#i already sliced into it before i remembered to take a photo

[moonlightdistractions]

double chocolate bundt cake with powdered sugar on top. thank you to yesterday me for baking this.

PSA: using coffee and either sour cream or Greek yogurt makes all difference to a chocolate cake

[darnell-la]

𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗗 𝗨𝗣 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗥

pairing: dark!logan howlett x bartender!reader

warnings: bar fight, breaking in, kidnapping, rough sex (slight cnc), dominating, hair pulling, etc.

note: we love him. we really do. this was a quick story. it’s late at night!

follow our Instagram @ darnell.la so we can start posting random videos, photos, edits and memes of the people we write about!

————————————————————————

𝟯𝗥𝗗 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗣𝗢𝗩

Having to lock up because the Wolverine got into a fight at the bar, was one of the craziest things y/n had to do in a while. No one got hurt, but he did slice a couple chairs.

Y/n had to kick everyone out so she could clean up and close early for the night. Tonight was a long night anyway, so people didn’t complain.

Well, one did, and of course it had to be Logan. He told her he could stay and clean up, maybe have a drink after, but she denied and told him to leave.

He got snarky with her, stepping towards her and telling her she was too pretty to close up alone. That’s when she had to threaten to call the cops.

She’s now in the bar alone wiping down the last table. Tonight was a long annoying night, but at least she was tipped well.

Y/n sang as she put the towels up before walking to the front door. She noticed in her way, that a man was standing at the front with his back towards her.

She was confused for a second until the man turned around. It was Logan. How long has he been standing there? Did he ever leave?

Y/n went to speak behind the thick glass until she saw a smile grow on his face. She instantly knew he meant no good.

She lunged at the door too, hoping she could lick it but he pushed it open, causing y/n to slide across the floor.

“Should’ve taken me up on that offer,” Logan said as he stalked towards her. She backed up on the door until her back to the bar counter. He now stood over her, eyes fully dark. “Told ya it was unsafe for a pretty girl like you,”

Logan grabbed y/n’s arm, pulling her up then slamming her upper body on the counter. “No, get off!” Y/n yelled, trying to wiggle from under him, but his body was heavy.

“Can’t tell me that when I smell your pussy from here,” Logan said, shocking y/n. What was he talking about? “I always smell you. You love dressin’ like this around men? That gets you off?” The man asked as he traced his hand up her body, pulling her dress along.

“P-Please, Logan. You’re drunk. I-I won’t tell anyone if you leave now. I promise!” She said as his lips kissed on the back of her neck. She smelled amazing. She always does.

“Ian leavin, sweet cheeks — I’m too close to you to stop now,” he said, pulling her panties to the side, wasting no time to stick his middle finger in her cunt, curling as soon as he could.

Y/n whined low as Logan breathed down her neck. “Imagine who else would’ve been on you if I wasn’t here. Had to scare off a few people tonight, like any other night. You should thank me,”

“Thank me, princess,” Logan said again, pushing two fingers into her. “L-Logan, stop!” She cried out, trying to lean up, but he pushed her back down harshly with a huff.

“Hard to get — I’ll fix that,” he said, now tugging on his Jean, pulling them down until his cock fell out. She couldn’t see, but she felt him in between her thighs. He was fucking huge.

“Please, no — Logan, I can’t do this. N-Not at work,” she said, remembering these cameras could be only. Some days, the boss turns them on while others he turns them off to save money.

“Don’t worry, princess. Ima take you back to my place after this. Already moved around the apartment to your liking,” he said, confusing y/n.

She didn’t know, but he knew where she kept her spare key. Sneaking into her home and sometimes sleeping next to her for a little while was a nightly routine.

Y/n’s thoughts were cut off once Logan’s tip pushed through her slick. She cried out, feeling him stretch her in an instant. He was too big for her. He loved it.

“Fuuuckin’ hell, y/n. You’re a tight one,” Logan grunted on the back of her neck. “So fuckin’ tight — God, Ian gonna get enough of this,” his hips began to move at a faster pace, taking her hard on the bar counter.

Y/n gripped the ends, trying to brace herself, but he was fucking her too rough. “C-Can’t,” y/n barely got out as her cunt clenched around him. “Yes, baby — Yes,” he tugged at her hair as she came undone around his cock.

“So fuckin’ dirty, Bub. You just cleaned,” Logan chuckled as y/n cried onto the counter. She didn’t know what to do until she remembered one of the panic buttons was right under the counter.

Y/n tried not to make it obvious she reached under the counter, trying to find the button she usually never misses.

This time is a different thought. She’s being pounded into by the Wolverine.

“Whatcha doin, girl?” Logan asked, looking over her shoulder until he realized. Before he could pull her hands back, she pressed the button. Alarms went off and the bar lights turned red.

“Goddamnit, y/n,” he growled as he pinned both of her wrists behind her back, hurting her shoulders. “You just can’t listen, can you? So fuckin’ bad,” Logan used his free hand to push her face into the countertop.

“Fuckin’ bitch can’t even let me fuck her at work. When I’m done with you, you’re fucked,” the man spat, snapping his hips harder to get closer to his orgasm. He wanted to ruin y/n back at his place. Back at her new place.

Y/n cried into the counter, feeling mixed emotions about this all. He broke into the bar to use her, but why her? Aren’t there other women? Is she special to him?

“Cry all you want, y/n. You’re not getting out of any punishment tonight,” the man groaned in her ear as his hips stuttered. Her mouth parted, knowing what was happening.

Logan eventually spilled in her, still thrusting as y/n shook. She tried her best, but she ended up cumming again, but this time with a moan he knew was different from the others. They sounded needy.

Logan smirked, quickly pulling out of y/n and throwing her over his shoulder. He didn’t bother emptying every drop into her. He slipped his leaky cock back into his pants before walking out of the bar.

She kicked and screamed, but not loud enough to make them look out of their windows to help. Logan chuckled at the frisk act, knowing she was going to be a cute and fun toy for him.

ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴛᴡᴏ

[some-bunniii]

Consoling Lucifer on Charlie’s first day of school

・❥ Charlie’s growing up, and Lucifer isn’t taking it well. Luckily, you’re there to keep the King of Hell standing on two feet.

x: just a short fic about a super soft lucifer who loves his daughter, i had some fun with this haha. reader is g/n and also has a parental role. no use of y/n.

~ 1.5k words

warning: tooth-rotting parental love

“Are you crying, Daddy?” The tiny apple-cheeked figure asked, her head tilted curiously up towards the almost identical-looking porcelain face standing a few feet away from her, his hand over his eyes as he rubbed at them feverishly. 

“No,” He lied, his lips curved into a tight-lipped smile as he bit back tears, “It’s just allergies, Apple Pie.”

Lucifer’s eyes trailed back onto the poofy red dress Charlie wore. The intricate, black lines and little hearts woven into its soft fabric made her even more adorable in the outfit. She also sported snow-white stockings, and a pair of sparkly red shoes that glinted in the light as Charlie smiled giddily, excited about the new adventure.

A small red bowtie was nestled into her hair, which was styled in a large braid that ended at the middle of her back. It swayed softly as the young girl bounced in place, becoming antsy by the second. 

You stood right beside him, smiling happily at Charlie as she looked up at the two of you. It was you who had gotten her ready, no doubt did you think she looked like a beautiful little princess. However, you were not expecting such an emotional reaction from your husband, Lucifer Morningstar, when you presented her outfit to him. 

It was Charlie’s first day of lessons, which means—in Lucifer’s opinion—she was finally leaving the nest. Except for the fact she was still considered just a youngling when it came to being Hellborn, and Charlie still needed her father to read her a story every night before bed. She still has trouble reaching items on the counter, and remembering all the letters of the alphabet. She was far from flying off on her own, she was still her father’s little duckling.

He was already nervous the days leading up to this morning, and you had watched him flip through baby book after baby book. Each contains hundreds of photos depicting from when Charlie was a newborn, and through last Sunday. 

Whenever Charlie so much and breathed cutely, Lucifer was pulling out that camera and saving it for the album. Especially when he got a hold of a yellow duck onesie? The man was a goner, and the bookshelf was beginning to fill with rows of binders filled with polaroids.

Yesterday, you had been in the process of cleaning out a closet of rarely used items, when you stumbled upon a pair of Charlie’s old baby boots. 

Lucifer had just walked into the room when his eyes landed on the tiny boots. They obviously wouldn’t fit the girl now, as she had grown out of them long ago. It definitely stirred something inside the fallen angel when his lip began to quiver from the doorway, and slowly walked over to you sitting on the edge of the bed.

He took the boots from your hands, his thumb brushing softly over the small velcro straps. Charlie was old enough to start wearing laces, and she needed his help getting tying her shoes less and less as the months went by. That thought made him collapse onto you, tears brimming his eyes. 

“She had such adorable little feet!” Lucifer wailed in your lap, as you soothingly petted his hair. There were multiple photos in his hands, all of baby Charlie, “Her toes just don’t look like little sausages anymore, it’s not as cute!”

“At least she’s not a hobbit,” you replied, brushing a stray tear from his face.

“I don’t even know what that means!” He had sobbed.

It wasn’t like she was going off to college or anything, yet the way Lucifer clutched her baby blanket in his free hand—which she only stopped sleeping with 2 days ago—made it seem like the girl was not coming back from a few hours of teachings. 

“I packed you some snacks. Apple slices, and some funnel cake. Eat the fruit first, it’s healthy for you. Want to grow up big and strong, don’t you?” 

“Uh-huh!” Charlie nodded with enthusiasm, smiling brightly.

“That’s my girl,” Lucifer choked back tears, nodding approvingly. 

“Honey, she’s going to be late, hurry up and say goodbye,” you prodded gently, smiling warmly with clasped hands. You had been silently on standby, this was a much more emotional moment for Lucifer than you, he needed the space and time with his munchkin.

“You’re right, you’re right,” he growled softly at himself, “look at me, all worked up over nothing. What a joke of a King.”

Lucifer lowered himself to one knee and reached out a hand, and Charlie walked forward returning the touch. Her tiny hands were engulfed in his palm as he curled his fingers tenderly around them. The fallen angel met his daughter's gaze, before taking a deep breath.

“I love you, Charlie.” 

“I love you too, Daddy,” Charlie laughed, before leaping forward and wrapping her arms around his neck. Lucifer pulled her in, nuzzling into her hair as she squeezed him tightly. 

Even if Charlie grew apart from her father as she got older, you’d know she’d always be a daddy’s girl. It was Lucifer whom she invited for tea time among her stuffed animals, and it was he she asked to dance with when the radio’s soft melodies filled the lounge during the evenings as the three of you relaxed by the warm fireplace. 

It made your heart flutter with how similar the two were, and the way Lucifer fawned over Charlie like he’d never seen a more beautiful soul. 

“My best creation,” he had whispered with a smile one night, while the two of you were sitting on the balcony, the alcohol buzzing inside your mind as you held his hand from across the small table. Those words had made your love for him continue to grow, if that were even possible in the first place.

Lucifer and Charlie stayed locked in an embrace for a few moments on the floor before the girl released him, and Lucifer’s arms slowly lowered from her abdomen as she took a few steps back towards the door.

“Go on, now! Don’t let me keep you waiting, just remember to crush it.” Lucifer waved his daughter off, and she jumped with joy.

“Okay! Bye, Daddy!” Charlie giggled, her little red dress bouncing along with her toes as she quickly turned away towards the open door of her room. 

“Have fun, Charlie!” You called after her, as Lucifer slowly rose from his position near the floor.

“I will! Bye!” She replied, running down the hall, her little bag bouncing in her hands as she scampered away to…

…her private tutor’s small classroom at the end of the long hallway. The three of you had been wishing the girl farewell in her large bedroom inside the family manor, which meant Charlie’s teaching wasn't even outside of the home. 

That made Lucifer’s reaction even more humorous, but it was also incredibly sweet. The ruler of Hell, a nasty, bitter place, was a cinnamon roll behind the bad-boy act that he played so well in front of the rest of the realm.

When Lucifer stood straight again, you turned your head to face him. The sight before you caused you to clamp your lips shut tight, trying to suppress your laughter at Lucifer’s disheveled figure.

His hair looked messier than before he had said goodbye, and his face was soaked with tears. Lucifer’s lip quivered, and he quickly averted his gaze, slamming his hand over his face to contain his quiet sobs. The man was practically in shambles. 

“What’s wrong with me?” He groaned, rubbing a hand down his face, “I can’t control my emotions when it comes to Charlie.”

“Sorry to break it to you, Your Highness, but you’re in love,” you cooed, shaking your head with a smile as Lucifer sniffled beside you. He pulled a hand-embroidered handkerchief from his waistcoat, dabbing underneath his eyes to clean the fresh tears. 

“Come on, Lou. How about I make you some pancakes for breakfast?” You said softly, lacing your fingers with his as you tugged him towards the opposite end of the hall. 

“Really?” He sniffled, looking at you with glistening eyes.

“Mhmm,” your hands lifted to cup his face, tenderly squishing those small red spots as you replied with a honeyed tone, “Heaven knows how the ‘Big Boss of Hell’ can be such a softy. Don’t worry, Charlie will be back by lunchtime, and maybe we’ll go on a picnic, hm?”

Your free hand went up toward the fallen angel’s head, and your nails softly grazed his scalp as you pulled his hair back into a more uniform appearance. After fussing with it for a moment, you leaned in and placed a tender kiss on his forehead.

“A picnic sounds nice, I have no idea how you always have a remedy to everything,” He said softly as you pulled away, an adoring smile on his lips as you turned to tug him down the hall.

“Years of practice,” you laughed, as the two of you walked towards the large kitchen, passing loving glances between the other. 

At least, with Charlie away for a few hours, you and your husband could get some alone time together. God knows the poor man needed it. 

lucifer is just so soft for his little princess whether it’s beating the shit out of adam or playing tea party it makes me just 🤭🥴 like damn

hope you enjoyed the lil snack, have a great day! 🤍

tags 🏷️

@ohnoivefallen @doodlebob2726 @coleisyn @undertale-is-sansational @nehy019 @mixplara @chewbrry @yellowsubiesdance @airwolf92 @lxkeee @jellybellyrulez @catnoirsleftnut @mbruben-stein @mint129106 @froggybich @moonlovers34 @just-trash-yeah-thats-it @lil-bexie @wings-of-sapphire @the-tortured-poet @enigmatic-blues @bethleeham @blue122 @cherry-4200 @azullynx @luzzbuzz @for-hearthand-home @helluvapoison @th3-st4r-gur1 @concentratedconcrete @cimadreamer @marsenbie @guacam011y @maxiskindahere @purplerose291 @fictional-character-whore @0willowwisp0

[oddinary4bts]

The Forgotten Spaces | ch 5 (jjk)

☆summary: you've been dancing on the same dance crew since your teenage years, and you finally have an important role in it. It feels like life is taunting you when your rival comes back after disappearing for a year, ready to tease you every chance he gets. Will the teasing turn into more, or are you going to take him down with you?

☆pairing: photographer and dancer!Jungkook x dancer!female reader

☆rating: 18+ (minors DNI)

☆genre: slow (SLOW) burn enemies to lovers, college!au, slice of life!au, angst (oop), smut and fluff

☆warnings: a cancer joke about eating a burned marshmallow, mentions about Jungkook's injury/scars, alcohol, curses, a hot tub, a game of Truth or Dare; explicit content: hickeys, grinding, fingering, jerking off, big dick!Jungkook, unprotected sex (please don't be stupid), choking; angst

☆word count: 15.7k (oop)

☆series masterpost here

☆a/n: SMUT IS HERE EVERYONE. I hope you enjoy reading this one!! Thank you to @moonleeai for her beta reading on this fic, I won't ever thank you enough, you're the best <3

☆Read What Was Hidden here, the fic that inspired this whole story, written by @daechwitatamic, one of my fav human beings on this app <3 It follows the story of Jo and Taehyung before The Forgotten Spaces

☆☆☆☆☆

For this meeting of our end of the world

It's with you that I want to sing

On the threshold of the memories the dead of today

Them that breathe for us

The forgotten spaces

Je t'écris - Gaston Miron (rough translation by me)

☆☆☆☆☆

Friday, July 6th

                It’s a strange thing, how when you’ve been working on something for months, the concretisation of it passes so quickly it’s like it never happened. The auditions were like that: you barely remember yesterday. All you remember is the moment you stepped out of the scene, breath ragged, and Jungkook high-fived the whole crew.

You don’t remember listening to the results. You remember the bubbling excitement as the name of the crew wasn’t said until the very last. But you don’t remember hearing the mention you got. The highest of every crew that auditioned from your state.

Because auditions for nationals are also a competition in and of itself. An innerstate competition, and you still can’t believe you got the highest mention of your level. It’s like a dream, and everything has been moving too slow, or too fast, for you to interpret.

Yesterday was a fever dream indeed. And the whole crew knows that it’s thanks to Jungkook. He refuses every congratulation you’ve all offered him, but it’s him. You wouldn’t have gotten the diamond mention without him.

Diamond… a perfect score. You landed a perfect score on your auditions to nationals.

You will get ripped up to pieces at nationals, won’t you? It makes you anxious, but then again, you’re not sure if it’s because you will have to perform at the top of your art in a few months, or because you’re sitting between Jungkook and Heather on the backseat of Hobi’s car.

Probably the latter.

You’re lucky. You were able to rent a cottage an hour and a half outside of the city, next to a small artificial lake. It was previously rented by another group, but they cancelled a few days ago, which let you have the cottage for the whole weekend.

But you don’t think you’re lucky to be sitting between Jungkook and Heather. Though both of them have been dozing off for a while.

  You’ve just been clutching your phone for dear life, because Jungkook’s head lolled to the side until he found your shoulder to be a pillow. It’s not that you mind it. You mostly mind the way Jiho’s been looking at you with the biggest shit-eating grin on her lips. She’s already taken pictures, and you’ve been planning her murder for the last fifteen minutes.

[2:37 pm] Jiho❣️: attached photo [2:37 pm] Jiho❣️: u’re so mad lmao [2:38 pm] You: delete this picture immediately or i’ll end ur miserable life [2:38 pm] Jiho❣️: 😘😘😘😘😘 [2:38 pm] You: 😤😤😤😤😤 [2:38 pm] You: and Scottie deciding not to come???? Even worse [2:38 pm] You: he’s a traitor😩 [2:39 pm] Jiho❣️: u’re just mad bc now u and jk are the only single people attending [2:39 pm] You: last i checked heather and bridget weren’t official official🙄

Jiho snorts on the front passenger seat, and Hobi throws her a curious look. She shakes her head to indicate that it’s nothing, and you watch as she types her reply.

[2:40 pm] Jiho❣️: bitch plz😂 [2:40 pm] You: besides u’re gonna share a room with me🥺

Jiho laughs out loud this time, and you wonder if the glare you bore into her profile has any effect at all. She just glances at you, an eyebrow cocked prettily. You know what that means: no. No she won’t be sleeping with you. You’re going to have to sleep on the couch, because couples get the rooms. Lance made that rule, and even though you were desperate to not let it take effect, everyone but Jungkook was against you.

You’re not usually in agreement with Jungkook. But for that you were, and you hoped the others would take it into account. You’re stupid for thinking that they would.

Jungkook sighs in his sleep, readjusting himself until he’s even closer to you. You gulp, glancing at him with a scared look on your features. You want to push him away, but he looks so peaceful you just let him be.

[2:44 pm] You: why is he sleeping on me tho [2:45 pm] Jiho❣️: i’d sleep on u too [2:45 pm] You: u can if we share a room👉🏼👈🏼 [2:45 pm] Jiho❣️: nice try but no😇

You whine, and Jiho chuckles.

“What’s up with you two?” Hobi asks, and you meet his gaze in the rear view mirror.

Jiho shrugs. “Y/n is just mad that she’s going to sleep on the couch.

“I can let her sleep with you,” Hobi says, ever so the pacifist and kind man that he is.

“Yes!” you burst out.

It gains you a whine from Jungkook and a glare from Heather, before she rests her head back against the window and dozes off again.

“No,” Jiho refuses. “I want my sexy time.”

Hobi burns bright red as you let out, “Ew”.

Jiho winks at you over her shoulder, and then you all fall silent again. The cottage is still at least fifty minutes away, so you steel yourself as Jungkook shifts again. He mumbles in his sleep and you almost let out a startled yelp when his hand moves on your thigh. He’s not holding you, just resting his closed fist on the top of your thigh. But it’s still way too much touching for your comfort, so you push him away.

He frowns but doesn’t wake up, resting his head against the window with a sigh instead. His mouth falls open a little, and you keep a laugh in. He looks stupidly cute like that. It’s a disgusting thought – Jeon Jungkook is anything but cute – but you let it slide for today. Maybe because you can’t bring yourself to care.

You eventually fall asleep, the low music Jiho’s been playing lulling you to sleep. It’s much deserved sleep after all the anxiety of yesterday, and you only wake when the car comes to a full stop, and car doors slam shut.

You wake up with a start, ready to fight whoever made the noises, and you realize you’re alone in the car. With Jungkook, who has a tight-lipped smile on his lips when your gazes meet.

“You drool when you sleep,” he tells you, and you furrow your brow as you wipe your cheek.

Sure enough, you were drooling. It takes you a few seconds to realize he’s got a wet spot on his shoulder, and you reckon you woke up with your head rested against something. Something that suspiciously felt like Jungkook’s shoulders.

“Mmh,” you sleepily let out. “Sorry.”

He smiles. Sweetly. It starts with his eyes, as you’ve realized it usually happens when he smiles genuinely. “It’s all good. You looked peaceful, I didn’t want to wake you up.”

You echo his smile, nodding your head once before stretching your arms. It makes you yawn, which in turn makes him laugh. “What?” you ask.

“You slept like thirty minutes and you’re still tired.”

You glare at him. “I’m always tired.”

“Right.”

It’s a weird conversation, and it’s even weirder that you’re still sitting in the car. So you motion towards the door as you unbuckle your seatbelt, and Jungkook has a light tint on his cheeks as he nods and opens the door before stepping out. He stretches when he’s outside, and you scooch out of the car, imitating him as soon as your feet touch the ground.

“Gosh,” you let out, and he laughs.

“Yeah.”

You glance at him, and then your gaze slides to the landscape surrounding you. To the picturesque cottage that looks even better than what you had pictured, all made of logs. It looks straight out of a fairy tale. It’s cozied up in a little forest, and the wind that picked up earlier today still makes the leaves dance. It’s loud, like the sound of waves at sea, but it’s more constant. It doesn’t recede, and it creates a background soundtrack to the summer afternoon. The sun is still high in the sky, shining bright with not even a single cloud in sight. The air smell of the woods, and bugs fly around aimlessly, or following an aim only they know. The car is parked in the shadows, but you still feel the heat, and you’re glad there’s a breeze.

You take it all in with a bright smile on your lips, and it only grows wider when Jiho and Hobi rush out of the cottage.

“This is heaven,” Jiho declares. “I’m never leaving this place.”

“She says that because she saw the hot tub from the balcony,” Hobi says as he motions over his shoulder to the cottage.

It makes you laugh, and it turns into a giggle as Jiho grabs your hand and pulls you behind her. “While you men unpack the car we’re going to take a walk to the lake.”

“How is that fair?” Jungkook complains, but he’s grinning when you meet his gaze over your shoulder. You offer him an apologetic shrug of your shoulders, and he just chuckles before turning towards the car.

Lance’s car is pulling up the dirt road when you turn on the side of the house. You wave at Chaeyeon and him, but they don’t notice you as Jiho only keeps pulling you behind her.

“Look at this!” she says giddily as you walk to the back of the house. “It’s so pretty.”

It really is. The house is nestled right next to a small lake, with a few trees separating the building and the water. There’s a hot tub on the right, and a small rock path that leads to a quay in the water. You notice a fireplace area, though it’s not a circle of rocks like you had imagined, but an actual metal fireplace with a door that’s currently swinging on its hinges in the wind. Logs are piled beside it, just waiting for someone to ignite a fire.

Jiho’s giddiness is contagious, and you find yourself giggling as she pulls you towards the lake. There’s a small shed down by the lake, and a look through the window shows you two kayaks. It makes you even giddier, and you clap your hands before turning towards the quay.

The quay moves as you step on it. Fortunately, the water is not very deep and the lake is relatively calm even with the wind. You’re able to make it to the end of it without it shaking too much, and Jiho closes her eyes as she tilts her head back. “We should come here every weekend.”

You laugh. “As fun as that sounds like, we can’t skip practice every weekend.”

“We can practice here,” she points out, shrugging.

She’s not wrong, so you just smile and nod before imitating her, taking in the sun. But you feel a little bad for those inside that are setting up the house, so it’s not even a minute later when you say, “We should go help the others”.

Jiho whines, and she opens one eye to look at you. You cock an eyebrow and she rolls her eyes. “Fine.”

You walk back up the little slope until you reach the cottage. When you make it to the front, you see that a third car has arrived: Jin, Valeria, Taehyung, Jo and Bridget are all stretching outside of it. Jo notices you and waves happily.

You think it’s funny that she is here. It’s weird to think that even though she isn’t part of the dance crew, she’s still made her way into the friend group. Like Jin, Valeria and Taehyung, you reckon. Though you barely know Jin and Valeria. But you needed more people to rent this cottage, and considering it was the only one available, you didn’t really have a choice.

You move to their group to greet them, and then you help them unpack the car. You also help Lance, who was the one in charge with food and speakers for music. It takes a moment, but soon enough everything is settled. You’re all already hungry though, so you prepare the first meal of the weekend.

Well, you watch Jungkook, Jin, Valeria and Heather prepare it. You’re on washing dishes duty though, but you’ll only do that after you eat.

It’s fun. Cheerful. A little bubble outside of the seriousness of practice and nationals and auditions that you really can’t remember, can you? The light atmosphere is much needed, and you drink as you eat, and drink some more after washing the dishes. Then you all set out to explore outside, and Lance and Jin have a fire running by the time Jungkook figures out how to get the hot tub working. It’s still hot outside though, so you decide to wait before going into the tub, but Bridget, Heather, Chaeyeon and Jo all move to it. You stay with Jiho and the others by the fire, listening to the cracking of the logs as you talk and talk and talk.

There’s laughter. A lot of it. Laughter that turns more drunk as the evening unfolds, and the sun has set by the time you get up from your spot to go pee inside. The girls have come out of the tub, and they’re taking turns in the shower upstairs, so you head to the downstairs bathroom. You’re on the way out when Jo stops you.

She says your name, offering you a bright smile. “Are you in for some shots before we head outside? I’m taking some with the others.”

Sure enough, Chaeyeon, Bridget and Heather all look at you expectantly, and you don’t hesitate even a second before agreeing. You go outside with Jo and Chaeyeon after, as you all laugh when Bridget and Heather say they’ll take a shower together. You figure it’s better to let them have the house for a time, and you all join the rest of the group by the fire.

They’ve started playing some music and singing over it, and you laugh as Hobi belts a tune as if his life depends on it. Jungkook joins him and your eyes widen a little as you hear his voice.

Jungkook can sing. His voice is melodious, clear and full and round. It’s beautiful, the voice of an angel. You feel struck as you watch him, and he bursts out laughing when Hobi messes up the lyrics next to him.

You’ve stopped walking. And Jungkook meets your gaze, offering you a small smile before returning to the action around him. It strikes you, in a weird kind of way. It makes a weird feeling form in your chest, that same feeling you felt last week when you saved his number in your phone.

It’s not a feeling you like. So you push it aside as you join Jiho in her chair, sitting on her lap and stealing the bottle of soju she’s been drinking from. You need more alcohol in your blood, and soon.

It’s night by the time the group moves again. Some of them decide to go to the lake, but you stay by the fire as Valeria and Jin bring marshmallows out. Heather and Bridget never came out after their shower, and you don’t quite feel like going inside to find them.

Instead, you start roasting marshmallows, and soon enough you’re the elected marshmallow roaster, because you’re the only one who’s managed to not make them catch fire. You make some for everyone, before roasting one for yourself.

Since Jungkook has been the one feeding the fire for the last hour, it also makes it so you’re sitting next to him. The conversation is lively around you, but you’ve noticed he’s silent. He’s just staring at the fire, and it casts a dancing glow on his features.

He notices you looking at him, and his features soften as he turns to look at you. And then he bursts out laughing, and you do too as you notice your marshmallow has caught fire.

“Oops,” you mumble.

“I know I’m pretty but you should focus on the job at hand,” he teases you.

You punch him in the shoulder, before blowing on the fire until it dies. “Still edible if you ask me,” you say as you eye the burned thing on the branch you’ve been using since you started roasting marshmallows.

“Oh, clearly,” he agrees. “If you want to get cancer, that is.”

You glare at him, and he only laughs. “What’s life without a little risk?”

“Boring,” he answers wisely, face falling serious, though he only manages to keep the serious look for a few seconds before he’s breaking into yet another fit of laughter. One you echo before taking a bite of the marshmallow. You hum in delight, and Jungkook says, “What the fuck was that?”

You have the decency to blush. “What?”

“You’re not really the kind of person that moans when they eat good food?”

“I wasn’t moaning,” you let out outrageously.

It gains everybody’s attention around the fire, and Jungkook laughs at you. You shove him in the shoulder again, but he annoyingly barely moves in his chair.

“Who’s moaning?” Lance asks.

Both you and Jungkook look startled for a time, and you glare at him. “No one, Jeon’s just being a little shit.”

“What’s new?” Jiho jokes, and everyone laughs.

The trio that went to the lake comes back – Taehyung, Jo and Hobi. Jo scans the people around the fire, brows knitting together.

“Where are Bridget and Heather?”

The whole group laughs. “They never came out,” Chaeyeon admits. “I’d advise to not go looking for them.”

Jo snorts. “Oof yeah, that’s a no for me.”

It’s not even that funny, yet everyone laughs as the trio settles around the fireplace. Hobi and Jiho share a chair, and you realize there’s no chair for Jo and Taehyung. You’re about to offer yours when they just sit directly in the grass, giggling like the two idiots in love that they are. They lie down after a few seconds, and Jo points up at the sky.

It makes you look up, and you suddenly feel very small, under the immensity of the night sky. It sobers you up, just a little, and you sit back in the chair to get a good look. You admire the stars and constellations, searching for those you know. It leads to everyone doing so, and it also creates a calmer atmosphere, until half the group is dozing off in their chair.

Someone changed the music to softer tunes, and you really listen to the night sounds now, as the melody entwines with the cracking of the logs. Soon enough, Jin and Valeria decide to go to bed. Jungkook immediately teases the older guy, saying that only elderly people go to bed so early. Jin just throws a marshmallow at Jungkook, who receives it right on the forehead. He looks stunned, and he raises his middle finger at Jin as he just laughs where he’s leading Valeria inside. Chaeyeon and Lance are the next to go, and your gaze trails them until they stop to kiss. You give them privacy then, focusing on the fire instead.

It leaves only you, Jungkook, Jo, Taehyung, Jiho and Hobi by the fire, and you sigh in content as Jungkook throws another log into the fire.

“Last one, I assume?” he lets out.

The group mumbles in agreement.

“We’ll party harder tomorrow,” Jiho promises before yawning.

It makes everyone yawn, and you laugh tired laughs as you watch the flames licking up the log.

“We should set up a beer pong table,” you suggest.

Taehyung seems to spark to life at the idea. “I’m so in for some beer pong.”

“What about a tournament?” Jungkook proposes. “Losers have to jump in the lake.”

Jiho winces. “I hope Hobi’s good because there’s no way in hell I’m jumping in the lake.”

“I got you, babe.”

You notice them exchanging a long look. It’s filled with love, grossly so, and you roll your eyes before settling your gaze on the stars above once more. You let out a happy yelp when a shooting star crosses the sky.

“Oh my God!”

Jo is just as happy as you are. “Oh shit!” she echoes. “We have to make a wish.”

You laugh, nodding your head repeatedly. The four others just look at you curiously, before Jo explains that there was a shooting star.

Everyone’s eyes are back on the night sky in no time, and you reckon you might fall asleep like this.

Stargazing, and wishing that you’ll find your own person soon enough.

Saturday, July 7th

                “I’ll kill you.”

Jungkook smiles, and the breeze of the afternoon catches in his hair, making a strand fall in his eyes. He pushes his hair back. “I’d like to see you try.”

Something changed. He knows something changed between the two of you. It’s exciting, in a childish kind of way. He feels young next to you, and he’s been following you around all day, claiming that he wants to avoid the couples. Which is not entirely a lie, but he mostly wants to be around you.

It’s a new feeling. Or almost entirely new, because he felt like that around you once before. The night after he told you about his accident. He’s pushed that away since then, but it seems being here, at this cottage in the middle of nature, brings it out.

He’s been failing at pushing it away since last night, and he reckons he doesn’t even want to try anymore.

You put your hands on your hips, tilting your head to the side. Your hair sways in the wind, and he wants to brush it behind your shoulder. He resists, because he’s pretty sure you’ll bite his head off if he does.

“You’re the one that suggested kayaking.”

He did. But throwing you in the water seems like twice the fun, so he’s been teasing you about it as you stand next to the shed.

“Maybe it was just a trap?” he says, winking at you. He takes a step towards you, and you immediately take a step back.           

Jo and Taehyung are sitting on the quay, watching the water and talking in hushed tones. Jungkook feels Jo’s gaze on him, and he resists glancing at her.

He knows what she thinks. She’s made it pretty clear in the last week. Maybe it’s contributed to the softness in him whenever he watches you.

Maybe.

“You’re annoying.”

“But yet you came with me?”

You squint your eyes, shaking your head. “Not with you. I came to kayak.”

“Right.”

“I swear.”

He bursts out laughing, and it’s his turn to shake his head. “Of course, of course.”

“Why are you…” you start before letting out a strangled sound. “I’m going back to the house.”

“No!” he immediately says, a little louder than necessary. This time, both Taehyung and Jo look at you two. “I’m just teasing, let me bring the kayak out.”

He’s blushing. He feels it coming up slowly from deep within his chest, so he quickly turns towards the shed and goes in. A few spiders are hiding in their webs, and he swats one away from the first kayak. He almost hesitates to leave it in just to spook you, but he doesn’t really want to spook you right now. Not when his heart is beating just a little quicker.

He doesn’t know if he likes it. But he’ll roll with it for the rest of the weekend, because he doesn’t think he’ll have the opportunity to do so after that.

He brings out the two kayaks before going back for the paddles, and a moment later he’s helping you to sit in yours, holding your hand while you step in it before sitting. Jo and Taehyung are watching now, barely even talking, and Jungkook can’t wait until you’ve moved away from the quay.

He hates the way the couple has been watching you both. It feels like he’s under pressure, and he knows he doesn’t do well under pressure. Except when it came to dance, but that’s long gone now.

He gets into his own kayak as you’re already starting to move away.

“Bye losers,” you say towards Taehyung and Jo.

“Try not to drown,” Jo replies as she waves you off.

You laugh, a crystal clear laugh that makes Jungkook very aware of how Taehyung is looking at him. He catches his older friend’s gaze, furrowing his brow.

Taehyung glances down at Jungkook’s attire – a pair of pants. He looks like he wants to say something, and Jungkook knows what.

He’s not going to wear shorts. Not when it’d put his scar on display to the whole crew. He hasn’t gotten the courage to tell everyone yet, and he doesn’t want to be forced to explain anything. He just wants to focus on being in the present, because he hasn’t done that in a while.

So he glares at Taehyung, clenching his jaw. Taehyung sighs before looking away. Just like that the moment passes, and Jungkook settles in his kayak before quickly following you.

“Is it a race or something?” he asks as he moves closer.

You look at him over your shoulder, a bright smile on your lips that turns mischievous as soon as your gaze finds his. “It is and you’re losing.”

Now, bringing out his competitive side is a bad idea, but that’s who you are, isn’t it?

Jungkook pushes the paddle in the water harder, accelerating his rhythm. It makes you screech, and you quickly do the same. Your lean arms are nothing against his though, and he’s caught up to you in no time. Unable to resist, he splashes water on you.

“Jungkook!” you scream. “I’m trying not to wet my hair!”

“Oh are you?” He does it again, this time purposefully aiming for your head. You dodge but to no avail.

“I’ll murder you,” you threaten, and you send water flying his way.

He barely gets any on himself, and he cocks an eyebrow arrogantly. “Is that the best you can do?”

It pisses you off. He sees it in the way resolve fills your face, and he’s not surprised he’s thoroughly drenched by the time you finally stop. He’s just accepted defeat and let you splash him as he laughs. You laugh too, and he reckons it’s his favourite thing about you.

The way you laugh when you’re being a brat. It’s endearing.

He’s endeared by you. That’s what the feeling is. He’s been trying to put words on it since last night. Last night it was struck. He was struck as you spoke to him with that soft edge to you. And then it turned to endearment.

He reckons he missed you, while he was hiding from all of the crew because of his accident. He really did. Something about you was missing from his life.

He pushes the thoughts away as you stop splashing him.

“Oops,” you say when he meets your gaze.

His hair is wet, and he puts the paddle down to push it back. He doesn’t miss the way your eyes follow his motion, and the furrow of your brows before you frustratingly look away.

“I’m debating making you fall in the water,” he teases, pursing his lips before playing with his piercing.

Your gaze widens. “You wouldn’t dare.”

He moves his paddle in the water to get closer to you, and you quickly move away.

“I would definitely dare,” he tells you. “I’m all wet because of you.”

His brows knit together as he realizes what he just said sounded suspicious. Of course you burst out laughing, before saying, “That’s what she said”.

He rolls his head to the back of his head. “Lame.”

“You’re lame,” you counter-back.

It’s like that for the rest of the time you spend on the water. Even though he threatened to throw you in the water many times today, Jungkook doesn’t really want to do it. He likes the peace between the two of you: he’s not going to do something to fuck it up.        

You eventually get bored of kayaking, and you switch places with Chaeyeon and Bridget when the two of you return to the quay. Jo and Taehyung have gone back to the house, but Lance, Heather, Jin and Valeria are there, and you sit with them for a while, just talking.

Mindlessly, Jungkook pulls his shirt up to dry his face from the last of the water you splashed on him before getting out of the water.

He realizes his mistake only when the shirt falls back in place, and Lance is watching him with round eyes.

“What’s that scar?”

Jungkook stills. Unmoving, barely even able to breathe. The air is suddenly less warm, and he can almost see the snow again. His heart constricts in his chest, and he just stares back at Lance as if he’s a doe caught in headlights.

“You don’t just ask people why they have scars, Lance,” you grumble.

It surprises Jungkook that you said something. But then again you’re not the type to back down from a fight.

Lance seems startled by the tone of your voice. He frowns as his gaze slides to you. “It was just a question?”

“It could make people uncomfortable?”

Jin is looking at Jungkook. He’s got a careful expression on his features, and he looks between you and Jungkook a couple of times. As if this moment matters, and truthfully it does matter to Jungkook, because you’re bickering with Lance and it entirely shifted the attention away from him.

Jungkook manages to shrug his shoulders at Jin, who offers him a no-bullshit look. Valeria punches him in the arm, and Jin lets out a startled sound that has everyone looking at him.

The moment passes, and it’s dinner time when Lance moves closer to Jungkook, clearly having waited until you aren’t around to actually approach him. Jungkook steels himself for the questioning, but Lance only says, “Whatever happened, I’m glad you’re okay, bro”.

It renders Jungkook speechless, and all he can do is nod his head at Lance. Lance claps him on the shoulder, and he immediately walks away, as if his job here is done.

And maybe it is, and all he wanted to do was prove that he’s Jungkook’s friend. It makes Jungkook appreciate him ten times more, and then he takes a moment to really look at everyone. The girls are all laughing about a story Jin is telling, and Taehyung is just shaking his head in disbelief where he’s grilling the meat for dinner. Lance moves towards Taehyung to offer help, and Jungkook just stays alone for a moment, enjoying the scene.

The sun is setting, the air is warm and the light breeze from today has fallen. But the air is not still, and it smells of the rich soil of the forest, and of the meat Taehyung is grilling. The sky is still void of any clouds, and it’s turned to a rich golden glow from the setting sun.

Jungkook is stricken, once again, by the fact that he is alive. He’s alive and breathing and even though his leg hurts, he’s standing. He’s standing and walking and yes he can’t dance anymore, but there’s so much more to life than dance, isn’t there?

His eyes slide to you as he thinks the thought. You’re looking at Jin with a little smirk, the one he knows you use when you’re judging someone. But you feel his eyes on you and your gaze meets his. The smirk falls into a small, secretive smile, and Jungkook breathes in sharply.

His heart is beating a little louder, and this time he does push it away. He does try not to think of it, but it’s hard when you look at him like that. With that soft edge he saw yesterday. It fills him with wonder, the same wonder he got from watching the night sky the day before.

You’re like a star in a bleary night. It’s hard to look away from you, and he only does so when Taehyung says the meat is ready. It’s like someone cut the string between you and him, and he almost stumbles forward as he glances to Taehyung.

He gulps, taking a deep, steadying breath before he moves to help Taehyung bring the food to the table. Lance helps too, and the three of them together make quick work of filling everyone’s plate, and Jungkook soon settles down in a chair next to you, right in front of Jo.

Dinner is fun. Cheery, with lots of laughter. Everyone is already a little tipsy from the day-drinking you’ve all done, and Jungkook feels like there’s more than alcohol in his blood this evening. There are feelings, joy and happiness to be here in this moment.

He should live in the moment more often.

“Hey JK,” Jo says, and he raises his eyes from his plate.

His fork is halfway to his mouth when he lets out, “Uh?”

“How is it going with Laura?”

Everything inside of him stills, like it did earlier today with Lance but for a completely different reason this time. He freezes, and he doesn’t miss the way your head immediately snaps towards him at Jo’s question.

Jo has an insufferable smile on her lips, and Jungkook just can’t move.

Laura. She’s a girl from his class that started texting him a few weeks ago. He’s seen her once, just because she said she had questions about her camera and it would be easier if Jungkook answered in person. Laura is a sweet girl. Pretty too, but Jungkook doesn’t know if their talking will lead anywhere. He doesn’t feel like he’s ready to jump headfirst into a relationship.      

Especially not as he feels your expectant gaze on his profile.

“Laura?” he repeats.

“Didn’t you go on a date with her?” Jo asks.

Jungkook frowns, shaking his head. “It wasn’t a date,” he points out. “She needed help with her new camera.”

About that. Jungkook brought a camera with him this weekend. He’s been taking pictures once in a while, mostly of nature. Because he’s always been more of a landscape photographer. Maybe because landscapes tend to change less than people. They feel unbreakable, immovable, and it’s reassuring in some way.

“That sounds like the lamest start of a porno,” Lance jokes.

Everyone laughs. Everyone but you and Jungkook. Jungkook only shrugs, before saying, “I didn’t sleep with her”.

You scoff next to him. It aggravates him, something you haven’t made him feel in a while now. His brows knit together as he turns his head toward you.

“You want us to believe you didn’t sleep with her?” you let out.

It’s bitter. And you seem to realize it quite at the same time as he does, because you flush red, and you look away from him to glance down at your half-empty plate on the table.

Jungkook’s features relax, and a smile even tugs at the corners of his lips. He knows what Jo is doing. Especially as he sees the knowing smirk on her lips.

She dared him to find a way to make you jealous earlier this week, when he invited her and Taehyung to the cottage. As if making you jealous is a good idea.

He now sees what she meant. Because you’re playing with your food, a look of confusion creased into your features. It’s cute, and it makes the same feeling arise in him.

Everyone starts talking again, but Jungkook feels the weight of Taehyung and Jin’s gazes on him. He avoids them like the plague, focusing on trying to keep his smile in. He doesn’t want to infuriate you by making a comment.

Especially not when you’ve been forced to team up for the beer pong tournament. Which, turns out you’re a lot better than he thought you would be. Than you said you were, because you make it to the final round, getting beaten by Bridget and Heather out of all people. The two girls celebrate to the sounds of everyone whooping and cheering, and Jungkook can’t keep his smile in.

Tonight promises to be quite the party. And it is. With lots of drinking, and Chaeyeon and Lance having to jump into the lake because they were last in the tournament. It’s funny, but it leads to them deciding to go to bed early, saying something about being cold from the lake.

Jungkook knows exactly what they have in mind when he sees them staring at each other the way that they are. Like they’re alone in the universe, and maybe to them they really are.

He’s surprised when the rest of the group starts to follow Chaeyeon and Lance. The night is younger than it was yesterday when it came to an end, but there’s something in the air. It brings the couples closer together, makes them exchange secretive glances and stolen touches. Jungkook finds Taehyung and Jo making out outside of the bathroom when he goes in to pee, and they never come out after that. Jin and Valeria move in not even five minutes later, right before Hobi and Jiho, and it leaves Bridget, Heather and you alone with him outside.

He’s not surprised when the two girls decide to go to sleep too, even though Jungkook has just started the hot tub at Bridget’s request. It leaves him alone with you and the red solo cup in his hand. It’s filled to the brim and, quite frankly, Jungkook doesn’t feel tired at all. He feels alive, awake and ready to conquer the world if need be.

You look exactly like that too.

“Wow,” you let out once everyone is gone.

Jungkook feels awkward for half a heartbeat. But then his eyes slide to the house, and he notices Jo in the window. She quickly dips out of his line of sight, which makes him understand exactly what happened.

You’ve been left alone outside on purpose, and Jo’s the one that schemed the whole thing.

“They’re boring,” Jungkook says, though he feels like laughing. He hopes you don’t notice.

“They didn’t even go into the hot tub,” you point out. “What a waste of energy.”

He glances at the tub, and an idea forms in the back of his mind. He doubts you’re going to say yes.

*****

                You don’t know why you said yes. Going into a hot tub alone with Jungkook sounds like a very bad idea, and the more you think about it the worse it seems to you. Yet you make your way outside after having put on your black two-piece swimsuit, wrapped in a white towel you fished from the bathroom.

The house was eerily quiet when you and Jungkook went in to change. It is still just as quiet as you get out of the bathroom, and aim for the kitchen to make yourself a glass before you go outside. You notice Jungkook is already out there, testing the temperature of the water. He’s wearing trunks, and he got rid of his t-shirt, discarding it on a chair next to the slowly dying fire. He turns towards the window as you’re pouring a glass, probably to see if you’re coming. It’s not your fault when your eyes dip down to his leg.

Even in the darkness you see the angry knot of skin that runs from below his knee and disappears in his swim trunks. It’s ugly, and your heart stops beating for a few seconds as you see it. Jungkook was right when he told you about his accident the first time – the scar on his leg is far scarier than the one on his stomach.

You wave back at him as he waves, a dumb smile on his lips. You focus on that smile, because you don’t want to be thinking of the scar. Don’t want to be thinking about the pain Jungkook must have endured. The pain he is still enduring to this day.

You’re hesitant when you step outside, though you make sure to bring a glass for him too. He’s still smiling when you arrive, and it only widens when you hand him the red solo cup.

“Thought you might want a refill.”

He tilts his head to the side, winking at you as he grabs the glass. “Always.”

You move towards the tub, ignoring the way you feel his gaze on you. It makes you self-conscious, and you don’t want to peel the towel from around yourself. You reckon you can’t get in the water with it though, so you carefully put your glass down on the side of the tub before taking the towel off, leaving it on the same chair where Jungkook’s shirt is.

“It might be a little hot,” Jungkook warns as you move back to the tub. “I adjusted the temperature a little while I was waiting for you.”

You dip your fingers in the water, shrugging your shoulders. “Seems good enough to me.”

He laughs, and his eyes follow you as you climb into the tub. The water is hot, extremely so, but you’re drunk and the jet of the tub looks far too inviting for you to wait.

“Alright then, guess I’ll get in too.”

You watch as he does so, and your eyes once again fall to his scar. It stretches weirdly as he bends his leg, as if it doesn’t really allow him full movements anymore. It explains why his dancing has turned mechanical now, and why he can’t move the way that he did before.           

He’s noticed your gaze on the scar while getting in. You know it, because his features have fallen serious by the time he sits in front of you.

“I know, it’s ugly,” he says, and his eyes get lost in the bubbles in the water.

You remain silent for a time, waiting for his gaze to meet yours. When it does, you finally say, “Nothing about you is ugly”.

It’s smooth, the way you say it. It makes his eyes widen and a laugh bursts from his lips. You don’t even know why you flirted with him – you just had an inkling it’d make him fall back into his usual cocky self.

And of course it does.

“You think I’m hot?”

You roll your eyes, before grabbing your red solo cup from where you left it. Jungkook grabs his own, and it takes a few seconds before you’re settled back into your seat. You take a small sip from the glass, letting the rum and coke swirl in your mouth for a second before you swallow.

“I’m not going to answer that question.”

He smirks. “Then I’ve got my answer.”

You squint your eyes, fake glaring at him, and it only makes him laugh.

“You’re insufferable.”

He shrugs his shoulders, and he takes a sip from his glass. He winces then, before raising his eyebrows. “How strong did you make this?”

“Strong enough to have you shut up?”

“Oh please.” He laughs once more. “You know that won’t make me shut up. As a matter of fact, it’s probably just going to make me talk more.”

You chuckle, shaking your head a little. “My mistake.”

Jungkook really is hot, sitting there. His hair is fluffy around his face – it really is a lot longer than it was before. It curls a little at the ends, making a crown around his head. He’s buff too, and it makes you wonder how he manages to work out at the gym even with his injury. And it’s hard not to let your gaze wander to the tattoos on his shoulders, the ink that goes from his hand up to the top of his arm.

He’s attractive, damn him. You hate it, so you say, “So, Laura uh?”

He holds your gaze, his tongue darting out to play with his piercing for a time. “What about her?”

You cock an eyebrow. “You tell me.”

He’s smirking now, and his eyes dip to where your chest disappears in the water before moving up to your features again. “Why do you want to know?”

You feel hot. Not because of the water, though you reckon it really is hot. No, his gaze is burning you, in a way that makes you feel naked. You don’t know if you like it. But two can play this game Jungkook seems to have chosen.

You shrug your shoulders, wetting your lips before smiling. “Just making conversation, Jeon.”

His gaze has moved to your lips. It stays there as he says, “Seems to me like you got a little jealous earlier”.

You refuse to admit that it was jealousy, when Jo mentioned Laura at dinner time. To you, it was just surprise, and you’ve been repeating it to yourself ever since it happened.

“Why would I be jealous?” you ask, brows knitting together as a smile plays on your lips. “You’re nothing to me.”

“Right.” He chuckles, and he drinks from his cup, his gaze burning into yours. “I’m nothing and yet you’re in this hot tub alone with me.”

He’s arrogantly cocky, isn't he? It used to piss you off, but tonight it just makes your blood boil.

“Wasn’t going to waste the opportunity for a hot tub session,” you say, shrugging your shoulders. “Unfortunate that it had to come with you though.”

He fakes offence. “You offend me.”

You snort, and his features relax into a small smile. There’s a moment of silence, where you find yourself too much of a coward to keep holding his gaze. It’s your turn to let your gaze wander down to the spot where his chest disappears in the water, and you drink from your cup.

“Do you want to play Truth or Dare?” he suggests after almost a minute without any of you speaking.

You chuckle. “Are we twelve?”

He shrugs. “Just thought it could be fun.” He pouts a little, and it really does make him look like he’s twelve. “Unless you’re too much of a coward for it.”

“Me, a coward?” you scoff, rolling your eyes playfully. “Truth or Dare, Jeon?”

The cocky smirk reappears. “Truth.”

You don’t know what to ask. At all. Your mind goes empty, until he lets out a laugh that gives you an idea. “What’s the deal with Laura?”

“You really want to know, uh?”

You shrug. “You chose truth, now answer the question.”

He laughs a little, and then plays with his piercing for a few seconds. You watch him do so, eyes falling to his lips.

“We hung out once”, he says.

It’s the same answer as earlier, but you feel like a brat right now. So, you press him by saying, “And that’s it? You’re not going to see her again?”

He ponders for a time, making you wait before he replies, “We’re supposed to go on a date sometime next week”.

You feel like maybe you shouldn’t have asked the question. Because his reply makes you clench your jaw, and you take a sip from your cup to hide it. “Jeon Jungkook on a date? Are you having a fever?”

“She’s nice, just thought I’d give it a try,” he says, shrugging his shoulders. He’s still smirking, and this time it’s knowing.

He knows that the thought of him going on a date with Laura is pissing you off. And you don’t even know why it makes you feel like that. You’re not sure you should be feeling like that when it comes to Jeon Jungkook. He’s barely even a friend.

“Hope it goes well for you,” you say, though it sounds tense.

He shrugs, winking at you. “I’ll let you know.” He pauses for a moment, before asking, “Truth or Dare?”

So the conversation about Laura is over then. And he’s a fool if he thinks you’ll say truth.

“Dare.”

He looks far too happy about your choice. “Chug your glass.”

You frown. “But then I won’t have anything to drink if I don’t want to do some of your dares.”

“Oh, we’re playing adult Truth or Dare? Had I known I wouldn’t have answered your question.” You glare at him, and he laughs, shrugging his shoulders. “Just drink, you can always drink from my glass later.”

Your glare intensifies, if that’s possible, but you still give in. You’re not one to back away from a challenge, and you chug your glass in a few long swigs. Your nose scrunches up as you finish, and you put the cup down.

“Happy?” you let out, and he nods with that same insufferable smirk on his lips. You want to wipe it away, but you don’t really know how. Instead, you only ask him, “Truth or Dare?”

“Dare.”

You hate dares. You never know what to suggest. You don’t feel like making him chug his glass, so you cock your head to the side as you survey him, mind reeling for an idea.

“Go get me another glass.”

He’s surprised. So are you, but you think it’s a brilliant idea.

“It’s so far,” he complains, with that same childish pout he used a moment ago. “Can I change for Truth?”

“You’re annoying”, you say, though you don’t really mind.

Something in the way he’s been looking at you makes you want him to stay anyway.

“You’re the one that wants me to go all the way inside.”

You chuckle, before shaking your head. “Alright then, let me find you a truth.” It takes you about half a minute before you come up with an idea. “How many girls have you slept with?”

He snorts. “Wow, straight to the body count I see.” He falls silent again, and his hand plays with the bubbles in the water in front of him.

“So?”

You think he’s blushing. It’s hard to tell in the dim light – indeed, the only light illuminating the scene is the one from next to the door, and the tub’s purple light.

“I’d say…” he trails off, scrunching his nose as he thinks. “Like twenty-five?”

It’s a lot, but not as much as you expected. Jungkook has a fuckboy vibe to him, and you were pretty sure he had at least fifty.

“Only?”

He furrows his brows. “Only?”

“I thought you had more,” you admit, chuckling as you shrug your shoulders.

He sips from his cup. “Sorry to disappoint.” His eyes glint with mischief, and he adds, “Truth or Dare?”

You hesitate, maybe because something in the way his eyes sparkle makes you think he’s got something in mind. You feel it – anticipation is building in you, and some parts of you can already see the outcome before it unfolds. Like a web of possibilities, and the longer he looks at you like that, the more it closes in to the anticipated one.

“Truth.”

He’s silent for a time. His face falls more serious, darker, and he’s so hot sitting there you really have to look away. “If everyone was single here, who would you fuck?”

You refuse to admit his question makes a drop of pure magma roll down your spine, before it moves forward and settles in your core.

“Jiho.” It’s a lie. You both know it, but he lets it slide – for now. “Truth or Dare?”

“Truth.”

You hit him with the same question he’s just asked you. His reply is far more cryptic.

“You already know the answer.”

You breathe in shakily, and something tightens inside of you. “Do I?”

His mouth is a little parted, and his tongue darts out to wet his lips before he takes a sip from the cup. He seems to reconsider it, because he chugs the whole thing before putting it down on the side of the tub.

“Do you?”

It confirms the answer. And you don’t know what to make of it. It scares you, somehow, but makes the fire in your burn brighter.

“Truth or dare?” he asks then, and a smirk tugs at the corners of his lips.

“Dare.”

You don’t even hesitate. You’re afraid he’s going to ask you stuff you don’t know the answer to if you choose truth.

“Why don’t you come sit closer, mmh?”

Still no hesitation from you. You’re like the moth and he the flame – you know it’s a bad idea, but you haven’t looked away from his eyes in too long. You’re in a trance, and you think so is he.

You settle next to him. Far enough not to touch, but close enough for every inch between you to fill with electricity. Not that it wasn’t already before – you are just way more conscious of it now.

“Truth or dare?” you ask, and it’s a little breathless, the way you speak.

“Dare,” he says. His eyes are on your lips now, and all you can do for a time is to observe his features. He’s got a mole under his mouth, and a scar on one of his cheeks. It looks old, and it’s so faded you can barely see it.

You have no dare in mind. You feel like you don’t even have any thoughts. You’re stuck looking at his lips, where your gaze settles as you watch his features. “Uh?” you let out.

He chuckles. It’s deep, manly, and it makes you look up to his eyes. “No idea what to ask?”

“You already chugged your glass.”

“There’s nothing else you want me to do?”

There’s a whole lot you want him to do, but a whole lot you don’t want him to do. It’s confusing, and your heart is beating too loud for you to think straight.

“Is there something you want to do?” you ask.

He’s bold. His hand moves up, his fingers lightly touching the side of your neck. “I could kiss your neck.” They trail down until they find a home on your shoulders. “Or I could massage your shoulders, you seem a little tense.”

You are. You are because there is a war of conflicting emotions in you, and you don’t know which side will win. “Massage my shoulders then.”

He laughs, before making you turn. It’s easier to breathe once he’s not in your line of sight anymore, though the moment his hands start working on your shoulders, you tense up again. “Relax,” he murmurs, adding your name at the end.

“You’re making me anxious,” you admit breathlessly.

He stays silent as he works on your shoulders, for so long you think he won’t talk. But then he says, “Why?”

“I don’t know.”

His hands are big, and his fingers are skilled. In a matter of a few minutes he’s undid every knot in your shoulders, and you find yourself able to breathe. You still don’t want to risk looking at him though.

“Truth or dare?” he asks.

Maybe you can be bold too. Maybe you can just focus on every spot where his fingers are digging in your skin. Maybe it doesn’t have to mean anything.

“Dare.”

“Give me a hickey.”

You snort, mostly because it takes you by surprise. “What?”

His hands fall from your shoulders. “You heard me well.”              

“Aren’t hickeys bad for you?” you say, though you’ve never really cared about that. You care about it even less when you hear him move in the water.

“I think everything about you is bad for my sanity right now.” He whispers the words directly into your ear, and goosebumps form on your arms.

“Please don’t think this is going to lead anywhere,” you whisper back, right as you tilt your head to the side. You feel the ghost of his lips on your skin, but he straightens before he’s really done anything.

“Then why are you afraid of giving me a hickey?”

It is a challenge, and you don’t back down from challenges. So you turn around, say fuck it, and lean towards his neck until your mouth finds the spot where it connects with his shoulder. You suck, hard, and he hisses as one of his hands moves to your back, as if he wants to pull you closer.

You run your tongue on the spot you’ve sucked, before straightening. He’s got a deep purple mark there now, and you smirk in satisfaction. “Happy now?”

His chest is moving up and down quickly as he breathes. He’s out of breath, and the insufferable smirk is gone now. He seems a little angry, with a crease between his brows. “Yeah.”

You’re about to succumb to insanity. It’s taking a hold of you, choking you up until you say, “Truth or dare?”

“Truth,” he answers.

He seems just as conflicted as you. But the web of possibilities from earlier dwindled down until there’s only one left, and both of you know it.

“Do you want to fuck me?”

Your heart beats once, and then it stops in your chest. Because you meet him halfway, crashing your mouth on his so hard you think you taste blood. You don’t care: insane people do not care about anything. All you want is to feel his lips against yours, and damn him he’s a good kisser.

It’s intense, languid, and his hands don’t take their time before he’s pulling you on his lap. You straddle him, your own hands finding purchase on his shoulders, before moving up until you’ve cupped his face. And you hold him in place as you kiss, never once breaking away for air.

You don’t need oxygen when you’re kissing Jeon Jungkook. All you need are his lips, and he gives you plenty of that. And when his tongue finds yours, you moan in his mouth.

He swallows it like a man starved.

His hands are on your back. Respectfully so, even as he’s devouring your mouth. It frustrates you, because you want more. You want to feel all of him. It makes you grab a handful of his hair, and you pull his head back.

“Fuck,” he hisses.

“I’m not going to fuck you in a hot tub.”

It’s the only intelligent thing you could think of.

“We can –“

Your lips are back on his before he finishes his sentence, and you suck on his bottom lip, tongue darting out to play with his piercing. This time, he grunts in your mouth, and his hands lose their fight against his will not to touch you more. They move down until he’s cupped your ass, and he makes you grind on him.

You moan, and he breaks away from the kiss, just so he can bend down and leave a trail of hot, wet kisses on the column of your throat. You just let your hands loose in his hair and on his shoulders, nails digging in his skin when he decides to suck a hickey on you too.

You grind again then, and you feel the bulge of him press against you.

“We can’t fuck in the tub,” you say, and your voice is unrecognizable even to yourself. It’s lustful, sinfully so, and you’d be embarrassed if he didn’t meet your gaze with his half-lidded eyes.

“We can go in the shower.”

You’ve never been a fan of shower sex, so you say, “As much as that would probably be a good idea, I won’t fuck you in a shower either.”

He’s confused. You can tell by the way he tilts his head to the side. “Where do you want me to fuck you then? In the middle of the living room?”

It makes you chuckle, and an unexpected smile appears on his lips.

“I don’t think we should fuck.”

His grip on your ass tightens as his features turn dark, and he makes you grind on him again. Your eyes roll to the back of your head, embarrassingly so, as you let out a breathy moan. “Right,” he says.

“Fuck,” you curse.

He leans forward again, and this time his lips find a spot right over the top of your bikini. He sucks on your skin, and you moan as you grind again.

It’s uncomfortable. Not his lips on you, no, but the water of the tub mixed with the fabric of your swimwear. If you didn’t know how unsanitary it is, you would let him fuck you right then and there. But you don’t want to get an infection.

“Let’s go inside.” This time, one of his hands moves from your ass, trailing up your side until he’s grabbed one of your boobs. “Please.”

“Anything for you,” he mumbles against your breast, before straightening.

You kiss him again, just for good measure, and then you push away from him, reluctantly so. You feel his heavy gaze on you as you get out of the tub, and you’ve wrapped yourself in your towel by the time he’s followed you.

You forgot how tall he is. Because as he steps closer to you, towering above you, your mind goes blank again and you just let him crash his lips against yours. He’s holding your face, and his thumbs brush your skin gently before he pulls away. He stays close enough for you to feel his warm breath on you, but far enough so that you can’t reach his lips anymore.

“I need to take a shower,” you murmur.

He nods, and you feel it more than you see it. “Me too.”

“Yeah.”

He chuckles lightly, and he straightens to look up at the sky. His hands are still delicately holding your cheeks, and you watch his sharp jawline for a few seconds before he speaks.

“The stars are beautiful.”

You’re not looking at the night sky when you reply, “Yeah”.

He lets you go, then, but his hand falls until he’s grabbed one of yours. His large hand wraps around yours, and you let him do it, heart settling to a calmer beat in your chest.

“Do you want to dance?” he asks.

You stiffen. It feels strange to have him ask that. You almost forgot that he is a dancer too, in his soul, even though his physical body doesn’t permit him to let loose anymore.

“You want to dance?”

He has a soft smile on his lips when he meets your gaze. It’s miles away from the intensity it held just a moment ago, and you can’t help but offer him a smile of your own.

“Yes.”

You don’t want to refuse. Not when it feels like this moment matters. As if you’re about to create a core memory, and maybe you are.

Maybe you are.

The night sky is filled with stars. Distant burning constellations, and they wink at the two of you as Jungkook leads you through a slow dance. His steps are sure tonight, albeit a little mechanical, and his hand on the small of your back feels like a weight anchoring you into the present.

Up above, the stars just shine on and on, endlessly, for eternity. And you feel like eternity. You feel small and big, unimportant yet cataclysmic. He is cataclysmic. He is the start and the end, like the story is weaved into the tapestry of the universe itself.

And maybe it is.

“Thank you,” he murmurs after you’ve moved in time with him for a little eternity – your little eternity.

His voice is heavy. It holds the weight of the universe, and you reach up to cup his cheek, to anchor him in this moment with you.

“I’m happy to be here with you.”

His eyes are shining. Like the stars above, and the ones you’re starting to see behind his pupils. He hasn’t looked away from you since you started dancing, and you from him. You don’t think you can.

“I forgot how it felt to dance,” he admits.

Though he has danced since the accident. You’ve seen him dance, but maybe his heart wasn’t into it. Maybe his heart is in the moment now, maybe it’s beating in sync with all of your steps.

“How does it feel?” you ask, smiling up at him.

“Liberating. Like I’m just one of the stars in the sky up above.”

You don’t know what that feels like. It makes you realize you’ve never truly felt free. Jeon Jungkook looks at peace now, and you can just hope you’ll get to feel like that one day too.

A cool breeze rises around you, and you shiver as it moves on your skin. Jungkook notices, and he dips his head to kiss you again. Softly, gently, and when he pulls away he says, “Let’s go inside, you’re cold”.

You nod your head, even though you never want the moment to end. But nothing lasts in life – not even the stars above. One day they’ll die too, until all that’s left of them is an empty husk of life.

To you, that’s what love has always been like. It hits and leaves nothing of it behind. Maybe that’s why you step away from Jungkook.

“Yes.”

*****

                The shower you take is short. Scalding hot, until your skin has turned bright red. Only then are you satisfied, and you step out to dry yourself with a towel. You’re gentle with the towel, and you can still feel Jungkook’s hands on you. Can still feel the weight of his eyes on you.

If you could, you’d leave the cottage now. You’d run while you still can, but you can’t.

You can’t, so you step out of the bathroom and make your way to the living room where you both slept the night before. Where he snored softly until the noises he made were entwined with your dreams.

He’s already sitting on his couch when you arrive. His hair is wet from the shower he took in the downstairs bathroom, right next to the room where Chaeyeon and Lance are sleeping. He’s wearing black joggers and an oversized dark grey t-shirt, and he looks inherently comfortable. As if he’s comfort personified. He pushes his hair back as you come into view, offering you another one of his soft smiles.

You didn’t know Jungkook has softness in him. You feel it now: it’s in the way he looks at you, in the curve of his lips and the openness of his gaze.

“I have an idea,” he says, a little cryptically, and his smile turns mischievous. Childish, playful, and you chuckle.

“What is it?”

“I noticed your couch is tiny,” he says, motioning to said couch. “I thought…” He flushes red, before chuckling.

A blushing Jungkook is not a thing you imagined you would ever see someday.

“You thought?” you press on.

“I thought we could put all the cushions on the ground to make like a bed?”

It feels like you shouldn’t. Like you’re not supposed to be sleeping in the same bed as Jeon Jungkook. Especially not after what just happened outside – both the tub and the dance.

“Sure,” you agree nonetheless. “As long as you don’t steal all the blankets.”

He grins. “I would never.”

It’s cute, and it makes you gaze away.

Jungkook makes quick work of creating a bed for the two of you. You help him to move a coffee table away, and soon enough all the couch cushions form a mattress on the ground. You place the pillows you used last night on one end of it, and you’re sitting down just to test the makeshift bed when Jungkook throws the blankets on top of you.

“Jungkook!” you yelp, though you try to keep it to a minimum level so you won’t wake anyone.

He just laughs, and a few seconds later the room falls into darkness. While you’re disentangling yourself from the blankets, you hear a thump, and Jungkook lets out a series of curses that makes you burst out laughing, probably way too loud.

You don’t care.

“Fuck,” he finishes, and you can barely distinguish his silhouette when you’re free of the blankets.

“What happened?”

“I stubbed my toe,” he hisses through his teeth. “Fuck.”

You just laugh again, before moving until you’re on the side you chose for sleeping. “Just come here.”

“I was trying to,” he grumbles, and it sounds like he is pouting.

You’re starting to know him well enough that you know he is pouting.

Once you’re settled on your side of the bed, lying on your back staring up at the ceiling, Jungkook finally moves towards you. He lies on his side of the cushions, pulling a blanket over him. You both have your own blankets, so sleeping right next to each other doesn’t feel too indecent.

It takes your brain only three seconds before it produces an image of the hot tub, and you’re pretty sure the same thing just happened to Jungkook, because he chuckles lowly.

“What?” you ask.

“Nothing.”

You frown in the darkness. “Doesn’t sound like nothing.”

“Mmh.”

 You turn until you’re facing him. His silhouette is dark against the lighter background behind him, but you can barely make out his form next to you. You see it when he moves though, as he turns to face you too.

“What are you humming about?”

He chuckles. “Do you like cuddling?”

“You’re not going to get me to cuddle you,” you immediately reply, and you sound just as flustered as you feel.

“You grind on me in the hot tub and then you don’t even want to cuddle me? Outrageous.”

You scoff, and if you weren’t in the dark he’d see your cheeks turning scarlet. “We both know where cuddling would lead.”

His voice is husky when he speaks. “You think you can’t resist me?”

It makes the ‘never back down from a challenge’ part of you tickle until you find yourself replying, “I’ll be the big spoon”.

He snorts, but he turns until he’s facing away from you. You hesitate for a time, but you eventually move closer to him, until you’ve wrapped an arm around his stomach. You rest your forehead against his back, and you hope he can’t hear the loud beats of your heart.

His body is warm. Comfortably so, and you know you could drift to sleep easily just lying next to him like this.

Why then are you unable to fully close your eyes? Why then do you decide to move closer, until his ass is pressed against you? It makes you gulp, and some wild and foolish part of you wishes you could be under his skin.

You don’t think you could ever be close enough to him to satiate the hunger that’s forming in your core.

Jungkook moves his arm, and a second later he’s wrapping his hand around yours. You let him do it, and you’re surprised when he brings your hand up to press a light kiss on your knuckles.

You wish you were still drunk. Because then you could blame your next words on the alcohol.

“Actually, can you be the big spoon?”

He sounds like he’s smirking when he says, “Yeah, of course”.

A few seconds later the positions are reversed, and Jungkook molds his body to yours, wrapping his tattooed arm around your frame, putting his other one under your head. It fits too well, like it was meant to be, and maybe this moment really was always meant to be.

Maybe you were bound to hate him until you found yourself cuddled up to him in the dead of night at a cottage on the countryside.

“Your hair smells good,” Jungkook says, and he shifts impossibly closer. You feel his lips on your head as he inhales, and the arm around your waist tightens as he pulls you flush against him.

“Thank you,” you answer, breathlessly. Because you are breathless in his arms, you are breathless feeling all of his firm body against all of yours.

Breathless enough so that you shift, and your ass moves against him.

“Uh,” Jungkook lets out. He laughs a little, and his tattooed hand moves up until he’s brushing his thumb on the side of your jaw. “You shouldn’t do that.”

“Isn’t that exactly what you want me to do?”

He thinks for a time. “What I want you to do and what you want seem to be two completely different things.”

It’s a little somber, the way he says it, and you bite your lip. Because he’s right, sort of. You’re not sure you want to have sex with him. But what started in the hot tub is bound to finish someday, is it not?

“You’re confusing me,” you admit. “You’ve been confusing me all weekend.”

His hand leaves your jaw, and he moves your hair out of the way as he leans. His lips press a tentative kiss on your neck, and your ass immediately shifts against him again.

“So have you,” he declares. “You’ve been confusing me for weeks.”

His revelation only makes you want him even more. And you’ve rarely wanted someone the way your body has been craving for Jungkook. Because that’s what it is: your body has been craving for him since the hot tub. And you’re about to succumb to your desires, aren’t you?

“Jungkook…”

He sucks on your skin, but not hard enough to leave a hickey. It still makes heat pool at your core, and you push your ass back against his dick once more.

“Fuck,” he curses. “We should go to sleep.”

Though this time he grinds against you, and you can feel the start of his erection on your ass.

“Right,” you agree.

And you move against him, earning a grunt from him. He murmurs your name, before saying, “I don’t have any condoms”.

All your nerves set on fire. “I don’t care.”

“We shouldn’t…” His sentence is cut short as you grind again, and he sinks his teeth in the soft skin of your neck. It hurts a little, and you know he’s going to leave another hickey on you as soon as he starts sucking.

Your hand shoots behind you, and you grab the back of his head, fingers getting lost in the strands of his hair. His own hand moves down until it settles on your hip, and he guides your movement against him.

He moves away from your neck, pressing a kiss on your shoulder this time. “We shouldn’t have sex,” he says, completing his previous sentence.

“I know.”

“We’re going to have sex,” he adds.

“I know.”

You circle your hips, and his erection is turning hard by the second. You’re soaking your panties, and you just want more of him. You want to get rid of all the fabric between you two and feel his skin directly against yours.

“Oh, Y/n…” he breathes, and then he’s back to kissing your neck.

No sucking this time, just his tongue drawing circles on your skin as you continue moving your ass against his dick.

“You’re already hard.”

“The hot tub got me real horny.”

It had the same effect on you, and you shiver as he bites at your ear. Gently, not to hurt, especially not as he presses a kiss under your ear next.

“Fuck,” you say.

His breathing is warm against the side of your face, and you decide to dive in. To say fuck it with what you should do and what you want to do. You only have one life to live anyway.

The moment your lips touch feels like a dam broke inside of you. Your tongue meets him halfway between your mouths, and he swallows the moan you let out as his fingers move under your shirt. You’re not wearing a bra, and the moan turns to a hiss as he pinches one of your nipples, rolling the sensitive bud between his thumb and index.

He pulls away from the kiss to say, “Can I take off your shorts?”

Because you’re wearing baby blue PJ shorts. Nothing really attractive, but it has no hindering effect on Jungkook’s desire for you, has it?

“Yes,” you answer and he’s back to kissing you in no time.

His fingers do quick work of the knot holding your shorts in place, and he immediately slides his hand in. He slides it under your panties too, and he starts rubbing circles on your clit right away.

You’re going to go insane. He’s worth going insane for.

You grind on his hand, and he moves lower so he can dip his middle finger and ring finger inside of you, up to the first knuckle, before pulling out and rubbing circles on your clit again. Your slick juice renders you oversensitive, and you buck your hips as he starts a hellish rhythm down there, with just the right pressure.              

It’s like he knows his way around your body already.

You try to reach between you, but the way his arm is positioned keeps you from being able to palm him. You whine and it makes him stop his ministrations on your clit.

“Is something wrong?”

“Take off your pants,” you tell him.

“Please?” he taunts you, as if he wants to let you know who’s in control here.

“Please,” you hiss through your teeth, because somehow it infuriates you.

“Good girl,” he praises with his low husky voice.

You’ve never been called a good girl before, and something in the way he says it makes you grind hard against him.

“You like that, uh?” he asks.

“Just take off the fucking pants, Jeon.”

He chuckles but obeys nonetheless. You take off your shorts at the same time, and think about it for half a second before you’re taking your panties off too.

Once you’re both naked from the waist down, you return to the previous cuddling position. Only this time his dick is resting against your ass, and from what you can tell, it really is big.

“Should I finger you to make sure you can take me?” he asks, but it’s rhetorical.

Indeed, he doesn’t wait for you to answer before he plunges two fingers inside of you, arching them to hit a spot inside of you that makes you see stars, shy constellations that add light to the darkness of the cottage. You find purchase on his forearm as he starts thrusting his fingers in and out of you, and he reaches deep inside of you. His palm hits your clit every time he pushes all the way in, and you’re starting to see a whole damn galaxy of stars in no time.

But you want to feel him, want to jerk him off while he’s making you feel good too. So you reach behind you, and this time you’re successful. You’re able to wrap your hand around his cock, and you moan at the feeling of the large girth.

“You’re so fucking wet.”

You moan, nodding your head. “It’s all for you.”

“Oh, I fucking know it is,” he says.

It’s cocky, but you’re too far gone to give him shit for it.

You start jerking him off, slowly because you can’t really move quicker in this position. He stills bucks his hips, fucking your hand, and he starts moving his fingers even faster, hitting your clit even harder.

“Fuck, please play with my clit,” you beg.

“Can’t say no when you ask so nicely,” he says, and he’s back to rubbing circles on your clit.

You clench around nothing as you jerk him off, before you decide to position his dick between your legs. You grind against him, or maybe he makes you grind. You don’t really know. All you can feel is the way his length moves against you. But he never aligns with your entrance, as if he just wants to tease you, and knowing him you’re pretty sure he does.

It stays like this for a while, with him just coating his dick with your slick juice as he keeps rubbing insistent circles on your clit. Your walls clench around nothing, and you whine as he just moves his hips back and forth.

“Fuck me, Jungkook,” you say.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asks.

You just whine again.

“I want to hear you say it.”

He’s infinitely infuriating, isn’t he?

“Yes, I fucking want your dick inside of me.”

This time, when he pulls his hips away from you, he makes sure to align with your entrance before pushing forward. And he pushes forward hard, sheathing all of his dick inside of you. Or all of what fits inside of you, because you’re pretty sure he’s way too big to be able to entirely fit.

The moment he hits the back of your pussy you let out a moan. It’s loud, and you immediately put a hand on your mouth to muffle the next noises you’ll make. You think better of it after a few seconds, and you grab the blanket, rolling it in a messy bundle just so you can press it against your face.

“You feel so fucking tight,” he says, and then he grunts when your walls clench around him. “Just relax, baby.”

“I’m just so close,” you admit.

You don’t know when he stopped rubbing circles on your clit. Only know that he starts again now, and you feel the familiar knot of an orgasm starting to form deep in your core.

“Such a fucking good girl”, he praises. “You’re going to come all over my dick.”

You immediately hide your face in the blanket as you moan, unashamedly loud. And then he starts fucking into you, slow and hard, and you lose it. You lose it as the knot uncoils, snaps inside of you, turning every inch of your body into an oversensitive land of pleasure.

Jungkook fucks you through your high, steadily, never once faltering even as your walls pulse hard against him. His fingers keep on rubbing circles on your clit, and he kisses a spot on your neck that makes goosebumps erupt on all of you. It feels so good you could cry, but your high still just keeps on going. Even though you’re in the dark, your vision is white, blindly so.

You don’t know when your hand found its way to the side of his face, only that once you finally come down you have a handful of his hair in your grip.

“That didn’t take long,” Jungkook teases, whispering the words directly into your ear.

He’s not wrong. You don’t think you’ve ever come as hard and quick as you just did.

“Holy fuck,” you mutter.

He has stilled inside of you, and his lips are littering small kisses on your neck. So you feel his smirk against you, and it makes you move. Circling your hips, trying to give him something in return for the orgasm he’s gifted you.

“You’re going to let me come inside of you, mmh?” he asks as you keep on going, a little sloppily from the remnants of your orgasm.

“You think you can come for me?” You’re embarrassingly breathless, still panting because of your high. You take a deep breath as you prop yourself up on an elbow, just so it’s easier to fuck yourself on him.

Jungkooks hums. “I need a little more than that, baby.”

You bite your lips as his tattooed hand finds your breast under your shirt again. “What do you want me to do?”

“Ride me?” he suggests, right as he plants a soft peck on your shoulder.

You moan as he fucks into you hard, unexpectedly. “Anyone could see.”

He whines, but then his hand moves to your hip before he starts pounding into you again. You hide your face in the blanket again, trying to muffle your sounds. Jungkook is not faring a lot better than you, and his grunts send shivers all over you. He doesn’t talk again until he’s slowed down.

“They can already see us.”

He’s not wrong, and you hate it. But you doubt someone will get up at this hour of the night, closer to the morning than to yesterday. He pushes in once more, hard and rough.

“Fuck,” he curses, and he entirely stops moving.

He even pulls out, and you turn to look at him. Your eyes have adjusted to the dark a little now, and you can see his features enough to see him wincing in pain.

“Is something wrong?” you immediately ask.

“My leg hurts.”

His three words fall softly in the night, the way a feather falls. It shifts the atmosphere, making your heart ache in your chest.

“Oh, Jungkook…”

“Ride me,” he says, and it sounds begging.

As if he needs it to forget the pain. You don’t think you have it in you to refuse, so you straddle him. Before you sink on his dick, you lean down to press a kiss to his lips, hoping to chase the pain away. Your hands hold you up on his shoulders, and his move to your hips, before sliding down until he’s holding your ass in his large palms. He massages the muscles of your ass as you kiss, tongues meeting in a deep and languid dance.

When you’re out of breath, lungs burning for oxygen, you straighten and sit on his dick. You circle your hips, teasing him a little and also making sure that he’s still hard. He is, his dick a rod of steel, and you bite at your lower lip as you grab him with one hand to align him with your entrance. He’s looking through half-lidded eyes as you do so, and his eyes shut as you sink all the way down on him, until his dick reaches your cervix.

His mouth falls open and he moans softly. It’s a pretty sound, meant for your ears only, and it makes you feel powerful. You feel powerful as you move up and down, slowly, feeling every vein of his dick on your walls. You clench as you sink back down, and his hands on your ass tighten their hold for a few seconds before he moves to your hips to guide you.

He makes you go faster, and as if he can’t resist he’s soon fucking up into you.

You put a hand on his cheek, brushing his cheekbone with a thumb. His eyes flutter open and he stills, seeing the look on your face.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“I can do the work, don’t hurt your leg,” you tell him. You grab his hands from your hips to move them to your breasts under your shirt. And then you start moving, for real this time, quick and hard. You add a little bit of circling of your hips, just to make sure he stretches you wide.

And he does. Jungkook is huge, and you don’t wonder why he’s so cocky anymore. He’s got the kind of dick to be cocky about.

“Alright then,” Jungkook lets out between two soft moans.

You smirk, but it dies when one of his hands moves from your breast to your neck through the collar of your shirt. You grab his forearm, and your eyes flutter shut as he digs his fingers in your arteries, cutting the blood supply to your brain. It feels good, far more than it should, as all you can feel is his dick in you.

You let out a breathy sound, walls clenching on him again.

“That’s it, baby, you’re so good,” he praises, and he sounds different than he did before.

He’s more out of breath, as if he’s exhausted. And maybe he is, as he’s nearing his orgasm. It only encourages you more, and your nails dig in his forearm, hard enough to mark him.

“Fuck,” he curses, and he releases his hold on your neck. His hand doesn’t move, but it’s now just resting on your throat, and he’s not squeezing anymore.

“Fill me up, JK,” you say. “I want to feel you come inside of me.”

“Let me fuck you a little,” he replies. And he pulls you down by the neck, until he’s satisfied with the angle.

You want to say something about his leg but he’s already pounding into you, so hard your face falls in the crook of his neck as your hands get lost in his hair. Your lips meet his skin, and you suck hard, fully intending to leave a mark there. At this point you’re pretty convinced someone’s ought to know you’re fucking anyway, so why not show that he’s yours?

The thought sobers you up. But Jungkook is already coming, so you hold on strong sucking another spot on his neck as he groans and releases ropes and ropes of his cum inside of you. And he comes a lot, painting your insides white. You like it far more than you should.

Another thought to sober you up.

It takes Jungkook a little longer before he finally stops moving, and he lets out a content sigh as he wraps his arms around your waist to hold you close.

“We should have done this before,” he murmurs.

You try to sit up, but he keeps you from moving. “We shouldn’t have done this.” Even as you’re saying that you press another kiss to his neck. A soft one, just because he tastes too good, and you know the moment is about to come to an end.

“Uh?” he lets out.

His dick is still deep inside of you when you say, “We shouldn’t have fucked”.

He pushes you away now. Not hard, but it’s like your touch burns him and he needs to be away from you.

“Why?”

You sit next to him, and your cheeks burn as you feel his seed spill out of you, only to stain the blanket you previously used to muffle your moans.

“We’re barely even friends,” you point out.

He’s not watching you. His eyes are fixed on an empty spot on the cushionless couch next to which you’re laying. “Okay?”

“It’s just weird, no?”

You reckon you don’t know what you’re saying. You don’t know why you decided to say it right now either. It’s as if the words just need to get out.

“It’s just sex,” he says, and it sounds a little angry. “People have sex all the time.”

“But not us. You know, I don’t like you like that.”

A big fat lie if you’ve ever said one. You did like having sex with him. You’re just panicking, your fight or flight instinct having been suddenly triggered.

“Chill, Y/n,” he mutters, and he sighs heavily. “We just fucked. We can pretend nothing happened, if that’s what you want.”

You don’t know what you want. Some part of you wants to take the evening back, but at the same time not. You’re confusing to yourself, and your teeth dig in the tip of your tongue for a moment as you think.

“What would you want to say this is?” you ask after a little too long for the silence to be comfortable.

He finally looks at you. “Nothing, honestly. We just got horny and we’re the only single people here, it was bound to happen.”

Now, his words hurt a little, but you can see the truth behind them. “Right,” you say. “So, just friends?”

He holds your gaze. It’s too dark for you to be able to interpret anything on his features. “Sure.”

You feel bad. Remorseful. And you think about the hot tub, and the fucking too, but also about the dance outside. You reckon your fight or flight was triggered then, you’ve just been ignoring it ever since you came in.

Ever since you got out of the bathroom to see Jungkook and his softness. The softness is gone now, and he looks away from you before sitting up too. He searches around for his pants, and puts them on as you scan the scene for your own clothes.

“Can you…” you start, but he’s already throwing your shorts and panties at you.

He’s pissed. It’s evident now, clear as spring water, and you feel even worse. You didn’t want to upset him. There’s just too much history between you, too much individual history on your part too.

You’ve never been in a relationship. You’ve never been able to even imagine being in a relationship. And it usually leads to scenes like this: the men you sleep with getting upset with you. You don’t blame them, can’t blame them.

But it feels different with Jungkook. Worse, as if you don’t want the outcome to be him being upset with you. You just don’t know anything else, and so you put your clothes on. Even as he gets up to go clean up in the bathroom, muttering that he’ll be right back.

Even as he comes back and settles on the makeshift bed again, his back turned to you. The message is clear then: he doesn’t want to talk to you. You reckon you can always talk to him tomorrow. Can always let the night pass, and with it the fight or flight. It’s not like he’s going to be gone tomorrow, and you won’t be either.

You get up, sighing heavily as you go to the bathroom to clean up too.

 Jungkook is dead silent when you come back. If he was asleep, you know he would be snoring softly, as last night showed you. But no, he’s dead silent, as if he’s just ruminating in his corner.

It makes you feel too bad to remain silent.

“Jungkook,” you let out softly, his name barely over a whisper.

“Mmh?” he hums.

“I’m sorry if I upset you.”

He sighs, long and deep, before turning on his back. “Don’t worry about it.”

He’s stupid if he thinks telling you so will make it so you don’t worry. You’re always worrying anyway.

“Okay,” you still say. “It was great though, don’t take me wrong.”

He chuckles, and it’s bitter. “Listen, if you want us to pretend like it never happened, let’s start right now.”

He’s closed off. He was open earlier, a book for you to read. Maybe you’ve ripped the pages away, or maybe you’ve thrown the book off a cliff.

But it’s safer this way. It’s safer to keep Jungkook at an arm’s length. It’s where you keep everyone besides Jiho anyway.

“Okay, sorry,” you apologize. “Good night?”

He sighs once more. “Yeah, good night.” And then he turns away, and it hits you.

You won’t ever be the one to see Jungkook’s softness again.

Prev | Next

☆☆☆☆☆

.............................. please don't hate me <3 how was this chapter? How was the smut? I hope it hit good haha! Let me know what you thought!

All rights reserved to @/oddinary4bts 2023. Do not copy, repost or translate.

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[imtryingbuck]

Family Photos

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x OFC!Theo

Summary: Bucky has to marry a woman who surprises him more and more as their story goes along.

Word count: 1,837

Warnings: angst. swearing, divorce mentioned, Eliza being awful. Anymore let me know.

Masterlist   Series Masterlist

His head pounds and his stomach aches, he sits in front of the toilet just in his boxers.

"It's your own fault Buck" comes the voice that belongs to his best friend.

"I know Steven. Stop talking"

"Nope, what you did yesterday at dinner was wrong and uncalled for-"

"What are you talking about?" He grumbles.

"Do you not remember?"

"No"

Which was true, after Bucky pushed himself away from the door after hearing Theo's conversation with Wanda he went straight to his office and started drinking. He remembers Martha coming in and telling him that dinner was ready and then him leaving.

He listens in horror as Steve tells him what he had said, his heart ached when he found out Theo had cried.

"Shit! Fuck I need to talk to her"

"You need to shower first Bucky"

"Bu-"

"No buts, have a shower and then you can talk to her".

Doing as Steve says he waits until the blonde leaves before getting into the shower. It wasn't true what he had said, he wasn't going to Dots. He didn't want to see her again not now that he was married, he wanted to do right by his wife and his non-existent vows.

Thinking of how he was going to fix an already awkward marriage he honestly was coming up empty.

One thing for certain though was he needed to thank Wanda for being the only person to stick up for Theo.

Getting dressed a knock came from the door.

"Buck it's me"

"Come in"

"We've, well you, have a problem"

"What now Steve?"

"Your whores here and Theo's just seen her"

"Shit! And Dots not my whore"

"Sorry. Mistress is here"

"Steve she's nothing to me! I didn't see her last night I swear"

"Yep and the sky's green" Steve rolls his eyes and walks back out of the room.

"Hi Bucky" Dots voice caused him to groan, he wonders was her voice always that annoyingly loud when he was with her.

"What are you doing here Dolores?"

"Dolores? I've always been Dottie to you"

"Not asking again."

"See someone's woken up on the wrong side of the bed, what isn't your wife satis-" Nat promptly cuts her off by wrapping her hand around the woman's throat and slamming her in to the wall.

Before Bucky would have demanded Natasha to let her go but there are two reasons he didn't, one - he wasn't going to allow a nobody like Dot say anything about his wife and two - the fire in Nat's eyes scared him.

"B-Bucky tell her to get her hands-Bucky help!" Dot wheezed out.

"Dolores why have you came to my home?"

"Need your help"

"Not happening"

"Please Brocks being nasty to me"

Rolling his eyes he walks over to the two women, telling Nat to release her which makes Dot fall on to him, which then makes him push her away.

"Don't touch me. I don't care what Brock says or does to you. I want you to leave my house and never come back, never come near me ever again. Me and you Dot are finished." Turning to Clint "take her outside"

"Gladly, come on" Clint pulls on the woman's arm as she screams at Bucky, who ignores her completely.

"Where's Theo?" He asks Steve.

"She's left with Wanda" Nat says with a smirk.

"Where?"

"I don't know"

Taking his phone out of his pocket he rings Wanda's number. "First she slaps me and now she's not answering her fucking phone"

"You're lucky it wasn't me. I would have sliced your balls off and forced them down your throat" Nat says walking past him.

Leaving Bucky to gulp at the threat.

On the other side of town Theo and Wanda sit in the back of Wanda's Range Rover as Vision drives.

"So what are we going to your parents for?" Wanda asks.

"I need to ask my father something"

"What?"

Theo was brought up to never lie so lying to Wanda - the one person she trusted more than any other person, makes her want to be sick "I need to ask if I can have some family photos"

"Oh, do you think he'll give them to you?"

"Hopefully. We're here, Wanda you'll need to wait outside though. I'm sorry"

"Oh, are you sure?"

"Yeah"

The car pulls up and Theo jumps out. Walking up the steps she knocks on the front door.

"Hello Miss, I'll get your father" One of the maids says before leaving.

Theo hears her father's heavy footsteps then the door opens wider. "Theo? What are you doing here?" Pulling her into the house by her arm "permission to talk"

"I-I need to ask you something sir"

"What? And hurry up I don't have all day"

"Ca-can you marry one of your daughters to James instead of me sir". She speaks in a low tone.

"Why? You're already married to him"

"We can divorce an-and you can marry one of your daughters to hi-him sir"

"Theo I can't do that-"

"What is that wretched thing doing here?" Eliza walks up to Michael and Theo with disgust written all over her face.

"She wants James to marry one of the other girls instead"

"Brilliant, oh that's fantastic. I'll get the papers read-"

"Eliza stop, she's married to him and that's final"

"But James would be so much happier with one of our daughters instead of the runt, he'll be able to have legitimate children this way"

"What are you talking about?"

"I've told the girls that one of them will get pregnant by James so he can have an heir since his married to the bastard the kids too will be bastards"

Sighing heavily Michael looks at Theo and then at Eliza. "No. My decision is final. Theo go back to your husband and make sure you address him by his title and Eliza do me a favour and fuck off" he walks off leaving the women alone.

"You should have come to me you stupid girl! You know your father wouldn't have changed his mind, saying that I'll be nice and help you. Here's what you'll do my dear, you show him the filth that is your body and he'll divorce you"

"H-how ma'am"

"Tell him you want to have sex, he won't want to touch you after he sees your body" Theo flinches as Eliza's hand comes into contact with her cheek.

"You thought I was going to smack you? No darling you're helping me, now leave"

Theo scrambles out of the door and down the steps, Vision jumps out of the car to open the door for her.

"Theo? You okay?

"I-I'm okay"

"Did you get the photos?"

"N-no. I would like to go back to Mr James's home now"

Wanda sits there puzzled by her friends behaviour and decides against asking, not wanting the woman to shrink back into her shell again.

“Okay let's go home"

Bucky paces his office, checking his watch every few seconds. His heart was beating faster than it should have been the longer time went on, it had been well over three hours since Theo and Wanda had left the house.

Nobody knew where the two had gone, the regret seeped further into his veins as the memories of the night before became more clearer. Trying Wanda's phone once again he practically growled as the call was dropped.

"Buck they’re back" Steve says from the doorway.

Coming out of the office he moves to the front door where is sees the pair.

"Where the hell have you two been?" Mainly looking at Wanda with his arms crossed.

"Theo wanted to get something from her parents' house, calm down"

"Why didn't you answer your phone?"

"It's dead"

Looking towards Theo, his voice suddenly a lot softer "Did you get what you wanted?"

"N-no Sir"

"What did you just call me?"

“Sir. I'm sorry" her head bows even lower.

"I-don't call me that again"

"B-but your my husband sir"

"Stop!" Regret washed over him as he saw her flinch. "Just, just get inside both of you".

Wanda pulls a face to Bucky who just rolls his eyes at her. "Come on Theo let's get something to eat" taking the woman's hand and leads her inside the home.

"What the hell was all that 'sir' shit about?" Sam asks.

"Fuck knows, l'm gonna have to talk to her. I still need to apologise for last night" sighing as he rubs his face with his hands.

"She's a bit strange isn't she?"

"Shut up."

Walking into the house and heading into the kitchen he watches from the archway as Wanda makes them some food.

"Theo, when you're finished with your food I would like to talk to you please"

"Yes Mr James"

Sighing for the umpteenth time he nods and leaves the kitchen.

Theo knocks timidly on Bucky's office door, waiting patiently for him to answer.

"Hi, take a seat" He smiles softly. Watching as she moved to sit on the floor he stops her "Theo no sit on a chair, please"

"Sorry sir"

"I want to start off with saying I'm so sorry about last night, I didn't go anywhere other than my club I didn't sleep with anyone I swear"

"It's okay sir"

"Please stop with the sirs and mr’s and it's not okay I shouldn't of spoken about you like that, I had been drinki-“

"It's okay sir"

"Jesus Christ. Stop saying it's okay when it's not and I've told you to stop with the sir shit"

"But you're my husband"

"And? Look it doesn't matter whether we're married or not, you don't have to call me tha-"

She cuts him off, the words that come out her mouth pains him. He's surprised at how his heart turns to lead, they've been married for a week and he still knows nothing about her other than what Wanda has told him. In that week he's made no effort to try apart from telling himself and everyone that he'll do it.

He's already treated her like shit in a sense he's very much like his father which makes his skin crawl.

This isn't how things were supposed to go.

"I have asked my father for a divorce sir"

His blood runs cold, his heart goes still. The confession hangs in the air as he stares at her blankly, trying to figure out if what she had said was real or not.

Truly Bucky thinks his ears are playing tricks on him but noticing the look in her crystal blue eyes he knows that it's not a trick and she's being serious.

Just as he opens his mouth to speak Steve comes barging into the room.

"Buck one of the warehouses is on fire"

"Shit. Fuck" looking at Theo "this conversation isn't over okay, please just give me a chance please that's all I'm asking"

He doesn't wait for a reply as he walks away with Steve.

<Previous   Next>

Tags: @sapphirebarnes @bellabarnes1378 @unaxv @skulliecadaver-blog @mrsnikstan

[hanasnx]

so i imagine that toji and you have been on-again-off-again for a couple years now, like every time you break up, your dads all like 'yeah right, i give it a week.' but this time its for real, say its been like two months and to prove to your family that you're over him, you invite your new man to your dads bday party at your parents house.

you get there and are obviously pissed. of course your dad invited toji and didn't tell you, he didn't believe you were broken up. but what's worse is your new man ain't answering his phone, so you cant even lie to him and tell him the party is cancelled. so he shows up, and its awkward as hell, and he doesn't understand why until you finally introduced everyone except toji. i can see his cocky ass strolling up to the poor guy, smirking with his shady eyes, shaking his hand firmly and introducing himself as your ex boyfriend.

or would he just say hes a friend of your fathers? play along, and befriend the guy before you or maybe one of your nicer cousins pull the poor guy aside and fill him in? all the while, you're staring daggers at your father, while he's shrugging at you like he isn't at fault for this.

idk, i just love the potential for angst and tension here with this scenario. i fucking live for it bro. like your new man seeing a photo of you and toji on the wall, didn't you ask your dad to take that down last time you were here? or how toji's hand lingers on yours a little to long as he passes you your slice of birthday cake. or how friendly all of your family seems to be with him. he fits right in.

but the best part-later that night, after your new man's ego has been beaten down beyond repair, and him and most of your family has left, Toji lingers (because your father made it clear he's always welcome), and he ends up fucking you in the spare room that used to be your bedroom, or maybe in the back of his car parked out front, or in the kitchen while your parents are sleeping, all the while whispering and teasing you about how cute it was for you to think you could ever move on from him.

i could even see him texting your new man from your phone while he’s doing it, saying something cheeky or even breaking up with him for you. but you'd be too preoccupied to notice or care, obviously, reveling in how good it feels to be filled up by him again, because of course toji’s dick is bigger than what you’ve been getting. but not just his size, he knows all your sweet spots and remembers exactly how you like it, how could he forget? and by the time he’s done with you, he’s already convinced you to get back together.

his dick game is just that good you cannot convince me otherwise.

— source.

me rn bcos i got to feel like the reader and was biting the fuck outta my finger flirting with the screen

i absolutely love the on-and-off-again trope. your dad probably thought you two were gonna get married bcos of how attached-at-the-hip you were for a while. like angelina jolie and billy bob thornton. crazy in love, cant keep hands off each other, making long-term plans, toji probably asked for his fucking blessing at some point

and just like that, it ended. totally blindsided the whole family, constantly asking you about "wheres your man? huh? where's he at?" until you had to solemnly explain you weren't together anymore. all your little siblings and cousins, nieces and nephews, all are devastated because uncle toji isn't around anymore and they loved him so so much. that was the first time you and him broke up, and he was already so ingrained in the family that it shook through them all when suddenly he wasn't around anymore, everybody loved him. especially your dad who's tough and just, and never liked anybody, especially any of your boyfriends. he's expressed that toji was good enough to take care of his little girl, that he could trust you were in good hands when toji was around. you were safe, protected. (your new boyfriend cant compare in your father's eyes. he's a pansy compared to toji, which you always distressfully protest to because that's not a real criticism and your dad is just playing favorites.)

but then the family sees you two get back together, you and toji are back and better than ever. everybody's ecstatic to see him: your sisters and aunts dote on him, ask him to carry heavy things just to talk about how handsome he is when his muscles bulge like that; your uncles and brothers talk man-to-man with him, show him their cars and share their beers and ask him if he wants to watch the game. toji, quite the charmer, insists he's gonna spend time with his girl, and stays with you in the kitchen while you hang with your mom. oh, your mom loves toji. talks about what a spitting image he is of the husband shes always wanted you to have. she makes him lean down so far when she wants to give him a goodbye kiss on the cheek at the end of the evening, she lists out the stuff she wants done around the house and toji does them. even tho its supposed to be a party.

fast forward to your dad's bday, and nobody believes you that you and him are done "for good this time" because they've heard about almost every break-up and reunion. they're so convinced that you and him are meant to be, you're just being stubborn.

toji swaggering up to your poor new man to introduce himself so gruffly with his deep voice and callused hand shaking his, saying so shamelessly he's your ex boyfriend. that's crazy big dick energy. it implies so much, loaded asf, bcos you're sighing and hanging your head into your hand because toji just had to go and do something like that.

the photo!! the fucking photo on the wall!! your new bf sees it before you can hastily pull it down off its fucking nail bcos you totally did ask them to take that down! and its such a good picture too. you and toji tangled so close together. he's in leather jacket, cheek-to-cheek with you, arms around you while your leg is up around him. you look good together.

i think he'd play a bit of a hard-to-get thing with you, coyly asking you about your boyfriend, where'd you meet, etc. you know him too well to think he's being genuine, and he hits you that he thinks its "cute"

you have to leave because there's no way you're gonna talk about this shit with him, having an argument in the driveway between your cars because you cant keep your voice down when you're with him. you're berating him for showing his face here even if he was invited, and he's telling you its not his fault your father loves him so much. fighting like an old married couple when he tells you he wants you back and he doesn't give a fuck who that skeevy guy was that came earlier. he tells you that he knows you want a real man when you left him because of how pigheaded and brutish he is. pandering to your family so you'll never be rid of him is exactly the kind of manipulation you wanted to get away from, and he defends it as some sort of strategy of playing the long game for the finger he wants to put a ring on. and its like you've done this game before, you're tired. one thing you're not tired of, is how remarkably agreeable the two of you are while you're fucking. so you settle the argument with your bodies <3

[reallyromealone]

Uncanny valley 8

🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐

"So... I get gifts?" He thought that was just like a figure of speech or something as Ran and Rindō handed him countless gifts, speed dialing their multiple assistants to get EVERYTHING birthday related.

"And a cake" Rindō said showing a Sanrio themed cake "it's ice cream and (flavor)"

(Name) looked curious as he was sat down, the Haitani brothers handing him gifts to open "next year we will have much more thoroughly planned" Ran said lovingly and (name) looked confused "but this is already so much"

"Oh darling, this is nothing compared to next years plans" Ran promised and (name) nodded as he opened gifts, a variety of things from cute stuff to luxury items and more clothes. The cats played in the bags and tissue paper as they ordered dinner, getting (name)s favorites. (Name) looked like a chipmunk as he ate, Rindō snapping some pictures with a shit eating grin and the trio enjoyed their meals "so he spent the day threatening to tell embarassing stories whenever they tried flirting?"

"Yuuup"

"You facinate me" Ran said to his boyfriend who tilted his head confused, mouth full.

"Ok" Ran said placing the cake infront of (name) and lighting the candles "ok think of a wish and blow them out-- don't tell your wish either or it wont come true"

(Name) looked contemplative before blowing out the candles and the two Haitanis looked absolutely over the moon as they snapped photos of him.

"Ok birthday boy gets the biggest slice"

Ran put the best slice on (name)s plate before filling their own plates and (name) had to admit....

He never felt this happy.

Two days later (name) noticed photos on the mantle, a picture of them on his birthday.

(Name) knew everything about everyone about Bonten but what he didnt know was just how much Ran loved sleep, the executive holding (name) close as he slept.

They were granted vacation time and Ran wanted nothing more than to sleep, (name) remembered Rindō once mentioning Ran could sleep for a full 24 hours but he didnt fully believe it till now.

Hes been awake for two hours as Ran slept, the sun was now out and he needed to pee.

"Ran..." (Name) mumbled as he struggled to get out of his Iron grip, doing everything short of hurting him from trying to pry his arms off to shimmying out to blowing at his face.

Nothing.

"Stop moving..." Ran grumbled, kissing his head to try and pacify him to go back to sleep "i need to use the restroom" (name) said as Ran cracked an eye open to look down at (name), any outsider would think he was glaring but Ran was never a morning person and it usually took a solid hour for him to be sociable "fine" Ran relented and let (name) go to the ensuite bathroom "your ass is back here after" Ran grumbled and (name) nodded, the lavender eyed man watching (name) dressed in only an oversized shirt and bare legs.

The sound of a toilet flushing and the sink running and (name) was back in Rans arms, warm and comfortable as the cats snuggled towards the end, stretched out and purring.

(Name) adored it.

He adored every second with Ran.

(Name) let Ran take him to do the things he enjoyed, manicures and going out to luxery stores and even gave him a "tour" of Roppongi-- aka Ran taking him to all the fancy places he likes.

They also did (name) hobbies like people watch, something Ran had grown fond of-- hes gotten (name) to get silly with it occasionally.

(Name) also developed new hobbies because of Ran, the two cooking together and (name) found he only enjoyed doing it if Ran was there (Ran would guide him and (name) liked it when he held his hands).

"Theres no information on him?" Sanzu was annoyed as he looked at the informant "its like he never existed at all" the man said in disbelief "there's no connections at all..."

Sanzu sighed as he called the cleaners and glanced at the dead body in his office, he was annoyed (name) had so much dirt on them and they had nothing on him. It was frustrating and made Sanzu feel on edge.

He rejected their advances and knows secrets no one should should know... How did he know about Sanzus Sandal incident?!

He was Bontens biggest weapon but could also be their greatest threat if given reason to be.

Maybe it was good that Ran got to him... Though Sanzu isn't sure what kind lf relationship he would want from (name) he knew that he wanted him and would have to be patient.

He hated being patient.

(Name) was unflinching as he got a tattoo centre back, casually sipping some Boba ran got him as a treat as the place near his penthouse was doing a Sanrio collan with hello kitty boba pearls.

"This is your first tattoo so ill give you a pamphlet on maintenance and some cream" the Tattoo artist said, one who worked under Bonten and (name) nodded "it looks great baby" Ran said as he looked at the finished tattoo "now you're really bonten" he leaned over the other man, resting his head on his shoulder and (name) offered him a sip, the elder Haitani smiling at thid and taking a sip "not bad"

No one would dare comment about how sickeningly cute the display was, two extremely dangerous people in one space was stressful enough.

(Name) found a new hobby during his vacation.

Plant keeping.

He couldn't keep them at the penthouse due to the furry beings that resided so his office became much less empty and full of plants of various shapes and sizes and because of this, his office had the cleanest air-- also helped that (name) didnt smoke.

"If you wanted information on me, hiring a second class informant is a poor choice" (name) said simply as he dropped off files to Sanzu, information about a detective that's neen digging his nose where it didnt belong. "How did you..."

"We informants all know one another, we're not friends but we app have a web so to say and its not hard to figure thus sort of thing out" (name) said simply "We all have things that others don't know, secrets that only ourselves experience and no one can take that from you, no one will known things only you experience" (name) said calmly "my life is experiences that no one living can attest to and thus you will never know these things" (name)s tone wasn't cold but it lacked emotions that made him sound almost robotic, Sanzu forgot at moments like this that... (Name) was an anigma.

Many times he didnt believe he was human.

[alloftheimaginesblog]

special {harry potter}

requested by anon: it's harry's birthday and you decide to take him to the beach to celebrate

character: harry potter x female reader

Harry didn't expect anything for his birthdays, a sad habit he'd learned from growing up with the Dursleys', he never expected nor wanted anything, he was content enough. Especially now that he had killed Voldemort once and for all and all was well in Hogwarts and in the Wizarding World.

It was just a few weeks previous had he been successful and Harry's world became a whirlwind of interviews, photoshoots and parties. Ron had clapped him on the back at one point, 'Get used to the parties, mate, cause you're 18 soon and that'll be the best one yet'. But Harry refused point blank.

"No parties, no photos, no presents... I just want a lie in. That's all I want."

Being Harry's girlfriend, you wanted to do something or give him something to celebrate but you knew how tired he was, how exhausted he was and how stressed he'd been for the last seven years so you decided to plan a little surprise trip. Nothing strenuous or wild, just a nice day out.

You let him sleep for as long as he wanted, it was his day and there was absolutely no rush to hurry him up. He looked so peaceful as he slept, no worries, no stresses. You stroked back his hair, pressing a delicate kiss to his forehead careful not to wake him before heading downstairs to prepare.

You were going to take Harry to the beach. He'd mentioned to you before that the one thing he always wanted as a child was to go to the seaside on a hot day, have a picnic, swim in the sea and build a sandcastle. He'd never had that growing up and he just wanted a normal slice of childhood so you were taking him to do all of those things.

Downstairs, you were preparing a picnic basket full of Harry's favourite foods to take with you. Chocolate frogs, pumpkin pasties, bacon sandwiches which were charmed to stay warm, strawberry tarts, sausage rolls, a small birthday cake, tea and apple juice. As you finished packing the basket, you grabbed a few more items and with a click, you apparated.

You landed safely on the beach to where you'd already set up a little gazebo type set up with a canopy, a picnic blanket and now you had the basket to go with it. You set the basket up and also took the buckets and spades you'd brought to lay them out. You had two towels set up for after swimming too. Everything was perfect.

You apparated back just in time for Harry to wake up and come downstairs. He padded over to you, wrapping strong arms around your body from behind as he rested his head on your shoulder, "There's the birthday boy," you said with a smile, turning to kiss his temple, "How'd you sleep?"

"So good," Harry yawned, "I needed that."

You turned to him, smiling up at his green eyes, "I have a little something planned. I know you didn't want anything big or expensive so it's not, I promise. It's something for the two of us, just us." Harry eyed you suspiciously but the corners of his mouth twitched letting you know that he wasn't annoyed, "Go get ready, no rush so take your time."

Fifteen minutes later and he was ready, "You promise it's not a party?" He said as you held his hand to apparate.

"I promise."

Click.

When Harry opened his eyes, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. The seagulls squawked from above as the waves crashed into the rocks. The sun was warm on his skin and the gazebo that you'd set up looked perfect. He looked at you with the warmest of expressions, so full of awe, love and gratitude.

"You remembered," Harry murmured softly as he wrapped you in the tightest hug, "I... I love you so much."

"I've got everything; a picnic of your favourite foods, buckets and spades to build sandcastles, I've got us swimming costumes and towels to go in the sea," you said pulling back to gesture to everything, "you like it?"

"I love it."

The two of you started with the picnic, finishing almost everything in the basket before you moved to build sandcastles. Harry was loving every single second of this. For about an hour, he build sandcastles, creating his own version of Hogwarts. You adored watching the way his eyes lit up with joy and loved hearing the laughter that came from him. He had no worries, no stress; he was just having fun.

He kept pulling you in for tight hugs, telling you how much he appreciated this over and over again, thanking you with kisses and praise. He couldn't believe that this was real and this was happening. Harry had craved this ever since he was a young boy and now, at 18, he finally had it. He smiled over at you, watching as you carved some details into the sandcastle Hogwarts, you were helping him to heal his inner child one day at a time.

The sun was hot, beating down on the two of you, so quickly you scrambled up and started running, yelling behind you, "Last one to the sea has to eat a Ton-Tongue-Toffee!" Harry's laughter bellowed behind you as he started chasing you, feet fighting hard against the sand that so desperately tried to pull him down a few centimetres. You narrowly made it to the sea first, just by mere inches, as Harry's arms reached out and grabbed you around the waist, tugging you around as you laughed loudly. The two of you stumbled but managed to keep your balance as you waded in together, "Ha! You have to eat a Ton-Tongue-Toffee!"

Harry was quick to shake his head, "Absolutely not. I remember Dudley ate one after the twins dropped one in Privet Drive and oh my god, it was horrible, hilarious but horrible. Mr Weasley tried for about 15 minutes to help but my aunt and uncle refused. Eventually they let him but absolutely not."

The two of you spent a long time enjoying the water, swimming, using your wand to blow bubble bursts to push the other back, causing whirlpools to spin around in... Your laughter was loud as the two of you played in the sea. Harry watched as you plucked up some cool shells from the under your feet and showed him proudly. He'd never had a day like this, never experienced true happiness like this. Harry waded over to you and planted a hard kiss on your lips, "I love you so much for this," he murmured against your lips as you giggled.

The temperature started to cool as the sun began to set so you and Harry left the water, shooting blasts of hot air at each other to hurry up the drying process as you made your way back to the gazebo. Harry conjured up small fireballs and dotted them around the two of you to keep warm as you grabbed the blankets and set them up. The two of you lay down as you watched the sunset in silence. He was so grateful for you.

After years of torment, stress, fear and death, now, now things were okay. Things were happy now. You'd both lost a lot in the last few years but there was one thing that was certain; you and Harry were a team. Years of not being able to relax or take his foot off of 'go' and now he could, now he could rest and relax and just enjoy life like he should've been able to this whole time.

Harry was too preoccupied to notice what you were up to, hands twiddling and fidgeting. It wasn't until you were finished, holding up two matching string and seashell bracelets that he realised, "Happy birthday, Harry." Your grin was wide as was his, he happily took it and you tied it around his wrist and then he helped with yours, "I know it's not the best-"

"(y/n), it's the best present I've ever had," he told you honestly, "I love it. Thank you." You settled back into his arms once again as you relaxed again. The sun had set and Harry knew that it was time to go before it got too cold and before the tide came fully in. Selfishly, he wanted to stay. He wanted to stay here, with you in his arms, forever just in your own little bubble.

You seemed to sense his apprehensiveness about leaving, "We can come back," you suggested quietly, "it's summer so it'll still be nice and hot for a good month or two. Would you like that?"

Harry nodded with a smile, "God, yes."

So the two of you packed everything away, using the charm Hermione taught Harry to make the picnic basket bigger on the inside so that everything fit into it and you and Harry stood, hand in hand waiting for him to apparate the two of you. Harry spared one last look around before click and the two of you were back home in 12 Grimmauld Place.

You stretched out your tired muscles, it had been a lovely but long day, so you left the picnic basket on the kitchen table, you'd get it in the morning, and the two of you headed upstairs to bed. Once changed into your pyjamas, you slid under the cool sheets as Harry lay down beside you. You curled into him, smelling the salt from the sea on his skin, "Happy birthday, Harry," you whispered quietly, already feeling the tendrils of sleep reach out to take hold of you, "We've to go to the Weasley's tomorrow. You didn't really think Molly would let you not have a birthday cake and presents, did you?"

He didn't mind. He was on cloud nine, "Thank you for today," he said softly, "today meant more to me than I can ever tell you." He pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead and then you were sound asleep.

Harry was awake for another while after that. He found the excitement of the day had him awake, replaying building sandcastles and having a picnic and chasing you to the sea... He loved every single second of it and wanted to live in this moment forever, this perfect content bubble of happiness.

Eventually, Harry closed his eyes and fell asleep with a smile on his face and all was well.

[panthera-tigris-venenata]

Personal rant ahead✨

okay, so. I'm not sure anyone's reading, but I'm writing this. Maybe putting it in words will help, you know?

I've had a fucking terrible time lately, there's no denying it – I'm not even sure how long it went on. For sure, the last half a year–

Guys, I didn't think I'd survive it.

I'm not lying. God, I'm not lying.

Looking back, I'm not sure how I did survive it, but I did. Somehow. I just kept going. (Till Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes; till Nona the Ninth translation; till Rise of Red; till The Umbrella Academy 4). I fucking kept going even though I was fucking exhausted.

I ended up in the emergency two times, with a panic attack that had me sure I was dying.

I ended up in the psychiatric emergency two times, too, when the emergency personel said taking me to the hospital wouldn't help.

I asked my roommate to send me photos of chemical reactions and formulas to the emergency psych ward. I broke down bad enough to end up there and it continued: two two Exams the next day, final labs and test the next, another exam three days after and two days after that and chemical engineering with about seven hours of prep time. I did these on sedatives that didn't even take away all of the anxiety.

On the weekend then, I crashed at my friend's, completely crashed. I was afraid to stay alone. I was so out of it I was sure i'd die if alone.

(If you're reading this, thank you. Really.)

This doesn't need to be coherent, right?

I've been struggling with food too. Namely, eating enough.

(I tell you, one of the days I ended in emergency: for breakfast, I got half of a pastry, some cottage cheese and handful of cherry tomatoes - that doesn't sound too bad, but it was only half because I was supposed to eat it for dinner the day before. For lunch, well, I decided I'd go swimming, physical activity is supposed to help, right, maybe I'd buy something at the pool? (Spoiler allert, I didn't). I bought one (1) slice of pizza at the subway when getting home from the psych clinic.)

Fun time, right?

With a track record like this, I've managed to lose five kg (about ten pounds?). Problem with this, of course, is that that was a tenth of my total weight.

I'm better now, almost back at my original weight, but sometimes, my brain still screams at me that the food is poisonous.

You know, I've got a pretty strong catalogue of venoms and poisons and alimentary ilnesses. The toxicology and microbiology courses didn't really help. God, I freaked out over soup one time, I was sure it was full of botulotoxin. (It was not. Botulotoxin is termolabile.) (I cried over this for hours anyway and I'm not sure I'll eat that soup again.)

But, you know. I'm trying.

I'm trying.

I got some meds, but - the first ones - it was bad. It was so bad. It was supposed to help, but first, it got worse. I could do nothing but cry for four days, I remember I felt nothing but terror.

It was only a bit better when I went to a summercamp as a councilor- nothing much to say about the camp. But, there was a storm, we were waiting it out outside under an altan with the girls who slept in tents - god, we were all scared. I kept telling fairytales for an hour and then more at curfew for the little ones, I almost lost my voice. (There was a boy with us, about fifteen, helping counsilor. He slowly inched closer as I was telling the fairytales, it was cute.)

Still, the girls were crying, I'm not surprised, the storm was bad, and then there was some scandal among the younger kids about some video, and more people cried. In the end, at least ten people cried. I didn't break down only because I took xanax in between.

I'm not sure if I want to say anything more; I've said enough already.

There's a new school year soon and I'm scared.

[i-literally-cant-with-this]

A/N ::: *puts finger up and opens mouth like I may actually have ANYTHING of importance to say but changes my mind and closes my mouth and puts my finger down because let's face it ... I don't have shit to say that anyone really needs to hear.*

C/W ::: Language, more broken heart stuff, angst? Longing. No smut yet. aged up character. You'll all see my handy dandy 18+ thing when there is. Thank you for reading, I do appreciate it. ❤

WC ::: just about 1,800

Part I

Part II

Part IV

Part V

Part VI

Part VII

Part III

You stared at your phone for another few minutes before you turned it off. Sitting it down on the nightstand - your nightstand, you stood up and began looking around to collect some things - your things - from around Katsuki's place.

He hadn't taken down any of the pictures of you guys that were scattered about the space. There were innumerable frames hung on the walls, sitting on the mantel, and end tables. You guys at the fair, at the beach, on vacation. On staycations. There were a few things you hadn't gotten to do yet. But you'd always assumed that what you two hadn't done, you would eventually get around to doing at some point.

You grabbed your favorite photo - the two of you in the middle of the carnival, mid-kiss. It was so rare to see a moment where Bakugo was fully relaxed and happy. The person who took the photo was from out of town. They were 'so captivated by Katsuki's unique looks' they snuck the photo and then approached you to show you what he'd captured in the sweet but unspoken display of true love.

It broke your heart to remember that. Was it supposed to hurt this much? You've been heartbroken before. But this was physically painful. It was like your lungs couldn't take in air. Your stomach churned like you'd just been in a car for 4 hours after eating spoiled food. Your eyes burned from the tears that hadn't stopped and they ached from the tears that already fell.

You were exhausted and you still had to get all of your things together and back to your apartment before Kats got home. For the most part, if you were being totally honest with yourself, you didn't want to see him. It wasn't because you couldn't bear the thought of his face, but because you didn't know if you could keep yourself from falling to your knees in front of him and asking why all of this was happening.

But you know why it's happening. You’re why it's happening. It was hard for you to carry this alone. Somewhere in this mess, you know he was responsible for something. It was just a matter of figuring out what his slice of this shit pie was.

You went to the kitchen and stood at the fridge for a minute before you pulled out a half-empty bottle of white wine and made yourself comfy on the couch and watched whatever movie was left sitting in the DVD player.

It almost made you vomit to see that it was his surprise 25th birthday party you’d planned. You didn’t even know he had all of that stuff put onto a disc.

It was turning out to be from-the-bottle kind of night.

The next thing you know, you were waking up on the couch. Your right hand down your pants, your left hand cradling the empty wine bottle, and Katsuki standing over you. A smirk on his lips and a growl leaving his mouth. “Long night?” He asked, taking the empty bottle from you.

“I - I - when - oh … shit.” Pulling your hand from your pants, you know you turned a red brighter than a sun-ripened strawberry. “Kats it’s …"

He shook his head and calling you a dumbass, he turned and walked into the kitchen to rinse and put the bottle in the recycling bin.

You got up and followed him, standing close to him but not too close that you were invading his space. It was almost like you were sent back in time. You watched him work around the kitchen like it was second nature. Like it was any of the other days you two had been in there.

He had such a strong presence that you had to look away before he caught you staring.

He sucked on his teeth and asked, "It's what, y/n?" His voice soft and gentle. It wasn’t the way he normally spoke. It wasn't like him to sound so quiet and fragile. It was almost like he was trying to break you in a way that wouldn’t cause too much damage.

"It's - it's nothing. I just wanted to know how long you were there." You looked at him, a nervous smile tugging at your lips. You didn’t know where you stood. Was this a joke? Did he know how much you missed him? How much you still loved him?

Katsuki leaned back against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest. "I got home 3 hou- I mean, a little while ago. Don't worry about it, ok? You're fine. You just looked so cu- uh, so comfortable and I didn't wanna bug ya. Why didn't you sleep in the bed? You could've, you know. Didn't have to sleep on this shitty couch." He laughed quietly.

"Hey! I picked out this couch." You wanted to reach out and squeeze or slap his bicep but fought off the urge.

"Yeah," he snorted. "And? I thought that was mutually understood that you pick out shitty furniture." His smile was so warm. You felt the overwhelming desire to kiss him. To touch him. Anywhere. You wanted to brush the hair from his face. To smooth down the perpetually creased skin between his eyes. Something.

Dear God. Anything to feel his warm skin.

But you couldn’t. Not now. Maybe not ever again.

"Ok, well, I should get going. I didn't get a chance to get all of my stuff out of here. I don't know what I left. I'll buy you a new bottle of wine," you said as you picked it up to look at the label. "Huh. Never heard of this one before. It was really good. Thanks. And uh, well, sorry. I hope it wasn't anything special. Jus' throw my shit out, I guess. If I -"

He moved and stood in front of you, one hand on the bottle, the other in his pocket. "I'm not going to throw your stuff out, y/n. Don't be so damn dramatic about it. Jesus."

"Eh, if I didn't already miss it, I don't think there's much of a point in me having it back." You felt stupid as soon as you said it. It hadn't been years since you had last seen it. Maybe weeks, and even that was being generous. Katsuki was right. You were being dramatic about it.

You were both standing there, each of you had a hand on the empty wine bottle. Both of you were waiting for the other to say something but neither of you had any idea what to say or do with yourselves.

Moving first, you let go of the bottle and reached into the pocket of his sweats you wore to retrieve the key to his apartment. "I uh," you tapped it on the marble counter as tears burned your eyes again. "Heh," you said, choking on the lump in your throat. "... fuck. Kats ..."

His face fell when you said his name. And it wasn't too much longer before his arms were wrapped around your waist and his face was in your neck. "God fuckin’ damn it, y/n." Katsuki held you tighter than he ever had before. His grip was vice-like and you knew that you couldn't go anywhere without a struggle. So you gave in.

You held him back and tried to steady your breathing. It was hard to believe that the last time you two were in this position was less than 2 weeks ago. "I know, Katsuki. I know. I ... miss you so much." You couldn't hold it back any longer. The tears began to stream down your face, soaking the collar of his shirt and the hair that poked out from behind his ear.

You wanted to kiss him. To pull his face to yours and breathe in the scent of his skin. To feel his breath on your lips.

But you couldn't. Not like this. Not when you both were still so lost and confused about what had happened.

It took you several minutes to pull away from him. Your body didn't want to let go of him. Your soul didn’t want to let go of him. You needed the physical comfort that his embrace provided. It was a home that you couldn't find anywhere else.

You pulled back and wiped your face with the sleeve of his hoodie. "I'm sorry, Kats. I'm so sorry. I have to go. I have to finish getting my shit out of here. Please, can you just let me get my things another time? And I'll be gone." You choked back a sob and turned away from him, not wanting him to see your face anymore.

He reached out for your hand and took a deep breath. "Y/n, stop. Just ... just wait, ok? It's fine. You can take whatever you want. I don’t give a shit. Take the bed. The couch. The tv. I really don’t care. But you gotta … Just stop this shit. Stop runnin’ away ... stop fuckin' runnin' from me. Don't leave like this. Don't make me live without you completely. I don't -" He pulled you back and looked at you, his eyes red. "I can't ... don't want to lose you. You're ... you're the ... Fuck. Please, just don't make me lose you." His voice cracked and he leaned his forehead against yours. "I'll fix whatever it is I did wrong."

Your heart sank. You didn't know what to say. He hadn't done anything wrong. It was your fault. Your issues. Your baggage.

"No, Kats. You haven't done anything wrong. It's not you. It's … ugh fuck. I have to fix some things. And I have to deal with the fact that we can't fix this. At least, not - not right now. Please, let me get my things when you're not here and that'll be that. OK?" You started to cry again as you pushed the key to him again. "I love you, Katsuki. I don't think I'll ever love anyone like I love you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

It hurt a little when you gave in to the comfort that you had been going without. But it would have hurt more to not reach for him. Even though it had been a short while, you couldn't believe how much you missed his touch. His smell. His warmth. It was like he was a drug that you couldn't live without. And while you knew that it wasn't healthy to depend on someone like that, you couldn't help but want to give in to the temptation. You were weak and would give into him. No questions asked.

Just one ... last ... time.

Taglist ::: @arlerts-angel @darkstarlight82 @millennialmagicalgirl

[ellethespaceunicorn]

use a photo on your phone camera roll and write a quick scene/hc for it

Hi Nonnie!!! Funny story, the last time I wrote for these two, I was on pain meds for a tonsillectomy. Now, I've got Covid and I'm awake at 4:19am posting this story. I hope you enjoy!!

Title: My Little Strawberry 

Rating: Mature, 18+, Minors - DNI 

Pairing: Syverson x Black!Reader (Peaches) 

Fandom: Sand Castle 

Word Count: 556 

Summary: A follow-up to Shape Up. Sy has a conversation with his baby girl while she’s still in your stomach. 

Warnings: mention of creampie, sexy fluff?, mention of oral sex (f receiving) 

A/N: Unbeta’d, we die like people who tried their best.  

Dividers by: @firefly-graphics 

Support/Reblog banner by me

My Masterlist 

“There she is. Eating her breakfast. Looking mighty fine as usual.” Sy walks up to you and kisses the side of your head. 

“Whatchu want, boy?” You smile up at him through your lashes. 

“I ain’t want nothing at all, Peaches,” Sy holds your chin and gives you a peck on the lips, “But there is one thing I had to talk to Strawberry about.” 

“Strawberry?” Your cute little eyebrows scrunch up in confusion and Sy turns your chair around to face him as he laughs. 

He runs his hand over your swollen six-month-pregnant belly before kneeling to talk to it. “Hey there, Strawberry. How’s Daddy's little girl?” 

“I see you stuck with the fruit theme. And since I’ve been eating strawberries for months now, you named her after my craving?” You could barely hold in your laughter at your husband’s tenderness. 

“I don’t know. It seemed perfect. And I know she’s gon’ be sweet if she’s half you,” Sy planted a kiss on your belly before standing up to his full height. “And since she’s half me, I apologize in advance for her temper.” 

“I knew what I was getting into when I wouldn’t let you pull out, you know that right?” You bite your lip and wink at him. 

“And I knew what you were doing when you turned on Tennessee Whiskey and poured me two fingers of Jack. And you were wearing that damn sundress with the little yellow flowers on it. Pretty as a picture.” Sy remembers the night you made Strawberry fondly. 

“So, what did you have to talk to Strawberry about, baby?” Popping a sliced piece of fruit in your mouth, you chew and wait for Sy to start talking to the baby. 

“Alright, Strawberry, so look. Mama here has been such a sweetheart. She has given you a nice first apartment while continuing to take care of your old man. So, I was thinking of getting her a little something. And I wanted your opinion on it,” Sy leaned in to whisper into your belly so you couldn’t hear, then turned to place his ear close to listen to what the baby says. When he leans back, a smile paints his features. 

“Well? What did she say?” You ask, more than invested in Sy’s little conversation with the baby. 

“She told me to thank you for taking care of her and me. And she told me to make sure I pay attention to you when you’re being ornery because that just means you need a firmer hand.” Sy rubs the sides of your belly. Moving his hands up to your waist and then further up your sides to cup your face. 

“She said all that?” Your eyes close as he rubs a thumb over your cheek, already feeling warmth rise under your skin. 

“She did. She also said I could probably take you upstairs right now and have my way with you. But I’m gon’ let you finish your breakfast first.” Sy sits next to you, picking up your fork and feeding you. 

You take the offered bite and get up from the table, picking up the bowl of sliced strawberries. “C’mon, I can eat these in bed while you eat me in bed.” Winking again, you turn to scurry up the steps with Sy on your heels. 

**Taglist**

@brattymum96 @ambinxe @avengersfan25 @kebabgirl67 @thabiddie23 @astheskycries @enchantedbytomandhenry @rebelangel1102 @raccoon-eyed-rebel @geralts-yenn @peyton-warren

[fancyfeathers]

Maybe doing something fluffy like baking a pie with your yandere (who you don’t realize is your yandere yet, you’re already dating but you’re not aware of this side of them) and you eat a slice and fall into an unusually deep slumber. You’re curious about how tired and sluggish you are suddenly but your partner calms your worries and leads you somewhere to lie down. The next thing you know, you wake up in an unfamiliar room that isn’t yours. The slice eaten was purposely sedated by them and the yandere uses this as an opportunity to bring you to your new home. Could you write this for either James, Moran, or Albert?

It Only Takes A Taste

(Yandere James Bonde x Reader)

(Yes the title is from Waitress, but it is such a good musical and it fits)

“Darling, can you get the oven?” You heard James call out to you to where you sat at the kitchen table with the evening newspaper. He was making coffee across the long kitchen table from you. He wanted to treat you the same way he was when he was a child across the ocean in America.

You merely hummed in response to the man who was courting you as you tossed the newspaper down on the wooden surface of the table. You grabbed the oven mit from where they hung on a hook next to the oven. You slipped them over your hands and opened the oven door, reaching in and grabbing each pie one at a time, setting it on the windowsill to cool, cherry pie and apple pie.

“Thank you, love.” James spoke to you as you hung up the oven mits again after closing the oven door. You walked over to the table, sitting back down across from where James stood, making the coffee. You watched as he poured the hot water into the cups, each with a small tied up fabric bag with coffee beans inside them. “My mom and dad used to take me to the bakery a block away from our house on Sunday mornings, and I just remember they had the sweetest cherry pie, honestly I wish I could make it like they did because it has been the one thing I have been craving since coming over here.”

“That sounds nice, I just remember my mom trying to keep us in our church clothes without staining them.” You replied as you smiled, remembering how every morning your mother would get you dressed up in your best little yellow dress with a little white collar and white frills at the skirt hem and sleeves and she would always try to keep you from staining it since it would be hard to replace because of how little your family had growing up, you were poor but you were happy as a child. “She would tie up my hair with these yellow silk ribbons that were a gift when I was born, from my aunt I think.”

“That certainly sounds rather adorable.” James chuckled at the thought of you dressed up like that. He slid one of the brewing cups of coffee to where you sat across from him before walking over to the kitchen cabinet next to the window where the pies were cooling to take two of your plates out along with forks, both of which you inherited when your grandparents passed. He set the plates on the table with the forks on top of the stack. “Actually do you think you have a photograph in your photo album of that?”

“Uh… probably, let me check.” You replied as you stood up again. You strolled down to the kitchen door, giving James a small and lazy back wave as you left the room. “I’ll be right back.”

“Take your time, love.”

You ran to your bedroom that was on the opposite side of your apartment from your kitchen. You knelt down to peek under your bed, reaching under to pull out an old wooden chest, it was covered in dust and old cobwebs that you brushed away from the surface before you opened it. It was full of old things, family memories that were priceless to you, your grandmother’s old jewelry box, those yellow silk ribbons, your mother’s sewing kit, and among those items and more were that old leather back photo album that your father started the moment he and your mother were going to be having you. It was dusty just you merely brushed it away before setting it on your bed for a mere moment while you pushed the old wooden chest back under your bed.

You make your way back to the kitchen with the old photo album tucked under your arm. James had brought the pies over to the table to cut the two of them. He merely smiled at you while you sat down at the table again and opened the photo album to flip through as you brought the cup of coffee to your lips to take a sip. It was slightly sweet, James must have added sugar while you were gone. You saw photos of your mother and father when you were a baby, photos of your grandparents, and then finally that photo of you as a child, sitting in the front lawn while you picked the wild flowers that grew there.

“I found it.” You spoke out to him while you pointed out the photo to him and he stopped what he was doing to lean over to glance at the photo he wanted to see and a smile came across his face at the sight of it.

“You were such a darling little thing...” He responded before continuing what he was doing, picking up one of the pieces of the cherry pie to set on the plates before passing it to you as you took another sip of your sweet coffee. “…well I say that like you aren’t that now.”

“You flatter me, James.”

“Well it’s true, doll.”

You looked down at the slice of pie James had cut for you, it looked really good and smelled amazing, he must have used the cherries the two of you bought yesterday at the farmer’s market. But when you went to pick up your fork, you could feel your head begin to spin. You braced yourself against the table with one hand while the other came up to your forehead to check for a fever.

“Dear, are you alright?” You heard James ask you, his voice filled with concern at your sudden flustered and flushed state.

“My head, I-I feel a bit dizzy.” You replied to his question as you attempted to stand up only for it to feel a thousand times worse than before. “I feel very dizzy.”

“Oh dear, perhaps you should lay down then, love.” James immediately came around to your side of the table, coming to rest a hand on the small of your back and taking one of your hands in one of his own. You let him guide you to your living room couch that was the room that was in between your bedroom and kitchen. He helped you lay down on the couch before pulling a blanket over you. “You can rest now, love. I’ll take care of you.”

If only you knew what he meant by that…

…

When you woke up you left warm, very warm, both from the blankets that were pulled up over you and the fire that roared in the hearth…

Wait…

You do not have a fireplace.

You shot up in bed and it did not even take you a second to figure out you were not in your apartment. The bed you laid in was much more than you could afford and the bedsheets were of much higher quality than your own. The room was beautiful, emerald green wallpaper, dark wooden floors, a brick fireplace across from the bed you laid in, and two windows on the right of you but when you glanced out the windows you noticed the thin iron bars kin the outside of the glass to keep intruders out or rather keep you in.

You sat there in terrified silence as questions ran through your head, did James bring you here, why would he do this, how did he do this? You nearly screamed when the door opened to reveal James, he was speaking to someone as he opened the door but he quickly cut himself off as he saw you wide awake on the bed.

“Oh, you’re awake, love.” James’ words well of deaf ears in your state of fear, just staring at him like a scared deer. You spotted a man behind him, just outside the door, another blonde haired man but unlike James’ blue eyes he had scarlet red eyes.

“I will leave you two alone.” The other man said to James before he walked off, leaving you and James along with a thick and heavy silence between the two of you. You could just stare at James but not a word would come out of your lips so he had to break the silence first.

“Are you feeling alright, dear?”

“W-where am I, James?” You did not answer his question, wishing for answers before anything else. You heard James sigh as he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge of the mattress next to where you lay.

“You’re safe, the where does not matter.” That is all the answer he gave you did nothing to soothe your nerves, if anything it only made you even more afraid of your current situation.

“S-safe? From what? W-who was that man? James, what is going on?”

“His name is William James Moriarty, you could say I work for him… there is no way to put this simply but he is the Lord of Crime.” His answer left you speechless, just wide eyes with your lips hanging agape in your shock. “The work we do is dangerous but necessary and there was a chance you could have been put in danger because of it, so I asked William if I could bring you here and he said yes.”

“…So you kidnapped me… you drugged my coffee.”

“It’s not like that, love-“

“Then what is it? Was everything just a lie?” You looked at him as tears built up in the corners of your eyes. You loved James, you truly did, but he deceived you and you do not do that to people you love. “I don’t know what to believe anymore James, you lied to me-”

“I did not lie to you, ever.” He snapped back to you, his soft tone disappearing for a mere moment into something much more dark and the shift in tone made you flinch. He crawled over into the bed, throwing one leg over your own so he was straddling your thighs between his own legs. He took your face in his hands, making you look at him in his bright blue eyes. “I truly love and adore you more than anything in this world, I want to spend my life with you and if that means keeping you safe here forever, then so be it.”

Then so be it…

That was easy for him to say when he did not have to live confined for the rest of his life like a little bird in a gilded cage.

[emmies-agere]

Hello! I know you've already done Stranger caregiver headcanons before, but could you possibly do regressor headcanons for Stranger too, please? 😸 /nf

hello! of course <3 writing for stranger was pretty fun last time so i hope i did him justice! thank you for requesting and have a wonderful day :D

regressor stranger headcanons!

•stranger is a very quiet regressor, and i can often see him getting sleepy! i imagine that he regresses in order to cope, and his age range is anywhere from 1-4. i think he would regress rather young, especially when stressed.

•always always loves comforting things! like lots of soft blankets wrapped around him or cute plushies that are always there for him. warm baths with toys and the smell of fresh hot chocolate in a snowman cup <3

•stranger likes taking photos when he’s regressed! whether that be safe, happy moments he wants to freeze in time forever or just a pretty stuffed animal.

•i think he would take a lot of naps. curling up in the comfort of a bed and resting. after a long day, regressing and taking a nice rest is always nice!

•loves flowery decorations. flower plushies, paintings, decorated paci’s,, you name it! they remind him of childhood and make him feel so small <3

•would be fond of reading. when he’s regressing young, he likes picture books that are pastel/light and easy on the eyes. however, when he’s a little bit older, he likes to challenge himself with some simple chapter books!!

•probably likes a lot of simple foods when regressed. fruit slices, animal crackers, applesauce,, especially with tiny silverware and bowls/plates!

•warm milk is also perfect for him. it can help him regress, and he almost always has it before bed! he usually uses a bottle but sometimes trusts himself to use a kiddy cup with a lid.

•i also think he would play with blocks, or those toys where you have to match the shape to the slot! the colors and familiar scent of the wooden toys are really nice.

•plays pretend with his stuffed animals, and takes extra good care of them! he’ll hold them close if they accidentally fell off the bed and make sure they also get tucked in every night <3 they deserve to be looked after too!!

•stranger would probably regress impurely a lot. unfortunately, a lot of the reason he ends up regresses is for stress, and it isn’t always voluntary. but he’s trying to learn ways to take better care of himself when he’s like that, and does his best with utilizing proper coping strategies.

•he might get overwhelmed easily. i feel like he would have to remind himself to breathe or needs a small plushie/comfort item in his pocket to calm himself down.

•as a whole, stranger uses his regression to cope with everything around him. things aren’t always easy, but it gives him a chance to slow down and remember that there is always tomorrow. that things are going to be okay.

[evansbby]

fuckkk this au is going to haunt me honestly feel like when ari realizes up until she dies is the angstiest moments

You remember when you used to clench his arms when he fucked you, stared into his eyes, hoping, please choose me. 

This is me trying. 

And you tried. With the baby. With everything.

Even if you died, you’d love the baby until your last breath. Then one day, Ari did a complete turn-around. The man who used to ignore you would bring dinner to you, massage your legs, give you a little more freedom to roam around. Ask where you were. Worry about you.

It was the baby, you knew that. 

At least when you were gone, he would love it to his very last breath, too.

“Are you heading out tonight?” You ask, shoving around the food on your plate. Your appetite’s disappeared drastically, and you force yourself to eat the nutrients for the baby—it’ll be bad if you didn’t—only to throw some of it up. Ari leaving for his ex-girlfriend didn’t help, but you can’t complain when you were the one who basically tore them apart, right? As a romanticist, you are the villain in the story: the least you could do is not complain when he leaves. 

The man in front of you—who you can’t believe you married—grunts. “I’ll be back.”

“Have fun with—” You pause. Are you two even close enough for you to call his ex-girlfriend’s name? Still his current lover. You mull over the last few weeks, where you headed to the doctor’s appointment together and ate dinner in respective silence. It was pretty nice, actually. The first dinner that Ari stayed through. He probably hated looking at you, but he did, for a whole hour and a half.

“Sharon,” you blurt as the man moves to open the door. “I genuinely mean it, I swear. I hope you have a good time with her.” 

The smile you’re wearing resembles more of a grimace, but it’s fine. It’s fine. At the very least, you wanted to be friends before the baby came. 

Ari pauses from where he is. Turns. His voice is low when he asks, “You think I’m visiting Sharon?”

It’s fine. He didn’t want you to know. It’s fine. 

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” you force out a laugh. “She did come first in your life, and I might have to concede to that. I mean, I’m sure that if I had a lover—”

“Fuck no,” his voice slices through and adds to the tense atmosphere. “You have someone else?”

Oh, God, this is awkward. And he looks ready to shoot you. “Uh, no, but I’m just saying that if you have one there’s nothing wrong with… it?” 

He stares at you for a few seconds. Clenches his jaw. “I’m not visiting fucking Sharon.”

The door slams in his wake. 

+

You must’ve been dreaming the moment. 

Writing in your diary, you place the pen to the side with a sigh. In your head, you’ve memorized the trace of Ari’s fingers across your face, pushing your hair back as he held you in your sleep. You can even feel the soft press of his lips as he kissed your forehead, the way he let you bury your face in his neck. 

Why was he acting this way? 

Another sigh—men. 

Flipping through the pages, you take out a photo. The ultrasound with your baby. A healthy boy, soon to be born. You smile and trace its small form. It’ll be a mini-Ari, that’s for sure. He’s already strong, kicking and moving about. 

It’s just a shame that you can’t see him grow. How much you loved him already. 

God. Hands trembling, you take in a deep, shaky breath. Just the thought of death make you scared like crazy, but the thought of not having a baby at all felt like someone was clenching your heart and twisting it. 

He’ll turn out okay. Both of them will. 

For now, you had to be strong for yourself. 

“Looking at the baby?” 

Your spine straightens at the sound of the voice, and you wipe your tears. “Yeah, it’s so cute, isn’t it? I bet he’ll be just like his dad.”

Ari is quiet for his moment as he enters the room, taking off his suit. “And not like his mom?”

“What?” You laugh. “Oh, um, I’m not sure. I don’t think there are very good qualities I have. Unless you’re talking about compassion. I mean, not that you don’t have compassion. I just think I’m a bit too much of a pushover. It’d be nice if he had more of an opinionated personality, so I don’t need to worry about him when…” When I’m gone. “When he’s a grown up and everything.” 

“That’s not true,” Ari says quietly. But his words are like a declaration. “We need more empathetic and gentle people to balance out people like me. To pull them back into the proper headspace.”

“Thanks,” you hesitate. “But I still think it’d be nice if you guys were a father-son duo.”

Ari’s mouth opens and closes. There’s an awkward silence when he goes to hang his outfit. It isn’t until he’s done and about to close the door that he says, “I hope he resembles you.” 

BESTIE??? HELLO??? Are you like… a certified author or something?? Bc this is so good and gripping and well written and LITERALLY WHO ARE YOU?? (you don’t have to tell me, just a hypothetical question since you sent this on anon obviously and I respect that haha)

This is so sad yet beautiful! I wish I could write like this, I can feel the push and pull within Ari!! PLEASE oh my god what the fuck

[finniestoncrane]

Congratulations for your 1.5 k followers!!! 💖💖💖

I'd like to have a particular menu, but I prefer to have a surprise this time, so I'm Here For A Blind Date 😍

About me... Uhm... I'm a cis adult woman, if you want to use a name for me it's Jo, (if for smut purpose, I have a soft spot for BDSM, being a switch but I tend to dominate), I love maths and chemistry, but taking photos and writing are my favourite hobbies, I tend to think logically and I'm shy at first, I have some trust issues, so being afraid of being hurt and abandoned are my best friends (one of my "life advices" is: it's better to stay alone for the rest of my life and to feel being loved by words written by me than to put myself in danger by another person who I'm not so sure about)... I used to dance ballet and to practice Kyokushin (a martial art)... I love all animals, but bees and wasps are my phobia... I don't like pink colour or pastel, I prefer bold ones... I try to be as polite as possible, even if people say I'm too straightforward sometimes 😅🙈 but if people pressure me or have bad manners with me or with people I care, I tend to be harsh and blunt and rude... If I see people needs help, I am more than happy to help them, but if I need help I prefer to work alone and to not bother people... And lastly, I promise, if I have a goal, no one, neither the people I love, can stop me because I'm "just a bit" stubborn 😅🙈🙈🙈...

I... I hope this helps you, if you need other details, you can "call" me Jo 💖💖💖 congratulations again for your milestone 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

💜 blind date 💜 the kitchen is now closed! 🔞minors dni🔞 • masterlist • kofi link • tag: finnie1500 (to follow or to block) a/n: your date's waiting on you. very punctual! very... intense too... 💚

"Hi! Welcome to the Vill-Inn. Your guest is waiting at your table, the gentleman over there playing with our cutlery. If you could... can you ask him to stop? It's threatening the other customers..."

The glint of the elegant silver knife catches your eye as you approach the table. Holding the dulled point against his finger, clutching the handle in his other hand, he drops it as you take your seat and cough, bringing him out of his daydream.

"Sorry... got distracted. My name's Victor. I, uh... prefer going by my surname though. Zsasz. It's got a more... interesting zing to it, don't you think?"

He points the knife at you as he speaks, before lowering it quickly with a sheepish grin.

"Oops, rude of me. I need to remember where I am. What I'm here for."

He offers you the basket of bread, and the knife, along with the plate of butter.

"May I?"

He asks you about yourself as he spreads a couple of slices for you, nodding politely, interested in what you have to say. His eyes light up when you abruptly bring up your interest in BDSM, noticing the subtle hints in his outfit. Leather harness under his suit, the rings on his belt. His smile widens, eyebrows narrowing as he listens intently to your preferences.

Zsasz laughs when you mention you're shy, surprised by the revelation after your quick discussion of kinks. But he assures you he finds it endearing. And your logical, scientific mind assures him that you are treating this with a sincerity and experimental approach, hoping to gain as much data from the date as you can. So he answers all of your questions thoroughly and honestly.

"So, danger doesn't intrigue you? What are you doing on a date with me then?"

His attitude changes when you bring up your feelings about being alone, preferring it to risks with other people. He understands that perfectly well. That you prefer to work alone, to be alone. He's not a huge fan of people himself, although if you know anything about him, you'd have understood that already. You though, he's keen on you already.

Perhaps it's the elegance with which you move, obviously attributable to your experience in dance and martial arts. You're dangerous, clearly. He likes that.

"So, will I be seeing you again?"

Doesn't matter what you say, he's just as determined as you. Or stubborn. Whatever way you put it, he just knows you're two peas in a pod, and he's not planning on letting you get away.

[shindayyume]

Let’s Party •°. *࿐🍷

Pt. 2 of Vanessa’s POV to @simmetrycal’s mystery girl series <3

All credits to Sim for their ocs (ex. Raymond, Ash, Chantelle, and Jia)

『••✎••』

It was yet another long day for Vanessa. Eli was out in school, and she was glued to her seat within the tattoo shop. Just by midday she had already done 3 clients. They were small, simplistic tattoos— but it still takes a toll when you’re constantly holding a needle in your hand.

But finally, it was now time for Vanessa to head onto break before her next appointment.

Just before she can go and grab her purse- a silhouette at the doorway caught her attention.

Ethan.

He leaned against the small entree way, smiling. “Put your wallet down, girl. Cmon, I’ll go buy us lunch.”

~

“What?! How come you didn’t tell me about this guy earlier? Nessi, I’m your brother..” He pouted, taking a saddened bite from his sandwich.

She rolled her eyes, then sighed as she picked at her food. It’s been little over a week since she’s seen that blond haired man. Ever since that day, Vanessa has been unable to get his face out of her head. She’s been cursed with a crush. And she hated it- it made her feel like a pathetic highschooler again.

“Because- I know how you can be. But this one’s different, he seemed really sweet. And he didn’t have a problem with Eli.”

“Right. But- he could be a total jackass just trying to get some game. I mean come on! An eye brow piercing? Seriously? Fuckboy.”

“Collin has one?”

“My point entirely. Now that guys a freak in bed.”

“Ugh,” she groaned. Not irritated by Ethan’s words but- by the fact that she couldn’t stop thinking about the stranger she had met at the dog park.

Ethan chowed down on his food, taking out his phone to do some detective work. All he had was a description given to him by Vanessa- but no matter how little the information, he always finds a way.

“Look, Nessi. I’m not saying *Don’t* shoot your shot. But I don’t trust anyone who’s seemingly this perfect pretty doll. He’s definitely hiding something.”

“See! This is exactly why I didn’t want to tell you. You’re too dramatic,”

“I was right before, wasn’t I?”

A dead silence pans over them, like a pair of scissors slicing the red wire. Ethan was right. The last time she had gotten her hopes up, she was left alone with a kid to raise.

“I’m sorry- sorry.” Maybe a little too far- clearing his throat, “all I’m saying is.. be careful. And if you do mysteriously run into each other again- I will tear out his jugular and make him eat it if he so dares to make a wrong move.” He smiled- purely innocent.

Damnit. She couldn’t help but smile back, nodding. “I doubt I’ll see him again.. I even stay a few extra hours longer than usual at the park now but- I never spot him.”

She scooted her plate across the table, letting him finish it off.

“Must be nice to have a secret admire like that, maybe he gets scared every-time he sees ya and hides in his car” he laughed, “he sounds like a nerd.”

While chatting, he was simultaneously scouring all over the internet. He was having a difficult time.. after all, there are millions of blond men out there. Until he remembered an important detail from her story- into the search he typed,

Jia Taylor.

Bingo.

Instantly a profile popped up. She seemed like a simple woman, the account was old and unused. At first glance, it could be taken as nothing but the average cringey Instagram selfies and environmental photos. Not even in her description did she mention anything about her life. Just her occupation and a sad quote from a TV show.

That is until, he began to scroll. His eyes lit up- spotting an outdated photo from a couple of years ago. It was her, and a blond man. That same man had a singular eyebrow piercing, and even the same squared ear jewelry described by Vanessa.

Holy shit. He thought, quickly clicking on the post- the caption was simple,

‘Dinner with Raymond.’

Okay, nothing to urgently worry about yet.. At least now he has a first name. Taking a better look at the photo- he definitely saw Raymond’s appeal. personally, not his taste but hey, to each their own. Taking the name to google, he searched it up and scavenged through any link he could find. Eventually, he came up on a username-

‘Mrstealyourgirl’

How.. quirky.

Inspecting deeper, the profile belonged to a dark haired man with bright blue eyes. By the name of Ash.

“Damn,” he muttered, not out of interest or appeal.. he genuinely thought the guy was irritable just by looking at his face.

“And I- hm? Ethan, are you even listening??”

He looked up- this whole time Vanessa had been rambling on and he didn’t hear a word. “Uhhh… yesss?” He grinned.

“Right. So as I was saying—“

Aaannnd back to stalking. Scrolling the post, the guy seemed to be fairly popular. The photos he shared basically documented his life. Including the most important people in it- there was a few that included Raymond. More recent too.

There were a few embarrassing photos of Ash and Raymond together, that included them ‘hanging out’ in ways Ethan never considered non romantic.

Starting off normal, out eating lunch together.

The two doing clay face mask.

wearing matching outfits.

Holding hands at work?

And why the hell were so many captions from Ash calling this dude ‘slime’??

Either they are really great friends.. or really great friends.

Now, Ethan knew he could just be reaching, and end up extremely incorrect. But for Vanessa’s sake, he had to consider each and every possibility.

“His names Raymond.” He interrupted.

Vanessa stopped her yapping- confused by what he was talking about. “Who-?”

He turned his phone screen around, showing off the account to her. Taking the phone- she did her own little inspection. “Yeah- that’s him.. how’d you-“

He shrugged, collecting their trash. “I got my ways. He doesn’t have his own account, though. Guess he’s not an internet person”

Deep down, he wanted to mention that Jia person he found. But he decided not to. And he didn’t understand why. Maybe he just wanted to do some more digging first- to get an entire background check on the guy before unleashing Pandora’s box to Vanessa. After all, she was his best friend. The last thing he wanted was for her to be hurt.

And the last thing he needed was an issue.

Her eyes gazed over the post, focusing on those with Raymond in it. He was just as beautiful in photos as he was in person. But she gloomed over not being able to find his account. If she could- she would’ve sent a message by now. Ethan’s voice bringing her back to reality,

“Cmon, I need a cigarette”

~

Returning back to the shop, Ethan stopped at the entrance. Leaning against the wall with a lit cigarette in between his fingers.

Before entering the shop without him, she stopped to give him a glance. “I have one more client for the day.. do you have a soda? I need some sugar to wake me up.”

he nodded, “in the fridge in the back. There’s energy drinks in there too”

“Ew- those are discussing. I’ll do with a Pepsi. See ya,” and just like that, she was off.

Ethan raised the cigar up to his lips, releasing a stream of smoke. Among the mist- a couple caught his eye. Two women were walking their way up to the shops doors, hand in hand.

Upon looking over- He noticed a familiarity to one of the woman’s faces. He didn’t know her personally, no. But he recognized those dark braids on Ash’s Instagram post. This girl was a friend of his. And it sparked his curiosity-

As they approached, he gave them a friendly smile just before they entered bleeding ink.

What a strange coincidence, he thought.

*~ The party ~*

It took some convincing, but with enough persuasion from Collin and Davis.. she got Collin to babysit Eli for the night.

It wasn’t something she was used to, getting dressed up and going to a party was only something she did before she got pregnant. It’s not like she missed it very much. Afterall, she did a lot of stupid decisions during those times.

She had to dig deep into her closet, eventually finding a slim black dress and matching heels. Being that it was old- it was a bit of a tight fit around her figure. Needless to say, she had to do a few jump and bend test to make sure nothing would rip or flash out on her-

After applying some light makeup, she was ready to leave the apartment.

Questioning if this was worth it.

Upon reaching the address, she was surprised to see so many cars parked around. It seemed like it was quite a popular place- though how could it not be? The house was gorgeous. Giant windows, and a grand entrance fit for royalty to walk on.. there was no way she would fit into this scene- and for a while , she waited in her car just staring. hesitant to even step foot out of her vehicle- who would really notice if she were to chicken out and turn her car around….

But no.

This was her chance to relax, and enjoy herself for once…

And maybe give her the opportunity to get Raymond out of her head.

As she stepped through the main doors, she started to feel the loud bumping of the speakers in her own chest. They raced with her heart, mostly out of nerves. The place was comfortably crowded- but it felt so claustrophobic as she took a long look around. Not a single face she could recognize. It was just a room full of strangers and bad habits to her-

Until she heard a familiar voice shout from the crowd. Despite the room being so loud and overwhelmed with different sounds- she heard it clear as day.

“Hey!-“

Raymond.

He was there, in the middle of it all. And honestly it made her want to laugh, he looked more out of place than she did. Raising her hand up to her face to cover her giggles- but needless to say, her stress washed away to find that she did in fact know somebody here.

“Hi!”

They began to walk forwards one another, meeting in the middle. “I had no idea you’d be here?” She questioned him, because why would someone like Raymond out of all people be in a party like this? Was he secretly an animal?

Though, as she looked up to him and waited for an answer- she noticed him blanking again. The same gawking stare he had gave her when they first met. It seems like anytime she speaks during his zoning out, her words just fly through one ear and out the other…

It made her nervous. If she would have known he’d be here, she would have dressed nicer.. or maybe put some more effort into her hair or makeup. Though with his staring, she felt like she was being watched by a lion ready to pounce at her. Making a nervous smile- “You okay?”

He stood there, starstruck and glued to the floor. But luckily for them, an unexpected ice breaker broke out-

There was a loud thump from behind them, and of course it was Ash’s doing. He had thought of the brilliant idea to climb the flimsy table they had set up beer pong with. It collapsed underneath him, causing him to flip back and crack the table in two straight out of a cartoon. The half filled cups flew and landed on a few standby victims.

Vanessa recognized his face. It was the same guy displayed in the photos with Raymond- must be the reason why Ray was here in the first place.

Being a panicked mother, her natural instincts came in as she rushed over to help. “Jesus- are you okay??” She loomed over Ash- who was completely knocked out on the ground and broken table pieces. A few others were quick to come surround him- Raymond too.

“Shit- let’s get him on the couch..”

A woman approached, the same woman Vanessa had tattooed recently- she’s the entire reason why she’s here in the first place..

“Be careful- he might’ve hit his head.”

Carefully, Raymond was able to relocate Ash from the ground to the nearby couch. They all waited to see if he would come to or possibly need to be rushed to the hospital- but eventually, his eyes began to open.

His gaze crossed over Raymond and Chantelle. Then stopped on Vanessa- causing her to lean forward a bit, still keeping a good distance from Ash’s face. “Are you okay?”

He attempted to seat himself up, to which she stopped him- pressing her hand lightly against his open chest. “Just lay here for a moment. You had a pretty big fall” she smiled, in attempt to comfort the guy.

Though that smile might have changed once Ash grabbed her hand- She didn’t know if it was on purpose, but the hold had caused her hand to ‘slip’ in the direction further down his shirt. He gave her this dazed look that just spilled of hopeless puppy.

Oh god.

Ash, was no where near her interest. To her, she saw him as some scruffy little kid.

To make that clear, she bashfully pulled her hand away. “My son tends to trip a lot, he’s normally better after settling down for a bit.”

“Thank you, Miss pink hair..” he mutters, dramatically throwing his arm over his head as if he were dying to an arrow in the chest.

Seeing his drama, Chantelle quickly left the scene.

“Oh- it’s Vanessa.” She corrected. That seemed to trigger interest- noticing Ash give Raymond a smug look. Man was this guy weird-

Besides her, Raymond cleared his throat. “This is my boss, Asher.”

Boss??!

This thing is Raymond’s boss?

“Nice to meet you.” She avoids taking his hand again, to not further cause injury of course… but to her surprise, Raymond introduces himself as well. Suppose it’s best that he doesn’t know she already is aware of his name- shaking his hand.

His grip is firm, yet soft. Neither of them wanted to let go of one another. Instead of breaking it he ask, “How about we take this somewhere more private?”

And of course, she happily agrees.

From the couch, Ash also agrees. “Oh that’s a great idea!” He reaches his arms out, fully expecting Raymond to lift him up so all three of them can disappear to chat. Though, he is ignored. Both Vanessa and Raymond zip right past him.

“You’re just going to leave me here??”

She is led outdoors, to this beautiful and large pool area. Whoever owns this house must be quite the amazing individual.

Their hands finally disconnect, and for a brief moment there’s a bit of regret from the both of them.

“So.. that’s your boss?” He laughed. “Is he always so…”

“Unfortunately, yes, he is.” He chuckled back. He seemed unfazed by it, like it was a common occurrence.

“Is he younger than you? He seems fresh out of college.” It was still hard to believe. There was no way Raymond was working for someone like Ash.

“He might as well be. This is the first party of his that I’ve been to after years of him asking.”

“Woah, okay Mr. Popular” she teased. She thought so. Raymond didn’t seem like this was his crowd.

He laughed, walking her towards the edge of the empty pool. Maybe to sneak more glances at her through the water reflection. Just to avoid him staring directly too much. “How do you like it so far? The party I mean.”

To be fair, she has hardly had much of an experience yet. But.. “I wasn’t. Until now,” in an attempt to hide her smile, she also turned her attention to the water. Though Raymond fully caught it.

“You know, I was actually really hoping I’d see you again after-“

Their moment was cut short as Vanessa felt a harsh push- a group of young men had ran out from the building, tossing an object so far that the one catching wasn’t paying much attention. Bumping right into Vanessa.

She made a light gasp as she slipped forward. Feeling Raymond’s hand wrap around her waist.

They both plummeted into the pool.

She had resurfaced before Raymond, taking a moment to process what just happened. But instinctively, she began to laugh and push aside her now soaked hair that covered her face. After getting her vision back, she swam to the edge and pulled herself up. Noticing Raymond follow right after her.

Before she could continue to make a joke out of it, she remembered that her phone was tucked away in her pocket- panicked as she pulled it out.

Nonono.

This was her only way of contact in case anything happened with Eli- she attempted to turn it on, but of course not even a single light flickered. “You’ve got to be kidding me..” she sat at the pull edge, still soaked and now sulking over her broken phone.

She notices Raymond’s shadow stand above her- extending his hand out for her to take. She turned her head up, the first thing her eyes went to was his belt buckle. Then his face.

And everything blanked.

Suddenly her phone wasn’t much of a concern anymore- reaching up and taking Raymond’s hand as he helped her back onto her feet.

Seemed like Raymond knew his way around- he walked her over to pool house not far. It was warm and cozy, providing them both with some life saving towels. She thanks him as he hands her one, using it to dry her hair.

All seems fine, until she notices Raymond start to unbutton his top and remove his shirt- wringing out the extra water.

She doesn’t notice her face redden, nor does she realize how hard she was staring. He’s toned, and perfectly built. It was impossible for a man to look this good.

He catches her stare, laughing. “Oh, sorry- I didn’t mean to strip like that.” A hint of embarrassment in his tone

“Oh no- it’s fine.. I would do the same but, I’m only wearing the dress,”

She doesn’t know why she felt the need to say that, but it clearly irked him on.

“i feel that,” he says, then backtracks. “i mean i- i don’t feel that- not like i know what that’s like but i just mean— i would agree that that’s, um, understandable”

Her heart melted. For a guy with such a stern demeanor, was quite the softie.

She heard sudden ringing coming from him- causing him to stumble for his phone. While he was busy with that, she walked a few steps to the neatly set up bed. She couldn’t help but notice how they had a moment of solitude now- no interruptions like that the park..

She laid out the towel in her hands against the edge of the bed. Speaking as she did so, “You know, it’s a bit quieter here..”

her words had caught Raymond’s attention. His eyes drifting from the contact on his phone to her.

She stretched her body out, taking a seat on the edge of the bed and looked up to him. With her hair and dress still damp, she knew it was partially see through. and her mascara was ever so slightly ruined by the water.

She still had a few tricks up her sleeve after all these years.

And it was working.

She watched as Raymond’s temperature in his face rose up, showing his eagerness as she was now at the same height of his hips.

Though she noticed him freeze up, clearly panicked and nervous. Maybe he wasn’t so interested in jumping to sleep with her.. her chest sunk as she as just about to suggest returning to the party. But to her surprise-

He joined her. Forcing her to lean back further as he hovered over her body- despite having fell in the pool, she can feel the body heat radiating off of him. And with their faces only inches apart, she could now smell the rich scent of whisky on him.

She thought in her head for a moment, about how the smell could just be from a spill at the party.. but she was curious, if it was really just his decision to have a few drinks. To find out for herself, she opted to get a taste of it.

Meeting their lips together into a surprisingly sweet kiss.

She let her eyes fall closed, noticing a few hiccups in Raymond’s actions. She wanted to giggle- starting them off slowly with the slow kiss, and letting him open up to it. The soft touch alone was enough to get him breathless- hearing him take a short break by groaning his sexual frustration out.

As if it couldn’t be anymore obvious on the poor guy.

Her arms find their way around Raymond’s neck, and she deepened the kiss by guiding her tongue in.

At the same time, he could feel one of his hands get tangled in her hair. And the other inching its way underneath the bottom of her dress. She hummed through his lips- begging for him to use his hand to explore every inch of her body.

But he didn’t.

He broke away from the kiss, and Vanessa was surprised to see this saddened look on his face. It reminded her of a lonely kitten behind bars.

“I’m sorry,” He whispers.

“What for?”

“I- I don’t know.. I don’t want to take advantage of you..” to make it even worse, he completely backs away- leaving her to pick up his shirt and throw it back on.

It was completely unexpected, and she couldn’t process it fast enough for his words to break her heart. “You aren’t,”

“I’d rather be with you completely sober.” He admits, his back turned to her. She’s unsure if it’s his alcoholic mind talking, or if she genuinely isn’t as desirable as she made herself out to be.

Truthfully though, she can tell he was completely serious about it. And the more she thought about the situation, the more she realized it was probably for the best.

Especially with them being at some strangers home, unknowingly ruining their property for a one night stand.

She gives him a nod, meeting his understanding.

She watches as he turns back around, now having fixed all the buttons on his shirt. Asking a shocking question,

“are you hungry?”

~

She would have never imagined she’d end up in the passenger seat of his car.

And his very own home.

The two had an amazing time together. Raymond offered to cook, which was a first for her. Normally she was the one making meals for her and Eli. So it was nice, to finally get a break.

And gods, was Raymond a chef in the kitchen. With each bite, her taste buds melted at the flavor. She was eternally grateful, and made sure he knew that.

After dinner, and some quick laughs between one another, Vanessa thought it would be best to return home. Of course, Raymond offered to take her. But just before they could make it to the door..

Crack.

A loud cackle and drum of thunder followed. It sounded quite furious- starting heavy rainfall outdoors.

“Maybe we shouldn’t risk it,”

She nods, “probably for the best..”

“You might even.. have to spend the night.” He teases the offer confidently.

Vanessa raised a brow, seductively leaning herself closer against his body. “Is that so?”

“It’s so.”

“And where would I sleep? Do you have a guest room?”

“I’ll let you find it.”

And like giddy teenagers, the two rush upstairs. She couldn’t help but notice how beautiful his home is laid out. From the coloring of the floors and walls, to the simple decor on the shelves. And of course, the single bedroom.

“You liar. This was all just a wild goose chase.” She stood at the doorway, crossing her hands with a smile.

“Was it?” He slips past her, opening one of the drawers to take out a clean shirt and pants. He fiddles with his watch for a moment, removing it.

“Were you trying to get me to lay in bed with you? You should have just asked,”

She’s taken back by him approaching, handing out the top to her. “Sleep in my bed.” It was hardly a question, more so a begging demand from him.

How could she say no.

She accepts the shirt from him, huffing. “Look away,” he turns obediently, and she begins to strip.

She replaces her clothing with his shirt, which might as well just been another dress. Luckily it was long enough to cover the fact that she didn’t prepare shorts underneath her previous gown.

“You can look now.” And he turns, taking the dress from her hands that she had folded up.

“*Look away,*” he mocks, and she is obliged to turn around. For the most part she’s turned away, but she couldn’t help but to slightly tilt her head, grabbing a peek-

And she’s startled to find Raymond’s eyes meet with hers. “I thought I told you to look away?” He was finished dressing anyways, pulling his sweatpants comfortably around his hips.

She rolled her eyes, fully turning to face him now. He's topless, and it’s distracting.

“You don’t sleep with a shirt?”

“Not usually.” He admits, watching as Vanessa climbed into his very own bed.

The cushion was soft, and the blankets even more so. It caused her to melt as she sprawled her back against the linen. His bed was larger than hers, a king. She’d never had so much space before…

Naturally, Raymond was enjoying her watching her stretch out on his bedding.

“How do you stay warm?”

“Well, there are some ways.” She begins to flick off the lights, keeping a far lamp warmly lit. “Like blankets and..”

“Human contact,”

He joins her in bed, laying pressed up against her side. His hand instinctively placing himself along her outer thigh. Using it to tug her closer than they already were.

“Why don’t you demonstrate?” She purrs out, inching her face closer to his until they meet again in another kiss.

It doesn’t last long however, as Raymond breaks away to instead wrap his arms around her waist. Hugging her against his chest. She can feel his heartbeat at this point- and other things..

she can tell he’s almost- fearful. Scared to do the wrong thing and move this any further. Even if they weren’t meant to spend a night of passion together, she was just as happy to have someone protecting her throughout the night for once.

It was… nice. Raymond provided a different type of warmth for her.

One so gentle and caring that she could easily see herself staying her. Not just for one night, either.

She feels his hand move aside her hair, exposing her neck for him to leave a stubble trail of kisses against her skin.

It felt unreal, as if she was already dreaming. But to her surprise, Raymond’s kisses, and the loud roaring of thunder and raindrops hitting his window only further helped her drift off to sleep.

~

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

I may have rushed to complete this one so please excuse any mistakes or hiccups in the writing 😅 but hopefully it was enjoyable anyways, Ty for reading 🫶🏼