.”

The leader of the group dipped his head, brows knitted together in a broadcast of regret.

You nodded, “Okay. Sorry to ruin your little celebration.”

“How did you know?” Jin chuckled.

“It’s no secret that you guys enjoy a some drinks after a shoot like this,” you broke into a grin, “Plus you all smell a bit like champagne.”

Most of them laughed at the comment. Jimin pecked your temple and you yawned. Now that your conscience was clear, sleepiness overtook you.

"Will you come to the dinner with us tomorrow, Y/N?" Hoseok questioned.

"Dinner?"

"Just a team dinner sort of thing. Us and all the staff that came along," Jungkook elaborated, "You should come."

You smiled, "Sounds fun, though I might need to have Chae take me shopping. This could be an excuse for me to finally go get some maternity clothes.”

“Your bump has gotten bigger.” Taehyung smirked.

The oldest member elbowed him, “Don’t say that! It’s rude.”

You laughed and put your hand on your belly, “But it’s true. I’ve grown out of almost every cute top I own. Once it gets cooler, I’m going to need new jeans as well. Ugh, just new everything.”

Hoseok broke into a tender laughter. Everyone looked confused.

Grinning curiously, Jimin asked him, "What, Hobi?"

"Sorry, it's nothing," his eyes were narrow in a glad squint, "I just can't believe you guys are really having a baby. Why does it suddenly feel so real now?"

Yours and Jimin's hearts were warmed.

"It's going to be fun," Jungkook concurred, his endearing bunny smile shining, "Chasing after a tiny version of one of us. Is it a boy or girl?"

"We aren't going to find out," your boyfriend smirked, "Care to make a wager? We each put in fifty-thousand won and then the winning side splits the pot."

Now you were in a playful mood and interjected, "It's a boy. I can feel it."

Jimin laughed and nudged you, "That's a lie. You said you didn't have a gut feeling."

You shrugged, "Well now I do."

"I still think it's a girl," he said before looking at all the members, "And my prediction is more legitimate. I felt it from the beginning."

"I say girl." Jungkook voiced.

"Girl." Jin nodded.

"Boy," Taehyung, "Gotta side with Y/N's maternal instincts."

"Nope," Hoseok chuckled, "Nothing against your instincts, Y/N, but Jimin's a girl dad."

Yoongi pondered it momentarily, "I honestly have no idea, but I'll go with boy, just to keep it interesting."

"If you must, but you're going to have to fork it over when you meet my daughter." Jimin taunted.

The father of the child placed his hand on your protruding abdomen. The gaiety on his face was raw and undeniable. He was happy - truly happy.

Namjoon took stock of this. Only then did it click. There was no way you could be like Seoyeon. She could never create that look on his face, nor could anyone else. Hana’s words replayed in his mind. She was right - you’d done nothing to indicate malevolence. That was the proof in itself.

He was disgusted with himself, so much that he couldn’t find any words to say. How could he even begin to apologize? Until this point, he had been the least supportive friend. He had gone out of his way to try to tear Jimin from a source of pure joy and love.

Wanting to be nice, you extended it to the one person you hadn't given his prediction. "Namjoon?"

Feeling apart from his own self, he stood slowly, “I’m…I’m going to go to bed. Long day, you know?”

There were no utterances of dismay. His cadence was downtrodden, not angry. This was not an act of protest - it was one of contrition.

For once, Jimin saw and believed the remorse, but he let him exit the room regardless. He found himself unable to forgive so easily. What he did was too far over the line.

After the door closed, you looked at all of them, "I think he's starting to come around, actually. Today he-"

"Don't mention that, please." Your boyfriend removed his hand from your bump and used it to sweep hair out of his face, tongue poking his cheek.

"Oh, you already know about what he said?"

"He told us," Jin sat down in his place, "Sorry about that."

"It's alright."

"It's the furthest thing from 'alright'," Jimin groaned with vexation, "The fact that he would go so far as to denigrate you like that to your face."

You put your hand on his back and rubbed it, "Well, it was awkward, but I didn't get the sense that he was purposefully trying to denigrate me. It felt like he was really just searching for answers, out of a place of care...for you."

"That’s no excuse.” he bit back.

You were plainly too tired to get into it. Your body craved rest, and you yawned once more. It forced your boyfriend back to a focus solely set on you.

“You guys should leave. We’re going to turn in.”

You flashed him a puzzled look, “Wait, no. I can’t sleep here.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jin laughed lightly as he and the others began to head out, “Anything for your spooning time.”

Jimin chuckled, though his mood wasn’t necessarily jubilant.

You still objected, “Jimin, I really shouldn’t sleep here.”

He wore that gorgeous grin that no woman could refuse, “It’s no big deal, I promise. There are no other staff staying on this floor and you aren’t sharing a room with Chaeyoung. No one will notice.”

Jungkook tiffed, “Not to be weird, but if you were able to pull off spending that many nights at his apartment without being caught, I think you’re good.”

“Night, love birds.” Yoongi called before they all headed out the door.

As much as you didn’t want to risk getting caught, there was always a gravitational pull towards the solace that Jimin never failed to provide for you. You had a hard time saying no to his company.

In this large hotel room now with a population of two, you both took a moment to relax.

He then patted your knee twice and stood up, “You get comfortable, sweetheart. I’m going to clean up real quick.”

As he stood up, you caught the traces of lightness fade from his features. They were replaced with those of hurt, of confusion.

He walked into the bathroom and flicked the light on, closing the door behind him.

You sat there on the bed and listened to the sink run. It wasn’t lost on you that the news was jarring for him. You could only imagine how bizarre it was to have her in the loop of discussion. He’d told you before that she wasn’t someone he liked to talk about - there was a world of pain there that you didn’t know intimately.

He deserved to feel odd about all of this. It had to be okay for him to show a little disdain. He didn’t have to put on a show of strength for you all the time.

When he returned to the bedroom, there was the slightest furrow of his brows, as if he was in deep thought.

You shifted onto your knees, the fluffy white covers beneath you, hands in your lap, “Jimin, can we talk for a minute?”

“Hm?” he spun around, rubbing the back of his neck, “Oh, yeah. Sure.”

“You’re distraught. Is it Namjoon?”

“I mean, yeah, but not entirely. I’ve sort of gotten used to feeling this way about him, unfortunately.”

It was Seoyeon.

You tilted your head, eyes full of pity and concern, “I see…It’s alright for you to feel strange about all of this. I know it’s freaked you out a little.”

He sat on the other side of the bed, back facing you, “I’m not freaked out. I have all the faith that she won’t do anything stupid. It sounds funny, given the way things ended between us, but I know she wouldn’t stoop that low. Especially if she’s…you know.”

“Married and pregnant?”

He paused, revealing the true thorn in his side, “Yes…”

“Jimin, it’s normal to feel weird about an ex moving on. She broke up with you and then quickly got married and now she’s having a baby. It’s not easy to digest. And that’s okay.”

“It’s not even that,” he looked back at you over his shoulder, “It just pisses me off that she got what she wanted. She got her money, her high status. I sort of always took comfort that by ending it with me, she was cheating herself out of getting all of that. But she fucking got it in the end, and she doesn’t deserve it.”

You crawled across the bed to kneel behind him, and you began to rub his shoulders, “So she went and probably used this other guy. I agree that she doesn’t deserve it. But…if we spend time focusing on resenting her, then she gets another win. Personally, I don’t feel like handing another victory to someone who hurt the man I love.”

His shoulders dropped as he shook his head, “How is your heart this golden?”

“It’s not,” you sighed as you let go and scooted over to sit down next to him, “My heart has been tarnished. The fact that my parents won’t even speak to me has been devastating. Sometimes I feel so angry with them that I start to like the idea of never seeing them again. It’s horrible to say, but sometimes I think of our child never having a relationship with them, and I’m content. But then I realize how much power I give them when I do that.”

You began to get choked up, and it was evident by the break in your voice, “And people who would abandon their daughter don’t get to control.”

He put his hand on your knee and frowned, heartbroken for you, “Baby…”

You nodded, pulling it together, “And so, out of my resentment comes some kind of forced indifference. I just choose not to pay them mind, and I can move on. I don’t focus on what they deserve or don’t deserve. I just let the situation be, for the sake of my own peace.”

He kissed your cheek and then you let that same cheek rest on his shoulder.

“I love you,” he said, “You’re right. Letting it linger will only hurt me, not her. And you and our baby girl are far more worth the energy.”

You smiled, “You really are confident about the girl thing, huh?”

“Of course I am,” he chuckled, “I know everything.”

"Well, I know something you don't know."

Voice soft, he hummed, "Hm?"

"I felt movement today." you couldn't help but giggle the words out.

Jimin was instantly more alert. He hastily scooted further from you so he could turn to face you, eyes wide with wonderment, "You did?"

You nodded, "Just these tiny tapping sensations. The baby books are right. It feels like bubbles popping. Actually, it sort of tickled."

He threw his arms around you and laughed melodiously, which caused you to laugh harder. His joy was contagious to you. His embrace was so forceful that you fell back onto the bed together, though he was instinctively careful not to put his full weight on you.

He pulled away so he could lift his shirt from your abdomen and kiss right below your belly button. Then he cooed, "Good job, little one. Daddy's so proud of you for learning how to wiggle around in there."

You cupped your bump as you melted at his words, “Keep growing strong. We love you.”

*Three days later*

It was around eight at night when you heard the door unlatch from where you were standing, at the stove. A hot meal was in progress for you both, simmering in the pot in front of you.

You smiled when you heard him let out a breath of relief to finally be home. You had gotten in a few hours earlier - yours and Chaeyoung's departing flight left before the boys'.

Jimin, still in the entryway, slipped his shoes off and grinned, shaking his head, "Are you cooking?"

"I am." you called back.

He appeared around the corner in shorts and a white t-shirt, with one of his quintessential black bucket hats on his head. Appropriate attire for this scalding September heat.

He took off his hat and let it sit on the island, "Smells amazing."

Then you felt his arms wrap around your middle. As had become a habit, his palms laid flat against your belly.

You hummed as you stirred, "Hi."

"Hi," he smirked, "How are you?"

"Hungry. How are you?"

His low chuckle sounded right by your ear, "Starving. Thanks for doing this. I was prepared to just order something."

"Isn't it nice having me around?" you teased.

Jimin's lips landed behind your ear, "It's a dream having you around, sweetheart...Is this one of your new shirts, by the way?"

It was. Prior to that dinner in LA, you had convinced Chaeyoung to go to the mall with you. You ended up returning home with far more clothing than you brought, all accommodating to your changing shape. The top you were currently wearing was a simple fitted t-shirt in a pretty mocha brown. The material was comparable to that of a yoga top, all soft and stretchy.

"Mhm." you replied.

"I love it. I got so used to seeing you in all these loose tops. Well, my tops. Now I get to see my woman get all nice and big.”

Your mouth went agape as your face turned red, “What a perverted thing to say.”

He smirked into your neck as he kissed you again, “What you deem as perverse is actually just a common thought for any man. And don’t pretend you don’t like it.”

Then he gave your ass a playful slap and went to get himself a glass of water.

While he was at the fridge, you continued to stir, “When will you guys get to see the final cut of the music video?”

“Eh,” he said as he put his glass under the water dispenser, causing it to run, “Usually takes weeks, if not months. But this one doesn’t use as many CGI effects, so it might be faster.”

“What would you guys need CGI for? That theatre was stunning.”

“Yeah,” he grinned, “I loved it. That was probably my favorite choreography we’ve ever done. And my favorite wardrobe.”

The uptick in his inflection made you break into a laugh, “You flatter me.”

“I mean it,” he gulped down some of the cold water, “It was extremely detailed and everything matched the feel of the song. Tell me, whose idea was it to put me and Jungkook in corsets?”

Again, you threw your head back and laughed, “That was Chae. But it was my idea to put you in the white suit.”

Jimin drew closer and leaned over the counter next to you, head propped up by his elbow as he watched you cook, “That was a brilliant choice, baby.”

Looking into the pot, you grinned with a feigned arrogance, “I’m aware. Here, taste this.”

You spooned up a sampling of the sauce and fed it to him. He smacked his lips together a couple times as he absorbed the flavor.

“Need anything?”

“Pinch more of salt.”

You nodded and took the salt shaker from the countertop on your right. You flipped it over and twisted to grind some of its contents into the pot. After giving it another stir, Jimin dipped his finger into the sauce and put it in his mouth.

“Mm,” he affirmed, “Perfect.”

The two of you ate together at the kitchen island. He got himself a bottle of soju from the fridge to take with dinner. When your plates were clean, he took the prerogative to do all the dishes.

“I’ll help you.” you said once he grabbed your plate.

“I’ve got it,” he replied assuredly, “Go shower or get in your pajamas or something.”

With that, he kissed your forehead and went to the sink, slinging one of the drying towels over his shoulder. To you, a warm shower sounded amazing.

You rose from the chair and paused, feeling a little lightheaded. It only lasted a couple of seconds, insignificant. Then you proceeded like normal out of the kitchen and into the bathroom for your rinse.

The water patting on your skin was a massage. You closed your eyes and simply let the droplets hit you for a few minutes, your head falling back. Breaths entered and then left your lungs slowly. It was all supposed to relax you, but instead your mind began to race. Your brain had time to spin, and the weight of it all pressed on your conscience.

You didn’t know when you’d speak to your parents again, or if.

You’d just come back from a successful weekend doing a job you truly loved, and your days working for the company were numbered.

The ex-girlfriend had reappeared.

Your pregnancy and relationship were causing a fracture in one of your boyfriend’s deepest friendships.

The most beautiful part of your life, your love with Jimin, was a like a glittering treasure kept hidden from the world, unable to blossom freely.

You were going to be a mother. A mother. A new person would be entering the world entirely dependent on you for survival and guidance. Ironically, this troubled you less than any of the other things.

You drew in a sharp, hitched breath, held it for a second, and blew it out.

*The next day*

“I just wanted to congratulate you on a successful trip. The producers applauded you and Chaeyoung with your punctuality and attention to detail.”

You were meeting with Sanghee, recapping the shoot.

“Thank you,” you nodded your head with a smile, “I’m so grateful you asked me to go.”

She was warmhearted, “Of course. You are one of the strongest on this team, Y/N. You’ve shown great promise in the time you’ve been here. It was about time you went on one of those trips. I’m sure there will be plenty more in your future. Plus, I wanted you to get a taste of what tour will be like.”

Your eyes got wider, as you hadn’t thought about that in a while, “Oh, right.”

She laughed, swiveling from side to side in her chair, “I know it feels like a long way off, but things move fast around here, as you’ve seen. While I’m at it, I wanted to plant the seed for you to begin thinking about how you’d like to allocate your time on the tour.”

You tilted your head to the side, “Sorry, I’m not sure what you mean?”

“Well, I know it would be extremely tough for you, being a new mom and all. You’d never be expected to be there for the first leg if you didn’t want to. I assumed you’d want to do short stints. But then again, I don’t know what your childcare plan looks like.”

“R-Right,” you sighed, “I will start thinking about all of that. Honestly, there’s a lot I need to work out still.”

Your boss laughed, “Yes, I can imagine. But please know we will be as flexible as we can. You’re valued here and we’d love for you to be there wherever you can make it work.”

It gave you some juice, to hear how wanted you were. A confidence booster was so needed at the moment.

“Thank you, Sanghee. That really means a lot to me.”

“Absolutely,” she crossed one leg over, before taking a sip of coffee from the self-heating mug on her desk, “So enough about work. How are you feeling?”

“I’m doing well,” your sigh was content this time as your hand glided over your new satin maternity blouse, “Started feeling little kicks. My blood pressure had been running a bit high, but other than that it’s good. I’m getting really excited to meet him or her.”

“Ah, my blood pressure was high too, when I was pregnant with my second. I was put on this one medication, I forget the name of it. But it saved me from going on bed rest.”

Your posture sank slightly, “My doctor warned me about bed rest, so I’m glad to hear there’s a medication for it that’s safe for pregnancy.”

Sanghee showed you a sympathetic grin, “Just keep drinking water and eat lots of yogurt. Avocados too, if you like them. They lower blood pressure.”

“I’ll give them a try.” you smirked.

“Good. Speaking of food, I’m heading out for lunch. There’s a new grill down the street that I’ve been dying to try. Care to join?”

Her praise and friendliness felt so good. You couldn’t help but want to please her by agreeing to tag along.

“Sure!”

Your boss stood from her chair and grabbed her large burgundy alligator skin purse, “Perfect. I know it’s hot out there, but are you okay to walk? I’m trying to get my steps in.”

You rose from your chair as well, “Yeah, that’s no…n-no problem…”

Your speech slowed as another wave of dizziness occupied your body. You blinked rapidly, trying to get a handle. There was a troubling lightness in your head. Your chest felt fuzzy.

“Y/N?” Sanghee walked around her desk and held your forearm.

You had a ten-mile stare. Your chest was rising and falling with depth as you wobbled. As your lids began to hang low, she took the initiative and forced you to sit back down in the chair.

Once sitting again, your wits returned. Embarrassed, you shook your head, “Sorry. I’m alright. Just kind of woozy. It’s been happening lately, mostly when I stand up.”

“Kind of woozy?” Sanghee laughed nervously, “You almost just passed out. Why don’t you head home for the rest of the day? Get some rest.”

“Oh, no I’m fine. I stood up too fast.”

“You just told me your blood pressure has been elevated. Now I’m not going to let one of my stylists pass out on my watch. Besides, there’s nothing super important going on today.”

You denied once more, “No really, I’m okay. Thank you, though.”

Sanghee put her warm hands on your shoulders and gave you a stern smile, “I know you’re okay. I just want you to be cautious. You’re probably running on fumes from traveling. Go home, crawl into bed, and get a long nap in. I will find Chaeyoung and have her fill in for you with any small tasks.”

Begrudgingly, you agreed. You got to your feet much slower this time and took it easy as you thanked her and headed back into your office to get your things.

You closed the door behind you and proceeded to put your laptop in your bag, pulling out your phone as you did so.

It wasn’t something you wanted to do, but he would want to be kept informed. You texted Jimin to call you when he got the chance. It would have been your first choice to call him, but you didn’t know what he was up to at the moment and wouldn’t want to disturb.

You flicked off the lights and headed home.

Chaeyoung was on her way to the upper floors of the building. She was trying to locate one of the Managers to turn in her expense report for the trip to LA for reimbursement. Sanghee caught her hopping in the elevator and informed her of your early departure from the office.

As a friend, she worried for you. And that worry remained written on her face when she reached the floor she needed. She pitied you for having to balance so much.

A lack of attention was paid to her direction. When rounding a corner, she bumped into Namjoon. It was a rare occurrence. His studio was nearby, but hardly anyone saw the man when he worked in there. He would come to work and lock in for hours, sometimes even the whole day.

“Oh I’m so sorry!” she squeezed her eyes shut, mortified.

Having known her for a while, Namjoon thought it appropriate to pat her on the shoulder with a lighthearted chuckle, “No problem. You okay?”

“I’m fine,” she huffed, “Only a little concerned for Y/N. Sanghee just sent her home. Apparently she almost fainted.”

His disquiet was genuine. With furrowed brows and a tilted head, he pressed for more information, “Oh shit. Just now?”

“Yeah,” your colleague sighed, clutching the expense report to her chest, “I hope she’s alright. I do worry about her sometimes.”

Namjoon nodded with a hum, “No one wants her to get hurt. I’m sure she’ll rest up and be fine, though. Good to see you, Chae.”

He barely heard her reply when he walked away somewhat briskly. It didn’t matter what had been going on behind the scenes - he just had to let him know.

He’d be in the gym right about now, getting some quick strength training in. Probably with Jungkook at his side.

He hustled down the stairwell because he knew he’d run into less people that way. When he finally reached the gym, his prediction proved true. Joking around while getting some reps in were Jimin and Jungkook.

The two caught him out of the corners of their eyes when they noticed him hurrying over. He wasn’t dressed in workout attire either, so they figured he wasn’t here to join them. Not that Jimin wanted him to.

Namjoon was a bit breathless.

“Hey,” Jungkook nodded his head upward, “Distraught?”

“I don’t know,” he looked at Jimin, “Maybe. I just bumped into Chaeyoung.”

In your boyfriend’s mind, her name was linked with yours. This had something to do with you - the pit in his gut told him as much.

His face softened, shoulders slumped. His voice carried a desperation, “Don’t drag it out, please. Just tell me.”

“Everything’s fine, I think,” Namjoon said more quietly, “But Y/N’s been sent home. Chae said she almost passed out in the office. I don’t know…I remembered the blood pressure thing and thought you’d want to know.”

Jimin went into action mode.

All reservations towards him were put aside. They had to be. Jimin didn’t enjoy it, but he uttered the words, “Thanks for letting me know. I have to go check on her.”

Hastily, he picked his phone up from the black padded bench.

“Shit,” he sighed, “She asked me to call her. I’ll let you guys know if I’ll be back, but I’m not sure.”

“Hope she’s alright.” Jungkook said.

Namjoon concurred, “Do what you have to do.”

Jimin and Namjoon made eye contact before he began to jog out of the gym. He retrieved his keys from his pocket as he hurried out of the building and into the private covered garage. His footsteps echoed in the spacious concrete structure as he came upon his vehicle.

While climbing into the driver’s seat, he called you.

The ignition started as he waited over the course of several rings to hear your voice.

“Hey,” you greeted him, “Slight mishap.”

It was a relief that you sounded fairly normal through the phone. Even still, your partner needed to hear the story from you.

“I know,” he said, his phone connecting to his car so he could speak with you as he drove, “Namjoon told me. And Chaeyoung told him.”

“So Sanghee told Chae,” you sighed, “I’m sorry. I didn’t actually faint, though. I just sort of…came close.”

He drove out of the garage and turned onto the street, “I’m making my way home. You there?”

“Y-Yes but Jimin please don’t leave work. It’s really nothing.”

“I’ll see you in a little bit.”

Before long, he came home to you. He found you in the living room, laying on the couch with a tall glass of water on the coffee table. You had changed from your work clothes to loungewear, embracing getting comfortable in the middle of the day.

You were in a position for sleep, but your eyes were sullen and awake. Jimin closed the door and you cringed, feeling like an utter inconvenience.

His voice sounded like he was in a hurry as he strided into the living room, “Hey. Hey baby.”

He sat on the edge of the sofa, “Are you okay? Tell me what happened.”

You broke into a sad smile as you propped yourself up into more of a sitting posture, “I was trying to explain that I’m fine. I’m perfectly fine, Jimin. You really didn’t need to fly all the way home.”

“Of course I did,” he batted that ludicrous statement away, “Top priority.”

His hand reached over to cup your left cheek and you looked down, taking hold of his wrist, “I appreciate it, but all that happened was that I stood up too quickly and got dizzy. That’s all.”

He chuckled to keep the mood up, but he found this anything but funny, “I’m glad you were sent home. A brief dizzy spell is okay and probably normal, but in your case it’s a bigger deal, baby. You don’t want me to be concerned, but you know I’m right. We need to watch this closely, hm?”

You brought your eyes back to his and nodded wordlessly.

Jimin gave you a half grin, “And knowing you, I’d be willing to bet that this isn’t the first dizzy spell you’ve had recently.”

Subconsciously, your lips pursed together. It was as though you were tucking them in so they wouldn’t spill the truth.

It was the all the response he needed.

He scooted closer to you and sighed, removing his warm, veiny hand from your face and placing it on your blooming tummy, “You’re not hard to figure out. What other instances have there been?”

You closed your eyes as you admitted, “Yesterday after dinner. Same thing, I stood up and it just hit me.”

His eyes were anxious, maybe even slightly hurt, “I need to know about these things, Y/N. It’s my job to make sure you’re both safe and healthy, but I can’t do that if you don’t let me know. This…It worries me. And it equally disturbs me that you aren’t telling me about it.”

You let it out, “I know. I-I’m sorry. God, I hate it when you’re right.”

Jimin’s low chuckle rang out as he leaned forward, kissing your lips softly. Then he withdrew a few inches from your face.

“Oh my love...” his voice trailed off, “I thought you knew that you’re my life. That I will always, always put you first.”

Your tone was meek, “I do.”

He kissed the tip of your nose, “You don’t, if you think you’re burdening me.”

You felt totally deflated. He knew your soul, your entire being. There was no concealing anything from this man.

Half of you wanted to call him a jerk for stripping you bare of any excuses, while the other half wanted to melt into his arms for being such a blessing in your life.

Your eyes came to glisten with fresh tears, but not enough for any to fall. Your lips twitched into a smile, “A burden? Me? Never.”

Another laugh broke from Jimin as he returned to an upright posture , “That’s right, sweetheart. Can I get you anything? Did you eat lunch?”

“Not yet,” you replied, “I was hoping to nap before I ate, but I’m kind of hungry now.”

“I’ll make you something. You just relax.”

He got up and proceeded off into the kitchen. You heard him opening and closing the cupboards, looking for a culmination of ingredients, humming a tune as he went about it,

“Avocado toast and some berries?” He called back to you, “Or do you need something bigger?”

“That should be good,” you approved, “Oh, and could you mash the lumps out of the avocado? Lately I can’t stand the chunky texture. And maybe a little more lime juice? Oh, and some onion? And salt?”

Jimin smirked as he sliced the green fruit open, then grabbing a spoon to take out the pit, “So I’m making guacamole and putting it on bread. Got it.”

You laughed in return, “If you don’t mind.”

You spent the next several minutes searching for something to watch on Netflix. When your doting boyfriend came back with a plate to set down on the coffee table, you sat up more to make room for him.

“Thank you so much.”

“I’m glad to make my girlfriend and baby some nutritious food.”

You didn’t hesitate to bite into the toast smeared with a creamy green spread, “Actually, Sanghee told me she had high blood pressure when she was pregnant. She said avocados help lower it.”

“Even better.” he pushed your hair behind your ear so he could see your satiated expression.

You hummed with contentment as you swallowed, “And she also said there’s a medication for it. Doctor Yoon didn’t mention that to us.”

Jimin sat back and stretched his arms high, preparing to fully settle in with you, “That’s good. Maybe we’ll give her a call then, ask about it. At the very least, your OBGYN should know about these spells.”

“I will later.”

“Promise?”

You rolled your eyes in a genial manner, “I prom- Oh!”

The hand that wasn’t holding your toast flew to your belly. With a mouthful of food, you had to try to keep it all in, “Hi, little baby.”

Jimin beamed, scrambling to sit back up, “Is she kicking??”

You giggled and nodded as you caught the slip of the tongue. He really did seem to know in his heart that this precious new life was a daughter.

“Where? I want to feel.”

“Here,” you guided his hand to the spot where you could feel the flutters on the inside, “But you won’t feel it from the outside. I couldn’t.”

He pouted briefly before kissing the spot, “That’s okay. You just keep getting stronger in there, then Daddy can feel you cause a ruckus.”

With a giggle, you popped a few berries into your mouth, “I’m sure it will happen soon enough.”

Jimin reached across your lap to pick a blueberry off your plate. He put it on his thumb and flicked it up, craning his head back to catch it in his mouth before leaning back to his original spot.

His focus turned to the TV screen, “So what are we watching?”

You gave him your confused gaze, “Um, don’t you need to go back to work?”

“I can miss one dance practice,” he assured you, “And it’s been a while since I’ve had a day off. Don’t you want to sit here all day and be unproductive with me?”

You laughed, “I suppose I do. Though we could actually do something we’ve been meaning to do and start talking about what we want to name this munchkin.”

He mulled it over for a moment, unable to prevent his tight, half smirk from forming, “Hm…we could…Alright, why not? Do you have a girl or boy name you’ve always loved?”

As you finished your toast, you shrugged, “I have plenty of names I like, but for some reason none of them feel good enough now. Here, let’s look at the book Chaeyoung gave me. It should be on the side table next to you.”

“Ah,” he murmured as he stretched his arm behind him, “Got it. Okay, let’s see…Are we doing boy names or girl names first?”

*3 weeks later*

It took what seemed like forever to get everyone's schedules to align, but the group was finally getting together with all of the girlfriends. Originally, the plan was to go to Jin's place, but the guys were itching to see what your apartment looked like after the move.

You were in the middle of doing your makeup at your vanity, sitting on a comfy cream-colored pouf. Your guests would be arriving in a little over an hour, so time was of the essence.

Jimin entered the bedroom after prepping everything for dinner, taking off his shirt so he could shower fast.

“Everything’s chopped up and ready to go,” he said, “Kimchi is in the fridge too.”

“Got it, thank you.” you replied as you finished swiping mascara on your lashes, twisting the cap back on the tube.

He came over to peck you on the top of your head without a second thought, making you smile. When he turned around, he stripped the rest of his clothes. You watched his reflection in your vanity. The lighting in the room was perfect to show the contours of his body, all the parts where his frame would curve and then cave with muscle tone.

His natural dark hair was back, and it was getting long. It swept along the back of his neck, right above the crescent part of his moon phases tattoo.

He had gradually gotten leaner from all the stress. Nothing too concerning, since he was still eating and exercising a healthy amount, but it was noticeable to you. His jawline became sharper, and that was always a key tell when he was losing weight.

“I’m glad we’re doing this.” you said.

Surprising yourself, you weren't the slightest bit nervous. It was long overdue, and you could finally speak to women who were going through the same thing as you - dating a member of BTS in secret.

He glanced back at you, “So am I. I want you to be close to them. They're family."

"I completely agree..." you saw the perfect opportunity to bring up a still ongoing topic, "Which makes me wonder, where are you with Namjoon lately? I haven't seen him since the hotel in LA."

Jimin put his dirty clothes in the hamper and mumbled, "It's better."

"That's it? Just 'better'?"

He let out an irritated sigh, "Yeah. We haven't clashed in any way. And he's...actually sort of, well, been kind recently."

You smirked, "Those words taste like vinegar coming out of your mouth or something?"

He disappeared into the bathroom, "Yes, they do."

You closed your eyes and let out a breath, calling after him, "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset. But I'm relieved that you're starting to see what I meant that night when he left the hotel room. He was only ever trying to be a good friend to you, Jimin. And I think he's realizing that he was wrong. You should make amends."

You heard a tiff from him, “I’m not quite ready for that. Even though our relationship hasn’t been as rocky, he never formally apologized.”

“Must he come on bended knee to be forgiven?”

The shower turned on, making it more difficult to hear him, but what you thought you heard was, “Yeah. He does. He came after you and tried to label you a terrible person. He insulted me too, telling me that I think with my dick. He went out of his way time and time again to separate us by trying to make me question my love for you. It’s not something I’m just going to write off. He needs to apologize for all of it.”

“And would you forgive him if he did?”

There was no response - only water droplets pattering on the shower floor.

“…Jimin?” your tone was hesitant now.

He huffed, “Yeah?”

“Remember when we were talking about all the bitterness aimed at Seoyeon? How it would only hurt you to let your anger linger?”

You heard an ironic chuckle echo from the bathroom, “Are you going to tell me to forgive her too?”

“No,” you said, “I am asking you to forgive your brother. Don’t let this grudge last. It will only cause you pain in the end. And besides, unlike Seoyeon, Namjoon is a good person at his core. You know that. And deep down, I think you know he only wanted to protect you. You just said it yourself - you're family."

Once more, you didn't get a response. This time, you decided to drop it. There were things to be done to finish preparing for dinner.

About an hour later, Yoongi and Taehyung were the first to arrive. Jimin, in fresh clothes and a seemingly improved mood, let them in as you set the table for a party of eleven.

From the other room, you heard them enter and gasp.

"Damn," Taehyung laughed boisterously, "Color? In Jimin's apartment? This is insane."

"Yeah, for once it doesn't feel all cold and empty." Yoongi remarked with his famous monotone, "Guess you need to keep Y/N around."

You smiled with pride as you arranged the bowls and plates. The guys rounded the corner into the dining room and you greeted them warmly, “Hey guys!”

“Good to see you,” Taehyung smiled, “We love how you brightened up the place.”

You chuckled, “I was eavesdropping. Thanks.”

Jimin put his hands up in puzzlement, “Apparently I lived in a dungeon before you moved in.”

“Can we do anything to help?” asked Yoongi.

"No, but thank you," you said, "Go get comfortable. Have a drink, chat. I'm going to start cooking in a bit."

Your boyfriend put his arm around your waist and pointed to the bar area, at the other end of the dining room, "There's wine, whiskey, soju, beer, take whatever you want."

The two made their way over to the bar to fix themselves a drink. You looked at Jimin with confused eyes and leaned to the side to whisper to him, "Shouldn't you pour their drinks? You're hosting."

"They don't require the etiquette." he smirked down at you.

Then his hand traveled down to your ass. He squeezed it gently, making your posture straighten.

"But I required a moment to tell you how gorgeous you look," his raspy mutter filled your eardrums, "I really can't get enough of these new clothes, showing off my baby so well."

The man had balls, daring to flirt with you when you had so much else to do. You knew that snake-like, charming tone like no other. Well, if he wanted to toy with you tonight, then you'd play along.

You cocked a brow, "So complimentary, and you haven't even seen the full collection."

He hummed in your ear, "What else did you buy? Something just for me, sweetheart?"

Your cheeks flushed and you didn't want him to see it, so you removed yourself from him and strolled into the kitchen with nonchalance, "Bold of you to assume such a thing."

Jimin bit the inside of his cheek as he watched you leave his side. He loved how you could simply decide to throw his game right back in his face. This was the type of fun the two of you always had, from the very beginning. The push and pull, with a solid foundation underneath it.

Soon, everyone else trickled in. You were introduced to Hana, Yunhee, and Aejun. They were Namjoon’s, Hoseok’s, and Jin’s girlfriends respectively. You’d seen them around a few times, but weren’t supposed to know who they were, so you were never introduced.

All three were as kind as could be. Within moments of their arrival, they were helping you in the kitchen, giving the members their “guy time”.

Yunhee, lanky with hair dyed a strawberry blonde, was stirring the rice for you, “So tell us how it’s been, Y/N. I mean, we’ve all heard about you for a while now.”

You laughed it off - it was a question that warranted a thousand answers.

"Oh, I'm okay. A lot of it has been hard, but as far as we know we have a healthy baby on the way and we're excited."

"You look adorable!" gushed Aejun, a short, slightly curvier woman with these large, doe-like eyes, "How many weeks?"

"Almost twenty-four," you said while filling up a water pitcher for the table, "It's flying by, even though we've had some difficulty. Bumps in the road."

Hana's voice was gentler and compassionate. Her cadence reflected that of her boyfriend, "Look, we can all be friends. And we're all women here. You can be honest."

You smiled somewhat bashfully, and then it faded, "Alright, it's been more than bumps in the road. I've been so stressed lately that it's manifested into high blood pressure. I had to get on medication for it, which has been helping with the light-headed spells, but not the stress and I still...I just wish this could all feel more normal."

Yunhee gave you a sullen, sympathetic look, "We know exactly what you mean. It sucks, having to love someone and hide it all the time. It's a price all four of us pay to be with them."

Hana gave her some glasses to take over and put at each place setting. She left the kitchen momentarily.

The three women knew about the things you weren't sharing. They heard it from their boyfriends, who heard it from Jimin at one point or another. It was a mutual decision not to press you, especially during their first real encounter with you.

Aejun smirked, "Hey, we each get our return on investment, don't we?"

Hana's reaction of hitting her shoulder with a giggle confirmed that it was intended as a dirty joke. You laughed too.

Yunhee returned from the dining room, "Anything else I can take. Y/N?"

"No, you're good. Thanks so much for helping, guys."

"Of course!" Hana batted your praise away.

Yunhee added, "Also, before I forget, you should join us for our little dinner date. Once a week, we all grab dinner somewhere in the city just to hang out, let off steam."

"Oh yes, you should definitely come along," Aejun nodded, "It's been great for us to be around people who understand, you know? You're in this little circle now, so it's essentially mandatory."

Her humor was dry, like Jin's.

You giggled, "I'd love to."

In the other room, the guys could hear your muffled laughter. Jimin kept glancing back in the direction of the kitchen with a grin, relieved that you seemed to be hitting it off. To hear your beautiful giggle ring out with other women was like a gift to him. Perhaps new friendships could help ease this entire situation for you.

“Guess they’re best friends now.” Hoseok chuckled before nursing from the rocks glass in his hand.

“That’s no bad thing,” your boyfriend sighed happily, letting his head rest fully on the back of the couch, “This has been a missing piece for Y/N since we got together.”

“Imagine ten years into the future,” Jim said, “We all have wives and kids running around, and we do things like this where we get together. The women cook the dinner and we do the dishes after, while our kids play hide and seek or something.”

“Jesus, Jin,” Yoongi looked somewhat terrified, “Getting ahead of ourselves there, aren’t we? Half of us aren’t even seeing anyone.”

“What? I like the sentiment.” he defended the picture.”

Jimin’s soft grin appeared as he envisioned the same thing, moving his hand in a small circle to swirl the drink in his glass, “No, I like it too.”

Taehyung was sitting next to him and gave him a nudge, glancing to the side to make sure none of the ladies heard him. He lowered his volume, “And speaking of wives, do we hear wedding bells for you and Y/N anytime soon?”

He wasn’t expecting to be asked that question, but it was a natural one to ask. Not that he was bothered by it.

With a cheeky grin, Jimin clinked their glasses together.

He closed the door behind them on their way out. When it was just the two of you again, you both looked at one another and laughed a little.

You put your hands on your cheeks, “Oh my gosh, my face aches from smiling so much.”

“Mine too,” he said, “Sorry about the drinking at the end. I hope you didn’t feel left out.”

You started back into the living room, “Not at all. I think you guys are hilarious when you drink.”

He followed you, “We will have to do that again. I think you’ll have Jungkook crawling back for your bulgogi alone.”

You smirked, bending over the coffee table to pick up stray glasses, “I will cook for them anytime.”

“Must we do more dishes?” Jimin pouted.

You could decipher by his inflection that he was feeling a little buzzed.

“Yes,” you laughed, handing him a few, “Otherwise we will have to do them in the morning, and I hate doing that.”

You each had four glasses to carry into the kitchen. You put them all next to the sink and began to hand wash them. They could have been put in the dishwasher, but you were more particular with glassware. You liked to make sure they came out looking perfectly clean and shiny.

At this stage in gestation, you were unable to lean over the sink like you used to. Your belly met the edge of the counter, so you needed to perform the task with your arms stretched further.

Jimin rested his chin on your shoulder, “You don’t look comfortable doing that.”

“Then you take my place.” you laughed, turning your head his way.

He kissed your cheek, “I’d rather not.”

Then his lips found the sensitive bit of skin, where the corner of your jaw met your neck. You felt an eager pit form in your stomach and tilted your head slightly, giving him just a tiny bit more access.

“And what would you rather do?”

“I’d rather see the rest of the collection.”

You giggled, “You’re still hung up on that from earlier?”

“Mhm.”

“You’re assuming it’s lingerie?”

“I’m not assuming,” his voice was like honey, “I know it is. Let me see what you picked out for me, baby. Dishes can wait.”

He brought his pelvis further into you, so you could feel him stiffening. He kept kissing your neck, his hands wrapping around your growing middle.

“You wanna know what I read the other day?” he asked with a rasp, “A great way to reduce stress is to orgasm.”

You finally set the glass down at the bottom of the sink, “You’re really trying everything to get into my pants, aren’t you?”

He chuckled in the manner he knew would do you in, “Keep acting like you aren’t desperate to take a load of my cum. Like you don’t want me to make you squirm.”

You pushed the envelope even further, your body heating up, “You’re just tipsy and horny.”

Jimin took control of your hips, moving them side to side against his bulging crotch, “I’m offering you a reward, sweetheart.”

“A reward?”

“For being the perfect hostess tonight. For making me a baby. For being the love of my life.”

The love of his life.

He’d never called you that before. Maybe he was just under the influence, but it had you overflowing with love and desire.

“Well then,” you turned around with a smile, wrapping your arms around his neck, “I guess I should go get changed.”

He laughed, “I knew it was lingerie.”

“Yeah, yeah,” you kissed him deeply, “You got me all figured out.”

He ended up sitting on the bed, waiting for you to appear from the bathroom in whatever racy little thing you had prepared.

The door opened slowly, revealing you in a cherry red babydoll. The whole thing was lace with a matching thong underneath. The fabric split like a curtain around your belly.

Jimin looked like he wanted to devour you, eyes dark with ardor, pupils blown out.

Your voice was soft and sultry, “Do you like it?”

“Come sit,” he leaned back, “Let me see you up close.”

You padded over to him and lifted one leg after the other, straddling him. Your bump grazed against his torso. Jimin let out a hum that sounded more like a growl as he caressed your thighs.

"Look at that," he whispered, playing with the delicate lace between his fingers as he kissed your breasts, "All dressed up for me. All mine,"

He was bulging, but not fully hard yet. You reinforced yourself by putting your hands on his knees, slowly gliding your hips forward, back, and forward again. You wanted to make him weak.

"Yeah baby," Jimin cupped your ass and squeezed, "Get my cock nice and hard."

You released a soft moan, the friction exciting your bud. The sound of your pleasure accomplished your goal.

“You get to choose how you get fucked tonight.” he smirked, tucking a piece of your hair behind your ear so he could press his lips to yours.

You giggled into the kiss, “Is that my reward?”

“One of them,” he said, “You get three.”

“What are the other two?”

“Getting to cum, and receiving mine.”

You moaned into another passionate kiss before whispering exactly what you wanted.

It wasn’t what he was expecting to hear, but it delighted him nonetheless. Before going any further, his eyes softened, taking him out of the blinding lust for a moment, “Are you sure that won’t be too much for you?”

You resumed grinding your hips back and forth against his member, “I couldn’t be more sure…Daddy.”

And he was back, eyes filled with fervor. He spanked you, played with your ass cheeks in his hands, “You want to ride Daddy’s cock, baby? Show Daddy what you can do.”

You smirked as you got off his lap for a moment, giving him time to remove his bottoms. He scooted over to the head of the bed, laying flat on his back. He may have had the dominant nickname, but you were going to make him desperate one way or another.

You crawled back onto the bed seductively, “Should I get naked too, Daddy?”

“No, let me marvel at you in this for a while longer,” he said, cock straight in the air with precum leaking from the reddened tip, “I fucking love how it shows off your belly.”

His pregnancy kink was going to be the death of him. You chose to exploit that.

“Yeah, Daddy?” you swung your leg back over his frame, sitting on his cock but not granting him access just yet, “How does it look this way?”

He let out an exasperated, charged breath, hands on either side of your bump, “You look divine, sweetheart. So beautiful for me, making my child.”

You moved your hips on him again, letting him feel the magnitude of your wetness. It swayed the power back to him.

“Look at you, dripping all over Daddy’s cock.”

You pushed the g-string to the side. In one go, you lifted your hips, positioned him, and sat fully back down. He filled you to the hilt, both of you letting out moans.

You began to bounce up and down the shaft, setting a steady rhythm. Even better, your clit rubbed against his base each time you went down, delivering the perfect amount of pressure.

He looked like a dream beneath you, chin tilted up towards the ceiling with his plump lips parted, releasing low grunts. His brows were scrunched down as he searched to find the resolve not to ram up into you. His veiny hands were gripping your ass so hard you thought you might bruise.

Jimin’s siren eyes bore the sight of you from an angle so deliciously erotic - the woman he loved, round with his child, riding his cock. Your breasts bobbing up and down.

“Shit,” he groaned, “So fucking hot, baby. Tell me how it feels.”

“S-So good, Daddy,” you mewled, “I wanna go faster.”

“You can go faster, sweetheart,” he gave your ass a slap, “Make yourself feel good. Show Daddy how hard you can cum.”

As you picked up your pace, Jimin devoted his fingers to the service of your femininity, rubbing you.

You whined and put one hand on his chest. Knowing he’d go crazy for it, you dug your nails in and scratched down his sternum. He threw his head back and inhaled a hiss.

“Ah, fuck!”

You wore a smirk amid the building pleasure, “Sorry, did that hurt?”

“Play nice, baby. Or I’ll bend you over and fuck your brains ou- Shit!”

Your pace sped up even more, your cunt enveloping him repeatedly. His tip was kissing your cervix.

“What were you saying, Daddy?” you panted.

Jimin gritted his teeth, “You’re fucking enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Mhm,” you mewled, “I’m enjoying my reward.”

He unleashed a frustrated groan, “Good, because it’s the last time I’m giving you one.”

You half laughed, half moaned. He hadn’t stopped rubbing your clit, delivering wave after wave, coating his dick in more of your arousal. The sound produced was lewd.

“Jimin…”

He knew you were getting close, “Come on, baby. Let me see you make a mess all over my cock.”

“N-No,” you whimpered, “I don’t want to cum yet.”

He smirked, and removed his hand from your clit, “As you wish.”

Without warning, he grabbed your wrists and pulled you forward, freeing his hips to thrust up into you. He bucked up into your confines with a battering speed.

You lost any trace of superiority. All dominance fell to him in an instant. Now you were in purgatory, feeling a euphoric sensation without that bundle in your stomach.

“My turn, baby," he taunted, "Just stay still like a good girl and take it. Fuck. Such a tight little cunt. Makes me wanna fill you with more of my babies."

The thought had you moaning in a way that made you grateful the walls were completely soundproof. He was rutting into you from below, his trained, flexible dancer hips being put to good use. With every thrust, your body was shuffled forward, your lace-covered breasts dangling over his face.

"You're such a perfect mother, sweetheart. Already making milk to feed our baby. Shit, I'm getting close."

You took advantage of this short moment of weakness to sit upright, back to your original position. Jimin tried to keep pounding into you out of his own volition, but it was to no avail. The shift made it impossible to move the way he wanted to.

He huffed, "Baby, move. Please.”

Amidst your panting, a soft grin grew on your face, "I always get to cum first, though.”

“Fuck,” he breathed in sexual frustration and rapture, “You want my fingers again? Can you handle Daddy’s fingers this time?”

You nodded eagerly, “I can handle it.”

Jimin flashed you an arrogant grin after biting the inside of his cheek, “You want to cum, then start riding me again, baby.”

“Fine, but you can’t move your hips this time,” your fingertips gently traced the red scratch marks on his chest, “You have to leave it all to me.”

He opened his mouth to say something smart - you could tell by what his eyes carried. To shut him up, you bounced on him once, making him moan loudly.

Seeking revenge, he began to rub your clit again, coating his fingers in a slick of your juices and his precum. Your head dipped back as he brought you closer to the stars, resuming a steady pace on his cock.

“Act tough all you want, baby,” he grunted, “You’ll always melt under my touch like this. Don’t ever forget who you belong to.”

The pleasure was too great for your pride to care. You mewled out for him, “Faster!”

The circles on your bud became rapid. You moaned every time you sank back down on his member, chasing your orgasm until you snapped a few seconds later.

You clenched and spasmed around him, halting your movements as you were jolted with a love-made current. Jimin let you ride it out, enthralled by the sight of you experiencing the height.

When you came down, you opened your eyes and put one hand on his chest, the other back on his thigh. Pushing your afterglow aside for now, you wanted to make him come undone like it was the first time.

Stabilizing yourself, you rode him as hard as you could. Jimin didn’t expect it. Your orgasms usually took so much energy from you. You bounced mercilessly.

His eyes drained of any cheekiness. He was fully under your control one last time, entranced by the way his cock was repeatedly disappearing into your warmth. He was totally at your whim, hands cupping your ass and feeling it jiggle slightly with every contact between your cunt and his base.

He moaned in a way you rarely heard.

“Y/N!”

Not yet satisfied, you pushed the envelope even further, “Are you gonna give me a nice big load, Daddy?”

“Yeah,” his cheeks were tinged pink at this point, “Gonna spill my seed into you, baby. Fuck, keep going.”

Thighs starting to exhaust themselves, you kept it up.

“Right there, baby…Right there…Fuck, keep doing that. I’m cumming.”

His semen flooded into you, a throaty groan escaping his lips. His neck craned back into the pillow as his hips and legs jerked, an uncontrollable mechanism as his balls emptied.

“God, baby….”

As both of you labored to breathe, gravity caused his white material to begin leaking out of you almost immediately, coating both of you in it.

You smiled through your panting, relaxing, “Thank you for my reward.”

A low chuckle rumbled through him, “You’re something else. Fuck, I’m so tired now.”

“Me too,” you giggled, “Though I think I might be stuck here.”

You were only half kidding. It took more effort than you were used to in order to hoist yourself off him. Your hips were aching, but the walk to the bathroom helped them readjust.

Your spent boyfriend followed you, hair matted and messed up on the back of his head.

His forearm was pressed against the door frame and he leaned on it, watching you tidy yourself up, “Can you wear that again soon?”

“I can…” you ran a brush through your hair, “If you’d rather not see the other things I bought.”

Jimin raised a brow as he made the few paces over to you, “Oh, there’s more?”

His lips started attacking your collarbone, forcing a squeal from you.

When both of you had cleaned up, you crawled into bed. As was the norm for him, especially now, he rolled over to spoon you. He said it helped him sleep, knowing his love and his child were safe in his arms.

“Goodnight.” you yawned.

“Night,” he lazily kissed your hair, “I love you. So so much.”

“I love you too, Jimin.”

*The next day*

He was awake at seven in the morning, stirred out of his sleep by the continuous buzzing on his phone.

Eyes hardly able to open, he reached to his nightstand and tapped the screen, revealing a steady stream of new messages popping up.

It was his group chat with the members, blowing up in a panic. At first, none of the texts made sense:

“How could she do this?”

“This is going to be a nightmare.”

“Jimin, are you okay?”

“Let us know what we can do for you guys.”

He scrolled up to the beginning of the conversation, which made his heart stop. It was a link to an article, with a thumbnail that pierced his soul with a burning fury.

This couldn’t be happening.

His head felt fuzzy, vision not yet fully adjusted. His nerves skyrocketed as he left the bed, still being mindful not to wake you. Once he left the bedroom, he allowed his body to move more according to his emotions - frantically.

He was moving about the living room and dining room, pacing yet feeling frozen.

Then he had an incoming call. Oddly, the contact name didn’t perturb him. In a crisis, this was the name he trusted, even after everything that had happened between them.

“Namjoon,” he answered, voice hoarse and panicked, “What the fuck is that? Is it real?”

“Did you click on the link?”

“No,” he replied, running a nervous hand through his hair, “I-I don’t think I want to. Just tell me if that’s a real article.”

The other end was silent for a moment. He could hear Namjoon take a deep breath, “It’s real. I’m so sorry.”

Jimin felt like he could have died. He wanted to rip up the flooring and crawl underneath it, encasing him from the world.

“Holy shit…” he felt detached from everything, “Fuck, what do we do? What do I do? Y/N can't see this."

"She's going to," he said with all the sympathy in the world, "You can't keep it from her."

"No, no...I...I don't understand. I don't- fuck! Why?! Who did this?! Was it her?!"

"No one knows," Namjoon kept his tone even, "But we will figure it out, alright?"

His tongue dripped poison, "I swear to fucking God, if she's behind this, I'll-"

"Jimin?..." your voice was quiet as you emerged from the bedroom. He'd woken you up, having not fully shut the door when he left your side moments prior. You were tying your white fluffy robe around your center, eyes squinting slightly.

He looked at you like a deer in headlights, "I'll call you back, hyung."

He hung up, tossing his phone onto the couch.

You were becoming more alarmed by the second, watching your boyfriend self-soothe gliding his hands over his face and into his hair.

"What's going on?"

"Come sit," he said, "We have a situation."

Your gut twisted as you slowly went to sit down beside him. Jimin took your hands, angling his body to face you directly. He brought your cold hands up to his lips, kissing them.

"I need you to know that I love you," his morning voice was unstable, "I love you a-and we will be okay. We can get through anything together."

You turned your head a little, concerned eyes never leaving his, "You're scaring me..."

He held your hands firmly and set them on his lap, "There's an article. A big one, from a big publication. About the baby...but they think it's me and Seoyeon. They think I'm her baby's father."

[gyllenhaalstuff]

Boy Back Home

- Donnie Darko

This fic is two requests mixed together, hope that’s alright ᡣ𐭩

Summary: You come over to Donnie’s house unannounced and find him touching himself.

Warnings: Sub!Donnie, masturbation, panty sniffing, touching himself to a picture of you, you’re a bit mean, blood (he accidentally bites your lip).

Word count: 964

Notes: This is really short (soz), might do a part two if it does well!

────── ⋆☆⋆ ──────

Even though you felt too old to be forced on family vacations, you still got dragged along to Cape Cod over the summer. Your friend, or unofficial boyfriend (whatever you want to call it), Donnie, had been waiting for you all summer to come back home. He tried to pass the time as best he could. Shooting bottles, biking, watching shitty sitcoms. Most effective of all was staring at his Polaroid of you, where you are dressed in nothing but a bikini top and tiny shorts, and either burying his face in your panties or jerking himself off holding them around his cock.

You got home in late July. You never told Donnie about it beforehand; you wanted it to be a surprise. You barely got home before leaving to go to his house. Under a flowerpot on the front porch lay a pair of spare keys. You picked them up, inserted them into the keyhole, and quietly unlocked the front door. No one seemed to be downstairs; you began to wonder if Donnie was not even home. But you decided to check his room.

In case he was there, you walked the creaky steps as carefully as possible. His door was closed, and a light shined from under the door. Your body filled with excitement, you had missed him so terribly. You turned the doorknob and looked into his room. However, Donnie did not seem to notice you. In fact, his eyes were closed. On his chest lay a Polaroid of you from a few months back; one of his hands held a pair of your used panties, which you thought you had lost, in his face, and his other hand feverishly stroked his cock.

Your eyes widened in surprise, and you could not deny his little show turned you on. You stepped in the room and closed the door behind you. This woke Donnie up from his daydream. His eyes shot up, cheeks turned maroon, and he stilled. “Uh. Look, I—,” he stammered. You two were not dating, so this could have easily scared you off. “Don’t let me interrupt you,” you said and walked towards his bed. This was your chance to play around with him a bit, which you needed after being away for so long—too long. “I was enjoying the show.”

Poor Donnie thought he might pass away from embarrassment. Not only did the girl he liked walk in on him, but she also walked in on him stuffing her used, stolen panties in his face with her skimpy Polaroid right by. He had a hard time deciphering you, whether you were being genuine or not.

You met Donnie’s silence with a sigh. “I want to see what you’ve been getting up to without me here,” you said in a kinder, softer voice, hoping it would make him feel more comfortable. “You’re not mad?” He asked instead. You smiled and shook your head. “The opposite.”

Donnie's hand began stroking his cock again, now with his eyes open, looking at you. He realized then how much better you looked in real life than in that still picture. His hand holding your underwear softened its grip. “Did you steal these?” You pointed at the panties. Donnie’s gaze looked far away and cloudy. He hummed a yes.

He was not sure if this was real. Maybe he fell asleep while masturbating and was having some sort of erotic dream, but this was too realistic. His body spasmed in pleasure as he watched your face. It almost felt more perverted to jerk off to your face than, let’s say, your tits. This was not just desperation; this was adoration.

“What do you do with them?” You asked, already knowing the answer. But hearing him say it would do so much for you. “I smell them,” Donnie whimpered in response; his whole being was getting eaten up by horniness, and he did not have enough brain power to feel shame anymore. He just wanted to cum.

“Show me,” you inquired, and he obliged. He smothered himself with them once again, heavily breathing in your scent. His thighs shook as he did, and his hips moved more than his hand by now. He was basically fucking up into his fist. He moaned hopelessly into the lace, which did not do much to muffle the sounds. His sheer desperation turned you on as much as it angered you. You grabbed the panties from him and shoved them into his open mouth. “You’re too noisy.”

A few whimpers still slipped out, but you could deal with that. You tried your best to hold back, because even though you enjoyed watching him suffer, you wanted to put your lips to his flushed, sweaty skin and kiss him all over. He could make up for it later.

You could tell he was nearing his climax by the way his legs trembled and flexed. The veins on his thin, pale hand were protruding from the strain. The panties in his mouth were useless by now as his sounds grew louder. So, you took them out and replaced them with your tongue. He writhed on his sheets and sucked on your tongue. It was not pretty; it was sloppy and messy, but God, it felt good.

He accidentally bit down on your lip when he came, mixing your blood into the shared saliva. His cum landed on his stomach, cooling him down when the breeze from the AC brushed his skin. You broke the kiss and breathed heavily into each other’s mouths. “I’ve missed you so much,” Donnie said, still sounding whiny and weak. You smiled, “Me too. Now you can have the real deal,” you teased and pecked his lips. He hummed happily, wanting nothing more than to dive between your thighs.

[yeahiwasintheshit]

Just checking in. 
………. 
Thanks for checking in buddy! I really do appreciate it! It’s been a real fucking shitty week with a sick parent. I think we both have elderly parents still alive but it doesn’t make it any easier seeing one of them sick. No matter what age you are seeing someone you love who’s literally been in your life, you’re entire life, so fragile. Ugh Don’t even want to get into too much detail at the moment because I’m still fuckin exhausted from all the shit, and haven’t had much time to get any restful sleep or much interest even checking in here. Anyway it fuckin sucks. Ugggghhhhh It really does mean a lot to see these notes and the private messages I’ve gotten, so just wanted to say thank you to you all Love the just between friends image, friend, it made me smile, thanks!

[something-tofightfor]

Liminaliy: Part 16

Pairing: Frankie Morales x Female Reader

Word Count: 11,975 (it's a big one.)

Rating: I'm going to go with an M. This is a heavy chapter with very heavy themes. Included: violence, blood, gore, injury, death.

Summary: Waiting at the RV for Tom gives you a chance to focus on every possible thing that might happen.

And when things come to a head, it all moves so much more quickly than you anticipate - but hey, at least you finally get some answers... right?

Author’s note:

It's the February full moon tonight, so what better day than to post this chapter? I've been looking forward to this one for a long time. There's only a little more to go in this story - the end of it is so close I can SEE it. Thank you so much for reading along up to this point, I hope you enjoy this one.

Masterlist (for the journal entries and all of the other 'extras' + previous chapters)

“It’s after midnight, Benny.” You checked your phone with one hand, the fingers of the other buried in the fur on the back of Frankie’s neck. “He’s just fucking with us now.” Frankie sighed, looking up at you from where his head rested in your lap. “Maybe he’s not coming. Maybe it was all just to put us on edge.” 

“Nah, it was a threat.” Benny stood, stretching both arms above his head. “This ends tonight one way or the other.” He began to pace in front of you, hands sliding into his pockets. “I’m guessing he couldn’t figure out how to get outta that conference early and had to cut it real close with making it back here before sundown.” Benny stopped moving, scanning the treeline. “He wouldn’t be able to sneak up on us. Not with ‘Fish’s nose, so he’d need to figure something else out.” Frankie whined at that but didn’t make any attempt to get up. 

When, after an hour or so had passed and Tom hadn’t shown his face, you stood to stretch your legs and do a lap around the clearing, Frankie had immediately followed, walking beside you - and between you and the treeline. And when you’d chosen to fold the blanket up and sit on it instead of getting back into your chair, he’d dropped down beside you, turning his head to rest it on your knee. 

Neither of you had moved after, and you would have been lying if you’d said that having him so close while a wolf wasn’t comforting. When Benny had excused himself to use the bathroom, leaving you and Frankie in the quiet darkness, you’d started to pet the wolf, fingers stroking along the top of his head. It soothed you, and when you started talking quietly, you hoped your words did the same for him. 

“It’s got to be killing you not to run.” You took a deep breath. “But you’re saving your energy. And Tom won’t be able to do that.” He whined again in response, the sound quick. “I’m glad you’re here with me. I’m glad you trust me to do this.” Bending forward, you kissed him between the ears. “You really are beautiful this way, Francisco. I hope you know that.” You sat up, the sound of the RV door opening again drawing your attention - and breaking the moment. “Have you heard from anyone else, Benny? Pope or Will or Yova?” 

“No. All quiet. I think they’re waiting to hear from me.” He crouched down in front of you, clearing his throat. “Maybe you want to take another look around, hmm? Go out a couple yards into the trees and do a circle around us?” Frankie raised his head, staring at his friend. “Can’t hurt, right?” 

To your surprise, Frankie stood and stretched, turning back to look at you - and then opened his mouth, extending his tongue to lick the side of your face. It made you laugh, but before you could say anything, he was trotting away from you and back toward the trees, head held high. 

“It’s weird tonight.” You both watched as he disappeared into the night, leaving you behind. “Last time, when Tom showed up, the bugs and animals went quiet. Tonight, they’re already quiet because Frankie’s here.” 

“I don’t know what the fuck we’re going to do if he doesn’t show up.” Benny whispered the words, purposely trying to keep his voice down. “I figured he’d be here by now.” Me too. “Will’s wife is safe, she’s in the city. And Pope and Yova are too far away for him to find.” You nodded. “The bar’s too busy and too public, so he won’t go there. Carmen and Becca … Lakeland’s on the way between Tampa and Orlando, but I really don’t think…” 

“He wouldn’t. Benny, he… The Chaos line they don’t… kids are off limits. I don’t think I remember ever reading anything about -” But Tom didn’t seem to care who he attacked, and you were a prime example of that. And that’s terrifying. 

Frankie returned, yipping softly to let you know it was him, and when he sat in front of you, he jerked his head back and forth twice. Nothing. Where the fuck are you, Tom? “Worth a shot to look.” Benny lowered his head, pulling his hat off and resituating it. “Hey.” He looked over at you, and then pointed at the RV door. “Do you need to go inside?” You did - and agreed, pushing to your feet and taking the few steps over to the door before pulling it open.

Benny had turned the TV on, the volume low while a movie played. Smart. You didn’t turn the lights on, and after doing what you needed to, you opened the refrigerator, reaching for one of the cans inside. Caffeine will be good. I need - 

Your thoughts were interrupted as Frankie’s low growl filtered in through the window, followed by the crunch of gravel. Something’s happening. Drink forgotten, you broke for the door and went back outside to find Benny standing with one hand at his hip, fingers hovering over the butt of the gun there. 

Frankie was crouched low, his tail puffy as he faced the far trees - the same ones Tom had emerged from the previous month… and then you heard it, a low, ominous howl that carried on the breeze. “He’s here.” Your hand went to your waist, too, and you pulled out the tranquilizer gun, making sure it was loaded before lifting and pointing it. “Benny, wh-”

“Where is he, ‘Fish? I can’t see ‘im.” Benny stepped forward, using the RV to protect his back. “In front? Behind? Side? Where the fuck is…” The howl came again, and at the sound, Frankie growled - that one louder than the first one, and lingering in his throat as he inched forward. His head moved back and forth as he searched in the darkness, and then without warning, Frankie took off, running for the trees and disappearing into them, leaving you and Benny behind. “What the fuck?” Benny took a few more steps, eyes on where the wolf had gone. “Why did -”

“He’s got to get Tom out of the trees.” You winced as you heard the snapping of branches and the rustling of leaves, eyes darting back and forth as you searched the darkness. “He’s forcing an attack and taking away the element of surprise.” Benny swore, and even though your heart was racing, you felt calm. More than I should, anyway. “If -”

The rustling turned to snarling, and then that turned into the distinct sound of fighting - barks and yelps accompanied by crashing noises, the sounds getting louder by the second. “They’re coming back. They -” Benny swore again as both of them tumbled through the tree line and into the clearing, teeth bared in snarls. 

Your hands wavered when you saw the size difference. 

Tom was much larger than Frankie, his jaws snapping as the two fought. They were a mess of fur and limbs as they moved toward you, and you realized that even though Frankie was focused on Tom, he was also consciously making the effort to bring him closer, giving you and Benny clearer shots. 

Stepping away from Benny and giving yourself a different angle, you took a deep breath and tried to focus, watching as the fight raged on. Realistically, there’d need to be more than one dart used. Tom was big, and the more of the drug you got into the system, the better off you’d be. 

You winced as Tom snapped his jaws and almost got a mouthful of Frankie’s neck, but the longer the fight played out, the more you realized that even though Tom was bigger, Frankie was faster - and much more confident in his movement. Good. You inched closer, waiting for your shot. 

Frankie lunged, catching Tom by surprise, and moments later, the two wolves were rolling over the ground, Frankie’s jaws locked around one of Tom’s legs. They came to a stop with Tom on top, and though the fighting - and snapping - continued, Frankie didn’t try to get back up. He’s giving us a shot. 

You aimed, took a breath and then fired as you let it out, the sound of the gun surprising you - and echoed moments later by a shot from Benny. One of the darts hit - and stuck - though you didn’t know whose it was, but the interruption didn’t phase Tom. They continued to fight, even as Benny fired again, swearing as the dart went wide. “I’m out! I need to reload!” You swore, flexing your fingers, and then fired again, too, that dart making contact and sticking out of Tom’s back. Thank God.

But he didn’t stop attacking Frankie, and you could see that the smaller wolf was getting tired, even if he was still holding his own. Glancing over at Benny, you watched as he grabbed for more darts - but your attention went back to the wolves as you heard Frankie howl in pain. 

Tom’s jaws were locked around Frankie’s neck, but he wasn’t biting hard - despite Frankie struggling. You acted without thinking, dropping the gun before rushing forward as you reached into your pocket for the extra darts. “Tom! Let him go, you shitbag!” 

Both wolves froze at the sound of your voice, and you heard Benny yell for you to back off - but you stood your ground, hand in your pocket and your fingers wrapped around the dart barrels. Shoot him, Benny. Fucking shoot him. I gave you time, what are you waiting for. 

Frankie moved first, attempting to twist out of Tom’s hold but couldn’t. The other wolf clamped down and then jerked his head back and forth, shaking Frankie before letting go. You watched him fly across the clearing, eyes following the movement as you cried out. Your body moved forward without thinking, even though there was no way to get to Frankie unless you passed Tom. 

Tom turned his attention in your direction, launching himself at you - and rather than fear, you only felt resignation. At least Benny will be able to get him. But before Tom got too close, you saw a red dot at the center of his chest, and your brows knit in confusion. What’s that from? Moments later, another cluster of darts landed there, sticking out of the dark fur. What? 

That was the last thought you had before he collided with you, knocking you to the ground. 

Your head bounced as you hit, but there was no time to think about it, the weight of Tom’s wolf settling atop you. You heard screaming but didn’t know where it was coming from, and as you kicked at Tom, trying to reenact what you’d done the previous month, you reached up and stabbed him in the side of the neck with the handful of darts, opening your mouth to scream in rage as you made contact. Take that you fuck. There was a sharp pain in your shoulder, and then his weight was gone, the sound of growling loud in your ears as you laid there, dazed.   

What the fuck just … Attempting to push yourself upright, you hissed as you put weight on your left hand, and were stunned to see that Benny and Will were running across the clearing, carrying the net to where Frankie and Tom were still fighting - the two wolves rolling around in the gravel. Will? I’m seeing things, I … 

“Oh, sweetheart.” You gasped as a pair of arms went around you from behind, and when you looked up, you saw Pope’s face, his eyes filled with concern. “Any one of us coulda told you thatt trying to be the hero’s a really fucking stupid idea.” 

“P…Pope?” Your voice was shaky, but you continued. “How are you … why are you…” 

“Not now.” He glanced up, and then looked back at you, reaching down to unzip your hoodie. “Need to get this off of you, alright?” You nodded, the small movement making your head throb. When you lifted your arm to pull it free from the sleeve, you were alarmed to see blood on it. Is that mine?

“I’m bleeding.” Where is it coming from? You felt fear coursing through you, but you kept your eyes on the ruined material, head shaking back and forth in disbelief at the sight of the tattered garment. Why is it ripped? “Pope, I -”

“It’s alright.” He tossed it to the side and then reached down, pulling off his own shirt and folding it, the man using both hands to press it against your shoulder. “It’s alright, you’re going to be alright, you -”

“He bit me.” You looked down, watching as the blood began to seep through the cotton. “Didn’t he. Pope, he -” What if I turn? What if I turn now and I hurt him? Or one of  - “Get away from me.” You pushed against him with one hand, weakly trying to fight him off as tears began to leak from your eyes. “Pope if he bit me, I might -”

“I’m not going anywhere.” He wound an arm around you and used the weight of your body against his chest to hold the fabric against your skin. “And neither are you. I’ve got you. You’re with me, alright? Look. Look at them. Focus on them.” 

You finally looked out and saw that Tom and Frankie were circling each other, the larger wolf clearly exhausted and beginning to succumb to the drugs in his system. He tripped but recovered, rearing back as Frankie lunged and snapped his jaws. Tom landed awkwardly, stumbling forward - and then he toppled over, giving Will and Benny a chance to drape the net over him. 

He growled, the sound weak, but didn’t make any attempt to move. Got him. After one final look at Tom, Frankie turned in your direction. He snarled and sprang into action, crossing the distance to you and then skidding to a stop. He growled, his gold eyes blazing, but Pope didn’t flinch. “‘Fish, I -”

Frankie growled again and you reached out with your right hand, waiting for him to push his nose against your palm. His muzzle was covered in blood but you didn’t care, and as soon as he made contact, you started crying harder. He’s ok. 

“I need to see it, Pope.” Glancing up, you saw that Will had made his way over from where Tom was trapped, his arms hanging loosely by his sides. “I need to see how bad it is.” Yeah, I need to know too. Straightening up, you winced when the pressure lessened and sucked in a breath as Pope pulled the t-shirt away from your shoulder, exposing the wound. “Oh, fuck.” 

Will swore, covering his face with both hands. It’s bad. All you could do was stare at Frankie, trying to figure out how worried you needed to be based on his reaction. You watched as he sat down on his haunches and then tipped his head back before letting out a howl that was filled with so much anguish it sent a fresh round of tears streaming down your face. It echoed through the clearing, and you felt Pope flinch at the sound of it. Ok, so it’s really bad.

Letting your hand drop back into your lap, you took a deep breath and then looked up at Will. Shit.  “Maybe sometime I’ll come out here and not get hurt.” He cracked a smile, jerking his thumb at the RV. 

“Maybe. I’ll go get the first aid kit, alright? Then we’ll get you cleaned up.” Pope shifted behind you as Will walked away, and when you stayed upright, he got up, too, moving to stand in front of you.  

“When Ironhead comes back out here, we’ll get you over to the picnic table.” Pope reached up, using the hand that wasn’t bloody to rub at the back of his neck. “Did you bring other clothes? We’re going to have to cut that shirt off, and -”

“Inside.” Swallowing around a lump in your throat, you closed your eyes. “There’s a couple of them in my bag.” He nodded, opening his mouth to say something else but you cut him off. “Go inside, Pope. Wash your hands. It’s fine. If… If Tom tried anything, I think Benny would - “

“If this asshole so much as moves an ear, it’ll be the last goddamn thing he does.” Benny looked over, and even in the dim light, you could see the sadness in his expression. “You alright?” No. “Stupid fucking question, I know. But -” 

Pope followed Will inside, and that left you with Frankie, whose head was bowed, making it possible for him to avoid looking at you. You looked down at your shoulder, eyeing the wounds. I don’t want to look at it, either. 

They were still bleeding freely, streams of red running down your skin and dripping onto your pants and the ground. It hurt - the pain a dull ache that radiated through your arm and the left side of your body. It’s going to hurt worse tomorrow. Moving it slowly, you bent your arm at the elbow and pressed your forearm against your belly. I need to keep it from moving. 

“Francisco. If I was going to turn tonight, I would have already, right?” Frankie finally looked up, meeting your eyes. His were still gold, but there was so much of him in them that it made you gasp. “Right?” 

His head moved up and down once, and though it was confirmation, it didn’t give you any real relief. It just means I have a month to sit and wait. Frankie whined, leaning forward to nudge at your uninjured arm with his head. You lifted that hand, stroking the side of his face. There’s nothing he can do right now and it’s got to be killing him. 

“I want you to take these.” Will appeared again, holding out two circular tablets. “Pain pills. Might make you a little loopy for a couple hours, but your arm can’t feel good and it’ll help me do what I need to do.” You took them and then Will reached into the bag he carried and pulled out a bottle of water. “I’ll help you.” He knelt down in front of you, and to your surprise, Frankie growled again, moving closer to where you sat - almost like he was going to put himself between you and Will. “‘Fish, you -”

“Frankie, it’s fine. He’s just …” You pushed your shoulders back, wincing at the way your skin pulled. “He’s trying to help. Stop growling at him.” He curled his lip but did as you asked, staying put - and quiet - while you put the pills in your mouth and Will lifted the bottle to your lips. You took it from him, tipping your head back as you swallowed. 

“How’s your head feel? You’re bleeding from there, too, I think.” Will took the water and set the bottle down after recapping it. “Let me check.” He reached for you, carefully turning your head back and forth as his fingers prodded gently at your hair. “You are bleeding, but it’s not a lot.” He sighed. “I’m going to help you up. We’re going to walk to the table, and then I’m going to clean your shoulder. It’s not going to feel good.” 

“Pope’s getting me a new shirt.” You gestured to yours. “I don’t think I’ll be able to wear this one again.” The corner of his mouth twitched, but Will didn’t speak as he stood, waiting for you to shift your position so that you were kneeling. He reached out for you, using one large hand to grip your good elbow, and then steadied you with his other hand at your waist, helping to pull you to your feet. 

You swayed as a wave of dizziness hit, stumbling forward as Will caught you. “I’ve got you.” He spoke quietly, the words barely audible over a whine from Frankie. “Can you walk? It’s just a couple feet.” You thought so and told him as much. As Pope reemerged from the RV, you eased into a sitting position on the picnic table’s bench, your back pressed to the edge of the tabletop.

“Do you need me over here, Ironhead? If not, I’m gonna go over with -”

“Why are you here?” You took a long breath as Will unzipped the first aid kit, reaching for scissors. “How are you here? Yova posted the -”

“Will and I got here this morning. He’s been up in the blind, and I was on top of the RV.” Pope shrugged. “Hid our scent using the same shit hunters do, and we just hoped Tom would think whatever he could smell was lingering from when we were here before.” He smiled. “Yova and I went to St. Augustine a couple weeks ago and took that. She’s there now, and so is my phone, so it’ll be like I was there, too.” 

Frankie had moved to sit beside you, paws settled neatly in front of his body as he watched the three of you talk. “We needed clear shots at him.” Will spoke as he started to cut at your shirt, the scissors sliding easily through the thin material. “I never had one because they were fighting. Pope got one when he came toward you.” 

“I got him with a couple darts, too.” You winced as he peeled the cotton from your skin. “I hope there’s enough left to keep him sedated until morning.”

“There is.” Pope patted his pocket. “I’m going over with Benny so we can keep an eye on that.” You nodded and he turned away, walking slowly across the clearing and leaving you with Frankie and Will, who was getting things ready from the kit. 

“I’m sorry you have to keep bandaging me up.” You buried your fingers in Frankie’s fur, fingers curling tightly as Will began to wipe the blood away. Ow. “Can’t imagine this is what you want to be doing, so -”

“Not your fault.” He set bloody towels into a plastic container, sighing. “And I’m just glad I am here to do this for you, because as much as I love my little brother, he would have done a shit job.” He was quiet as he got back to work, and you focused your attention on Benny and Pope, the two circling slowly around the body of the wolf beneath the net. 

“How bad is it?” Tilting your head away from your injured arm, you closed your eyes. “Do you need to stitch it, or -”

“Shouldn’t suture puncture wounds.” Will prodded gently at your skin, urging you to lean forward. “Traps the bacteria inside and makes infection more likely, even if we clean it.” Oh. “And … I won’t lie to you. He got you good. Couple of these marks will probably scar bad.” He touched your back again. “I think he hit bone here. Might actually have to stitch that one up, it’s more of a tear…” He sighed again. “Tom bit you. He bit you while in wolf form, and -”

“I know what that means.” You blinked back tears again. “I don’t think I’ll turn tonight. I asked Frankie and he -”

“It probably needs some time to work through your body.” Will began to clean your wounds and you hissed at the sting of it, though you assumed that with the drugs in your system, the pain was much less severe than it could have been. “I wish I could tell you that because you didn’t turn tonight, you wouldn’t, but …”

“I know.” You opened your eyes again, watching as Benny leaned over Tom and gave him another dose. “I guess I’m just in wait and see mode until next month, but …” 

“He’s such an asshole.” Will wiped at the front of your shoulder, more bloody towels joining the others moments later. “I can’t believe he -”

“I can.” You weren’t gripping Frankie’s fur anymore, instead you were petting him, the soft hair between his ears slipping along your palm. “He’s miserable. And he had to know that I wouldn’t die from this, so he wanted me to have to deal with it for the rest of my life.” Absently, you swiped at your face, wiping the tears away. “What if because he bit me, I turn into one of them? An asshole wolf from an asshole line, and -”

“We won’t let you.” Will sighed. “‘Fish certainly won’t let you. And I don’t think you would let yourself do that, either. If Frankie was able to keep himself under control without help from another wolf for years, I think you can do it with all of our help.” 

“You didn’t sign up for this, Will. You and Benny and Pope have your own lives and families, and -”

“You’re with ‘Fish. You’re part of that family, wolf or not.” It floored you - he spoke with such certainty, the admission matter of fact in a way that shouldn’t have surprised you from someone like him who clearly valued the people he was close to. “Now I need you to lean forward. It’s cleaned up, but I want to stitch some of it before I use antiseptic, and the part that needs stitches is low.” You did as he asked, Will reminding you to relax as much as possible. 

He started stitching moments later, and even though it hurt, it was more of a background pain than anything else. “Frankie.” You hummed his name, fingers trailing over his fur. “You should go and get this blood off of you.” He got up, turning to face you, and then cocked his head to the side. “Your face. It’s…” Wait. “Is that yours? Are you bleeding?” You scanned the area where he’d been sitting, and only saw a few drops on the ground. “Are you OK? He threw you through the -”

He whined, tossing his head back and forth before he turned in a slow circle in front of you. No wounds. “He heals pretty quick like that.” Will cleared his throat. “His body’s real resilient.” Frankie sat again, looking between you and Will. “But she’s right. You should take a minute and go clean up, otherwise when you turn back, you’re going to be covered in blood.” 

He didn’t want to leave you - you could tell in the way he sat, his attention unwavering. But he needs to. “It’s fine, Frankie. Go. There’s a creek close by, right?. He whined, pawing at the ground. “I’ll be here when you get back, and Will will be done, and -” He stepped forward and rubbed against your knees, and then spun away and trotted toward Benny and Pope. He paused long enough to growl at Tom and then broke into a run, disappearing through the trees. 

“I’m almost done.” Will trailed his fingers over your skin, voice low. “Some of these are really deep, so they’ll probably keep oozing for a while. But I’m going to bandage it all for you. We’ll change them as needed, but definitely tomorrow when we get back home.” You nodded, staring off into the distance. “Now that he’s not here, how bad is it?”

“It fucking hurts.” You took a deep breath and sat up straight when you felt his touch disappear. You couldn’t see all of your wound, but you could see enough to know that it wasn’t pretty. “I need you to take pictures of it. I need to be able to show -”

“I already did.” He chuckled, nudging you with his elbow. “While you were talking to Pope. Used a burner so that there’s no real evidence of it just in case, but …” He sighed. “I’ll take more now that it’s all cleaned up.” He stood up and took photos - from the front and the back, before setting the phone down on the table. “Antiseptic, bandage and then we’ll get you dressed again. How’s that sound?” 

“Good.” Looking up at him, you managed a smile, too. “I can’t say I’m too happy that I’ve been sitting here in just a bra for twenty minutes. Frankie’s probably not too thrilled, either.” 

“Luckily for him - and for you, I am happily married.” He began to smear the antiseptic over your skin, the gel cold. “But this had to be done, otherwise it would have gotten infected for sure.” He wiped his hand on a clean towel and then reached for bandages. “I’m going to need you to hold the front of this in place while I tape it down, alright?” 

You did as he asked, fingers gingerly pressing against the surface of the covering while Will secured it. And when he stretched it up and over your shoulder, you lowered your hand back into your lap. “I’d do it again, even knowing I’d get bitten.” 

“What?” Will set the tape down, taking off his gloves and sticking them in with the rest of the trash. “Tonight, you mean?” “Yeah.” You eyed the trees, waiting for Frankie to come back. “Protecting him was … instinct. Getting Tom’s attention was the only thing that was going to keep him from going after Frankie again, and since I had the darts, I …” I think I knew what was coming. “I knew what a risk it was, but it didn’t matter.”

“He’s not going to see it that way.” Will murmured the words, leaning in so he could talk quietly. “He’s going to blame himself for not being able to take him down on his own.” I know. “No way in hell he could ever believe you don’t love him now, though.” Will leaned in, kissing the top of your head. “Come on, let me help you get this shirt on, and then we’ll get you inside, so -” “No.” You stood, wobbling again on unsteady legs. “You can help me get dressed, but I’m staying out here.” 

Will didn’t argue with you, but after a few minutes of trying to get you into the new shirt, it became painfully obvious that putting it on the right way wasn’t an option. He used a clean pair of scissors to cut up the side of it - and through the sleeve - and that was enough. The material settled into place, and then with the help of a few large safety pins, he secured the side so that it wasn’t flapping. 

That done, he reached into the kit and pulled out a sling, situating it on your shoulder and easing your arm into it. “It’s probably overkill, but anything you can do to keep it from moving right now will be good.” You nodded, still feeling woozy and a little lightheaded. “Are you cold?” 

“No.” It surprised you - the night air was chilly enough that the sweatshirt had made things comfortable, but the thought of putting another one on made you frown. It’s adrenaline. Or… maybe it’s the wolf. “I’m fine, but thank you.” You put a hand on his chest, saying his name. “Thank you, Will. For taking care of me. For keeping a level head. For being such a good goddamn friend to Frankie and to me and -”

“I’d hug you, but you’re injured.” He smiled, the expression sad. “You’re welcome, though.” He gestured to the RV. “I’m going to go inside and clean up. And then I’m going to come back out here and light a fire to burn this shit.” He pointed at the bucket. “Your pants should probably go in there, too, but if you don’t want to do that, I understand. 

“No, I need to.” Rubbing at the bridge of your nose, you sighed. “Help me inside, Will.” 

Ten minutes later, you were dressed in a new pair of sweatpants the old ones were well on their way to becoming ash. 

Frankie had returned while you were inside with Will, and when you’d stepped back outside, he was waiting for you, his clean muzzle resting on his paws as he eyed the door. He stood as you passed him, staying close by as you made your way over to where Tom was, Pope and Benny seated on camp chairs and staring down at the ground. 

“Will get you taken care of?” Benny fidgeted with his hat as he questioned you, his eyes darting back and forth between you and Tom. “Do you want to sit? You can have my chair, I’ll stand. Can’t promise I’m not going to kick this motherfucker in the head a few times, though, and -”

“Benny.” Pope held up a hand. “Cool it.” Benny’s mouth snapped shut, and despite the seriousness of the situation, the urge to laugh was strong. 

“No, I don’t want your chair. I’ll sit on the ground.” You yawned and then frowned. “What time is it? I didn’t even check my phone.” 

“A little after 3.” Will walked up behind you and draped a new blanket over your shoulders. “Just about four hours until the sun starts to come up.” There’s no way I’m going to make it that long. “Those pills are probably making you tired.” He pressed his lips together, narrowing his eyes. “Your eyes were alright before, so I don’t think you have a concussion. You can sleep if you want.” 

“I’m staying out here. I want to be here when he wakes up.” But sitting down would be nice. Reaching out, you braced yourself on Will’s arm and then began to lower yourself toward the ground. He followed your lead immediately, only moving away once you were settled - but then Frankie sat next to you, tilting his head so that he could touch it to yours. “It’s alright, Frankie. I’m just tired. I -” You yawned again, opening your eyes to his paw on one of your knees. “What?” 

He spun in a circle and then laid down, positioning his body so that he was facing Tom. Does he want me to lay down, too? The thought was appealing - you figured he’d be comfortable, and so with the other guys watching, you eased yourself down so that you were able to rest your head against his side. Frankie whined quietly as you settled in, but didn’t make any effort to move. 

The others started talking after a few minutes, but you just stared forward, eyeing the slow rise and fall of Tom’s chest as he breathed. 

You knew that you were likely in shock. You knew that everything happening so quickly had almost definitely kept you from dwelling on the severity of your situation.You were focused on Tom - and on finding out why he’d made the choices that he had. And when that’s done, I’ll have time to think about what he did to me… and what it means. 

But Frankie’s deep, even breathing and the presence of the painkillers in your system distracted you even more, and only minutes later, your eyes closed and you slipped into sleep. 

— 

You woke when Frankie moved, his head turning so that the could nudge you with it. And you woke to pain, your eyes opening to the early morning twilight accompanied with a wince. “Ow.” It all came back at once - the attack, the capture of Tom, the way Will had taken care of you. And the way Frankie protected me while I was sleeping. 

“Will went inside to get you more painkillers.” Pope spoke up. “Sunup’s soon. You slept for -”

“Hours.” Using your right hand, you pushed upright. “How the fuck did I …” 

“Adrenaline wore off.” Benny sniffed, nose wrinkling. “You’re hurt. The pain pills… all of it together?” He met your eyes. “I’d fall asleep, too.” 

He was probably right. And even though you were still in pain, the hours of rest had helped - at least with clearing your head. “Thank you for letting me sleep. You’ve all been awake for hours, though, and -”

“I napped in the blind.” Will handed you medication, and then took a seat next to you, holding a bottle of water. “Benny slept the fuck in today. And Pope slept for a couple hours on top of that RV, too.” You swallowed the pills, still eyeing the unconscious man in front of you. “We’re all good.” But what about Frankie? 

He sat all the way up, his ears going back, and you wondered what he was sensing - something in one of you or in Tom, though you didn’t ask. “If you say so.” The blanket slid to the ground as you rubbed at your eyes, thinking. “What next?” You took another drink of the water, gesturing at Tom with the bottle. “Do you think he’ll wake up as soon as he turns back? Or -”

“Donno.” Benny shrugged. “But as soon as he’s conscious, he’s got it coming.” Frankie’s answering growl chilled you, but you didn’t disagree. 

You sat in silence as the light continued to brighten, though it was dimmed thanks to cloud cover, and when Frankie moved again, it was to stand - turning around and picking up your blanket in his teeth. He’s about to turn back. “Clothes are by the table, ‘Fish.” Will sighed. “Go do what you need to do.” He hesitated, but then walked away, dragging the blanket behind him. 

Only a minute or two later, you heard him whimpering, the sounds turning into human-leaning groans and grunts. Part of you was happy you couldn’t see what was happening that time, because you knew that as soon as he was human again, Frankie would be in anguish. And I don’t know how I’ll respond. 

You didn’t have long to wait. He was by your side again rapidly, dropping down onto his knees as he reached for you with both hands, cradling your face between them. “I am so fucking sorry.” He swallowed, head shaking back and forth. “I should have stopped him. I should have taken him the fuck down. I -”

“I did what I did.” Reaching up, you ran your fingers through his curls. “It was worth it, Francisco.”

“You won’t be saying that next month.” He blinked, a few tears coursing down his cheeks. “I failed. I fuc-”

“He’s changing.” Pope’s tone was urgent, and at his words, you and Frankie turned your attention to Tom. Oh, shit. Frankie helped you to your feet and then stood with one arm around you, both of you a safe distance from where the half-man, half-wolf Tom laid. 

The others rose, too, Benny holding one of the guns in his hand, and Will’s hand hovering over his hip. “Pope, I need you to come here.” Frankie called for his friend, and moments later, they’d switched places. It felt odd to have his arm around you, but you understood why it was happening when Frankie approached Tom, bending over to rip the net off of him. He grunted, the silver still irritating his skin even as a human. 

When Tom was uncovered, the transformation happened faster - pale skin reemerging and his limbs lengthening, though there was no indication he was actually awake. “Can we cover him?” You muttered the words, rolling your eyes.”Last thing I want to see is Tom naked.” Pope actually snorted, but it was Benny that moved, the man crouching down and then flinging a piece of fabric at Tom. Boxers. It’s boxers. 

None of you spoke after that, just waiting, and you felt the anger in you growing by the second. You were angry for what he’d done to you, but you were almost more upset at the betrayal of his friends. After everything they went through. “Wake the fuck up, Redfly.” Frankie stepped forward, lashing out with one foot. “Get up.” You didn’t know if it would work, because you didn’t know how recently he’d gotten a dose of the tranquilizer. But they would have backed off close to sunrise. 

Shifting your weight, you leaned against Pope, trying to ignore the dull ache in your shoulder. They’d removed all of the darts from Tom’s body while he slept, and there was no indication that there’d been a fight earlier - except for  the blood smeared across parts of his skin. “Is the bite on his side?” You tried to angle your head to see it, but couldn’t from your position. “Benny?”

“Sure fuckin’ is.” He stepped forward, too, the gun still drawn. “Right fucking there.” Benny froze when Tom’s arm twitched, and you held your breath as his leg joined it, Frankie’s posture stiffening briefly. Here we fucking go. 

Tom groaned, moving one hand to his face and rubbing at his forehead. “Don’t even -”

“I’m not going to fucking try anything. I know you’ve got fuckin’ guns on me, Cat.” Frankie’s lip curled, but Tom kept going. “Do I get to put pants on, or are we going to have this conversation like this?”

“You get a pair of underwear and that’s only because I don’t want you to try and justify any of this shit with your dick in my face.” Tom reached for the fabric and you looked away as he pulled the material on and up his legs. He kept his eyes averted, and when they were in place, he drew his knees up, resting his arms atop them. “Talk.” 

“What the fuck do you want me to say?” Tom looked between all of you, his gaze lingering on you. “You know what I did. You know what I am. You -”

“Why?” You spat the word out, gesturing to yourself. “Why the fuck did you do this? To me? To Alec? To all of the other goddamn people you’ve attacked?” 

“Who the fuck is Alec?” Tom cocked his head to the side, obviously confused. “That name wasn’t in any of the …” He laughed, licking his lips as it clicked. “The one with the wolf.” 

“My cousin.” You snarled the words out, straightening up. “My cousin and the mother of his fucking child.” He hadn’t expected that - and even though you knew Frankie had a lot of things to say, you kept going. “My family has been looking for a wolf in the Chaos line for years. So how the hell did you manage to find one and convince them to turn you, Tom?” 

“Your family? How do you know what the line is called? Who the fuck are …” He trailed off. “Are you goddamn hunters? Not doing a great job of that, if you and your cousin are both fucking the wolves you were looking for.” It would have made you laugh if you weren’t so angry, but instead it just ignited the rage in you more. 

“We weren’t just looking for wolves, you asshole. We were looking for the Chaos line, and it led me straight here. To you.” 

“Why, Redfly?” Frankie planted his feet, arms crossed over his chest. “Why the fuck did you do this? After we came back from South America, we had a plan, and you just …” He scoffed. “You just decided to say fuck it and get yourself bitten so that you could go on a goddamn rampage across the state?” 

“I found wolves a couple months after we got home.” Tom stared at Frankie, his breathing deep. “Real fuckin’ easy when you have money and spend all day online at work.” He looked over at the others, rolling his eyes at the way Benny was pointing the gun at him. “You really gonna shoot me, Ben?” Tom laughed. “You wouldn’t.”

“You wanna bet?” Benny took a slow breath. “I just have a lot of shit I want to hear you say before it happens.” Damn straight. “Keep fucking talking.” 

“It took a hell of a lot of convincing, but after a while, they finally…” He reached over, settling his hand on the bite mark. “You don’t appreciate what this is, ‘Fish.” He smiled, the expression turning your stomach. “I feel so fucking strong. Powerful. People fucking respect me again, and -”

“No they don’t.” You stepped forward. “Nobody respects you, Tom. You hurt people. You killed people.” You pointed at your shoulder. “You fucking bit me, and -”

“Now you get to see how great this is.” 

“She didn’t fucking want to.” Frankie inched closer, his tone filled with rage. “Just like I didn’t fucking want to. This isn’t a gift, Tom. None of the people you hurt wanted it, either. They were just -”

“Wrong place, wrong time.” Tom shifted his weight, his smile growing. “That’s one of the things the woman who bit me made me understand.” He rolled his neck, letting out a sigh that turned into a satisfied groan. “For that one night a month, I am a fucking God. People should be afraid of me… of us, ‘Fish. And if you just let yourself be what you are…. Fuck. Don’t you miss it? Don’t you miss the way we felt while we were enlisted? The way we could -”

“No.” Frankie straightened his shoulders, his voice unwavering. “I don’t. I don’t miss hurting people or intimidating people or acting like a piece of shit.” It had started raining as they talked, a fine mist falling through the tree limbs above you, and you shivered. Of course it’s raining.

“Oh, get off your fucking high horse.” Tom pushed to his feet, and you could feel the others tense up, though they all stayed in place. “Acting like you’re better than me after all the shit you did. After all that coke and losing your license, and -” Frankie moved first, one arm shooting out, fingers bent into a fist. He made contact with Tom’s jaw, the sound an audible crack even from a distance. “Wasn’t expecting that.” Tom rubbed his cheek, giving Frankie a lopsided smirk. 

“Does Molly know?” Will cut in, diverting Tom’s attention. “Does Tessa know? Are they aware that you’re -”

“No.” He spun toward the older Miller, his eyes wide. “No they have no fucking idea, and that’s how it’s going to stay.” One question answered. “Just like they have no idea about South America. I don’t make it a habit of telling everyone my secrets just because I’m sleeping next to them.” 

It was a low blow - and you all knew it, but Frankie still took the bait. “Well that’s another way we’re different. I think the person I’m sleeping next to should know all of my secrets.” Tom’s laugh was loud, and you heard Pope swear from next to you, the hand on your back pushing a little more firmly. “What was your plan, Tom? For tonight, I mean. Were you going to kill all three of us and then just go back to your life?”

“No.” He turned to look at you. “I was going to make her watch me kill you and then bite her so she’d have to live through it without you.”

“You think I would have just let that fucking happen?” Benny’s hand shook but he didn’t lower the gun. “Kill my best friend and hurt someone else I care about and then just run off? Fuck that. Fuck you.” 

“You’ve been holding? that gun on me for I don’t even know how long. If you were going to shoot me, you would have done it already.” Tom’s head swiveled to Will and then to Pope, his brow arched. “None of you have the balls to fuck with me. How many times have I saved your ass since we met? How many times have I carried the entire fucking mission? In South America, I -”

“You’re the reason I got bitten.” Frankie cleared his throat. “You insisted we take all that extra money. You wouldn’t let us get rid of it when I said we needed to. You’re the one that pulled the trigger first on those guys in the village.” Frankie pointed at Tom. “Some of it’s my fault, because I should have fucking known better. But you, Tom, are the main reason why I’m standing here right now like this, and the fact that you still think you’re the good guy is un-fucking-believable.” 

“I’ll introduce you to the people that turned me.” He gestured at you. “You and your little girlfriend. You can learn about what it means to be a real -”

“I’d rather be dead than ever take advice from a Chaos wolf.” You pushed forward, closing the distance between yourself and Tom. “You might have fucked me over for the rest of my life, but I will never be like you.” Tom stayed quiet but his smile widened, and you caught a red flash in his eyes. He’s wound up. “Frankie and Ashley are proof that you don’t have to overcompensate for your shortcomings as a human while you’re a w-”

“Fucking bitch. You come here and you think you can just change everything?” Frankie’s jaw was clenched, but he let Tom continue. “I should have made sure when I attacked you last month that I fucking killed you. You don’t deserve this.” 

“Well you didn’t.” Your heart was pounding, and the dizziness was back. “That time or this time. You fucking failed, and -”

He lunged at you, and in the same moment, Pope pulled you backwards and Frankie jumped forward, tackling Tom to the ground. They fought for a little while, rolling around in the gravel and sparse grass, and you winced at the way they traded punches, fists flying and the sound of flesh on flesh punctuating their grunts. 

It was brutal, especially since both of them were likely exhausted, and when they separated, both of them were bleeding - Frankie from a split on his cheek and Tom from his mouth, his teeth stained red. 

“What’s it gonna be, ‘Fish?” He pushed himself to his feet, eyeing the other man. “We gonna keep fighting like this, or are you going to actually do something about it?” Tom spat blood onto the ground and then wiped at his face with the back of his hand. “Because I’ve been looking for a reason to fucking destroy you ever since I made this choice.” He laughed, the sound unnerving. “Maybe when I get out of here I should go pay Becca a visit. Or Yova. We can all be -”

Frankie darted in again, and for the first time, you realized just how much helping to coach Benny had served him. His jabs were quick and accurate, landing against Tom’s ribs and stomach, and even though the larger man got a few hits in, they were nowhere near as devastating. C’mon, Frankie. You leaned into Pope’s side, unable to do anything but watch the fight in front of you.

But in the early morning light, it was easy to see when Tom gave up, his eyes closing as he inhaled, chest expanding. “He’s turning, Frankie!” You yelled out as it happened, Tom’s transformation almost instantaneous. Once he was the wolf, he didn’t move to attack, instead just circled Frankie slowly. 

Benny and Will backed up a few steps, and with some surprise, you felt Pope pull out and aim a third gun at Tom and Frankie. “Can’t even fight me like a man, can you.” Frankie laughed, fingers rising and combing through his already damp hair. “Piece of shit. You’re pathetic.Threatening women? You’re a goddamn coward.” Tom lunged forward, but Frankie sidestepped him, his gaze rising to meet yours briefly. 

You’ve got to do it, Frankie. He’s not going to make it easier for you. You didn’t know if Tom would actually let Frankie turn all the way before he attacked, but it was the only option you had - unless Benny and Will were able to get the net back over him. Unlikely though. It was too far away - and diverting attention from Tom even for a second to get it was dangerous. And speaking of danger… “I don’t have a weapon, Pope. I -”

“You won’t need one.” He planted his feet, still watching Frankie and Tom. “We’ve got it.” You had to trust him - for Frankie’s sake, and for your own. 

Tom continued to growl, the two of them circling each other, and then almost out of nowhere, Frankie’s body exploded into the wolf’s, the transformation happening before you’d even had a chance to blink. Oh, shit. He hit the ground and sprung toward Tom, jaws open… and then the real fight started. 

Will and Benny spread out, guns still drawn, and you heard Pope swear from beside you, the end of his gun wavering slightly as he watched it unfold. 

There was no reason for either of them to hold back that time, and it was clear from the way they snapped and clawed at each other, fur flying with every strike. Frankie drew first blood, his jaws closing around Tom’s shoulder, and when he jerked his head, you watched the larger wolf’s skin tear, Tom howling in pain. Good. You fucking deserve it. Frankie backed away, ears back as he growled, waiting to see what Tom would do. 

“C’mon, ‘Fish.” Benny called out, voice rising. “Get him. Fucking get him.” You wondered how Tom felt hearing his other friend rooting against him, but it didn’t seem to deter him. You gasped when he lunged forward, diving for the ground and rolling onto his back. The low position gave him an opening to snap at Frankie’s front leg, and you winced at the way he responded - the sound filled with anguish as he struggled to free the limb. If he breaks Frankie’s legs it’s over. 

But Frankie got free, barely giving himself a moment to assess the damage before he was attacking again, going for Tom’s belly before the other wolf could get upright. There was more blood, and even though it had started raining harder, you could see it dripping from both of them. Swiping your hand over your face, you cried out as Tom jumped toward Frankie again, ramming into him and knocking him over, his weight falling on top of the smaller wolf. 

“No!” You stumbled forward, ears trained on the way Frankie’s growl had turned into a whine and then a whimper, Tom whipping his head to the side as he attempted to get his jaws around his neck. He’s going to snap his neck. He’s going to kill him. “Tom, stop!” You fell to your knees, heart pounding, and you wondered why none of the others had fired. They could have shot him. They could have weakened him. They could have … 

But they were giving Tom and Frankie a chance to keep it between them, and part of you respected that - even if you wouldn’t have done the same. Just as Tom’s muzzle began its descent toward Frankie’s neck, the sound of a gunshot rang out, both wolves freezing. 

It was only a moment’s pause, but it was enough, and Frankie was able to twist out of Tom’s pin and get back to his feet, shaking himself out as he stabilized. Ok. Ok, that’s better. That’s… Frankie growled again and jumped, rising into the air and sailing over Tom’s back before landing and pouncing. 

The move was a surprise, and when Tom turned his head toward Frankie, Frankie went in the other direction, finding an expanse of his throat and clamping down on it. Tom flailed - feet scrabbling on the wet ground as he thrashed back and forth, the sounds coming out of him enough to make your hair stand on end. This is it. 

You watched as Benny and Will stepped closer to the wolves, and then felt Pope do the same, his body tense and the gun still pointed forward. But you didn’t think it would be necessary, as Frankie’s jaws locked onto Tom’s throat again, the bite deep. 

“He’s done. He just doesn’t know it yet.” Will spoke from beside you, his voice quiet. “Shit.” Tom was losing strength, but still managed to throw Frankie off of him, the smaller wolf skidding a few feet before he stood up straight, shaking his head. He was limping, the bite on his leg from Tom obviously bothering him, but as he circled the spot they’d been fighting, you realized that the roles had reversed - and it was Frankie taunting Tom. 

“You don’t have to watch.” Will spoke directly into your ear. “It might change the way you feel about -”

“That’s why I do have to.” You reached up, swiping beneath your eyes and wiping the tears that had gathered there away. “I’m part of this now, and I can’t hide from it.” You weren’t sad that Tom was going to die. But you did feel for Frankie, especially knowing that he’d remember every moment of the fight and the process of killing someone that had once been like family. 

It happened without warning, Frankie darting forward and angling his head, Tom unable to get out of the way in time. His teeth bore down on the center of Tom’s throat, and that time, when his head jerked away, a large chunk of muscle and fur came with it. Frankie tossed it to the side as Tom toppled to the ground, and when, moments later, you watched as his chest stopped rising and falling, Frankie lowered his head, too. 

He sat, staring at the body of what had been his friend… and then Frankie tipped his head back and howled again, the sound almost unbearably loud. If you’d thought he sounded sad after realizing that you’d been bitten, you didn’t know how to describe the sound he made then, a mixture of triumph and agony, the tone of it shaking you to your core. 

You understood - no matter how much Tom’s behavior had changed and how deserving he was of the ending he’d been given, there were years of history there. And not just for Frankie. For the rest of them, too. 

A quick look around the group proved that the others were just as torn - Benny’s eyes focused on the wolves, unblinking as the rain hit his skin. Will’s arms were crossed, his head held high, but the telltale tic of his jaw made it clear he was struggling, too. And Pope’s response was the most surprising of all, the man stepping forward and then kneeling, shoulders rising and falling as he stared at the two in front of him. 

You wondered if Tom was going to change back, but the longer you all waited, the more you thought that the answer was no. Which is better because then there’s no human body. But Frankie hadn’t changed back either, which was a surprise to you - especially with how soon after the monthly shift it was. Maybe he needs help. Maybe he needs … 

Stepping forward, you rounded Tom’s body and knelt in front of Frankie, trying to ignore how much your arm hurt. “Hey. Francisco.” You kept your voice low and didn’t let yourself reach for him, even though you wanted to. “You need to change back now. It’s ok. There’s no more threat.” He blinked slowly, turning his attention to you, and for the first time as a wolf, his eyes weren’t gold - they were deep brown and entirely Frankie. “Hey you. It’s alright.” Your voice shook, but you didn’t even know if he realized it. “Come back to me. Please?” 

It took a few seconds, but when Frankie rose onto all fours and shook himself out, you released a breath that you hadn’t realized you were holding. There was no gradual change that time either, and only moments later, Frankie was laying on the ground in front of you - naked, soaking wet, and covered in blood and bruises. 

The first place he looked was at Tom, but he didn’t linger there, turning his head toward you without lifting it, his lips soundlessly forming your name. You scrambled toward him without thinking, and gathered him carefully against your chest, ignoring the pain and only focusing on comforting him. He clung to you, his entire body shaking as he began to cry. You needed to get up - needed to get out of the rain and get Frankie cleaned up, needed to take care of Tom’s body and the clearing… but you couldn’t move. 

When a blanket covered the two of you, you looked up in surprise, catching Benny’s eye. “Just stay with him, we’ll take care of -”

“No!” Frankie growled the word out, lifting his head and looking at his friend. “No, I’m helping.” You didn’t argue and neither did Benny, and when Frankie slowly got to his feet, wrapping the blanket around himself, he finally looked at you again, reaching for your hand. 

The two of them helped you to your feet, and then as you walked away from the body, you tried to gather your thoughts. Tom was dead. Frankie had killed him. And it stood to reason that that meant there was significantly less danger to worry about. But it means a different kind of danger, too. 

You went back and stood under the awning, leaning against the picnic table. Frankie rushed past you, going back into th RV and coming out with some of the blood gone from his skin and wearing another new set of clothes - tattered ones that you’d never seen before. He stopped next to you, reaching out to cup your cheek in his hand, but he didn’t say anything. 

“Keep an eye on the fire, alright?” Will came up next to you, holding a pile of damp fabric. “We’re just going to keep adding stuff to it as we clean.” You nodded without looking away from Frankie, leaning in when he swiped his thumb over your cheek. We have so much to talk about. 

“I wish I could do more.” You closed your eyes and took a deep breath. “But whatever you need, I’ll take care of.” Will thanked you before setting the pile down next to the firepit, and then he motioned for Frankie to follow him. He was limping - and you knew he would be for a while, but as they approached Tom, you admitted to yourself for the first time and things could have gone much worse. For all of us. 

As you started slowly adding the scraps of clothing to the flames, you kept half an eye on what the men were doing. 

It didn’t take them long to come up with a plan, all of them conferring as they gathered around the body before separating. Pope headed back toward you, carrying another small pile of clothing. “We’re going to take him to one of the swampy areas. ‘Fish says there’s gators in all of the ones around here, so that should take care of the… body.” He sniffed. “Gotta go grab a bag of marshmallows though, just to be sure.” 

That made you smile, but it was short lived. “Can I do anything while you’re doing that?”  

“No. Just the fire. Make sure everything’s ash. Once we come back, we’re going to start on the clearing, but the rain’s going to work in our favor.” He sighed. “Thank you for helping.”

“You don’t need to thank me.” You added another piece of shirt, glancing down to make sure it wasn’t just going to smolder. “Just make sure he’s alright.” Pope assured you he would, and then went back into the RV, coming out with a bag in his hand. 

He stuffed it into the front of his shirt and made his way back to where everyone else was. You watched as they worked together to lift the wolf’s body before carrying it toward the tree line. Once they disappeared, you sat down, finally alone with your thoughts for the first time. 

It was still raining - the puddles on the ground growing by the second, and you wondered just how much the water would disperse the blood - and if it would be enough. They know how to cover their tracks. You poked at the flames with a branch, and then put in another piece of fabric - one of the blankets - which was much larger and much drier, the flames growing and brightening as it caught. 

And then, as you waited for it to turn to ash, you focused on the ache of your arm, the pain radiating from your shoulder and throughout the rest of your body. You’d been bitten by a werewolf during the full moon, and you knew what that meant. Your entire life was going to change, and you had no idea what the outcome would be. 

It was devastating - to have finally found what your family had been searching for for decades, and then to have been unable to safely do your expected job without getting bitten. And it meant that the hunting of the Chaos line was definitely finished, too, whether you liked it or not. You blinked through tears, standing and making your way into the RV for the bag of your ruined clothing, and when you caught sight of your reflection in the mirror hanging beside the door, the tears spilled over. 

It was partly because of your bite, but your sadness was also for Frankie and his friends - the finality of what they’d done and witnessed likely not settled in yet, and the difficulty of what was to come likely to be an uphill climb. For all of us. Wiping at your eyes, you only gave yourself a few seconds before heading back outside and to the fire, ripping the plastic open and adding both pieces at the same time. We’ll need to get the zippers out of the ashes. 

Instead of sitting, you wandered back out into the clearing and looked for any fabric that might have been missed, along with anything else that you could burn. There wasn’t much - a few scraps of t-shirt from Frankie, and some torn elastic from the waistband of Tom’s underwear - but you picked it up nonetheless, carrying it back over and dropping it into the flames. 

It was almost 9 am, and you knew that Yovanna was likely going crazy since she hadn’t heard from anyone, so you went back inside and typed out a quick message to her that told her nothing explicitly - but still let her know that everything at the RV was alright. Good morning, hope you guys are having better weather at the beach than we are here; it’s raining so hard! Can’t pack up and go home until it slows down - yuck. 

She answered almost immediately, sending a picture from through a window of the ocean and the blue sky, along with a message of her own. 

Fingers crossed it stops soon. The weather is perfect here. 

Leaving your phone on the table, you grabbed an armful of towels and then went back outside, just in time to see the guys coming back through the trees. Will was in the lead and the others followed close behind. They were all soaked to the bone, and you had no idea how the clothes they wore would burn. They won’t. Biting your lip, you watched as they got closer. 

To your surprise, they all stopped and began to strip about ten feet from where you stood, piling their clothes in front of them. Under any other circumstances, it would have been a beautiful thing to see, but that morning, it was somber. Will dragged his hands through his hair and Benny swiped his locks away from his face, both of them heading for you in only their underwear as Frankie and Pope stayed behind, deep in conversation. 

They grabbed towels, thanking you for thinking of getting them as they started to dry themselves off. “Is… how did that go?”

“Gator came and grabbed him almost as soon as we put him in the water.” Benny rubbed at his face. “And then a couple more joined in.” That was a good thing, though you didn’t imagine that it had been easy for them to see. “He stayed a wolf, which is lucky for us. So even if something is eventually found, it won’t be …” It won’t be Tom. 

“I’m sorry about your friend. I -”

“He got what was coming to him.” Will cleared his throat. “I’m sorry for his family, but Tom made his choice.” You agreed, but that didn’t negate the guilt you felt. “We’re going to take turns cleaning up. Can’t fully shower here, because there’s too many of us. But we need to wait for the rain to stop to check the clearing. So we’re going to be here for a while.” 

“Should I make breakfast? You’ve all got to be starving, especially Frankie.” It would keep you busy - and from getting too lost in your own thoughts. “I don’t know what’s here,  but there’s got to be stuff in the cabinets.” 

“You don’t have to do anything.” Pope and Frankie stepped up, and Benny handed them each a towel. “You need to eat too.” 

You agreed, but didn’t get anything else out before Pope said he was going to go inside and make a pot of coffee. Benny and Will followed moments later, leaving you and Frankie alone - and under the awning, the sound of rain hitting the metal above you soothing. 

It was different between you - a distance that had never been there previously feeling like it was growing by the second - and you hated it. “Frankie, are we …. Are we alright?” You didn’t like asking - didn’t like voicing your worry to him, especially after what he’d been through, but you couldn’t help yourself. “This feels … I just …”

“I don’t want to have this conversation here.” He turned his head, eyes scanning the open space in front of you. “I want to do it when we’re warm and dry and showered.” That made sense, but it still didn’t answer your question. “Are you doing ok? Aside from the bite, I mean.” 

“I think so.” You inched closer, nodding. “I don’t think it’s really hit me yet, though. So much has happened in the last few hours, and -”

“You know I’m gonna be right there with you, right? Next month, I mean. You’re not alone, and you won’t be.” He cleared his throat. “And even if you don’t want to stay here and go through this in Florida with me, you’ve got Ashley and Alec, and they’re your family, so -”

“I don’t want to go anywhere.” You put your hand on his chest, his skin warm despite the fact that he was still damp. “If… when I turn next month, there’s no one else I want to be with.” You saw the relief on his face, and for the first time, realized that Frankie had not only had to go through the previous hours dealing with Tom, but with the thought in his mind that because you’d been bitten, you wouldn’t want anything to do with him anymore. “Frankie, this doesn’t change how I feel about you.” You stepped closer, making sure to make - and hold - eye contact with him. “Not at all.” 

“You sure?” He ducked his head, tucking his chin against his chest. “Because I’d understand if you wanted to get the fuck out of here and not look back. I did this to you. I -”

“This isn’t your fault. I don’t blame you. I blame Tom. You didn’t do this to me, he did.” You leaned in, hesitating only briefly before pressing your lips to his. “I love you, Francisco. That didn’t change overnight, and it won’t.” It seemed to be enough for him, because he nodded and then reached for you, winding both arms around you and pulling you closer, though he did it gently. “We need to go inside. We need to get dry clothes on and eat something, and -”

“Yeah.” Frankie agreed but didn’t let you go. “Yeah, we do.” 

— 

[kaaragen]

Thanks for tagging me @bluedeedeedoop! And sorry for taking *checks notes* half a month to get around to doing it XD

And thank you for the shout out as well! That's very kind of you and made my week! (I would also reap many souls to turn it into an animated series)

(It's been a month...)

What's the origin of your blog's title?: Stupidest thing ever, but I needed a name and at the time I had a craving for kaarage chicken. So...there we are XD

Favorite Fandoms: Star Wars and Warhammer are my two big ones at the moment. Doctor Who is the other.

OTP(S) + shipname: Barrisoka, obviously

Cadora (Catra + Adora)

Vihan (Gohan + Videl) is probably the first ship I remember getting invested in so I suppose that's the original OTP

Favorite Color: It'll vary between blue and green depending on my mood

Favorite Game: Hmm...All time? I'd say Majora's Mask. Currently? I'm enjoying Sonic Frontiers.

Song stuck in your head: Currently none which is a rarity XD

Weirdest habit/trait: I will have extended conversations with myself, as different characters. Which is surprisingly handy for writing!

Hobbies: Writing and reading. I keep meaning to paint more miniatures but that doesn't seem to be happening. I've recently got back into drawing though, and I'm enjoying that. Though finding the time to do everything continues to be an issue!

If you could have any job you wish what would it be?: Professional writer is the dream.

Something you're good at: Staying calm

Something you're bad at: Saying no and setting boundaries

Something you excel at: Procrastinating

Something you could talk about for hours without off the cuff: Star Wars, Warhammer, Doctor Who, politics

Something you hate: Being crowded in on

Something you collect: Warhammer models specifically, but I have a hard time letting go of things so I accumulate a lot XD

Books I suppose to, in that I have far more than I'll ever get around to reading.

Something you forget: Too much to mention!

hat's your love language?: Helping others and being available from me; being given space for me.

Favorite movie/show: Hmm...that's a hard one...Currently I would say Ran.

Favorite food: Fried chicken of any sort really!

Favorite animal: Wolves and seals would be my two I think

Are you musical?: I could be, I did use to play instruments, but I have no real passion for it. So no.

Favorite subject in school: English and history. Also biology but I was no good at it

Least favorite subject: Probably math

What's your best character trait?: Patience

Worst character trait: I really struggle with focusing and can also overthink very easily. Doomspiralling is real!

If you could change any detail of your day right now,what would it be?: More time!

If you could travel in time, who would you like to meet?: I suppose I would like to see my younger self and say some things. Historically, and assuming I can converse with them etc. then Akira Kurosawa.

Recommend one of your favorite fanfics: Difficult to pick, so I'll take two which are @minimareanie's Bloodlines of Serenno, which follows the cool scenario of Ahsoka being adopted by Count Dooku, and @kirahsoka's Cruising Solo which is a great Barrisoka modern day AU!

No pressure tags are: @jedimasterbailey, @stellanslashgeode, @devondeal

Getting to know your mutuals

I was tagged by @kroganloveinterest

Thank you for the tag! ❤️

What's the origin of your blog's title?

Cayde-6 is my favorite Destiny character (shocking,I know) and so I just meshed the acronym Bae (Before Anyone Else) and Cayde's name together.

Favorite Fandoms:

Cracks knuckles In no particular order: Destiny,(Old School) Disney,(mostly old school)Star Wars (The Mandalorian was fantastic),Elder Scrolls,Tolkien,Firefly, Baldur's Gate 3,Fable,Witcher,Dragon Age,Marvel,Batman,The Mummy,Indiana Jones,Mass Effect,Once Upon a Time,The Legend of Zelda,Back to the Future and almost anything involving Dragons. I really like dragons.

OTP(S) + shipname:

Dang,do we still do ship names?

Captain Swan from Once Upon a Time.

SHAKARIAN (Shepard and Garrus Vakarian otp,Mass Effect "No Shepard without Vakarian".)

Alistair and the Grey Warden (Dragon Age Origins,not sure what the ship name is)

FenHawke (Fenris/Hawke Dragon Age II)

Trevelyan and Cullen (Dragon Age Inquisition)

And every single oc I have with their respective partners. I don't really have ship names for any of them though,and even though my Hunter is probably my most fleshed out oc that I have,it's not like she has a fanbase that can name the ship(s) for me. 😂

(Tae+Cayde?Taelia + Crow? Idk don't judge me, I've never thought that hard about it.Taelia and Crow are both pretty bird themed though... I'm going to have to think about this now aren't I...?)

Favorite Color:

Blue,Pink,Purple,and Green.

(I know it says "color" as in a singular color,but I do what I want.)

Favorite Game: I've played Skyrim a ridiculous amount of times so probably Skyrim or Ocarina of Time.

Song stuck in your head:Mr.Brightside is usually a safe bet.That song lives rent free in my head for some reason.

(Higher Ground by Imagine Dragons is also in there a lot.)

Weirdest habit/trait:I'll do random impressions/accents sometimes. My friends seem to enjoy it though so that's all that matters to me. Sometimes they join in.❤️

Hobbies:Playing videogames with friends,reading,singing,watching movies. I used to paint and sketch,but I don't really do that anymore...I really should because I miss it,even if it's just for me.

If you could have any job you wish what would it be?

Something that makes me happy. Something involving art of some kind/where I have a creative outlet.✨

Something you're good at:

Being humble.✨

Something you're bad at:

Opening up to people about stuff that actually matters. Letting myself be vulnerable. So if I've let myself be vulnerable,even just a little around you, congratulations,you somehow started to break the surface of my nearly impenetrable emotional walls,keep chipping away and maybe you'll get somewhere one day. 👈👈😎

Something you excel at:

Making people laugh and being a good friend. It might not mean much to other people,but I'm proud of that. I know I'm the friend that I would want even though it's not always reciprocated/taken for granted by my friends.

Something you love:

Making people laugh.

Something you could talk about for hours without off the cuff:

(See fandoms above.)

Something you hate:I don't really hate anything...wait...this is ridiculously specific,but Tanlorin's hair in ESO. I can't with that stupid hair. I hate it with a burning passion.It's too modern for me for a High fantasy mmorpg.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

That and when guys act like girls can't/don't know how to play videogames I've had guys literally try to  "teach" me things about games I've been playing longer than them. They also knew this when they asked.

I once had a guy ask me if I wanted him to walk me through the entirety (and I do mean the entirety) of BG3 (Hi! Hello! Regular honor mode player here.👋✨) and one asked me if I knew Skyrim had mods and if I knew how to install them. (This was after I told him how I had been playing Skyrim,at the time, for 5+ years.)

Something you collect: Nerd merch. I have a lot of Loki related items and different Funko pops. I also have a Ghost replica that lights up (not to mention a lot of nerd shirts/sweatshirts including a Cayde-6 one.)

Something you forget:

I'm not really sure. If I forget anything I must have forgotten it. 😉

(I have a good memory. So not much tbh.)

What's your love language?: Probably all, if we're being honest.

Favorite movie/show:

Movie:The Lion King (the original, not the cgi one)

Show:I've watched both Once Upon a Time and Firefly a ridiculous amount of times. Like...I know the dialogue as I'm watching it ridiculous (At least the first season of Once,I didn't memorize all of the seasons 😂).

Favorite food: Probably pizza? 🍕 

Favorite animal:I really like Lions,Tigers and Wolves. Owls are my favorite bird.

Are you musical?: I was a theater kid growing up.I was in musicals and talent shows. I sing still. In school I played piano,drums,steel drums, trombone and guitar. Now I mostly use those talents as a bard in RP/videogames.😅 (A friend of mine and I recently watched the d&d movie and when the bard appeared she pointed at the screen and said "It's you!")

Favorite subject in school:English and music both have my heart.❤️

Least favorite subject:Math.

What's your best character trait?: I'm kind and just a really caring,loving person.

Worst character trait: That kindness does not extend to myself most of the time.

If you could change any detail of your day right now,what would it be?

A portal would open to one of my favorite fictional worlds near me.

If you could travel in time,who would you like to meet?

David Bowie,Robin Williams,Bob Ross,Steve Irwin,or for completely unrelated reasons,as of this post,Nathan Fillion about 20 years ago.👀

Recommend one of your favorite fanfics:

I don't really read fanfics that often. My friends send me a lot of their oc lore (one time a friend sent me 34 pages worth),so that.I love reading about my friend's OC's. As always,if anyone has recommendations,feel free to let me know.

I also have writer mutuals on here and I read their stories when I can.❤️

@imonthemoonitsmadeofcheese and @nova-rosa

I think I got all of the questions. I had to copy/paste them individually so I might have missed a couple,if I did,I apologize,it was late when I started doing these. 👀

I'm going to tag (but do not feel obligated to answer,just thinking about you.❤️) @crimsonmischief @dredgen-dumbass @imonthemoonitsmadeofcheese @nova-rosa @khaoticspartan @beyond-the-light @taniks-the-final-shape

Phew. I need a cup of coffee now.☕

[thatswhatsushesaid]

imagine being so bereft of joy that you cannot stop yourself from leaving this comment on a benign "look at this fun fandom mug my spouse bought me, enjoy this funny personal anecdote to go with it" post

sorry for existing i guess???

[aleksanderscult]

Other authors: *spends their hour writing scenes where the manipulative character uses intriguing and clever forms to deceit others in a way that makes the readers' skin crawl*

Leigh Bardugo: "the darkling is manipulative because I say so"

Readers: "proof?"

Leigh Bardugo: "nah bro trust me"

[lorillee]

im really normal about them <- lie

[moe-broey]

Some ROUGH notes (some lines def need cleaning/work but please bear w me)/jotting down bare minimum details

BUT LIKE. Early on but far enough along that they've got the Trust Pact activated (wherein Moe was able to successfully get Alfonse to talk about his feelings/confide in Someone At Least -- that someone being itself. For convenience, I'm sure. Failing to realize it may have just made a deal with the devil aka ON the condition that Moe has to confide/be emotionally honest With Him and it has. Maybe. Made a severe error.), AND they've been sucking and fucking throughout. Trust issues honoring demisexuality honoring. I feel like I had more to say but I am so tireds I just want to say these guys SUCK‼️‼️‼️ ASS‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️