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littlemissmentallyunstable · 20 days ago

Note

Can u write an enemies to lovers fic of Grayson X reader??? Plsss!!

thank you for your request and I apologise for the delay in writing it, my request list has been mountainous for a little while now and this particular fic actually also had lots of rewrites before the final piece. It began as an academic rivals sort of thing, then became family-feud but finally ended with whatever this is. I’m praying you enjoy this 🤍🤍

title: we’re just project partners

pairing: grayson hawthorne x (first person) reader

synopsis: you’re partnered with the one person you hate to complete a project you love… but what if he’s not as bad as you thought

warnings: swearing, gray-bae is being a nasty little b-word (BUT ITS FOR THE PLOT OKAY)

a/n: I am alive!! It’s just taken me a week and a bit to post again, I’m writing three fics at once so this one just happened to be done first

taglist: @lovethornes @whatsamongus @wish-i-were-heather @inmyheaddd @never-enough-novels @fleuriosa @midiosaamor @sweetreveriee @emelia07 @f4iry-bell @zaraaaabear @thoughtdaughter3 @benny1989fredd @elysianwayy77 @maybxlle @sheisntyou @anintellectualintellectual @aleatorio1234 @adalia-jaycee @off-to-the-r4ces @lyra-kane @reminiscentreader @lyrakanefanatic @imaseabear @elizaa31 @loveinalocket

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I roll my eyes, eyeing the names on the board.

It just has to be him doesn’t it.

“There must be a mistake,” Grayson says. I turn my head to look at him, for once we can agree on something.

“No there is no mistake,” the professor tusks, “class dismissed.”

Everyone gets up and begins to pack their stuff, chatting about the project and their partners and various other things. It sucks when you have no classes with your friends, but it sucks even more when you get partnered with your rival for a project.

I’m about to walk out of the classroom when I hear my name.

“Y/n l/n, come back a moment!”

I stop myself from rolling my eyes, I just want to go home. I spin around and sluggishly walk back to the teacher’s desk where she stands and beside her is the infamous arrogant prat Grayson Hawthorne.

“You have to change it,” Grayson snaps quickly, his voice so insistent, so sharp. I look up to see he’s gesturing to our names beside one another’s. Classic Hawthorne. Thinks he can command people to do whatever he pleases just because he feels entitled enough to do so.

“What you gonna do, bribe her if she says no?” I scoff, arms folded.

They both ignore me but my lip still quirk upwards, proud of the pathetic joke I’d made, even if I was the only one who found it funny.

“There will be no changes Mr Hawthorne,” our professor replies sincerely.

“You don’t understand,” he shakes his head so vigorously I have to bite back a laugh, “I can’t work with her.”

“Well you’re going to have to,” she says, “this is 30% of your grade for the year.”

His eyes widen and he almost looks panicked. Almost. Nevertheless it amuses me to see the stoic, ironclad blonde crack for mere seconds.

“Professor please,” he says so desperately he’s practically begging, which I’d always thought was too beneath him to do, “she’s impossible.”

“I’m impossible?” I raise my eyebrows.

He rolls his eyes and turns back to our teacher, “anyone but her. I’ll do it by myself if I have to.”

“I’ve told you once and I will only repeat myself one more time, there will be no changes made,” she says too calmly, “I don’t see the problem, you are both excellent students with some of the highest marks I’ve seen in my time. You need to get past whatever this little tiff is and move on. Bounce off of each other, enlighten each other, create a show stopping presentation.”

Such a teacher answer to give. Played off to be inspirational, really just a nice way of saying get on with it or you fail.

“On the contrary Miss, I think Hawthorne here is the only one kicking up a fuss, I haven’t uttered a word,” I point out.

“That may be true but don’t you think I can see the vicious looks aimed at both him and me?” she asks, accusation in her tone.

So maybe the dirty looks weren’t as sly as I’d thought them to be. Still, it wasn’t like he didn’t deserve them.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lie through my teeth, sweetened smile to sugarcoat it further.

“Perhaps it should be discussed in a detention then, I’m free after school tomorrow,” she proposes, her smile even sweeter than mine.

“No, no, that isn’t necessary,” I say quickly, “I’m suddenly horribly aware of the looks I’ve been giving.”

I’m not the kind of girl who gets detentions, actually I’d never gotten one in my life and I didn’t intend to change that. My record was perfect, it was going to stay perfect. My professor, annoyingly, knew that a bit too well.

“Good, I suppose no detention then,” she says, “and what about you Mr Hawthorne, would you like to discuss your stubborn means to switch partners in a detention with me?”

“No thank you,” he grits through his teeth, his jaw nearly set in stone. I fight back a grin at his irritation.

“Challenges are good for the mind,” she smiles, “and I have a feeling you two will very much challenge one another. You once told me you liked a challenge, no?”

“I do,” Grayson nods slowly, then side glances at me, “but not of this kind.”

I think it was meant to be an insult towards me but it was so poor it didn’t even come close to mildly hurting me so I don’t bother to respond.

“Try something new, branch out a little,” our professor shrugs, “and who knows, you may even enjoy each other’s company.”

“That is very optimistic,” I scoff at the same time as Grayson says, “that will never happen.”

“Only time will tell,” she replies with a whimsical look in her eyes, “good luck.”

We exit the classroom in the coldest of silences. Any colder and we would’ve had an ice palace with an interesting rendition of ‘let it go’. I vote Grayson plays Elsa.

He actually barely spares me a glance, with his jaw all clenched and tightened. I wonder at one point if he’s breathing. He’s so tense, the feeling smothers the air around me, suffocating any sense of relaxation. I turn to leave the building.

“Where are we going?” he questions, too assertive for my liking.

“I’m going home,” I tell him bluntly.

He furrows his brows, “why?”

“To get changed,” I deadpan.

“Why?” he repeats. I try to read his emotions but they’re not clear enough to define. He’s accustomed to hiding them.

I stare at him, “I don’t need to explain myself to you.”

“Fine, we’ll meet here in 15 minutes,” he decides.

I don’t reply as I turn on my heels and walk away.

***

After getting changed and piecing together all of the things I might need to study, all my notes and books and highlighters and pens, I walked back over to our ‘meeting place’. As I approach Grayson is already stood there with a sour expression on his face. Of course he’s already there.

“You’re late,” he tells me, his voice so bitter I wonder how many lemons it would take to rival it.

“No I’m exactly on time,” I sneer, flicking my phone in his face.

“It’s been 15 minutes and 43 seconds, so technically you’re 43 seconds late,” he smirks. I almost feel sorry for him because I can see how proud he feels after saying this, sense the smugness burning in his chest.

“Did you count?” I try extremely hard to suppress my laughter.

“Of course not, I wouldn’t waste my breath on that,” he rolls his eyes, then pauses slightly, “… I set a timer.”

“Of course you did,” I purse my lips with a sigh.

His screws his face up, “what’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s supposed to mean you’re a weird person who would time someone going home to get changed,” I shrug, attempting to walk past him.

Talk about being late, when he was the one stood here chattering on about meaningless subjects. He ignores the comment and briskly stands in front of me to block me from walking any further.

“What are you wearing anyway?” he asks, looking down on me with great distaste with all but his eyes.

“Clothes,” I deadpan, staring down at my much loved and slightly over worn band tee-shirt.

“They’re awful,” he tells me bluntly.

“Was that meant to hurt me?” I raise an eyebrow. I mean sure, it hurt a little, but I didn’t actually care what he thought. Or I shouldn’t at least.

“You could’ve picked something a little nicer to wear in public,” he continues, so cut-throat and cold.

I look directly into his mellowed silver eyes and wonder how someone with such soft, inviting eyes could be so sharp and jagged with the words he uses.

“Worried I’ll ruin your street credit,” I tease, “sully your good name with my sports leggings and band t-shirt?”

“I’m just surprised at your lack of care for your appearance,” he replies, a slight discomfort worming its way through his features. It makes me smile a little.

“I just think I’m not as fixated on it as you, I mean what’s with your outfit, James Bond? Do you own anything that’s not a suit and tie,” I ask.

“Matter-o-factly I do,” he replies bluntly as if to end the conversation.

So of course I continue it, “so do you just stare at those clothes then, hanging in your walk in wardrobe.”

His eyes snap up and his stare is suddenly so piercing it hurts to hold eye contact, “how do you know I have a walk in wardrobe,” he practically spits, in a defensive tongue.

I snort, “that was a joke, but yeesh rich boy you’ve got it all.”

“Rich boy, how original,” Grayson comments.

“I’ve got more,” I shoot back with that smile I know makes his blood boil and skin singe.

“Spare me them,” he responds, “sweetheart.”

A forbidden fluttering occurs in the pit of my stomach, it’s as if eight hundred butterflies have decided to dance a jive there. Some feeling between guilt and shame settles in my chest. The word sweetheart shouldn’t make me feel anything, least of all from the mouth of Grayson Hawthorne.

But it was the way he said it, so softly, so smoothly, the word just rolled off of his tongue like he’d called me it for years. It almost sounded nice. The guilt weighs heavier on my chest and I snap out of it. I don’t feel anything. For anyone. Least of all him.

“Awww you’ve got a nickname for me too Goldilocks,” I reply with a laugh to bury the truth.

“Did you not hear the spare me part?” he tusks, beginning to walk.

I shake my head, walking a little faster than usual to keep up with his strides, “sorry I usually don’t listen when someone irrelevant talks.”

He scowls at me and I wink back.

“Did your face get stuck in a permanent scowl as a child or were you just born unhappy?” I cock my head to the side and narrow my eyes.

“Do you ever shut up?” Grayson asks flatly.

“My therapist told me not to hold back,” I shrug.

“Doesn’t that explain a lot,” he says dryly, shooting me a look that makes me feel inferior. I go to bite my tongue, but ask myself when I’m trying to hold back. I don’t owe him anything.

I stare at him, “don’t look so disgusted blondie, just because you’re too up yourself to admit you need help doesn’t mean all of us are.”

“I don’t need help,” Grayson replies, each word candid and dull.

Something in me almost feels sorry for him. Did he really think he didn’t need help? Did he really feel that alone and isolated? I wanted, in that moment, to reach out and be there for him. Then I remember who he is.

“Whatever you say,” I sigh.

“We’re working at my house,” he responds abruptly, as we get to the end of the street.

I fold my arms and raise my eyebrows, “says who?”

“Me,” he shrugs.

“And who are you to tell me where I’m working?” I ask.

“I’m your partner and I’m making a decision,” he presses on, stubbornly. Little does he know, I’m twice as stubborn and I’m not going to back down.

“I don’t think you really understand how this whole project thing works,” I say.

“I’ve done plenty of projects and I can very much assure you, I understand what I’m doing,” he grumbles back, clearly annoyed that he isn’t getting his way this time. Someone has to teach him I suppose.

“Oh great,” I smile sickeningly sweetly, “then we’re not working at yours.”

“Why on earth not?” he screws up his face as if I’ve just told him I want to skin a cat alive.

“I don’t want to,” I reply simply.

“Well I do,” he argues back.

“That’s a shame,” I shrug softly, leaving him with no option.

He shakes his head and runs a hand through his perfect hair, “you are insufferable.”

“That the worst you got Hawthorne?” I giggle a little, turning left to walk down the pathway.

“And impossible,” he says, following me.

“Oh you wound me,” I say hyperbolically, putting I hand in my head and feigning a dizzy spell.

Grayson rolls his eyes, he’s done it so many times now I’m worried they might get stick here soon, “can we just work?”

“Where?” I shoot him a lopsided grin.

He sighs, most likely suppressing some very colourful language, “why don’t you decide seen as my ideas oppose you.”

“Much like your entire personality,” I let him know.

“My personality is fine,” he replies, probably trying to soothe his rapidly declining pride under that suit of his.

“Mhmmm,” I nod sarcastically, “and I have a unicorn that shits cupcakes called Craig.”

“Really?” he wrinkles his nose, “profanities?”

“Oh no is it too beneath the great Grayson Hawthorne to say fuck every now and then,” I laugh.

He tenses and mutters something under his breath. I don’t quite hear the words but you can see he’s fuming. It ignites something in me, a spark. I like seeing him furious. I really like it.

“Where do you want to work?” he asks me, grey eyes a little too distracting for my liking.

“The library,” I tell him, my answer almost immediate.

He tries to mask his horror but fails miserably, “in public?”

“You’re not going to get cholera,” I snort.

“Can’t we just work somewhere nicer,” he complains.

“The library is nice,” I tell him, “and they have a coffee stand outside and I want coffee so that’s where we’re going.”

“And you call me demanding,” he mutters underneath us breath.

***

We walk to the library bickering about how fast he walks and how slow I apparently walk. In my personal opinion I think he was walking fast on purpose, he obviously disagreed.

“Do you even know where you’re going?” I ask him, it now only just dawning on me that he was leading the way yet he didn’t know where the library was.

“I’m not an idiot,” Grayson spits back, nose in the air, posture upright and powerful.

He always carries himself like that as if he’s saviour of the world and we should all bow down to kiss his presumably pedicured feet.

“Are you sure?” I tease him.

“Certain,” he snaps regimentally.

“We’re here,” I say halting conversation to walk up to the coffee stand.

“I knew that,” he mumbled.

He glances at the cart, looking it up and down like it needs to be judged and inspected to his high standards.

“What is this?” he interrogates me.

“It’s called a coffee cart in english but in rich boy it might be called something else, I haven’t studied the language yet,” I respond coolly.

“Is this even safe to drink?” Grayson says, some variant of worry wavering in his tone.

“It’s coffee,” I deadpan, “not raw chicken.”

He rolls his eyes in an exaggerated manner.

“I like it and I’m getting some,” I tell him bluntly, “you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”

“No,” he checks his watch, “I need a coffee, this’ll have to do.”

I don’t bother wasting my breath to respond but make a mental note that maybe the Hawthorne wasn’t so different from me, addicted to coffee.

“Hey Jack,” I wave, walking closer to the cart.

I’d known Jack for a good eight years of my life, he was my rock. The smile in endless clouds of grey, the light at the end of the tunnel and of course, most importantly, the coffee provider to my caffeine deprived being.

“Bonsoir sunshine what can I get you,” he grins his usual grin at me, the witty mischief-ridden grin is known since I was nine years old. His eyes slide over Grayson judgementally though when he realises I’m watching him he immediately flicks back to his job.

“The usual of course,” he makes sure.

“You come here often?” Grayson raises an eyebrow, interrupting my answer.

“Just every day,” Jack says, before I can get a word out. I shoot him a look.

Grayson looks at me, “every day?”

“I really like coffee,” I explain with an exaggerated hand gesture.

“Coffee is bad for your health,” he responds almost immediately.

I suppress the hundreds of colourful words exploding in my mind settling for a more well-mannered reply, “well it’s good for my mental stability.”

“She’s addicted now,” Jack adds, “she’ll get withdrawal symptoms without it.”

“Shaking, sweating, you name it, I get it,” I continue.

“That sounds like a serious health condition,” Grayson says, his eyebrows pinching together. It was so soft I could’ve mistakened the expression for concern. But of course, why would he be concerned for me. I must’ve been reading it wrong.

“Hence me buying this coffee,” I tell him.

“Blueberry muffin, on the house,” Jack offers me, as if he didn’t every Friday.

We had a deal, I was allowed to take a free blueberry muffin that came out of his earnings if he kept up to date with his school work. Jack had always had a problem with handing things in on time and concentrating and school wasn’t his strong point. He hated going and was so close to dropping out too many times. That was until I made him stay. I talked him into it and he promises me he doesn’t regret it. It seems this week, he’s turned in all assignments on time.

I smiled, “you mean on the cart?”

“Sure whatever,” he brushes it off, “anything else?”

His eyes dare to skim over Grayson again though he is quick to come back and meet my gaze, his cheeks flush like he’s a child who’s done something wrong.

I turn to Grayson, “what do you want?”

“I’ll pay for myself,” he says shortly, looking slightly offended at my question.

I screw up my nose at him, “I wasn’t going to offer to pay for you asshole.”

“Play nice, sunshine,” Jack teases.

I glare at him and his smile quickly fades.

“You can’t play nice with that,” I glower.

He shoots me a look, the turns to Grayson, “what can I get you sir?”

“It’s not the evening,” Grayson replies.

Jack’s eyes are lost in a blanket of confusion, “sorry?”

“It’s not the evening it’s the afternoon,” he clarifies, as if it made the meaning of his sentence any clearer.

“You’ve lost me sir,” he shakes his head with furrowed brows.

“You said bonsoir but it isn’t the evening,” he chastises, “it’s afternoon and therefore you should’ve said bon après-midi.”

Jack turns to me, bewildered, “is he on drugs?”

“Probably,” I shrug. I wouldn’t be surprised if the rich kid had private access to that sort of stuff, he probably had the lawyers to cover it up as well.

“Are you…” Jack hesitates, “…you know?”

He makes an odd gesture with two fingers as I confuse to stare at him blankly.

“No I don’t know,” I reply.

“Are you with him,” he asks, “romantically.”

I almost choke on my own spit as I bark out a laugh, “oh god no.”

For a fraction of a second a look of relief passes over Jack’s features. Something uninvited tugs at my insides but I quickly ignore it.

“You’d be lucky,” Grayson scoffs.

“Oh he fancies himself,” Jack grins, clearly amused.

“Yeah it’s an ego thing, his is massive,” I explain.

“No it’s not,” the blonde insists.

“In denial as well,” Jack smirks, folding his arms.

“Always,” I say, then turn to Grayson, “now what do you want to drink because if you don’t tell him now I’m taking mine and ditching you.”

“Black coffee, no cream, no sugar,” the answer was instant, rehearsed.

“Ooo you made a hardcore friend,” Jack snickers, I want to slap him.

“We are not friends,” I make clear.

“Yeesh okay,” he raises his eyebrows, lifting his hands up as if he’d been convicted of a crime.

“And let’s be realistic here, rich boy probably has a massive sweet tooth and is too embarrassed to let people know,” I say with a sly smirk.

“Oh one hundred percent!” Jack nods, handing me my cup and muffin.

“I do not,” Grayson mutters, but loudly enough for us both to hear.

“That’s confirmed then,” Jack winks at me.

I giggle as he hands Grayson his drink. We exchange payment and then comes the dreaded point where I actually have to leave to get work done. Usually coming to the library for me was getting to see Jack and getting my coffee, not the actual going to library part.

“See you tomorrow,” I smiled sadly.

“Hopefully without thunder face here,” Jack says.

“I can hear you,” Grayson says curtly, before taking a sip of his coffee.

“I know,” Jack shrugs.

“I hope so too,” I reply to his previous comment, “bye!”

“Bye,” he salutes me as I turn around and begin to walk.

I’m aware that Grayson is by my side but neither of us speak. The only sounds come from our surroundings and the alternating elongated sips of coffee were taking to avoid talking. I practically inhale my muffin, after skipping lunch as school had booked my time table that way.

“I didn’t like the way he looked at you,” Grayson says suddenly with a sour expression on his face.

“The way he looked at me was none of your business,” I reply sharply, indicating for him to drop the subject unless me wanted a fight.

“Well I didn’t like it,” he continued. Fine, he wants a fight.

“I don’t really care,” I shrug, “he’s Jack, he’s been a friend since freaking kindergarten, he’s got no dishonourable intentions.”

A slight exaggerated lie on my part, but I wasn’t ashamed. It feels like I’ve known Jack that long anyway, the technicalities don’t matter.

“You don’t know that,” he states.

“I know that better than anyone now back off okay?” I snap, “or you and I will have a real problem.”

He laughs, “you’re almost adorable when you’re angry.”

“Adorable?” I say, fantasising spitting in his face after that comment.

“Almost,” he corrects me.

“I can throw a good hard punch and I’m not afraid to,” I warn him.

“Oh I’m sure you’re not,” he says, a ghost of a smile twitching on his lips, “I can see as much in your eyes.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I ask, raising my voice a little.

He stays quiet and averts his eyes, deciding to ignore me a continue walking.

“Oh ignore the question, real mature,” I roll my eyes, “so glad I’m having a proper adult conversation.”

Silence hits again, like a sonic boom of nothingness. He doesn’t even look at me. It’s as if I don’t exist, as if in the last three seconds I’ve become an irrelevant invisible being.

I stop Grayson in his tracks and force him to meet my eyes, “stay away from Jack,” I practically growl, “or I’ll fail this assignment on purpose.”

“We both know you wouldn’t damage your perfectionist reputation for petty revenge,” he murmurs, our faces only inches away from one another’s.

“I have a talent for getting myself out of things,” I cock my head to the side in an art of competition, my cheeks flushing at the realisation that I could feel his warm breath on my face.

“How funny,” he counters, “me too.”

His eyes are narrowed to challenge me. Okay Hawthorne, game on.

***

We’ve been researching for an hour with no further conversation. Since our previous altercation neither one of us had so much as looked up from our laptops. The only reason I knew he was still sat opposite me was the sound of his keyboard typing. I get out my textbook and begin to highlight the lines I need to use

“Why are you using six different highlighters?”

The first thing he says to me in an hour is that? I don’t bother looking up.

“Why do you care?” I ask, my eyes flicking over to my work, my hands continuing to highlight information.

“It’s annoying me,” he shrugs.

“Okay,” I reply slowly, “it sounds like more of a you problem to me.”

I look up. Grayson is staring right at me, his steel eyes cold looking on my face. He opens his mouth to reply but my surprise gets there first.

“You wear glasses?” I gape.

“Seen as I’ve had them on for the last hour that would make sense,” he teases.

“I never see you wear them at school,” I explain.

“That’s because I don’t,” he pauses, “why were you looking at me in school?”

“It was just generally, like I’d waste my time looking at you,” I roll my eyes.

Then catch his for a moment. My head tilts to the side. Something feels off about him. He looks warmer, softer, calmer.

“What?” he asks, clearly annoyed.

“You look weird,” I blurt out before my brain can filter it.

“How lovely of you to say,” he replies dryly.

“You don’t look like you,” I say, “you look more…”

Human. That’s what I want to say but I trail off instead.

“More what?” he prompts.

“It doesn’t matter,” I shake my head, getting back to my book. I can feel his eyes on me.

He stares me down quizzically, like he’s trying to work me out, “I know what you’re trying to do.”

“Highlight my textbook in peace? Yeah,” I scoff, “but that’s not really happening anymore.”

“You’re trying to get under my skin,” he seethes.

“By highlighting my book?” I raise my eyebrows.

“In six different colours,” he reminds me, as if I don’t already know.

I sigh, “I dare say that coffee made you even more of a bitch.”

He rolls his eyes, “you really feel the need to use those words?”

“No but I feel the need to punch you,” I retort.

“Well I’m right here, why don’t you?” he challenges.

“Because I have a level of self control,” I shrug gently.

“Are you quite sure?” he asks me.

He doesn’t realise I’m not the kind of girl to question myself just because a man did first. I’m not that kind of girl at all.

“Are you quite finished?” I reply, just a smoothly to mirror him.

“No.”

Our eyes linger on each others and it feels like we share a million unspoken conversation through the patterns of our irises. I’m fixated on him like I’ve been fixated on no other before. It’s not me but that doesn’t make me pull away. His gaze becomes more concentrated, harder to ignore without unwelcome feelings arising so I look back down to my highlighters and pick up for where I left off, except now I had a thumping heart in my chest.

I slide a sweaty palm on my trousers keeping it hidden under the table. I finish up my highlighting and then begin type up the final few notes I have to get done. After that, it’s over. I get to leave, I get my freedom, I get to breathe.

“I’m finished,” he announces when I’m mid sentence. Why is his tone always so articulated, so definitive?

“Okay I’m nearly there,” I say, frantically typing the last of my notes.

“Bit slow,” he comments.

I roll my eyes with no energy to reply. He’s done me in today. I’m exhausted at the thought of more bickering. With a few more clicks of my keyboard I complete all that I wanted to.

“I’m done,” I exhale, “just send me your work so I can proofread and check the facts.”

“You doubt my skill?” he raises an eyebrow.

I shrug, “I don’t know you well enough to trust it.”

“Then send me yours,” he purses his lips, “and I’ll do the same.”

“Okay then,” I say, sending him over my copy slowly.

He opens it and begins to read as I open his. My eyes are just in the middle of the second paragraph when there’s an untimely interrupted.

“It’s a waste of time,” he says suddenly, irritation thick in his tone.

“Not if I find mistakes,” I sing song, not taking my eyes off of his page, knowing full well I’d have to reread this sentence and other four times.

“You won’t,” he snaps.

“Oh take it out!” I exclaim finally, growing too exasperated to keep my feelings at bay.

He grows suddenly extremely confused, providing a perfect answer, “what?”

“The stick, wedged up your backside!” I whisper-yell, exasperated, “just yank it out already.”

“Excuse me!” he widens his eyes, looking highly disgusted.

“You’re rigid as a board, you never smile, your muscles are literally tensed, chill out a little,” I breathe, “I literally just want to check over the notes, why is it nearly world war three?”

“Your imagination is quite something,” he comments, practically ignoring all that I’d just said.

“So is your expressionless face,” I answer with a small shrug.

Grayson’s lips twist into a smile, “you think my face is quite something?”

“Don’t flatter yourself Hawthorne,” I scoff, rolling my eyes.

“I’ll try not to,” he replies.

“It must be hard for you,” I tease.

“Not as hard it is for you to admit you like my face,” he continues to smirk, annoying twinging through me with each curve of his mouth.

“If liking it means I want to spit in it, then yeah I really like your face,” I reply.

He leans over the table, getting closer, “you’re revolting.”

“Get the dictionary out for the next adjective,” I taunt him, “there’s one behind you.”

He doesn’t respond and I take that as my win. His eyes just become fixated on my notes all of a sudden. My stomach dances a little. I feel nervous, why do I feel nervous? It’s just Grayson, reading my notes… but my leg is bouncing up and down and I’m holding my breath without realising it. The clock has never ticked so loudly.

I focus on his notes and unfortunately realise he’s right. There are no mistakes. How annoying. I wanted to make him feel stupid for being so arrogant but he had a right to be. His work was practically perfect. Of course there are things I would’ve written differently but it didn’t taken away from the fact that his work was masterful.

“There’s a mistake,” he says suddenly.

Damn it.

“What?” I ask.

“In your work,” he smiles, almost proudly.

“Okay?” I say, “that’s why we proof things, hence proving my earlier point of the important of proofreading.”

“You got the date wrong,” he explains.

“Which one?” I furrow my brows, dates were the first thing I checked usually. It wasn’t like me to make mistakes on them unless I was distracted.

“1922 should be 1923,” he counters, showing me on his screen.

“Must’ve been a typo,” I shrug.

“Or poor research,” he replied smugly.

“Well I’ve written down 1923,” I tap my pen on my paper notes, “so it must have been a typo,”

“Well you should proofread more carefully then?” he says.

“Maybe I should’ve,” I nod.

He’s got nothing left to say. He can’t argue with me if I’ve agreed with him. Silence hit us like the dead. You could cut the tension with a knife.

“Just correct it,” I finally breathe.

“I will,” he says, tapping at the keys.

“Done?” I ask once he’s finished.

“Done,” he consolidates.

“Great so now we can leave,” I say, standing up, a little too eager to get out.

“Not yet,” Grayson tells me, his words slow and staccato.

“What is this? Some sort of damnation? I want to go home,” I exclaim.

“Well we need to seal our work with our fingerprints,” he explains.

I stare at him blankly, it feels like he’s just said something to me in a strange foreign language, “what?”

“Put fingerprint recognition onto the data base so only we can open our work,” he clarifies, as if it makes it any easier for me to understand.

“Why?” I ask cluelessly.

“So no one can hack into it,” he replies.

“Why do you say it likes it’s obvious?” I say.

“Because it is obvious,” he shrugs.

“Only you would have a fingerprint recognition for school assignments,” I roll my eyes.

“Well I want them secure,” he says.

“Clearly,” I snort.

He opens his mouth to reply but I interrupt him before he can get there.

“Let’s just get this over with, I want to go home tonight,” I sigh.

“Fine,” he says, “you just have to tap here.”

I place my finger where he directed it but it didn’t work. Huffing, I jab my finger at the screen a few times harshly. I’m surprised I don’t break the screen.

“I said tap, not murder,” Grayson says.

“I’m imagining it’s your face,” I growl back, still tapping relentlessly at the uncooperative piece of technology.

“It’s cute you think you’d even get close to touching my face,” he replies cooly.

I smack his forehead sharply. His reflexes aren’t fast enough to register it until the act is done. He sits there, stunned and blinking.

“Still cute?” I ask, batting my eyelashes.

“Adorable,” he growls, a sarcastic venom dripping from every letter.

I groan, as the fingerprint fails me again, “it’s not working.”

“You’re doing it wrong,” he tusks.

“Come on then genius,” I roll my eyes, “show me how it’s done.”

I’m surprised when he takes my hand gently and guides it to the screen. That familiar jolt in my stomach returns. He’s so delicate with me, as if I’m worthy of being treated fragile. He applies light pressure to the tip of my thumb so the fingerprint recognition goes through, his eyes fixated on the screen. Mine are on him.

“There, that’s how it’s done,” he says, snapping me out of my thoughts. The screen lit up green.

He let go of my hand and a wave of shame rolls over me because I’m disappointed he let go.

“Good then,” I nod, mentally telling myself to stop thinking such nonsense, “I need to get home.”

“It’s 6pm,” he deadpans.

“And I need to get home,” I repeat, remembering what an aggravating human being he could be. It washed away any tentative hand touch in an instant.

“But the assignment-“

“We have three weeks,” I say, “don’t get your kickers in a twist Barbie 2.0.”

“The names keep getting better,” he grits through his teeth.

“Well practice makes perfect,” I tease, enjoying myself a little too much

“Doesn’t it just,” he smiles sarcastically.

I sigh shaking my head, “why did she have to pair me with you?”

“I don’t know why you’re complaining, you got the better end of the bargain,” he says with a laboured laugh.

I pause and stare at him, “how?”

“You were partnered with me,” he states, “I’m coherent, cohesive, co-“

“Too many co words Mr,” I cut in.

“But I got you,” he says.

“You say it as if I’m a piece of shit on your shoe,” I practically spit at him. I hate the way me makes me feel inferior.

“Well you’re not exactly pleasant to be around,” Grayson defends, leaning back in his chair.

“Ditto.”

“You’re annoying, irritating-“

“They’re literally synonyms of each other,” I yell over him, earning myself a stern look from the librarian.

“I mean you’re clearly very argumentative,” he says, gesturing his hands as if I were proving his point, “but I wouldn’t put it past you, after all I’m presuming your background didn’t give you lessons in etiquette.”

I clench my jaw to keep it from dropping. I knew he was nasty but I didn’t know he could be cruel.

“My background?” I question him. I know what he means, I just want to see if he’s brave enough this stick his neck out and explain it

“You’re a scholarship student,” he shrugs.

“How do you know that,” I ask quickly.

No one is meant to know that. The headmaster assured me no one could possibly find out and yet Grayson Hawthorne knew. How funny. He only shrugs in response, he wasn’t going to let up that information. He could see it meant something to me.

“I know you think you’re king of the world and all that but it wouldn’t kill you to take your head out of your ass every once in a while and breath some fresh air,” I raise my voice a little, wildly furious.

“Must you be so creative with your insults,”he asks dryly

“Must you be so blatantly rude with yours,” I shoot back.

“So it’s not true?” he replies.

“You don’t have the right to judge me on what you think you know about my life,” I snap fiercely.

He raises his eyebrows, “sorry, did I hit a nerve?”

“You hit nothing,” I mutter.

He smiles to himself, he knows he hit something.

“I’ll be leaving now then, see you later,” I say, the annoyance too thick in my tone for me to hide. I stand up and grab my bag.

“Wait!” he calls.

I spin around, “what?”

“I need your number,” he says slowly.

“You don’t need to sound so desperate,” I smirk.

“I need it to text you the times to meet up and work on the assignment,” he clarifies with an infamous eye roll.

“You don’t need to use that as an excuse blondie,“ I say.

“How can someone some on so intelligent be so utterly exasperating,” Grayson groans.

My cheeks heat up. He thinks I’m intelligent. He values my mind.

“It’s a talent,” I grinned back.

He rolls his eyes as I write down my number and hand it to him.

“There.”

“Thank you,” he nods at me.

“Wow,” my eye widen in shock, “you can be civil!”

“Every once in a while,” he shrugs delicately.

I almost smile but suppress it. Quickly I stack all of the books I’d borrowed to out them away on my way out. Though as I go to carry the pile his voice stops me.

“You’re never going to able to carry all of those books,” he says.

“You don’t need to underestimate me Hawthorne, you’ve done that too much today,” I tell him.

“Watch me defy your so called fact then,” I retort, lifting all eight volumes on top of one another into my arms.

“I’m not underestimating you,” Grayson replies, “I’m stating a fact.”

It’s heavier than I’d estimated which is the first shock. They sit unstably, wobbling and threatening to come cluttering to the floor. But he could not be right. I wouldn’t buckle. I wouldn’t drop anything. I’m not a failure.

“Need some help there?” he tilts his head to the side.

“No,” I say, my strained voice giving me away.

“You look like you’re struggling,” he comments.

“Well I’m not,” I reply, feeling that my face is rosy from sheer effort.

He looks at me, “are you sure?”

“Very,” I grunt, my arms burning with the weight.

“I’ll save you the stubborn act and the library damage fee and take some,” he rolls his eyes.

“I said I’m fine-“

He takes a large sum of books from the top. My arms relax slightly as I glare at him.

“If you drop them you’ll like an idiot,” he explains.

“I wouldn’t have dropped them,” I state.

“Okay, whatever you say,” he replies.

“Don’t use my saying on me,” I say.

“It’s not yours,” he shrugs, “you didn’t create it.”

“I used it earlier, that’s close enough,” I tell him.

“Sure.”

We come to an abrupt halt in conversation and both turn back to back to put the books back to their respected areas. I see one in my pile that has a page marked. I flick to it and pause to skim over the contents.

“What are you reading?”

He almost makes me jump, I didn’t hear him sneak up behind me.

“An article,” I say, tying to keep my voice from trembling after the shock.

I can feel him now breathing down my neck, his chest almost touches my back. My pulse races, skyrocketing a little too far.

“Who’s it by?“ he asks.

My eyes flick to the bottom of the page where I read aloud my response, “am anonymous writer.”

He scrunches his nose up, “what good an article with an anonymous author?”

“It’s not about who wrote it, it’s about the impact it has,” I say.

“I disagree, if I wrote a life changing article I’d want people to know I’d written it,” he replies.

“Of course you want more,” I scoff, stacking the books a little too aggressively.

Classic Hawthorne. The second I think he might not be so bad he goes ahead and reminds me of exactly why I hate people like him.

“Want more?” he furrows his brows.

“You want the glory of it, your name talked about, your legacy preserved,” I snap.

“So I can’t want anything?” he shoots back with venom on his tongue.

“You’re a rich, stuck up prick, like all the rest of them at that school,” I laugh bitterly, “your grandfather is a billionaire, what could you possibly want that isn’t already at your fingertips?”

“You don’t have the right to judge me on what you think you know about my life,” he quotes me.

“Bite me Hawthorne,” I snarl, spinning around.

He catches my wrist and the corners of his mouth lift to form a smirk. A twinge of hatred shifts in my stomach as I glare at him.

“Any other requests?” he raises an eyebrow.

“Don’t play that game with me,” I say, my voice low and dangerous.

“And what game might that be?” he asks, our faces inching closer by the second. The butterflies madly gnawing on my internal organs.

“You know what you’re doing,” I mutter, as my fingers clasp around his wrist too.

His smiles broadens and his silver eyes ignite, “and what is it that I am doing?”

“Stop,” I snap at him. We’re so close now that our foreheads could touch with the slightest of movements.

“Stop what?” he questions me, his voice so hushed it send a shiver down my spine.

“I’m going to strangle you,” I growl, the sound coming from the back of my throat. An uninvited passion rippling through my tone.

“I’d like to see you try,” he murmurs, snaking a hand around my waist. A soft gasp escapes my lips at the warmth and tenderness of his touch. He holds me like I’m breakable. It makes me vulnerable and I hate it yet I don’t tell him to stop. I come to horrible realisation that maybe I don’t want him to.

“I swear to god Hawthorne-“

“Shhhhh,” he says, eyes pinned to mine.

“What are you doing?” I ask breathlessly. All the oxygen previously in my lungs had been sucked out mercilessly by his tentative being.

“Just shut up for one second,” he snaps.

Fury lights inside of me and the spark of rage burns brighter than ever, “don’t tell me to shut-“

“Shhhhh,” he murmurs, placing a gentle finger to my lips.

My mouth obeys without my brain’s consent and my voice ceases. It’s just him and I and the silence around us. My heart thumps in my chest, so loudly it rattles through my ears. Slowly, almost cautiously, my own hands slide up his back as if some other world force is tugging them that way. I know I don’t want to do this but a familiar aching for deprived feeling was forcing me to.

“What are we doing Grayson?” I say, the words barely heard.

“I don’t know,” he whispers, “all I know is, you drive me insane.”

“Funny,” I smile softly, “you drive me insane too.”

His pupils dilate as we get closer. An entrancing monochrome kaleidoscope, only black and grey. Our foreheads meet, pressing into one another. It feels so natural, so right. His hands tighten slightly around the small of my back, as my eyelash graze his cheek, tickling him lightly. I can feel his breath on my face and his heart beating against my own. Our lips go to meet and-

“We’re closing the library now.”

I jerk backwards to suddenly my back smacks into the shelves of books behind me. Pain surges through my spinal cord and I bite my lip to keep me from crying out. My eyes become glossy as previously stacked books thump to the floor. I look up to see the librarian standing there.

I cough, picking up the books, “thanks, we were just leaving.”

She raises a brow but doesn’t say another word. I feel my cheeks burn a feverish red. I don’t meet Grayson’s eyes as I spin on my heels and charge out.

thanks for reading my loves 🤍🤍

TIG masterlist

#bella writes 🤍#the inheritance games #tig #grayson hawthorne #the brothers hawthorne #the final gambit #the hawthorne legacy #grayson hawthorne one shot #grayson hawthorne x you #grayson hawthorne x reader #grayson davenport hawthorne #grayson tgg #graybae

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lyrakanefanaticwriting · 2 months ago

Note

love your writing! Can I request a fic where Gigi and Savannah keep stealing Lyra for girls night or girl time and Grayson is getting jealous? And Acacia thinks is hilarious?🤭

Jealousy and Stolen Moments

disclaimer: this ended up being WAY longer than i thought. so if ur in for a short read, im sorry 😭

——————————————————————————

MONDAY:

Grayson adjusted his tie, before glancing down at the new heels he had bought for Lyra in their closet. An idea crossed his mind, and he stepped out of the closet, walking towards Lyra who was sitting down at the vanity and doing her makeup for work.

“Lyra, how do you feel about going out for dinner tonight?” Lyra turned around to face him, a smile touching her glossy lips. Grayson was moving closer without meaning to now, drawn to the breathtaking girl in front of him. “You’ll get to wear your new heels.” She made a face at him, before speaking.

“I would, but Gigi and Savannah invited me over for dinner and a sleepover. They want to do a book marathon, spa day, and movie marathon in one day.” Lyra said with a shrug. A smile touched Graysons lips at the thought of Lyra bonding with his sisters. It warmed his heart in a new and unfamiliar way.

“Alright then.” He said, smiling. Lyra smiled back, and Grayson bent down and, putting an arm through her knees and another around her upper back, picked her up.

“Grayson!” Lyra exclaimed with a grin, writhing around in his arms. Grayson couldn’t hide his love for her as he pressed a kiss to her lips, trailing more on her jaw and down her neck. He pressed one last soft kiss on the space just below her ear, taking in her sweet and addictive perfume smell, before raising his head and giving her red cheeks a teasing look.

“You can put me down now.” Lyra stated, crossing her arms and raising a brow at Grayson, despite the red blush on her cheeks. Grayson returned the brow raise, before adjusting her in his arms and gently tossing her over his shoulder. That got another shout out of her as he placed a reassuring hand on her thigh and used the other hand to grab her purse.

“Can I?” He replied, walking over to the kitchen in the apartment they were currently renting.

“Yes!!” She shouted, her legs gently kicking his chest. Grayson was wearing an amused expression as he set down her purse, grabbed his cup of coffee, and put Lyra down one handed. As soon as her feet touched the floor, Grayson noticed the blush growing on her face, and tried very hard to hide his smile.

“Just for that,” Lyra grumbled, snatching Grayson’s car keys off the counter, “I’m driving.” Grayson made no move to stop her as he followed her graceful steps towards the door, sure that he would follow her anywhere as long as she asked.

TUESDAY:

Grayson parked in the parking lot of Lyra’s workplace, watching her walk out and towards the car. Grayson got out before she did and moved to open the door for her. Lyra didn’t object, but was grumbling “ever the gentleman” with a smirk on her face as she climbed inside. Once Grayson was inside too, he was quick to ask the question that had been flashing through his head since he was at work.

“Do you want to go out for lunch?” He asked her. Lyra shook her head, a sorry expression on her face.

“I wish, but I have plans. Gigi has been begging me to do blind, mute, and deaf baking with her and Savannah. Apparently she hasn’t stopped talking about it, and Savannah called me begging for us to just, and I quote, “get it over with”.” Lyra said, smirking. Grayson was surprised for a moment, before a ghost of a smile touched his lips.

“Of course. Do you want me to drop you off there?” Grayson asked her. Lyra glared at him.

“No. I want you to leave me on the side of the road so I can go hitch hiking with a group of old guys that are probably trying to molest me.” Lyra deadpanned. Grayson’s lips twitched.

“I’ll take that as a yes. And I assume my presence isn’t needed in this “girl time”?” Grayson asked her. Lyra smirked.

“I’m afraid not, sweetheart.” She said, tossing back the use of Graysons pet name for her. His smile only grew as he kept driving, finding it harder and harder to keep his eyes on the road.

WEDNESDAY:

Normally Grayson would be working on Wednesday, but he got an off day due to some holiday that he honestly didn’t keep track of anymore. With a soft smile playing on his lips, he waited outside of Lyra’s workplace to again offer the lunch idea. Lyra stepped out of the elevator and made her way towards the door, before looking surprised once her eyes met Grayson’s.

“Grayson!” Lyra says, her eyebrows shooting up as she stepped outside and closed the space between them. Grayson kissed her softly and slowly, placing his hands on her hips as she brought her arms around his neck.

“Hi, sweetheart.” He said, the ends of his lips ticking upward as he wrapped his arms around her lower back and enveloped her in a hug. If only they could stay that way forever.

“What are you doing here?” Lyra asked once she pulled away, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear before taking his hands in hers. Grayson shrugged, giving her hands a squeeze.

“I wanted to offer up the lunch idea again. How does that one salad bar place that you love sound?” He asked her. Lyra’s eyes widened, as she groaned and smacked his shoulder playfully.

“So good! But unfortunately..” Lyra said, trailing off as she made a pained face. “I’m busy again.” There was the slightest look of disappointment that flashed across Grayson’s face, and as subtle and quick as it was, Lyra still noticed it.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry, but with Acacia’s birthday coming up, Gigi and Sav want to go gift shopping. They have a bunch of ideas, but want mine and each others’ help to narrow down a few,” Lyra said apologetically, before her features changed and she took on a proud expression. “And, because my boss loves me, she let me take a two hour long lunch break, which should give us enough time.” As glad as Grayson was that his sisters and his girlfriend seemed to be getting along very well, there was still a sting of disappointment that came along with being rejected three days in a row.

“That’s nice of her.” Grayson said, using the moment to pull Lyra to his side and press a kiss to her temple. “Can I at least walk you to your car, or are Gigi and Savannah going to snatch you away before I can get the chance?” There was a flicker of movement on Lyra’s brow, just the slightest twitch, but it was so quick that Grayson wondered if his brain was just making things up.

“Nope,” She said, swatting her hand at him as if swatting away a pestering fly. “Begone, you.” But still she made no move to leave him, and the slightest laugh came from Grayson’s mouth as he opened the car door for her and watched her climb in. Only when she was waving at him and driving away did he notice that the pang of disappointment had grown, mixing with another swirl of emotion that he felt stupid to feel.

Jealousy.

LYRA:

As soon as Lyra had driven off, her mind was racing as she giggled mischievously and called the group chat with her, Gigi, and Savannah in it.

Was Grayson…. jealous? That she was hanging out with his sisters and not him? It was noticeable that Grayson tended to become possessive and protective when it came to her, but only if you could read the signs.

And Lyra, having dated him for 8 months now, could read the signs.

As soon as they picked up, Lyra didn’t let them speak before talking herself.

“Guys,” She said, unable to contain her giggles, “We have to hang out tomorrow.” Gigi whooped in the background, but Savannah was more quick to protest.

“Again? I don’t mean to be rude, but this is the 3rd time in a row that we’ve hung out. Another day and I’ll grow sick of you.” Savannah said. Her tone was so serious that Lyra almost didn’t know if she was joking for a second, but living by two broody people made her able to spot the signs.

“Yes, yes, I know, but trust me, this is different,” Lyra said, grinning. “This is about Grayson.” Savannah paused, and Gigi took that as her sign to speak up.

“How so? Has he finally given in to my persuasion and is getting a cat?” Gigi asked hopefully. Lyra sighed.

“Unfortunately not. But you know how we’ve been hanging out these last few days?” Lyra asked, a wicked grin crossing her face. “Graysons getting jealous.” There was a pause, before I heard a snort on the other end of the line that was definitely Acacia.

“Grayson is jealous that you’re hanging out with his sisters and not him? Now that’s hilarious.” Acacia teased from somewhere in the distance, her mind already have connected the dots. Gigi bursted out laughing as well.

“He’s pathetic.” Savannah snickered. And when that got a complaint from Acacia, the snickering ceased, and Savannah spoke up again, saying, “I’m joking, mom.” in complete deadpan. Lyra laughed as well.

“I’m going to see how long it’ll take before he breaks and finally says something. You guys ready to have me over every day until that point?” Lyra asked, only half joking as she didn’t want to intrude.

“We would never mind, baby. You’re apart of the family now.” Acacia said again, making Lyra’s heart warm. Gigi giggled, and Lyra heard a slapping sound from the call. She didn’t have a single doubt that Gigi was currently rubbing her hands together like an evil mastermind.

“Get ready, Grayson.” She said menacingly. Lyra snickered.

Get ready Grayson, indeed.

THURSDAY:

Grayson didn’t stop by Lyra’s work today, as he was sure that she was probably busy. Again.

A pang of annoyance hit him at the same time a pang of sadness did, and just for a moment, he wondered if she was blowing him off on purpose. Then he shook off his annoying thoughts and decided to just give her a call. He hit the call button and was ready to hear her harmonic voice, but instead was met with the line stretching on, and then, her voice mail.

“Hey it’s Lyra!” The voice mail said, her voice bringing Grayson a sudden sense of peace. “I can’t come to the phone right now-“

“SO STOP CALLING!!” A voice that Grayson immediately recognized as Gigi’s spoke over her, which brought a laugh from Lyra. When did she change her voice mail, Grayson wondered. Was it when she was with Gigi and Savannah?

“Or, just leave a message.” Lyra offered with a laugh. “Which, by the way, you can leave after the beep.” Suddenly, there was a beep, and an automated message asking if he wants to leave a voicemail. Grayson hung up before the robot was done talking, wanting to at least say something, even if it’s in a voicemail, but also not wanting to bother her at the same time. Grayson just set his phone down with a sigh and tried to focus on his work, although he knew his mind was elsewhere.

FRIDAY:

Grayson got off work at 9, a bit later than usual although he also went to work late in the morning, and was excited to finally see Lyra. She had been hanging out with his sisters the entire week, and as much as he hated to admit it, jealousy was truly eating at him alive. It was terrible, but his head was getting foggy and his heart heavy at being away from Lyra for this long. And of course, he didn’t want to say anything, for if he did, it would look like he didn’t want Lyra to have a relationship with his sisters. It was all too confusing.

Grayson got in his car and drove home, his fingers tapping on the steering wheel impatiently. It was ridiculously embarrassing to admit, but he truly goes insane when he’s not with her.

Grayson got out of his car and speed walked up to their apartment entrance, stepping inside the building and going as quickly as he could to their temporary room on the 3rd floor. Grayson stepped inside, a smile touching his lips, as he called out for Lyra. The smile slowly dropped when he didn’t get an answer.

“Lyra?” He tried again. Even though there was again no answer, Grayson didn’t want to lose hope. He searched the entire apartment, and then he came to the conclusion that she wasn’t home. Again.

Too bitter and filled with disappointment and jealousy to feel tired, Grayson got back outside, got in his car, and drove to the closest bar he could.

One glass of wine became 3, and 3 became 6, and soon enough, Grayson was drunk. Very drunk. He wondered how he was supposed to get a ride, and when he tried getting up, immediately sat back down. Okay, he was drunk. And dizzy. And tired. And where was Lyra?

Grayson just stared at his cup of wine until he felt a hand on his back.

“I have a girlfriend and I love her.” He said in deadpan, trying his very best not to slur the words.

“I have a boyfriend and I love him.” A beautifully familiar voice replied simply. Grayson whipped his head to follow the voice, blinking hard as he took in the beautiful woman standing in front of him. Lyra. Suddenly, he seemed very intent on standing, and, raking a hand in her hair, he kissed her. It was soft and gentle at first, and then became more passionate.

“I missed you.” He murmured against her lips. “When you were with my sisters.” Lyra froze, before separating, a grin playing on her face.

“You did?” She asked, looking shocked. Grayson put another hand on her neck, very suddenly needing to be close to her.

“Yes. You were gone every day.” He said, a pang of hurt swirling in his chest even now.

“Really?” Lyra stretched out, gasping dramatically.

“Yes, and-“ Grayson cut himself off, freezing as he realized what had happened. He was drunk, but he wasn’t stupid.

Lyra had realized that he was feeling left out. She knew, and she was hang out with the girls on purpose as a way to tease him. He just hadn’t realized.

“There you go.” Lyra said as he put two and two together, grinning.

“Oh.” Grayson said simply. He was beginning to sober up more now, his brain blinking through the week and not knowing how he hadn’t noticed before.

“Oh.” Lyra replied with a smile, before taking his arm and hooking it over her shoulder. “Okay, Handsome, time to kidnap you.” That got a few looks from some girls, but Lyra just made a face as she walked him to the car. The rest of the night was a haze, with Grayson passing out on their bed as soon as they got home, and once he did, dreaming about Lyra.

SATURDAY:

Grayson awoke suddenly, stretching his arms before checking the time. 9:04? It wasn’t like him to sleep in, even though it was a weeken-

The night before flashed through his mind, and Grayson groaned while rubbing his forehead, suddenly aware of why it was pounding.

“Hungover?” Lyra asked, suddenly coming into the bedroom with a plate of breakfast and a cup of coffee. Graysons eyebrows raised, as his heart warmed.

“Lyra, you didn’t have to make me breakfast.” He said, as he sat up and pressed his back to the headboard of their bed, eyeing her as she put the food down on his nightstand. Lyra shrugged, before leaning over and kissing him on the forehead. Grayson caught her wrist as soon as she pulled away, bringing her lips to his. His hands moved to her hips, and suddenly, he was picking her up, sitting her down with her knees in his lap. Lyra just giggled into his lips, and just that made him want to kiss her harder.

“Okay, okay,” Lyra said, swatting his chest as she pulled away, although Grayson was reluctant to separate. “You can calm down now. What I was going to say was it’s my little way of saying sorry.” Her eyes shimmered as Grayson raised a brow.

“What for?” Grayson asked her. Lyra made a face as she took Grayson’s phone off the nightstand, and held it up to him. Grayson blinked as he stared at his notifications. 12 missed calls from Jameson, 3 texts from Nash, 15 from Xander, 7 calls from Gigi, and 1 missed call from Acacia. Grayson felt his cheeks burning up as he checked his call log and realized last night he sent Lyra 17 voicemails.

“Why so many calls?” Grayson said, raising a brow at her. Lyra snorted.

“Gigi may or may not have called all your brothers telling them about the prank we played on you. And Xander may or may not be making a short story called, “Grayson Hawthorne: How the Human Form of Bland Oatmeal Got So Mushy and Gushy with his Feelings”.” Lyra said. Grayson blanched, but she just shrugged. “The crowd goes wild when you start showing emotion.” He just stared at his phone with a shocked look, before it wore off and he smiled at Lyra.

“That’s okay. They can say what they want.” Grayson asked, kissing her nose.

“Really?” She asked.

“Yeah,” Grayson said. “You’re here anyway.” He left the rest of his words unspoken, as he felt more content than he had in years. Still, the words were on the tip of his tongue, the words he wanted her to understand more than anything. Suddenly, they rolled off, too powerful to be stopped.

“And I love you.”

——————————————————————————

#this is kinda long sorryyy 😪😪#grayson hawthorne #lyra x grayson fic #lyra kane #lyra catalina kane #lyra and grayson #lyra x grayson #fanfic #the grandest game #nash hawthorne #the inheritance games #avery kylie grambs #jameson hawthorne #the brothers hawthorne #xander hawthorne

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asa-do-your-thing · 2 months ago

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your dream will come alive

18+ MINORS DNI Aegon II x F!Reader 2.9 k Warnings: P in V sex, porn w/o plot, smut, mutual masturbation, kind of orgasm denial? soft smut this one goes out to my moots on the kink council <3

As the sun began to set over King's Landing, your maid lit candles throughout your room. The maesters had declared this the final month of summer, and you were determined to make the most of it. You lay beside your open window, relishing the warm breeze that tousled your hair as you sipped wine and waited for his arrival. He always came to you eventually; ever since he had caught you bathing, he made nightly visits.

Through your cousin, who served as Lady-in-Waiting to the Dowager Queen Alicent, you knew that she appreciated that you gave him your attentions instead of him causing trouble in the Streets of Silk. You were clever enough not to give yourself away yet, and you would do everything in your power to resist his advances until he rewarded you for your "service". Fortunately, King Aegon was easily entertained when it came to such activities.

“‘Tis alright, Lyra, you may leave for the night,” you mumbled lazily and gave the young girl an amused smile as she tried to look away from your barely-dressed form. She curtsied quickly and walked off, gently closing the door behind herself.

Now all you could do was wait. What would Aegon wish to do tonight? Have you suck him again? Or watch you slowly taking off your dress on the balcony so that all of King’s Landing could see your nakedness? Inevitably he would ask you to lay with him, yet as always all you’d do would be to sleep next to him, gently stroking his head whilst reassuring him that you’d let him do anything to you, as soon as he could promise a reward for your flower.

As the moon rose high, casting its ethereal glow over the sprawling city, your anticipation grew. The heavy silence of the night was punctured by the distant sounds of laughter and music from some tavern, but your focus remained on the imminent knock on your door signalling his arrival. Your fingers traced the rim of your goblet, the coolness of the silver contrasting with the warmth brought by your anticipation. In many ways, this nightly game had become as routine as breaking your fast or riding your mare, yet every evening it held a new form of thrill.

Abruptly, you heard the castle guards gathering outside your room in a flurry, and an undeniable sense of excitement fluttered within you. The King was here; his penchant for a grand entrance noticeable as always.

The door creaked open without warning, revealing King Aegon. His silver-white curls danced with an air of haughtiness around his shoulders, reflecting in contrast to his deep violet eyes that sparkled with amusement. His presence filled up the room as he sauntered in; a predator entering his den.

“Good evening,” he spoke; his voice resonating rich and deep like sweet Dornish wine.

You gave him a coy smile before responding, “King Aegon.”

He grinned wickedly at you before pouring himself a goblet of wine from the pitcher kept on your bedside table. He drank deeply from it before setting it down, looking at you with an intensity that made your heart flutter.

“Well then,” he finally broke the silence, grinning wickedly as he advanced towards your four-poster bed where you lay sprawled languidly, the wind gently playing with your thin dress, “Who do we have here? A wicked little girl trying to get me to waste my seed once more?”

Smirking, you raised your goblet and drank a few sips. “You’ve never seemed to regret it in the morning, your Grace. You know what I require of you to let you take me properly, my King…”

He mirrored your smirk and slowly undressed, so that he was only left in a loose shirt. He lounged onto the bed, his violet eyes sparkling in the candlelight as he leaned over you. "And I keep telling you, darling," he retorted, the corners of his lips upturned mischievously. "You're asking for a pretty price."

You tilted your head to the side, your eyes meeting his. Your mind was clear, despite the wine flowing through your veins. "A fair price, for a fair lady, wouldn't you agree, my King?"

He chuckled; a low rumble that echoed through the room. His hand cupped your cheek gently, his thumb running across your lower lip. "Oh, certainly fair, but also clever," he murmured softly. "Why should I not enjoy the fruits my garden bears without having to pay a hefty price?"

"Perhaps because this fruit wishes not to be plucked hastily and carelessly," you replied playfully, pushing his hand away and rising from the bed. You strolled across to the window, pulling back the curtains to reveal the moonlit cityscape.

"There is a difference between buying apples in the market and planting an orchard." You turned to face him now; your silhouette framed by the moonlight that streamed in through the window. "I know my worth, Aegon."

King Aegon watched you from where he lay on the bed; his body reclined lazily against its plush pillows. The flickering candlelight threw dancing shadows upon his rounded face; his expression remained unreadable, his violet eyes twinkling dangerously. "Is that so?" He finally spoke after a moment that seemed like eternity.

Instead of responding to him, you slowly took off your dress and tossed it to the side, sitting down on your settee, facing him with coyly crossed legs, while you gently rubbed sweet smelling oils into your long hair. “Just as I know your worth, my King, and I should hope that you know mine as well.”

Aegon regarded you intensely for a moment before a smirk spread slowly across his face. He allowed his eyes to travel languidly over your form, lingering in appreciation before finally meeting your gaze again. "I have been known to underestimate," he said, amusement lacing his words. His fingers traced the stem of his goblet as he spoke in a low voice. "Never had I thought I could be beguiled by such a maiden, cunning and clever."

"Indeed?" You asked, raising an eyebrow at him. You took your sweet time finishing with your hair, and then you rose again, moving back to the window to feel the warm night's breeze against your skin.

You could hear his soft chuckle from behind you. “You do not make it easy to resist," Aegon admitted, almost begrudgingly.

"Yet resist you must," was your simple reply as you turned back to him once more. Your lips were curved into a playful smile, yet there was an undeniable truth in your words.

Aegon let out a half-chuckle, half-sigh and shook his head, running his hand through his silver curls in amusement at your audacity. "Why must I resist when what we both want is in our reach?"

His words echoed in the silence of the room. You walked slowly towards him, the moon casting an ethereal glow on your skin. As you reached the bed where he lay reclined, you leaned down until you were just inches away from his face.

"Because my King," you whispered into his ear, "It's not about what we want now... but what we could have.” With that, you gently kissed him and quickly ran back to the settee before he could hold you down. “Just like you could have me.”

Aegon's eyes were wide, his breath hitched as he watched you make your way back to the settee. He sat up straighter in bed, a wry smile playing on his lips as he finally understood your game. “I see what you’re doing,” he murmured, admiration lighting up his gaze. “The fruit tastes sweeter when it’s been longed for.”

Your heart fluttered at his words, but you kept your face impassive as you looked at him. “Perhaps,” was all you said, leaning back into the plush cushions of the settee. The moonlight filtered in through the window, casting an ethereal glow on the velvet material of the furniture and bouncing off your skin in a soft haze.

Slowly, Aegon rose from the bed and took slow, deliberate steps towards you. His eyes never left yours, and there was something dark and tantalizing about his gaze that had your breath hitching in your throat. “May I?” He asked, stopping at an arm's length away from you.

“May you what?” You replied teasingly, knowing full well what he was asking but wanting to hear him say it. His smirk widened at your reply.

“May I join you?” A soft chuckle left his lips at your audacity; it echoed through the room like music to your ears.

“You may.” Your voice was barely audible over the sound of your heartbeat pounding in your ears as he sat down next to you on the settee.

The room was silent except for the soft rustle of fabric as Aegon adjusted himself on the settee beside you. The tension grew significantly as you lazily lifted your leg onto the arm rest and slowly massaged the residual oil onto it, going ever higher, until your fingertips hovered over your sweet, moist opening, parting your curls so that he had a better view of you.

Aegon cursed under his breath at the sight, his fingers twitching to reach out and touch, but he managed to restrain himself. He was playing a game, and he intended to win it. "Bold," he noted with a smirk, running his eyes appreciatively over your exposed form.

"Only as bold as a Lady should be," you replied nonchalantly, though your heart was pounding against your chest. There was something sinfully delightful about teasing the king like this; about having him so close yet so far.

"You have no idea what you're doing to me," Aegon muttered under his breath, turning his gaze to meet yours. His violet eyes flashed dangerously in the dim light, conveying his desire...and something else.

"Perhaps I do," you said softly, coyly arching an eyebrow at him. You moved closer to him on the settee, not touching him but just close enough for him to feel the heat radiating from your body.

"Is that so?" Aegon asked, his voice low and gravelly. He watched as you moved closer until there was barely any space between the two of you.

"It is," you confirmed, meeting his intense gaze with a teasing smile. Your hand came up to gently trace a line down his chest. "But you should know that Ladies aren't easily won over."

"I am well aware of that," Aegon replied huskily, his gaze trailing down where your hand rested on his chest. His hand came up tentatively to cover yours, not moving it away but just letting it rest there.

"Good," you whispered, letting your hands travel ever further down, until you had his hard length in your hand. You had no choice but to moan as you felt his squeeze his hand tighter around yours, instructing you how he wanted to be held. Following his command, you squeezed him harder and smiled as he bit his lip.

“Touch me, my King, just as I am touching you right now; please me, my King, just as I am pleasing you… Imagine me, bouncing on your large cock, whimpering…”, you whispered into his ear and quickly spat onto your palm before enclosing his hardness in your hand once more, stroking him softly.

Aegon closed his eyes and let out a growl, his grip on your hand tightening further. "You're playing with fire, my lady," he warned, voice low and husky.

"Perhaps I like the heat," you countered, your voice just as low and sultry. You looked at him through lowered lashes; your gaze was filled with desire and mischief. "Perhaps..." Your voice trailed off as you continued to stroke him, feeling him pulse and twitch in your hand.

Aegon watched you under heavy-lidded eyes, teeth gritted as he suppressed a groan. He moved closer to you, his hand leaving yours to trace a path over your body, exploring you as you had done to him earlier. His fingers moved slowly over your skin, dragging across sensitive areas and making you gasp in response.

His fingertips sparked with a mix of intense heat and refreshing chill. Every time he grazed your skin, it was like a scorching sensation followed by a soothing coolness. His moans were like sweet music to your ears, and your couldn't help but want to please him even more. The contrast of sensations kept you on the brink of ecstasy. You yearned for his touch, leaning into him and allowing him to pull you closer with every enticing movement.

As if under some unspoken agreement, both of you maintained eye contact throughout the ordeal; the raw lust evident in Aegon's eyes sent shivers running down your spine and his sweet groans pushing you further and further. There was something liberating about this back-and-forth game of seduction between a king and a lady.

Your hand stilled on Aegon’s hardened length when he unexpectedly found that sweet spot between your legs. He looked surprised for a moment before an understanding smile formed on his face and he applied more pressure there, making you squirm and part your legs even further.

“Ae-Aegon!”, you exlaimed as he slowly circled your nub, blushing at his thick grin. “I… oh… did not know… oh! That you enjoy this…”

His eyes twinkled in the dim moonlight, his grin never fading as he watched you squirm under his touch. "There are many things I enjoy, my lady," Aegon replied, his voice a low purr in your ear. His fingertips continued to tease your delicate flesh, loving the way your lips parted in silent pleasure.

Desperate for more of his intoxicating touch, you bucked your hips against his hand, guiding him further into your folds. He groaned at this new found access, prodding and exploring with careful precision.

A moan tumbled from your lips as he slipped a finger inside you, the sensation sending sparks of pleasure coursing through your body. You gripped his arm for support, pressing yourself further into his touch. "More," you gasped out desperately, moving your hand back to his length and giving it a squeeze.

Aegon's eyes fluttered shut at the dual sensations; he was just as taken aback by the intense pleasure as you were. Mirroring your actions, he inserted another finger into you, letting out a breathy moan as you squeezed him tighter in response.

Becoming bolder, he started moving his fingers inside you rhythmically, each thrust met with an equally fervent stroke from you on his length. The room filled with gasps and moans; the only sounds that mattered in this intimate game of give and take.

Your mind was consumed by pleasure, each touch and kiss pushing you closer and closer to the brink. The anticipation of what was to come had you teetering on the edge, and it seemed Aegon was feeling the same way. His movements became more frenzied, his jaw clenched tight, until he suddenly pulled away and lifted you up so that you were straddling him.

“I don’t care anymore, you’ll be Lady of somewhere, fuck this take any keep you want, I’ll make you Hand of the King for all I care,” he mumbled and gave you a hungry kiss before positioning his cock between your slick folds. “Kiss me, fuck me, just… do something…”, he rambled senselessly and grabbed your chest, squeezing and licking it hungrily.

You grinned and kissed him, before gently letting yourself glide down onto his girthy cock. Finally, finally you got what you wished for - your title, a castle and his cock.

Mutual moans filled the room as you rode him, your hips moving in perfect sync with his. Aegon's hands gripped your hips, guiding you to move faster. "That's it, ride me, my lady," he groaned, his eyes closed and head tilted back in ecstasy.

The sight of him, so lost in pleasure, only spurred you on further. You picked up the pace, your breasts bouncing enticingly with each thrust. "Oh, Aegon," you moaned his name like a prayer as the orgasm built within you.

Aegon’s hands moved up to cup your breasts, squeezing them roughly before finding his way back between your legs, where he started rubbing that delicate button again. "You little whore," he groaned in your ear before biting your neck lightly. “Thinking of nothing but my cock…”

With a loud cry, you came apart in his arms, your inner walls clenching around him as wave after wave of pleasure washed over you. Aegon didn't last long either; with a growl he buried himself deep inside you and let out a strangled moan as he came too - his hot seed filling you up and marking you as his.

After catching your breath, Aegon leaned in and placed a tender kiss on your forehead. His breathing was rough, but he seemed content. "My lady," he whispered. "Do you realize that you will bear a dozen of my bastards for your future husband?"

You shrugged playfully and smiled, pecking the tip of his nose as you wrapped your arms around him. Despite trying not to shudder as your climax subsided, you couldn't resist teasing him. "Of course, Your Grace. My orchard is yours to ravage from here on out."

#asas fics #fanfiction #fire and blood #hotd #hotd fanfic #aegon x reader #aegon ii targaryen #aegon smut #king aegon #house of the dragon #this lay ready in my drafts for such a long time i forgot about it

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stayconnecteed · 3 months ago

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🪐˓⠀˚⠀hold on tight⠀@⠀han jisung.

synopsys: it's the birthday of the twins in the group and the usual plan is to celebrate it at the amusement park. everything was going as always until they got to the roller coaster and noa had to sit alone. thankfully, the rules say that everyone who has no one to go with will be paired with other single ones. that was how han jisung ended up screaming and squeezing the hand of an unknown pretty girl who he quickly caught feelings for.

SEE MORE.⠀⠀⠀⠀10 . 5 k words⠀⠀skz mlist.⠀⠀series mlist.

⠀⠀⸺⠀⠀pairing ★ han jisung x f!reader.

⠀⠀⸺⠀⠀about ★ original characters guide.

⠀⠀⸺⠀⠀genres ★ idol au, found family, angst, fluff & smut ; love at first sight, strangers to lovers, friends to lovers, idiots to lovers, not really enemies but end up lovers, friends with benefits to lovers, polyamory. also, boy x boy subplot with original characters.

⠀⠀⸺⠀⠀hold on tight's warnings ★ first chapter! full into the spanishverse! this is the beginning of an amazing adventure, and there are practically no warnings. just jisung's anxiety. it will be his pov, so you know what to expect. mmm, and then fluff. lots of fluff, because he's afraid of heights and noa isn't. also, it's pretty clear ( me thinks ) but everything is in english minus the italics text - that would be spanish or korean depending on who's talking.

⠀⠀⸺⠀⠀author's note ★ hehe, hi lyra, happy ( late ) birthday!! i told you i was going to try and finish this by 14th y por mis cojones que lo intenté akshjaskd. you deserve it. hope you still like it by the end of it, and all the waiting was worth it <3

Everyone knew that the moment Jisung pulled on his hood and picked up his phone, his social battery was below zero. Unfortunately, at the moment he had no hood to hide from the rest of the world, and his anxiety told him that unlocking his phone screen for anything other than taking pictures would make him look terrible. He was wearing a custom-made black Balmain suit that felt soft against his skin, he was surrounded by strangers who were surely more famous than he would ever be, and there were hundreds of cameras pointed at him, waiting for his reaction to every outfit on the catwalk he'd been invited to.

Well, at least he wasn't alone. He had his manager, Jaehyun ーalso known as his older brotherー, sitting right behind him, Felix chatting quietly with another guest three seats to his right, and he knew that their leader was somewhere in all the chaos, also displaying an extroversion that overwhelmed Jisung. He couldn't understand, no matter how many years he had been witnessing it, how the two Australians in his Kpop group could strike up a conversation with anyone outside of them with such ease. And it wasn't even that he envied them for that ability, he just stared at them in horror and prayed that the panic wouldn't show on his face. But he had travelled all the way from Seoul to Madrid just for this, so he had to leave a good impression.

Stray Kids was starting to grow in fame, even if he wasn't really aware of the magnitude, and apart from music, his company wanted to explore other fronts. They were going to shoot a sort of short film by the end of summer, with one of the songs from their second comeback in the year as the soundtrack, and in addition to advertising, they had been considering the world of fashion for some time. The Louis Vuitton brand had snatched up his sunshine twin almost instantly, showering him in French clothes and affection, just as Versace had done with Hyunjin. It seemed that Fendi wanted to see how Bangchan's image would look in their campaigns, and it was rumoured that they wanted to make them international ambassadors.

He was grateful that Balmain had chosen him, of all the idols in the industry, to represent them in this collaborative event between Balenciaga and Zara for the winter campaign. He knew it had been an amazing opportunity for the group, and for him as an artist, but he hadn't been given the option to refuse, and perhaps it was that lack of choice that was making his perspective on the situation so negative. He was almost thirteen hours away from his family, his boyfriend, the rest of his band, in a place he knew nothing about, and every second he allowed himself to think about it, his heart pounded faster against his chest.

‘First time?’ whispered someone to his left, causing him to startle.

Jisung narrowed his eyes, focusing his gaze on the girl he had greeted nervously as he had sat next to her, in the seat assigned to his name. Her locks were slicked back and parted in the middle, all defined lines and gleaming aura, though the rest of her long hair fell down her back in a smooth cascade of chocolate-coloured strands, and her gaze was fixed on him, expectant, as if she couldn't help but let the almond shape of her eyes acquire that sharp edge. He merely nodded, smiling the closest thing to a gentle grin, his curved lips making hers reflect a more enthusiastic copy.

‘Me too!’ her shoulders twitched as he heard her poorly masked giggle, and for a moment he feared that the people around them were going to tell them off because of the easy, melodic way the laughter left her glossy lips. It was evident that she was a girl who caught attention without even being aware of it.

And then he realised that they were both speaking Korean. He frowned, because he knew that most of the people in the audience were Spanish ーand she certainly seemed to be, with her tanned skin and foreign accentー but the level was pretty good. He turned slightly towards her, knowing that they had been photographed together already, and approached her, leaving a respectful distance between them, clearing his throat.

‘Are you from here?’

‘More or less,’ she replied, leaning towards him, as if she were telling him a secret. ‘I'm from Spain, and I live here, but I'm from a town to the south, down at the bottom of the map.’

‘Oh,’ he murmured, his mind blank.

‘From your reaction, it's as if I've spoken to you in a completely different language’ she giggled.

‘The truth is, it's my first time in Spain,’ he told her, smiling more confidently, as if making small talk with that nice girl distracted him from the rest. ‘It's been from the airport to the hotel, from the hotel here and not much more.’

‘I can imagine,’ she whispered, nodding. ‘When I arrived in Madrid I felt the same way, but it's a city that has its charm. I got to know it through my uni friends, who taught me a bit about it. If you want, I can give you a tour.’

Jisung opened his eyes wide in surprise and gave a quick glance at his manager, in case he had overheard them. Maybe he'd gone too far in talking to a stranger, he had to find a polite way to turn down her offer without making her feel bad, and he had to do it fast, because staring at her with that look on his face wasn't a good idea.

‘Huh... The truth is... Well, I…’

‘Hey, it wasn't obligatory to accept the offer’ she soothed him, resting a hand on his arm gently, ready to remove it if it made him uncomfortable. ‘My best friend always tells me I have no filter, which is hypocritical because she acts the same way, but I'm sorry if it was too much. Do you want us to introduce ourselves first?’

He saw her smile as he nodded slowly, his heart still trying to escape from his chest, feeling the warm palm of her hand through the expensive black suit. But it was all right, wasn't it? She was a nice girl, who had a clear problem with trust ーof depositing it in total strangers, that isー but who apparently had no bad intentions whatsoever. And he was in a room full of people anyway. Nothing could go wrong.

‘My name is Abril’ she said, bowing his head slightly, ‘I studied at EID, the European Institute of Design, I have a little silly vlog acc on You Tube and I really like make-up and Paris.’

‘I'm Jisung’ he replied, mimicking the bow. ‘Han Jisung, and I'm an idol, and... well, huh…’

‘Nonono, you're doing it wrong,’ she corrected him, denying firmly. ‘I know you're an idol and what brand you're representing. That's usually known to anyone who's been slightly informed. Introduce yourself for real, like I have.’

‘Like you?’

‘Mm-hm,’ she made eye contact with him, and indicated the beginning of the sentence. ‘You're Jisung, you come from…’

‘Oh, yeah,’ he nodded, already more enthusiastically, understanding where she was going. ‘I'm Jisung, I live in Seoul and I'm a Kpop producer and singer. I like music a lot, anime, and watching documentaries.’

‘See, a fantastic presentation,’ she said, clapping quietly, but with a big smile on her face. ‘So it's your first time on a modelling catwalk.’

‘And yours,’ he replied, unable to bite his tongue. ‘Can I ask you a question?’

‘Of course’ Jisung realised that they were fully turned towards each other, and that with how focused he was on the conversation he had stopped stressing over the myriad of thoughts that anxiety was sneaking into his mind.

‘If you're from here how come you speak Korean so well?’ his frown was furrowed, lips forming an adorable pout, and she found it endearing because it was the same gesture her best friend used when she didn't understand something.

‘I like to listen to Korean music,’ she replied, hoping she didn't scare him off, ‘occasionally’.

‘So you know who I am?’ he asked, his leg starting to move up and down.

‘I know what group you belong to,’ April said, her smile taking on a relaxed, casual gesture. ‘And I know you're not the boy with the foxy eyes, or the one with the freckles, which are the most recognisable.’

‘Oh,’ Jisung murmured, exhaling a relieved sigh that he didn't know he was holding back. ‘Jeongin and Felix.’

‘Yes, that was it’ he heard her crystalline laughter again, ’I saw him around earlier, he came looking very handsome.’

‘Louis Vuitton is doing an awesome job with him, and they're very nice and attentive’ he explained, cracking a smile at the thought of his best friend. ‘He's been very welcomed, and our fans love it.’

‘No wonder,’ April replied, nodding, ’Louis Vuitton has a very good reputation.’

There was a pause, and Jisung looked away from the Spanish girl, suddenly self conscious. She knew who he was, not because she was a fan but because she had studied the guests at the event, but he didn't know her at all and it was starting to become less of a problem to talk to her and more a reason to feel bad. He wasn't good at starting a conversation, and he doubted that in a situation like that asking her about her favourite colour was the best approach.

He opened his mouth, determined to ignore the anxiety bubbling in his chest, but let all the air in his lungs escape as soon as the lights dimmed. His manager tapped him gently on the shoulder, alerting him that this was the first sign that the catwalk was about to begin, and the insufferable twitch of his knee going up and down uncontrollably became present as soon as the murmur in the room died down.

He had barely had time to talk to the girl, Abril, and just when it seemed he was finally able to make a friend of his own, he was interrupted. He wasn't even able to concentrate on the introduction to the event, on what songs were playing as the first models came out. All he could think about was how sweet she had been to him, and how unresponsive he had been in return, even the impression he must have made on her, and all the phrases he would have said if he could go back in time.

But then he felt April's soft hair brush against his arm, her bright eyes still following one of the girls around the stage as she whispered excitedly about how much she loved that specific outfit. And somehow, all the voices in Jisung's head quieted down a bit. He cleared his throat, as if he could reset the reaction he'd had, and tried to locate the model she was talking about, offering his opinion on the jumper she was wearing.

It didn't take long for them to start gossiping, choosing a classic one-to-ten point system to evaluate the clothes, whispering numbers to each other between models, slyly pointing at them to discuss outfits. Jisung had a good time. He didn't feel judged when April made him giggle and his laughter sounded slightly louder than it should, and he didn't worry about the image he was giving, even when Felix gave him a look full of affection when he saw that anxiety hadn't crept up his chest until it choked him.

Even as the catwalk came to an end, and the CEOs of each fashion brand came out to greet the audience, Jisung was still glued to the girl, clapping but exchanging murmurs, and asked her to accompany him outside, to the small terrace hidden from the eyes of the people and Stays on the street, to say goodbye. Or meet Chan and Felix, whichever made her feel more comfortable.

‘Actually, I have to take a taxi home,’ said the brunette, clutching her small bag with both hands. ‘I have to get there before the pizza delivery guy.’

Abril's laughter at the joke Jisung hadn't understood hung in the air, the Korean's face turning somewhat serious. After nearly two hours with her, maybe letting her leave so quickly didn't sound so good to him.

‘Maybe we can drop you off at home,’ he proposed, forgetting to glance at his manager to confirm that he could do that.

‘No way, don't worry,’ she replied, resting a hand on his arm. Her smile was genuine, and Jisung wondered if she really didn't care if she had to pay for the taxi or if she was just saying that to avoid compromising him. ‘It's right here... huh, well, near here. And my friends are waiting for me.’

Jisung looked at her, letting her know with a raised eyebrow that precisely because it was nearby, even if it wasn't, it was no problem for them to drop her off.

‘If your fans see me get into your car, my public career is over,' she added, this time with a compelling reason.

Jisung deflated, knowing she was right, and gave her an apologetic smile. Maybe in Spain the fans weren't as controlling as in other countries, but there were freaks everywhere, and a photo taken out of context could ruin her life and force him into hiatus.

‘Anyway,’ Abril continued, averting her gaze, but letting him notice the mischievous glare that didn't promise anything good, ‘if you're going to stay longer in Madrid, the tour offer still stands. Signing whatever NDAs it takes to make you feel safer, just as a friend showing you around town.’

‘For real?’

Jisung saw that as possible. It wasn't the first time they had attended events in other countries and seized the oppotunity to visit the city or go out with friends. It wouldn't be anything they hadn't done before. Even his company could run Abril's digital footprint if they didn't trust her. The city looked very nice, and he knew he wouldn't be bored with her. He could even invite Chan and Felix and introduce them.

‘Tomorrow is the birthday of two of my best friends,’ Abril explained, making calculations with one finger, counting days in the air. ‘We're going to Warner's, which is an amusement park very close by. I know Lucas won't mind if a few extra friends join us. And then I think we're going to Murcia for a couple of days, but you can join us. We're good people, I promise.’

And he knew she wasn't lying. A soul as pure as hers could only get along with people just as fantastic. The plan sounded good, and even if his managers wouldn't allow him to travel with strangers, they couldn't deny them a visit to an amusement park, so he was going to be able to see her the next day. That was enough for him.

‘I'll have to consult about the trip,’ he announced, taking a breath of air to pretend he didn't feel guilty about making decisions without the input of his hyung and his sunshine twin.

‘Mm-hm,’ she murmured, nodding. It was fair, she understood that.

‘But I'll see you tomorrow at the Warner.’

‘Oh my God, that's fantastic!’ she exclaimed, tightening her grip on the young rapper's arm, her touch warm in the Spanish capital's night breeze. ‘If you need anything, text me on Instagram!’

Before he could react, the girl threw her arm around his shoulders, pressing him against her body in a light embrace, and hurriedly said goodbye, unlocking her phone screen to check the time and blurting out a string of what sounded like really aggressive insults in Spanish. Jisung believed that Spaniards dined very late if they pretended to have pizza at eleven o'clock at night, but he himself usually made himself ramen if he got home past midnight from the studio, so he couldn't say anything about it.

He saw her white lace dress flutter behind her as she walked down the stairs to the main entrance and disappeared into the crowd, but he heard a loud whistle followed by an unmistakable ‘Taxi!’ in a strong, musical Spanish accent, so he assumed she would have gotten a ride the first try.

He turned towards the inside of the building, looking for Felix's unmistakable blond hair, which would be the easiest to spot in the midst of the people, and waited in his corner for his friend to get lost in the area Jisung was in. The staff would wait for all the guests to leave the venue before starting to collect chairs and decorations, but a few people with the organisers' branded clothing and name badges were already guiding the stragglers to the entrance.

Jisung felt that it would be an opportune moment to pull out his phone, and at least try to contact Chan or his brother to let them know where he was. After giving a couple of rather competent directions, it was Jaehyun who succeeded in reaching him, and Felix who greeted him with a pat on the shoulder and his eyebrows going up and down suggestively.

‘That's a rather childish reaction when you consider I'm a taken man,’ he commented, before the blond could say anything.

‘That wasn't why,’ he protested in response, the high-pitched whine catching in his throat. ‘But you could share her number around the group or something, in case anyone's interested.’

Felix laughed at his own words, as if he had told a joke, and Jisung rolled his eyes playfully. He shook his head, giving Felix up as impossible and turned to his leader when he called his name.

‘Did she know us?"

‘She's a Kpop fan, but not Stay,’ he explained, getting defensive. If they had been the ones sitting next to Abril, they probably would have introduced her by now and been close friends. ‘I wish you guys had met her, she has that responsible little girl aura in her.’’

He saw Felix frown, but ignored it. He thought it was a fairly apt description, but it was true that it was a little strange if you hadn't interacted with her. It reminded him a little of the way the blond himself lit up the room he was in, and made you feel special when he gave you his undivided attention. But he couldn't ramble on about what description to use for his new friend. He had more important things to think about.

His priority was to figure out how to introduce the subject of meeting up the next day without causing rejection out of mistrust. Because he knew that no matter how much he could inspire Felix's enthusiasm, the final say would rest with Chan and Jaehyun, his manager, who were directly responsible for him, especially overseas. And while Jae answered directly to Division 1 (and sometimes their mother), Chan would primarily look out for his safety. And Jisung had to admit that it didn't look very safe.

‘Jae hyung, do we have plans for the next few days?’

‘A scheduled visit tomorrow to the Bernabéu stadium for Chan,’ he said, trying to recall the trip schedule from memory. ‘But nothing else. Do you want to add anything?’

‘Can we go in the afternoon to the Warner?’ continued Jisung, waiting for that pause when the question would sink into their heads before they asked what that was.

But they didn't have to. Felix grabbed his arm, his eyes wide with excitement looking up at him, as full of excitement as Abril's had been when he'd told her they'd see each other tomorrow. He knew Felix wouldn't let him down ーwhat had surprised him was how quickly he had reacted.

‘What is...’ began Chan.

‘Do I want to know what Warner's is?’ interrupted Jaehyun, crossing his arms.

‘It's the amusement park in Madrid!’ exclaimed Felix, doing all the work for him. ‘Can we go? Please, please, please?’

Chan narrowed his eyes, recognising Jisung's gesture of faux innocence, but decided to keep quiet, leaving the decision in the manager's hands. For a few moments the four of them were silent, and Jisung could count his heartbeats in the time it took Jaehyun to contrast pros and cons. Felix had his eyes closed and his fingers crossed, and at the sight of that the manager could only exhale a defeated sigh.

‘I'll take care of getting the tickets,’ he murmured, hiding a smile at the excitement of the younger ones.

Unable to sit still, Jisung fidgeted once more in the seat of the tinted-window car he felt he had been in all day. It was five o'clock in the afternoon, and although Seoul would soon start to cool down, Madrid was still at a temperature he wasn't used to. It was very hot, and having to wear a mask and a hat to avoid being recognised only made his long-sleeved clothes more uncomfortable. He was looking forward to getting to the amusement park, but sometimes his only wish was to get to the hotel and take a cold shower.

The night before, he had made a video call with Minho, telling him everything he had experienced, from the tense moments to the sweetness of the lovely April. He had listened for quite a while until Jisung realised he had no idea what time it was in Seoul, and when the dancer told him not to worry, that it was worth listening to him talk about his day, Jisung hung up on him, because he knew Minho would answer a call from him even if he was very busy. He believed there were limits.

For example, when he found out that it turned out that eleven o'clock at night in Spain was six o'clock in the morning in Korea, and he was almost certain that he had woken Minho up.

But he hadn't been able to sleep, too excited about what would happen the next day. He had been up late watching videos on YouTube, and by the time he realised he could look up Abril's account it was already one o'clock in the morning. The long plane flight had messed up his sleep schedule, and he didn't really feel tired, so he started watching his new friend's latest vlogs.

He browsed through the covers of all the videos, guided by the images, as the titles were of no use to him ーhe didn't understand them at allー and ended up watching one from the previous week, which featured the logo of his band. As it started, an upbeat tune began to play while the intro was shown: figures of celebrities with the effect of being cut out of paper appearing and disappearing against a light background, and then the same words he had seen as the title. With one difference, however, the small addition of the name of the event he had gone to earlier that same afternoon.

And then April appeared, this time with her hair in a bun, though just as tight, and began to speak. It took Jisung about forty seconds to realise that he didn't understand a word she was saying. He snorted, suppressing a smile, and stopped the video, praying that there would be Korean among the subtitle options. As he searched for it, he found himself thinking that this was probably what all the international Stays were suffering from with their group's content. He should talk to Division 1 to make sure there was a variety of language options before uploading their videos.

When he pressed play, Jisung understood what the Spaniard had meant when she said she had researched which celebrities would represent which brands. The video was basically about that. She had a roulette wheel with the main fashion brands, all invited by the organisers, and throughout the twenty minutes of her explanation he talked about what the event was going to be like, and who she would meet once inside. At the mention of Prada, Valentino and Gucci, Jisung remembered seeing the people Abril was talking about. But the minutes passed quickly, enchanted by her voice, until he realised that she had left Fendi, Louis Vuitton and Balmain for last.

’The new addition to Europe is the three members of Stray Kids coming to Madrid,’ he had heard her say, as the group photos they had taken for Maxident appeared on his screen. ‘It's rare for a Kpop group to show so much interest into send so many of their members to fashion events, but we're thrilled to welcome them.’

Abril had given a short summary of how the Korean music industry worked for those who had no idea, and then had objectively detailed what role each had in the group and which brand had invited them. Jisung had liked the professional and open way she had introduced them, and once again he understood why he had felt so comfortable with her. She made you feel welcome, listened to. She made you understand without making you feel dumb. With one warm look you knew you could trust her.

So he had told Minho, before he noticed he was falling asleep again.

But at that moment, in the car, after a busy morning in which he'd been late for his gym session with Chan and then they'd walked around the city before visiting the stadium of his hyung's favourite football team, it was too hot. He rolled up the sleeves of the oversized jacket he'd bought before the trip once more and turned to Felix, leaning his head against the backrest with a huff. The blond, who had his phone in his hands as he played some Genshin, made an acknowledging noise, leaning against Jisung.

’We're getting close, Ji,‘ his manager said from the passenger seat, picking up on his uneasiness.

He didn't reply, too abstracted to notice that Jaehyun couldn't see him nod. He fiddled with his own phone, removing and replacing one of the corners of the case, deciding if it was a good idea to text Abril. He didn't have an individual Instagram account, even though more than half the members were considering creating one, and he didn't know if they'd let him use the group one for something like this. He hadn't discussed it with anyone, that he wanted to meet the girl at the Warner, and not knowing if it would look bad to his friends made him think too much in his head.

He wasn't even listening to the distracted answers Felix was giving Chan, when the older boy asked him about what kind of attractions they would find, which ones he was most excited about. He went into the Instagram app he had almost unused, then turned off the screen. He looked for Abril's username, which he had memorised from her Youtube videos, then turned off the screen. When he turned it back on, the search box had gone blank, so he had to type it in again. But when he finally had her account in his hands, he had to turn it off again. He wanted to contact her, but somehow it felt wrong.

And then he noticed Felix giving him playfully with his head on the shoulder, as if he didn't have to curl up slightly to do it, as if he were a kitten, and heard him say ‘Do it.’

He didn't even notice the way his own heart stopped, thinking he'd been caught committing a crime. He glanced at Felix fleetingly, his wide eyes colliding with his best friend's soft gaze, and snuck into the Spaniard's private messages, hoping his coy ‘Just arrived at Warner's, where are you? Jisung’ along with the blue symbol next to @ realstraykids indicating his authenticity would get Abril to see it as soon as possible. And then he took refuge in Felix's embrace, the two of them entwined like the hands of two lovers, answering Chan's questions with renewed energy.

Jaehyun escorted them to the entrance of the huge amusement park, letting them wander along the cobblestone paths once he displayed the tickets he had gotten the day before online, and Jisung tried to calm himself, not to look at his phone, to enjoy a moment with his friends. He let Felix, to whom he was glued by their linked arms, guide them to the first attraction, which had a short queue. Chan began to ramble on about the memories the pictures in the place brought back, and Jisung took a breath of air as he took in every person who passed him.

By the time Felix got his attention, Jisung had already had a heart attack for every straight-haired brunette girl he'd seen, and the touch of his best friend's hand in his arm brought him back to reality, to the spinning mugs with Scooby Doo decorations, and to his leader's terrible jokes about how it was a betrayal to be there without his own Mistery Inc. gang's dog, Seungmin. He closed his eyes to relax a little before the ride got started, and then had to hold on to Felix and his manager, looking for support that he could only find on the edge of the giant cup they'd been stuffed into as it began to spin.

It was fun, he thought. And then he let out a shaky laugh, hearing Felix's excited shout to his left, followed by one from Chan in front of him, and stopped thinking. He didn't need to. Not as long as he could rest his mind and fill his memory with moments like this.

And for a while it worked, leaving Scooby Doo's Tea Party Mystery and heading straight for the bumper cars themed on the Joker movie. The park was huge, and what was most striking was the continuity with which people were screaming. It was all conversation and laughter and screaming all around him, until he realised that he too was laughing with his friends, and talking. And he'd be screaming too, he thought to himself, when Felix pointed out all the roller coasters surrounding the hotels and the smaller attractions. The blond was going to want to go on one, probably the one that looked the most dangerous, as soon as they let him, even if he ended up passing out.

And Chan was going to let him go on one, even if it made Felix so dizzy, because it made him happy. He'd say it would be better if he could ride along with him, and that would leave Jisung alone, because Jaehyun refused to participate in crazy ideas like that.

So after leaving with sore knees, but with his adrenaline pumping, he had resigned himself to it. They used the map they had been given at the entrance to get to the queue for the Stunt Fall, the star of the park, and after fifteen minutes of pent-up nerves, they found themselves first in line at the entrance to the roller coaster. Chan went first, Felix behind him, following the directions in English from the staff, and Jisung waited for them to come back for him.

‘Are you here alone?’ the boy asked him, in a rough accent.

Jisung nodded, his throat suddenly dry, and he began to regret it as he saw that he was being taken to the opposite area where Felix and Chan had been placed. But he said nothing. It wasn't worth it. He didn't feel able to formulate a sound, anyway. His vocal cords were as tense as the muscles in his shoulders, and if the girl in the seat next to him noticed as the staff secured the harness to his body and the belt to his lap, she said nothing too. Jisung closed his eyes and tried to swallow, highly attentive to the remaining people before the attraction was full and they could begin.

‘First time?’ he heard from behind him, as he watched the same staff member lead the couple who had waited behind his friends and him to a spot further down the queue of seats.

‘First time?’ the girl repeated, this time in English. Jisung turned to his left all too quickly, utterly convinced he was experiencing a déjà vu. This time he didn't need to squint his eyes to focus in the dark, but to make sure that the girl he had failed to greet nervously as he sat down wasn't Abril. She didn't really look anything like her, her skin slightly paler and her hair chaotically curly and much darker, but she was the owner of a similar smile. Wide, kind, luminous.

Jisung nodded again, too overwhelmed to do anything else.

‘Not mine,’ she said, as if it were a matter of pride. ‘Whenever I can I come with my friends. It's pretty awesome, but you don't have to be afraid of safety. Nothing's going to happen to you, I promise.’

‘Huh..., thanks.’ he muttered, taking another breath of air.

‘Do you want me to distract you for a bit?’ the girl asked, tilting her head to the side, her hands clasped in the harness, ’Or would you rather I leave you alone?’

Jisung was grateful to be able to choose. It gave his brain the feeling of being in control over something, even if before she finished uttering the second question he was already ready to say yes to the first. He would give anything to pretend he wasn't about to die.

‘A..., a distraction wouldn't be bad, actually,’ he managed to whisper, his words achieving to soften his travelling companion's sharp gaze.

‘Mm-hm, I'll tell you things then,’ she warned him, as if Jisung could back out at any moment. ‘You can interrupt me at any time, or tell me things yourself if you like. Did you come alone?’

‘No,’ he replied, glad to be able to focus on something other than the way the harness was digging into his skin. ‘I came with two friends, but we got separated.’

‘Oh, you didn't see the sign.’ she sighed, frowning as if the information really hurt.

‘What sign?’

‘We didn't see it the first time we came either,’ the girl recounted. ‘While you're queuing to get on, there's a sign that says if you don't have a partner to share seats with, they'll put you with someone who doesn't have one either. That's why they put you with me.’

‘You came alone?’ asked Jisung.

‘Nope,’ she said, smiling. ’I also came with my friends. But there are five of us. One gets dizzy so she goes with the one who doesn't have phobia to highs. And of the other three, last time Lucas went alone, so this time it was my turn. My name is Noa, by the way.’

‘Jisung.’ he spoke, more cheerful. ‘The same thing happened to me. Felix gets dizzy, so he can't go alone. And I wouldn't be much help either.’

‘It's all right, Jisung,’ said Noa, savouring every syllable of his name, ‘you can be helpful to me. Sometimes I need to squeeze someone's hand when the curves are too pronounced. If you need it too, we can make a deal.’

It sounded good. He knew she would gain nothing and that she was proposing it because he was probably so pale he looked sick. It was him who needed to be able to anchor himself to someone so he wouldn't get too overwhelmed, or dizzy, or faint, like Felix. Noa was already being helpful herself, and he would be eternally grateful - it was either trust her or ask the boring boy from before to get him out of there and let him put his feet on solid ground. For a moment he even wondered if she was so kind to all the rookies they put next to her when she went alone, or if he had been an exception.

‘I'd like to make the deal,’ he confided, putting his hand in front of them.

She took it, and Jisung's breathe hitched, feeling Noa's soft palm against his. ‘I promise to hold your hand very tightly and let you know what's going to happen so you won't be caught by surprise.’

‘I promise not to let go of your hand, and to hold it a lot tighter in response,’ he said, finally smiling, letting the air that had caught in his throat come out shakily.

They did not separate their hands once the deal was done. Instead, Noa rested them in her lap, humming whatever song was on her mind, giving Jisung a chance to observe her. She was tan, not as dark as April, but a caramel shade that made the light freckles on her cheeks blend in with the wrinkles that formed in her eyes when she smiled. Her hair was in a high ponytail, but the curls spilled over her bare shoulders like cascades of coffee. The top she wore was red, flashy, with a straight across neckline that clung to her chest, crossed by a black belt pouch.

He let his gaze wander until Noa's voice brought him back to reality, ‘There's a minute left, maybe you should put your hat away, so it doesn't fly off.’

Jisung hadn't thought of that. The clothes he was wearing were loose, just the way he liked them, and he hadn't brought a backpack. All his belongings were with Jaehyun, as were Felix's and Chan's, so he didn't know where he could leave it. Noa probably saw the doubt in his eyes, because with her free hand she reached up to his head, murmuring a quiet ‘May I?’ and waiting for a nod before taking it. Jisung watched her fold it in half and tuck it as best she could behind her back, shoving it between her skin and the secure grip of her bra. His cheeks flushed red when he noticed, but he said nothing, letting her settle back in.

She flashed him a smile and he grinned back, leaning back against the seat, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He felt Noa's hand give him a friendly squeeze, and even though fear was beginning to build in his chest, nerves rising in his throat, vertigo clouding his mind, he was able to return the squeeze, stroking the back of Noa's hand with his thumb.

And when the ride started, Jisung began to scream.

Once they returned to their point of origin, silence fell. It lasted only a few seconds before trembling sighs and adrenaline-fuelled screams began to sound, reactions that gradually ranged from euphoria to relief. Jisung would consider himself in the latter group, his heart pumping blood at full speed, if he wasn't too busy trying to figure out if all his limbs were still part of his body. His chest was rising and falling in hurried movements that looked too much like terrified hyperventilation, and he was still holding Noa's hand as if his life depended on it.

She belonged to the first group, however. She was a little dishevelled, taking big breaths of air, but her eyes shone with the intensity of someone who had just experienced a great adventure. Jisung wanted to memorise that vision, but he felt a tingling on his skin that made him uncomfortable, so he tried to close his eyes and think of something else. The worst part was over. He should have informed himself before going up, because he certainly wouldn't have set foot on the Stunt Fall if he knew it had a free-fall section of at least fifty metres, but at least he'd been lucky enough to get the ride with Noa.

While he had been screaming, yelling out phrases in Korean and English, thinking that his heart was going to burst out of his chest at any moment and that he was making a fool of himself in front of a beautiful girl, Noa had warned him that the worst moment was coming, and to close his eyes tightly. He had reacted two seconds too late, and by the time he saw the void opening up before him, even though he had curled up in his seat, his imagination had done the rest. It felt like the longest moment of his life, and he couldn't even recover before the ride played another trick on him with a section where the seats spun on their axis and he ended up upside down.

He didn't know whether he wanted to curse Felix for his love of roller coasters, or Abril for mentioning Warner.

He had to check if she had replied to his message. The reminder of Abril's presence at the park hit him like a bucket of cold water, knowing he'd left his phone in his brother's hands and would probably murder him if he found out, and he tried to get up, not realising he was still strapped into the seat by the harness. The restraint caused him to become even more distressed, his hand still numb but gripping Noa's tightly, and he gave her a frightened look.

Noa realised immediately what was happening, and slid her hand from his gently, holding it by the back to leave a quick caress. She removed the safety bar that had allowed them to hold on to something during the trip, and undid her harness before jumping down to the solid ground and starting to undo Jisung's. She removed buckles and loops quickly with the speed of someone who knows how they work, taking Jisung by the arm and escorting him to one of the less crowded corridors nearby. Jisung let himself be guided, his gaze blurring and his chest constricting his lungs, preventing him from breathing normally.

Jisung was losing control of the situation, and being aware of it made him feel even more overwhelmed. The heat wasn't helping, and even though the shirt he was wearing was quite thin, because he could feel Noa's hand on his arm, it clung to his skin with sweat. His legs were shaking, though whether it was his anxiety or the effect of the roller coaster, he didn't know, and he was shivering. The high temperature of the park, with all the people everywhere, seemed to grow by the minute, and Jisung thought it was very likely that he would pass out right there and never be able to return to Korea. No one would find him, no one would come looking for him.

‘Hey, Sung,’ Noa murmured, rubbing his arms, ’can I call you Sung, mm?’

Jisung nodded, eyes closed tightly, concentrating on his breathing. It seemed silly to him that he was having this reaction once it was all over and not when he had no idea what the journey might be like. It didn't make sense. And he knew that focusing on how pathetic he felt wouldn't help this attack to end quickly, but he couldn't help it. All the tricks he knew would disappear, his mind a blank, when anxiety began to bubble up in his chest and he wasn't in the comfort of his room, or with one of his members.

‘Listen, you're doing great, okay?’ he heard again, and tried to focus his gaze on her eyes, trying to distinguish where the brown started and the green ended, losing himself in the depths of her pupils, ’but I'm going to need you to breathe with me, yeah? Do you think you can do that?’

Jisung processed her words, frowning at the insistent dizziness he felt swirling in his temples, nodding again. He could do it, he wasn't losing his mind. He had to do it so he could apologise properly. A girl like Noa didn't deserve to have someone like him spoil a nice May afternoon with her friends. So he pretended that the shiver that crept over his skin had been from anxiety and not from her when he felt Noa's hand slide down to rest on his chest.

He also chose to ignore the way Noa touched him, all gentleness and decency, giving him the sweetest of looks, as if she'd done that routine many times before. Anyone with anxiety who had someone to lean on at times like that was very lucky, but having Noa was a gift. She didn't make you feel like a burden, instead she distracted you enough to make you think it was a team effort. That was why his breath caught in his throat when he felt one of Noa's fingers brush against the skin of his chest, unintentionally slipping through the hole between two buttons.

She seemed not to notice, too busy ensuring his well-being, and continued with her rehearsed choreography. She took the hand that hadn't been abused by the trip, grasping him gently by the wrist, and rested it on her own chest, slowly raising it with a breath, urging him to do the same. Jisung closed his eyes, feeling more clearly how smooth the skin of her collarbone was, soft and delicate under his guitarist's fingertips, and forced himself to mimic the calm rise and fall of her chest.

No words were exchanged, none were needed, until Jisung felt sane enough to look at her again. They were only inches apart, arms locked and intertwined, her hands in his, and though he could only hear his heartbeat thudding in his ears, he felt her own mirroing his quick race beneath his fingers.

Noa had beautiful eyes. Not only that, but the smile she offered hid an accomplice that made you want to follow her wherever she wanted to take you, and for a moment, Jisung wanted to. But he couldn't. He was trapped, between the wall and her hands, between the wall and her gaze, and he didn't want to run away. Every second he spent memorising all the intermingled shades of mahogany and forest green in her irises, and when he realised that he hadn't once taken his eyes off hers, he was shocked. Jisung was incapable of holding eye contact for more than a few seconds with anyone.

‘That's my girl, now kiss him!’

The spell broke as soon as Noa processed those words in Spanish, and Jisung's body moved a little closer to hers as she pulled away slightly.

‘He was having a panic attack, you moron,' she whispered, her low, strong tone contrasting with the gentleness of her hands against his skin.

Then Jisung snapped back to reality, his chest rising and falling more calmly, and he located the boy who had spoken. He had been cracking a rascally smile until he had heard the word panic - which was not so different in Spanish than it was in English, Jisung had been able to understand - and now he was approaching with a concerned gesture towards them.

‘Do you need ice? Do you want us to find you somewhere cooler?’ he asked, still in the language he didn't understand, dividing his attention between Noa and Jisung.

‘Use English, please,’ she asked him, leaving warm caresses on the back of Jisung's hands absently, ’he's a foreigner and it's not polite to gossip without him knowing what we're saying.’

Then she turned to him, giving him her full attention again, and said, ‘Remember I mentioned my friends earlier?’

Jisung nodded, remembering every word he had exchanged with Noa.

‘This is Lucas,’ Jisung turned to the boy, who had left a safe distance between them, waiting for instructions from the girl. His hair was disheveled, as if he'd just taken a nap, and all chestnut brown except for an unruly blond highlight in his fringes. ‘Her twin sister is the girl who gets dizzy that I told you about. She also has anxiety, so he asks if you need ice or a cooler place.’

‘Huh, thanks, Lucas..., Noa,’ Jisung's gaze flickered between one and the other, suddenly nervous. He wasn't used to that kind of attention, it made him uncomfortable to a certain extent. ‘I'm better now.’

‘Oh,’ Noa murmured, taking a step back and pulling her arms away from him. Jisung wanted to follow them, to place them back on his body, to keep feeling her touch on him. He repressed it. ‘Of course.’

‘I'm grateful, really,’ he repeated, as if that wasn't enough. Noa's gaze had flashed with pain at his rejection, and Jisung had hated it. ‘But I should go, my friends...’

‘Right, of course,’ she repeated, taking a step backwards, towards Lucas, like two planets orbiting on the same axis. ‘I understand, they must be worried.’

‘I didn't mean to...’

‘Hey, we made a deal,’ she reminded him, forcing a smile onto her rosy lips, ‘we've already gotten off the Stunt. Glad I could be of help.’

The deal was to hold on tight to each other, Jisung thought. And now she was letting him go. That wasn't part of the deal.

‘We could always get the groups together...’ Lucas wanted to propose, resting a hand protectively on Noa's shoulder.

‘Jisung!’

His heart skipped a beat at the sound of his name. Behind Noa and Lucas was Abril, smiling as if her life depended on it, also slightly dishevelled but with the same cheerful vibe that characterised her. She had stood halfway, having recognised his slim figure and his dyed ash-blonde hair, and Lucas had turned around quickly, frowning.

‘You two know this one?’ he'd said, receiving a smack from Noa for continuing to use Spanish, ‘Are you swapping me for him? On my own birthday?’

‘We're not, dummy,’ Abril said, and Jisung found it odd to hear her voice a softer tone, using English to communicate and not the Korean they had spoken in the previous evening. ‘This is the boy I told you about yesterday, Han Jisung.’

‘Ahh,’ pronounced Noa, placing him in her memories, ’the nice guy from Balmain. I hadn't actually caught the name, sorry.’

‘That's okay,’ he said, shrugging, processing that Noa and April knew each other. For a person who wasn't used to Korean culture, understanding how names worked or being able to remember one must have been difficult. For him, their Spanish names were.

‘I still don't get it,’ Lucas interrupted.

‘You were drunk yesterday,’ Abril reminded him, reaching their level and bowing her head slightly in respect. Jisung did the same. ‘You made a terrible joke, let me remember... Oh, jamón serrano. Ham in English. Ham, because of Han. He's one of the members of the group that Carla likes.’

‘Carla is another one of our friends, but she didn't come today,’ Noa informed him.

Lucas made an affirmative noise, indicating that he already remembered, and was about to make a comment about it, searching for the right English words, when another shout was heard from behind him. Again an acquaintance shouting his name. This time his brother. Jisung grimaced, and turned slowly, avoiding making eye contact with him, and turning directly into Felix and his hyung, who were trailing after Jae and relaxed as soon as they spotted him.

‘Hey, hey, hey, hey,’ Lucas exclaimed, stepping protectively between him and the other three, ’do you even know each other?’

Jisung paused for a moment, wondering to whom the question was addressed, but before he could explain who they were, or even gazing at Abril fro help, his brother stepped up to Lucas, facing him, and replied in slurred English, ‘I'd like to know if you know him at all, because he's obviously my little brother.

The tension could be cut with a knife, and Jisung shifted uncomfortably under the incredulous stares of Felix and Chan, who couldn't believe they had just witnessed their manager's words. Jaehyun never let his emotions, and especially anger, spill over into his actions. Never. But before Chan could jump in to try and sort out the misunderstanding, Abril and Noa burst out laughing behind Jisung's back.

‘Lucas, he looks an awful lot like Jisung,’ Noa said, stepping forward with her hands in the pockets of her baggy jeans, her face still holding an almost uncontrollable laughter.

‘It's actually kind of surprising that you didn't notice,’ April chipped in, tilting her head to the side, trying to stifle her smile behind Noa's shoulder.

Jisung saw Lucas blush, mumble an apology to Jae, who accepted it with a nod, and step back so that Jisung could approach his friends. The first to move closer when Jisung was near enough was his brother, putting his arm around his shoulders and asking him in Korean if he was okay. He explained that he hadn't been, but thanks to the girl he'd been sitting next to, he was feeling better now. Noa smiled at hearing her name, and Jisung found himself smiling back, adding that she had been the perfect rollercoaster companion.

‘I'm glad you had someone up there,’ Jaehyun stated, looking up at the ride, which had started up again, and feeling guilty for not getting on with his little brother. ‘Are you going to introduce us to the fashion girl and her friends?’

Jisung blinked, confused, thinking that Jae's next action as manager would be to say goodbye and send them back to the hotel, but he nodded and turned to the three Spaniards.

‘Guys, this is my brother and manager Han Jaehyun,’ he began, resting his hand on the one Jae had on his shoulder, ‘then there's Lee Felix,’ he continued, letting the blonde flash one of his brightest smiles, ‘and Bang Chan hyung, our leader.’ Then he turned to his friends, and prayed that he pronounced the Spanish names correctly. ‘Abril I met yesterday on the catwalk, because she was sitting next to me. Noa was the one who saved me just now, and made me survive Stunt Fall,’ he shared a smile with her and then paused, glancing at the third member of the trio, and finished the introduction, ‘and Lucas, huh, the friend who thinks I'm jam.’

‘Ham,’ he corrected him, ‘Yummy, Spanish ham.’

‘They're the ones on the albums Carla buys,’ Abril explained, turning to Noa and Lucas. ‘Stray Kids, the ones she had saved up for the concert in Madrid and couldn't go to because it was cancelled due to covid.’

Noa nodded, as if she already knew all that information, but Lucas was too busy staring at Chan.

‘Luc, that's creepy,’ Abril said to him. ‘Stop, please.’

Jisung saw Chan blush slightly at the Spaniard's attention, but he didn't say anything. He couldn't tell if he was uncomfortable or nervous, but he knew that Lucas's nonchalant nature was shocking him a little.

‘It's just that he rings a bell, but I can't place him,' he explained.

‘Oh, I know!’ exclaimed Noa. ‘It's from the Korean reggaeton music video! He's the one who plays the bodyguard!’

‘Korean reggaeton?’ asked Chan, confused.

‘Maknae on top’ replied Abril, and their leader raised her eyebrows in understanding. ‘Carla, our Stay friend, teaches them Kpop songs if they say things is Spanish or have a Latin beat.’

‘But Lucas recognises Chan because there was a time when you kept playing the video over and over,’ Noa informed, smiling half-sideways, waiting for Abril's poorly suppressed alarmed cry at being exposed.

‘I'm a Seventeen fan, shush,’ she confessed. ‘Besides, they sure don't like talking about this stuff.’

‘Oh, we like knowing that people enjoy our songs, don't worry,’ Felix said, smiling, enjoying the chaos. ‘I'm the one who says ‘Felix Navidad’ in a song called Christmas Evel.’

‘And your name is Felix,’ Lucas spoke, letting out a laugh, ’It’s genius, I love it.’

‘Jisung and Chan are the ones who compose and produce all their songs,’ Abril added.

‘And Changbin,’ Jisung added.

‘And Changbin,’ Abril repeated, apologising with a smile.

‘Oh my God, enough with the work talk,' Noa interrupted, stretching her arms and rotating her wrists, as if standing still for too long bothered her. ‘Do you want us to show you around? We can even go back to Madrid, if you want.’

The three of them looked at Jaehyun automatically, as if waiting for an answer, and he tried to keep a straight face, crumbling the moment Felix tugged at his shirt sleeve, taking advantage of the effect of his adorable pout. Jae shrugged, deflating like a balloon as he exhaled a tired sigh, and Chan put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

‘You know what the limits are,’ he said, in Korean, looking at Jisung, as if he were to blame for everyone's enthusiasm. ‘And that you don't know these people. They can be fans, they can be stalkers.’

‘Han-nim, if I may,’ Abril interrupted in her soft Korean voice, approaching slowly and timidly, as if she didn't want to get Jisung in trouble. ‘It's true that I'm a fan of your work and I know the Kpop world, but we're not sasaengs. I can give you my word, and speak on behalf of my friends, we simply want to leave a good impression of your first visit to Spain. If you don't trust me, I can show you the content I do on my social networks, and Noa's, even tell you what the rest of them are doing or documentation that certifies that everything I've said is true. Nothing proposed is with bad intentions, we just want to have a good time because Jisung is a wonderful person and I would like to share my time with him and let him meet my friends.’

Jaehyun stared at Abril for a good time, a battle of hard, unmoving brown gazes between the older brother and the Spaniard, who was also an older sister, and then held out his hand.

‘I'm going to need you to sign confidentiality contracts, but it works for me,’ he pronounced slowly, his chest warming at the joy gradually visible on Jisung's face. ‘You're a sincere and kind girl, I respect and admire that.’

‘Thank you very much,’ she replied, accepting the compliment with a bow.

Felix hugged Jisung, excited, but Jisung waited to see the way Noa's eyes lit up when Abril translated her and Lucas what she had just spoken to his brother in his own language. He liked Noa. He liked the way the corners of her eyes crinkled when she smiled, and the soft curve of her arms when she held them close to her body. He liked the tendency she had to rotate her knees and wrists from time to time, or the mischievous turn her smile took when you least expected it. And he liked knowing that there were still a lot of details about her to discover.

Lucas whistled, drawing everyone's attention, and said, ‘I'm guessing the manager's going to need three more NDAs.’

Jisung turned, and saw three more people approaching. He assumed they were more of Noa's friends, and she confirmed it as soon as she noticed Jisung's questioning glance at her. One of the girls was undoubtedly Lucas' twin, with blonde hair falling down her back and the same grin. The only boy, also blond, had tattooed arms, and was pacing a step behind them, lost in thought. The other girl, approaching with a phone in her hand, and the terrifying look of an angry mother, was a Latina in a pretty sundress. And she was the first to open her mouth.

‘Oh, you must be so full of yourselves!’ she exclaimed, in Spanish, not realising that there were more people with them. ‘Get off the Stunt, disappear and then give no sign of life! I don't know what you want the phone for! You always have it in your hand but you never use it when you actually have to use it!’

The blond boy at her back cleared his throat slyly, and the soft noise seemed to snap the angry Latina out of her mindset. She interrupted herself, almost swallowing all the words she had been about to blurt out, and looked up at Jisung, her gaze softening instantly and curving her lips in a welcoming gesture.

‘Sorry, I didn't see you.’

‘In English, Nea.’ pointed out Lucas, voice still, knowing when to goof off, picking his battles wisely.

‘Oh, in English then,’ she repeated, switching languages. ‘Sorry about the show. It's just that they disappeared and we couldn't find them.’

‘That's all right,’ Chan pronounced, before anyone could say anything.

‘Who... are you guys?’ she asked, and Jisung knew the mom attitude wasn't a facade, because all her friends seemed to gather around her like chicks chasing their mama duck.

‘Jisung,’ Noa began, ‘the boy Abril met yesterday, sat next to me in the Stunt because they were uneven. Chan and Felix, along with him, part of a Kpop group, and Jaehyun,’ she paused looking at Jisung's brother, waiting for his approval so she knew she had pronounced it right, ‘is his manager. And Sung's older brother.’

‘Oh,’ said the blonde girl, still sheltering next to her twin brother, ‘welcome to Spain.’

‘She is Isabel,’ introduced the Latina, stepping forward and indicating with her hand the names of the newcomers, 'my name is Atenea, and this is Miguel.’ The tattooed boy waved his fingers in greeting, then folded his arms and stood behind Atenea, as she clapped her hands in the air. ‘I'm sure you'll have time to memorise them all. Any friend of my girls is a friend of ours, and that means you are already part of the group. I assume you've invited them to show them around town, right?’

Noa nodded, and Atenea smiled softly at her.

‘I can take care of talking paperwork with the manager while you tell them about the twins' birthday plans, in case they want to join,’ she told Noa, and Jisung smiled when he saw her and Abril give each other a sneaky high-five. If their group dynamic was even the slightest bit like theirs, he knew his older brother and Chan would consider her an equal. She was the force keeping all her menaces in check.

‘I know a food stand that is perfect to grab something to get over the Stunt Fall impression,’ Lucas said, starting to walk, Abril after him, and waited for Noa and Jisung to follow. ‘Your friend Felix is still a little pale.’

Jisung smiled, knowing that his sunshine twin would appreciate a sweet drink to recover from the faint, and also the nice detail from the Spaniard. He took a quick glance back, checking that Chan had found a spot next to Atenea, and that Jae was trying to communicate with Miguel ーit seemed that neither of them knew much English. Felix, who was indeed still a bit pale, had approached Isabel, who had fallen a bit behind, and had just whispered, ‘Happy birthday.’

He could get used to it.

#﹙ ★ ﹚ mars — writes.#stray kids fluff #stray kids x reader #skz x reader #han jisung #han jisung x reader #han jisung imagines #han jisung fluff

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void-detective · 4 months ago

Text

Earned Place 💰

[[GIF NOT MINE! ALL DIVIDERS MADE BY CAFEKITSUNES]]

Author note: This is a request made by @eboni-napalm that continues as part to my Gunther series, check the other two parts here. My requests are currently open as of now 🖊️ Final part for the Gunther series as of right now! Sorry about lack of proof editing btw 🖤

Word count: 2,646

Warning: praise kink, 18+, sex, gentle sex, two way(?), and face fucking

Summary: After Gunther's king of the ring win the reader seeks a way to prove their spot within the Imperium. After winning the tournament the reader gets greeted by more than they had bargained for.

May 25, 2024 - Women's Queen of the Ring finals

After your previous encounters with Imperium you had sought out a way to prove you deserved a spot within the tag team. And what better way to do it then win the Queen of the Ring tournament just like how Gunther had won against Orton. It only seemed fair that you proved you could hold your own like Kaiser, believing you needed to earn your spot in their team.

So you worked your ass off towards the finals of the Queen of the Ring and ended up in one last match against Lyra who was an upcoming star like yourself but you had more to prove compared to her.

This was for Imperium.

You staggered backstage panting and skin glistening backstage as you smiled, feeling the adrenaline finally ebb away as you wiped down your face. You felt relieved with your win and secretly hoped it was possible that Gunther had seen how hard you worked to get the win on Lyra. You were still sore but felt happy with the results of your win as you brushed damp strands of your hair back with a satisfied look.

So you made it through backstage quietly walking down the corridor a bit lost in thought as you went with a small sigh letting the tension finally ease out your body. It felt nice to actually win a big match for once in your career and even more to prove you could hold your own as a singles competitor outside of NXT and the indies.

You were still buzzing from the match as you moved past other superstars till you made it towards the locker room. You exhaled a nervous breath and pushed open the door to the locker room. You peered around as you stepped further in being greeted by the ever smug and annoyed expression of Kaiser standing of course in the way of where Gunther was.

“Can I help you?” Ludwig narrowed his eyes as he folded his arms behind his back with a small frown, assessing you with a scrutinizing gaze. His brows drawn down in that glare and a bit of a sneer pulling at his lips as he stared you down.

You let out an exasperated huff and looked around the locker room for the General before you glanced back towards Ludwig. “Are you ever going to like me?” You questioned with a quirked brow giving him a half amused yet tired stare.

“Probably not.” Ludwig shrugged and chuckled in amusement at your frustration as he waved a hand. “I just believe he deserves better.” He muttered with a scoff and stepped out your way with his eyes narrowed and a bitter scowl present on his features.

You ignored his comment with a roll of your eyes as you moved further into the locker room with a sigh. You stopped coming across Gunther lounged on one of the couches with that nice navy suit that he wore when he wasn't scheduled to fight. You smiled shyly as you stepped towards him and he sat up straight to meet you with a friendly look.

“You did good y/n, always impressive.” Gunther chuckled warmly and smiled as he observed you carefully with a intrigued look. “You did well on your promise to earn your spot as a member and lucky for you, we have an opening.” The offering felt like the biggest luck and like your wish had been granted but you secretly felt bad for Giovanni who had been kicked out of Imperium not too long ago by Ludwig. It made sense because of the fact that he wasn't used much unlike Kaiser but it still stung regardless.

“Thank you, your praise means a lot to me.” You smiled warmly looking fond as you brushed your hair out your face. “Although I don't know if Ludwig will ever like me.” You added jokingly as you peered over towards Kaiser who was still standing nearby, listening in as always.

Gunther cracked a genuine laugh and patted his chest with a smile as he turned his gaze towards his tag team partner. “Ah well, he'll warm up eventually..if not I'll chop him for you.” He hummed back in a playful way but still in a serious tone that had the other man tense a bit noticeably.

Ludwig held his hands up in a placating gesture and chuckled as he looked off to the side as he cleared his throat. You couldn't help but laugh to yourself at the gesture and the way he looked at the response but you couldn't blame him either. Being on the receiving end of one of Gunther's chops sounded less than ideal.

“Anyway y/n, I had an idea to reward your hard work but I need to know if you're comfortable with..Ludwig too. If he gets out of hand I will straighten him out for you.” Gunther patted his lap leaning forward with his hands on his knees trying to ensure you saw he was serious as he gazed up at you intently.

“You mean like..as in sex?” You questioned as you scratched your cheek turning to gaze at the younger man with curiosity, feeling your cheeks warm up in embarrassment. Your heart beginning to race in your chest are the implications like it was the most dirty thing to do.

“No he means in the ring.” Kaiser muttered with an amused snort as he raised a brow in amusement over the situation. His lips turned up into a wide smirk as he eyed you in an almost condescending way. God you wanted to smack him.

The thought made your head reel but it wasn't an unsavory idea now that you thought about it. You weren't into Kaiser like you were Gunther but if it meant getting even more good favor within the group, you were in for it. Plus maybe he'd stop being such a dick about all of it.

“I'm good with it.” You whispered back fiddling with your ring gear as you smiled over at Gunther with a nod of reassurance. It made you feel a lot better knowing how considerate he could be even now in these situations.

Gunther nodded his head in approval and leaned back on the couch looking up at you with an appraising gaze almost like a proud mentor. “Well go ahead I'll let you choose whatever you want.” He chuckled, the Austrian accent still ever prominent and you couldn't help but internally melt.

You let out a small breath feeling your nerves rack but with his permission you told a lot more at ease as you walked toward him. You watched him relax and give you another nod before you slipped onto his lap, gently straddling him as you looked up at him with your thighs on each side of his legs as you looked up at him. You felt his hands slide up your thighs and stay there which you didn't mind anyway.

As you adjusted getting used to sitting on his lap you could just feel the warmth and difference in your sizes. He was a big guy in general with everything and you could never not marvel at it all. You knew a lot of the women in the locker room didn't find him attractive but to you he was and not just in looks but the style and passion for the business.

You hesitated and felt him gently squeeze your thighs in response, almost trying to silently soothe you and tell you it was okay. You took another deep breath through your nose and moved a hand over his arm and onto his shoulder. Your other free hand moving up to gently caress his face like he was fragile even though it would take a lot to even dent him at all. You saw the glimmer of amusement in those green eyes as he raised a brow in question at your gentle handling of him.

“..Sorry, uh just admiring.” You cleared your throat and felt your blush burn toward the tips on your ears in response and felt your heart flutter at the soft chuckle that left him.

“Really? You're an odd one y/n, I don't have many women say they're trying to admire me.” The Austrian mused with a shake of his head but didn't deter your touches, only looking amused by them.

Contemplating your next moves you leaned your head forward peering at him uncertainty before mentally saying ‘fuck it' and closed the distance between you both. You kissed him gently and sighed, relaxing as he reciprocated the kiss and you moved the hand to his shoulder.

Eventually you parted and avoided his gaze as you rubbed your neck looking down as you shifted in his lap. You had an idea for what you wanted so you shifted and rocked your hips forward against the erection you could feel hardening against your thigh. “This okay?” You whispered a bit breathless as squeezed his shoulders, getting a hum in response.

You lifted yourself up and helped undo the belt carefully with his help pulling the pants down enough so they wouldn't get stained. You shifted and felt your breathing hitch as he helped pull down your ring gear to help get better access. As you shifted he guided you to lean back a bit and ran his hand over your side gently.

“I'm going to have to prep you, I don't have any condoms on me either. Plus I need to ensure you stay quiet so..” He gently laid you down on the couch, shifting to lean over you as he ran his fingers over your folds gently. He chuckled feeling you shiver and whimper under him before he nodded to Ludwig who had been patiently waiting at the sidelines for que.

Kaiser smirked in amusement and dark enjoyment as he stepped forward as he pulled down his wrestling trunks. He coaxed you to look over by turning your head towards his now freed cock and stepped towards you. “I hope you remember last time.” He mused with a smirk as he guided you to take him slowly.

In time with Kaiser's thrusts you could feel Gunther's thick fingers scissoring the inside of your entrance as you whimpered around Ludwig. The feeling on both ends was overwhelming even as you trembled beneath both men who were assaulting your senses on each end.

“Breath princess, you're doing very good.” Gunther pulled his fingers free from you and he gently stroked your thigh as he watched Ludwig thrust into your mouth. One of his hands soothing your trembling thigh while his partner worked towards his release. “That's a good girl.” He whispered to you and rubbed the soft skin of your inner thigh.

You trembled, breathing through your nose as you hollowed your cheeks and gently reached to hold Ludwig's hip as the man steadied his ever shuttering thrusts. You felt his movement getting erratic as he grunted above you before grabbing a handful of your hair and pushing deep with a low groan. You internally grimaced as the salty taste went down your throat and grunted around him as you tapped his hip.

Ludwig pulled back from you and ruffled your hair with a chuckle as he stepped back. “She's all yours, Gunther.” He wiped himself clean and tucked himself back in his trunks as he turned walking across the locker room.

You coughed lightly and made a face as you huffed watching the other man leave with a small huff of breath. Your breathing slowly coming back to normal as you turned your gaze back towards the larger man above you.

The General smiled at you and brushed your hair out your face as he looked down at you from above. “Are you sure this is what you want, y/n?” He whispered and ran his thumb over your cheek in a gesture that was almost too sweet. Everything about him was so tough and dominant but it seemed he was showing you a softer side of himself.

As you nodded in confirmation and gently spread your legs, you could see him relax and his eyes flick up to your face as he moved over on top of you. One hand braced over the arm of the couch and the other soothing your side and coming down to rub your hip as if steading your nerves.

You breathed shaky and shifted, placing a hand on his shoulder and the other on his side, guiding him closer. You bit your bottom lip as you wrapped your legs around his waist and used your free hand to free his cock from the confines of his boxers. You felt his grip tighten on your hip as he lifted your body up towards him a bit and he positioned himself between your legs.

“Ready? I need you to breathe and tell me if you need me to stop okay? Alright..” The Austrian murmured gently soothing a hand over your stomach as he guided the tip into your entrance. “Easy love, easy..I got you.” He whispered, feeling you tense and whimper under him as he slowly pushed more of himself into you. “There, you're doing so good for me hm?” He chuckled and leaned down to kiss your jaw before he moved the hand off your hip to cover your mouth. “Tap me if you want me to stop okay? I can't risk being heard.”

You felt your heart racing in your chest both from anticipation and excitement as you slowly nodded in agreement to his words. You let yourself relax beneath him and jolted at the first experimental thrust he gave which made you feel just how much he filled you up. You trembled and exhaled through your nose as he set a steady yet gentle pace so you could adjust to the foreign sensation. The burning and discomfort slowly gave way to pleasure like sensation lightening your senses on fire.

Upon feeling you begin to relax and hear your soft muffled sounds against his hands he had begun to move a bit faster and with more force. The movements made you shake and jolt beneath him and you braced yourself by holding his shoulders as his hand clamped over your mouth more. He grunted softly with the effort and watched your reactions carefully for any signs of discomfort as you tilted your head back and arched your back into his movements.

It didn't take long for you to feel the familiar pooling in your stomach and increasing heat that was building towards your release. You trembled upon the intense feeling as you gasped softly against his hand and tightened your grip on his shoulder to try and anchor yourself as your mind began to blank.

“That's a good girl.” Gunther growled in your ear and thrusted deep making you lightly scratch his shoulder and tense up. “Let go for me.” He whispered and kissed your neck, keeping a hand over your mouth as he used the free one to rub the sensitive bud which sent you right over the edge. He grunted and scrunched his nose as you clamped around him as you moaned against his hand.

As your release slowly died down you could feel him pull out and rub your thigh. You watched as he sat back slightly and pumped himself a few times before he came with a low growl and panted softly. God you loved being underneath him. Even now boneless and spent you could feel your attraction and love for the man only increasing.

“You did so good for me, my queen.” He whispered and cupped your cheek giving you a soft kiss before he pulled back to watch you with a soft look. “You earned your spot.”

#this is my gift to Gunther fans alike #i do a good service/j #wwe #wwe gunther #gunther wwe #ludwig kaiser #the imperium #wwe fanfiction #wwe fic #fanfiction #fanfic #fanfic request #x reader #gunther x reader #bunny writes #wwe imagine #wwe smut

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timetravellibrarian · 2 months ago

Text

Zoro x reader

Zoro x femreader

Summary: A man seeks to follow his dreams, following only the path his swords carve for him and wherever his crew goes. Little does he know that the missing piece in his life, his soulmate whom he doesn't admit that he tries to seek would end up in a love-hate relationship.

_________________________________________

Chapter Three

You found yourself on the very same large rock at your islands beach, eyes looking over to the ocean. The mark in your wrist reminding you of the small ache in your heart. Your soulmate.

No night ever falls without your mind going to whoever out there in the world was meant for you. Someone who would choose you first. Someone who would love you unconditionally without the expected duty. You honestly didn't know how to explain what you felt.

"Penny for your thoughts, my lady?"A whisper broke you out if your thoughts, a small squeak barely escaping your lips before you felt yourself slipping from the rocks surface. The drop would be devastating had it not been for firm arms immediately wrapping themselves around your waist and pulling you flush against the one who intruded in your quiet time.

"My lady! I'm so sorry, he– I didn't see him pass throug–"

"It's alright Lyra. I'm alright." Your eyes went to your friend who seemed to have been thrown into panic, her rushed steps trying to balance in the rocks to try and reach you. Alas you were in the arms of the man you were promised to marry, Prince Cassius.

He let out a small huff of amusement as he picked you up bridal style and headed down the variously shaped rocks with waves crashing harshly against them. Soon Lyra, Cassius and you had landed safely on the dock, the prince placing you down.

"I apologize, princess. I wished to speak with you but I had been informed that you weren't in the castle."

You nodded, a look of curiosity at what he wanted to talk to you about.

"...then I asked your sister and brothers where you ought to be at this hour and they didn't know..."

"How did you find me here?"

He smiled," I have my ways, princess. Or should I refer to you as my beloved seeing as we are to wed in a month's time."

'A MONTH!'

"Pardon, a month you say?" The mark on your wrist felt like a rocks piling up on top of your body, held up by little hope.

"Exactly why I wanted to talk to you. My father spoke with the king and have agreed on a date at around this time next month.

You stayed silent. Looking up at his chestnut brown eyes,the unnoticeable freckles on his face. His sharp nose. 'My children might inherit that'

"I know this is a large step for you." His hands went to yours, fingers trailing over R.Z that's was etched onto your wrist by fate. His lip quirked down in unnoticeable displeasure at its sight. " I will do my best to love you as much as any soulmate would. Maybe even more."

His eyes locked onto yours longer than you were used to, his words were like a promise. One that wouldn't be broken. But promises are merely words used to appease fools. Maybe right now you would allow yourself to believe. What could possibly go wrong?

_______________________________________

"Don't you wonder who your soulmate is?" Sanji said as he placed a cigarette to his lips. His eyes went to the uncovered mark on Zoro's wrist. The whole time he had gotten to know the swordsman he never heard much word about his soulmate. The matter shut down with a glare or met with silence.

Everyone present on deck almost held their breath. Robin , Nami, even Luffy.

"I have thought about them." Zoro answered, taking a sip of the bottle in his hands,"I've never stopped." And true to his word he never has.

The sun never rose without his mind wandering to the mark on his wrist. The one connection he had with the person who was truly meant for him.

All his life Zoro had been fighting. He fought in Shimotsuki Village, growing up. He fought in Shells Town before and after he met Luffy. Now he's in Skypeia and he's fought since since Enel had discovered them. Almost everyday he fights to fulfill his dream. To become the world's greatest swordsman.

But do dreams keep a man warm? Do dreams chase after him as much as he does?

He loves his crew, would die for them even. But what is this feeling of loneliness that lies deep within the pit of his stomach and cuts deeper that a sword against his skin.

He looked at the swirly haired cook, the bane of his existence.

"Then why don't you try to find them?!" Luffy yelled, his face staying in confusion. "They're somewhere out there aren't they?"

Nami slapped Luffy upside the head. "Don't be an idiot Luffy. The world's too big. He or she could be anywhy."

"Not to mention that anyone can have those initials." Robin added, paging through her book.

"And they could possibly be a marine, a rival pirate, a serial killer, an arsonist, a murderer and other very bad things." Chopper added as he came back from restocking the infirmary. He sat down beside Robin as she read.

"You guys really know how to cheer up a guy," Sanji said as he blew out a puff of smoke," Those are realistic expectations. But let's be positive for a second."

"Skip the positivity, I'd rather not sit around and wait to be swept off my feet. Life goes on. I'm sure wherever my soulmate is she's fine." Zoro took one last gulp of his drink. Washing down the sense of foreboding that plagued his senses

_________________________________________

She in fact wasn't gonna be fine

@mars-mizuko

@bi-narystars

@mythicallystupid

@urbisexualfriend

#one piece #one piece x reader #x reader #zoro #roronoa zoro #zoro roronoa x reader #zoroxreader #zoro x reader #roronoa #soulmate au

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artstatues · 5 months ago

Text

Slow dancing in the dark. - l.k × g.h

wc : 553

pairings : lyra kane x grayson hawthorne, from the inheritance games.

synopsis : lyra kane stays up late in the library to solve some clues. thats until the game master walks in and asks for a dance.

warnings : nothing??

a/n : idk, i guess you can count this as a second part of this fic, but thats up to you. anyways, its not proofread bc i think this is a bit more of a drabble.

taglist : @never-enough-novels, @reminiscentreader, @lxvebelle, @kozumesphone, @sophiesonlinediary, @shuhuaspookie, @off-to-the-r4ces, @pockyyasii, @starrynightsxo, @urbanflorals.

Lyra hunched over to get a better view of the picture on her laptop. The picture contained a clue, an unsolved riddle she took a picture of. It was hidden somewhere in the island’s mansion, she was sure she was the first person to find the clue, but Rohan was also pretty clever– no, very clever. Knox Landry and Odette Morales were a close third. No one shared clues, not even Odette, who Lyra could call a friend in the game, supposedly. She had snuck into the Game Master’s office for this clue. Where he’d caught her, unfortunately.

The library was dimly lit, since it was late at night. Lyra’s sleeping schedule went downhill after joining the game, but the things she could get done and the riddles she could solve while others were sleeping were truly an advantage. The door to the library creaked open, it would always creak, the sort of creak that’d scratch your ears, which was quite odd for a new building. Lyra turned her head towards the person. The game master. He was in something else than a suit, which caused Lyra to tilt her head and raise an eyebrow. “Did you find anything amusing, Miss Kane?” Grayson strode closer towards her, pulling out the chair across her. “Your choice of fashion, Game Master.” She addressed his title mockingly. He was wearing a navy sweatshirt, large letters spelling “HARVARD” across the sweatshirt. He was also wearing a pair of joggers. If any other person caught a glimpse of his outfit, they’d label it as pajamas, but was Lyra wearing anything fancy? No. Lyra sat there with a band tee and shorts, her hair pulled into a somewhat of a bun.

Grayson placed his elbow on the table, where his chin rested on his palm, admiring Lyra. She hasn’t muttered a single word except a few curses here and there. Where Lyra found his ‘choice of fashion’ amusing, he found her brows furrowing, her little whispers of curses, and her groans amusing to watch. It was a lovely and utterly beautiful spectacle. He had a teasing smirk on his face. “Stop smirking at me Davenport. You already know the answers, it isn’t fair.” Lyra remarked. Grayson only raised an eyebrow in sarcasm, “I do, but I also do admit watching you is quite a spectacle.” He gave a soft, pleasing smile. Lyra glared, confusing Grayson. “What? Oh, in a good way– I mean.” Grayson assured.

“Would you like to dance–?” Grayson blurted out of the complete blue. “What?” Lyra furrowed her eyebrows in surprise. “I said–” Grayson tried to repeat himself before Lyra cut him off. “No, I heard what you said. Just– that was a bit random.” Lyra slowly closed her laptop and finally got up from the chair after hours. Lyra hesitatedly opened her phone and played a song. “I’m assuming you meant slow dance?” She smiled. “Yes.” Grayson stepped closer, and closer. His hands snaked around her waist while Lyra’s went to his shoulder. A soft smile was plastered on the pair’s faces.

Lyra never took Grayson Hawthorne to be a dancer, of all people. The couple slowly spun around the room, enjoying the company of the other person.

After all, they were only two people; The Game Master, and the player, somehow lucky enough to coexist.

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demxters · 2 years ago

Note

elle dear, how are you? i saw you opened blurb requests so what about jake holding his girl’s hand in public and doing pda with her for the first around his friend and they’re both just genuinely happy/enjoying the beginning of the relationship?

lyra

—𝐈 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐀 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐇 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑

jake seresin x gn!reader

wc: 595

warning(s): none i don't think

find on ao3 here!

a/n: ty for sending this in lyra, i love it and ily. i hope i did this one justice!! <3 got hit by the writing bug this morning and thought i’d attempt to get back into some writing after disappearing for a bit…. i hope everyone is well and i’m sending lots of love!!!!

(ik i said i wasn’t writing on here anymore but i felt guilty for all the blurbs in my inbox so depending on how i feel after this maybe we’ll come back?)

There's a familiar tug in his chest that coincides with the one on his fingers. The lovesick smile on his face hasn't faltered since you walked into The Hard Deck with your fingers laced with his. As the two of you approached the group of aviators huddled in their same booth in the back of the bar, he expected the usual unravel of your fingers from his as you took your spot beside Phoenix.

This time, however, your hand never left his. In fact, it stayed tightly clasped with his own. He loosened his hold on you just a tad when he took his seat beside you, giving you the option to release him if you chose. His actions were only met with the tightening of your fingers around his. You glanced up at him with a small smile that made him freeze on the spot. The way you grabbed onto his hand like it was your lifeline made his heart burst with adoration.

Affection between you and Jake wasn't unfamiliar territory. Public affection on the other hand, was something neither of you had discussed. Your relationship was new. The feelings you elicited in each other was new. He had everything to lose when it came to you. So he let you take the lead. It didn't matter how badly he wanted to hold you close and smother you in kisses in front of his friends. He swallowed that urge to keep you comfortable. To make sure you felt safe.

Which is why he almost couldn't believe his eyes when you failed to let him go as the night went on. Your hand never strayed too far from his and when it did, you had at least some part of your body touching his. Once the initial shock faded from his system, he finally began to reciprocate your actions.

It started with a subtle thumb rubbing gently circles upon your intertwined hands. Then, he was tugging your legs onto his lap under the table, shifting your body to face his ever so slightly.

You fell completely into him, tucking yourself into the crook of his neck right where you belonged while only half listening to your friends' never ending banter.

The two of you felt lighter than you ever have before, being in the comfort of each other's arms despite the public setting. Neither of you really cared that the bar was bustling tonight and that everyone could see you.

You were the only one Jake could see.

Your friends noticed the second the two of you sat down. The dopey smiles never left your faces even as they shifted the topic to things like politics and climate change just to see how you'd react. But the two of you would only nod with those same looks on your faces and silently agree with every point that was made. It was clear to them that neither of you were listening, too caught up in one another to even think about anything else.

They didn't take your absentmindedness to heart. They were actually quite amused by how something as simple as you was able to calm down the usually rambunctious Hangman.

He softly brushes his lips to the top of your forehead in response to the ones on the side of his neck and smiles down at you. All other noise is drowned out as you look up at him with stars in your eyes. This, he realizes, is what he wants to hold onto forever. Just you and him, right here and unabashedly in love.

tgm! taglist: @joaquinwhorres @harrycherrylove @smoothdogsgirl @t-nd-rfoot @dempy @ollyoxenfrees @potato-girl99981 @averyhotchner @2guysonascooter @loveforaugust @blue-aconite @fandom-life-12 @stiles-banshees @iamdannyday @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @bradshawseresinbabe @breezemood @emorychase @eli2447 @angelbabyange @finelytaylored @pono-pura-vida @hecate-steps-on-me

#jake seresin x reader #jake hangman seresin #hangman x reader #jake seresin x you #jake seresin x y/n #hangman x you #hangman x y/n #jake seresin imagine #jake seresin oneshot #hangman imagine #hangman oneshot #tgm blurb

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three-atoms · 2 years ago

Text

"We have it!"

"Thorold, this is the one!"

"It’s finally time for us to put on a show for the scholars. We’ll head south in the morning. But we’re taking a friend. If I can’t convince them, he will."

Lyra: "I don't want a job!" // Asriel: "I want you to spy on the Master. Everything he does but particularly whenever Dust is mentioned. You think you can do that?"

Lyra: "Can I see the man's head?" // Asriel: "No. Why would I let you do that?!"

Asriel smiling in HDM Season 1 (1/2)

#his dark materials #hdm #hdmedit #asriel belacqua #lord asriel #asriel x lyra #james mcavoy #*mine #🧭 🧭 🧭#reasons asriel smiles:#his plans are coming together #he's amused by lyra #he looks maniacal in the 3rd one lol

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freesia-writes · 5 months ago

Text

Ch 12: The Festival

~ Master List ~ Previous Chapter ~ WC: 3.2k ~ Featuring fanart by @ve-ti-ver!!

“Your turn, Silver!” Luciana yelled over the music, holding a hand out to Crosshair after just having released Wrecker. The Town Square was packed with people from the entire planet, all enjoying the highly-anticipated lunar festival. Hundreds of tables and tents had been erected for a great variety of foods, activities, and wares, and huge screens and stages had been set up around Square as well as across the beach, allowing the party to continue beneath buildings and the palm trees alike.

“Not a chance,” Crosshair said, folding his arms across his chest and not moving from his lean against the stone wall beside him.

“Come on, you have to!”

“I do not.”

“Yeah you do!” Wrecker hollered, pushing his brother forcefully toward Luci, who dragged him out into the throngs of people dancing in front of one of the makeshift stages. She whirled around in front of him, grabbing his hands and placing them on her hips as she swayed with the music. Hunter elbowed Echo and tipped his head in their direction, both sharing a hearty laugh at the sight of an insanely-stiff Crosshair almost refusing to move as she danced against him, but there was the tiniest flicker of amusement on his staunchly grumpy face.

“He deserves it,” Wrecker insisted, picking up his tray of food. “Aww man! Now my wraps are cold!”

“Looks like he’s paying for it now,” Echo remarked, laughing again at Crosshair’s expression of shock as Luciana turned to face him, staggering her legs between his and slithering down to the ground and back up again.

“She looks like a snake on a tree,” Hunter chuckled. “Can’t say I’m surprised though.”

“If I were the betting type, which I am decidedly not,” Tech chipped in from his seat beside Phee, “I would estimate that it would take a longstanding relationship that included a great deal of depth and trust to convince Crosshair to dance without the need to portray a sour and unwilling front.”

“Well, don’t hold your breath,” Echo said.

“I wasn’t planning to,” Tech answered.

They chatted and ate, tucked into a large table that was squeezed into one of the many nooks and crannies of the Town Square. The space had been totally transformed: it was filled with colorful tents, string lights, and sparkling mirror balls, and they’d had some time to explore the fantastic variety of goods from other islands on the planet. Omega had enthusiastically perused row after row, first with Hunter and then with her friends from the school, who she was apparently back on good terms with. So Hunter had returned to his brothers and Phee, who together had procured an impressive assortment of plates and trays from the food carts.

“Well get a load of this,” Phee said, the rest following her gaze back to Crosshair, who now had not one but two girls grinding on him from both the front and the back.

“Women have such weird taste,” Echo commented, and they all had to stifle their laughter to quickly look back at their plates and each other when Crosshair’s sharp eyes flickered in their direction. A few minutes later, he’d extricated himself from the situation, walking stiffly to the table with his hands clasped over his crotch. He sat down wordlessly, crossing his legs and shifting uncomfortably before pulling his jacket off and settling it in his lap.

“Can’t enjoy it too much, can you?” Phee jabbed, sliding a cup of the tropical drink they were sharing in his direction. Luciana was now dancing with the other girl and had been joined by a few others that seemed to know her, all bouncing around in a jubilant cluster. Hunter scanned the square, squinting against the strobing lights that reflected off of the mirrored balls that hung across ropes from rooftop to rooftop.

“I have not yet seen Lyra, if she is the object of your search,” Tech informed him, and Hunter quickly rearranged the deer-in-the-headlights look that had popped onto his face.

“I’m just looking around,” he said, forcing nonchalance into his voice. Tech leaned closer, his arm pressing against Hunter’s for a second from the close proximity of their chairs, and he pulled it away upon noticing.

“It is not a shameful thing to feel attraction to another,” Tech said earnestly. “It is quite natural, especially for individuals like us who have spent most of our lives so far with little to no individual autonomy. There are entire realms of the human experience we are now able to explore… if we wish… that can be quite enjoyable.”

Hunter stared at him, wondering how they’d gotten to the point where Tech was teaching him about relationships and the human experience, and opened his mouth for some kind of retort. But he was cut off by Luciana’s return, bouncing over to their table with an exhilarated flush on her cheeks.

“Isn’t this great?!” she squeaked, simply beaming as she looked around before reaching out to Hunter. “Your turn, babe! Let’s go!”

“You already did me,” he complained, unmoving in his seat.

“Mmm, you wish,” she quipped, fixing him with a mock pouty stare. She had already danced with him, coaxing him into an awkward little shuffle of his own while she’d swayed against him and made him feel things that had been a distant memory since his “shiny” days. “Alright, fine. Looks like it’s up to you, Sparky.” She sidestepped over to Tech, massaging his shoulders for a second before he sat forward quickly.

“I would rather not,” he said, almost choking over his words in the shock of being touched so forwardly.

“That’s what they all say… at first,” she winked.

“Keep moving, honey,” Phee said, with just enough volume and edge to catch the attention of everyone at the table. Luci looked at her, each woman smiling pleasantly while a whole assessment took place under the surface. Phee lifted her chin slightly, reaching over with one hand to place it gently on top of Tech’s where it rested on the arm of his chair beside her. Her confidence was tangible as she gazed calmly at Luciana, who tapped the side of her nose, pointed at Phee, and gave her a little salute before scampering back to her group of friends.

“Was that part of the human experience I’m missing out on?” Hunter asked quietly, leaning back in his seat with a smug grin as Tech gave him a sidelong glare.

Eventually, the music transitioned into raucous applause as the current performers finished their set and cleared off the stage. The screens went blank from the colorful display they’d been set on, then slowly loaded some camera views of the stage as the crowd quieted. The sound of drums began, growing louder as a procession of native Xyloans made their way up the street, the people parting before them. Their regal manes had been braided intricately, and their traditional tunics had been replaced with colorfully-painted regalia. They held drums and staffs, walking in a stately line composed of a handful of elders and a few younger males. Taking their places on the stage, a hush fell over the crowd as the chief slowly raised a hand.

“We honor the island!” he said loudly, his sybillant accent accentuating his Galactic Basic.

“We honor the island,” the others repeated, tapping their staffs once.

“The sacred will endures,” he announced, pausing for the others to echo. “We offer gratitude for its protection. None come who are not deemed so, and we rest in its wisdom, throughout the changing of the tides and the passing of the generations!”

“Their perception of the island as a sentient being worthy of respect and cooperation is admirable,” Tech commented, returning his gaze to the stage as Hunter nodded in agreement.

The elders continued, each rising to share a part of the story of the island, which had been around longer than any could remember. They insisted that the island protected itself through ancient magic and some other forces that were beyond understanding. Continuing to the story of The Alignment, they explained that it was a phenomenon that happened every couple hundred years, when the moons and planets of the system would line up in a particular way, bringing to life the old magic for some kind of new enlightenment that would be shared with a chosen few to benefit the people as a whole. The Xyloans’ time ended with a ritualistic chant, honoring each of the planets and moons in the system and inviting the island to share its secrets freely, and they ended with a kneeling prayer of gratitude.

“That was beautiful,” Phee said in awe, watching their stately departure so closely that she didn’t notice Tech’s affectionate gaze fixed on the side of her face.

“Indeed,” he murmured quietly.

An announcer’s voice drowned out the hubbub as he informed everyone of the rest of the evening’s events: more music, dancing, and debauchery would be followed by the lighting of the lanterns as the night turned into the next day, and they would be sent up toward the moons with everyone’s wishes for the next year. The music returned at full volume, string lights dancing in the breeze, and Hunter rose to his feet, rubbing his head at the throbbing of the bass that reverberated throughout his skull.

“I’m gonna grab a snack and head home,” he said, nodding to the others.

“But you’re gonna miss the best part!” Wrecker exclaimed.

“How do you know it’s the best part? You’ve never been to one of these,” Crosshair drawled, pointing a toothpick in his brother’s direction now that he had “relaxed” enough to uncross his legs.

“It’s gonna be awesome,” Wrecker insisted, unfazed.

“We’ll catch you later,” Phee said, giving Hunter a nod and a smile. He returned it, grateful for the indirect permission that quieted any other complaints or jabs that might be thrown his way, and pulled on his jacket, slinging his bag over his back before heading toward the rows of food stands. He was assailed by rich scents and sounds – sizzling meats, chopping and scraping, yelling in various languages, and more spices than he’d ever seen in one place. His shoulders were slumped in slight dejection as he wandered, squinting at each of the picture menus and feeling overwhelmed with the decision of what to eat.

“Hunter!” a familiar voice called, and he perked up quickly, turning to see Lyra waving at him from the end of one of the many long lines. She beckoned for him to join, and he did, smiling warmly as he drew near.

“I was looking for you,” he said, hesitating awkwardly at his own words. “I mean… We all… Anyway, how’s your night?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people here,” she said, leaning in to be heard over the cacophony. “This is the food from Plata I was telling you about! They’re these amazing plates with little triangles of pita bread and the most delicious mix of meat, veggies, and sauce. Did you eat already?”

“I picked on some stuff here and there. But I was getting ready to head home.”

“Oh,” she said, quickly recovering from a subtle flash of disappointment. “I get it – I can bring you a plate tomorrow, if you don’t mind leftovers?”

“No, it’s alright,” he reassured, glancing up at the menu. “We’ve just been here for a while, and it’s… a lot.”

“I get it. Well, if you do want to eat, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve to make it all a bit more bearable, if you’d like to stick around. But no worries if bed sounds better!”

“Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Ten minutes later, they found themselves at a small table for two that was neatly tucked into a narrow alleyway between two stone apartment buildings that blocked out a great deal of the sound from all directions. There were a few other tables along the edge, filled with fellow introverts, quiet-seekers, and lovers looking for a more intimate setting. Hunter’s stomach tightened as he noticed the couple behind Lyra begin to make out, languorously caressing each other as their open-mouthed kisses grew more passionate. He shifted his focus to her, tuning back in to the story she’d been sharing about her experience at last year’s festival.

“It was uncanny how much they could tell just by looking at me… Or maybe they were just really good at saying things that could apply to almost anyone, but still. It was quite the encounter. Did any of you go to the elders this year for a reading?”

“No,” Hunter answered, scooping up a bite with a piece of pita bread. “But one of them had some mystical words for me when I first got here.”

“Oh?” Lyra said, curiosity piqued. “Care to share?”

“That I was fragmented,” he shrugged. “And something about the smoothing of the sea.” It felt intensely personal to say it out loud, even though he wasn’t quite sure how he felt about the overall mysticism of the island and its native inhabitants.

“Hmm,” she mused thoughtfully. “I love the way they see this place and everyone in it.”

Another loud announcement came, notifying everyone that the lanterns would be sent up in half an hour. Lyra’s eyes grew wide, and she looked at Hunter with a spark of excitement that lit up her otherwise calm features.

“Do you want to see that?” she asked, a weird energy coming from her as though she were trying to disguise her eagerness beneath a front of nonchalance.

“Um, I suppose…” He hadn’t planned to, but her sudden interest was somewhat infectious. “It sounded like it was going to be chaos.”

“Down here it is,” she nodded, beginning to eat the rest of her plate more quickly. “But I found an amazing lookout that gives you an entirely different view. We’ll have to ride up to the observatory though, and we’ll have to go quickly.”

Hunter nodded, finishing the last of his food and scooping up both trays to throw away. He’d enjoyed the island practice of using fathiers instead of speeder bikes for the most part, and he found a soothing presence in the tall, furry animals. Lyra smiled gratefully, pulling on her coat and slinging her purse across her back. She seemed more expressive than he’d yet seen, eyes aglow with anticipation as they wove their way through the crowd, getting bumped and jostled all around as they went against the flow of traffic. After a momentary separation, Hunter felt cold fingers against his own, a tiny thrill running down his spine as he looked up to see her glancing back at him with an unreadable look on her face, having grabbed his hand to keep them together as they pushed through.

“Sorry,” she said over the noise, letting go suddenly, “I just didn’t want to lose you in this–”

“It’s okay,” he said with a small smile, gently wrapping his warm hand around hers. He felt her wave of excitement and saw a flush creeping across her cheeks before she whirled back around, rushing to get outside of the hustle and bustle of the Town Square.

When they finally came to the edge of town where the stacked flat roofs gave way to hills and trees, Lyra reached into her purse, pulling out two soft, thin ropes, and whistled loudly. Hunter had been scanning the area for any of the wild fathiers, pondering how he’d catch one, but he stared in disbelief as one promptly appeared from the trees, trotting up to Lyra with a cheerful nicker. She held out a flat palm with a cube of sugar in the middle, stroking the side of its neck as its fuzzy lips flapped around the treat.

“That’s… uh… That’s impressive,” Hunter admitted.

“One of the Xyloans taught it to me,” she explained, carefully weaving the rope around its neck and chest. “They’re amazing creatures… They’re eager to please and satisfied just to get some praise and love.” She peered into the forest as though hoping for another to arrive. The quiet was suddenly broken by a huge cheer rising from the crowd in town. “Ah! We’re going to miss it!” she exclaimed, whistling one last time. But no others seemed to be coming, so she shrugged, looking at Hunter with that buzzing excitement that he was beginning to feel as well.

“Want to ride behind me?” he asked, saying what she seemed unwilling to suggest.

“Seems to be our only option,” she nodded, throwing her purse back to its resting place between her shoulders as she led the mount to a huge fallen log nearby. “Grateful for this big guy at least.” She patted the furry horse-like creature, stretching on her tip-toes as it bent its graceful neck toward her, allowing her to stroke one hand down the back of its long, flat ear as Hunter climbed onto the log to swing his leg over the animal’s back. Lyra followed suit, her chest resting against his back for a moment before she scooted back to allow a few inches between them. But when Hunter nudged the animal into action, she inhaled sharply at the sudden movement, grabbing his waist and pulling herself fully against him.

His hands tightened around the rope as the fathier broke into an effortless lope up the side of the hill, both of them having to lean forward and tighten their legs around its sides to stay on. The feeling of her arms sliding further around his middle and her front nestled against his spine was disproportionately dizzying. It was warm and soft, sending both comfort and tingles radiating throughout his core. He tried to focus on where they were going instead, guiding the steed with pressure from one foot or the other as they steered toward the observatory.

Lyra stiffened as the angle grew steeper, her thighs pressing against the back of his own, her forearms stacked one atop the other against his ribcage and stomach. Hunter was flooded with a yearning that seemed to come out of nowhere, a deep desire to be held and loved instead of always being the responsible one, the strong one, the dutiful one. And yet there came another powerful realization, that he couldn’t or shouldn’t ever have such a thing because he would age twice as quickly. Could he rob someone of the best years of their life and leave them far too soon? Staggering beneath the sudden onslaught of emotions, he leaned forward, separating the top of his body from hers a bit and taking in a deep breath of the cold air as it flew past them.

Lights from below caught Lyra’s eye, and she turned, seeing the handmade paper lanterns beginning to rise from the beach and the Town Square at the same time. The wind in her ears and the rhythmic gallop of the fathier drowned out any other noise from the celebration, and her heart leapt in her chest as she saw the observatory coming into view.

“Almost there!” she yelled, leaning close to bring her face closer to his ear, and his own heart skipped a beat.

FANART BY @ve-ti-ver -- reblog and love on the post here!

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