#hopefully the link will work fingers crossed

[deboracabral]

GOOD NEWS

Been getting a lot of asks about that crab design. Unfortunately it's not available anywhere at the moment because I don't have it as a digital file and my scanner is dead. I'll see what I can do when I have time during the weekend though. Thank you all for the interest 🦀🦀

[devastatedloyallute]

// Bigger Than The Whole Sky // GuitarSpear - Adam x Lute

Summary: “Alright, so here we go, in order. Lilith went and cheated on me with Lucifer, then Lucifer convinced Eve to eat the one fucking thing we were told not to eat, got us both in deep shit, she started to get distant with me, then officially left me when one of our twins killed the other. The end, goodnight.”

Warnings: 🤷🏽‍♀️ I dunno

nah but in all seriousness, there is Major Character Death, but mainly it's a lot of fluff!

Note: Hey there peoples! Long post incoming! This will be the entirety of my GuitarSpear fic, if you'd like to read it in chapters you can go to my AO3 here! Hope you enjoy! Thank you again @shinynewboots 💕

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Lute and Adam lay on the couch watching some movie he had put on, some cheesy rom-com or something. It had been a week or so after that pretentious meeting with the Hell Princess. It was one of their casual nights in: a movie, snacks, PJs on, masks off, prime cuddling time. One of Adam’s arms was being used as a pillow for his head, the other around Lute’s waist as she lay in front of him. 

Lute, having lost interest in the movie a while ago, was off in her own thoughts. ‘ What makes me so different? Why did Adam choose me? Romantically speaking, that is. He could have anyone he wants…So why ?’

“Sir, why did you choose me?” She asks tilting her head back to look up to him.

“Huh?” He looks down at her puzzled, “Whadda mean?”

“What makes me different from your ex-wives?”

“What brought this on, Babe? You suddenly jealous or somethin’? That isn’t fuckin’ like you,” He grins and pokes her belly.

“Of course not! I was just curious, is all. You could have anyone, but here I am.” She says, playfully swatting his hand from her stomach.

“Well, ya know, I’ve told you both of them betrayed and left me. And you haven’t done that, and we’ve been hooked up for what, decades now? Longer? Who the fuck knows, but I know, that you’re the best damn thing I’ve got. And you’ve gotta be real fucking stupid to think I’d let you go,” He says as he squeezes her and nuzzles her cheek. “This movie is kinda dragging on, ready for bed?”

Lute nods as they get up to stretch and head off down the hallways towards their room. They stop at the bathroom to take a piss and brush their teeth. Spitting out her toothpaste, Lute asks, “So, you gonna continue to tell me what makes me so different? Go on, tell me how special I am~” She didn’t need the reassurance, she’s just teasing at this point, stalling bedtime.

“Fine, if you’re gonna be so adamant about it, let’s make it a story time. At my expense. You really wanna hear my sob story?” he replied with sarcasm. Lute stared up at him with puppy eyes and a pleading smile on her face. Adam rolled his eyes and ruffled her hair. “Come on then.”

The two get settled into bed, lying facing each other. Lute was still looking at him waiting. Adam gave a defeated sigh as he knew she wasn’t going to drop this topic until she got whatever answer she was looking for. 

“Alright, so here we go, in order. Lilith went and cheated on me with Lucifer, then Lucifer convinced Eve to eat the one fucking thing we were told not to eat, got us both in deep shit, she started to get distant with me, then officially left me when one of our twins killed the other. The end, goodnight.” He sped out in one breath.

Lute was dumbfounded, “That… gave me more questions than answers. I’m sorry, what the fuck?” She rubbed her forehead, trying to process all of that. “I was aware of the Lucifer shit, but what was that about your kid killing your other kid?!”

“Yup, and Eve tried to tell me it was all my fault and that I should have known better, yadda yadda- whatever. I wasn’t the one who ate that stupid apple and gained knowledge of shit. She did, and all the kids were born with that shit too. Not fucking me!”

“Wait, so what happened? Was she just super naive before the whole apple incident?”

“Yeah, she was the complete opposite of Lilith. She was real sweet, but emotionally too soft. The main problem with Lilith was she was defiant as shit. Eve, on the other hand, was entirely compliant. Was awesome at first, but she wouldn’t stand up for herself. She was such a sensitive baby. She took everything I said to heart, even when I was joking. Worst part was that she wouldn’t ever tell me if her feelings got hurt, but I could tell by the look in her eyes. I had felt horrible, but you know, it was my way of messing around. But I became afraid to say anything to her, in fear of hurting her. She was literally made for me, and I pushed her away. Big reason I was set on the whole ‘not going to fall in love again’ thing.” His tone was full of melancholy.

“But even after her fucking up our eternal paradise, we still stayed together. There was nobody else. She changed after eating that fucking apple. She became cold and distant. We did what we had to to survive, no longer in Eden where there were no dangers. ‘Course we fucked ‘cause you know, boredom. It was vanilla as fuck though, nothing like us,” He smirked at Lute with a wink. She responded with an eye roll and a smirk of her own.

“Then the twins were born, Cain and Abel. I loved those little shits. We had other kids too but they’re not important to this story,” He said as he waved his hand up.

Lute nodded, and then realized just how old Adam’s soul really is. ‘ Holy fuck, he’s ancient. And a dilf. Wow. Anyway ’ she thought.

“Anyway, as soon as they started walking on their own there was no fuckin’ stopping them. They were off playing their make believe games. I managed to at least keep them within ear shot if anything happened, but we had secured our home base pretty well. Not as safe as Eden, but as close as we could get. Eve was always off doing her own thing, and didn't want to be anywhere around me. At sunset I’d shout for the boys to come back and they’d tell me all about their adventures.”

“Did you ever join them?” Lute asked.

“Of fuckin’ ‘course I did! Good way to keep an eye on ‘em and have fun and form bonds with them,” he chuckled. “The boys were around eight years old when it happened. Cain told me he had ‘pretend’ killed his brother during their game. I guess I should have known something was up when he came back alone.”

-

“Okay, I won, you can stop being dead now. Come on, it’s starting to get dark. Dad’s gonna call for us any minute,” Cain says as he nudges his brother with his foot. “Abel, I get it, you’re a great pretender, but games over, let’s go home.” 

After Abel’s refusal to move, Cain grabs the stick he had used as his weapon in their game, ready to poke him. “I’m gonna poke you again if you don’t get up right now.” He looked down the pointed stick, noticing there was red liquid at its tip. Then it all clicked. He looked Abel over and saw the matching red liquid coming from his chest. He carefully moves his brother's hand over the wound to hide it. ‘Oh no’ was Cain’s only thought as he ran to hide the blood-stained stick off in a bush, before running to get his father.

“DAD! Dad, dad-” Cain came panting, “Abel stopped playing with me, will you come help?”

“What? What’s wrong?” Adam questioned. ‘That’s not like them, they always get along with their games,’ he thought.

“I can’t explain it, you gotta come get him!” as Cain sped off.

As the two arrive at Abel's body, Cain awkwardly looks around, making sure his accidental weapon couldn’t be seen. Adam looks Abel over, unsure of why he wasn’t responding. Adam kneels down and picks him up to carry him home, “He’ll be fine, must just be tuckered out from playing so hard. So what game were you playing this time?”

“We were playing hunters. I was the hunter and he was a bear! Like when we saw mom fight a bear that time, remember? Yeah, so we were playing, and I jabbed the bear ‘cause he was chasing after me. And then Abel stopped playing. Even after I said the game was done, he didn’t get up. I dunno why, maybe he was really tired like you said, I dunno.” Cain said with a nervous shrug.

They made it back to their home shelter, Adam set Abel down on the makeshift bed mat. Cain hurried beside his brother, watching him cautiously. ‘I am gonna be in so much trouble…what do I do?’

The night passed without incident.

In the morning when Abel still did not rise, his skin looking a lot paler as well, Cain grew more anxious. He knew he had done something wrong, but had no way to fix it. Guilt was eating at him, he had to tell someone. He had to tell his mother, she would know what to do.

“Mom? Can I tell you something?” Cain said sheepishly with his eyes looking at his feet.

“Of course, honey, what is the matter?” Eve asked as she knelt to his eye level.

“I…I think I did a bad. A really big bad. I think yesterday while Abel and I were playing, I hurt him really bad. I didn’t mean to! It was just pretend! But…I think I killed him.”

“Killed? Why do you think that?” Eve asked in a skeptical tone.

“It was like when you killed that bear that was attacking us. You poked it really hard and then it stopped moving. We were playing hunters and he was the bear. After I poked him he was bleeding, I think.”

“Oh my,” Eve brought her hand to her mouth, “Where was your father during this?!”

“He was at home, why?” Cain questioned.

“He should have been watching you two! If he was, this wouldn't have happened!” Eve stood, and headed off towards home.

“ADAM!” Hearing such an aggressive tone, one that he had only ever heard her use when defending against the wildlife, Adam’s head snapped in the direction of her voice. Eve was heading at him, enraged. He’d never seen such rage in her eyes before.

“Eve? I’ve been giving you your space, what did I do??” His hands raised and a tinge of fear in his voice. She had never raised her voice at him or even confronted him, much less aggressively.

“Where’s Abel?” Eve asked, though it was less of a question and more of a demand.

“He’s still asleep! He musta been really tired from yesterday,” Adam stated as Eve began to look for her son. She found him, pale and cold to the touch. 

“He isn’t sleeping you dunce, he’s dead!” Eve uncovered the wound hidden under Abel's hand. Adam had come over to see for himself, and sure enough, there was a small gaping hole in Abel’s chest.

“I swear that wasn’t there yesterday. How did that even happen?!” Adam stared in shock and disbelief.

“You weren’t watching the boys, that’s how! You’re supposed to watch over them, keep them safe! Cain stabbed him with a stick during their game!”

“How was I to know this would happen?! They’ve always been fine without much supervision before, why would this time have been different? And by that, he learned it from you, after watching you kill that bear,” Adam gestured to her.

“Oh, so, what was I meant to do? Let the bear kill all of us?” Eve threw her arms up in a huff.

Cain watched his parents back and forth as they continued to argue. This was his fault, but he didn’t think he would really kill his brother when reenacting their mother’s bear fight. It really was an accident.

Eve grabbed Cain by the wrist, “We’re leaving, you will not be seeing us again. Oh, and you might want to start digging a hole to bury him. I will not stand to bury my own son.”

Cain followed his mother but looked over his shoulder to see his father. Adam stood defeated, his shoulders slouched, and looking at Abel’s body.

 “I’m sorry.” Cain pouted.

“This isn’t your fault, sweetheart. But you will have to live with this for the rest of your life.” Eve tried to comfort him. 

“Can I fix it somehow?” He looked at her with pleading eyes.

“I don’t think so, honey,” she squeezed his hand, “but I’ll be with you through it.”

Adam watched as they left, an emptiness growing in his chest. As reality set in he fell to his knees. He was alone yet again. After a bit of collecting himself, he brings himself to the body of his son. He felt pains in his heart, now understanding that his son was gone. 

He sets a large stone at the head of the hole he had spent the last hour digging, before slowly lowering Abel into it. He felt hot tears run down his cheeks as he began filling the hole. ‘What did I do wrong? What did I do to deserve this? Why?!’

Years passed, but Adam never left the place he had called home, despite the horrible memories. Day and night, in and out, he grieved at his lost son’s grave. He rarely ate, and couldn’t bear to go too far from the grave, in fear that a wild animal would come and dig Abel out of the ground while he was gone and Adam would have to deal with the emotions of burying him again. 

When Adam awoke, he was no longer beside his son’s grave. He was now in the clouds. “What is this? Where am I?”

“Welcome first man, Adam. This is Heaven. You are the first human soul to arrive.” Said the angel who appeared in front of him.

“Huh? How did I get here? What about my home?” He questioned frantically, looking around.

“You must have passed in your sleep. You died.” The angel avoided eye contact, and disregarded his questions. 

“Oh. Alright, so I guess nothing down there matters anymore. So what do I do here?”

“Whatever you like,” The angel gestured to the rest of Heaven.

“Great, so a whole lot of nothing. Being alone again. Forever. Cool,” Adam rolled his eyes in contempt.

“Not quite, there are other angels here. Soon enough there will be other souls here,”

“Wait, so, will my family be here too? What about my son? He died before me, is he here?”

“Unfortunately, not everyone comes here. Those who have committed sins do not. Your wife, Eve, did commit the first sin, which is what got you removed from paradise. She will not be here. One of your sons, Cain, will also not be here when he dies. He committed the first murder.”

“But that was an accident! He never meant to do that, they were children playing a game. They were good kids.” Adam argued.

“Accident or not, it makes no difference. Sin is sin. You will understand that in time. Those who belong here will be here.”

The angel left in a flash of light, leaving Adam feeling conflicted. Maybe they were right. He must have done something right if he ended up here. 

-

“But yeah, that’s that story, ya happy now?” Adam said as he scooted closer to Lute.

“That does clear that up.” She draped her arm over his shoulder, pulling him in. “You good? Something else on your mind, Sir?” 

“Ya know, this wasn’t it but it’s pretty fucking weird you keep calling me ‘Sir’ even when we aren’t on the job, Babe.” He muttered into her chest.

“And you calling me ‘Babe’ even though you tend to call nearly every woman babe, isn’t?” She smirked, curling a bit of his hair around her finger.

“...yeah okay, fair point. Anyway, I fuckin’ love you. I’m so fucking scared to lose you. I’ve somehow fucked up every legitimate relationship I’ve been in. I mean yeah, before you came along, I’d messed around with angels and stuff. There was that one and only time Sera let me down on Earth, and I fucked around with human ladies, yeah she wasn’t impressed with me on that one. But none of those were genuine feelings, you know?” Adam recounted his times as Lute petted his hair down. “I didn’t want to let myself get feelings for fucking anyone. Didn’t need to go through heartbreak in fucking Heaven, am I right?”

He looked up at her with soft eyes, “But when I met you, things felt different. I wanted to force those thoughts and feelings away. You climbed those ranks and soon you were appointed as lieutenant. I figured I could do one of two things: either give in and try to swoon you, or push you away. Can’t get rejected if I never try right? To be real, trying to push you away only backfired.”

Lute looked a little taken aback, “You were pushing me away? Couldn’t tell,” she shrugged.

“Me being an asshole seemed to only pull you in, you crazy bitch. You’re a masochist or somethin’, Babe,” He cupped her cheek and booped her nose with his thumb.

“What really makes you different is that you’re everything they were but better. I’m not afraid to pester you, and if I do go too far you put me in my fuckin’ place. You don’t take shit, and can dish it out. We have practically the same humor, we can bully each other but know it’s not serious. But we also have these soft and sensitive times. Not to mention our awesome as fuck sex life. You’re a kinky bitch.” He grins as he kisses her. Lute wraps her arms around his head as they kiss, breaking for air only to go in again. Smiles on both their faces, this truly was paradise.

“You know, I’ve got some insecurities too, now seems to be the time to voice them,” Lute brushed her now messy bangs out of her face.

“I just spilled my guts, so go for it, Babe,” He leaned back, ready to listen.

“It’s nothing spectacular, just that even though I’m well respected among the exorcists, I can’t shake the feeling of being outcasted. Not that I don’t get along with the others, but there’s this weighing feeling of judgment from them.”

“Eh, they’re just fuckin’ jealous of your position.”

“That’s just it, it’s not just that. I’ve heard them whisper about how I’m ‘the bosses’ favorite’.”

“Fucking true though-” He chirped, only to be met with a glare from Lute.

“You’re all I’ve got, Sir. Because of my position, and our status, the other exorcists are…intimated. So it’s been difficult to make…friends.” Lute appeared dejected. Adam sat up and scooped her into his lap. 

“Aw, don’t be down, Lute. You’ve got me and I’ve got you, who needs anyone else?” He squeezed her and nuzzled his forehead to hers. She nuzzled him back and kissed his cheek.

Someone had initiated a tickle war. There was a dramatic *THUD* as said someone hit the floor.

Lute tried to catch her breath, recovering from the laughing fit brought on by Adam flinging himself off the bed. 

“You okay?” She managed to chuckle out, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Hah, fuck, yeah, yeah I’m good,” He huffed out as he brought himself to the edge of the bed.

“Hey, did you ever get an answer to what happened to Abel? Is he in Heaven or not?”

“Yeah he’s up here. Like how the fuck do you forget about the kid running around up here somewhere? How they managed to keep him a secret is beyond me.”

“So, where is he?” Lute questioned as Adam crawled up onto the bed rubbing the back of his head.

“He’s uh, now he’s in that district where the young kids go. Kids who died from neglect and shit. It’s basically a giant playground daycare sorta place. Emily decided she really didn’t want it looking like a school ‘cause it wouldn’t be the best memories for the ones who were killed in those fucking school shootings. They still learn a few things but yeah it’s mainly a playplace.” Adam said as he awkwardly fixed his pajamas and straightened his feathers.

“...Have you ever gone to see him?”

“I did, once…It was a few years after I got here, I had just learned that he was up here. I hadn’t really thought he’d be up here since I was told I was the first human here, so when Sera told me, I went to go see him. When he saw me though he was terrified. I tried to be like ‘hey it’s me, your dad!’ only for him to make the saddest fucking face I’d ever seen and his little voice go ‘You let me die.’ It felt like being stabbed, set on fire, then thrown down an endless pit. It fucking sucked. I already had to bury this kid, just for him to also blame me for his death in the afterlife.” Adam faceplanted himself into his pillow with a groan. 

Lute pat his back in an attempt to comfort him. “It’s been a while, maybe you could try seeing him again? He’s eight, I don’t think he’ll have held a grudge this long.”

“Ughhh but what if he has? What if he doesn’t even want to see me? I have ultimately failed as a dad. You don’t know the pain of being rejected so coldly by your own kid. That shit stays with you.” Adam whined, turning his head to look at her. “You gonna come with me?”

“Of course, Sir. We don’t have any meetings tomorrow so we can go then.” She plants a small kiss on his temple. He groaned in response. Of course, he would want to see his son again, but doesn’t want to feel guilt tripped again. “Let’s get some rest.” 

Coming up to the entrance, the large sign reads ‘Heaven’s Forever Daycare’. Adam shoved his hands into his pockets, still regretting letting Lute convince him to do this. Lute brushed her hand over his arm in reassurance.

“Don’t worry, Sir. The important thing is you’re here. I’ll do the talking. Come on,” Lute lead the way into the building, with Adam cautiously following her inside. At the desk stood an angel whose name tag read ‘Elle - Nanny’, their clothes were covered in stickers, presumably from the children.

“Good morning, we are here to see Abel,” Lute said as she stepped up to the desk.

“Good morning, ma’am. Unfortunately, you will have to be a little more specific. We have about 30 ‘Abels’ here. Last name?” The nanny smiled politely at her.

Lute looked over to Adam who had his back turned to them, fiddling with the horns of his mask, and his feathers ruffled. She sighed and looked back at the worker, “There isn’t a last name. The first man, Adam’s son, that Abel.”

The angel looked past Lute, at Adam, giving him a look of concern. “Ah, I see…one moment.”

Lute stepped back to console the anxious Adam, “You should probably remove your mask, Sir. He might not be able to recognize you with it.”

Adam removed his mask with a sigh, “Fuck…yeah, yeah you’re right. Fuck, I already hate this.”

A voice cried out “DAD!” followed by running footsteps. They turn to see a small boy with soft brown hair and golden eyes, running at them with arms held wide. Abel stops short of the pair, startled by Lute. 

“Wait, who are you?” He tilted his head at her in confusion.

Lute knelt down to his eye level, “I’m Lute, your, uh-” she glances over at Adam, looking for an answer, only to be given a confused shrug. “Uh, I guess sort of like a stepmom? Sure, we’ll go with that.” She fumbled her way through that sentence.

 “Stepmom? That’s so cool!! I have a mom again! Wait, mom would be confusing ‘cause I used to have one of those…can I call you mama instead?” He says as he hugs her enthusiastically.  

Lute fights back the tears that threaten to fall that sting at the corner of her eyes. ‘ This kid is adorable ’ she thinks. “Uh, sure, buddy, Mama works.” She pat his head, looking over his features, “You look so much like your dad, it’s uncanny.”

Abel stepped toward Adam, looking up at him expectantly with his arms raised. Adam took a deep breath and picked his son up. “Hey kiddo, so…you still mad at me?” 

Abel shook his head, “No not anymore, Dad. I’ve learned a lot of things and one of those is forgiveness. People make mistakes, they’re just human after all. Sometimes all they need is a second chance, right?” 

Adam and Lute look at each other wide-eyed, sharing the same thought,  ‘ Oh shit, we are gonna be horrible parents to this kid. He’s too pure. ’ 

Abel wrapped his little arms around Adam’s neck and Adam put his hand on his kid’s back. “Thanks kiddo. Hey wanna go back with us? Or maybe just spend the day getting caught up and you can get to know your new mom?” 

Abel looked to the nanny as if asking if it were okay to go with them, to be given a nod in response. He sees his friends in the distance, them watching him with his dad. “Yeah but…I want to come back here. I can’t leave my friends, dad. They don’t have their moms or dads here with them. But sometimes one of their parents will come to get them, and then they don’t come back. We all miss them when they leave. We know they are with family again but we never see them again. It’s really sad.” 

Lute comes to stand beside them, “Okay buddy we can do that, if you want to stay here we can always come and visit if you’d like,”  Abel nods in agreement and pulls out his fist, and Lute returns the fist bump. The kid’s eyes lit up and a smile grew on his face. 

“Here, take this for a sec,” Adam says as he hands Abel to Lute so he could put his mask back on. Abel giggles as he's passed to Lute. “So where ya wanna go, squirt?”

No response. 

“Hey? Hello?” Adam made confused faces, waving his hand over the kid’s face to get his attention.

Lute chuckles, “He’s watching how your mask changes”  

“Ooh yeah that tracks, it’s pretty fuckin cool, huh?” Abel nods in amazement. “So now will ya tell me where you wanna go? The zoo? Ice cream shop? Anywhere, you name it.” 

“Oooh, ice cream! Ice cream!” He chanted.

Adam puts Abel on his back, “Aight, hold on tight kid. You ever flown before?”

The kid shook his head. “Nuh-uh, my wings are too small,” He pouted.

“Well, you’re gonna now, at least as a passenger anyway. Get ready for the coolest time you’ve ever fuckin’ had!” With the flap of mighty wings, they were off. 

Heading to the ice cream shop, Adam made a loop in the air, only for Abel to have slipped off half way around. “OH SHIT” Adam mid-panic, managed to grab him quickly, “Whoops, you fucking good, kiddo?”

Abel stared up at his father with wide eyes, clearly shaken. “Y-yeah. That was scary. Fun, but scary. Please don’t do that again.”

“Holy fuck. Trust me little man, that was not planned. Fuckin’ gave me a heart attack.”

Lute hovered close by, disappointingly reminding herself, ‘ Boys will be boys. Boys will be boys .”

Back at home, they ordered pizza and wings for dinner. Sitting at the kitchen table, Adam asks, “So bud, did you have fun today? Anything we forgot?”

“Yeah I did have lots of fun. But I do have a question. The adults won’t tell me, but you’re my dad so you would know, right?” Abel questions as he bites more of his pizza slice.

“Yeah! I know everything, hit me.” Adam boasted as he stuffed a wing in his mouth and pulled it back out clean.

“Where did mom and brother go? Why aren’t they here in Heaven with us?”

Silence. 

“Uh, well…Um…” Adam fumbled his hands around trying to form the way to word things. “Well, ya see…There are good people, and then there are not so good people. The not so good people go to a different place. So..” He shrugged, hoping to drop this topic.

Abel furrowed his brow and frowned. After a bit he asked, “Can we go visit them?” 

Lute put her hand on his shoulder, “Sorry buddy, we can’t do that.”

 “They’re probably not there anymore anyway,” Adam said under his breath not so quietly, which got met with a glare from Lute. 

“What does he mean, mama?” Abel looked at her with pleading eyes, hurt and confused.

Lute searched her mind for a way to answer without saying, ‘ We go down and purge the bad souls on a now bi annual schedule.’ That’s not a good idea.  “That place is full of violence, bad people killing just because they can. They could have fallen by any of those people. It’s not safe down there.” 

Adam realized her little lie and chimed in, “Yeah and there’s also this curse that clears out random souls who have been there for years and years. So that Hell doesn’t get too crowded. There’s a lot, and I mean a lot, of bad, horrible fuckin’ people who go to Hell every year.”

Lute gives him a look of disbelief as if to say, ‘ that was a little on the nose, don’t you think? ’ 

Abel is quiet for a while. “I guess that does make sense. Not everyone comes to Heaven…So there has to be a place for the others to go. But what if there’s some people in Hell who only made small mistakes or just one big mistake? Can’t they eventually be forgiven for them?” 

The pair look at each other with unease. They need to find a way to get off of this topic and fast. It was very uncomfortable. Kid is spouting facts but they go against their entire job and everything they believe in. The silence was becoming deafening, what could they say that would be convincing enough to change the topic?

“How ‘bout we watch a movie?” Adam clapped his hands together, “When the movie’s done we can bring you back to the playcare.”

“Okay! Any movie? Even if I’ve watched it before?” Abel was practically bouncing in his seat. Adam and Lute shared a quick sigh of relief.

“‘Course! So whatcha wanna put on?” Adam, pleased with himself for changing the topic. 

“All Dogs Go To Heaven! I’ve only seen it once, the caretakers didn’t want to put it on again for some reason. I really liked it though! Charlie was a bad doggy, but he sacrificed himself for a little girl and got a second chance to get into Heaven!”

 Lute and Adam shared the same agonizing thought. ‘ It’s gonna be a long night. ’

“Oh you know, Hell is mentioned in the movie but I never thought it was real. Just a movie thing, but now I know that it's not. Maybe that’s why they wouldn’t play it again…But I really enjoyed it!” Abel realized.

As the movie ends, Adam gets up to stretch. ‘ Yeah I can see why they didn’t wanna fucking play that movie again. Yeesh. Fuckin’ tear jerker ending though, damn. ’ Turning back to look at Lute who was picking up the leftovers from dinner, “What did you think, Babe?”

“It was…definitely something. That dog showed great loyalty, I respect it.” 

“Yeah! He became a better dog and got to go back to Heaven! Now do you think bad people can change?” Abel bounced with his little fists balled in excitement.

“Eh it’s just a movie, kiddo. It ain’t real. Anywho, you guys ready to go?”

“Mama, will you carry me this time? I don’t wanna fall again.”

“Come on, I said I was sorry!” 

“You actually didn’t, Sir,” Lute came over to join the two, turning the TV off. “We don’t have to fly there if you don’t want to, can always walk there.”

“Oh okay! Let’s go! I can’t wait to see my friends and tell them what we did today!”

“Sheesh, kid, how do you still have so much fuckin’ energy?” Adam watched as Abel bounced on his toes, just raring to go.

Coming back to the daycare and checking in again with Elle at the desk, Abel gives the pair hugs before he runs off to greet his friends who were waiting for him. “Bye Mama! Bye Dad! Come visit again!” Lute and Adam wave back as they watch his friends look questionably at them. They wave goodbye to the nanny at the desk before heading home.

“Why did your parents bring you back? Did they not want to keep you?” One of the kids asked worriedly.

“No, no! I wanted to come back to be with you guys! I’m lucky to still have my dad but I’d feel bad ditching you guys. I don’t want to just leave and never come back,” Abel says as he waves his hands at his friends. “It’s okay! They’re gonna come visit when they can, they’re really busy with important angel stuff. He’s like a higher up, he’s so cool, my dad’s the best!”

Adam collapsed face first onto the couch, “That was fucking rough.”

“You’re telling me,” Lute said as she grabs a drink for each of them from the fridge. Sett his drink on the coffee table, and nudged him to move over so she can sit on the couch as she took a sip of her drink. “Being called ‘mama’ sure is a super weird feeling. You feel better now that you’ve reunited with Abel?”

Adam raised his head and pat the cushion, wanting to use her lap as a pillow. “You know, yeah. Today was mostly fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen any of my kids, but he hasn’t changed a bit. Well, other than the whole thinking sinners can be redeemed shit. He’s too smart for his own good. Gets it from me, ya know.” 

“Uh huh, of course he does, Sir.” Lute said as she ran her fingers through his hair.

“Are you for real sassing me right now, bitch?”

“Me? Whaat nooo, I would never,” She said with a mischievous grin.

“You are so lucking I’m so fucking tired.”

“Oh yeah? What would you do if you weren’t?” She cocked her eyebrow at him.

“...”

“Nothing? Giving me the silent treatment now?” 

Still no reaction. Was he really so tired he fell asleep? 

“Hey, dick for brains. I’m gonna push you on the floor if you don’t answer me,”

“...”

“Sir?” She leaned over him to check if his eyes are closed. “Adam?” 

He lunged at her, frivolously peppering her face with kisses. “No! No more! Stop it!” Her retaliations fell on deaf ears. She laughed as she tried to push him off her but he’s holding her down as he continued to bully her with his affections. 

“Nope, not gonna happen, Babe. You’re gonna get all these fucking kisses and you are gonna like ‘em,” He dove in to aggressively kiss her, but instead plants a soft kiss on her lips. “Betcha thought I was gonna do it again, huh?” He snuggled into her chest, making himself comfy. 

“We’re not sleeping out here on the couch. Come on, let's get ready for bed.”

“Mmh…no. Comfy here,” He mumbled against her. 

She rolled her eyes, and pat his shoulder, “The bed is much comfier, just have to get there first.”

Adam whined as he reluctantly rolled himself off the couch. “Alriiight…fine let’s go.” The two once again head off down the hallway, going about their nightly routine, before laying down for the night.

It had been a few weeks since the last extermination. Lute was currently alone at their home. Emily had been coming over on occasion to check on her and make sure she was doing as well as she could be. Emily doesn’t agree with or like the exterminations and the practices of the exorcists, but she still cares for her people. Lute was adjusting to doing things without her left arm.

She debated on if she should tell Abel that Adam had been killed. Would that even be a good idea? Could she bring herself to do that? He may have been in Heaven for centuries now, but he’s still a child. How can you tell a child their parent is dead?

Lute made up her mind and when she had collected herself well enough to go out in public, she went to pick up Abel. Keeping it together enough to speak to Elle, the nanny from before, and ask for Abel. Soon after an excited Abel came running out, happy to see his parents again, to only see Lute standing alone.

“Mama! What happened to your arm?! Where’s dad?!” Abel came running to her and hugged her. Lute knelt down and covered them both with her wings, attempting to hide herself from the shame of her emotions. 

“Adam was…he was killed. He’s gone…” Her voice cracked as she held Abel tightly against her, tears stinging her eyes.

“What? No! How? How did that happen? Tell me you’re lying, Mama, angels don’t die!” His pleading and horrified expression only made Lute’s heart sink further into her stomach.

“I’m so sorry,” She choked as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

Abel sniffles and brushes his tears away, then wipes Lute’s tears. “I’m gonna come home with you, Mama. I can be strong. Strong for both of us.” He hugs her before taking a few steps back, “I gotta go tell my friends that I’m leaving, I’ll be right back!”

Lute stands and recollects herself, before stepping over to the registry desk. “Is there any paperwork or anything I have to sign to take him?”

Elle looked at her sorrowfully, “There is just this one ma’am,” as they pulled out the kid’s file from the desk drawer. “Just states that you’re a legal guardian so we know he went to the right parents. I’m sorry for your loss, ma’am.”

Lute took in a shallow breath, “Thank you.” 

Abel came running back, with his friends in tow. His friends hugged him goodbye as they said farewells. “I’m ready, Mama. I brought some of my favorite stuffies to give you. They’re to make you feel better, they made me feel better when I was upset.” Abel held up a stuffed baby penguin.

Lute’s face scrunched in a pout, trying to fight back tearing up again. ‘ How is this kid so fucking sweet? He’s just been told his dad is dead but he’s more concerned for me. ’ Abel stuffed the penguin into his backpack and held out his hand to take hers.

Four months had passed since bringing Abel home from the daycare. Lute and Abel lay on the floor in the collapsed remnants of what was once a pillow fort in the center of the living room. A knock at the door came unexpectedly. 

“It’s unlocked!” Lute announced from the floor.

“I can get it,” Abel scrambles to his feet and dashes for the door, opening it to find Emily looking disheveled.

“Woah, you okay? Where’s the fire?” Lute says as she rights herself and makes her way to Emily in the doorway.

Emily shook her head and pointed to her phone frantically, “I just talked to Charlie. It took me a while to sneak into Sera’s phone to get Lucifer’s number, but I needed to so that I could get Charlie’s number.” 

Lute looked at her like she was nuts, “Why did you come all the way here just to tell me you spoke to the Hell Princess?”

“I had to let Charlie know that her hotel really works!” 

“A hotel?” Abel looked between the two angels, perplexed.

Lute’s jaw dropped, “What? How is that even possible?” 

Emily shook her head again, “I’m not sure, but someone who was a resident there has arrived here! Sera told me to keep it a secret but I just couldn’t, I really needed to let Charlie know about this.”

Lute looked at her skeptically, “And you came to me because…?”

“Charlie told me that Adam has been staying at the hotel!” 

Lute felt her heart drop and an intense chill cover her body. ‘ Adam is alive? But how? I watched him die. I was there. He died. ’

Lute’s feathers ruffled as she grew agitated,  “Are you fucking with me? Is this some kind of sick joke?”  

“Will someone tell me what’s going on?!” Abel cried, not having any clue what they’re talking about. He turns to Emily, hoping for an answer. “Is my dad really alive? How? Why isn't he here?”

“I don’t know how, but Charlie and I agree that if a soul in Hell can be redeemed, then the opposite is also true. A soul in Heaven could be condemned to Hell.” Emily explained.

“Redeemed? Like, they were forgiven?” His face lit up when the angel nodded in agreement. “ I knew it! I knew it was possible! That’s awesome, right, Mama?” 

He looked over to see Lute still processing the information that was received. Her face was void of expression while she contemplated.

 “Mama?” Abel reached out to her, his touch snapping her out of her trance.

She looked at Emily with determination in her eyes, “…Will you take me to him?”

Emily tensed her hands into fists, “Um, yeah I think I can! I’m not too skilled at portals but I can give it my best shot!”

“I’m coming too!” Abel shared in the enthusiasm, but as Lute set her hand on his shoulder and knelt beside him, he knew she was going to tell him no.

“I’m sorry buddy, but Hell isn’t a safe place. There are still bad people down there. They don’t like people like us down there.”

“So what am I supposed to do? Stay here by myself?”

“I can get a hold of one of my...coworkers, and have her come stay with you. Or you could go visit your friends at the daycare while I’m away?”

“I’ll go see my friends...Are you going to come back for me?” Abel’s eyes didn’t leave the floor as he spoke.

“Of course I will. And if Adam is alive, I’m going to drag his sorry ass back up here,” She rose to meet Emily’s gaze. “I just need to see this for myself, until then I’m not believing a word of it. If this is some sort of trap, so help me…”

“It’s not, I promise! I’m just as shocked as you!” Emily put her hands up defensively. “At least…I don’t think it is, why would Charlie lie to me?” 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[neoprawnouns]

I'm popping out of the aether for a sec to make some of my old resources more accessible should anyone need ‘em!!

https://neopronounlist.carrd.co/#

http://www.pronouns.failedslacker.com/

https://pronouny.xyz/pronouns/list/public

https://href.li/?https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13g0t2hEiNY3SShN6MFE3z4JujxbPijeQThF9wamtwmM/edit?usp=sharing

https://neopronouns-list.tumblr.com/neopronouns-list

https://mogai.miraheze.org/wiki/Pronoun/List

https://echotheloco.tumblr.com/neopronounsmasterlist

[galactic-drops]

I saw a lot of peoples have cute lil beans named Sunny and Moony 🌙🥰☀️that can walk, climb around your phone/computer, how I get them? They are so precious

They're Shimejis! It's a program that's been around for a while no so I drew up some sprites for em! I have a Google drive folder with some better instructions and the files to the Shimejis themselves

Hope you have fun with em!😊

[discreetmusic]

officially finished all work now until the 29th! had my second editing shift today and I managed to do more articles than anyone else, and with no notes from the proofers- got a lil shout-out from managing editor!

[aethon-recs]

2024 Update to Tomarrymort Longfic Recs — 8 additional fics

I wanted to add 8 lovely new longfics that have been published since the last time I put together this rec list — 6 more for the Intermediate reads list and 2 more for Advanced. Hopefully you’ll find something within these additional 950k words of absolutely brilliant Tomarrymort fic to sink your teeth into and enjoy:

Longfic rec list collection:

Tomarrymort Beginner reads are the fics I would use to introduce someone to the ship and help them get a baseline for the variety, themes, and tropes that best represent our ship;

Intermediate reads are for readers that are already familiar/sold on the ship, and are looking for fics that explore interesting new facets of the Tomarrymort dynamic; 

Advanced reads comprise challenging works of some nature, whether the writing features more complex subject matter and/or pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in a piece of fanfic.

Please enjoy these 8 additions to the list, all of which are either completed or still updating as of 2024!

*

Intermediate Longfic Recs

A Light That Never Goes Out by @kippipies (M, 80k, WIP)

Setting: Non-Magical AU Premise: If Harry is the target of a dangerous crime lord called Voldemort and his gang of Death Eaters in a modern mafia AU. Why I rec it: This is a delightful, high-energy caper of a fic in which Harry is a scrappy low-time criminal who accidentally crosses crime boss Voldemort. Naturally, Voldemort sets his sights on getting revenge, but Harry slips through his fingers at the last minute each time. The action scenes in this fic are incredibly dynamic and super fun — I felt like I was watching an action movie at each confrontation between Harry and Voldemort.

And the Living Will Envy the Dead by @k-s-morgan (M, 81k, WIP)

Setting: Time Travel (1940s) Premise: If Harry were flung back in time to Tom’s sixth year and almost immediately reveals he is Tom’s horcrux, setting off a chain reaction of obsession and control.  Why I rec it: An intricately crafted character study of Tom and how he gained control over the rest of Slytherin House by the time Harry meets him at the start of sixth year. Harry’s arrival throws Tom’s plans off-kilter, especially once Harry reveals he was Tom’s horcrux in another timeline. This leads Tom to believe the other version of him had somehow loved Harry, and shows him that it’s possible to form such a connection with Harry here if he wants, despite how dark, cruel, and violent he turned out and how little he cares for others. 

By Any Means by @corpium (E, 74k, WIP)

Setting: Alternate Universe Premise: If Harry has a younger brother Evan who is the Boy-Who-Lived, yet Harry’s overprotective actions towards Evan end up attracting the attention of Voldemort directly onto himself. Why I rec it: This is a really engaging and fast-paced adaptation of canon events if Harry were born 2 years earlier and his younger brother were the one that the prophecy applied to. The relationship between Harry and Evan is really sweet, as they share the burden of growing up at the Dursleys and all the adventures that Harry underwent in canon. There’s also such a fascinating exploration of magic as Harry gradually becomes more powerful as a result of all the trials that he’s put through, eventually becoming powerful enough to attract the attention of Voldemort. 

Pledged by @moontearpensfic (E, 118k, WIP)

Setting: Alternate Universe Premise: If Harry and Tom are best friends that enter together into a Hunger Games-crossed-with-Triwizard Tournament in their seventh year.  Why I rec it: This fic depicts co-dependency to such an intense degree between Harry and Tom. Not only are they inseparable best friends throughout their time at Hogwarts, they also perform a cooperative magic ritual that binds their magic to each other permanently, and allows them to share thoughts and feelings with each other across a mental link. There’s also an intriguing mystery at the heart of this story, as Harry and Tom try to figure out the origins of the Triwizard-style tournament that they enter into in their seventh year. 

Revolution of Configured Stars by @tollingreminiscentbells (E, 153k, WIP)

Setting: Voldemort Wins AU Premise: If Harry was raised in a pureblood family in a universe where Voldemort wins, and ends up attracting the attention of Voldemort in his seventh year at Hogwarts.  Why I rec it: This is such an intricate, incredibly thoughtful depiction of a society where Voldemort won and Harry was raised as a ward of a pureblood family. By the time it’s Harry’s seventh year, he’s a budding Arithmancy scholar who wants to explore whether it’s possible to choose the optimal timeline via arithmantic calculations, which catches the attention of Voldemort. Voldemort and Harry’s relationship unfolds in such a steamy way, and they truly feel like equals who hold each other in high regard, as Voldemort reveals that they have been inextricably linked by fate, whether or not he ended up trying to kill Harry as a baby in this particular timeline. 

the stars, my destination by @milkandmoon-ao3 (M, 15k, WIP)

Setting: Time Travel (Marauders Era) Premise: If Harry is sent back in time as an infant and adopted into the Potter family, growing up and attending Hogwarts alongside James.  Why I rec it: There is a dearth of Harrymort fics set in Marauders Era so it is such a delight to read about Harry’s friendships and rivalries with Marauders Era characters, like being best friends with Regulus and Quidditch rivals with James. As Harry starts his sixth year, the First Wizarding War heats up in the background and begins spilling into their life at Hogwarts as many of their classmates are recruited to fight on either side of it. All the while that he has to keep secret the strange mental connection that he’s had with the Dark Lord all his life. 

*

Advanced Longfic Recs

Hearthstone Abbey (Series) by @ramabear (E, 152k, WIP series)

Setting: Soulmate AU Premise: If second year Harry is plucked away from his canon universe by Voldemort from another universe who is his soulmate. Why I rec it: I wholly melted at all the ways Voldemort takes care of Harry in this fic, better treatment than Harry’s ever gotten in his entire life, and Harry is so lovable and adorable in turn. Voldemort has established himself as a religious figurehead/cult leader in the alternate universe, and it was very interesting to read about his alternate path to power. The soft grooming in this fic was so so delicious, ramping up in intensity as the fic progresses; Voldemort completely dotes on Harry and their dynamic is so sweet and tender, a very nice counterbalance to the sinister and predatory tones that underlie their relationship.

if we were lovers by @reggieblk (E, 277k, complete)

Setting: Non-Magical AU Premise: If Harry and Tom meet in a prestigious drama programme and fall for each other against a backdrop of high stakes threatre productions.  Why I rec it: The character work is so rich and detailed in this coming-of-age story in a modern AU setting. It’s clear there was so much thought that went into all the character interactions here, not only between Harry and Tom, but also the ensemble cast of characters who inject so much heart and humor into this story as well. I love the way that @reggieblk cleverly weaves in elements from Shakespeare’s plays and uses the theatre backdrop to depict how the love story between Harry and Tom unfolds — their developing relationship feels, at the same time, both very immersive and cozy, as well as highly fraught with tension. (As a bonus, there is an absolutely amazing original play in the interlude chapter that was written specifically for this fic!)

*

[biblio-smia]

some fake dating with peter parker plzz<3

"Can I have your number?"

The horrifying question pulls you out of your work and into a waking nightmare as your eyes fall onto a boy, around your age, standing over your lonely library table, phone held out towards you expectantly.

You laugh, because it's your first instinct to, forced and too loud.

"Oh, I'm okay," you say nervously, hoping it's enough to wave him off.

The boy stands, stunned, wondering if you'd misheard. "I asked for your number," he repeats through his own forced laugh, inching closer to you, his phone only inches from your face.

Discomfort pricks at your skin as you bite your lip, unsure now of what to do. Your eyes stare directly at your now dim computer screen, your own reflection visible, your eyes not daring to look up at the stranger's.

As the screen of your laptop finally turns black you catch the glimpse of another stranger behind you before your head snaps to the shuffle of movement beside you. Another boy, this one tall and brunette, slides into the chair next to yours comfortably. Two pairs of eyes have fallen on him, yours particularly wide in surprise.

God, why you?

"Hey," he says with an easy smile, eyes focused solely on you. "Sorry I'm late." His hand reaches for yours, fingers linking together too naturally.

You recognize him now - you've seen him around campus a few times, definitely, but you're sure you've never spoken to each other before today.

"It's fine," you say softly, trying to wipe the shock off of your face to not flush all this new stranger's efforts down the drain.

"You could've just said you had a boyfriend," the boy standing over you scoffs, phone finally tucked away and arms crossed.

Words falter as he walks away - though your attention is brought back to your hand, still interlocked with a stranger's. Your intense gaze makes the boy next to you redden and suddenly retract his hand, nerves beginning to pick up now that he has no audience to act for.

"I'm so sorry," he begins immediately. "You looked really uncomfortable, I'm sorry if I made you more uncomfortable." His hands are raised in surrender while his knee bounces nervously, eyes glancing for a quick escape.

"That was pretty quick thinking," you offer with a small smile. "Thanks for getting rid of him."

The boy smiles back, just slightly. There's still guilt in his eyes as he looks over you and your makeshift work station, hands moving to grab his few personal items.

"I'm sorry, I totally interrupted your study session," he laughs awkwardly, shouldering the bag he'd dropped on the table so carelessly earlier.

"Well, technically..." The rest of your thought fades as you focus on the sudden flinging of a bag back onto the table.

Your eyebrows furrow as you tilt your head, ready to ask the boy why he'd thrown his bag back down immediately before you notice how intensely he's looking at you.

"I don't think it's safe for me to go yet."

Something about his gaze tells you not to look behind you despite how badly you want to; you're sure it has something to do with a certain guy from earlier.

"I can take care of myself," you defend.

"I'm sure you can," he says in a tone so genuine it catches you off-guard. "I just can't, in good conscious, leave until he does."

Your lips part slightly at how much care a stranger holds for your well-being. It's a little strange, but not in the way that makes you shiver; strange in a way that makes your eyes wide and your cheeks warm.

"We could leave first," you suggest, closing the lid of your abandoned laptop. "I'm pretty much done anyway." It was a blatant lie, but there was no way for him to know that. Really, your motivator was not wanting to hold up any more of his time; how indebted would you be?

"Are you sure?" He only moves to pick his things up when you nod, accepting the interlocking arm you offer with red cheeks. He walks with you out of the library, stopping a good distance away from the primary doors and hopefully, any onlookers.

"Thank you..."

"Peter," he all but laughs, finding too much humor in the fact that you don't even know his name. "Peter Parker."

"Thank you, Peter. That was very nice of you."

"I try," Peter grins easily at you, taking a few steps backward as he waves goodbye. "See you around?"

"Yeah!" You call, though it's not certain; you don't have his number (as ironic as that is). "I'll see you!"

As Peter's back turns towards you and yours eventually turns towards him, you can't help the tingling of your fingers where they had been interlocked with his.

Nothing is certain. As far as you know, you may not see him for another couple of weeks.

Your next meeting will just have to be written in the stars.

masterlist

[cybrsan]

Light It Up! — K.HJ, P.SH

STORY SUMMARY: The year is 2077, and the world is a lawless dystopia where tech giants and major corporations hold all the power. Kim Hongjoong and Park Seonghwa are an infamous criminal duo who have made names for themselves fighting against the "techno brainwashing" of society. Discovering they're on the brink of getting caught, they decide to go out with a bang—and who better to help them than their favorite plaything?

PAIRING: Kim Hongjoong x F!Reader x Park Seonghwa

RATING/GENRE: M ; smut ; criminal / cyberpunk / dystopian AU

WORD COUNT: 4.4k

WARNINGS: Arson, breaking and entering, clubbing, alcohol + drug use, pet names (doll, precious), rioting, violence

NSFW WARNINGS: Choking, creampie, cum stuffing, cunnilingis, deep throating, exhibitionism, fire play, fingering, free use, hair-pulling, knife play (light), multiple orgasms, play party, public sex, spitroasting, sub drop, threesome, overstimulation

A/N: Don't blame me, blame the MATZ m/v.

LINKS: Masterlist, cross-posted on AO3.

“And… there!” 

After days of meticulous planning, organizing, and making shady, back-alley deals, it’s finally done. The last camera is in position—everything is ready for the big event. All that’s left for you to do is step back and admire your work.  

Switching on your illegally procured holodeck, you press a few buttons and watch as the space around you completely transforms. What was once an abandoned warehouse is now a club that could rival any in the city center. Neon lights pulse to heavy synth, serving bots whiz from place to place,  and the makeshift bar looks inviting enough with rows of expensive bottles on display. Whether or not the liquor in the bottles is worth the price, well… Hopefully people will be too distracted to notice. 

The focal point, the one thing you are most proud of, is the transparent stage that extends at least 15 feet above the dance floor. Taking in the grandeur of it all is more than enough to get you excited for what's to come. You're certain that Hongjoong and Seonghwa will put on the performance of the century. 

Today is incredibly important for both of them, and the fact that they have trusted you enough to include you more than makes up for the long hours and strenuous work. They’re currently out setting up their "grand finale," which they have been painstakingly cryptic about. You have your suspicions, not that you need or even want to know the specifics. 

A low whistle pierces the air. "You really outdid yourself this time, doll." 

You turn to look at Seonghwa as he enters, and your heart practically skips a beat when you take in his appearance—he must have changed in preparation for the big event. His hair, pulled away from his face, lets you focus on his features; dark eyes, full lips, all beautifully accented by his smoky makeup. His outfit is one you haven't seen on him before, but it suits him perfectly, from the gold chains hanging around his neck to the deep cut of his silk shirt.  

"Thanks, Hwa," you reply bashfully, dusting off your hands on your jeans. "Just trying to do my part." 

He approaches you, a smirk tugging at his lips. The way he stares at you, drinks you in… it makes you feel like a prey animal who has found itself in the sights of a predator. You blush and cast your gaze to the floor, suddenly fascinated by the specks of dirt at your feet. 

"And you have done it spectacularly." He lifts your chin with his pointer finger, forcing you to look him in the eyes. "I think you deserve a reward." 

Seonghwa drops his gaze to your lips for just a moment before he leans in, closing the space between you with an almost agonizing slowness. The kiss is gentle and commanding all at once and you shiver, immediately pulling him closer. The fatigue, the stress—all of it melts away.

His fingers tangle in your hair, pulling on it with just enough force to make you gasp. His tongue slides expertly against yours, the taste of him something sweet and darkly rich, like cherry liquor. It’s addictive. But the moment ends too soon for your liking, leaving you breathless and yearning for more.

Seonghwa doesn’t pull away entirely, resting his forehead against yours as he lifts a hand to brush a stray lock of hair away from your face. He lets his touch linger as he traces a path down your neck, lithe fingers playing with the necklace dangling above your chest. Three dainty, silver hearts. One for you, one for Seonghwa, and one for—

The rev of a motorcycle engine cuts through the air, and your head snaps toward the sound just in time to see Hongjoong park his bike at the door. He takes off his helmet and shakes out his hair which you’re surprised to see is freshly dyed. It almost makes you laugh; of course even as he’s out running errands for his coup de grâce, he finds time for fashion.

“Not starting the party without me, I hope?”

Hongjoong’s heeled boots click pleasantly atop the concrete flooring as he walks over to the two of you. His synthetic fur coat is a bright orange, the complete opposite of what one might expect a criminal on the run to wear. But both he and Seonghwa have never been ones for hiding.

“Never,” Seonghwa replies, clapping a hand on the back of the younger’s neck. “Did you get it done?”

Hongjoong scoffs in a teasing manner. “Did you doubt I would?”

“Of course not.” Seonghwa squeezes Hongjoong’s neck once before letting go and clapping his hands together. “Looks like it’s time for the show.”

A few hours later, the party is in full swing. The once-empty warehouse is now filled to the brim with people dressed in cloaks and masks for the sake of anonymity. Some are on the dance floor, grinding against each other, while others have drifted toward the bar, downing shots and laughing.

Toward the back of the room, there's a group huddled around a table, huffing glitter, black lace, and who knows what other kinds of drugs. Meanwhile, others are tangled together on couches, lost in the throes of ecstasy. The air is so thick with the smell of smoke and sweat that it almost makes you dizzy.

A hand wraps around your neck from behind, pulling you against a warm body, and you gasp. “That’ll be us later, precious,” Hongjoong whispers, hot breath fanning against your ear. Your nervousness ebbs away, immediately replaced by eagerness.  “Do you like watching them? Or maybe you’d prefer to be the one being watched?”

You lean back against him, the hand around your neck a welcome pressure. “Both,” you breathe.

You feel his chest rumble with laughter. “Good.” 

He separates from you, and you turn to face him. He seems so confident, so excited, that it’s hard to believe he and Seonghwa are about to paint targets on both of their backs. Hit by a wave of anxiety, you lean forward and kiss him. He immediately reciprocates, nipping at your bottom lip and eagerly exploring your mouth with his tongue. 

Kissing him is always different than kissing Seonghwa. Seonghwa’s kisses are controlled, with a hidden power brewing behind them. There’s always a promise of more, a hint at what is to come when he finally lets go. On the other hand, Hongjoong kisses with reckless abandon. He is uninhibited, always ready to devour you whole. When he pulls back, a string of spit hangs between you before snapping.

“You nervous?” You nod, and he gently tweaks your chin between two fingers. “Don’t be. Those tech bastards have no idea what we have in store.”

“I just want the two of you to be safe.”

“And we will be,” he assures you. "After everything goes up in flames. Trust me, precious. Trust us.”

“I do.” And it’s true. You trust them with everything that you have.

“That’s our girl.” He kisses you again. “It’s time to go live.”

You take out your holodeck, and with the click of a button, all the cameras you set up switch on. You hurriedly switch channels through all the local stations, thrilled to see that it worked and the entire club is being streamed live to every device in the city. 

You stop the music and make the lights go out, causing a hush to fall over the crowd. You shine one beam of light directly onto the stage and you watch as Seonghwa steps out to address the throng of people below. He is captivating and has no problem commanding all of the power in the room. 

“Welcome one and all,” Seonghwa begins, voice booming over the speakers. “If you’re here, it means you are brave enough to fight against the corporations that enslave our society!”  

Hongjoong steps up next to him, and while he’s smaller in stature, he exudes no less power. However, he stays silent as Seonghwa continues, “We will not be silenced any longer. Tonight, we raise our voices in defiance; we will no longer bow down to those who seek to control us!” 

The crowd explodes into thunderous applause but immediately falls silent when Hongjoong raises a hand. "But tonight isn’t just about the revolution—it is also a celebration of our freedom, our individuality, and our unity. So let loose because everyone in the city is watching and we all know that, deep down, they wish they were us!” 

Cheers and shouts fill the room once again as everyone raises their glasses in solidarity. Your heart swells with pride as you take it all in. You have become a part of something far greater than yourself and, just like your boys, you are willing to do whatever it takes to see it through to victory.

You switch the music and lights back on and the party resumes in full force. People seem to go even harder than they were before, playing up their hedonism for the cameras. Seonghwa and Hongjoong have disappeared into the crowd, likely to mingle and spread their message one-on-one. 

Seonghwa favors the dance floor, hypnotizing those around him as he moves. A contented smile tugs at the corner of his lips as his hips sway to the beat, as beautiful as he is provocative. He flits from person to person, holding them close as he whispers into their ears. He occasionally catches you watching him, always making sure to tease you with a wink. 

On the other hand, Hongjoong stalks the perimeter of the room, moving from group to group. His skill lies in charming people with his words, and tonight is no different. Everyone who speaks to him smiles and laughs, completely enamored with everything he says. He shakes hands, claps shoulders, and you have no doubt that if people weren’t loyal before, they will be when he’s through.

You stick to one of the quieter corners of the room in order to keep an eye on the cameras. You need to make sure that everything is running smoothly both in and out of the club; the last thing you need is for someone to reveal your location or try to hack into your network and ruin everything. You also keep a close eye on your boys, making sure they stay safe.

It’s past midnight by the time they come and find you. Hongjoong sits on your left, placing a hand on your thigh as he leans toward you and kisses your cheek. His lips linger a moment longer than necessary, and as he pulls back, he purrs, “You should be out there, dancing, having fun.”

“I am having fun,” you say, taking the champagne glass offered to you by Seonghwa. 

Seonghwa sits on your right, throwing his arm around your shoulders and pulling you against his side. “You would be having even more fun if you put down the holodeck.” 

“But—”

Hongjoong takes it from you, throwing it haphazardly onto the cushion beside him. “Don’t argue.” 

He leans forward again, this time lightly nibbling your earlobe with his teeth. You gasp, knuckles turning white as you tighten your grip on your glass out of instinct. Seonghwa watches the two of you with half-lidded eyes, his hand trailing down your side and slipping underneath the hem of your shirt to trace patterns over your flushed skin.

“It’s a night for celebration, doll,” he murmurs. “You have done your job. The only thing we need from you now is… well, you.” He squeezes your hip and you jump slightly. “The badges will be here in a little over an hour according to one of my sources. While not as long as I’d like, it gives us just enough time to have a celebration of our own.”  

Your thighs clench in anticipation—you know exactly what he’s hinting at. 

"Lead the way, then," you say, setting your half-empty glass down.

Seonghwa’s gaze meets Hongjoong’s over your head, an unspoken agreement passing between them. They stand up and pull you toward the dance floor, surrounding you, one at your front and one at your back. You sway between them to a slow, seductive rhythm, closing your eyes as you let yourself enjoy their attention.

Seonghwa’s hands rest on your waist, pulling you against him as he starts to move his hips in tandem with yours, grinding against you. Meanwhile, Hongjoong cups your face, thumb tracing your bottom lip. His eyes are dark and intense as he captures your mouth with his own in a searing kiss. 

Seonghwa’s grip tightens, fingers digging into your skin as he watches Hongjoong devour you. He keeps one hand on your hip while the other snakes around to cup the back of Hongjoong’s neck, causing the younger to moan into your mouth at the touch. Now with a possessive grip on you both, Seonghwa gets to work nipping and marking the exposed skin of your shoulder. 

The room seems to disappear around you as they continue to explore you, their mouths and hands feeling like they are everywhere at once. It's intoxicating, even more so than the champagne you were drinking earlier. You feel Seonghwa’s hand trail even lower, disappearing under your waistline, snapping the band of your underwear against your skin.

You gasp and Hongjoong laughs against you, nipping at your bottom lip before pulling back with a satisfied smirk on his face. “Let’s give them a good show, hm?” 

You let the two of them drag you onto the stage, cheeks ablaze as you realize exactly what they’re planning. You’re hyper aware of the fact that you are being watched; even though most of the club-goers are lost in their own pleasure, the viewers that are steaming have nothing better to do than keep their eyes locked on you. 

Seonghwa clicks his tongue, squishing your cheeks between his fingers. “Look at our girl, acting so shy.” His fingers find your heart necklace, tugging at it just hard enough to make you gasp. “As if wearing this doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want to you, whenever and wherever we want.” 

Hongjoong takes a switchblade out of his pocket, flipping it open with a maniacal grin on his face. He uses it to cut away your clothes, exposing your body for everyone to see. Your knees shake and whether it is out of anxiety or anticipation, you can’t tell. 

He traces the tip of it against your skin, the cold metal leaving goosebumps in its wake. “We know you love it, precious,” he says. “Don’t you want everyone to see how good we make you feel? Think of all the viewers out there that will feel oh-so-scandalized but still won’t be able to look away. Not to mention all the greedy whores who will be getting themselves off to us, wishing they were in our places.” 

Seonghwa pulls you against him just like he did on the dance floor, once again letting his fingers tease his way down your stomach. But this time, he lets them travel even lower, dipping into your folds. 

“Look how wet you are just from this,” he remarks, bringing his fingers back up and spreading them so you can see the evidence of your own desire. He then extends them to Hongjoong who greedily laps at them, sucking them clean. 

You whine, trying to keep your legs closed from embarrassment, knowing anyone below the stage can look right up at you and see exactly how aroused you are. But Seonghwa won’t let you, shoving his knee between your thighs. Almost instinctively, you grind down on it, letting another pathetic sound slip past your lips. 

Hongjoong’s eyes glint with wicked delight at your reaction, his own hands reaching out to cup your breasts. “Someone’s eager,” he teases, tweaking a nipple between two fingers.

You hear a few wolf whistles from the crowd, a few lewd comments being thrown your way, but they only make you more excited. 

“I…” You’re panting heavily, making it hard for you to speak. You have to take a deep breath before trying again. “I want you. Please.”

“Anything for you, doll,” Seonghwa coos, returning his attention to your core. He pushes in one finger all the way to his knuckle with no warning and, if it weren’t for his hold on you, your legs would have buckled. 

“Fuck.” The curse slips from your lips, half whimper, half moan, as he continues pumping his finger inside your wet heat. 

Hongjoong lowers his head, taking one of your nipples in his mouth as he pinches and tugs at the other. You grip his shoulders for purchase as your head lolls back to rest on Seonghwa’s chest, whining at the onslaught of sensation. The feeling of Seonghwa inside of you while Hongjoong lavishes his attention on your breasts is unlike anything you have ever felt. 

As Seonghwa adds another finger, Hongjoong’s lips mark a path from your breasts, to your stomach, and then lower as he sinks to his knees in front of you. He grabs your thighs, fingers digging into your skin, just as his tongue finds your clit. His tongue draws figure eights around it as Seonghwa continues to pump his fingers relentlessly inside of you. 

“T-too much…” you gasp. But neither of them slow down—if anything, feeling how close you are makes them double down on their efforts. Hongjoong sucks your clit into his mouth at the same time Seonghwa adds a third finger, curling them inside of you. 

Seonghwa kisses the back of your ear, his hot breath making you shiver. “You’re so beautiful like this,” he murmurs. 

That small bit of praise is all it takes to send you tumbling over the edge, eyes rolling back as your body goes taut with pleasure. Hongjoong eagerly laps up your release, only prolonging your orgasm. Seonghwa gently removes his fingers from you and you hear rather than see when he brings them to his mouth, tasting yourself on his skin. 

Hongjoong pulls back, licking his lips to clean them of your release before his trademark smirk returns. “I think it’s time for you to return the favor, precious. Don’t you think, Hwa?” 

Seonghwa trails a hand down your spine, humming. “I don’t know if she can handle it.”

“I can,” you gasp, eager to please them just as they did you. “I can, I promise. Anything you want.” 

You almost jump from surprise as some spectators in the crowd start yelling their vulgar suggestions as to how exactly they think you should please your partners. You’re sure if you looked at your holodeck, the live chat would be filled with similar comments as well. 

Hongjoong laughs, grabbing your face in his hand. “Don’t worry about them. You can have us however you like.” 

Blushing, you say, “You choose.” 

His eyes light up and he immediately looks behind you to Seonghwa. Just like earlier, some sort of silent communication passes between them, and then you feel Seonghwa’s hand on the small of your back, urging you to bend over. 

“Why don’t you show our Joong what that pretty mouth of yours can do while I fill you up, hm?”

You barely have enough time to nod your agreement before Hongjoong is unbuckling his belt and freeing himself of his constraints. You nearly salivate at the sight of his cock, red and wanting. He grabs your hair and pulls, tugging you forward as much as he can with Seonghwa’s bruising grip on your waist keeping you in place. Tears prick at your eyes but it’s as pleasurable as it is painful, and you take him into your mouth eagerly.

The head of Seonghwa’s cock teases your folds before he finally pushes forward into you. He starts moving at a slow, torturous pace, pulling out of you before slamming right back in. Each thrust propels you forward, forcing you to take Hongjoong deeper into your mouth. You feel so full, so used. It’s incredible.

“Look at her,” Hongjoong coos, staring down at you. “Look at how well she takes us.” 

Seonghwa just groans, grinding into you so deeply that you have to choke back a moan around Hongjoong’s cock. He’s gotten quieter, his thrusts sloppier, a telltale sign that he is losing himself in his own pleasure. Meanwhile, Hongjoong’s grip tightens around your hair, guiding your head back and forth on his length. Each thrust cuts off your air supply, making you see stars.    

Seonghwa’s hand snakes around to your front, fingers finding your swollen clit. You moan again, and Hongjoong echoes you as the vibrations travel up his cock. 

“Shit,” he curses. “So fucking good.” 

Seonghwa’s thrusts grow increasingly erratic and you hear his breath hitch; instinctively, you clench around him, and he spills into you. His release sends you spiraling into your second orgasm of the night, walls fluttering around him as you milk his cock of every drop. 

Hongjoong pulls out of your mouth not long after, squeezing the base of his shaft to prevent himself from following the two of you over the edge. The second Seonghwa steps away from you, he is taking his place, forcing himself inside of you before any of the elder’s cum can drip out. 

“Hongjoong,” you gasp, nearly falling forward from the force of his thrusts. Seonghwa maneuvers himself so that he can support you, holding you in his arms as Hongjoong pounds into you with bruising force. 

“Gonna fill you just like Hwa did,” he growls. “Make you mine. Ours. You’re ours.” 

“Can’t… can’t…” Words escape you, your mind going blank. 

“Yes, you can,” Seonghwa says, stroking your hair. “You can take it. You can come for us one more time.”

His voice is comforting, but you also hear the command in his tone. You choke out a sob, nodding weakly as Hongjoong guides your hips back against him again and again. You can feel another orgasm coming on already, the coil tightening in your stomach. Seonghwa continues to murmur words of praise, stopping only to pepper kisses along your heated skin. 

The coil snaps and you cry out as you come undone, Hongjoong’s cock still buried deep inside of you. His hips stutter and he curses, his warm release mixing with Seonghwa’s. He slowly pulls out and you can feel as some of their cum trickle down your thighs. You collapse against Seonghwa completely, no longer able to stand on your own two legs. 

You feel light-headed and blood pounds in your ears, muffling the cheers you assume are coming from the crowd. You’re too far gone to be embarrassed, and a lazy smile tugs at your lips—the three of you surely gave them the show of a lifetime. 

Suddenly, you feel heat lick at your skin, and you snap back into yourself fully, cringing away from it. Your eyes focus, and you see Hongjoong flicking a lighter open and closed, open and closed.  

“There’s our girl,” he remarks. He brings the lighter to your skin again, just close enough for you to feel the heat of it without it burning you. “I think we were a bit rough with you, precious. You were totally out of it, shivering and everything.” 

Seonghwa is behind you again, rubbing his hands up and down your arms. You press further against him, squirming as the heat tickles your skin. 

“Back with us?” Seonghwa asks.

You nod. “Yes, yes, I’m fine.” 

“Okay. Hongjoong—enough.” 

Hongjoong stops immediately, flipping the lighter closed with a tsk. “Fine. It’s gonna get hotter in a minute anyway.”

Now that you’re focused, you finally hear the shouting and crashing coming from below. The very people who were just watching you on stage are now rioting, destroying the warehouse and everything in it. The cameras, the bar, all of your hard work—now there is just destruction, everywhere you look. 

You shoot up, hurriedly dressing yourself so that you are no longer the only one naked as panic begins to take hold. “What’s going on? Seonghwa, Hongjoong, we need to—”

You waver on your feet, nearly tripping. Luckily, Seonghwa catches you. “Calm down, it’s okay,” he says, hushing you. “This is all part of the plan.”

Hongjoong gestures to the crowd, pointing out some things you missed. “See how some of them are drenching the place with gasoline? We’re gonna light it up.” 

Maybe you’re still delirious from your multiple orgasms, but you are having trouble understanding what the two of them mean. “Why? I thought… I don’t know what I thought.”

“This was all a distraction,” Seonghwa explains. “The club, the livestream, us putting on a show. We did it so that all eyes would be on us, and all the badges would be wasting their resources trying to find our location.” 

You nod slowly as the pieces begin to come together. “So, while I was setting all of this up…”

“We were out there. Planting bombs at some of the biggest tech headquarters in the city.” Hongjoong smiles, spreading his arms wide. “Our coup de grâce, just like we’ve been saying.” 

Despite all of your suspicions, this is something you never would have been able to guess. Before you can even begin to truly comprehend the magnitude of what they’ve done, sirens pierce the air. Everyone screams and begins to run out of the warehouse. Seonghwa grabs your hand, and nods to Hongjoong. “Now!” 

Hongjoong throws his lighter to the ground below and flames erupt instantly, devouring everything in sight. Luckily, most of the crowd has already escaped, and you feel confident no one should get caught in the aftermath. Still, it’s pandemonium, and smoke fills your lungs as Seonghwa pulls you closer, shielding you with his body as he hurries toward the nearest exit. 

Hongjoong follows after you, but lags behind as he keeps looking over his shoulder at the fire with a sadistic grin on his face. “That’s how we do it,” he yells, voice barely audible over the blaze.

“Get yourself together,” Seonghwa barks. “We need to get out of here before the cops realize what’s going on and find us.” 

Suddenly, Hongjoong trips, his foot catching on some loose debris. Seonghwa reacts instantly, yanking him back to his feet and throwing an arm around his waist. The three of you continue onward as the heat of the fire licks at your back. You crash through one of the exit doors, and stumble away into the night, disappearing into the sea of masked faces. 

All across the nation, devices light up with the same headline: “City in Chaos as Blazing Inferno Distracts from Large-Scale Bombing of Tech Giants.”

“Nation-wide manhunt underway. Suspects Kim Hongjoong and Park Seonghwa believed to be connected to an underground criminal group called The Black Pirates…” 

NETWORKS: @cromernet @kflixnet @pirateeznet

TAGLIST: @yessa-vie @nebulousbrainsoup @ad0rechuu @sanniesbunnie @seonghwaddict @fruitcakebin @kickti @abby-grace @fireseo @yunhofingers @ohflorah @oiminho @baekbao @byuntrash101 @hyukssunflower @thatnerdytomboy @straykidsholicleigh

[loquaciousferret]

Heat Waves

Gif: @serenaxpedro

Summary: A heatwave and a broken air conditioning unit in the office leads to tensions running high between you and your partner, Javier Peña. What lengths will you consider going to, seeking relief?

Pairing: Javier Peña x f!reader

Warnings: 18+ smut, no minors etc etc . fingering, unprotected sex, semi-public sex (in an office), maybe more, just please don’t read if you can be sensitive to any kinds of sexual content

Word Count: 2.5k

A/N: credit to @tightjeansjavi for the prompt, this was delightful to write hehe

You check the wall thermometer again. The needle is creeping just above 30°. You groan loudly.

For a building full of people whose work visas list them as being employed in “Janitorial Services”, the US Embassy in Medellin had a shockingly poor maintenance and janitorial department.

The air conditioning had broken yesterday, towards the end of the work day. It was bearable because it was already beginning to cool down into the evening, but today, in the mid-day sun, in a July heatwave, it had been too much for most of your colleagues to bear.

Anyone who was able to work from home had scurried off with boxes of files to catch up on paperwork in their air conditioned apartments.

But you and Javi couldn’t move the entire wall of the office where you were mapping out trade routes, connections, linking suspects together and desperately trying to find a pattern that would let you understand where exactly the evidence was that you so desperately needed.

You had probably consumed your body-weight in water. You had already shed as many layers as possible. You had even removed your tights. All that was left was a tight skirt and a blouse that was sticking to your skin all over. Plastered to your lower back, your chest. Nothing was cooling you down.

“Are you evening listening to me?” Javi sighs.

Your gaze snaps up to him, he is watching you with an expression that is more defeated than irritated.

“I’m sorry Jav, can’t think straight. This fucking heat’s making me crazy.” You say sincerely.

“Yeah, you can say that again.” He responds sympathetically.

He wipes sweat from his brow.

“Just… take a break. G’nna go outside to smoke, hopefully catch a breeze.” He mutters.

As he leaves the room, a disturbing thought crosses your mind. The shirt clinging to his broad shoulders and his back muscles flexing as he reaches for the door handle makes you question… Is Javi attractive? Well, obviously, he is, to every other woman in Colombia. But is Javi attractive to you? Not up until now, his personality thoroughly put you off. But the way he looked from behind, even with those patches of sweat staining his shirt… or, maybe, especially with those patches of sweat…

“What the fuck.” You mutter.

This heat really is making you insane. You physically shake your head to try and rid yourself of the thought. Javier fucking Peña. Yeah right.

You return your focus to the document he was attempting to discuss with you before. It was a transcript of an intercepted communication, between two parties who you couldn’t understand a reasonable explanation for them now working together. The whole thing sent your head into a spin trying to piece it together.

You knew you were on the edge of a breakthrough. You could feel it. Javi knew it too, and you were both pushing each other to your limits. He was an excellent partner. His job was the only thing he cared about. That might be the only thing you and Javi had in common. As different as the two of you were, the job was where you found mutual respect, and that was all that mattered.

Heat creeped up your chest and around the back of your neck. It was practically choking, consuming every single sense and causing a layer of impenetrable fog to settle in your mind. Being off your game at a critical point in your investigation was less than optimal.

Javi entered again and you analysed his features. If the heat was affecting him as much as it was you, he was doing a good job at not showing it.

“How are you coping with this? I feel like I’m about to be swallowed by the sun.” You groan exaggeratedly.

“Grew up in Texas.” He shrugs.

“Really?” You say, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes.” He says, meeting your eyes. “Is that surprising?”

“Yeah. I thought Southerners were gentlemen."

“Maybe I am.” He responds, holding a bottle of water to his forehead.

You scoff and then clear your throat. “Anyway, I’m reading this again. I can’t help but think this is a code name for some kind of object or thing, not a person. If it was a person they would have come up before now. There are only so many people that run in these circles, I just don’t think we could have missed someone this important.”

He tilts his head from side to side, considering your suggestion. As he does so, the tendons in his neck protrude and you see how his tanned skin sparkles as it glistens with sweat.

Finally, he responds, “Maybe. But for what? These guys aren’t geniuses. Think we can work out the code?”

“I don’t know.” You say. “Not any further forward on that part.”

You fan yourself with some scrap paper you have folded and concertinaed carefully. You throw your head back in your seat and sigh deeply.

When you sit back up and open your eyes again, you think you find Peña’s gaze trained on your chest, but he quickly looks away.

You feel yourself equally irritated and intrigued by his staring. You had never noticed him look at you like this before.

“Everything OK, Jav?” You say, trying to sound casual.

“Yeah- Yeah. I’m good. Just- Yeah.” His eyes linger on yours for a moment and he runs his hand across his forehead, wiping away beads of sweat.

You both continue to work, but you feel his eyes continually flicking back to you, telling you he is not focussed either.

You feel as though the tension continues to build as you both try and work, and you want to tell yourself it’s not just because of the heat. But you are worried this is one-sided. Even if that would mean you were the only woman in Colombia Javi wasn’t interested in sleeping with.

As the day goes on, painfully slowly, you find yourself more and more distracted by his presence and frustrated with your lack of progress in your investigation.

You curse loudly.

“What’s wrong?” He asks, his gaze intense.

“I’m just… I’m so frustrated, Peña. I don’t know what to do about it.” You sigh.

“I’m sure I know how I could help you deal with it.” He says, with a glint in his eye.

You scowl at him. Now that had to have been intentional flirting.

“I feel like no matter what we do we are always running in circles chasing our own tails. How do they always stay one step ahead of us. Like you said, these guys aren’t geniuses.”

“Hey.” He says, his expression stern. “Don’t talk like that. We’ll get ‘em.”

“Every day that goes on we are losing more. I feel like I’ve already given all of myself and more to this investigation.”

He had closed the distance between you, and placed his hand over yours where you fiddled with your pen on the desk. The touch burned.

“Let me take your mind off it.” He says, something unfamiliar behind his eyes.

You ignore him, and slide the memo on your desk over towards him. “Can you assign someone else to the stakeout tomorrow. We have to be in for the meeting with-“

He cuts you off, grumbling, “You always use work talk to distract guys hitting on you?”

“Hitting on m- Jesus, Peña. The heat makin’ you fuckin’ stupid?” You shoot back.

“Maybe.” He shrugs. But he doesn’t step away from you.

“You believe in shitting where you eat?” You continue.

“Not usually. But I can see how frustrated you are. I’d be a bad partner to let you suffer like this.” He smirked.

You raise an eyebrow at him. You know the answer to your question but you want to hear him say it. “What are you suggesting?”

He leans in closer, “I’m suggesting I help you forget work a while, let me relieve some of your tension. Maybe it’ll force a breakthrough.”

“Yeah right.” You say. You turn to face him, looking for any sign in his dark eyes that he isn’t being serious in his proposition. Any sign of hesitation or doubt. Any sign that it is all some joke. But you don’t find it.

His moustache tickles as he whispers in your ear. His hot breath sends shivers down your spine. “You know you want it. Let me help you.”

You want to say no, but your body betrays you as you find yourself being acted on by what seems like a magnetic force, drawing you closer to him.

You manage to produce one more protest, but it comes out weak, as though you are trying to convince yourself for a reason to say no. “That would be unprofessional.”

“Who’s gonna report us?” He taunts. “You?”

You find yourself shaking your head in response to his question, and he pounces on you, connecting his lips to yours in a desperate kiss.

An oppressive heat continues to suffocate your body, but this one isn’t from the conditions in the office, this is a fire that is coming from within, a burning flame stoked by the attraction and desire that has come over the two of you.

You give in to the feeling of him as his hands roam all over you, unbuttoning your blouse hastily and discarding it. A mixture of excitement and guilt nags at you. This is your partner. This is wrong. And not just any partner, it’s Javier Peña. He has screwed at least half the women in Medellin. This is not how you should be behaving.

But at the same time, you can’t deny the intense chemistry between you in this moment. The way your desperation and hunger perfectly matches his. The way he whispers dirty words in your ear, sending shivers down your spine.

His cock is already straining against his tight jeans, and you reach a hand up to palm him through the denim.

He sighs at the feeling and puts his hands on your waist, pulling you up and guiding you to sit on the desk. A strong hand parts your thighs and creeps upwards, pressing against the thin fabric of your panties. You moan into his mouth, and then blush, embarrassed by the affect his touches are having on you so quickly.

He continues to rub gently against the fabric and you reach towards him to release his belt buckle. You fumble with it and he pushes your hands away impatiently and takes it off himself, unzipping his jeans and taking out his erect cock.

He strokes himself a few times and you watch, transfixed, your breathing shallow.

He stops and gathers the hem of your skirt, pushing it up to your hips to release your thighs. He spreads you wide and pushes your underwear to the side, not bothering to remove it as he plunges two fingers inside you.

You gasp and he starts off with an already quick pace, hammering in and out of you and curling them inside you to reach the most pleasurable spots. It doesn’t take long until your legs are shaking, your hands gripping the edge of the desk to steady yourself. You were already sweating from the heat but now you feel as though you are melting, struggling to catch your breath and releasing desperate whines of pleasure.

His thumb reaches up to rub your clit and you moan, “Javii-”

“You like that, huh?”

He attaches his lips to your neck, sucking lightly before moving down to the valley between your collarbones, licking up beads of salty sweat that have gathered there. He moans into your skin and the sound goes right through you, you twitch and start to feel an orgasm rising inside you.

“You gonna come for me before I even fuck you, huh?” He taunts, “More desperate than I thought.”

You ignore his cocky commentary and focus on the feeling of his hands on you. You can’t deny he is skilled and knows exactly the right pace and rhythm to bring you your release quickly.

The pressure on your clit increases and he rubs faster circles around it. Tension builds in your stomach.

“Don’t stop.” You gasp out.

His other hand has reached back to stroke his cock roughly, and he lets out small sounds of pleasure into your ear. You didn’t expect him to be this vocal but it turns you on.

Your pleasure is reaching its peak and he senses it too, toying with your clit unrelentingly as you writhe on the desk beneath him, the cool surface doing nothing to calm the heat inside you. Your legs tense up as your orgasm washes over you, you lose your stability and fall backwards atop the papers and documents strewn across the desk. Your back arches and his movements don’t slow down, unashamed cries of pleasure streaming from you as you ride out your orgasm.

He shifts slightly and there isn’t a moment of rest until he removes his fingers and replaces them with his hard cock. He plunges deep inside you on the first thrust, the hairs at the base of his cock rubbing against your clit, almost driving you to overstimulation with your orgasm barely subsided.

He sets a punishing pace with his haps, snapping against you hard and fast, your cunt greedily clenching and tightening around him every single time he buries himself inside you.

“Feel so good. Don’t know why I waited this long.” He mutters.

You whine, unable to form a coherent response. One of his hands is squeezing at your chest and the other is gripping your hip, pulling you down on him harder to intensify the force of every single thrust.

He is everything you thought he would be, hungry and passionate and clearly practiced in the art of both giving and taking pleasure.

Your sounds echo around the room. Neither of you worry about this, knowing the office was nearly empty. Even then, your desire for him clouds your mind so far to the extent that you don’t think you would mind being caught anyway. It was worth the risk.

He takes both of your legs and manoeuvres you, bending them and lifting them up so they lazily rest against his shoulders. Thank god for yoga, you think.

The new position tightens you up and somehow allows him even deeper access. You moan shamelessly and he grunts with every single thrust. His pace is unrelenting and you feel him becoming more and more forceful with each one, chasing his climax.

“Can I come inside you?” He asks through gritted teeth.

You are unable to form words, you nod, your mouth hanging open but no sounds come out other than strangled gasps.

“Fuckkk.” He grunts, turned on even more at the prospect of filling you up and it sends him over the edge.

He spills into you, your name thrown in amongst the curses he mutters as he comes. He keeps a tight hold of you as he steadies his breathing.

Moments after he releases inside you, you feel the relief he had been promising. You close your eyes and let out a deep, contented sigh.

And then, suddenly, they fly open again.

“Move!” You almost yell, pushing his chest away from you.

“Move. I’ve got it.” He pulls himself away from you and you leap up, pulling your skirt back down. You grab a pen and begin scribbling frantic notes over the transcript.

“I’ve got it.” You repeat.

“Worked even better than I imagined.” He teased, smirking as he buttoned his jeans and re-fastened his belt before coming to join you and see the revelation you had come to.

“Good to know.” He adds, “Nice tactic for the future.”

You roll your eyes at him and thrust the paper towards him with satisfaction. He might be right, it might have been the sex that did the trick, but you would never admit it.

More Javier Peña oneshots:

Over and Done With | Partners | All Work, No Play | Little Games

[natsvdova-old]

crazy for you

natasha romanoff x reader

summary: no one knows that you and natasha are together, but natasha wants nothing more than to get her hands on you whilst at a party with all your friends — a quickie in the bathroom.

warnings: smut, sexting, bathroom sex, oral sex (r giving), fingering (r receiving), praise, some hair pulling, very slight d/s

word count: 2,7k

AO3 link

18+ only, minors DNI !!

Natasha’s phone vibrates in her hand, the screen lighting up with a text from you. With a slight smirk on her face, she glances up to find you across the room, fidgeting with your phone while you talk with Wanda, an almost empty glass in your other hand, your cheeks slightly flushed.

With a small tilt of her head, she opens the message. 

10:07pm You’re insufferable. Meet me in the bathroom in five minutes.

Natasha’s smirk becomes more prominent as she looks back over to you. She runs her eyes up, following the curves of your body as you absently nod along to whatever Wanda is talking to you about, attempting to hide the fact that all you want to do is disappear with Natasha.

Natasha begins to make her way across the room, engaging in moments of small talk with people as she goes in order not to arouse any suspicion. Before she leaves the main room in which the party is taking place, she pauses at the door, casting a quick glance around the room to check that no one’s paying her any attention, then making eye contact with you and throwing you a quick wink before slinking down the corridor towards the bathroom.

She closes the door behind herself, leaving it unlocked for you to follow.

In all fairness, it is her fault. While Natasha waits for you to arrive, she leans against the countertop, checking her phone, going over the string of texts she had sent you whilst at the party so far.

9:24pm You look so hot. Can’t wait to fuck you senseless when we get home. 

9:38pm Every time I look at you, I can’t help but think about how you sound with my fingers inside you.

That one had made you cross your legs in an attempt to relieve some of the growing tension between your thighs. 

9:45pm Well done for keeping a straight face. You’re such a good girl for me.

9:46pm Especially considering how wet you are right now. 

That one had caused you to bite your lip in anticipation.

9:49pm Careful, baby. We don’t want Wanda to find out.

9:57pm You’d look even hotter without that dress on.

Natasha turns off her phone, placing it on the countertop beside her as she waits for you. Maybe she is insufferable.

– – – 

After watching Natasha sneak out of the party, you continue talking with Wanda, wary of following immediately in case of provoking any questions. Natasha could wait though; it was the least she could do after working you up the entire time you've been here. You could let her have a small taste over her own medicine for once.

No one knew of yours and Natasha’s relationship, the two of you wanting to keep it private for as long as possible. The privacy had been working in your favour so far with there being no invasive questions from your friends or incessant jokes. However, not being able to stay by your girlfriend’s side throughout the entirety of this party wasn’t ideal, but to be completely honest, the secrecy did add an element to the relationship that you loved.

Deeming it an appropriate time to follow Natasha to the bathroom, you excuse yourself from Wanda and make your way down the corridor. Hopefully, nobody notices your absence, and if they do, you hope they don’t link it to Natasha’s. 

You open the bathroom door to reveal Natasha, who closes and locks it behind you. The sound of the party carries down the corridor, slightly muffled through the walls, but you're both still very aware of your proximity to everyone else.

As soon as you make eye contact with Natasha, she immediately accosts you, wrapping her arms around your waist, your lips crashing against hers. 

“Oh, thank God,” she sighs against your mouth. “I was starting to worry you wouldn't show up, or that you’d asked me here for another reason.”

You shake your head, the heat that had pooled in your core from the texts making a resurgence. 

Natasha flips your positions, you taking the place she had occupied by the sink, your back pushing into the countertop as she presses her body against yours. One of her legs slots between your thighs as she begins to make her way down your neck, pressing kisses against you as she goes, until her mouth reaches the curve where your neck meets collarbone. 

You gasp as her teeth make an appearance. “No marks,” you manage to say between heavy breaths, all too aware of the fact that soon you’ll be making your way back out into a party of all your friends.

Her mouth continues its journey further down, her hands grabbing the top of your dress and pushing it down to reveal your boobs. A moan escapes your lips as her mouth makes contact with one of your nipples, tongue circling the hardened bud.

“Are you going to be good for me and stay quiet, baby?” Natasha asks as she pulls herself off you, “we don’t want everyone to hear you getting fucked by me, do we?”

You shake your head in response and her mouth reconnects with your chest, sucking a hickey onto you where only she would ever see as one of her hands comes up to tease your neglected nipple. Your hands move up from Natasha’s sides, tangling in her hair and holding her head in place against you as you begin grinding down on her thigh, breath getting heavier as you desperately try to avoid moaning again.

A soft whine escapes you when Natasha extracts herself from your chest, but you’re quickly mollified as her hands firmly grab your ass and lift you up onto the counter behind you, trying not to shudder as the cold marble comes in contact with your thighs.

Natasha’s hands begin tracing patterns on your thighs as they climb closer towards your centre, her lips coming back to meet yours, tongue slipping into your mouth. Her fingers finally make contact with your wet panties, rubbing you over the drenched cotton, causing a moan to escape you again.

“I thought we had agreed that you should stay quiet?” Natasha reprimands, pulling her hand away from you, “do we need to keep that mouth of yours busy?” Her fingers come up to rest on your mouth. “Be good for me and suck on these to stay quiet, baby,” she says as you take three of her fingers into your mouth.

Her unoccupied hand resumes its path on your thigh, pushing the skirt of your dress up so it’s bunched around your waist before hooking her thumb into the waistband of your panties and teasingly slowly dragging them down your legs. You’re not sure where your panties end up after that, most likely discarded on the other side of the bathroom floor, but you were too busy being distracted by her fingers teasing around where you needed them the most.

“Natasha, please,” you whined, extracting her fingers from your mouth. “I need you now.” 

“A bit needy, aren’t you, baby?” She replied, “that’s your fault for driving me crazy all night by wearing that dress.”

You both know Natasha will give you what you want. Normally, she might drag it out and tease you endlessly before finally allowing you to come, but tonight is all about having a quick orgasm in the bathroom before all your friends realize the two of you are both missing from the party.

“Me?” You question breathlessly, “it was me driving you crazy all night? Are you forgetting about all those texts you’ve been sending?”

She shuts you up after that comment by plunging the wet fingers that had just been in your mouth into your dripping heat. You bite down on your lip to prevent any noise escaping as Natasha’s mouth resumes its place on one of your nipples, your breasts still hanging out of the neckline of the dress she had pushed down. After giving you a second to adjust to the sensation of her fingers inside you, she begins pumping them in and out at a steady rhythm.

Your hands grasp at Natasha, nails raking down her back, desperate to grab purchase onto anything you can reach, tugging on her dress. “Please, Natasha,” you moan. “I want to feel you.”

Using her free hand, Natasha tugs the zipper down, allowing her dress to fall down and pool around her waist. A gasp escapes you as it’s revealed that she’s just as braless as you are, her perfect tits sitting right in front of you. Your arms wrap around Natasha and pull her closer to you, so your naked torsos press against each other, revelling in the feeling of her bare chest rubbing against yours. Your legs wrap around her waist, pulling her even closer towards you so there’s no space at all between you, her fingers buried deep inside you, trapped between your bodies.

Natasha’s pace increases, thumb rubbing circles against your clit, applying just the right amount of pressure to make the coil in your stomach tighten and you throw your head back in pleasure, resting it against the mirror behind you. Your hands leave her back and one reaches up to palm at Natasha’s boobs, whilst you throw the other hand over your mouth to keep from crying out. The arousal that’s been building all night, ever since that first text from Natasha threatens to crest as your thighs tighten their hold around Natasha’s waist.

“It's okay, baby,” Natasha says, “you can come for me.”

That one sentence of permission from Natasha is all you need to send you over the edge, mouth opening in a silent scream as she continues to guide you through your orgasm with her thumb gently rubbing on your clit, pleasure taking over your body.

As you come down from your orgasm, you gently push Natasha’s hand away, the stimulation becoming too much. Natasha gives you a minute to recover as you rest against the mirror behind you, panting breathlessly in the aftermath. You look up to see her gazing adoringly at you. Your legs are still wrapped around her waist, so you use them to pull her closer to you again, allowing you to lean up and capture Natasha’s lips with your own.

You had intended for it to be a chaste kiss, a thank you kiss in the aftermath of your orgasm, but clearly Natasha had other ideas as she slips her tongue into your mouth, deepening it.

‘God, I need you,” Natasha sighs against your mouth as you break apart for air.

‘Who’s the needy one now?” You smile in retaliation.

You push Natasha away from you slightly and unwrap your legs from her waist. She makes a noise in protest, but silences herself as you slide off the counter and sink to your knees in front of her.

You start at her calves, pressing a kiss against each one before slowly mouthing your way up each leg. By the time you reach the hem of her dress at her thighs, Natasha’s breathing heavily above you in anticipation. You grab hold the bottom of the dress and begin inching it upwards, pressing kisses against each thigh as you go. As you get closer to her core, you pause, sitting back on your heels and push the dress up the rest of the way to bunch around her waist, revealing that she’s bare beneath the dress.

“No underwear?” You question, your arousal making a reappearance at the thought of her walking around the party all evening without any panties on.

“I’ve been thinking about fucking you ever since I saw you walk in wearing that dress,” Natasha replies. “I took them off ages ago because they were soaked through. They’re in my handbag.”

You let out a groan in response to that before placing your mouth against her thighs and resuming your path upwards. All you want is to feel Natasha come apart because of you.

Natasha swings a leg over your shoulder, pulling you even closer towards her, and places a hand on the counter behind your head to steady herself. “Come on, baby,” she groans. “Make me feel good.”

You press your mouth against her instantaneously, licking a stripe from her opening to her clit, lips encasing the bundle of nerves, sucking on it in the way you know she likes. Your hands reach up to grab onto her ass, slowly massaging it as you suck her. Natasha gasping in pleasure was your cue to move down slightly, your tongue darting out to lick at her wet folds. The hand that she wasn’t using to hold onto the counter moves to bury in your hair, holding your head in place as you explore her with your tongue.

“You taste so good,” you moan into her, sending vibrations through her core.

“Don’t stop,” Natasha forces out between gasps.

Using your hands on her ass, you pull her towards you, angling her hips just the right way to allow you to you slide your tongue into her, receiving a noise of pleasure in response as you begin to fuck into her at the pace she enjoys, obscene, wet noises filling the bathroom. Natasha’s grip on your hair tightens and she gently pushes your head further into her, guiding your nose into just the right place for her clit to rub against. As she begins rocking back and forth against your face, you glance up at her to watch Natasha throw her head back in pleasure, mouth open slightly in a silent moan, and eyes screwed up tight. 

You could tell she’s close from the expression on her face and the way her thighs twitch around your head. She had been working herself up all evening, it’s no surprise she’s ready to come so soon.

You angle your head further towards her, allowing your tongue to reach deeper inside her. “Oh, right there, baby,” Natasha moans softly from above you, her grip tightening on your hair as she grinds down onto your face, her clit rubbing against your nose.

She’s practically fucking your face at this point and you have no complaints, completely enjoying your time surrounded by purely Natasha. Her inner walls begin to flutter around your tongue, so you extract a hand from her ass to place on her stomach to steady her in preparation. You groan against her in pleasure and those slight vibrations are enough to send her over the edge, shaking above you. Her grip on your head and the counter tightens and the leg thrown over your shoulder twitches in her release. You continue to lap at her juices, wetness dripping down your chin as you coax Natasha through her orgasm.

You lower her leg off your shoulder and make sure she’s steady before rising off the floor to meet her. Once you’re standing, Natasha gathers you in her arms before pressing her lips against your, tasting herself on you. As you both come down from the rush of your orgasms, the sounds of the party taking place outside the bathroom filter in once more, reminding you both that you have somewhere to be.

“Come on,” she says gently, extracting herself from you. “Let’s get cleaned up and out of here before anyone notices we’re both missing.”

At that, you both turn to face the mirror and laugh at the mess of your joint appearances. You pull your dresses up back into place and attempt to fix the mess that is your hair. Natasha retrieves your panties from where she had flung them to the other side of the bathroom before passing you a cloth to wipe away the residue juices from her that coat the lower half of your face.

You’ve both done everything possible to make yourself presentable, but nothing can be done for the slight glint in both your eyes and flushed cheeks, or the fact that your knees have reddened and bruises begun to form from kneeling on the hard floor. Maybe your relationship won’t be so secret by the end of the night.

[da-birb-writes-sometimes]

Nights Spent In; Azul Ashengrotto

Content; Fluff, gender-neutral reader, established relationship

Word Count; 700+

Author's Note; This is for one of my first mutuals @azulashengrottospiano! I hope you enjoy this, and some domestic Azul! [and I'm keeping a screenshot of your ask ^v^]

As a reminder, do not put my work — or others for that matter — into AI as it steals. Link to Masterlist

Safe to say your social battery was pretty much at zero. You had fun, yes, but all you wanted to do was stay at home in some ridiculously comfortable pyjamas, eat leftovers from lunch, cuddle a bit, and maybe look through the storage container labelled Games! :D since there could be some hidden gems in there. And right now you were cuddled up under a super chunky knit blanket, snug as a bug in a rug.

You were content just putting the leftovers from lunch in the microwave, but Azul had insisted that he made the both of you dinner. You didn’t mind, since you had a nice view of him working away in the kitchen, muttering the recipe of tonight’s dinner to himself. He was even wearing the frilly apron and kitschy oven mitts.

What a dork. I love him so much. You giggled to yourself, watching Azul go about the kitchen, off in his own little world. 

Sighing, you got up — the blanket draped over your shoulders so you were still in your nice blanket burrito — and shuffled over to the Games! :D container, seeing if there was anything interesting that Azul wouldn’t just automatically win. You loved him, but if he made you go bankrupt again in this world’s version of Monopoly one more time you swore that you weren’t going to give him any kisses. You may love him, but he was not a humble winner. 

So any strategy games were completely out the window, luck based games were more on your side… hopefully luck just decided to favour you tonight. At least you had a cute chef at the least.

Hmm? What’s this? Blowing off the dust you pulled out an old edition of Snakes and Ladders. It relied only on luck, so it was perfect!

“Hey, sweetie,” you called to the kitchen.

Azul was just placing your dinner in the oven, it would take about thirty minutes to bake, so he had time to spare… and for you? He could spare all the time in the world for you. “What is it, darling?”

You held up the game under your chin and gave him your biggest smile. “Wanna play?” You waggled eyebrows for some added flair, and it made Azul chuckle.

“Fine, one round, but I won’t go easy on you,” he said, sitting down at the coffee table. He eyed the game, and squinted his eyes at the dice. A luck-based game? Playing your cards right I see.

“You never do,” you shot him a wink and rolled the dice. You moved your piece forward, not hitting any ladders.

Azul rolled his eyes, but took his turn, overtaking you by two spaces, also not hitting any ladders. “Would you rather that I did?” He looked up at you through his lashes, a small smug smile on his face. 

You hummed as you took your turn, getting a ladder and going up a row. “No, it’s more fun like this, plus you’re extra cute when you get fired up.”

Azul pushed up his glasses, trying to ignore the warmth that had seeped into his cheeks. “Flattery won’t help you, my dear, when I win.”

“We’ll see about that.~”

The rest of the game was spent in silence, the occasional tch escaping when either of you hit a snake, but the game was neck in neck. You had to roll a perfect six to win, and Azul a four, and it was his turn. The both of you had your fingers crossed.

He rolled a two, the exact number that he didn’t want. He moved his piece forward and gritted his teeth as he moved it down two rows. He sighed, handing over the die. He knew that he had most likely lost this game.

You gently took it, and rolled a six. You had won. “Looks like luck was on my side tonight,” you grinned.

Azul grumbled, but he couldn’t stay mad at you. “Would you like a prize for that?” It was part sarcasm, but also part genuine question.

You placed a kiss on his cheek. “Just spending time with you is a prize in its own right… but I won’t say no to your cooking either!”

It wasn’t really a prize, as you were already getting his cooking for dinner, but it nonetheless made Azul feel soft and warm. The two of you really should spend more nights in if they were going to be like this.

~~~~~~~

Tags: @eynnwwyjth, @hydra-sea, @inkybloom-luv, @identity-theft-101, @krenenbaker, @officialdaydreamer00, @twistwonderlanddevotee, @xxoomiii

[somethinginthewayiam]

The girl behind the bar : the date Part 1 - the restaurant

pairing: Jake Hangman Seresin x plus-size reader

warnings: self-conscious, a meal with a side of cringe

words: 3.1k

Summary: Jake takes you on a date to a surprising fancy restaurant that isn't really your vibe and the date has a more than rocky start...

a/n: I'm finally back on the weekly updates! Thank you all for your patience. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Link to my masterlist

“No, no, no, no”, you went through your closet, finding nothing to wear for your date tonight with Jake. You thought about just wearing a pair of jeans and a flattering top but then you remembered that that’s what you wore on your date with Joseph when you ran into Jake at the diner and you wanted to step it up a notch.

When you moved over the next hanger, your eyes landed on a dress you had bought a little while ago while it was on sale but never actually wore it. It would be something special as you rarely wore dresses and he had never seen you in one.

But now the next question that arose was should you wear those little shorts that went down to your mid-thighs or use that anti-thigh-burn lotion that was not always working. Even though you shaved everything that could be shaved for a date, you didn’t particularly plan on taking him up to your apartment on your first official date with him, so that would speak for the pants.

You grabbed the hanger with the dress and held it up in front of you. The black dress had little flowers printed all over it, a front tie at the square neck line and a long slit on the front left side of the skirt part. That pretty much ruled out the shorts and left you with your least favorite option, the lotion.

You blow-dried your hair and curled them in big waves. Then you generously applied the anti-burn lotion on your thighs and let it dry while you carefully did your make-up. It took a long time to make it look effortless and almost natural.

You cut the tags off the dress and slipped it on. You were glad it fit you so well and the long sleeves flowed nicely around your arms.

At exactly 6:30 PM, your doorbell rang. It startled you a bit and a rush of nerves flowed through your body as you walked over to your apartment door. You pressed the button on the intercom. “Hello?”, you asked and realized how shaky your voice sounded. “Hey, it’s Jake”, you heard through the little speaker. “I’ll be right down”, you told him and let go of the button.

You slipped into your black wedge sandals and took one last look in your mirror, fluffed up your hair, picked up your purse and took a deep breath before you left your apartment.

When you came to the main entrance of your building, you found Jake leaning against the side of his car, his hands in his pockets, his legs crossed at the ankles. He was wearing black dress-pants and a white button-down shirt. He sported a three-day-scruff which you hadn’t seen on him before. Jake had never looked better and you heard yourself sigh out loud.

You smoothed out your skirt and walked out of the door. When he heard the heels of your shoes clicking on the asphalt as you came towards him, he looked up. His eyes scanned you from top to bottom and you could see that he liked what he saw.

“You look good”, Hangman told you as he got off his car. “I am good, Hangman. I’m very good”, you said jokingly as you arrived at his car and shot him a wink. You had heard him use that phrase a couple of times at the Hard Deck and it was really annoying when you’re on the receiving end. But this time…

He opened the passenger door for you and extended his hand so you could hold on to it while you got in. At the touch of his fingers on your skin, you got goosebumps on your arms and you hoped he didn’t see it.

“Thank you”, you said softly as you swung a foot in before you lowered your body and, hopefully, landed gracefully on the seat. You tried your best to seem confident and sexy and not show your nerves. It was already a better date than you had with Joseph.

You watched Jake as he walked around the front of the car to get to his side and you took another deep breath to calm your nerves. This was so ridiculous. It was just Jake. But also…it was Jake.

“So, where are you taking me?”, you asked after he got on the freeway. “I thought I’d take you to a nice little place for dinner. Sound good?”, he asked and looked over at you for a moment before he focused on the traffic again. “Sounds vague but okay”, you chuckled.

You watched him drive so confidently and realized how much you liked that. Ever since meeting him all those weeks ago, he did everything with so much confidence that it literally got under your skin and you let him know that not too little, but you slowly realized that that was also something that drew you to him.

Being so self-conscious yourself, you admired confidence in other people and hoped that some of it would rub off on you.

You kind of got lost in your thoughts a bit until the car finally stopped. “We’re here”, he told you and his voice made you look over at him.

You had parked in front of a glass front and as you looked through your passenger side window, you saw a valet that was coming around the car towards Jake side. The next moment, your door was opened and a man in a dark blue vest offered you his hand to get out of the car.

You looked at him irritated for a moment before you took his hand and got out of the car. You had never been somewhere that offered valet parking before. Didn’t he say he would take you to a nice little place?

“Thank you”, you said to the man before he nodded and retreated back to the entrance. You followed him with your eyes and then your eyes fell on the sign. Elyas.

Jake had taken you to one of the fanciest restaurants in town. You immediately felt underdressed and tried to smooth out the skirt of your dress like that would help make it look more expensive.

Jake came around the car and offered you his arm. You took it and gave him a smile but it felt frozen at best.

When you stepped through the entrance, you were immediately greeted by a waiter in a black suit. It seemed like he already knew Jake as he didn’t even check the reservation and just asked you two to follow him with a nod and a hand gesture.

As you weaved your way through the arranged tables, it got quite narrow and you ended up walking behind Jake. Your eyes wandered over the people at the other tables. For a Tuesday evening, it was quite packed. Some of the women wore freaking ball gowns and here you were with your little summer dress. And as if you weren’t in your head enough, you caught some glances of people checking out your appearance. You didn’t know if they were judging your dress or your size but you definitely felt judged.

This whole place was so not your vibe and you were a little surprised that Jake had read you this wrong. But you tried your best not to show it as he had made the effort to take you here anyway.

The waiter led you to the center of the restaurant. Great, right in the spotlight.

“Mr. Seresin, I hope you like the table”, the waiter said and it looked a bit too familiar to you. It didn’t take you long to realize that this was his usual first date spot.

He was going through his typical date routine with you, just changing out the girl he was with. He has probably taken Whitney here, too, the one he had brought to the Hard Deck a few weeks ago. She was definitely a better fit for this restaurant.

“Madame”, the waiter said and pulled the chair out for you. “Oh, yes. Thank you”, you said a bit startled and took your seat at the table. After he had pushed you in a little, he handed you the leather-bound menu.

While Jake talked to the waiter you took a look around the big room. It was really beautiful, there was no denying that. You were sure that Jake meant well, maybe wanted to impress you, but a heads-up would have been nice so you could have been able to match your clothes to the place. Not that you had anything remotely that fancy.

As your eyes wandered, you caught some stares. One woman even leaned over to her partner to make a comment. Normally, you would have talked yourself into believing that the woman was saying just anything to her partner, but the way she actually gestured towards your table with a nod and her partner looking over his shoulder at Jake and then you let you know that they were judging you for being in here where you clearly don’t belong with a man that was way too hot for you.

You felt more nervous and uneasy by the second, your thumbs started to tap on the menu where you held it with your hands. This was so not how you had pictured being on a date with Jake would be but at the same time you weren’t really surprised.

“Can I start you off with some beverages?”, the waiter asked and ripped you out of your storm of thoughts. You hadn’t even begun to look at the menu.

“A water, please”, Jake said. “You’re not drinking?”, you asked surprised and looked up. “Can’t. I’m driving”, he reminded you. “Oh yeah, sure. Very responsible”, you answered him and tapped your fingers on the menu again while you quickly looked it over. Jake and the waiter waiting.

“Do you mind if I do?”, you asked him just a second later. “No, not at all”, he shook his head with a light smile around his lips. You feared that he saw how nervous you were. He on the other hand looked just as at ease as he was at the Hard Deck and for a moment, you resented him for it.

“Can I please get a whiskey? Double?”, you asked the waiter and the look on his face told you that he was expecting something more along the lines of a glass of wine or maybe even Champagne. He looked over at Jake for a second and then just nodded his head before he left.

“What do you think of the place?”, Jake asked you. “It’s, uhm, nice. Fancy. Definitely not little”, you told him and managed a smile, hinting at his description from before.

“Yes, I like going here. The food is pretty good”, he told you. Food, right. There was still a menu in your hands you should probably take a look at.

One thing you noticed pretty quickly was that the menu didn’t show the prices and you could only hope that Jake was old-school enough to not wanting to split the bill. There was no way in hell that you would be able to afford this place.

You only saw options with several courses. You read words you had never seen before and had no clue what they meant or if you would even like it.

“Did you already find something you like?”, you asked Jake and when he didn’t answer, you looked up from your menu. You found him looking at you from across the table with a smile in the corner of his lips.

“I meant for eating”, you clarified and instead of an answer his smile deepened. Your eyes got big for a second when you realized what he was hinting at and you were about to kick him under the table when the waiter arrived with your drinks.

He placed the whiskey in front of you and the water in front of Jake. “Thank you”, you said to the waiter, but what you meant was, thank god.

You grabbed your glass to take a sip when the waiter asked if you had decided on your courses yet. Jake and the waiter both looked at you in anticipation. “Oh, uhm”, you stumbled and put the glass back down. You picked up the menu again and looked over the words. Nope, still had no idea what all of that meant.

“Everything looks so good, I can’t decide”, you lied and acted like you took another look over the menu. “Why don’t you decide? I trust your taste”, you said to Jake and closed your menu. While Jake listed off a few things, you zoned out and finally took a sip from your drink. Who would have thought you needed booze to make a date with Jake be bearable? Well, not Jake in particular but his idea of a date.

When Jake had finished placing the order, the waiter collected the menus and went his way with a little nod. Everything was so fancy to the T that it really tugged hard on your ability to not roll your eyes at every little thing. Especially, how chilled out Jake was in a surrounding like that.

“Why are you so put together?”, you asked him kind of annoyed and little encouraged by your drink. “’Cause I’m on a date”, he answered, not understanding why you asked him a question like this out of the blue, for him at least. “Why are you so nervous?”, he asked in return and leaned back in his chair with an amused smile which annoyed you even more. So, he noticed. “’Cause, same”, you told him and took another sip from your drink. You should probably start to also drink some of the water that had been brought for you.

“You didn’t seem nervous on your date with that Joseph guy”, he recollected. “That’s because I didn’t like Joseph”, you answered before you thought about it. Your answer made him smile even more, proudly this time.

“Oh, get over yourself”, you told him and rolled your eyes. The last thing you needed was Jake being even more sure about himself than he already was.

It went silent between the two of you. The typical first-date-questions like what do you do for a living fell away as you had met at your job and you already knew what he was doing.

“So…”, Jake said but left the sentence hanging in the air. “So…”, you also said, smiling awkwardly. At least, you weren’t the only one who didn’t know what to say. “How was your day?”, he asked. “Good. I didn’t have to work today, switched shifts with Jimmy”, you told him. “Sounds nice. Having a day off”, he commented. “And you? How was your day?”, you asked as no follow-up question came.

“Also good. Didn’t have the day off. The guys say hello”, he said. “Oh, that’s nice. Tell them hello back”, you replied. “I will”, he nodded and then it went silent again.

Jake had ordered a five-course meal, every portion being so small that you felt cheated. Most of the time you had no idea what you were eating. You believed that there was duck or at least something duck-like. There even was foam at one point, that’s when you gave up guessing.

With every course, the little conversation you had managed to keep up between the two of you dwindled down even more until you ate the last course in silence. You felt more like a couple on their 35th wedding anniversary than being on a first date.

It was actually worse than your date with Joseph because this time you didn’t have Jake to intercept

“Can I interest you in some coffee?”, the waiter asked as they cleared your last course of the evening. “No, thank you”, you quickly said. You didn’t want to drag this out even longer. Someone had to throw in the towel.

“I think we’ll just get the check, please”, Jake said and you couldn’t help yourself but to hear the defeated tone in his voice. Seemed like he had also realized that this date did not go the way he had planned.

Maybe the two of you were too different after all…

It was just half past 8 when you left the restaurant. As you waited for the valet, you stood there in silence.

When new guests arrived, you took a step to the side to get out of the way and bumped into Jake. “Sorry”, you mumbled. “This is stupid”, he suddenly said. “I said I’m sorry”, you looked at him and pulled a face. Yes, the date wasn’t great but there was no need to go off because of a little bump.

“No, that’s not what I meant”, he quickly said. “I think I’m speaking for the both of us when I say that tonight did not go the way we thought it would”, he told you. “I’d say so”, you replied and couldn’t help but sound snarky.

“And I know it’s my fault. The restaurant was a stupid idea”, he admitted and you were honestly surprise that he had actually realized that. And now you felt bad that you had sounded so harsh. The restaurant might have been a stupid idea but his intentions were good.

“It’s not stupid. It’s just not…what I thought our date would be like”, you confessed.

“Wanna go to a bar?”, he suggested just as the valet stopped with Jake’s car in front of you. “God yes!”, you called out and looked up into the darkening sky before you looked over at Jake, who threw you a genuine smile. You were happy that he didn’t seem offended.

He opened the car door for you and you got in with a wide, happy smile. Jake collected his keys from the valet and gave him a generous tip before he got in.

“The Hard Deck?”, Jake suggested. “Oh, good god, no”, you shook your head. “Something across town, maybe? Do you know a place?”, you asked. “I think I do”, he nodded with a bright smile and started his car. “Are we sure you do? Your first choice of the evening wasn’t the best, to say the least”, you teased him. “My first choice of the evening was you, sweetheart. And that was a fucking great one”, he told you and shot you a wink.

“Don’t call me sweetheart, but that was a nice save, Seresin”, you told him.

With a smug grin, he revved up the engine and drove off.

next chapter: Part 2 - the bar

[221beloved]

Yes. No. Maybe

(Link to ao3)

"I'm back love," John called, entering their flat through the kitchen and putting down his bags of shopping.

"Sherlock?" John called again when he was greeted with silence. He went into the living room, where he found Sherlock sitting on the sofa, gazing at his laptop.

"Sherlock?"

The detective's head snapped up abruptly, yet he needed a moment before his eyes were fully focused on John.

"Oh hi John, didn't hear you." He seemed bewildered himself about that.

"Oh dear God, you still didn't sleep, did you? I told you to sleep yesterday, and I told you before I went to work this morning."

Sherlock shrugged. "Came to bed for two hours this night. Don't need more."

He looked down at his screen again, and to John it looked more like Sherlock was staring at nothing, cross-eyed, than actually working on something.

John sighed. They'd had a breakthrough with their current case the day before, but they needed more data to prove the suspect guilty. Hence Sherlock was currently sifting through various sites of the internet. Barely taking breaks, as it seemed.

John sighed again.

"Alright if I start dinner?" he asked.

"Love you too," Sherlock mumbled, straightening up a little and blinking to focus his gaze, but returning to his slumped position and squinting almost immediately.

John didn't know whether to laugh or cry. But Sherlock surely hadn't eaten, so he decided to first try and get some food into the man. Then he could bring him to bed. Carry him, if needs must.

He went back into the kitchen again, changing his plans to pasta for this evening, just because it was faster.

When he placed a steaming dish on the coffee table half an hour later, Sherlock jumped in surprise.

"Enough research for now, you're eating."

"I'm not--" Sherlock started to protest, but John was already taking the laptop from him and shutting it down for the evening.

"I was working on that." Sherlock's protest was more tired than anything else. He raised a finger. "Besides, it was mine this time. You can't complain about me using yours."

John sighed and forced a fork into Sherlock's raised hand.

"I stopped complaining about this long ago. When I saw you entering your password, to be precise. Because I just use yours now when you're occupying mine."

Sherlock tilted his head, absently accepting the plate John was pressing into his other hand.

"Oh. Really?"

John shook his head, smiling in disbelief.

"Yes, really."

He took his own plate and settled down next to Sherlock.

"Now, eat."

Sherlock looked down and seemed surprised to find a plate full of food in his lap. He looked up again, probably intending to glare at John, but all he managed was a cross-eyed glance. He seemed almost drugged, he was so tired.

"Oh love, you're asleep on your feet. Or bum, rather."

Now Sherlock's brows did draw together.

"Yes..." he all but whined, then sat up abruptly. "No!"

John chuckled, looking at the man with one eyebrow lifted.

Sherlock squirmed under his gaze.

"Maybe," he mumbled eventually, lowering his gaze to find his plate of food there again.

"Come on," John urged. "I see that you don't feel hungry, your stomach completely empty and the tiredness on top, but just eat a few bites, and when you're not hungry by then, we'll just get you to bed.

Sherlock looked at him with wide eyes and shook his head.

"What, no to eating or no to sleep?"

Sherlock frowned, then sank his fork into the pasta on his plate, taking a hesitant bite.

"Sleep then," John sighed. "And if I come with you?"

The detective seemed to ponder that for a moment, before he finally nodded, and something not unlike relief spread over the Sherlock's face. John could definitely feel relief spread inside himself.

"Eat up then, and we'll get you some rest."

Sherlock ate half of his plate, which was more than John had dared to hope.

He looked at John hopefully once he was done eating, and John left the remains on his plate for later, helped Sherlock up and pulled one of his long arms around his own shoulder.

"How did you not just fall asleep on that sofa?" he panted as they were making their way down the hall, John carrying most of Sherlock's weight.

"Was waiting for you," the other man mumbled, leaning even closer to John.John smiled, despite himself.

"You are a lot of work sometimes, you know that?" he muttered, then pushed Sherlock down to sit on their bed.

"I'm sorry," Sherlock mumbled once they were tucked in under the blankets, his impossibly long limbs wrapped around John.

"You silly man," John whispered into the dark curls.

"I love you."

Sherlock only grumbled, but John knew what he'd wanted to say, and when he fell asleep, it was with a smile on his lips.

--

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[arc852]

A Sewn Surprise

Summary: Grian and Joel try to teach themselves how to sew, in order to surprise Jimmy with some new clothes. But it isn't going well.

Word Count: 1716

AO3 Link

Yay! A new fic! I'm sorry it's been a couple of weeks but I'm finally writing again, so hopefully there will be more fics posted soon. Oh, and this is my first time writing Cleo, so hopefully she is in character!

I hope you guys enjoy!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 “Ow!”

 Grian looked over just in time to see Joel stick his finger in his mouth, a frustrated look on his face. “You okay?” Grian asked, though he was only half asking about the prick Joel got.

 “No, I’m not okay. This is stupid! What were we even thinking?” Joel put his head in his hands and let out a deep, frustrated sigh.

 “We were thinking it would be nice to make Jimmy some new clothes.” Grian said and then let out his own sigh, more defeated than frustrated. “But you’re right, this is going nowhere.”

 They had been at it for three days now, trying to learn and sew Jimmy some new clothes. Ever since he had moved in fully, it was easier to notice the fact that Jimmy only had two outfits. One regular and one specifically made for borrowing, apparently. Though, since Jimmy didn’t borrow anymore, he wore the other pair of clothes more often.

 Still though, only having two pairs of clothes was…kind of sad. It was impressive, for sure, that Jimmy had made the clothes himself but when they had asked him why he hadn’t made more, Jimmy had said he hadn’t had enough supplies. But then continued and reassured them he didn’t need much more than that anyway.

 Grian and Joel, however, begged to differ. So outside of their dorm, where Jimmy couldn’t overhear them, they talked about looking into getting Jimmy some new clothes. Of course, they knew they couldn’t just buy them, doll clothing was stiff and way bigger than Jimmy anyway. But maybe, they could make him some themselves.

 And that’s what led them here, in the sewing club's room. They had graciously allowed them to work on their little project and even use their supplies. But sitting down with a laptop open to a tutorial and trying to figure it all out was not working out for them.

 It had been three days, and they were nowhere close to even a single item of clothing.

 “It’s been days. Sooner or later, Jimmy is gonna get suspicious.” Joel said, lifting his head away from his hands. He stared at the mess of fabrics, needles, and threads and glared at them.

 “We might have to ditch the surprise part of all of this.” Grian suggested as he put his own needle and thread down. It was just so hard to make stitches that small, and that was with previous experience with sewing. For Grian and Joel, who had absolutely no experience, it was next to impossible.

 As they were stewing in their own defeat, someone walked into the room. Grian and Joel barely paid attention, people were walking in and out of here all the time after all. What did catch their attention though, was a sudden familiar voice. “What are you two doing here?”

 Grian and Joel looked up to be met with Cleo, a good friend of theirs. She was looking at them with a surprised look, which was fair. Neither of them had ever brought up wanting to sew before. This was also bad though because, well, what were they supposed to say? They were trying to make tiny clothes for their borrower friend Jimmy? Yeah, no, that would be bad.

 “We’re uh…trying to learn how to sew?” Grian said though it came off more as a question. Which only deepened Cleo’s confusion. 

 “Sew…what, exactly?” Cleo asked, looking over them and at the table to see the mess of tiny fabrics and even tinier stitches. Grian and Joel looked at each other, slightly panicking.

 “Uh, doll clothes!” Joel suddenly exclaimed, laughing nervously. “For Grian’s cousin!”

 Cleo blinked and looked between the two of them. She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. “You two are making doll clothes for Grian’s cousin? Why not just buy them some?”

 “My cousin is…very particular about it?” Grian chimed in, going along with what Joel had said. Though, once again, his sentence came out more as a question.

 Cleo continued to look at the two of them, not seemingly convinced. Thankfully though, she changed the subject, walking along the table to its side and picking up one of the fabric pieces. “Well, this is definitely not where you should be starting if you’re just now trying to learn how to sew.”

 Joel sighed, once again putting his head in his hands. “Yeah, we’ve kind of figured that out already.”

 Cleo hummed, brushing her thumb against the fabric. “Do the two of you care if you're actually the ones to make them or were you just trying to do it yourselves because of your cousin’s ‘particular’ taste?” Cleo asked.

 Grian blinked, a bit surprised by the question. “Uh, well, I guess the second? We would have bought them if anyone made them.”

 Cleo nodded and put the piece of fabric down, moving her hands to rest on her hips. “Well, then the two of you are in luck. I happen to have an opening and I’m sure I can squeeze in making a few clothes for your cousin’s dolls.”

 Grian and Joel’s eyes widened and they both stood up in surprise. “Wait, seriously?” Grian asked.

 “Of course.” Cleo said with a smile. “Just leave it to me.”

  ***

   It was only a day later that Grian and Joel heard a knock at their door. Jimmy ducked behind the lamp on Joel’s nightstand as Grian stood up to answer the door. When he saw that it was Cleo, Joel joined him and they stepped outside for a moment. Cleo gave them a slightly confused look at not being invited in but didn’t say anything about it. Instead, presenting them with a neat handful of folded up outfits.

 “It was a bit tricky but I managed.” Cleo said as Grian took the clothes from her hands. There were three in total. Grian’s thumb brushed over the tiny jeans, in awe at how real they felt. Joel leaned in to try and get a good look himself.

 “Cleo, these are amazing.” Joel said, grabbing one of the shirts and studying it more closely. “It’s like you took regular clothes and shrunk them down.”

 Cleo chuckled. “Well, that is basically what you asked for.”

 Grian looked up and away from the tiny outfits in order to look at Cleo. “How much do we owe you?”

 “Aww, you two don’t owe me anything. Consider it a friend discount.” Cleo said. As Grian and Joel started to argue against not paying her, she held her hands up, stopping them. “I’m the one who offered, so I don’t want to be paid. This time. Now in the future if you happen to need any more outfits, then we’ll talk.” She said with a chuckle.

 Grian nodded. “Absolutely. We’ll definitely be coming back to you for some more.”

 Joel grinned. “Yeah, Jimmy is going to love these.”

 Cleo tilted her head, a smile still present. “Jimmy?”

 Both Grian and Joel froze and looked at each other. Joel looked a lot more panicked though and so Grian was the one who spoke. “My cousin! Jimmy, he’s my cousin.”

 “Hmm, right.” Cleo said, arms crossed with her smile never leaving. For some reason, she still didn’t seem fully convinced. But she moved along, which Grian and Joel sighed in relief at. “Well, I really do hope he likes them. Feel free to come to me if I need to make any adjustments.”

 “Thank you Cleo, really. You’re amazing.” Joel said, after having calmed down from his slip-up.

 “I know.” Cleo said and then turned and left, waving goodbye as she did so. Grian and Joel nodded at each other, grinning.

 “Ready to show Jimmy?” Grian asked.

 “Let’s do it.” Joel said as he handed the shirt he had picked up back to Grian. Grian put his hands together, covering the small outfits as they headed back inside.

 As they closed the door behind them, Jimmy popped his head around the lamp, only fully coming out once he realized it was just Grian and Joel coming back into the room. “Who was that?” Jimmy asked, looking behind them at the door.

 “Just our friend Cleo.” Grian answered. “She stopped by to drop something off.”

 Jimmy blinked in confusion, only because it didn’t appear as though either of them were holding anything. “What did she drop off?”

 Grian and Joel glanced at each other with a grin before Grian knelt down and moved his cupped hands in front of Jimmy. “We’ve got a surprise for you.” And that was all the warning Jimmy got before Grian opened his hand.

 Jimmy came closer and looked to see what Grian was holding, only for his eyes to widen in shock. Jimmy could barely believe it. He slowly reached down and grabbed a shirt, looking and rubbing at the texture. If possible, his eyes widened even more, realizing that not only were these tiny clothes the perfect size for him but they felt exactly like Grian and Joel’s clothes. Soft and comfortable and warm.

 “We tried making them ourselves at first.” Joel’s voice cut through and Jimmy looked up. “But learning to sew is harder than it looks. So then Cleo offered to make them.”

 “But don’t worry.” Grian chimed in before Jimmy could overthink anything. “She just thinks she was making custom doll clothes for my cousin.”

 Jimmy laughed at the same time he could feel some tears start to gather in his eyes. “Do you even have a cousin?” He asked as he wiped away the tears.

 Grian smiled softly. “No, but Cleo doesn’t know that.”

 Jimmy held the shirt close to him. This was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for him. “Thank you. This is…this is amazing.”

 Joel’s smile was also soft as he reached down and gently brushed his fingertips over Jimmy’s back, cupping his hand around him but not grabbing him. Just offering comfort. “Of course. We wanted to do this for you. You deserve to have more than two pairs of clothes.”

 “Yeah. And we’re glad you like them.” Grian said.

 “I love them.” Jimmy corrected and then started looking at the other articles of clothing, feeling them and holding them up to himself. Grian and Joel just watched, happy their surprise had been a big hit.

[meguwumibear]

A Night Out Dancing

Tomorrow your party will reach JuLai. Tonight Wolfwood wants to dance.

thank you @/firein-thesky for commissioning this piece for the @ficsforgaza collaboration

The sky above No Man’s Land is inky and starless. The air stale and still. Despite the hour, the world around you is oppressively warm and dry. Nights in the desert are usually bitterly cold. You’re not sure what’s gotten into the weather today.

Vash at least doesn’t seem plagued by strange temperature, but then Vash can sleep through anything, including Meryl’s jerky driving, so the comparison isn’t fair. Meryl’s fast asleep too, tucked neatly into the driver’s seat. You watch her toss and turn for a while, wondering what she dreams of. Someplace nice, hopefully. Somewhere lush and flourishing and green.

Even Roberto seems to have found sleep, albeit at the bottom of a bottle. He’s snoring gently in the passenger seat, mouth wide open, empty liquor bottle still clutched tightly in his hands.

Seems everyone’s immune to the hot desert night but you.

There’s a chance it isn’t the heat keeping you up. It’s possible you’re making excuses, blaming the external world around you for your insomnia so you don’t have to turn inward, so you don’t have to confront your building anxieties about what the future holds for your little traveling party. It’s going to crack and splinter apart, isn’t it? Like that land mass you once read about in a book that spoke of some far away planet called Earth. Pangaea. A supercontinent forced apart by shifting tectonic plates.

Tomorrow, you’ll reach JuLai, and everyone will drift away from you. You’ll spend the rest of your life trying to remember what it felt like to be whole.

Fuck it. If you’re not gonna get some shut eye, you may as well make yourself useful.

Wolfwood is perched on a sand dune, resting against his cross shaped gun, lit cigarette in hand, nearly burnt down to the filter. He takes one final drag of it as he sees you approach, then snubs the thing out in the sand.

“I’ll take over the watch,” you tell him, eyes drawn to the little ‘o’ shape his mouth makes as he lazily releases the final dregs of smoke.

“Not your turn yet, sweetheart,” he replies. “Go back to sleep.”

If only you could.

“Haven’t been able to. Too much shit on my mind. No sense in my staring at the back of my eyelids when I could be doing this instead.”

Wolfwood stares at you through tinted shades he hasn’t bothered to remove despite the darkness of the night. The glasses are a part of his costume, of his carefully crafted mask that even after months of travelling together he’s still hiding behind. He told you he’s an undertaker, but he dresses like a priest. On a runaway Sandsteamer, you learn he is an orphan. You’ve learned nothing since.

“You should take better care of yourself,” he says, as if caring for yourself is easy.

“You’re one to talk,” you reply, eyes giving him a quick once over. It’s been a few days since you’ve spent the night somewhere with a working bathroom. Without a mirror or razor, the stubble on his chin has grown more and more pronounced. The hairs suit him, you think. Your fingers itch to run along his jaw.

“You’re staring,” he observes, mouth crooking into a smug grin because the undertaker or priest or whatever the fuck he is knows how handsome he is.

“Am I?”

Wolfwood stands slowly, brushing beads of sand off him as he does so. You try to keep your eyes on his face, on the slope of his nose, the dimples on his cheeks, but they wander anyway, along his broad shoulders, down his tiny waist. You’ll miss him when this is over, you decide.

“Wanna dance?” he asks suddenly. The question throws you off kilter. How long has it been since you’ve done something so mundane? Will you even remember how? Is it appropriate to dance given what tomorrow may bring?

“What about-”

“Needle-noggin and the lot are out like a light. No one will notice if we steal a few minutes for ourselves.”

He closes the gap between the two of you and links his right hand with yours, fingers interlocking. His hands are large and calloused from lugging around that heavy gun of his. Briefly, you wonder just how strong the guy really is.

 “But there isn’t any music,” you protest weakly. Wolfwood is frustratingly good at sapping away your resolve.

“Don’t need any. We’ll make our own,” he insists, slipping an arm around the small of your back and pressing you close, closer, and closer still.

This close to him, you can see deep into his eyes. There’s fear in them. Sadness too. He’s trying and failing to mask the emotions with a smile, with this dance. It must be so exhausting, you think, always having to pretend.

“One dance,” you surrender, relaxing into his embrace. He smells sharply of tobacco and nicotine, though you note hints of something a bit earthier underneath. Sweat, probably. It’s been a while since any of you have showered. “Then bed. Unlike you and Vash, some of us need our beauty sleep.”

A lopsided grin swims across his handsome face.

 “Aw, think I’m beautiful, sweetheart? That’s nice.”

There’s a biting remark on the tip of your tongue that never fully forms. Yeah, actually, you do think he’s beautiful. You’ve thought so ever since Meryl slammed the news van into him all those months ago. The impact should have killed him—it would’ve killed you—but Wolfwood simply rose up from the sand as if rising from an interrupted slumber. Beautiful, even with rivulets of blood trickling down his face.

“Shut up,” you hiss, cheeks heating as you think a bit too intensely about his sturdy body which is now pressed flush against your own. Has Wolfwood always been this tall? This large? His giant frame engulfs you as the two of you sway together, in tandem with Wolfwood’s quiet humming.

You rest your head against his sternum, listening to the sound of his heart beating quick and urgent like the wings of a bird. His chest vibrates as he hums his tune. You can’t seem to place the song. Likely, he’s making it up as he goes, the tempo slow and somber like a dirge.

“Where’d you learn to dance?” you ask him, conscious of the way your two left feet have nearly tripped him up twice. Lucky for you both he’s not just a hulking lump of muscle. He’s got a great center of balance too.

You chalk your awkwardness up to the loose, shifting sands and not to the odd sensation forming in the pit of your stomach. More unfamiliar than unpleasant. You swallow a few times in an attempt to settle it.

Wolfwood shrugs, spinning the two of you round and round in circles. “It’s not all that different than fighting.”

There’s truth to that, you suppose, remembering the fight on the Sandsteamer. Wolfwood refused to talk about the stranger you all watched disappear into the open maw of the sand ocean, but it was obvious the man once meant something to him.

“You’re thinking too much,” he says. “Just follow my lead.”

So you do. You let him whirl you around the desert dunes for what feels like hours, grinning up at him through thick lashes when you manage to step on his toes. Again. He laughs, a little too loudly, and you have to remind him that if he’s not careful he’ll wake your sleeping companions.

“What are you going to do if everything goes well tomorrow?”

For the first time all night, it’s Wolfwood who stumbles. The misstep is small, slight, if you weren’t so entangled, you may have missed it, but you are entangled so you feel everything. You feel his feet stall as the question leaves your lips. You feel the rise and fall of his belly as he takes a deep steadying breath.   

His hand travels up the length of your spine, coming to rest at the nape of your neck. He thumbs across your vertebrae and you recognize the ministration for what it is: a silent plea for you to let the topic drop and just enjoy this moment the two of you managed to carve out for yourselves amidst all the chaos of the world.

You let your head drop once more, tucking it beneath his collarbone, right above his heart, still rabbiting in his chest. He isn’t humming anymore. There’s nothing to help the two of you keep time as you continue to sway together, now gliding across the sand like worms.

Around you, the clouds begin to clear and bright, twinkling stars start to peek out from behind them. A soft breeze kicks up around you, and the sand particles scatter with it. Wolfwood—Nicholas—keeps you pressed against him as the temperature mercifully begins to drop.

Your mind still wanders from time to time, curious what tomorrow may bring.

Who cares, you decide. It doesn’t matter.

Tonight, you’re content to dance.

[mochegato]

Mistakes Were Made

Jon pursed his lips as he studied the list in front of him, his brow furrowing deeper the longer he stared at it.  There was a pattern there.  He knew there was.  Something linking the names on the list.  Something he hadn’t managed to figure out even after endless hours staring at the company names, running down investors, calling ex-employees, scouring the internet for scandals.  It was getting damned frustrating.

Jay hadn’t had any more luck with the list than he’d had, and Jay had been working on the story a lot longer than Jon had been.  Weeks.  Weeks of focused investigation had yielded a lot of results, but nothing conclusive.  Nothing they could splash across the front page of the Daily Planet.  Nothing that would lead to the convictions that he knew were forthcoming.  If they could figure out the pattern.

It was there… somewhere.

He was shocked out of his focus by his phone and answered before the first ring had completed.  “This is Jon,” he intoned mindlessly, still staring at the list.

The responding snort finally brought his attention away from the list for the first time in so long, his vision was starting to cross.  “I guess I called the right number then,” she chuckled.

“Hey, Starlight,” he sighed and instantly returned his attention to the list.  It wasn’t investors.  It wasn’t ex-employees.  It had to be…

“Hey, Mon rêve,” she cooed.  “Where are you?  It’s getting pretty late.”

“Hm?  Is it?  I hadn’t noticed,” he answered absently.  “I’m still here with Jay.”

“Wait.  Really?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he nodded, cocking his head to the side to stare at the list.  Maybe that would give him a new perspective.  He was pretty sure if he stared any harder than he had before, his laser vision would activate.  “Jay has been following a lead for a few days and asked this morning if I could help.  We are doing some research to hopefully get a direction.”

“So…” she started, her tone was careful, measured.  If Jon had been a bit more aware of anything outside of the list, it would have set the hairs on the back of his neck on edge, especially contrasted with the adoring tone microseconds before.  “…you're staying there.  You're not going to join me?  You're going to stay there... with Jay.”

“Yeah, sorry, can't join you tonight.”  He paused to look over their desks full of documents, binders of reports, and endless Post It notes marking random thoughts in their glaring color.  It should be overwhelming, but it just excited him.  This story wasn’t just important, it could make a major difference, to Metropolis and him.  “I think this could really be something,” he gushed almost breathlessly.  She was silent for a few beats too long; long enough Jon noticed she hadn't responded yet.  “Mari?”

It was another few beats of loaded silence before she responded.  “Yeah, I thought it could really be something too.”

He frowned at the phone.  “Hey, you okay?  You sound a bit off.”

The silence was more concerning than any response she could give.  If it took that long to respond, there clearly was something wrong.  He almost waved Jay off when he jutted his laptop in front of his eyes, but the insistent look in Jay’s eyes made him reconsider.  “I just thought we could spend time together today celebrating,” she finally answered.

“Oh? Celebrating what?” he asked distractedly, flicking his fingers through the document Jay had just found; property listings.

She let out a mirthless huff of a laugh.  “Nothing.  It doesn't matter.”

“No, I'm sure it does,” he insisted instantly, though it was clear in his voice his attention was still elsewhere.  “I'll see you tonight and we can talk.”

“I wanted to dig up property records for the rest of the organizations,” Jay piped up.  “If we can get a listing tonight, we can look into their ownership history tomorrow.  Maybe make some inquiries.”

“Oh!  That’s a good plan.  Yeah.”  He looked at the list again and let out a breath at the length.  “This is going to take a while.”  It wasn’t until he had reached for his laptop that he remembered he was still holding a phone and supposed to be talking to Marinette.  “Sorry!  Tomorrow,” he promised quickly.  “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Right,” Marinette scoffed.

He paused and turned away from Jay to give himself a bit of privacy.  “Are you upset I'm hanging out with Jay?  Mari, you know we just work together.  There's nothing to worry about.”

“Right,” she repeated.

This time, Jon took note of her tone.  It wasn’t one he associated with her.  He wasn’t even sure if he’d ever heard her speak that way before.  It was hollow, defeated, and so very wrong.  “Don’t be like that, Starlight.  You're being ridiculous.”  He shook his head, exasperated at her reaction.  They needed to talk about this, clearly, but he didn’t have time tonight.  “Look, I have to go.  We'll talk about this later, okay?  Love you.”

She hung up without responding, leaving him staring at the phone in confusion.  He let out a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut.  She was upset.  Clearly.  But this was time sensitive.  They needed to get this research done tonight so they could jump on City Hall tomorrow.

Would he have loved to spend the night with her?  Of course he would!  He would spend every night… and day with her if he could.  But this was the life of a reporter, not to mention a hero.  He needed to be able to spend a night in the office with a coworker from time to time.  When he was working on a story, it might even be days.  Hell, his mom had slept on her office couch every night for a week before.

And, he huffed mentally, Marinette didn’t really have standing to complain.  She regularly got caught up in design dazes and would end up in her studio for the entire night.  More than once, he had to track her down to her studio and drag her home.  She had no right to be mad at him for doing the same thing she did constantly.

It was particularly strange because he had worked late into the night on stories, or been away unexpectedly for a mission, and she had been extremely understanding.  But this time…

“Hey, I think I found something!” Jay called, drawing Jon out of his spiral.

Jon was at Jay’s side looking over his shoulder in a microsecond.  This was it!  This was the link they’d been looking for all day.  He could feel it.

They got lost in digging up all the information they could, so focused, he’d completely lost track of time.  Gun to his head, not that it would do anything, but it’s the sentiment that counts, he couldn’t tell you how much time had passed since he’d spoken to Marinette when his phone rang again, but it was at least long enough for them to have gathered the bulk of the property listings for the names on the list.  And at some point Jay had drifted off to the break room to get them yet another cup of godawful black coffee.

They hadn’t done a deep dive yet, looking for the hidden assets, but there was a lot of night left… maybe.  He really needed to check a clock.

He checked the ID and furrowed his brow in confusion for just a second before answering.  If he knew her, and he did, she would just keep calling until he answered.  “Hey, Kara.  I’m a bit busy right now.  Can I call you back another time?”

“Yeah, I know how busy you apparently are, dumbass,” she growled into the phone. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

He jerked back in surprise.  “What?  What did I do now?”  It took a few moments for his mind to register the situation and recall his previous conversation.  “Oh, did Mari call you?”  He sighed and rubbed his forehead.  “Is she that upset I'm working with Jay.  This is insane.  She's best friends with Adrien and regularly hangs out with Luka and Vic and I can't even work with Jay?  I can't believe...”

“What day is it?” she cut in, saccharine sweet in a way she had never actually embodied.

The tone caught him off guard.  It was, quite frankly, a bit creepy coming from her.  “What?”

“What day is it?” she repeated, the sweetness bleeding from her tone.

It was a trap, he knew it was, he just for the life of him couldn’t figure out what it was supposed to trap him into or why she was laying it.  Working late one day didn’t warrant the effort at entrapment.  Nothing made sense.  “Thursday,” he answered slowly.  It felt like it wasn’t the answer she was looking for, but it was the correct answer.

“The date, you dimwitted pudding socket!” she hissed.  All pretenses of sweetness were completely gone.  Her hostility was fully out.

“Dimwitted… what the heck, Kara?”

“What. Is. The. Date,” she repeated, carefully enunciating each word, punctuating the final syllable like they were weapons.

He could hear her teeth gritting through the phone without even having to use his super hearing.  But more than that, he could hear the disappointment, which again, didn’t make sense.  It was one night.  “It's May...” he trailed off as the realization hit and Marinette and Kara’s reactions finally made sense.  “Oh...”

“Yeah,” she concurred bitterly, “oh.”

“Oh, fuck.”  If anything, Marinette’s reaction was subdued.  She should have yelled.  She should have screamed.  She should have raked him over the coals for forgetting their anniversary.

“Yep,” she agreed popping the p.

“Oh no,” he lamented, running his hand through his hair and tugging painfully on it.  “No, no, no.  No, fuck.  Is she still at the restaurant?”  The question was essentially perfunctory, he was moving before she responded.  But her response stopped him in his tracks, yet again driving home the level of fuckupary.

“Is she still at the restaurant you had a reservation for hours ago and you left her sitting alone waiting for you?” she scoffed.

“No!  What time is it?”  He whipped his head around looking for the damned clock that he should have checked when he talked with Marinette.  His heart dropped at the sight.  It was in fact hours after he was supposed to meet her.  Hours!  And he hadn’t talked to her.  Hours for her to stew and spiral and start thinking the worst of the situation.  “Fuck!  Where is she?”

There was a pause before she spoke, and Jon could picture her narrowing her eyes, leaning back, and cocking her hip as she prepared to answer.  “She is somewhere she doesn't want you to find her.”

“Fuck!  No, Kara,” he pleaded.  “No, I need to talk to her.  I need to fix this.  I need to...”

“That's a lot of I's for someone who is just fucked up so royally,” she chided harshly.  “It isn't about what you need right now, is it?”

He groaned and ran his hand through his hair again.  He needed to do something he couldn’t… he couldn’t lose Marinette.  The very idea of not being able to go home to her gutted him.  But the idea of Marinette thinking that he blew her off, that he didn’t love her with his entire soul, felt like a kryptonite knife to the heart.  “Fuck!  Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he agonized.  “How do I fix this if she won't talk to me, Kara.  What do I do?”

“I would suggest massive groveling,” she offered, her false sweetness back though not quite to the level it had been before.  “Flowers and fabric aren’t going to fix this.”

“I need to apologize to her face,” he announced as much to himself as her.  He stood up straight as determination flowed through him.  He was going to find her and talk to her, beg her, plead for her to understand.  He was an idiot, but he was a devoted, utterly lovesick idiot.  “Where is she?”

“No.”  Flat but solid.  She used no emotion, just raw steel.

“Kara, where is my girlfriend?” he growled.

“Gone.  And you need to consider what you're going to do to make sure it isn't permanent,” she snarled before hanging up.

“Kara?  Kara!” Frustration inundated his voice.  “How do I make sure it isn’t permanent if I can’t talk to her?” he screamed into the void.  “I know you can hear me!”

He immediately called Marinette, which in retrospect, he acknowledged, he should have done as soon as he realized he’d missed the date.  He clenched his hand into a bouncing fist as he waited for her to answer, pacing a tight circle, and he almost started apologizing when he heard her voice.  It took a few seconds to realize it was the start of her voicemail, not her.

But he wasn’t going to be deterred so easily.  She was angry, frustrated.  She didn’t like to answer the phone when she was frustrated with someone.  He knew that.  He should have anticipated it.  Instead, he sent off a few anxious texts, not able to wait more than a few seconds before sending the next text.  When she didn’t answer those after a full minute, he couldn’t force himself to wait any longer and tried calling again, but it went straight to voicemail.  Meaning she was either instantly rejecting the call or she’d blocked him.

“Son of a bitch!” he yelled, fighting the urge to throw his phone.  If he allowed his anger to overtake him now, he would lose his only means of communication if she did decide to respond… and he’d probably tear a hole through the wall and possibly the next… and all the walls in the next building.

Jay came careening around the corner, the coffee mugs in his hands sloshing over the rims and spilling onto his shirt unnoticed.  “What?  Did something happen?  What’s wrong?” he questioned frantically.

“I… fuck!” Jon yelled again.  He kicked an exposed steel support beam that at this point luckily was merely decorative, because it crumpled instantly.

“Woah, hey, you have to take a breath,” Jay urged.  He set the coffee down and approached Jon cautiously.  “You’re going to destroy the building.  What is going on?”

“I…” he moved toward something else to hit but Jay stepped in front of it with a concerned but firm look and Jon deflated entirely.  He collapsed onto the floor, head in hands.  “It’s our anniversary.  I… I missed our anniversary.  We had a night planned.  I… she waited at the restaurant for me.”

Jay crouched down next to him in an instant.  “What?” he gasped.  “It’s your… What are you doing here!”

“I forgot,” he moaned.  “I got caught up and…”

“Jon…” he cut in his voice firm again.  “Why are you still here?  Go fix it!”

Jon shook his head despondently.  “She doesn’t want to see me.  She has made that abundantly clear.”

Jay scoffed.  “She’s mad.  Justifiably.  You forgot a really important date for your relationship to hang out with an ex.  Fucked up doesn’t even begin to cover it.  But, what?  You’re just going to slink away, tail between your legs?  You’re not going to fight?  Beg?  Fly up to the moon and bring it back for her?”

Jon glanced up at him, his eyes welling as he did.  “If she wanted.  I’d give her anything she wanted.  And what she wants is space.”

“Is it?” Jay demanded.  He wasn’t giving any space for self-pitying.  It was time to act, not wallow.  “I don’t know man, if you aren’t even willing to fight for her, I don’t know if you deserve her.  She’s hurting right now.  You’re going to let her do it alone?”

“No!  Never,” Jon exclaimed, affronted by the very suggestion that he would ever, ever leave Marinette to suffer alone.

“So…” Jay prompted.  He grinned as a determined look came over Jon.  “I’ll continue on my own.  We can pick this up on Monday… or Tuesday.  The evidence isn’t going anywhere.  You go get your woman and fix your future.”

Finding her wasn’t as difficult as Kara made it out to be.  After he excluded their place and Kara’s place, she was in the next place he looked, which would have been the first, but Kara’s comment had thrown his instincts off.  So, either she wasn’t as adamant that she didn’t want him to find her as Kara had indicated or Marinette just was too upset to think logically and was thinking emotionally instead.

Jon took a deep breath to fortify himself before knocking on the door.  The night was going to be rough, and it was completely his fault.  He had done this to them.  He’d stood her up and forgotten their anniversary.  She’d even prompted him to remember they were supposed to be celebrating and he blew her off.  God, she must think he didn’t care about her at all.

He was so lost in his self-deprecation; he missed the sounds of someone approaching the door until it had already been opened, an imposing, hostile figure glowering at him.  “What do you want?” Adrien snarled.

Jon flinched at the venomous tone from the normally friendly, gregarious man.  He steeled himself and met Adrien’s eyes.  “To talk to my girlfriend.”

“Oh, she’s worthy of your attention now, is she?” he sneered.

“Of course she is.  She always is.”  Jon took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  He wanted to argue with Adrien, to point out all the times she’d been the center of his attention, all the times he’d put her needs and interests above his own because he knew she did the same.  But it wasn’t the right time for that argument.  He needed to speak with Marinette, to make her feel his devotion, not waste time arguing with her best friend.  And if it meant letting Adrien take out his protective wrath on him uncontested, that’s what he would do.  “Look, I screwed up, I know that.  Please let me fix this,” he begged.

Adrien stared him down for a few long moments, not breaking his intense eye contact, clearly enjoying the way it made Jon squirm.  But finally he grumbled something that might have been a word, or just a sound to make known his extreme discontent, and let him in grudgingly.  Just as Jon was about to pass him, he held his arm up to stop him.  “You get this one chance.  You screw this up, I won’t need kryptonite to end you, but you’ll wish I had.”

Jon met his eyes again, letting an understanding pass between them and nodded.  “Noted.”

He thought he couldn’t feel any guiltier or worse about himself, but the moment he saw Marinette, he knew he was wrong.  He could feel so, so much worse.  She was slumped on the couch, empty tumbler in her hand, staring absently at nothing.  Her eyes were red and puffy and even from his distance and without using enhanced vision, he could see the still wet tear tracks, her ruined mascara highlighting their trail.

Desperate not to make her feel worse, he approached her cautiously, slowly.  While in the past, he’d enjoyed ambushing her by appearing in front of her in the blink of her eye, surprising her and possibly shocking her into a violent reaction was the last thing he wanted to do at that moment.  He could tell the moment she noticed him.  She didn’t acknowledge him outright, but he could hear the way her breathing changed and the way her body tensed just before she sat up and refilled her glass.

The liquid slopped out of the bottle, splashing as much on the coffee table as in the glass and Jon rushed forward to steady her hand.  It was instinct.  He saw her in need of assistance, and he acted.  It wasn’t until she flinched away that he realized his assistance may not be welcome in that moment and perhaps he was the very reason she was in need of assistance.  His heart squeezed painfully at the realization, tearing the breath from his lungs.

“Hey Starlight, what are you doing?” he asked gently.  He sat next to her, close but still giving her space, and angled his body so he could face her.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, not quite willing to grace him with her gaze, and took a long drink before answering.  “You forgot about our anniversary,” she answered her voice forlorn.

 “I know,” he admitted guiltily.  “I…”

“I wanted to too,” she continued as if she hadn’t heard him at all.

He could have sworn he didn’t have any more air left in his lungs, but her tone and the agonized look in her eyes, made his chest feel like it was in a vise forcing all air out in a rush.  “No, baby…” he begged miserably.

“I’m not your baby anymore,” she shrugged, still not meeting his gaze, her eyes returning to the blank spot in the distance.

“Baby, Starlight,” he pleaded.  He moved a step closer to give him better access to wipe away her tears and caress her face.  The need to touch her was visceral.  He needed to feel her and make her feel his love, look at him.  But at the last second Kara’s words rung in his head.  It wasn’t about him.  He redirected before making contact and instead laid his hands on either side of her knees.  “You will always be mine.”

Sloppily, she shook her head.  “I’m not.  You don’t love me anymore.”

It was said with such certainty that he could feel it in his soul.  “Starlight, I love you more than anything…”

“I’m not important to you.  You can’t love someone you don’t think is important.  You don’t put in effort.  You don’t care.”  Any emotion that had crept into her eyes when he first approached her, drained completely, giving the impression of a haunted house, empty and seemingly abandoned, but with hidden secrets fiercely protected.  “You forgot,” she finished desolately.

It was over.  He could see it.  She was done for the night.  Nothing he or anyone else said would make it through to her.  Nothing but time and rest and a whole lot of sobering would make a difference.  He would just have to hope she got that overnight and then pray to whatever deities that might listen, that in the morning, she would let him apologize.  “Marinette,” he started earnestly, tenderly, “you are by far the most important person in the world to me.  Let’s get you to bed and we can talk in the morning, okay?”

She shrugged, or at least gave a rough, loose approximation of a shrug.  “I don’t believe you,” she mumbled, almost incoherently.  “I want to.”  She glanced over at him with watery eyes.  “I want to, so much.  But I don’t.”

What was left of his heart shattered into neutron sized pieces.  He couldn’t believe how badly he had messed it up.  He didn’t know what he was going to have to do to fix it, but whatever it took he would do.  Whatever she needed… tomorrow.  He reached up and gently cupped her face, his thumbs softly wiped away her tears.  His heart mended slightly when she nuzzled into his hands.  “I will do everything I can to change that, I swear that to you.  But let’s get you to bed and sleep.”

“Okay,” she slurred, but made no sign of moving other than to lift her now empty glass to her lips then frown at it, after a few beats.

He sighed and looked over to Adrien.  He would fly her home but at this point, he was worried there was no way she’d make it without feeling absolutely terrible and likely throwing up… a few times.  “Can she stay here tonight?”

Adrien scoffed and headed over to her.  “You don’t even have to ask.”

Before Adrien could make it over to them, Jon had already picked her up as gently as possible so as not to shake her and cause her head to spin or nausea.  “But I do have to ask if I can stay,” he pointed out tentatively.  “I can take the couch,” he added quickly.  “I just… really want to be here when she wakes up.”

Adrien sighed and softly stroked Marinette’s hair as Jon carried her past.  His eyes never left Marinette as he responded, “You don’t have to either.  You two come as a package.”

Jon breathed out a sigh of relief.  “God, I really hope we still are.”  He gave Adrien a nod at his shoulder pat and carried her back to the guest room they’d stayed in together many times before.  It felt strange knowing this time he wouldn’t be welcome.  They’d always stayed together, squeezed together pleasantly in the entirely too small bed.

Her even and rhythmic breathing seemed to reverberate through the unwelcome room as he laid her down and tucked the comforter around her as tenderly as he could so as not to wake her up.  He hadn’t made it a full step away before he heard her voice.  “Stay?”  She turned her mournful eyes to him.  “Give me one last night?”

She had turned away from him as soon as he started removing his shoes, getting ready for him to slip into his familiar position, which he did with ease.  He stroked her hair as she slept, more for himself than her, relishing what might be the last time he was allowed to be so close.  “Starlight, I want to give you my every night.”

It took quite a while for him to finally fall asleep, constantly afraid she would disappear on him if he did.  When he finally fell asleep, it was fitful.  He constantly jolted awake to make sure she was still there, and chastised himself each time because with the way he was wrapped around her, their legs intertwined and his hand splayed against her abdomen holding her tight against him, every time he jolted, she whined and shifted.

It was no surprise then that when she awoke quite a few hours later, he was already awake to catch her getting restless until her eyes started to flutter and finally open to take in the room, quickly scrunching in confusion.  “Morning, Starlight,” he murmured, his voice scratchy from disuse and the little bit of sleep he’d managed.

“Morning, Mon rêve,” she responded instinctively, but he could see the moment memories of the night before flooded back.  Her soft expression became wary and she edged away from him.  “What are you doing here?”

He stared intently into her eyes and took a bit of pride in the way she didn’t shy away from him reaching out to wind his hand into her hair and brush her cheek with his thumb.  She wasn’t angry or hurt enough to refuse to let him feel her, that was something, definitely better than he thought he would be.  “There’s nowhere else I wanted to be.”

“Jon…” she started, her voice tired and her eyes gleaming with hurt.

“I’m sorry, Marinette,” he cut in.  He’d wanted to ease into it.  He’d wanted to feel out how she was feeling then go from there.  He’d wanted to be tactful.  But as soon as he saw the pain in her eyes, he couldn’t hold back.  “I’m so, so very sorry that I forgot, but more than that, I’m sorry I made you feel like you’re anything less than the center of my entire universe.”

She looked away as she sat up, tearing herself away from the comforting feel of his hand.  “I understand being a reporter you’re going to have to work late.  Probably a lot.  But… It was our anniversary,” she lamented, another set of tears trailing down her cheeks.

Jon jumped out of bed to kneel in front of her again.  He ducked his head to try to catch her gaze, but she deftly avoided it.  It hurt, but he needed to get through to her, so he took her hands in his, squeezing them gently.  “I know, Starlight.  I know.”

She finally lifted her eyes, but it was worse.  The pain in them had increased into something desperate.  “It was our anniversary, and you were too busy for me.  For us.  You didn’t even remember.”

He shook his head vehemently.  “I forgot the date, yes.  But I didn’t forget the anniversary.  I swear I didn’t.  I’ve had your present wrapped at home for weeks.”

She shook her head as well, but while his had shaken like he could make her misperception evaporate, hers shook like her heart had lost the strength to do anything else.  “You’ve been working so much lately… for weeks.  And it’s been building up for months.  Months of not making it to our plans and working late.  It’s like you’re looking for a reason to stay away,” she murmured in a voice so fragile it seemed like a simple word could break her.

“I want to marry you,” he blurted out.

“What!” she exclaimed, shock evident on her face, but quickly faded to exasperation.  “Jon, it isn’t that bad.  You don’t need to propose to get over the fight.”

“What? No!  That’s not…”  He took a deep breath and let it out with a loud groan.  He ran his hand down his face roughly, letting it rest over his mouth for a few moments as he let the words settle into the right order in his head.  “I’ve been working harder the past few months to earn money and force my break.  I want to be able to support us when we get married, when we decide to start a family.  I wanted to buy you a nice ring.  It won’t be as amazing as you deserve, because I don’t think I’ll ever make enough to buy you what you deserve, but still a really nice ring.”

“Jon,” she murmured and with that one word, his heart started rebuilding.  Her tone had completely shifted from broken to compassionate, her eyes shifted from pain to adoration.  “My friend proposed to his girlfriend with a tiny shell on a string, because that’s what he could afford, and it was possibly the single most romantic gesture I’ve ever seen.”  She cupped his face and stroked his cheek gently, her thumb making a quiet rasping noise against his stubble.  “I don’t need a fancy ring.  I just need you.”

Jon grinned as he laid his hands over hers.  “Does that mean I should take the ring back?  I can still find a shell somewhere and keep the money,” he teased.

“Don’t you dare,” she gasped and smacked him in the chest.

He chuckled at the swipe before pulling her into a long, tight hug, one he wasn’t sure he was going to get again just a few minutes ago, making it all the sweeter.  “Are we okay?” he asked softly, still holding her tight, but too afraid to make eye contact just yet.  A fear Marinette clearly did not share as she pulled back to meet his eyes.

“Yeah, I think so.  I think we just need to make sure we communicate better.  You shouldn’t have made such a big change in priorities without talking to me and I should have let you know how it made me feel.”  She ran her fingers through his hair and along his face, her eyes trailing behind her fingers.  “I love you.  I want to spend my life with you.  I shouldn’t have just let things fester.”

“I shouldn’t have pulled away,” he agreed.  “I wanted to surprise you, but not the way I clearly did.  I’ll do better.”

“So will I,” she promised.

“Our first big fight.”  He grinned and leaned in conspiratorially.  “Does that mean our first make up sex?”

Marinette groaned and pushed him away, watching as he fell to the floor dramatically.  She watched him for a few seconds before finally answering.  “Not here, no.”  She chuckled as he shot up in front of her before she could comprehend he’d even moved, hope blazing in his eyes.  “Take me home, Flyboy,” she cooed.

His grin turned excited as he picked her up in a bridal carry.  “Yes, ma’am,” he agreed and had them home before she’d finished laughing