#i can’t reduce it all to ��one thing that hurts the most’
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monstersholygrail · 4 months ago
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In a Free Use City, your knowledge on the subject of your job isn’t always what’s most important. And in your case, it’s the least important. You were actually known as quite a ditz in the Free Use City Offices.
You worked in the tech department surrounded by a bunch of hot and nerdy guys who spoke in yours you couldn’t even begin to understand. You were just happy to be there and they were happy to ogle you and press against you whenever you asked for their help with any simple task.
They thought they had the upper hand on you, thinking they were so clever. But you had them all on a leash. An entire department at your disposal to give you pleasure whenever you wanted.
Your favorite man to bother was IT Robot. He got his work done fast and spent the rest of the day goofing off. The easy air around him made him approachable and the way all his shirts fit snugly against his bulging pecs made you drip with need.
You can’t help but spare him another glance before hesitantly returning your gaze to your own computer, the screen filled with the program you still haven’t figured out. Great, now you were confused and horny.
“Need me for something?” IT Robot’s voice suddenly purrs into your ears. His steel-like grip grabbing onto your plush hips and pulling you back into his hard chest.
His body molds to yours so perfectly it has you tingling all over. Arousal gushing and soaking through your panties. He turns you on so bad even when he barely did anything but it was like your body was out of control. As if it could be programmed just for him when he was the robot.
“Help… I hurt,” you say with a pout, your mind turning to complete mush whenever you’re around him.
IT Robot flashes you with that charming lopsided smile of his, heavily amused by the puddle you melt into whenever he talks to you.
“Where does it hurt, huh? It hurt here?”
He caresses your soft belly with an appreciation that borders on worship before one hand slips beneath your skirt, nuzzling his fingers between your soaked folds.
“Or here?” He asks while the other gives a little pat on your head.
A low whine escapes your lips as he rolls his fingers over your clit, your hips jerking into the touch. And that’s all it takes to have IT Robot plunging three of his fingers deep into your cunt, making you gasp and tremble in his arms.
“That’s what I thought… Don’t worry your pretty little head, I’ll fix the issue right away. It’s what I do after all.”
Your vision blurs as you dive into the pleasure head first. Choking out harsh moans as IT Robot’s fingers move inside you with precision like he has an entire map of your pretty pussy printed in his head. His fingers move in a blur as they pump themselves inside you, hitting all the right places that have you seeing stars. Each curl of his fingers sends your pussy fluttering and clenching down around him.
“Squeeze me tight, honey, ngh c’mon! Don’t think about a thing, just focus on being my pretty baby. My good girl.”
His words send the last thoughts in your head flying out the window, reducing you to nothing but his perfect little fuck toy. Your body relaxes without having to worry about a thing, allowing the ecstasy to overwhelm you.
IT Robot chuckles again as that fucked out expression fills your features. He flattens his palm so that it rubs hard against your clit with every snap of his fingers. With a few quick movements it has you falling over the edge and exploding all over his hand. Your vision flashes white as your orgasm rolls through you and you can’t find the strength to move any of your limbs after.
But that’s alright, IT Robot will take care of you, his fingers slipping out of your pulsing cunt with a pop, and giving your temple a soft kiss. He doesn’t bother cleaning up his hand dripping with your cum as he starts typing on your computer, solving the issue with the program you were using, and successfully helping you with both your aches.
“There, there. I’ve got you, pretty. Just keep feelin’ good. All because of me,” he whispers in your ear. Planning to spend the rest of the day doing all your work for you.
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vatelixx · 6 months ago
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The enormity of my desire (disgusts me),
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Early seasons (1 — start of 2) Spencer Reid x afab!BAU!reader
SMUT (and fluff, some angst in relation to Spencer’s past because it can never be too happy, we’re not allowed nice things here). first times & explorations of intimacy.
──── autistic spencer (it’s a central theme to the plot), reader is actually morally good (for once).
Warnings: sub spencer (what did u even expect?), heavy corruption kink, first time for Spencer (all i do is sit around and think about how i’d like to devirgin that genius), HEAAVY praise kink, very very inexperienced Spencer, slight? oral fixation, they’re both just rlly down bad (i told u i would write something light, i delivered), Reader is whipped, Spencer is sooo much worse. Biblical references, Religious imagery, i think i talk about math equations???? And random metaphors/complexes.
w.c: 4k
a/n: i rlly wanted to explore aspects of spencer that criminal minds swept under the rug (cough cough his undiagnosed autism, cough cough his social exclusion, cough cough his crippling fear of forever being alone).
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There’s a lot Spencer hasn’t done.
He knows he’s behind, that he never quite caught up when it came to the taboo of sex and intimacy. Everything, everything, he’s ever had has been centred around exclusion, alienation, he feels like he’s lived on pause. Frozen, never advancing, stuck on ‘go’. Touch isn’t easy for him, interpersonal relationships are worse. He’s different, god he’s heard that his entire life. ‘You’re not weird, you’re just… different’, but maybe he is weird. Maybe his whole existence is just one big cosmic fuck you, because he’s missed out on so much, so much that he can’t understand, comprehend, act out against. Falling behind; this is the only area of life where he continuously comes up short, inexperienced, naive, he’s not used to being incompetent.
He’s never experienced want the way others do. He could never just hook up, fall into the body of another, expose them to the vulnerable elements of his stature. Open himself up to scrutiny. He might be a genius, he might be intellectually advanced, accepted into a multitude of ivy leagues before he was old enough to vote, but there’s drawbacks to his success. Social awkwardness, an inability to blend, mould, be one of the crowd. Sometimes he wishes he was average, something grey and mundane, so far reduced from the person he is now— it would all be plainly simple.
But he’s not, he’s not. So, this is the weight he has to bare for the brain he never asked for.
Pyrrhic victory, he’ll always be renowned for his intelligence. ‘You’re going to change the world kid,’ maybe, but simultaneously, he’ll never get to experience said world. There’s a chance he’ll always be on the outside, watching normal people gravitate towards each other. Live dreary lives of domesticated simplicity. Stacked bills, arguments over money and parenting techniques. Going to bed angry, only to turn around, mid-night, and resolve it, to not sleep on bad blood. To take them off the couch, to settle into predestined sides of the mattress.
There’s not enough possessions in the world he’d sacrifice just to experience love.
Hedgehog dilemma, the challenges of human intimacy. The hedgehogs want to move closer, to preserve heat during cold. But, they are forced, biologically cursed to remain apart, in order to prevent themselves from harming each other. Spencer doesn’t want to be hurt, to hurt, it’s a morbid byproduct of his upbringing; all he ever endured was mockery.
He thought he’d never get to experience the physical, carnal aspects of existence. And sure, he made peace with the notion, accepted the consequences of being born atypical. Learnt to live without.
But then, oh then there was you. Pretty, intellectual you who quite literally tipped his world on it’s axis. Upheaved the most stable of routines. New to the BAU, he wanted you to last. To stay around, endure the worst of the job. If only for his selfish benefit of orbiting in your presence.
He remembers how it all started: Detroit, another case, more budget cuts, forced proximity that sent you spiralling into a shared bed for the night.
“You’re my favourite person in the team.” you admitted, “And I know that’s dumb, because we’ve spoken the least, but… you’re just, so you. That’s a good thing by the way, a really really good thing.”
He couldn’t quite believe you were talking about him. Spencer, who spilt coffee, and slipped into ceaseless tangents about obscure information. Spencer, who walked into walls when you were around, stumbling over his sentences before deftly, very astutely, giving up, walking away mid-conversation. He wore sweater-vests and colourful mismatched socks, it’s not like he was going to be crowned ‘white boy of the month’.
“Not dumb.” Spencer had responded, shifting closer to tangle further into the warm mess of this accidental situation. “That’s good. I like being me.” he mumbled. “Sometimes…. sometimes it sucks. But that’s okay. I think it’s okay?”
He moved to press his face into the crook of your neck, but you were faster, gathering him by tousled hair, forcing him to look you in the eye.
Oh.
“Please. Please.” he whispered, breaking apart, fracturing, “Please like me. And more than in a weird, ‘just friends or coworkers’ way.”
You did. You do. He should’ve kissed you then, but maybe he was scared, maybe he couldn’t quite discern his feelings, separate the logic from the emotional. So he waited, waited, waited until now. Your third date, you take him to an exhibition within a science centre: replica models of the solar system, filling rooms up, papier-mâché sculptures illuminated by light.
Best date ever. You listen, even when he’s rambling about planets, when he’s pointing out that yes, Jupiter’s density is less than water. That, technically, it would float in a bathtub, if one was built to accommodate its size. You don’t care that he’s not exactly the staple-piece for conventionally attractive males. That he’s nerdish, and awkward, and so so inexperienced when it comes to this.
In his apartment, later, much later, he looks at you, looks at you like you’re the one who just solved the fucking Riemann hypothesis.
“What do you want the most? Like,… if you could ask for one thing.” you say, and god, Spencer loves when you pose these deep, hypothetical questions. When you make him think, because you, you are the biggest challenge to his intellect yet.
You. He wants to say. But he settles for ‘Being remembered,’ instead. He works to untangle layers of fabric, your scarf, your jacket, letting out an exasperated laugh when he meets your amused gaze. “Right now though? I think I’d settle for kissing you.”
You cup his jaw, tracing your fingers along the sharp curve, and god he has perfect anatomy. “Settle huh? You should be more appreciative.”
He leans forward to press a chaste kiss against your lips. Drawing away for a moment, just to return because he’s never had this before. Because for the first time in his life, he gets it. He gets physical attraction, even if it took time. He’s kissed, been kissed, yes. But he could count those moments on one hand, and if you asked how many he truly enjoyed, he’d be left with no fingers raised.
“Believe me, i’m very appreciative…”
This isn’t like before, what he felt in the past; he expected something monotone, flighty, a brief fleeting moment of satisfaction. Means to an end. No, it’s actually the best thing he’s ever experienced, and he’s going to become so insufferable after this, because he’s just found out he is very very into kissing.
Correction: he’s very into kissing you.
In the moment between parting, and touching again, he assumes you to be divinity personified. Spencer has never been religious, but something of this magnitude should be canonised. He wants to ask you. Ask you when you became this beautiful. When you became the person he needs to kiss a second time, kiss a third time, kiss until his lips go numb.
A shaky inhale, a pause. “I hope… I hope that it was okay - I mean, it was good for me. Really, really good. Um—“ to be honest, he’s just glad he didn’t say thankyou.
“Yeah, Spence. That was… wow.” you draw your bottom lip between teeth, press into tissued flesh. Jesus Christ. “Wanna try again?”
Yes yes yes yes. He looks at you, pupils blown obscenely out of proportion. Part of him wants to say, ‘why didn’t we do this sooner?’ But that’s not fair; he’s only ready now. Now that he feels, now that he might be a little in love with you.
“Please,” is his answer, and then he’s catching your face in the palms of his hand, tugging your lips back to his, because admittedly, they have ached in the long, extensive period you were apart (53 seconds).
This time it deepens and Spencer sees stars. It’s an astronomical phenomenon, something interstellar— and god, he’s relating kissing to space. They should just tape the word ‘virgin’ to his back and call it a day.
There’s soft little breathy sighs escaping his mouth now, bleeding into yours. And yeah, spontaneous combustion might be a real threat. Actually no, it would hardly be spontaneous; there’s a clear, clear cause, and it just so happens to be your ruinous lips.
This is an entirely new facet of the human experience. The kiss is electric; he’s always been partial toward physics, and right now his veins carry an alternating current.
You know, he could probably write a thesis based on this.
You both stumble back back back until he’s hitting a wall, and yes, thankyou. He’s making all sorts of sounds he can’t justify, and it’s a supernova, an infinite black pool of— oh, he thinks he might die, ascend, transcend, when you press your thumb against his chin, hold your lips at just a little slant from his. Force him to wait there.
“Please,” he’s never been above begging. A worthy sacrifice, one he’ll certainly repeat again because you return to the kiss, and the world around him dissolves.
You’ve got one hand tangled in his hair. Tousled auburn, fingers sinking into strands, pushing all the way down to the root. The other is still cupping his face, keeping him close, keeping him selfishly close actually.
“Spence,” you murmur. And yes. Yes. He likes that. The way his name sounds rolling off your tongue, like it was destined to be there. Like he was destined to be yours.
His world is ending. So is yours. Fuck it, he presses himself against your thigh, and ohmygodohmygod. He’s being loud, he’s actually being so criminally loud right now because apparently he’s the most whorish virgin to ever exist.
“I lied, I lied,” he admits between messy kisses, “When you asked what I wanted the most? It’s not to be remembered, well it is, its on the list. But—“ he groans, kisses you again because talking interrupts matters that are more important. Like your lips.
“I wanna cum.”
Eloquent.
Spencer Reid being dirty? Oh, it’s hot, it’s so hot to reduce someone to such an obscene state. To reduce him, the boyish fumbling nerd (who just so happens to be the most beautiful person in existence) to such a degrading mess.
Still, there’s shock. Not because he said it (you greatly appreciate the indecent things falling from those pretty lips right now), but because—
“You’ve never? Haven’t even experienced it once? By yourself?”
He should be embarrassed, but his lips are red, his eyes are glassy, and the bulge in his pants is straining to be touched. “Never,” he sighs shakilly. “Never, and i’m— i’m starting to understand why it’s so popular.”
He whimpers, pushes himself against your thigh, because the friction, yes. “Is that weird? Please don’t think i’m weird. Because I’m really, really weird. Just maybe… not in that way?”
It’s never been enough. His body sometimes feels numb to the touch, and yet still so very overstimulated. Like he manually blocks himself from feeling, already prepared for the flinch. How does he explain that life hasn’t been kind to him? That he hates his body because of what people made it out to be when he was a child. Stripping him naked, tying him to a goalpost, always the underdog. The one to be targeted, tormented.
“It’s actually kinda hot,” you interrupt his thoughts, and just because you’re evil, corrupt, the worst, you press your thigh harder against his clothed cock, palm covering his mouth when a plethora of whiny sounds escape his mouth.
It’s performative, really. Alone in his apartment, there’s no need for noise control. So when your thumb slips between parted, swollen lips, he knows to suck. The average human hand has between 10,000 and 10 million bacteria, and Spencer does not actually give a fuck anymore.
“To think that you’ve never even felt what it’s like. That you’re gonna feel it with me for the first time. I get to see that shit— god, you’re going to look so fucking pretty for me.”
You draw your thumb out of his mouth, and he has the audacity to whine.
He’s never wanted anything more in his entire life. It’s all tertiary now. Only this matters.
“Please don’t praise me—“ he protests, “I’ll probably finish in my pants.”
“Praise kink, noted.”
You laugh, and he can only groan, curse existence for being this cruel to his overworked, undervalued body. “Don’t— don’t laugh. You’re not supposed to laugh, that can heighten performance anxiety. Increase insecurity, and…” he sighs, “You do not care. Sadistic tendencies, noted.”
“Shut up. Wanna see you.” you say, and he’s just muttering breathless mhm’s, too delirious to function; his body is betraying the last iota of self-control like the little whore it apparently is.
His sweater comes off first, then his top. Discarded fabric, his raised arms when you mutter a candid ‘up’, giving way to exposed skin. In response? Your pupils dilate. Spencer knows because he’s analysing, profiling. If you hate him like this, he’s fairly certain he’ll drag himself into a self-dug early grave. He wishes he was being melodramatic. That your approval didn’t have such a substantial impact on his carefully-constructed ego. But, oh, it does. It does.
Thin, with a long, defined torso, he blushes, rose blemished skin, when your hands drag across his stomach. He’d love to say he reacts sanely, suavely. Urbane to your touch. But that would be a total, discreditable lie. Instead, his back arches, seeking contact, following the path of your fingertips with pitiful desperation. He feels malleable, willing to bend and contort, if only to feel more.
“How can you not think you’re pretty, Spence?” His pants are gone next, then his stained boxers, fabric borderline sheer now, soaked through with pre-cum.
Spencer feels betrayed. His body never responds, not to his own hands, not to his own thoughts. And yet, the moment you’re on him, he’s a live-wire. It’s sick, heinous, double-crossing. Maybe it’s purposeful, done just to spite him. Figures.
“Holy shit, look at you. Look at how perfect you are.” Spencer wants to object, because he distinctly told you not to praise him. However,.. right now, the lights are on but nobody is home. Brain-death, he’s certainly in a vegetative state.
“Ohmygodohmygod,” he whimpers, because no amount of knowledge about human anatomy and physiology could prepare him for how he feels under your touch. No amount of education in the psychology of relationships could inform him of how viscerally wrong the way you look at him feels.
Because it’s not wrong, not all. It’s the most right he’s ever felt, and he’ll tell you that if you’ll just keep it up.
The sounds he’s making are phonographic, lewd, you’ve given up on trying to stifle them now. Where have you been hiding? Your eyes fall, and he wants to blush away from the exhibiting gaze, but he’s just…. too far gone; the thought of your touch outweighs any previous reticence. Then, oh then, you drop to your knees, and shit. He expected your thigh, maybe your hand if he was lucky, not—
This. Your mouth, your tongue, your pretty lips; god, god, is this a sin? Because if it is, he’ll take it.
“Please,” he whines, and he can’t look anymore because the sight alone is going to send him over the edge. He’s gripping the wall, scrambling scrambling for purchase, because he’s trying not to grip you, but how exactly does he keep this respectful?
He’s pretty sure they’re past that, considering your mouth is currently wrapped around his cock, and he’s debauched.
You want this, you want him, he feels like he’s transcended humanity, like he’s become someone, anyone and anything, that deserves the way you’re taking him apart, piece by piece. In the aftermath, he hopes you don’t leave a single ounce of him intact.
“Wanna kiss you. Oh— oh oh,” he’s sobbing now, “Come back here. Miss your mouth— even if it’s,” he looks down and that’s a mistake. “Please.”
Of course it would be Spencer to disrupt the best (and admittedly only) head of his life because he needs you closer.
You oblige, raising from your knees, and Spencer thinks it might be sacrilegious. But then again, he feels religion in your touch so it can’t be too profane. Maybe? He’s not sure, he’s not sure and it doesn’t matter. Ethics and morality have long since disintegrated, sins are engrained into humankind. He almost wants to thank Eve for tearing into the apple, because it’s allowed this irreverence to occur.
Spencer blindly follows you through the apartment, stumbling and muttering until he can collapse against the bed. Baring his pretty neck as his head hits the bedframe. Tangled in sheets, draped over his lap, his deft fingers run across your waist, mapping out the structure of your frame. If only to remember, recite this act of blasphemy.
“Spence,” you whisper, and then his lips are crashing into yours, stealing breath, stealing sanity. He whimpers, murmurs a protest when you draw back, and you can only laugh. “Lets get you off, yeah? You wanna feel an orgasm, pretty boy?”
“Yes, yes please. That would uh— yes.” he’s not even sure how he’s conscious right now. His body, god his body, has endured more pleasure in the last hour than it has for the majority of his life. Your hands scathe, and Spencer is willing to indefinitely burn, if just to feel them one more time.
You only stop to take off your clothes, and surely there needs to be prep? To reaffirm, he knows anatomy, the correct procedure, how the transgression is supposed to occur. And yet, that’s from a clinical, objective mindset. Do this, do that, etc etc. Nothing works out like that in practice.
You’re so wet, panties stained through, he spares a moment to run his fingers across your thighs, hand slipping beneath fabric to graze your clit. The moan that follows has him distracted, thumb tracing circlets, over and over until you’re pulling back to return the balance. The balance, which admittedly is skewed, tipped scales, you’re on top. He falls to the weight of your influence.
And yeah, he’s more than fine with that. Jesus, you drag your panties down, down your thighs, your legs, then they’re reaching your ankles, pooling there for a moment before they’re being discarded, tossed somewhere on his floor — leaving behind a souvenir that yes, yes this happened.
“I can’t,” he says, burying his face into your shoulder when you take him. It’s slow, sinking onto his cock like every inch of warmth will destroy him. Maybe it will. Maybe he doesn’t care, because he deserves this. He deserves to feel after so much repression.
Or maybe, maybe he’s just become the biggest slut known to mankind. Likely.
Your body presses against his, and he thinks he’s going to disintegrate, because he feels so good. He understands now, he understands why people do this. Why it’s integral to the function of most. This is the best day of his life. This. Is. The. Best. Day. Of. His. Life.
There’s this noise, this pathetically loud whimper when you start to roll your hips— and oh your body is wet against him, and you’re so tight, and it’s perfect because he doesn’t have to do anything.
He can just sit here, look pretty, and cry.
He knows he’s a giver, that he’d bleed himself dry for you. It’s a curse, he supposes: so willing to bend backwards for the satisfaction of the people he trusts. But, this is foreign, and he wants to watch you, aimlessly stare, dumb and empty-headed as you wield his body like a weapon. Turn him into something perniciously yours.
Spencer has no reference for what an orgasm is supposed to feel like, and yeah, he’s really good at guessing in these type of situations. Because he’s rolling his thumb over your clit again, and he wants to draw it into his mouth, to see you laid out across bedsheets, writhing, unable to do anything but suffocate him with your thighs.
You clench around him, back arched, releasing a series of strained moans. With one hand tangled in his dishevelled hair, the other pressed against his chest, your face contorts, your body stiffens. There’s no way his incessant whimpering just got you off?
Okay. So you like him desperate. Point taken.
“Please— please, wanna cum. Wanna feel it so bad,” he’s slurring over his words, sentences punctured by devastating whimpers. And look at him, asking for permission, waiting even though his body has been teetering on the edge for so long now.
“Shh, shh..” you press your forehead against his, and he melts. Reoccurring theme. His hand grips your jaw, thumb pushed firmly against your chin, keeping you close. “You wanna cum for me, baby? Gonna give me your first?”
“Mhm— mhm…” is all he can say. When you pick up your pace, he has to burrow his face into the crook of your neck, whimpers messy and broken off, suppressed against your warm skin.
“Oh. Oh…” he repeats, again. Like there’s anything else he could utter, because this is earth-shattering.
It’s the sun, and all eight planets combined, and the universe collapsing in on itself, and he’s bucking, squirming, releasing into you, spilling deep.
He sobs. Breaks down. Because it’s so so good, and he can’t believe he ever deprived his body of this.
Neediest whore to ever exist, apparently.
It takes him a while to come back. Longer to regain motor function, to sink into present day. Life, and expectations, and everything, everything, your touch eradicated.
“Just… just stay like this?” he asks, collapsing against your body after he’s drawn out of you. There’s mess, evidence of your ministrations, but cleanliness seems futile when he’s blissed out, caught in a post-orgasmic haze that yes yes yes he needed so badly.
You card your hands through his hair, watch the way he stares up at you, large, widened eyes, chin resting against your chest. “Hi,” he mutters dumbly.
“Spence,” Spence, Spence, Spence. He could drown himself in that nickname.
“Yeah?” he breathes out.
“You we’re so good—“
He rolls away from you, finding a home for his face in the pillow. “Stop. Stop.” he groans, “Don’t do that. You’re going to destroy me. I’m not… equipped for this, for you. Someone should just sedate me, put me out of my misery, a coma sounds like—“
He tilts his head to the side, relinquishing, “Okay. Sorry. Meltdown over. Can we shower? Then maybe do this again? Which will make the shower inconsequential, I suppose. There’s a new documentary I want to watch, and oh, you still haven’t seen the third Star Wars—“
He’s happy, content, over the fucking moon, to be silenced with your lips. “Yeah,” he murmurs, hand interlocking with yours as you both fall back against the mattress, “Let’s do this again.”
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comatosebunny09 · 4 months ago
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carpe noctem [ climax 2.0 ] | sylus
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— summary: he takes you to a safe house. reasoned it was the safest option while his men tied up whatever loose ends remained from your mission. you get the feeling there’s more to his words than what floats at surface level. — cw: reader is not mc, reader implied to be femme, assassin!reader, profanity, sexual tension, minor character deaths, mentions of blood & violence, terms of endearment, self-deprecating thoughts, a sprinkle of romance, self-indulgent, unhinged moment, mdni — notes: special thanks to @alfredosaws for helping me write this. thank you so much for reading! — now playing: i follow rivers - lykke li
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Silly woman. Getting your hopes up for nothing. Still...
He’s yet to set you down—Sylus. Your enigma of a boss, cradling you in his arms like an offering to be bestowed on an altar. Long fingers crooked under your knees, a possessive arm swept under your back.
You’re not hurt—he saw to that when he safely lured you to the ground with his Evol. So why does he insist on carrying you like you are?
You try not to get caught up in how he smells—petrichor during the spring. The leftover carbon of spent bullets. Suede and the freshly-broken skin of a clementine. 
How he feels—strong yet firm, honed from years of boxing and a past you know little of. Tender despite the violence he’s capable of. Big and comforting, like a blanket fresh out of the dryer on the coldest days of the season. 
How he breathes—even, as his heart thrums a steady tempo against your chest. Soothing like ocean waves rolling over your feet, lulling you into tranquility. 
Tch. Since when did you become so poetic?
You’ve long since traded the cacophony of bullets ricocheting off his Evol—of Nikolai’s men shouting obscenities, bleeding malice and vitriol as they spit orders—for the serenity of the night.
Passersby mill about on the moon-laden streets. Couples laugh, bundling together to ward off the night’s chill. An occasional drunkard stumbles down the sidewalk. Sylus effortlessly sidesteps them, refusing to let you walk on your own despite the perturbed looks he garners. You try not to dig too deep into things. And yet…
He’s carried you like this for at least a mile through the city’s heart. Past historic buildings jaded by time, under twinkling string lights, hung over shopping centers and outdoor cafes bordering the street. 
It’s something of a dream. Something like a romantic film, but you don’t feel like you deserve to be its star.
He’s made no move to set you down. You’ve also made no effort to untwine your arms from around his neck. Instead, you study the flexing tendons in his throat. The bob of his Adam’s apple when he chuckles something murky and guttural after he catches you staring. You look away with bashfulness creeping beneath your skin, only to repeat the ritual all over again. 
It feels like old times—a memory far off when he carried you like this once before after you led him on a hunt through the docks. After you took down one of the most prominent human trafficking rings in the underworld, and after he thought he would lose you forever. 
You’re sure you were heavy then—he spent most of the night searching for you, reducing anyone who got in his way to ash and bone. He was exhausted, violet bags hanging beneath his eyes, blood speckling his collar. Yet he still held you so tenderly. Walked you towards the horizon, clutching you like he was afraid you’d disappear if he let go. 
You’re sure you’re heavy now.
And he shouldn’t be holding you like this. Despite how delightful it feels, a voice admonishes you from the deepest regions of your mind for getting too comfortable. 
He’s not yours. This isn’t right. 
She might be gone, swept up in the mountains playing escort, but you can’t help feeling like you’re betraying the hunter. You’ve already crossed her so many times in your mind before. 
You squirm a bit. His gaze slides to you. Scarlet eyes gleam beneath the tawny lights like multifaceted rubies. His brows lift slightly, and the beginnings of a smile prod his lips. 
You clear the phlegm from your throat, tamping down the hot flush rising from your chest to stain your neck and cheeks. He’s effortlessly beautiful, like something spawned from a Rembrandt painting. 
“You can put me down now,” you urge, your voice uncharacteristically soft. “I’m perfectly capable of walking by myself.”
He looks forward, wearing a full-bodied smile. “I know.” He continues walking like you didn’t speak, making no effort to let you go. 
You give him a deadpan look. Try again, a little more insistent this time. “Sylus.”
“Yes?” he returns, humored, patient. 
“I said you can put me down.”
“I know.”
You sigh, exasperated after a few moments spent glaring at his side profile. His devastatingly attractive profile. That sloped nose. Those heart-shaped lips. Those pretty, grey-fringed lashes. 
“Aren’t you afraid of someone seeing us like this?” You gesture to your conjoined bodies with a nod. “People might get the wrong idea.” 
You might get the wrong idea.
He huffs a laugh like you’ve said the most absurd thing. “When have I ever been concerned with how others perceive me?” Those softened eyes flick back to you, something cold prickling low in your belly at the weight they carry. At how his voice dips like he’s drawing you into a secret. “Since when have you?”
Your lips twitch. He poses a fair argument. You’ve never cared much about how people view you, save for Sylus and the twins. More recently, Ms. Hunter. 
Guilt twists in your throat. Burns like ash. “Sylus…”
“Am I making you uncomfortable? Because if I am, I’d be happy to set you down.” There’s a beguiled edge to his voice. A challenge. A plea. Almost like he wants you to say, ‘No.’
Surely, you’re being delusional.
Regardless, you blanch. And it’s comical how quickly you shake your head, eliciting a thick, low purl of laughter from your savior. Your argument dies in the back of your throat. The drape of your arms around his shoulders slackens. But you still don’t let go. You don’t want to let go. 
You decide she’ll have to be upset with you—Ms. Hunter. Decide to be a little selfish, but only for a little while. You’re growing too comfortable with the sharp click of his heels against the cobblestone. With how he lightly jostles you in his arms after each measured step. You could fall asleep like this, ushered to dreamland by the source of your fantasies and suffering. 
After some time spent wordless, Sylus slows to a stop. When you glance at him, he nods at something ahead, finally setting you down. You’re bereft of the warmth and safety his body provides as he helps steady you. Smoothing out your dress, you take in your new surroundings. 
A structure stretches before you, much like the ones you passed before, only the upkeep is better. Three stories of dark, historic brick and an awning dotted with sepia-toned lights loom overhead. The building's name scrolls on a marquee sign in its center, blaring through the frosty haze of the night. It reminds you of an old movie theater, repurposed for something more upscale. 
You turn quizzical eyes to Sylus. “A restaurant?” Come to think of it, you are a little famished. Murder always manages to stir your appetite. 
Sylus pushes back the tails of his suit jacket, shoving his hands into his pockets. Exhales slow. The spotlights highlight his smile as he looks between you and the entrance. “Not hungry?”
“Yeah, but…it’s a little short notice, isn’t it? Don’t you normally need a reservation to get into places like this? Will they even let us in?”
With a huff caught in his throat, Sylus brushes past you, bounding up the few steps to tug the door open. A swell of noise spills outside, the soft stroke of piano keys, the clatter of cutlery against plates. The savory scent of cooked meat and sautéed vegetables assaults your senses. Your stomach growls. You pat it placatingly, casting Sylus a wary look.
“They should,” he says with a shrug, patiently waiting for you to enter. “I own the place.” His eyes shine with playfulness, posture lax.
You scoff. Of course. He owns half the city. It makes him more attractive, knowing he can buy anything at the drop of a hat. 
“Wow. That’s awfully Bruce Wayne of you, don’t you think?” you mock, stepping up into the restaurant, guided by your fingers wrapped around his forearm.
“Wait,” you start, inadvertently tucking into his side. “Why are you hungry? I’m the one who did all the heavy lifting.”
Sylus shrugs again, feigning innocence as you clear the restaurant's entryway. “Watching you work always makes me peckish.”
You whack his broad chest, rolling your eyes. Can’t help smiling. Giggling. Letting your defenses waver.
The air between you feels lighter, reminiscent of times spent carelessly flirting when the line between employer and subordinate blurred beyond recognition.
It’s lively inside, but not overwhelmingly so. 
Colorful conversation brightens the atmosphere around you. Patrons of new and old money, dressed in designer clothing, sip expensive wine. Prattle on about their reckless ventures, about fickle things you can’t be bothered to entertain. 
It’s a high-brow restaurant, with the gentle croon of live music and light fixtures dangling overhead to simulate candlelight. The interior is Art Deco inspired. Jaw-droppingly beautiful. You’ve found yourself eyeing the bar more than once, impressed by the expansive shelves housing vintage wine and spirits, stretching towards a yawning, stained-glass ceiling. 
Had you not known better, you would’ve thought you were on a date and not lying low while ornery men tore the city apart looking for you. But that’s not the case. 
At least, you don’t think it is. 
You bite down on your fork, bleeding warmth, ignoring the scarlet eyes boring into your face for the umpteenth time.
You’re tucked away in one of the restaurant's corners with your boss, seated at a booth, shying away from the spotlight. Away from the prying eyes of the other patrons, though that doesn’t stop the occasional gaze from wandering over you. Curious clients raise their wine glasses at you with tense smiles, scrutinizing the pair of you as if you’re celebrities. 
You do stand out, still donned in your attire from the banquet. And Sylus commands attention wherever he goes, standing a good foot over most of the populous, his hair a riotous shock of white. 
Also more perplexing is that he hasn’t booked the place out. He prefers solitude, the comfortable quiet. And yet, he’s brought you here, surrounded by people, treating you like something to be shown off, and you're lightheaded from the whiplash he’s giving you.
He’s been nothing short of a gentleman. Pulled your chair out for you, ordered on your behalf, ensnared you in idle conversation. Kept your champagne glass full when your waiter was out of earshot, even lauded you for another successful kill. It’s all so uncharacteristic of him, and you can’t help feeling like he’s building up to something big. 
It’s grown quiet between you since your meals arrived, and your thoughts have crept in, robbing you of any bliss you began to experience. 
You’ve caught your boss watching you several times. And he’s never appeared guilty, shamelessly peering into your eyes, smiling, slowly ticking away at your resolve. 
Your skin prickles with warmth as you push around the vegetables on your plate. The meal is lovely. Savory, but your appetite’s abandoned you. Something’s off. You’ve sensed it for the better part of the night. Sylus is being more attentive than usual, and it’s unsettling. 
What’s his angle? Have you offended him? Is he keeping an eye on you, afraid you’ll run away? Will tonight be the night he lays you off?
You decide to confront him, having had enough of this ambiguity. This farce he’s put up. You clear your throat, smoothing out the napkin on your lap. Set your fork down, gaze hesitantly sliding to him across the table as you attempt to make light of your situation.
“Why do you keep looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?”
Sylus’ eyes crinkle with a quiet mirth. A soft youthfulness as he props his elbows on the table, twining his long fingers together. A grin blooms behind his fists. You hold your breath.
“Has anyone ever told you how adorable you are while you eat?”
You choke on your spittle. Violently pat your chest to dislodge it, reaching for your flute of champagne to wet your throat as tears form. Adorable isn’t something you’d use to describe yourself. And adorable isn’t something you’d ever imagine Sylus classifying you as, either.   
“Maybe you should lay off the champagne,” you cough, the burn in your esophagus subsiding. 
He isn’t much of a drinker, so you suspect he’s spewing nonsense because he’s tipsy. You set your glass down, snatching the bottle of bubbly from the table’s center. It’ll be safer on your side, out of reach, where your boss can’t use it as an excuse to utter more absurd things. 
Sylus’ brows knit, mock hurt descending onto his face. “What? Am I not allowed to compliment you?”
You cough again, bringing the bottle to your lips. Drink straight from the source, crisp liquid drizzling down the sides of your mouth. How ladylike.
Maybe you should stop drinking. You’re starting to hear things, your daydreams coming to fruition. This isn’t happening. Your boss isn’t pouting at you like a child, calling you cute, and making you feel things that should be buried beneath the Earth’s crust. He’s typically stingy with his compliments unless given to a specific person. So why suddenly aim them at you? 
The bubbly’s got your head a little fuzzy. That, coupled with the adrenaline slowly seeping into your veins, emboldens you to get to the heart of his strangeness. You decide to poke the proverbial bear. 
“What’s your problem?” you prod, setting the bottle down with a definitive thunk. You fix him with a look, one of tight lips and furrowed brows. 
Sylus chuckles, seemingly in disbelief at your brazenness. He’s fucking with you. He has to be. Maybe he’s trying to get a rise out of you, sensing how vulnerable you’ve felt throughout the night. How vulnerable you’ve been the past few months. 
“Whatever do you mean, sweetheart?”
You ignore how the term of endearment tingles in your skin. It feels more weighted than usual tonight. Everything’s heavier tonight. 
You sigh, looking at your lap with a forlorn smile. Toy with a loose thread on your napkin, steeling yourself for this unavoidable conversation.
The champagne’s got your tongue a little loose, and the people surrounding you give you a boost of courage—witnesses in case Sylus decides to kill you. 
“You’ve been really nice to me all night.” You sound mousy, contrasting the crass asshole you were moments ago. “It’s kind of…weird.”
A silver brow lifts. Sylus adjusts in his chair, leaning closer to hear you better, the faint note of his cologne wafting off his skin. Threatening to derail you. To change your mind.
“Have I not been kind to you before?” He momentarily scrutinizes the lacquered wood of the tabletop, seemingly lost in thought. Gazes back at you, inspecting your face.
You swallow against the sandy grit of your throat, powering past your nerves, an anxious titter on your tongue. You toy with your necklace, dizzy. “No. No, you have. Just…not like this.”
Your tongue darts out to wet your lips. Sylus wordlessly encourages you to continue, watching your mouth, your eyes.
“I mean, the gala. Rescuing me from Nikolai’s goons. Carrying me. Dinner. The compliments. I don’t get you, Sylus. One minute, you’re pushing me away. You’re ignoring me, and then the next, you’re…confusing the hell out of me.”
The words are out before you can contain them. Silence stretches between you, stiff like a bowstring drawn back. You can’t look at him now, feeling so small and stupid beneath the blistering weight of his stare. 
You’re disbelieving that he could be so kind. Romantic. Considerate, treating you like something closer than a subordinate. Like he doesn’t have someone else occupying his mind, and you’re wondering if he’s playing some twisted game with your emotions tonight, using you to fill the gap the hunter left while out saving the world. 
“Am I truly that difficult to understand?” he replies, his voice gritty yet soft. 
Something pinches in your chest at the fragility of his tone. You want nothing more than for the world to open up and swallow you whole. 
You flinch when the flat sides of his nails graze your temple. He briefly stops before tucking a lock of hair behind your ear. Then, his fingertips blister down your cheek. He tilts your head back, cupping your chin, coaxing you to look at him. And you do, reluctantly, a warm film of something wet washing over your sight. 
He studies you with a reverence you don’t deserve. A look you haven’t been subjected to in a very long time, yet it still manages to constrict your heart. Still makes your stomach jump like you’re descending downhill, and your lips part slightly, quivering. 
Time slows to a crawl around you, the world seemingly carving out a pocket of space for only the two of you to exist. The sights and sounds of the restaurant fade into obscurity. You’re focused solely on the scarlet wash of his eyes, how they shift back and forth, studying your features, searching. Seeking answers your mouth refuses to utter. 
“If I’ve made myself anything less than transparent, I apologize.” The sincerity there, the quiet vulnerability, it makes you sick because you’re undeserving of it. You feel like you’re taking part in a naughty secret. Witnessing a side of him usually reserved for the hunter. “But I assure you, I’m not as mysterious as you think.”
You snort despite the moment. Despite your pulse thudding in your eardrums, a trickle of optimism seeping through you like molten liquid. You don that arrogant, playful front as if rolling over and showing him your belly will be viewed as a sign of weakness. He could still very well be screwing with you. Getting your hopes up to shatter them like waves breaking against the rocks.
“Yeah, right. And I’m the Queen of England,” you retort, rolling your eyes.
Sylus shrugs, resigned. Still, he doesn’t relinquish your gaze, the soft curl of his fingers around your face. Instead, he grows more tender, his irises twinkling a youthful shade beneath the ambient lighting as he leans closer. His voice is wispy like he’s murmuring something confidential. 
“You don’t have to believe me. But I am no liar, sweetheart. You know that.”
With that, he releases your chin, fingers slowly dragging over your face, leaving a searing path in their wake. You breathe again, unaware you weren’t, as if released from a spell. You watch him take up his champagne flute, slender fingers curling around its stem, and he stirs its fizzy contents. 
You’re jealous of that damn glass, still feeling those ruinous digits burning themselves into your skin.
He decides to shift gears. You’re thankful because you need time to process things. To get your heart rate down from the sky. 
“Besides, you looked like you could use a break. I figured tonight would be a good time for some morale boosting.”
You snort again, sipping from your own flute to assuage a flare of anger. “Me? A break? Morale boost? Yeah, sure.” 
Taking a breather with your boss, playing around on a date like you didn’t just murder someone? Was he serious? And is that all this was? A figurative pizza party to say, ‘Thank you’ for being an obedient little pet? 
You knew you were an idiot, getting your hopes up for nothing. 
“You know, contrary to popular belief, I’m not as much of a slave driver as you think,” he says, parting the tumultuous sea of your thoughts.
“Really? Luke and Kieran might say otherwise.” There’s more vitriol in your voice than you intend to let out. But you’re deflecting, protecting yourself. 
Your chest tightens when Sylus looks down, idly twisting the glass stem between his fingers. His gaze softens, and something in his voice shifts. “Can’t I just spend some time alone with you? Show you how much I appreciate you for being loyal to me all these years?” 
You stiffen, feeling like someone’s thrust a knife into your gut and twisted it. You must not have heard him right. For a moment, he sounded exposed. Wounded. And for a moment, you feel bad for doubting his intentions. 
You’re about to pursue it when your waiter reappears. He’s all smiles and professionalism as he sets two martini glasses on your table, crystalline liquid swirling ominously inside.
You look up at him with quirked brows. He stands in good form, folding his hands together behind his back. 
“Courtesy of the couple over there,” says your waiter, gesturing over his shoulder with a nod. 
You peer behind him. A middle-aged man and a younger-looking woman dressed in eccentric textures smile and wave enthusiastically at you. You lift your glass to them in a quiet toast, pasting on a smile. The gesture is sweet, but what’s the occasion?
“They said, drinks for the lovely couple, and congratulations on celebrating your anniversary.”
You sputter, sending drops of your martini flying every which way. 
Sylus laughs at your plight, taking up a glass for himself and lifting it in appreciation towards the couple. You glare at him as he sips. 
“Happy Anniversary, darling,” Sylus teases. Winks for added effect. He laughs a wealthy man’s laugh while you choke. 
You contemplate correcting the generous couple, but the martini is delicious. And Sylus doesn’t seem affected by it. 
And maybe it feels good pretending that, just for a moment, he’s yours and yours alone.
Someone had a sweet tooth following dinner.
That someone, of course, being you. 
The dessert menu at the restaurant looked appetizing. But you had a craving for something cold. Soft-serve. Besides, you were growing uncomfortable the more that couple ordered you drinks. At one point, they’d been so bold as to stop by your table on their way out. 
They kept ogling you. Winking, laughing drunkenly, spewing out their hotel room number upstairs. When they left, you leaned over the table, cupping your hand around your mouth.
“I think they’re swingers,” you whispered to Sylus. 
He laughed, sitting back. Raised his glass to you, a brow tilting up to match the cant of his lips. “Wanna go find out?”
“Hell no! I’m a one-partner kinda gal.”
You didn’t miss how his gaze shifted. Darkened into something you couldn’t quite place. 
You find yourselves in a 1950s-inspired diner— a modest hole-in-the-wall joint with retro decor and bright lights. Only a couple of other diners inhabit the restaurant. You’re nursing a milkshake, courtesy of your boss, buzzing like a child who’s gotten everything they wanted. 
He teased you about your cravings—only you’d want ice cream when it’s cold out. But he didn’t put up much of a fight, humoring you after you wore him down with those puppy eyes and your fingers buried in his sleeves.
He entertained you further by playing the claw machine in the corner at your behest. Watching a man so big, feared, and elusive fiddle with such a garish machine—you felt honored.
You cheered him on, the sleeves of his jacket draped over your shoulders, puddling around your elbows. After several attempts, he was successful, sheepishly shoving a purple koala bear into your hands. Your face burned hot, and your cheeks ached from smiling and laughing. 
It feels like a dream. The ideal date. And for a moment, you forget that Sylus is your boss. That he could never be yours and that you’re anything but a killer. 
You fiddle with the jukebox, earning curious glances from the diner’s other customers. They’re whispering things, eyeing you warily. You ignore them, queuing up a song. And you’re dancing, silly at first, but muscle memory kicks in. Soon, you’re moving your hips, smoothing over the contours of your body, spurred by Sylus observing you from his place atop a stool. 
You wish he would smile more—an authentic smile, unhindered by sarcasm or smugness. He’s much more handsome like this. 
You think about all the times he’s smiled this way for the hunter, and you stumble in your steps. You flash him a smile when it looks like he’ll get up to help you. Carry on dancing, doing one of the things you do best.
You pretend you’re at Lux, and he makes you feel like you’re on a stage just for him, your nerves flaring at his attention. There’s a gleam in his eyes as he leans back on the countertop on his elbow, watching you with muted appreciation. How long has it been since you’ve danced for him?
So swept up by the music, you hardly register the diner slowly emptying. Not even the servers seem to be bustling about anymore. You get an ominous prickling sensation on the back of your neck, the fine hairs there standing stiff. You stop. 
You exchange a look with Sylus. He raises a brow, tapping his temple. “Keep going,” he rasps, doting, coaxing. Entranced.
He has whatever’s about to transpire under control. You trust him fully. The Bonnie to his Clyde. 
The wispy tendrils of his Evol materialize around the diner’s interior to form a barrier, tossing the restaurant into a misty haze of red and black. It’s reminiscent of hellfire, and you feel like Lilith taking part in a sacrilegious waltz. 
He doesn’t take his eyes off you, attentive as you continue to dance. And you smile, putting on a damn good show as Nikolai’s men funnel in, their cries of agony tempered by the music spilling from the jukebox and your laughter coloring the air as Sylus rends flesh from bone with his Evol. 
He takes you to a safe house as the night reaches its peak. 
He reasoned it was the safest option while his men tied up whatever loose ends remained from your mission. Like dining and holding hands out in public didn’t warrant an ambush. 
Someone snitched. Saw that familiar riot of white, those brawny shoulders. Heard that gritty voice mixed with your distinct laughter and sent Nikolai’s men to finish you off. Sylus picked them off while you danced unhindered, but there was no telling how many stragglers were left, ducking into the shadows, creeping along the historic brick walls. 
Again, he insists on carrying you as you break through the door of a quaint, quiet home perched on a hilltop. Secured by his biometrics. Bordered by evergreens and the calming symphony of the forest. Isolated, like him. Hidden from invasive questions, from prying eyes. 
You’re tired. The night’s adrenaline sloughed off, leaving you tenuous and agreeable, which is why you don’t put up much of a fight as Sylus walks you through the foyer, smiling down at you like you’re his precious bounty. It’s infectious. Your lips tug, too, though a little less enthused. You blink slowly. Breathe evenly, lulled by the mollifying thump of his heart against your cheek. 
He drops your stilettos on the hardwood floor halfway to the living room. Deposits you on a dark leather settee, fixing your dress over your legs and his jacket around your shoulders. Draws back. Your chest tightens. You don’t know what hits you when your fingers close around the pleated sleeve of his button-up, eyes beseeching when he looks at you from over his shoulder. 
You don’t say anything. Don’t have to.
Don’t leave. Stay.
You don’t want the dream to end. Not yet.
He chuckles low, all smooth like whisky poured into a glass. Softened, scarlet eyes pan in through the low light, his silhouette haloed by amber. He lifts your legs to settle onto the upholstery beside you. Pulls your feet onto his lap. They’re irritated. Rubbed raw from being strapped to too-tall heels all night, running and gunning like you had no limitations.
He sensed your discomfort. Always such a gentleman.
Large, sweltering hands close around your feet, kneading through pressure and knots of tension. Knuckles at the balls of your feet. You exhale slowly, pleased. Thankful. The attention’s nice. There’s a small voice wading through the murky sea of your mind, telling you this is wrong. That you don’t deserve it, his tenderness. 
You’re getting pretty fucking sick of your conscience. It’s just a foot rub. It’s not like you’re kissing him. 
“You’re good at this,” you note offhandedly. 
“My hands are more useful than you think.”
Something dark threads through his voice. Something cheeky. You ignore how your stomach flips, your mind sparkling with impure ideas. 
Drowsiness sweeps in around the corners, bordering your vision like a vignette. He’s masterful with his hands. You wouldn’t expect anything less from the king of the underworld. You doze off, shepherded through the inkiness by the faraway tick of a clock. By trees rustling beyond the massive window, the moon dragging itself to the center of the sky, cloth moving as Sylus rubs over your calves. 
You stir when he shifts. When he moves to get up and lay your legs on the couch. That feeling returns. That ache. The call of loneliness. Your sleepiness abandons you, making way for cold fright. You stumble from the settee. Rush to stand at full height, gripping his shirt at the crooks of his elbows, halting him.
Your mouth opens. Heart thundering. You don’t know what to say—what you were thinking. His gaze is unyielding, studying your face like the slow flicker of a flame. Silver brows knot. Peach lips fall slightly open. He’s waiting for something. Asking for something. 
You’re on autopilot when you cautiously angle yourself closer. Your gaze falls to his mouth, and he mirrors you, cradling your elbows as if he’s afraid to break you. You’ll blame it on the bubbly you consumed later. On the spell he somehow cast over the night, enthralling you with his chivalry. 
You tug, and he meets you halfway. Not like you have to put in much effort. He’s already leaning down. Eyes already half-moons, breath already shaky. 
He tenses when your lips meet. Shoulders drop once the initial shock peters, and then he’s kissing you with those full, molten lips. He draws you closer, hands splayed possessively at the small of your back. Thumbs cruising over the meat of your hips. Up and down your sides. Wherever he touches, you burn.
You exhale through your nose, and your arms snake around his neck. Fingers sift through the fine hairs at his nape.
He teases your mouth open with his tongue. Sighs something anguished when you grant him entry, licking into your mouth. Pulls you impossibly closer. He’s rigid and warm against you. Gathers your cheek in his palm, angling your head back. He kisses greedy. Selfish. Plunders your mouth, milking the sweetest little sounds from your body. Sounds you didn’t think yourself capable of making.
You kiss and kiss until your lips are chaffed. And even then, you don’t stop. He’s ravenous, moving against you like he’s waited eons to do this. Like he’s fought a war with himself and lost. You’re his Gettysburg. His Kryptonite.
You’ll feel sorry for yourself tomorrow. Blame it on the air, charged with something heady, your inhibitions and common sense thrown to the wolves.
It’s just a kiss. He’s your boss. And tonight, he’s been something of a friend. A dream. Friends kiss all the time, right?
So why do you feel so guilty?
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— tags: @emneedshelp, @reiofsuns2001, @crazy-ink-artist, @vonev, @subliminalwish, @ikiru-wa, @inkonparchment, @regandoesthings, @szired, @alyyylog, @leekingsman, @beewilko, @an-ever-angry-bi, @abbylee0710, @sunnyf4lls, @himiko-omikami, @midiplier, @ari-shipping-stuff, @karespocketboyfriends, @glamouroki, @babygirl-panda19, @im-in-different-universe, @sillyfreakfanparty, @lunebulous, @vilehrs-blog (sorry if i missed anyone.)
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climax | masterlist | falling action
1K notes · View notes
pencil-n-pen · 2 months ago
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REDUCED TO SKIN AND BONE
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. ݁₊ ♡ . ݁˖
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buck x people pleaser! fem! reader
masterlist | kofi
summary: Pathological People Pleaser- capital P. That’s you. Life is a helluva lot easier when no one can hurt you- not if you never give anyone substantial pieces of yourself. Too bad Evan “Buck” Buckley takes issue with this.
cw: reader is a grade A pathological people pleaser so all the angst and issues that come with that, canon-typical gore/violence (they are firefighters/paramedics)
tags/tropes: coworkers to lovers (hr HATES these two) bobby knowing everything about these two but letting them work it out anyway, team as a family, BUCK IS BOBBY’S KID IDC WHAT ANYONE SAYS, also Buck being really sweet and nice (and reader having no idea what to do with this)
a/n: tbh this reader is really just a girl. this fic is extremely inspired by Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood, which, my dear followers, if you'll recall, is my favorite romance book ever (!!!!!) also no one say reader isn't realistic bc i based her internal dialogue and worries off of my real life experiences as a recovered people pleaser (there is hope for us)
credit to @bookshelf-dust for the in house arson investigator idea !! super brilliant and perfect !! go read their stuff !!
title taken from Goddess from Laufey!
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‘Who could ever leave me darling, but who could stay?
Cause they see right through me//Can you see right through me?
-The Archer, Taylor Swift
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₊˚⊹♡
Firefighter Evan “Buck” Buckley confuses you.
You’ve only been with the 118 for about two months. You’d be lying if you said the action and excitement of actually working with the firefighters on calls didn’t excite you to come to work— something you thought you’d never say.
And the team is great. You were nervous as hell at first. Suddenly being out on calls is exciting now, but scary as shit at first. You were much too used to your boring desk job. Plus, the firefighters were all intimidating in their own ways- Hen and Bobby the most.
Hen, because you totally look up to her and admire her ability to just… do whatever and say whatever and not worry what other people think. She holds her head high, and you’re more than a little envious.
Bobby, because he’s your captain, and you need to prove your worth as an addition to the team.
Slowly but surely, you began to solidify your presence as a team member. You aren’t sensitive to the blood and gore they see on calls which definitely won you points with Hen and Chimney, and you aren’t a pushover- you’re willing to put your foot down when push comes to shove. Plus, not to brag, but you’re damn good at your job.
After a month, you’d gotten everything down pat. What’s the right thing to say, what isn’t the right thing to say. What to do so the team trusts you, what to do so they don’t ask too many questions, how to correctly come across to them as a capable person. How to seem normal and well-adjusted and fine. What normal looks like to them.
With the exception of Evan Buckley.
You just… can’t get a read on him. Ever. He’s nice and smart and funny (and ridiculously attractive, like seriously, it’s not even fair) but no one is that nice and smart and funny (and ridiculously attractive.)
You don’t like talking to him because he’s been more than a little sweet on you since day one. And obviously it's not serious and he doesn't mean it, just friendly camaraderie, but. But but but but but. It catches you off guard without fail every single time. Because every single time you talk to him, you get the very distinct sense that he’s looking right though you. That when you’re talking to the rest of the team, perfect smile in place, he can see through you.
It’s more than a little unnerving. It leaves you unsteady and wrong-footed. Like you’re never sure what exactly to say or how to act.
So you mostly just avoid him. You’re thankful that you’re only the arson investigator, because if you’d actually been a real firefighter, avoiding him would be a million times harder. As it stands, it’s fairly easy to do it without being obvious.
Or so you think.
“Is something wrong Captain Nash?” You ask, shutting the door behind you in his office.
Bobby rolls his eyes. “I’ve told you to just call me Bobby.”
“I think the second I do, my parents will appear in the room and lecture me about respect and manners.”
You sit as he gestures, watching with almost perfectly concealed apprehension as he laces his fingers.
“Did Buck say something to you?”
What.
“What?”
“Firefighter Buckley,” Bobby clarifies, as if that was the part of the question that needed specification. “I’ve noticed that you tend to avoid him when possible. You’re good at it, I’ll give you that. No one else has noticed.”
Heat rushes to your cheeks at the admission of being caught.
“How could you tell?” You ask instead of answering his question.
Bobby just shrugs. “I have three kids. This isn’t my first rodeo. Now, you mind telling me what exactly is going on here?”
You’re not really sure you can explain this to him without one, sounding like a crazy person, and two, having him lose all the respect you’ve worked hard to build with him.
You settle for the super abridged version.
“Buck… makes me nervous. I’ve had some bad experiences with men that acted like him before, so. I’m over it, of course, I’m fine he just… sets me on edge a little. I’m not like, afraid of him or anything.”
You are actually afraid of him a little. Because if he really does see through you then what’s stopping him from ripping the current back? Giving everyone a good look into your ugly and raw? What’s stopping him from leaving you exposed?
Bobby hums, contemplating.
“You don’t trust him.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” You rush to amend, heart starting to race. Fix it fix it fix it fix it— “I do trust him. I know he’d never hurt me, or anyone else for that matter, he’s a great guy—“
Bobby leans back in his seat. “He’s a genuinely nice guy, and you don’t know how to deal with that, so you avoid him. You don’t trust that he’s genuine.”
Too close too close too close too close—
Smile. Laugh. Look down for a few seconds. Raise head, hold eye-contact. Speak.
“Nothing like that,” Smile. “Just takes some time for a girl to get used to all the facts that tend to come with him. I could’ve done without the one about heart worms before lunch.”
Laugh.
“Oh, you have no idea. Imagine being present when he actually got to assist on a tapeworm removal. I was put off noodles entirely for months.”
Now Bobby laughs, a real one, so you laugh with him, and you feel a little safer, the conversation back in your control.
“I promise, there’s nothing between me and Buck. Just new-girl nerves.”
Flash a smile, appease the man.
“If that’s all, then you’re free to go. Keep up the good work.”
You stand, one hand on the edge of the armrest of the chair to hide the minute tremors in your hand. You hold your breath as you leave Bobby’s office, breathing tiny, quick breaths through your nose until you make it to the safety of your office, closing the door behind you and all but collapsing into your chair.
That was… close. You must��ve let your guard down around Bobby. His personality and dad-aura are so disarming. You hadn’t even realized he’d been watching you that close. He read you a little too easily and a little too quickly. That was too close. What if he had—
A knock on your door snaps you ramrod straight, posture perfect and easy expression snapped into place in seconds.
It takes everything in you not to deflate when you see who walks through the door.
“Buck?”
“Sorry, sorry,” He raises his hands in mock surrender, “I know you don’t like me in here, I’ll be quick. I just need that file from that warehouse fire case?”
You frown as you search your filing cabinet for the case file. “I’ve never said I didn’t like you in here.”
“Yeah, not as much as said as implied.”
“I don’t mind you in here. It’s just an office.”
You’re not sure what he wants you to say. Does he want you to agree with him, tell him you don’t want him in here, make him right? Does he want you to tell him that he’s welcome in your office?
What does he want?
He shrugs in the corner of your eye, hands in his pockets, and you honestly have to physically restrain yourself from staring at the muscles of his arms as they move and tense with the motion. It’s very conflicting: him being the unending source of the late-night fantasies you pretend not to indulge in to fall asleep, hugging a pillow, and the fact that he’s the reason you’ve considered going on anxiety medication.
“…Are you okay?”
You’re abruptly reminded that he’s still in your office and you’re still having a conversation and your grip has at some point turned crushing on the case file.
“Oh, yeah,” Smile, look down, laugh. Look up(?) “Long night last night. Didn’t get much sleep.”
He cocks his head, the action reminiscent of a dog. He really is a golden retriever. You should really stop thinking about Buck so much.
“I thought you went home early last night?”
Your smile wavers.
Laugh(?) put the case file down. Take a sip of coffee, smile(?)
“You know how it is. Work never quite ends at work.”
He doesn’t skip a beat before speaking.
“Why do you do that?”
Something cold starts to drip down your neck. An icy chill of dread.
“Do what?”
“That lying thing.”
Smile? Laugh? Sit down?
Your other hand comes up to cup your coffee. “As far as I know, I don’t have a lying thing.” You huff a breathy laugh, but it comes out wrong. More wheezing and choked than a laugh.
He leans back against the wall of your office, crossing his arms. “Yeah you do. Like, sure, maybe you did have a late night, but none of those expressions or smiles were real. You like, lie with your face.”
You feel cold and hot at the same time. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Do you want this case file?”
“No, you know what I’m talking about. Is it conscious? Is it like code-switching? Nah, this is too—“
“Buck!” You snap, skin crawling, “Would you please just take this file and go?”
He snaps his fingers, pointing at you. “There! That’s real. That was a real expression.”
You forcibly smooth your face out, trying to project the calm you don’t feel. “Me getting annoyed with you?”
“Yeah,” He chuckles a little, a small smile on his face. “Just for a second, you looked real.”
You blink. Pause. Turn his words over in your head.
“You don’t really need this case file, do you?”
“Nope.”
You set the mug down, ignoring the way your tremors increased at your little outburst. “So you just came to what? Get under my skin? Disturb me while I’m working?”
He taps a boot on the floor. “Kind of. It’s my turn to be the man behind, and this beats mopping.”
This time, the flat glare you send him is intentional. “You really know how to make a girl feel special.”
“I don’t know. You don’t seem as rigid as you did a few minutes ago.”
You stiffen your posture on instinct. “It’s called posture.”
“That’s not posture. That’s fear.”
His tone is light and joking, but his words hit their mark. Or maybe there isn’t a mark, and he just stabs your metaphorical bullseye anyway.
You shuffle in place, skin prickling under his gaze. “Is there a reason we’re having this conversation?”
“Is there a reason we shouldn’t?”
You stare at your shoes, face hot. This is uncharted territory. The end-all-be-all of terrible conversations.
“Well for one, it’s terribly awkward, and two, I don’t see why you felt the need to call me a liar to my face.”
Buck pushes off the wall. “Okay, that’s not what I meant by that—“
“No, I think you meant what you said.”
He sighs. “Can we start over?”
“Why?”
“Because I feel like you have this misconception about me, and it would really suck if a pretty girl didn’t like me just because we got off on the wrong foot.”
PRETTY?
“You think I’m pretty?”
You slap a hand over your mouth. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.”
He smirks, a mischievous thing pulling at his lips. “No, I think you meant what you said.” He says, mimicking your earlier words.
You press your hands into your face, exhaling hard.
“Well, if your goal was to make me uncomfortable, you’ve definitely succeeded.”
“Aw, that’s no good. That’s the opposite of what I wanted.”
The gears in your brain turn.
“You came here… because you wanted me to be more comfortable around you?”
He snaps his fingers. “Ding ding ding!”
You frown. “So your plan to make me more comfortable around you was to call me a liar and purposefully get under my skin?”
Your words hang in silence for a moment.
“Well when you put it like that—“
“Is there another way to put it?”
“The plan was to get you to see that nothing bad is gonna happen if you stop doing that face-lying-thing. I mean, you haven’t been doing it for the duration of this conversation and the world hasn’t ended, right?”
You look away. “That’s because I can’t pretend with you. It always falls apart. You freak me out.”
His brows furrow. “I freak you out?”
“Yes!” You snap whipping your head back to face him, “Other people put out, like, signals, you know. What kind of people they like and dislike, and I pick up on them, and avoid the parts they don’t like and play up the parts they do like. But you don’t put out anything! I don’t know what you want.”
Buck is silent for several moments. It’s unnerving.
“Have you ever considered that maybe I just like you?”
You blink. Look away. Cross your arms.
“You know,” He continues, voice a little softer, “I have a habit of liking people just as they are. Bobby tells me it’s one of my better qualities.”
“Is planning difficult conversations one of your lesser qualities?”
“You’re not going to let that go, are you?”
“No.”
It’s easier to focus and talk about the less serious parts of this entire situation than even think about what he just said.
“How about this,” He says after you don’t speak again. “If you’re gonna fake something, or pretend you feel one way about something, you have to come tell me the truth about how you really feel.”
“Well that sounds terrible. What do you get out of it?”
He smiles, folding his hands behind his back. “You agree to let me take you on a date.”
Your face is practically on fire. Evan Buckley is asking you on a date. Buck is asking you on a date.
“Oh.”
That’s all you manage to get out. Oh.
He frowns. “Are you oka—“
You smash your face into your hands, hiding your flushed and flustered face from view. “Just— just give me a second.”
You attempt to slow your racing heart, all to aware of the fact that Buck is still in the room, still looking at you.
“…Can you turn around?”
You hear a quiet little huff, then the shuffling of footsteps, signifying he is in fact no longer looking at you.
“If I’d known you’d be this excited at the idea—“
“Shut up or I’ll say no.”
He just hums, voice teasing. “I don’t think you will.”
“I might.”
“Mm. Nope.”
“I could.”
“You won’t.”
“I won’t,” You grumble, dropping your hands. “Okay fine, I’ll do it, but when I tell you… stuff, you don’t get to make fun of me for whatever it is.”
“I really think you have the wrong idea of who I am as a person.”
“I’ve seen how you make fun of Eddie.”
“Well, that’s Eddie. It’s like, bro code.”
“Ew.”
“Having friends is gross?”
“Yes. Get out of my office.”
He turns around, grabbing his chest, feigning pain. “Oh the hurt. The pain.”
“You’ll survive, I’m sure. You’re a big boy.”
Okay what the fuck are you saying right now. Can’t god just strike you down? Can’t some old water damage cause the ceiling to come down on you?
Buck takes it in stride, laughing loudly, though if you look close, you can see a pink tinge to his cheeks.
“So when are you free for our date?”
He waggles his eyebrows suggestively over the word date, and you despise the flush it brings to your face. And ears. And neck.
“Um. Saturday?”
“Cool. You have my number, right?”
You nod.
“I’ll text you the details later this week. And hey, look at me.”
He waits until you look up. “You aren’t allowed to spend the rest of this week stressing about it, okay? It’s gonna be fun, and nice."
He opens the door to your office, ducking half out before turning around. “Remember: fun and nice.”
And then he’s gone. Then you’re just an idiot standing in your office, face hot and tingling.
He called you pretty.
Buck's request is difficult to follow through on. Like, sure, you agreed to it, but you still don't really understand why he wants to know this. The things that go on in your head that you don't tell anyone about. He said he got a date out of (a date, you're going on a date with Evan Buckley--) but is that really... anything?
Is it a real date? Or just some little fling? And why, exactly, is the date something he considers a fair trade? Like sure, he's hot -incredibly so- and every time you think about the date your heart speeds up and million questions run through your head, like will he pick you up, is he the type to bring flowers, where are you going for the date, all of those things.
You wince from your spot on the couch upstairs, papers strewn across the table in front of you.
"Dammit," You mutter, holding a finger up to the lip that you've chewed to shreds, now bleeding steadily, blood beginning to trickle down your chin.
A napkin appears in your line of sight, and you take it from Hen gratefully.
"Thanks."
She just nods. "Something on your mind?"
You blink, a little questioning.
"Your lip," She gestures to it. "You always chew it when you're thinking about something troubling. Is this about that new case?"
"Ah," You breathe, a small shiver running down your spine at her words. Being perceived is weird. "No actually. It's..."
You decide to be honest. News will get out anyway, and Hen appreciates truthfullness. "It's about Buck."
She raises an eyebrow. "Oh?"
You shuffle the papers in front of you, hands itching for something to do, "We're going on a date on Saturday."
"Oh!" She exclaims, settling on the couch across from you. "That's... surprising. I was under the impression you didn't really care for him."
Your face heats. "That's kind of why we're going on the date. He wants to... make me more comfortable. Those were his words."
"Interesting method."
You shrug. "It's Buck."
Hen nods, a chuckle escaping her lips. "I'm guessing you're not so sure about it?"
"It's not that. I just," you debate your next words carefully, weighing the options, wondering if you should even say them, but Hen's face is open and non-judgmental, and she knows when not to gossip.
"I haven't been on a date in awhile," You admit, "Or many at all, really. I don't know what to expect."
Your hands still on the papers. "I... don't do well when I don't know what to expect."
Hen nods. "I get it. But I can tell you with absolute certainty that Buck will do everything in his power to make the date as 'comfortable'," She does finger quotes around the word, "As possible. It took him a couple tries to get here, but. He's got a good heart."
You can't help the small frown at her words. "I know."
Hen tilts her head, squinting. "Do you? Cause it seems like you aren't so sure."
Smile. Laugh.
"Well," You laugh a small, breathy thing. "In my experience, no one is that nice."
Hen snorts. "Okay, true. But Buck's been through a lot. What he may lack in tact he makes up for in earnest effort."
She stands, and levels you with a look you try hard not to whither behind. "Give him a chance. And try not to break his heart."
You smile, hoping it doesn't look as brittle as it feels. "I'll try not to."
Though I'm not sure he'll be the one getting his heart broken.
--
Buck is careful not to bother you too much at work. He still sets you on edge in that "I see through you" way of his, but he's right- nothing terrible has happened since your conversation. If anything, he's almost... gentler, in his good natured ribbing and such. He's actually rather attentive.
"Okay," He murmurs next to you at the table, most of the others finished with their food , plates cleared and being washed. "You've got your fake smile on, so spill."
You elbow him. "Cool it, Buckley."
"Great meal, Cap!" You call out to the Captain, who sends you a quick smile from the sink.
You spear a stem of asparagus prepared honestly perfectly by Bobby, and lean over to Buck. "Fine. You really wanna know?"
"Uh, yeah."
You take a huge bite, smiling as you swallow. "I hate asparagus."
Buck's eyebrows shoot up. "Are you serious? That's such a small thing to care about."
You glance up to ensure nobody's eavesdropping. "Bobby works really hard on everything he makes! I don't want any of it to go to waste or to seem unappreciative."
"Okay, we're really going to have to have a talk about your perception of everyone," He elbows you back, "Come on. Bobby would not be offended if you don't eat the vegetables because you don't like asparagus period. It's not like you're even saying you don't like his cooking!"
You take another bite. Only A few left. "Better safe than sorry."
"Stop eating them--"
"I have to finish them!"
"Something wrong over there?" Bobby's voice rings out over the kitchen.
"Nope!" You call back.
"Actually," Buck starts, ignoring your furious elbowing, "Our little investigator over here doesn't like asparagus."
Bobby tilts his head with a smile. "Why didn't you say something?"
Your stomach lurches. Oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god-- "I... didn't want you to be offended?"
"Why would I be offended that you don't like asparagus?"
"Because you cooked it?"
He shakes his head. "Not how things work around here. If you don't like something, you don't have to eat it."
Your face feels like it's on fire and your palms are sweating and you kind of feel a little nauseous. But that might be the asparagus. "Right. Okay. Thanks."
Bobby goes back to loading the dishwasher, and the others are no longer paying attention, so you lower your forehead to the table, grateful that Buck moves your plate away before your head can meet your now unfinished vegetables.
"Why did you do that?"
"Because asparagus is a dumb thing to be worried about," He says, voice light and cheery.
"It was a valid concern," You mumble.
"Maybe in your head. But not quite in reality," He rubs your back consolingly a few times, though all the action does is rile you up more. You're suddenly hyper-aware of the fact that you're still sitting here and you actually can't see if the others are still looking and oh god maybe Bobby is upset because you're an adult, you should've known that and--
"I can physically feel how tense you just got."
Oh. Right. His hand is still on your back.
"Relax," He drags out the word, his voice low and deep, "No one is going to spontaneously hate you. I sure don't."
"You don't count."
"Mm, how come?"
You're glad your face is currently hidden by the table, because you flush when you mumble the next words.
"Cause you think I'm pretty."
"I do," He amends, "But I'm not sure that discounts my opinion. IF anything, it doubles it."
"That's not how that works."
"It's not?"
"No."
He leans in, his breath tickling your ear. "Prove me wrong, then."
--
Saturday approaches and your anxiety increases. Buck had in deed texted you the details -which did, actually, make you feel better, knowing a bit of what to expect and having it in writing.
When Saturday arrives and the clock inches closer to the time he said he'd pick you up, you start to question if any of this was a good idea.
Everything collapses when you have to pick an outfit. Nothing seems right- everything is either too much or not enough. You blink the tears out of your eyes because you spent too long on your makeup to ruin it, and Buck's gonna be here soon and you need to just pick something--
A knock sounds at your door and you gasp. Shit.
You rush to the front door, and wrench it open.
"Hi I'm so sorry I'm not ready yet- oh my god are those flowers?"
Buck takes the rush of words in stride, smiling and holding the bouquet out to you. "They are."
You take the flowers with reverence, the gentle, floral aroma soothing your senses.
"Are... you okay?"
You blink, not realizing that tears had begun to well up in your eyes again. "What? Oh, yeah. Sorry. I'm a little... frazzled."
His gaze darts down. "Is that why you don't have pants on?"
You're almost one hundred percent sure you burst into flames right then and there. And if you don't, you seriously hope you do.
"Oh my god- don't look, I'll be right back, uh, please come inside and close the door!"
You race back into your room and shut the door, throwing on the closest pair of pants- which happen to be the fuzzy, old, candy heart-print pajama pants you took on three hours ago when you started getting ready.
You step back out, now sporting a wonderful outfit consisting of your black, rather nicely fitting going out top and fluffy pajama pants.
"I'll be ready in about fifteen minutes, sorry about the," You pause, swallowing your embarrassment, "Lack of pants."
He chuckles, laughing that nice little Buck laugh that settles your nerves a bit. "Hey, I wasn't complaining. I asked for the real you and this has all been very real."
Your never-ending flush revives itself as he speaks. "I"m really sorry, I'm usually more put together than this, I promise."
He takes a step toward you. "Remember why we're going on this date?"
A beat passes.
Buck takes another step. "To make you more comfortable with me. And the team, but mostly me."
You laugh a little, a nervous thing.
"But you don't seem very comfortable right now." His hands rise to the your waist, sliding down to your hips.
"Sorry," You say on instinct.
He huffs. "Still don't think you're getting the point of this. Okay, what was the big stressor of tonight, besides the actual date part?"
You look down at your feet. "My outfit."
"Well," He says, squeezing your waist and very clearly enjoying the little squeak you let out at the action, "Then why don't we sollve that by..."
Your heart siezes. Oh god, you're not ready to sleep with him, you haven't had your everything shower because it was only the first date and you didn't think--
"...Staying in tonight? I can order some takeout and we can watch a movie."
Oh.
"But your reservation--"
"Can be called and cancelled," He soothes. "I only want to do things you're comfortable with. That was the whole point of this date."
Later, after you both stuffed your faces with takeout graciously ordered by Buck, and both of you cuddled up on the couch (!) you let yourself speak.
"Buck?"
"Hmm?"
"Sorry for freaking out earlier," You curl your arm around his bicep, face smashed into the side of it while you (pretend) to watch the movie. "Thanks for... this. And the flowers."
"You really like those flowers, huh?"
"Mhm. They're really pretty. No one's ever gotten me flowers before."
"What? No way."
"Well. I haven't ever gotten flowers from a date or boyfriend," You stumble over the word boyfriend, "But like, you know. Graduations and stuff."
"Guess we're going to have to fix that, then."
"We are?"
He raises a brow. "You didn't think I was gonna stop at one date, did you?"
"Well it was kind of a mess."
He shrugs. "On one of my first dates, I choked on bread and my date at the time had to perform a tracheotomy with a ballpoint pen."
You gape at him. "Those are real?"
He traces a finger over the thin, silver scar on his throat. "Yep. So trust me, this date turned out fine. I actually uh,"
He flushes a little, a dusting of red on his cheeks. "I actually really enjoyed tonight."
You chew your lip, nervous and scared but all the sudden deciding that you're going to get over yourself and do something. No matter how small.
You stare at the end credits. "You wanna watch another movie?"
"Absolutely. More takeout?"
"I don't know how you can even think about eating more. But I do have popcorn in the pantry."
He presses a quick, soft little kiss to your cheek. "Perfect."
₊˚⊹♡
877 notes · View notes
ohimsummer · 1 year ago
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✎ . . .❝GOOD GRIEF, SUGURU!❞
— minors dni, period cramps, poly!satosugu rs, established relationship, jokes about period sex (from Suguru lmao), suggestive comments, i wrote this when my uterus was uppercutting my ass
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You read recently that a broken femur and childbirth are two of the most painful things a human could experience. The way these cramps feel at the moment, you’re willing to fight someone on that.
“No more of these.”
Gojo snorts. It’s like Geto just revealed the worst news in the world, when in reality he’s just concerned for your health.
Your head jerks to look at him, blinking rounded, puppy dog eyes and hand still reaching for the bottle of pain meds. “Satoru, make him!”
He glances back at Geto, who’s tucking the small pill bottle into his pocket and giving Gojo a sinister side-eye that he doesn’t like being on the receiving end of. “ ‘Fraid I can’t help ya this time, baby, Suguru’s word is law.”
“A lie!,” you whine and try to stuff your hands in Suguru’s pockets. “Suguruu!”
“Darling, you’ve taken enough of these already.,” Geto tries to console you, fingers combing your hair as you bury your face in his neck. “It’s not safe to take anymore within 12 hours. You’ll have to hold off for a bit, my love.”
Your pitiful whine breaks both their hearts, and Satoru reaches for another one of the dark chocolate bars he'd bought for you earlier. “Here, open wide. These should help ease your pain, yeah?”
You sniffle, groaning. “You eat it, 's not workin' for me.”
A beat passes before Satoru replaces the candy bar on his nightstand. “I’ll start running you a warm bath, then. That sound good?”
“. .Okay.” It comes out a feeble whisper, and you shiver in Suguru’s arms. “My nipples hurt.”
Satoru is thankfully out of earshot for that comment, but Geto hears you loud and clear, thumbs massaging the backs of your sore thighs. “I’ll suck on them later.”
“No.,” you mumble into his neck. “You’re gonna try and fuck me after.”
A low chuckle rumbles in his chest, a soothing vibration. “Maybe.”
“Gross.”
Geto's shoulders tremble as he tries to hold in his laughter. "Ya know orgasms help reduce cramping, too?"
“You would know something like that, weirdo." Your head turns and you catch a peek at the upturn of his lips. "Besides, I don't want blood all over us.”
“Surely it's nothing I can’t lick up?”
“Good grief, Suguru!,” you push yourself up and away from him, scowling at his laughter and the smirk on his face. “You’re disgusting!”
Satoru calls from the bathroom. “Is he talking about period sex again?”
5K notes · View notes
drdemonprince · 9 months ago
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I grew up with abstinence-only sex education, and it did a real number on me. But I’ve shaken off enough of my old cultural programming to realize that the transmission of bacteria and viruses is a thing that sometimes just happens when animals come together, no matter how stringently we might try to prevent it.
I have gotten urinary tract infections when a stray microbe found its way into my urethra after sex. Lube and bodily fluids have disturbed my vagina’s pH and caused a yeast infection many times. So has wearing a bathing suit for too long without drying it, yet another “risk” worth the pleasures of swimming along the sea wall.
Once or twice I’ve had an outbreak of cold sores, just like 80% of humans. If I’m like most people, I probably caught oral herpes when I was very young, sharing a sippy cup or rolling around at a sleepover.
None of this makes me disgusting, irresponsible, evil, or dangerous to others. It just makes me a living creature that exists in close contact with other creatures. I believe I have a responsibility to get tested regularly, to alert people who have been close to me when I get sick, and to use preventative measures like condoms, PreP, vaccines, toys, and masks to prevent the spread of infections as best I can. But I never imagine I can lead a life without risk — or that such a life would even be desirable.
There is no such thing as completely “safe” sex. A friend of mine can’t use condoms because they give her bacterial vaginosis. She chooses instead to fuck raw and take PreP and get anything else she catches treated. A guy I know who masks and tests religiously caught COVID while fisting someone (with a gloved hand!) at an air-filtered party. HPV is so prevalent that most sexual wellness clinics don’t bother testing for it, and can’t do much for a patient if they do have it. Our bodies are teeming at all times with various endemic viruses and microbes that we will never have the power to purge.
Then there are the possible costs of not having sex — vaginal atrophy, pelvic floor weakening, reduced access to endorphins, loneliness, touch starvation, the despair of harboring dreams that one never dares try. I can’t decide for anyone else which dangers loom the largest, but for me a gonorrhea shot is a fair trade for the hours of leg-cramping, bed-staining, hypno-kinky sex that led to it. There’s no guarantee that the next time I have sex it will be anywhere near as much fun, but the potential keeps me throwing the dice.
I hear quite frequently from sexually inexperienced Autistic people who crave an intimate connection, but desperately wish to remain responsible and “safe.” They want there to be a set of iron-tight rules they can follow that will guarantee they remain a virtuous person who never hurts anyone’s feelings, and never catches any sexually transmitted infection.
I understand why they want someone to impose order onto an unpredictable, terrifying world. But I can’t give that certainty to them, nor can anyone. All I can suggest is that they be honest with themselves about what they want, inform themselves of the costs and benefits to pursuing their desires, and then venture forward — proudly welcoming the correct risks into their life, rather than trying to avoid any risks at all.
Life is nothing but a negotiation of risk. If a person has gender dysphoria and they want to combat it, they must risk a transition they could one day regret. If an abolitionist wants to take a stand against the police state, they must plan for the possibility of arrest or political repression. When we open our hearts to love, we expose ourselves to grief — our partners will keep changing and growing, sometimes away from us. Each step that we take forward in life closes off potential paths. There is no avoiding this.
Instead of chasing after the false promise of “safety,” trying to remain completely insulated from harm and challenge forever, we must get better at admitting risk into our lives.
I wrote about all about the messy business of risk mitigation, and how the pursuit of perfect safety is used to justify isolation, theft of bodily autonomy, and political repression. It's free to read (or have narrated to you by the app!) at drdevonprice.substack.com
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erwinsmithsmissingleftarm · 11 months ago
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hello i was reading your works and are really good may i request zeke x reader smut hc? Or warriors smut hc? thanks you
Warriors and how they fuck you
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Zeke is a real beast. He plays dirty, teases you until you beg on your knees for him to touch you and fucks you until you nearly pass out from pleasure and exhaustion. This man does not show you any mercy when he pounds into you from behind. Real nipples play enjoyer and addict with your chest, Zeke is sucking on it like a leech until your breasts are covered in purple, red and blue marks. His favorite position is the doggy cause he likes to mate like an animal in heat. Bonus fact: Zeke often falls asleep with his head on your boobs, using them as a comfy pillow. Sometimes he even sleeps with one of your titties in his mouth, like a baby.
“What do you want? Sorry, did not hear you speaking.” “You like it when I touch you here, right? Yeah, that’s my good girl.” “Eh, you are already wet and I only touched your breasts? Needy brat.” “I said, I want to hear you beg for it…”
Reiner is a secret softie when it comes to making love. He’s pretty shy about the subject but all the embarrassment disappears once in the bedroom. This guy is a big cum eater and there is nothing better for him than you riding his face. He needs to feel your weight on his face and your wet cunt on his lips. Gets really whiny if you tease him because he’s such a needy man for you. He prefers traditional positions like the missionary when it comes to penetrative sex as he knows how to do them well. Also, a LOUD man. Whimpers and moans escape his lips non-stop, and he does not even hold them back. Bonus fact: he absolutely despites wearing condoms. Reiner says that they are uncomfortable and reduce his sensitiveness.
“You taste so fucking good. Could eat you out all day, baby.” “Hey, keep them spread for me, alright?” “Stop teasing and put it in already or I’m going to put it myself.” “God, you drive me crazy… pussy feels so tight and warm.”
Bertholdt the most lovey-dovey of the Warriors. He makes love to you like it’s described in a romantic book: slow and passionate. His thrusts are precise and gentle so you could feel every inch of his cock going in and out of your pussy. He often puts you legs on his shoulders and pulls your hips forward to hit the deepest parts of you. Bertholdt is a silent one, the only noise you can hear coming out of his is a gasping sound when he cums. He likes when you ride him, the view of your face twisting at the pleasure while you lower yourself on his dick drives him nuts. Bonus fact: foreplays can be very long with him because he takes the time to kiss all you sweet spots and caress every inch of your exposed skin.
“Does it feel good here? Need me to hit that spot again, uh?” “Can I move? Alright, I’m going slowly in.” “I’m gonna show you how much I love you tonight.” “Take a deep breath… yeah that’s my darling.”
Annie is not often in the mood for sex but when she is, she is giving her 110%. You are this woman’s dearest thing and that’s why she can’t help but praise you every time you do something good. Her cold hands run up and down your curves until her fingers reach your moist spot. Annie is gentle and soft with you, like if she is scared to hurt you by accident. Her hand works quickly but carefully on your genitals before she leans in to suck on it. Annie does not have a favorite position, but she prefers when she can see your face because it reassures her to see the pleasure of it. Bonus fact: She also likes to receive oral, soft sounds escaping her lips while your tongue works on her wet pussy.
“Yes, right here please. Feeling so good-” “You are so good for me. Fuck, I’m going to cum if you continue like this.” “Someone’s excited? Don’t lie, I can see the wet spot on your underwear.” “You are so needy, aren’t you?”
Porco is more of the mean and arrogant type. He’s always bragging out to his friends about how good he is at sex and how much you love it and it’s true. Porco is fucking you better than anybody could have. His thrusts are quick and harsh, hitting your cervix every time he moves into you. This man spanks your ass when you start to give him attitude or when you try to hold back your moans because there is nothing he loves more but hearing your voice. He enjoys making love to you against a wall, your legs and arms wrapped around his hips and shoulders while he lowers you into his cock. Bonus fact: Porco likes to spoil you by buying you sexy outfits to wear in the bedroom. He loves the way your cheeks turn red when you are standing in front of him in that red lacy lingerie he just bought you.
“So pretty for me sweetheart. Come closer.” “You like when I fuck you like that? Answer me, slut.” “Keep that pretty mouth of yours open, let me hear how much you like my cock.” “You need it so bad, it’s almost pathetic.”
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jennifer-jeong · 10 months ago
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Smut | Sylus x AFAB!Reader First Impressions
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SUMMARY Your first impressions of Sylus and how they translate into the more… intimate parts of your relationship.
CONTENT NSFW, smut, hard kinks, BDSM themes, size kink, impact play, spanking, vaginal penetration, doggy, missionary, choking, clit play, creampie, m and f orgasm, I WANT HIS STYLUS 😼, he’s secretly very in love with you idk, ALL CHARACTERS ARE 18+
AUTHOUR NOTE I literally haven’t even downloaded the update yet because my phone has no storage LMFAOO so this is literally just my first impressions of him based off my Tumblr and Twitter timelines and the posts I’ve seen about him.
WORD COUNT: 789
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Sylus wasn’t a man that understood restraint. While he understood how he would go about holding himself back, he always decided on disregarding it, especially when it came to you.
The man was the definition of domineering and he was always absolutely determined to wreck you.
Sadism was almost too light a word to describe him with how much he enjoyed drinking up your fear and uncertainty. You knew he was stronger and he always left you unsure of what he’d do next or if it was going to hurt.
When he tries to bully his thick member into you for the first time, he can’t help but let the way you whine “ah! H-hurts” make him twitch at the entrance of you.
Despite your protests, time and time again your body betrays you, showing him how bad you want him by gushing all over him. Helping him slide into you as he stretches you to his size. Your body genuinely couldn’t take his size before but it’s actually gotten easier overtime as if you were genuinely being molded by him. The thought of it made you dizzy.
He absolutely loves fucking you in doggy and spanking you until your skin burns, turning bright red. While you weren’t one to shy away from the dull stinging, he always took it a few slaps too far. He knew when it would actually start to hurt for you and when the skin would get too sensitive, and he’d push you past that point with 3 harsh slaps before rubbing his hands over the area to soothe you.
When he fucks you in missionary though, he’s a whole other monster. In this angle he can barely bottom out in you so he’s genuinely bruising your cervix with every rough thrust.
Of course he checks on you after and gives you good aftercare, but in the heat of the moment, he most definitely bullies you. He slaps at your pretty tits, pinching your nipples and pulling up before letting them recoil as you yelp at the pain.
When he chokes you he does it with his left hand so his right hand can slap at your pretty tear stained face while he whispers the nastiest things to you while holding intoxicating eye contact.
“Such a fucking slut hm?” slap “y’like it when I slap you don’t you,” slap “so fucking filthy” he says with a chuckle “just for me” he adds as he kisses you.
When both of you start to reach your highs, he’s definitely squeezing your neck harder. He presses expertly on your arteries to reduce the blood flow to your brain, starving it of oxygen. It makes your eyes roll back and tongue loll out ever so slightly.
He does it because he knows it fucks with your senses. All you can hear is your heartbeat in your ears as the wet sounds of skin slapping fade out. Your vision gets hazy and spotty, and Sylus’s favorite part: your pussy gets slightly less sensitive. Your brain can’t register all the signals while it’s fighting to keep you conscious. He does it often to deny you your orgasm.
But he also does it so he can catch up to you, it’ll take a while for him to admit it but he absolutely adores finishing with you. Loves feeling your walls milk him in waves as your body racks with shivers. He also loves hearing your voice and how shameless your moans become when you become undone.
So when he’s close, he fully lets go of your neck and instead sits up to ram straight into your g spot and thumb at your neglected clit.
As you feel blood flow into your brain, you also feel the intensity of your pleasure ramp up over the course of 2 seconds before it crashes down on you and you cum so fucking hard each time he does this.
He loves the way your back arches and how your hands grip the sheets for dear life as you cum. You also have a habit of squeezing your eyes shut when it hits you and he finds it kinda cute. But in the moment, he’s usually too far gone to be thinking about if you’re cute or not. You squeeze him so sinfully when you cum and you gush with arousal, making it feel absolutely amazing for him as he stuffs you with his own release.
When he cums it’s also one of the only times you’ll hear him actually moan. He’ll let out grunts and quiet moans but when he finishes in your gummy walls he can’t help but let you know how good you feel. It’s his way of saying “I love you” as he collapses onto you, holding you and breathing into your ear.
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|| MASTERLIST ♡ || Thank you for reading! ||
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solarmorrigan · 5 months ago
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Wrote this a while ago for I think an Angsty August prompt but never posted it. Stumbled across it a few days ago and realized I actually liked it, so here it is
Rated: T | Words: 935 | CW: Anxiety attack | Tags: hurt/comfort, Eddie Munson needs a hug, Steve Harrington has chronic pain, Eddie Munson takes care of Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson loves Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington loves Eddie Munson, the stress and imperfection of caring for someone with a chronic illness
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There are bills. There are always fucking bills – a pile of them lying on the kitchen table where Eddie sits now, head hanging, hair clenched in his fists as he tries to breathe.
He’s pulling so hard that he’s giving himself a headache, and it nearly makes him laugh, but he refrains. He gets the feeling that if he starts, he might not stop – he’ll get louder and louder, maybe get a little hysterical, and then he’ll disturb Steve, who’s currently laid up with the mother of all headaches. Eddie’s little tension headache pales in comparison to the might of the migraine.
At least it’s Saturday. Steve hadn’t had to miss another shift, and Eddie is free to stay home and keep him company. Not that there’s much Eddie can do; he takes another shaking breath, trying to burst the band of anxiety wrapped tight around his chest, but his thoughts keep racing.
The envelopes piled on the table stare back at him as he blinks watery eyes down at his placemat, rent and utilities and medical bills all crying out for payment. Eddie’s job is barely enough to keep them afloat, and Steve – he helps as much as he can. His new job doesn’t pay as much as his last had, but fewer and more flexible hours reduce the chances he’ll get fired after calling out one too many times (like his last job).
(And Eddie can admit, if only in the privacy of his own head, to some frustrated, bitter thoughts in his weaker moments, wondering why Steve can’t just push through his pain like Eddie does. There are days when Eddie’s scars act up, when his body aches and he wants nothing more than to stay in bed, but he doesn’t.
But then he sees the results of Steve “pushing through it” – ignoring the way his whole body hurts, moving until he physically can’t anymore, until even breathing feels painful. Shoving off the impending signs of a migraine until they get mornings like this one: vomiting and stuttering and auras, sitting on the bathroom floor until Eddie can coax him back to bed.
He sees it, sees how much it kills Steve that he can’t do more, and feels ashamed.)
It isn’t just the bills weighing on Eddie’s mind, though. More even than money trouble—something with which Eddie at least has experience—it’s Steve that’s scaring him the most. The days when he’s overwhelmed by pain or by exhaustion, by fogginess and migraines, seem to be increasing, and Eddie doesn’t know what to do.
Scrape together enough money to go see another specialist who will tell them shit they already know and recommend treatments they can’t afford?
(Eddie would. If Steve’s doctor gave him yet another referral, Eddie would find a way to make it work. He’s just not sure anymore that it would help.)
He hates feeling useless. Hates sitting by, unable to do a damn thing, unable to solve the problem, stuck in place just like he had been in high school, dead weight, no good to anybody–
A rustling of sheets followed by a quiet groan reaches Eddie’s ears from the bedroom, snapping him from his spiral.
He sits up, then, releasing his hair and rubbing his hands over his cheeks, catching any stray moisture from beneath his eyes. He takes a few deep breaths, shaking less now, and stands from the table. There is one thing he can do, and even if it doesn’t feel like enough, Eddie is going to do it.
The bedroom is dim, curtains drawn over east-facing windows that blessedly get less light in the afternoon. The bed is a wreck of pillows and sheets, moved around or cast aside in an effort to alleviate the pain, to warm up or stay cool through a fluctuating body temperature. Steve lies in the middle of it all, turned now to face the door, one arm stretched over the empty space where Eddie had been.
His eyes are closed, but Eddie’s pretty sure he’s awake – sure enough, he pulls his arm back as soon as the bed dips under Eddie’s weight. Eddie slides back beneath the sheets and takes Steve’s hand with a gentle squeeze.
“Hey.”
Steve hums, eyes still closed, squeezing Eddie’s hand back. “Where’d you go?”
“Just got up to stretch my legs,” Eddie answers (it’s an easy lie, one Eddie feels no guilt over, because it’s better than explaining that he’d gotten up to avoid waking Steve with the anxiety attack that had built in his chest the longer he’d lain in the silence of their bedroom, watching the furrow between Steve’s brows that made him look pained even in his sleep).
After a moment, Steve’s eyes flutter open, searching Eddie’s face. Whatever he finds there makes his frown deepen.
“Kinda ruined our weekend, huh?” he says quietly. “’m sorry you’re stuck with me like this.”
“Don’t,” Eddie says lowly. “Never apologize. I’m not stuck with you, I love you.” He leans up, presses a kiss to Steve’s forehead, and Steve sighs.
He takes their joined hands and brings them to his lips, kissing the back of Eddie’s. “I love you, too,” he murmurs against Eddie’s skin.
“You need anything?” Eddie asks, before he really settles in.
Steve makes a noise in the negative. “Just you,” he says, lips still brushing Eddie’s hand. “That’s enough.”
Eddie can’t help the overwhelmed tears that well up in his eyes again. This is enough – they’re enough. As long as Eddie has Steve, they can figure the rest out together.
And that will always be enough.
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shiningjustforreid · 4 months ago
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aura
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where Spencer Reid meets someone who shares his pain - if only for a bit.
word count: 1774
a/n: hi! this is my very first published fic (even though i’ve read for years!) and it’s nothing major, but i thought it would be fun to finally write! i hope you enjoy <3
warnings/tags: 18+ (implied intimacy), migraine-era spencer reid, reader has migraines, reader is called ‘girl’ once, heavy themes at the end, spencer rambles about stars, hospitals, spencer calls reader ‘angel’, no use of y/n
- ✩ -
Hospitals may be one of his least favorite places.
“Did you know that actually on any given day 1 in 31 people in a hospital have a hospital induced infection? these include things like a surgical site infection, MRSA,”
Cue the smell of the antiseptic, drowning out the smell of people dying. It’s too clean.
Makes him on edge. But then again, most things do. When people give him that look that clearly says ‘shut up.’ He seems to pull in darkness, trouble, and maybe it’s because he creates it for himself.
Currently, he’s sat, in one of those uncomfortable hospital benches, foot tapping anxiously, sunglasses on, because everything hurts. Notably, his head and eyes.
The lights. The lights build a nausea in him that’s like a tidal wave, build an agony behind his eyes that threatens to reduce his thought process to ash. He still squints, behind the black plastic; it’s not enough, not enough to quell the pain entirely.
“No, I’m, about to go in, actually.”
Is what he should’ve said. But Spencer Reid, a forward man, an eloquent man, is not.
“Can I sit here?”
Quiet, but polite. He makes the mistake of looking up. Your hair is messy, probably from the wind outside, and tucked away from your face. The coat you have on is a deep admiral blue, and it just makes the lack of color in your face all the more apparent. A green bag, slung on your shoulder, as you fiddle with the zipper. Chapped lips form into a halfway smile, and, most noteworthy of all, you have black, plastic glasses on.
“I have an appointment, it’s probably, it’s right after yours, but if I can’t sit here, it’s okay, I-“
You’re backtracking, which means you’re nervous, probably because he’s just been looking at you with an impassive expression, even more unreadable due to the glasses. He clears his throat, and opens his mouth.
“No, um, actually I’m waiting. Hopefully not much longer though.”
God help him, because there’s a shared struggle here, between the two of you. He sees it, in your tense shoulders, the way you sit down slowly, as to not generate any more pain than necessary, the way your hands tremble like leaves in the wind when you adjust your glasses after slowly turning to him. Your halfway smile stays put, though, even through the slow movements.
You move like that, because every movement seems to intensify the burning hot behind your skull.
He knows. He doesn’t know you. Not at all.
But he knows your pain. And maybe that’s enough.
You don’t nod, because it’s unnecessary movement.
“Yeah, I finally gave in and booked an appointment. I’ve had to call out of work for them at least 3 times in the last two weeks.”
Them. The migraines. You don’t need to name them, you both just know. You’re clearly both there for a reason.
“I’m uh, Spencer, by the way. I’ve had mine for a bit now too.”
You tell him your name, and the sound makes a welcome warmth flood through his chest. A star, tiny, but burning, is born. Gravity in his chest, tugging you in, as your heat floods his heart.
Bad idea, bad idea - the alarm bells are clanging. He doesn’t know how sick he is, and he really doesn’t know how sick you are. This could spell disaster, and yet-
He’s intrigued. You radiate this nervousness, a distinct desire to be understood, seen, known. He knows that desire. He has that desire. He wants to know you.
“I think mine might just be due to stress, but, I don’t know. It’s the easiest explanation to deal with.”
For your sake, he hopes that’s all they are. Stress.
And, you’re still sitting there, head bowed, when the nurse comes out and asks questions.
She asks about hallucinations. As if this hell is all in his head. You sit there, silent, biting your lip, worrying the cracked skin in your teeth, your hands picking at the fraying edge of your coat.
When he comes back out, somehow even more tired, even though all he did was lie there and answer some questions, he speaks your name, softly.
As if he has the right to.
You jump a little, look up, and remove your glasses. He stares, he can’t help it. Visible, is the pain, the way your ocular muscles are tense, your skin without color, but you smile, still.
He makes you smile.
“Everything okay?”
Spencer nods hurriedly.
“Fine, for now, I have to get to work. You uh-you’re next?”
“Mhm. Will I—is there any chance I’ll see you again, Spencer?”
You don’t know him. You know him, you must.
“Uh, I mean, I—you want to see me again?”
When will he learn to speak when it actually matters?
“Only if you want to, I-I know I would like to see you again.”
He leaves the hospital, that damn hospital, with a small slip of paper, with ten numbers scrawled in purple ink, and your name below it, a tiny smiley face beside it.
When he gets home from his next case, he fishes that paper out of his messenger bag and types each digit into his cell phone with shaky hands.
Is he tempting fate? Perhaps. But fate answers, your soft voice coming through the phone.
Soon, he finds himself at a café with you, sipping his saccharine sweet coffee and telling you about his job, or some book he just finished, in detail that you don’t seem to protest against. It’s refreshing, really - just to be listened to. To be heard. When you leave, you give him a barely-there kiss on the cheek, a soft goodbye. The star burns brighter.
“I had my follow up appointment.”
He tells you, on the third date, as you two sip coffee once more - are these dates? Would Morgan be impressed? - trying to keep the conversation casual, yet relevant. Your eyes widen with interest.
“And? Did they give you answers?”
He makes a face, shaking his head.
“No. Well, yes, but they told me it’s psychosomatic.”
All in his head.
Your face falls, and you look truly sympathetic.
“I’m sorry, Spencer. I knew how much you didn’t think that to be the case.”
He takes comfort, then, in the way you hug him goodbye, your cheek pressed against the cotton of his cardigan, eyes shut against the light. He tenses, only for a second, before his arms curl around you, resting against your coat.
“We should do dinner.”
He mumbles into your hair, before he can stop himself.
A real date.
And you do. You have dinner, and he makes you laugh, even though it’s quiet, like a bell ringing at Christmas, tiny, joy-filled, and the star in his chest just glows. Your face is tense, though, and he can’t figure out why. You won’t say. either. You never do. You keep your responses composed, and careful, calculated. Like you’re afraid. He wonders why, but won’t press it. You are made of nervous energy. He knows this now.
A few months, of appointments for both of you and cases for him where he aches for your hand in his and coffee and dinner and museum dates, and one ice skating excursion he will not mention, and then—
He makes another mistake then, when he asks you to come over, after a case.
“Just for coffee, or to talk, not to-you know, unless that’s what you want, I—“
Yet, that’s how he ends up with you in his bed, in his lap, your warm hands sliding over his skin like you’re in awe, your wide eyes meeting his own, because he dimmed the lights, and thank God neither of you are hurting right now.
He takes you apart, piece by piece, with his mouth on your collarbone and fingers across your ribs, learning, seeking to know. Because that’s what he wants, to know you, fully, in every way he can, until there’s nothing left for him to study.
After he watches you tremble under him, with his name on your lips, he realizes he’ll never be able to memorize all of you. You’re too extensive, with the blush on your cheeks and the way you cling to him and the way your eyes sparkle for a moment, just a moment, before they dim again.
You’re tucked into him, under his chin, as he traces shapes mindlessly into your back with his fingertips. He feels that star, burning bright in your arms, for millennia to come.
“I love you.”
You smile against his chest, before you speak again, choked up.
“You shouldn’t.”
“Whyever not, angel girl?”
Because you are like an angel, come down from the heavens, his angel, gracing his life during some of the most incredible pain he’s ever felt.
“They told me I’m dying. They found the source of it all.”
And the star fizzles, and sparks, and slowly, a cold ice begins to dwell where the star was. Months fly by, and yet drag, each day feeling long but the weeks short.
He finds himself in the hospital - miraculously, his migraines have given him respite today - your hand in his, his eyes on you. You don’t say much, you never did, but now, he feels like you don’t ever speak at all.
Until you do.
“Spence?”
The light in his chest flickers, illuminating his darkness.
“Yes, angel?”
“Can you talk? About anything? I just wanna hear you.”
He nods, and his voice gets quiet, almost breathless, the longer he speaks.
“Did you know that stars actually are simultaneously pulling apart and being pushed together? The heat from inside the star creates a pressure that causes the atoms to separate, but the gravity attraction forces them back together, as it burns. The bigger a star is though, the less time it takes to go through that fuel.”
He stops, looking down at you. He wonders if you’re listening.
“But when the heat is gone, when it stops burning, there’s nothing to counteract the gravitational pull, and—“
And it collapses in on itself.
“And it just sort of sucks everything else in without its heat, the light, if it’s large enough. Pulling everything in, everyone in-“
He’s said too much. You open your eyes, your voice barely a whisper.
“I don’t want you to do that. You won’t, Spencer, I swear.”
In a rare moment of strength, you tug yourself up, to hold his face in one hand.
“You burned before me. You’ll burn again.”
He nods, desperately trying not to weep.
But I won’t burn like I did with you.
“The brightest stars burn the fastest, so we must love them while we can.”
- Anna Todd
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revelboo · 2 months ago
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Eheuejsbshshs MINER MEGS IS ALREADY HERE???
He’s out overseas so far
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Whipped Cream Pt 7
Sunder x Reader
• Stressed listening to them arguing, it’s the little one with the funny glasses, Ring, maybe, that sways them. Insisting that as long as you keep out of reach, Sunder can’t harm you or he would have reduce you to a drooling mess already. And you’d had to bite into the inside of your cheek at that. Because he wouldn’t hurt you. You’re sure of it even if that certainty feels so thin and like it’s coming apart at the edges. Even if you’re not sure why you’re so sure. Hadn’t you been scared of him?
• Head turning when his cell opens, he can’t stop his delighted grin as your armored escort bends to set you on the floor, tone muffled from the suit as he strictly tells you to keep out of reach. Swallowing a laugh at that, because his captors are just helping him without realizing. He’s been in your head, seen how contrary a thing you are. That being told not to makes you want to do it all the more. How long until he can coax you into touching him? Until he can twist your desires? “Little love, I knew you wouldn’t forsake me,” he purrs as your eyes find his and you smile hesitantly.
• Dimly aware of the cell locking behind you, locking you in with him, you’re halfway to him before you realize and rock to a stop. They’d warned you what he can do, that he can manipulate thoughts. And hadn’t you felt him in your mind before? Rifling through your memories before you’d kicked him out? Shivering and no longer as certain as you’d been a second ago, you wonder if he’s messing with you right now as his unsettling grin widens. Becomes predatory. “Keep out of my head,” you manage, heart racing and he pouts at you.
• “Just a taste? I’m so starved for new experiences. A memory?” Servos flexing as he idly pulls at his chains to make them jingle, before venting dramatically. “Show me someplace you remember. Let me live a moment not bound to this berth.” Coaxing as he slips a little more inside your mind, keeping his touch light so you don’t kick him out again. And there. Almost against your will, you’re remembering a time and place. The bite of winter wind chilling you as you huddle deeper into your coat, waiting. Trees, most of their leaves gone, a gray sky threatening snow. All of it so real. So delicious.
• Lips parting as the memory lifts through you, little details snag you. Feeling as real as that distant day. The wet, miserable feel of snow melting in your hair, on your face as you look up at the sky. Is he closer now? Did you move closer to the berth he’s chained to and not even realize? You swear you can taste pine needles when you inhale mingling with the faint musky, metal bite of him. Needles sliding from the tips of his fingers and a thought. What would those feel like driving into you? Unsure if that thought was him or you, as his awful, Cheshire grin widens.
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glamourscat · 6 months ago
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⋆. 𐙚 ˚ My thoughts on the Itoshi brothers’ dynamic ⋆. 𐙚 ˚
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The Itoshi brothers’ dynamic is so damn sad, and it breaks my heart a little more every time I think about it.
The thing is, we know that Rin is deeply upset (and that’s an understatement) with Sae. Sae made him a promise, the one about becoming the best players in the world together. Reading the manga makes you understand that the way Sae says it, it’s meant as nothing more than “child talk.” You know, when you’re a child and you feel you’re on top of the world? Exactly like that. When you feel you’re invincible and nothing can break you.
But then Sae left for Spain, alone. He was still just a kid. We don’t know what happened during his time abroad, but we can speculate that it wasn’t easy. Easy to adapt, given the cultural differences between Japan and Spain. It probably wasn’t easy to understand and come to terms with the fact that he was not “the best in the world” like he used to be in the little team he played for in Japan. He went to Spain, met stronger opponents, and his dream got crushed. From a striker to a midfielder, because he saw better talents than him. Because he was probably made to feel like his talent wasn’t worth even trying.
You can’t tell me that a little boy with so much substance, joy, passion, and determination to become the number one striker is suddenly reduced to nothing but a shell of who he was. Sure, people grow, but we are talking about a massive jump. We are talking about a kid left to his own devices, alone, without a family by his side in a foreign country.
Which leads me to Rin. I understand his anger. The way he feels betrayed when Sae comes back and suddenly it’s not about “us” together, but about “us” separately. I understand the way he felt betrayed because while Rin poured every ounce of his sweat and tears into leveling up for Sae—his older brother had instead “moved on,” logically. While Rin was breaking himself in four to become someone good enough for Sae, keeping the promise they made close to heart, Sae hadn’t thought about it twice.
Sure, you can blame Rin and say he was too naive, too childish. But he was. He was all those things; he was a child. What child, a younger brother at that, wouldn’t take into consideration the words from his older brother? Younger siblings thrive off their older ones, becoming who they are as individuals by looking up to their older siblings, most of the times at least. It’s obvious why Rin chose football and not another sport, for example. Why he stopped receiving presents from Santa at 8 because his brother had stopped at 10—and if Sae stopped, then so would he, despite still longing for presents.
The betrayal hit Rin particularly hard because while he still had no idea who he was or is, he had at least Sae to look up to. And he was under the impression that the two of them would become the best together. But then Sae comes back, and that dream is out the window.
I’m not going to sit here and debate ethics, because morally speaking, neither Rin nor Sae are perfect beings. They are both equally flawed, and that’s what makes this tragic. Fast forward to now, with Rin being 16/17 and Sae 18, this is where the issues flow in.
They are both old enough to know that the words Sae spoke in the past and the present are wrong and hurtful. No, it’s not “sibling dynamics.” You can be as angry as you want with the world, with your sibling. But to speak like that, then pretend nothing happened and genuinely be confused about why your little brother is “acting out” is next-level madness. Last time I checked, we don’t know exactly what type of individuals Rin’s and Sae’s parents are. But, seeing how their kids react to conflict and hard emotions, it’s safe to say they probably aren’t the best parents. And there’s some emotional neglect involved.
Back to what I was saying, when you’re 16 your emotions are so damn high, this is not me trying to excuse Rin, it’s me understanding where he comes from. It doesn’t excuse the type of person he has become. It’s me sympathising with his situation, because when you live in an environment where you’re forced to either survive or get eaten—you choose survival, no matter what it takes to achieve it. He is a nasty piece of work, with his sharp edges, closed off emotionally and mentally. Slightly judgmental and extremely angry. At himself, at everything. His anger, however, doesn’t mutate like Shidou’s into violence on the field. Rin’s anger is thin, at times invisible. It seeps through the cracks and makes him bitter and sorrowful.
That said, when you come to terms with the fact that Sae has no idea on why Rin is so angry at him and the reason for his anger—passing off his attitude and words as simple “teenage angst” — makes me feel many ways, and none are positive. To me, it’s absurd seeing your little brother acting so hostile towards you, seeing the clear signs of anger and frustration but also sadness in him, and passing it off as “Rin is acting out.” How? Genuinely, how?
You see your brother on the verge of screaming at you on the football field, in front of thousands of people present and live during the U20 match, and what do you do? Further insult him? Girl— It’s the way Sae is not even trying to understand. You can think all you want that your brother is going through a phase, and maybe it’s just me, but if I see my younger sibling acting out, I’m going to talk to them. It doesn’t have to be an emotional confrontation per se, but a simple “what the hell is going on with you?” kind of thing. Letting them know that you’re there for them.
But, with the hypothetical scenario where the Itoshi brothers grew up in an emotionally neglectful house, it makes sense why Sae doesn’t even know how to approach Rin. Ultimately, however, the fact that Sae has no idea why his brother is “acting out,” why Rin is just so angry, makes the whole thing even sadder. Because while Rin took everything to heart and that anger, the delusion is slowly consuming him—Sae has no idea what’s going on. And if Rin finds out that Sae doesn’t even know/didn’t even notice, I think it would end even worse than it already is.
There, we will see his anger explode to unimaginable levels. Anger turning into self-destruction. Rin would truly become a shell of himself, unsure of what direction to take. Because how do you even begin to explain to your little brother that his anger, the way he was feeling, wasn’t even noticed or acknowledged by his older brother? How do you even begin to explain that Sae doesn’t even understand why Rin is reacting the way he is? Truth is, Sae is emotionally unavailable, and Rin is a ticking bomb ready to explode really soon.
© GLAMOURSCAT
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softaestluv · 2 months ago
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i dont know if you do hurt/comfort, so if you dont you can just ignore this I wont mind, but I was wondering if you could do a Soap x reader who just cant except that they got injured badly on a mission and now can’t do the things they would normally do? For example, maybe thee reader has nerve damage in their legs now from an accident and can’t stand for long without their being a lot of pain, but still tries to take long showers, run on the treadmill, take the dogs on walks, cook for long without sitting, etc. and johnny is just worried about them and tries to take care of them, insisting that he could help take some of the pressure off them.
sorry if this doesnt make sense, my native language is Italian
It’s a distant memory, but Johnny can still picture your face scrunched in agony when he closes his eyes, the way you snarled in pain when he tourniquet your leg. The months of therapy and rehabilitation, remembers all the successes and failures.
It wasn’t easy when one day to the next it seemed as your recovery was abysmal. But you were stubborn, resilient, cursed in the face of challenges. He was by your side the entire time, through your good days and bad days. Took leave so he could be there during your entire recovery— something you weren’t completely fond of.
You didn’t want him to put his life on pause just because of an injury you received, but he reassured you everytime— ‘Bonnie, ye are ma life.’
Now, all that remained was lasting nerve damage, seemingly simple tasks became strenuous. It drove you absolutely mad; once a high ranked official in the special forces reduced to a burden.
Johnny tried to let you be for as long as he could, didn’t want you feel as if your independence was stripped from your hands. But he could only watch you struggle for so long, couldn’t stand the grimace on your face when you had been standing for extended periods of time, when the nerves pinched at your muscles and made you strained.
You always tried to brush it off like it was nothing, that you could handle it— ‘Johnny, I’m not a baby now. I’m fine.’
But you weren’t.
He could tell by the way you clenched your teeth, grinding them to shreds or when you would narrow your eyes and curl your lip while cooking as if the food personally offended you. The way your back stiffened, shifting from foot to foot, digging your fingers into the side of your thigh when you thought he wasn’t looking.
Johnny tried to vocalize his concerns, offer to cook dinner instead— ‘Johnny, you don’t know how to cook for shit.’
Warmed you a bath instead of a shower— ‘The water gets cold too quickly in a bath, Johnny.’
Tried to tell you to stop working out, let him walk the dogs, told you to come to him when you needed help, that he was there to take the pressure off you. But you scoffed in his face, too prideful to accept.
So, if you would not listen, Johnny tried to help you in subtle ways. He couldn’t cook for shit, but mama MacTavish? Well, she was practically a chef. Spent quite a bit of his free time learning recipes from her.
The first few times he tried to cook for you, it went terribly wrong, ended the night with fast food and a burnt ego. But he didn’t stop until he was able to cook dinner for you most nights.
Then, you didn’t say anything when a shower bench appeared in the shower one day. Only pressed a soft kiss to his cheek after you found it, but that was enough, had him beaming from ear to ear.
You did get quite frustrated when he kept hiding the dog leashes. So, he suggested the two of you take them to a dog park where they could roam free instead of walking them. They could run their energy out, and all you had to do was sit and watch from the bench.
Those were the easy obstacles; stopping you from working out proved to be difficult, especially when you insisted you needed to because it helped your leg. But he started working out with you, kept an eye on you, so he could make you take breaks by taking turns— ‘Jist want tae be yer gym buddy, hen.’
That’s not to say you didn’t challenge his aid in other ways.
“I don’t need your help. I’m not weak,” You had snarled when he tried to place his arm on your back one day, silently urging you to use him as leverage.
“Love, I never said ye were weak. Never thought that, not for a second." He reassured, thick brows furrowing together.
You didn’t say anything more after that, pulled his arm back around your waist, and banded yours on his shoulder. They were small victories, but Johnny would take them with welcoming arms if it meant it helped you.
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rottenherbs · 4 days ago
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The Things We Dont Say
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Pairing: Harry Potter x Reader (setting: OftP) Summary: Amidst the chaos of Order of the Phoenix, Harry pushes away his girlfriend Y/N out of fear and grief, only to realize— thanks to Luna —that his silence is hurting the one person he loves most. W/C: 851 A/N: sweet small request! Thank you <3 [Masterlist] Much Love, Saige
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It started in September.
Not with shouting or slammed doors, but with the absence of things.
Harry stopped waiting for you after class. He stopped brushing his hand against yours in the corridor. His letters, once so full of scribbled thoughts and awkward affection over the summer, were reduced to polite, clipped notes.
You knew he was hurting. Everyone did. You saw it in the way his shoulders curled inward like he was bracing for an attack no one else could see. In the deep shadows beneath his eyes. In how he flinched at the word “Voldemort.”
You didn’t blame him. Not at first.
But October came, and he snapped at you in front of the entire common room. You’d asked if he wanted to take a walk after dinner.
“I don’t have time for walks, Y/N. Do you think I’m just out here going on strolls while Voldemort is planning his next move?”
Silence fell over Gryffindor Tower. You stood frozen, your lips parted. He didn’t even wait for your response—just grabbed his bag and stormed off to the boys’ dormitory.
You stared at the dying fire, heart beating too loudly in your ears. No one said a word, but you knew they’d heard it. All of it.
———
By mid-November, you started sitting at the end of the table with Luna Lovegood.
She didn’t ask questions, not directly. She never did. But she had this way of knowing things, as if the air told her secrets the rest of you were too loud to hear.
“He’s not really angry with you, you know,” she said one morning, lazily stirring her porridge with a quill.
You blinked at her. “He has a strange way of showing it, then.”
Luna looked up from her bowl and tilted her head. “Angry people don’t usually say what they mean. They say what they think will make the world hurt as much as they do.”
You swallowed, the sting of unshed tears sitting heavy in your chest.
She smiled, dreamy but sincere. “You make him feel like a boy again. And he’s frightened of being one.”
———
Later that week, Harry found Luna waiting for him outside the Room of Requirement after a D.A. meeting.
He frowned. “You need something, Luna?”
“Yes,” she said. “To speak with you.”
He rubbed a hand down his face. “Can it wait?”
“No.”
She walked beside him as he headed down the corridor. He was silent, but she wasn’t fazed.
“You’ve been treating Y/N poorly.”
His steps slowed. “That’s none of your business.”
“She’s my friend,” Luna said simply. “And you’re hurting her.”
Harry stopped.
He turned to her, jaw clenched. “You don’t understand. None of you do. I’m not safe, Luna. People get hurt just by being around me.”
“She’s already hurting, Harry,” Luna replied, softer now. “But not because of danger. Because of you.”
Her voice wasn’t accusing—it was heartbreakingly calm. “You make her feel like she’s losing you. Not to Voldemort. To your silence. Your anger.”
Harry’s breath caught. His hands curled into fists. “I didn’t mean to.”
“I know.”
Luna smiled faintly. “That’s the thing about love. Intent doesn’t always protect us.”
She left him there, her footsteps light, as though she had never said anything at all.
———
You were in the library the next evening when he found you.
You looked up as he slid into the chair beside you, your quill pausing mid-word. You studied him cautiously—his hair was messier than usual, his eyes heavy with something that looked like guilt.
“I’m sorry,” he said before you could speak.
You blinked. “For what?”
Harry gave a quiet, bitter laugh. “How long do you have?”
You closed your book, folding your hands in your lap.
“I’ve been cruel to you,” he continued, voice low. “And not because I wanted to be. I’m scared. I keep thinking if I push everyone away, Voldemort can’t use them. Can’t use you.”
You stayed quiet, letting him speak. He looked down at his hands.
“But I didn’t protect you. I just made you feel unwanted. Like you weren’t important. And that’s the furthest thing from the truth.”
Your throat felt tight.
“Luna talked to me,” he added, glancing up at you. “She said I was making you feel like you were losing me.”
“You were,” you whispered.
He looked like he might break. “I’m still yours, if you want me.”
You reached across the table and took his hand. His fingers closed around yours like a drowning man finding a rope.
“I never stopped wanting you,” you said softly.
Harry leaned forward, resting his forehead against yours. There were still things he couldn’t say. Still wounds that would take time to heal. But here, in the silence of the library, with the scent of old parchment and ink around you, he allowed himself to be held—not in arms, but in your unwavering presence.
And that was the first time in weeks that Harry Potter finally exhaled.
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nadvs · 7 months ago
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hii i love your writhing so so so so so much and i was wondering if you could do something a little angsty for basketball rafe at the end of there college days before rafe gets drafted and him and reader fight about ther future like reader is saying your gonna be able to do all this great stuff what am i supposed to do or smth like that 💕💕 ANYWAYS LOVE YOUR WRITTING!!
aw, thank you so much babe 🥹 i love writing about their college days!! i have a blurb here about how they handle him leaving but i haven’t written in detail how the first bad fight about it goes 👀
» au masterlist
when rafe gets the news that he’ll be drafted, she feels guilty for having a sense of worry gnawing at her. she should be overjoyed for her boyfriend, and while she is happy that his career is soaring to such an impressive height, she’s scared of what it means for them.
she still has a year left of college. he’s moving to a city that’s a three-hour flight away. she’s staying put, while his life is changing immensely. in a matter of two weeks, he’ll be gone and things will change.
it’s a cold night when they’re lying in his bed watching tv, the wind rattling the windows. rafe’s one-way flight is in a couple of days. almost everything’s already packed up, the bedroom nearly bare.
underneath the elation of making it professionally, rafe hates that the trade-in for following his dreams is leaving his girl. everyone and everything else will be easy to leave. but not her.
she’s been keeping her emotions under wraps. she feels wrong for hiding them from him, considering they’ve always prided themselves on having an honest relationship, but she doesn’t want to ruin such a big moment for him.
he’s leaning against the bed’s headboard while she rests on his chest. her mind is racing with worries that he’ll find something, or really someone, better than her. nearly six months together feels like a strong enough commitment, a solid enough foundation, but what if it’s not enough?
“what do you think long distance is gonna be like?” rafe mumbles.
they haven’t talked about it. not really. he knows they’re both dreading the conversation. for two people who started a relationship built on directness, they’re great at being in denial.
“i was just thinking about that,” she admits, still blankly staring ahead at the screen. “i don’t know. what do you think?”
rafe’s hand drags up and down her arm. two more days and everything changes. she won’t be a short drive away anymore. her touch, her smell, her everything won’t be accessible. she’ll be reduced to an image on a screen, a voice through a speaker.
“i’m freaked out,” he admits. he’s so afraid of losing her that it hurts. but she stiffens under his touch. she doesn’t agree like he expected.
“are you not confident that we’ll be able to handle it?” she asks.
her mind is a tangled mess. she’s nervous herself, but him being nervous doesn’t feel fair. he’s the one leaving. he’s the one starting a new life. nothing will be changing on her end. everything will be changing on his.
“it’s not that,” rafe says. “stuff will just be… different.”
“of course it will,” she says. she sits up to meet his gaze, her eyes already glossing with tears. “i’ll be stuck here and you’re…”
she shakes her head in frustration.
“what do you mean by freaked out?” she asks tersely.
“i mean that it’s weird that we’re not going to see each other all the time like we do now,” he states. “why are you pissed at me?”
she looks up to the ceiling, exhaling sharply. she hates it, how on edge she’s been, how she can’t just shut her worries up and feel happy for him and be sure they’ll make it.
“i’m not,” she sighs. it’s one of the things she really doesn’t like about her boyfriend. he senses the tiniest bit of frustration and he pulls at it like a string, trying to understand her but in the most pushy way.
“yeah, obviously,” he says sarcastically. her tone is so clearly irritated. what could he have possibly done wrong?
“it’s just that freaked out sounds like…” she begins. “like maybe you don’t think we’ll stay together.”
“when did i say that?” rafe scoffs, pulling his arm off of her.
her heart aches now that his touch is gone. this is how it’s always going to be when he leaves. he won’t be at an arm’s length anymore. he’ll be off in a big city, making money, meeting people more impressive than her, girls prettier than her.
rafe stares down at his lap, clenching his jaw. he doesn’t want to say anything he’ll regret. not when he’s leaving so soon. over the time they’ve been dating, he’s gotten a little better at reigning in his temper.
but this accusatory tone of hers, this implication that he doesn’t care to make this work, stings.
“for fuck’s sake,” he whispers sharply. “i don’t get why you’re mad at me.”
“i hate when you do this,” she says. “don’t say i’m mad when i’m not.”
“you can honestly say you’re not right now?” he meets her eyes. “really?”
she bites her lip. it’s so much more than mad. she’s scared. she’s insecure. she swallows the lump in her throat.
“your new life will be amazing. maybe you’re freaked out because you know you won’t want any part of your old life. including me.”
“wow,” he says with a humorless chuckle. “i…”
rafe trails into silence. he has a reputation for being a dick. he knows that. he’s fine with it. but hearing the girl he’s fallen in love with imply that he’d toss her to the side like that, like he’s heartless, is gut-wrenching.
“what?” she says.
“i can’t believe you,” he says. “i just wanted to talk to you. not get words put in my mouth and fucking fight about it.”
“you’re turning this into a fight, calling me pissed off when i’m not,” she counters.
for once, rafe doesn’t have a rebuttal. he always does. he always has his next words waiting in his throat during an argument, but this… this is too much. he started an innocent conversation about how he feels. and it turned into this.
“i don’t know what you want me to say,” he mutters.
a tear finally falls down her cheek. he hasn’t denied that he might not want her anymore. maybe her pessimism about any relationship working out for her isn’t totally misguided. right now, it feels like she’s looking at a man who simply doesn’t care.
and she told him that, plenty of times before, how sometimes she fears that a happy ending might just not be in the cards for her.
rafe stays silent as they sit on his bed. it eats away at her.
“if breaking up is inevitable, we might as well do it now,” she murmurs, partly out of spite, but mostly out of defeat.
rafe’s eyes dart up to meet hers again. the wound he thought she patched up, the one that convinced him over and over that she’ll leave him, rips open.
“were you ever really in this in the first place?” he accuses her, his face twisting in anger. “or did you always think i was gonna disappoint you like every other guy?”
she scoffs in disbelief. the string of tension that they’ve both been walking on since draft night has snapped.
he shouldn’t have said that. she shouldn’t have said what she said, either. but it’s too late. they’re both tense. they’re both too short-tempered.
“no. i’m sorry,” she says weakly. “i’m just… this is so hard. already. i’m worried about us.”
she rests her forehead on her hand, trying to rein in her rushing emotions. rafe’s stare softens as he watches her shoulders start to gently tremble with her cries.
“hey,” rafe says quietly, pushing past his pride, gripping the back of her hand. “come here.”
she lets him pull her forward, collapsing in his arms, her cheek against his firm chest.
“breaking up isn’t inevitable,” he murmurs. “i don’t want to hear you say stuff like that.”
“i know,” she whispers. “i know. just… promise me you won’t change your mind.”
“i promise, baby.” he kisses her forehead, meeting her eyes again.
they both know they need to talk about this. really talk about it, instead of snapping at each other and then brushing it away so quickly. but it hurts too much right now and they’d rather exist in a reality where they’re in the same town, able to see each other whenever they want.
the future still feels shaky to her, but she lets herself melt into his touch, hoping if she pretends she has no doubts, that they’ll eventually go away.
she cuddles into him again, silent, wishing time with him didn’t always go by so fast.
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theartkid15 · 25 days ago
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CEN AND RIGEL MASTER POST?!! ROTT I’m so sorry this took so long i promise im alive i was just trying to think of good silly ideas for yer boys.
Anyway……. Let’s get on with it!
Cen- he bites as a defense mechanism and has sent scraps and lootbags alike to the ER. Now the doctors recognize his bite pattern on first glance.
Rigel- he doesn’t tap people on their shoulder or nudge people to get their attention, he pinches people instead. And not with his fingers, he pinches people with his knuckles which hurts 10x more . If that makes any sense.
Cen- normally he would steal from an art supply store or a stationery shop for his art supplies. But sometimes he needs to get a little creative if his resources run low. So it’s common to see him swiping the charred pieces of wood out of a dead fire to later use as charcoal. Or find various flowers and berries to later reduce to a decently pigmented watercolor. You can even make paint out of eggs. He uses that art supplies he created the most when he feels a creative burst.
Rigel- On really, really, really, slowly days of selling the newspaper, Rigel actually tries to read it and annotate it. Maybe even fix a few grammar or spelling mistakes he can catch right away. He can’t catch every mistake from the paper and some of the annotations can be wrong, but it kills time and makes him feel smart considering all his knowledge is self taught.
Cen- you know those caricature artists you find on the street during events or just in a more populated area? Yeah, Cen became a caricature artist for a day as a quick cash grab during a festival in Ramshackle. But he wasn’t one of those artists that pin pointed and accentuated your nicer/ cuter features. No, he pin pointed and made ur most ugly features you are probably the most insecure about the vocal point of the drawing. People were given crimson chins, buck teeth with food stuck between it, monumental foreheads, hairlines that recede back for miles and so much more. People left his booth either in tears or laughing so hard they couldn’t breathe.
Rigel- he is the reason both himself and Cen wear those fingerless gloves. Rigel would get a good flow of writing creativity and NEEDED to write down every idea in his mind before he would forget it all. So he would write nonstop for ideas for pomes or stories to write about later. But all that writing made his hands and writs hurt and cramp up. So he tried finding solutions from tape to bandages to making a makeshift ice pack. It provided temporary relief but it wasn’t a full proof fix. Until he was scavenging for food and food two pairs of compression gloves. He thought it was a dumb idea but he was desperate for a solution. After wearing the gloves for a few days without any pain, he kept both pairs, one to wear daily and the other as a backup. But he realized that Cen was experiencing the same thing with his art. So Rigel begrudgingly gave the second pair to Cen. Now if only one of them could find a knee brace for Cen’s jacked up knee……
Cen- on the topic of his jacked up knee, if he walks for an extended period of time his knee starts to click when he walks. Which wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t so audibly loud and annoying. It doesn’t hurt from when he first initially injured his knee but due to being broke and having insufficient funds, he can’t get a doctor so it never healed correctly for him. His knee also has an infinite popping glitch so Cen can pop his knee as many times as he wants with having to wait. So he pops it on purpose to gross people out. How did he injure his knee? He couldn’t tell you, either play fighting with his brother or running away from authorities, or just doing something incredibly stupid.
Cen and Rigel’s way of bonding is playing fighting. Like one will start in by throwing those fake air punches pretending to beat each other up. Before they actually start hitting each other. They keep a score board on how many wins they have over each other as a way to see who is the superior twin. Another way they bond is practicing different tricks on their homemade skate boards or practicing different parkour moves to be able to get around town faster or to evade the police. 9 times out of 10 they get bruised or earn themselves a new “battle scar” because they become a little too confident in their abilities.
Rigel- lowkey has one-sided beef with elderly people. I dunno, maybe it’s because of the sweater vest he wears but older people approach him because he is a little more nicely dressed than the average scrap. And he is sick and tired of having to repeat himself over and over again or having grandmas think it’s okay to pinch his cheeks.
Cen- he once convinced Rigel to cut his hair since it was grown out to the point he was getting confused as a girl. Cen would do it himself but he knew he would get impatient and cut off too much hair. So he made Rigel do it. But Cen kept moving too much and Rigel accidentally chopped off too much hair in the back. After a moment of silence followed by Rigel cackling at how chopped his brother looked, Cen promptly beat him up, mourned the loss of his hair, and then proceeded to find something to cover up the shame of the bald spot. Thus his signature cap, he decided to keep it even after his bald spot grew back hair because he thought he looked cool.( insert that one audio “ damn we messed up we gotta go bald”)
Rigel- he sometimes thinks about their parents. Why they left, why they abandoned them, where are they now. He gets in his own head a lot and will think for hours about it if you let him. He wonders what they would look like, if he inherited any defining traits or qualities, something. He wrote a poem about it once, about missing someone you never even met. He doesn’t show it to Cen but he keeps it tucked away somewhere safe. He is thankful he isn’t doing this whole surviving thing alone and he was given a built in best friend.
Cen- on his end, he harbors a lot of anger and resentment towards their parents. He feels extremely abandoned and just angry that his life has to be so hard. That everything would have been better if their parents just stayed. He convinced himself a long time ago that if they ever showed up he is walking the other way and he is taking Rigel with him. He had that mentality that he doesn’t need parents if he has survived this long without any help. His anger comes out in short violent bursts that he tries to keep contained and away from Rigel. The most healthy coping mechanism he has is trying to visualize and draw what their parents could look like before destroying the drawing because it doesn’t look right or it isn’t realistic. Only one drawing survived this treatment and it is kept tucked away where only Cen knows its whereabouts.
If they did have parents Rigel is a mamas boy, Cen is daddy’s boy.
Rigel- he wishes he was able to go to a school to get educated. He learns through instructions and structured lectures. But after overhearing Tre’s
Experience with private school and how long the school day is and the amounts of homework, projects, and tests he would need to do, he figures it’s better to keep that dream a dream and not a reality.
Cen - he learns better through visual modeling and being able to use his hands to figure out things on his own. That’s why art calls to him so much. He is able to use sensory input such as sight and touch into an activity. So using pencils or charcoal, or using paint brings happiness. And he was so excited when he found some natural clay on the outskirts of town and made little pottery pieces for himself and Rigel to use. Cen has a lot of dexterity and eventually able to use both hands with the same skills and technique that he is basically ambidextrous.
Dante is kinda the father figure/parental figure to all of the younger scraps in general. But Cen and Rigel are the only younger scraps brave (dumb) enough to break into his tavern/ bar when they are looking for something to eat or drink. In short both twins almost got their $hit rocked by the angry old man before he realized they just needed something and were willing to risk getting caught or hurt if they stole something. They made it out alive and still cause absolute havoc in his bar and thus earned themselves the loving nickname from Dante, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb.
One time they switched spots for a day. So Rigel as Cen and Cen as Rigel they tried to not make it seem obvious of the switch but realized they didn’t have to when literally nobody in the entire town noticed the switch. And both twins were genuinely so offended because of it because they thought they had more defining traits than that. So after the switch they didn’t talk to anyone for a few days before they finally snapped and told everyone that they swapped places for a day and no one noticed.
Kay- this one might be a little out of character but listen. When Stone is having a really good day or a bad day, he pulls the some prank every so often. He either pays the twins or trades something with them for a favor. It’s simple. To find his sister Avrille, distract her, pickpocket her or even just annoy her, and the second she notices she is being robbed or messed with, to kick her cane out from under her to make her face plant onto the cobble stone. Cen, Rigel, and Stone get a kick outta it, but Stone tries to be more nonchalant about it. But Cen and Rigel are always willing to pull pranks or mess with people on other’s behalf, but for a price or fair trade.
To add onto that, they are kinda like everyone’s messenger boys. Mainly just scraps and the select few people they know from the working class( Maroon or Dante ). They mainly started this when Ditch and Vinnie first broke up and their turf got divided. They didn’t want to talk to each other nor even look at each other but they still needed to communicate for “business purposes “ on Ditch’s half. So they got recruited to send messages back and forth between Vinnie and Ditch. Things quickly escalated with the messages, going from “ Ditch says you need to give up five more feet of your turf” to Vinnie sending back her message of “ well then tell Ditch he is being a petty a$$ b!tčh”. Soon Cen and Rigel now knew the feeling of what it’s like being of a child of divorce.
Rigel and Cen do start unnecessary drama when they truly get bored. Like they pick out a person they know or someone random in a crowd and start making things up that are almost not believable but somehow still entertaining enough to be believable. That is how people now think Vinnie has fleas, Stone is faking his accent, Skipp’s scarf is alive, Ditch is naturally a ginger and files his teeth to look sharp, Tre is actually bald and wears a wig and so on. This has gotten them in trouble on multiple occasions in the times they have gone too far.
For a dollar extra they will sell you their “underground newspaper “. It’s just a Frankensteined newspaper with random scraps of paper taped onto it with petty drama that is going on in the scrap and lootbag world. They are professional ease droppers and will find out any gossip they can so they have dirt on people for blackmail.
Rigel- has unnaturally long and thick eyelashes. Cen taunts him by calling him pretty boy.
Cen- has unnaturally well kept and long fingernails. Rigel taunts him by asking him when he is gonna file down his talons.
They are honestly horrible gift givers, even to each other, not even on accident they just don’t know what to get people. Like Cen forgot everything Skipp likes ( PAPER APPLE?!) and literally picked up a cool rock and gave it to him as a gift. Skipp still loved it because in his words “at least you thought of me when you found this rock”, but later Cen stole a few apples from Skipp and drew him a couple pictures. Rigel didn’t know what to get Tre for Valentine’s Day ( POLICE REPORT?!) and Rigel could not be found for the entire day because he was doing side quests to figure out what to get Mr. Fancy pants Rich McGee. Later he handed Maroon a piece of paper and told her to give it to Tre when she can, the paper turned out to be a decently sweet love letter and poem.
Cen - when he started dating Skipp he didn’t act all lovey dovey at first but over time he just fell harder for that ginger. To the point he was mindlessly doodling him on the sides of the newspaper they were supposed to sell and when Skipp was brought up in conversation, he would talk about him for hours if you let him with a love struck look on his face. Which of course would cause Rigel to gag and tell his twin to save the sappy story for someone else who wants to listen.
Cen - convinced Skipp to switch hats for a day. It was honestly very cute if it wasn’t for the fact that they gave each other lice afterwards. But they still switch accessories every so often. Like they switch gloves or Cen takes Skipp’s scarf for a day.
Cen - the only time Cen is ever really quiet is when he is listening to his boo boo bear Skipp (kill me) play his mandolin. He just sits and watches for however long Skipp can play, violently shushing anyone that is coming between him and listening to the music that Skipp is making.
Rigel- he is happy for his twin that he found someone to have a stable relationship with. He doesn’t feel the need to be overly protective of Cen because he can handle himself. But he did pull Skipp aside and tell him that if the relationship goes down in flames, his mandolin, scarf, and Skipp himself will go up in flames. But Rigel doesn’t worry about Cen and that relationship too much, and is willing to give advice if asked, even if the advice that is given is just “ he is just a guy, run him over with a stolen car”.
( idk any popular ships with Rigel so i choose police report as the main ship ( Rigel x Tre))
Rigel - he jump scares Tre just to get attention and serve as a greeting to the wannabe cop. He chats with him for a few minutes, and of course convinces Tre to buy a newspaper off of him, maybe even flirts a bit before running off with Tre’s wallet in his hands.
Rigel- he admires Shakespeare and his works, and really wanted to go see at least one play of his in Ramshackle, he didn’t care which play it was, if it was McBeth, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet he just wanted to see one live. And so that was his and Tre’s first date to go see Romeo and Juliet as corny as that sounds. Now while Tre is in musical theatre he can still tell when the acting is really bad but Rigel couldn’t care less because this was the first time he was witnessing a live performance.
Rigel - He does ask Tre a lot about schooling and just learning in general. Which gives Tre the idea of bringing some workbooks and literature pieces for Rigel to do and analyze. It’s their own way of bonding and keeping Rigel out of trouble for a few hours.
Rigel - if he ends up dating Tre, he and Cen included have an infinite get outta jail free card glitch. Because Tre is a weak softy and caves instantly when Rigel makes the least convincing puppy dog eyes that he was completely innocent of whatever he is accused of ( he isn’t, he knows full well what he did and will do it again)
Both Cen and Rigel are both kinda envious of each other and it kinda fuels some of their bigger arguments. Where Cen is much more confident, outgoing, and more brave to take risks, Rigel’s lacks some of those abilities. Where Rigel is able to analyze a situation, use cation, and more book smart, Cen falls short in those aspects.
At the end of the day if they admit it or not they still be each other and couldn’t function without the other. They are a package deal and where one goes the other is bound to follow. GRRRRR I LOVE THEM SO MUCH THEY NEED TO EXPLODE-
- anyway that is all, I literally wrote down all my ideas until I couldn’t write anymore. I hope you enjoy and if I mis-characterize anyone I apologize. Anyway @rottmeltson dinner is served hopefully you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.-
See ya later- 💜✨🪻☀️💫🔮🌙⭐️🪐
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