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charliedawn · 2 months ago

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The Squib Witch part 7:

Author��s notes: A Harry Potter fanfiction. With an OC who is an ADULT and modifications of my own. It does NOT follow the original story. The original story belongs to J.K. Rowling. It deals with war trauma and the aftermath of the Wizarding Wars. Thank you. 😄👍

During the class, Professor Snape found himself occasionally glancing in Al's direction, noticing how closely she was paying attention to the lesson. Despite being a squib, she was just as enthusiastic about potions as any magically-inclined student. As the class drew to a close, he felt a newfound respect for her. Perhaps she would make a good teaching assistant, after all ? As the class ended and the students filed out of the classroom, he lingered behind his desk, waiting for Al to approach. Once the classroom was empty, he motioned for her to come closer.

She was momentarily surprised, but did as he asked and approached his desk. Professor Snape gave her a quick once over, his dark eyes studying her from head to toe before he decided to speak up.

"Your primary responsibility as my assistant will be to assist me during classes, whether it is by handing out ingredients, cleaning up, or helping the other students." He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "However, you will need to remember that you are not a teacher. The authority in the classroom lies with me, and my word is law. Do you understand ?"

She nodded.

"Of course, sir. Thank you for the opportunity."

Professor Snape nodded in acknowledgment, pleased that she seemed to take this seriously. Maybe would she finally stop with all that magic nonsense ?

"Very well. You can begin your duties tomorrow. Class starts at 8:00 sharp. Do not be late." He paused again. "I do not give chances like this lightly, Miss Pacino. I expect you to prove that you are worthy of the position."

Al nodded and was about to leave when she hesitated.

"Sir…Are you…certain about this ?"

Professor Snape raised an eyebrow at her question, wondering why she would doubt his decision.

"Yes, I am," he confirmed, his voice firm. "As I have already said, you have demonstrated intelligence and dedication in your studies. That is more important to me than magic."

He studied her silently for a moment, his gaze penetrating before adding:

"Is there a particular reason you would doubt my decision, Miss Pacino ?"

She hesitated once more.

"…You will have hired a squib, sir." She repeated—as if he hadn’t understood what it meant. "…No matter if I really am one or not."

Professor Snape's eyes narrowed at her comment, his irritation returning.

"Yes, I am aware of that," he said, his voice crisp. "You may not be able to cast spells, but you are intelligent and hardworking. And those are qualities that are far more important than being able to wave a wand around."

Her eyes widened slightly at his words before she smiled.

"Thank you, sir."

Professor Snape nodded curtly, his irritation fading slightly at her gratitude.

"Don't go thanking me yet," he cautioned. "Prove your worth first. Then you can be as thankful as you want."

Her smile remained and she nodded.

"Yes, sir. See you tomorrow."

She left. Professor Snape watched as Al left the classroom, a small pang of unease stirring in his chest. He wondered whether this decision to hire a squib as his teaching assistant was a mistake. But he quickly pushed that thought aside—he had already made the decision, and he would stick to it. With a huff, he gathered his things and made his way out of the classroom, his mind occupied with thoughts of the next day and Miss Pacino’s first day as his assistant…

Arriving at his office, he pushed open the door and walked inside, lost in thought. He didn’t notice the ghost of Dumbledore standing there until he turned around. Professor Snape was jolted out of his reverie by Dumbledore’s spectral presence, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.

He hadn’t expected to see the former headmaster in his office, and he wondered what he wanted.

"Headmaster Dumbledore," he said, straightening up and quickly regaining his composure. "What brings you here ?"

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling with amusement at Professor Snape’s reaction.

"Good afternoon, Severus. I hope I am not interrupting anything."

He took a seat in one of the chairs in front of Professor Snape’s desk, his demeanor as relaxed and pleasant as ever. Professor Snape eyed Dumbledore warily, suspecting that the old headmaster was up to something. With Dumbledore, it was usually best to be suspicious.

"No, you are not interrupting anything," he replied, his voice flat. "To what do I owe the pleasure ?"

Dumbledore chuckled.

"I couldn’t help but overhear that you have hired Al to be your new teaching assistant." He leaned back in her chair, a hint of amusement in his voice. "That’s quite the interesting decision, if I do say so myself."

Snape’s jaw clenched.

How had the old wizard managed to get the news so fast ?

Professor Snape’s irritation flared at Dumbledore’s words. How the former headmaster had managed to find out so quickly was beyond him. The man seemed to have eyes and ears everywhere. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his irritation in check. "Do you have anything to say about my decision, Headmaster Dumbledore ?"

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Not at all, Severus. I am just…curious as to your motive." He paused, studying Professor Snape with his piercing blue eyes. "I am curious to know why you made such a choice. It is not exactly typical for people like Miss Pacino to be hired as teaching assistants, is it ?"

Professor Snape felt his irritation rise even further at Dumbledore’s question. It was none of the former headmaster’s business why he had hired Al. But he knew better than to show his anger in front of Dumbledore—the old wizard had a way of getting what he wanted regardless.

He took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice even.

"I hired her because I believe she is intelligent and hardworking," he said, his tone clipped. "Those qualities are more important to me than the ability to cast spells."

Dumbledore nodded, a knowing smile on his lips.

"I see," he said. "I must say I’m surprised by your answer. I didn’t expect you to make such a decision."

He paused, his expression growing slightly more serious.

"But surely there are other students who possess those qualities as well, and are also able to perform magic." He leaned forward, his eyes locked on Professor Snape’s. "I am sure you had other reasons for hiring her. Why don’t you share them, Severus ?"

Professor Snape felt the familiar pang of irritation at Dumbledore’s question. Why was the headmaster so curious about his decision ? It wasn’t as if he held any power any longer. He was no longer the headmaster of Hogwarts. Just an old ghost. Professor Snape took a moment to collect his thoughts, trying to come up with a response that wouldn’t give too much away.

"I did consider other students," he admitted, his voice guarded. "But Alethea Pacino showed a level of dedication and intelligence that surpassed the rest. That is the main reason why I chose her."

Dumbledore leaned forward, his eyes sharp as he studied Professor Snape.

"Ah, I see. It is purely a matter of academics for you, then." He leaned back again, a small smile on his face. "Well, I must say I’m intrigued to see how she performs. It will certainly be a different experience for you, having someone like Miss Pacino as your assistant."

Professor Snape bristled at Dumbledore’s words. He could sense that the old wizard was up to something, and he didn’t like it. But he couldn’t let his irritation show, not in front of Dumbledore. He clenched his jaw, irritation prickling at the back of his mind.

Why did Dumbledore seem so amused by all of this ?

He took a deep breath, trying to keep his temper in check.

"It will certainly be an interesting experience," he eventually agreed. "But I have no doubts that she will be able to perform her duties effectively."

Dumbledore chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Of course, of course. I have no doubt she will do a wonderful job.”

He stood up, a casual smile on his face, as if they were just discussing the weather.

"I shall leave you to it, then. I am sure you are very busy."

Severus narrowed his eyes at the headmaster.

"…Albus ?"

Dumbledore paused on his way to the door, turning back to Professor Snape with a curious expression. It was the first time Severus had ever called him by his first name.

"Yes, Severus ?"

Severus sighed.

"…That student. Alethea Pacino. You accepted her entrance, correct ?"

Dumbledore nodded, a smile playing on his lips.

"Yes, I did. Why do you ask ?"

Severus crossed his fingers over his desk.

"…You knew she was…well…you knew of Miss Pacino’s situation before accepting her within the school ?"

Dumbledore nodded.

"Of course I did. I was aware of Miss Pacino's...situation, shall we say. Why ?"

"…Albus." Severus stared at Dumbledore. "…Why did you accept a squib to follow an education at Hogwarts ? Knowing of her condition ? Knowing that she would never be able to perform and that she would certainly never be able to pass her OWLs ?"

Dumbledore chuckled, the corners of his eyes wrinkling.

"Oh, Severus. You always like to think the worst of me, don’t you ?"

He clasped his hands behind his back, floating towards Professor Snape’s desk.

"The answer is simple. I accepted her because I believe everyone deserves the opportunity to learn, no matter who they are or what their circumstance may be."

Professor Snape’s irritation flared once again. Of course Dumbledore would give such an answer—the old headmaster always had to be the benevolent one, always helping those in need.

It was nauseating.

He took a deep breath.

"But what was the point ? She cannot even use magic. You knew she would fail all her exams. That she would never graduate. That she would be stuck…Forced to remain as her classmates went away and made a life for themselves ?”

Dumbledore smiled, seemingly unbothered by Professor Snape's irritated tone.

"My dear Severus, you are assuming that a student’s only purpose in attending Hogwarts is to graduate and leave. That their time here is limited to the years they spend in the castle." He chuckled again, a knowing look in his eye. "You are forgetting that for many students, Hogwarts is their home. It is where they make their friends, where they make memories. It is a place where they can learn and grow, regardless of their magical ability."

Professor Snape’s jaw clenched even tighter, his irritation rising further. Dumbledore always knew how to twist things to his advantage. It was infuriating. It was just like Dumbledore to take in a charity case, even when he knew the student would fail.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

"But what kind of future can she have, without magic ?" he insisted.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, his expression turning solemn.

"Oh, Severus. You should know better than to underestimate the capabilities of someone just because they cannot cast spells." He paused, his blue eyes locking on Professor Snape's. "Magic isn't the only route to a successful life. There are many other paths that a student can take, even one who lacks magical abilities."

Professor Snape restrained a groan of annoyance. He didn’t want to hear Dumbledore’s platitudes. He didn’t want to hear about the many “other paths” Miss Pacino could take. He knew the truth—that for a squib, life was much more difficult. That their opportunities were limited, their future uncertain. And yet, Dumbledore seemed determined to downplay all of that. To act as if Miss Pacino was just like any other student, with bright prospects and endless possibilities.

"She could have had a great life as a muggle as well…" Severus finally countered and Dumbledore nodded, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Yes, she could have. There is nothing wrong with being a muggle. They lead perfectly fulfilling lives." He paused, his eyes locking on Professor Snape's once again. "But that's not the life Alethea wanted, is it ?"

Professor Snape felt his irritation flare even higher than before. Of course Dumbledore would mention that—the one factor that made this whole situation even more frustrating. That she had actually chosen this life. That she had willingly come to Hogwarts, knowing full well the challenges she would face.

"She was a child, Albus !" He finally snapped—his eyes staring at Albus with annoyance and disbelief. "A child. A magic-barren child. A child who had to see her classmates use magic and make progress while she didn’t. A child who had to see the horrors of a war about the magical world that did not concern her. That she didn’t need to be a part of."

Dumbledore’s expression softened, a glint of sympathy in his eyes.

"I understand your concerns, Severus. I really do." He studied Professor Snape for a moment before continuing. "But you must know that Alethea chose this path willingly. She understood the risks, the obstacles she would face. And still, she chose to come to Hogwarts."

Professor Snape’s jaw clenched, his irritation flaring once again.

Dumbledore was missing the point, as usual. Al may have chosen to come to Hogwarts, but she had been a child when she made that choice.

A child, for Merlin’s sake.

How could she have known the true extent of the challenges she would face ? How could she have known just how difficult her life would be ?

It was cruel, really. To allow a squib to attend a wizarding school, knowing she would never be able to use magic. To make her watch as her classmates made progress while she didn’t.

It was a recipe for disaster. And yet, Dumbledore had seen no issue with it. Dumbledore saw the anger in Professor Snape's eyes and chuckled softly.

"I know what you're thinking, Severus. You think I am cruel." He paused, his expression growing more serious. "But you must remember that everyone deserves the chance to pursue their dreams, even if those dreams seem impossible."

Professor Snape gritted his teeth, the tension in his jaw visible.

How he hated it when Dumbledore talked like this. As if he was all-knowing and benevolent, always doing what was right.

As if he had the moral high ground in every situation.

"You only allowed her to suffer idly and unnecessarily," Professor Snape said, his voice sharp. "You let sentiment cloud your judgement. You gave her hopes and dreams, when you knew she’d never be able to achieve them."

The old wizard didn’t answer right away before finally replying:

"Nothing is gained without sacrifices, Severus. It was for her own good that I allowed her to have an education here. In Hogwarts."

He glared at the ghost. He didn’t need Dumbledore to lecture him about life being hard. He already knew that. He saw it every day, in every class he taught. The struggles, the challenges, the setbacks.

But this was different. This wasn't about a student struggling to learn a spell or master a potion. This was about a child being handed a future that was doomed to failure.

Severus huffed.

"And lying to her ? Was that also for her own good, Albus ?"

Dumbledore's gaze hardened, the sparkle in his eyes growing sharper.

"Who said anything about lying, Severus ?"

He paused, studying Professor Snape intently.

"I never once told Alethea anything that wasn't true. She was well aware of her circumstances. Of the challenges she would face. And yet, she chose to attend Hogwarts nonetheless."

Severus shook his head in disbelief.

"YOU TOLD HER THAT SHE HAD MAGIC WITHIN HER ! THAT SHE JUST HAD TO UNLOCK IT !" Severus’ fists tightened.

Dumbledore's calm expression remained undeterred in the face of Professor Snape's outburst.

"I did," he replied, his voice quiet and steady. "And it was true. Squibs often have magic dormant within them. It's possible, albeit not common, for a squib to develop magical abilities later in life."

Professor Snape gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain his composure.

Dumbledore was, as usual, trying to spin the truth in his favor. And while it was true that some squibs had been known to develop magical abilities later in life, the chances were so astronomically small that it was almost laughable.

Cruel, really, getting Al’s hopes up like that. Telling her that someday, she might be able to use magic. That someday, she might be able to truly belong…

Dumbledore's expression softened, a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"I may have hinted at the possibility that Alethea could eventually learn magic. It's true. I was hoping she might be able to, to defy the odds." He paused, his voice growing more somber. "But I never made any promises. I never lied to her, Severus. I never told her that it was a certainty. I just...gave her hope."

Professor Snape's jaw clenched so tightly now that it hurt.

Hope. Of course Dumbledore had given her hope. He had planted the idea in her head that there was a chance, even if it was a small one, that she might be able to cast spells someday.

And Al had clung to it, no doubt. She had built her dreams on that tiny sliver of hope, despite the odds being overwhelmingly against her.

Professor Snape wanted to curse Dumbledore for his reckless optimism, for filling Al’s head with such false hope. It was unkind, he told himself, giving her that glimmer of possibility, knowing full well it may never be more than a pipe dream…

He took a deep breath, trying to reign in his anger and keep his voice steady.

"And what will you do if she keeps failing, Albus ? What if she never gets to pass her OWLs ? What then ?"

Severus had seen the determination in her eyes, the burning desire to not just learn, but to succeed. And he knew exactly how that determination would be crushed when the reality of her situation finally set in. When she realized that she would never be able to cast even the simplest spell. That she would never be able to join her classmates in their magical endeavors.

Dumbledore sighed, seeming to feel a flicker of Professor Snape's frustration.

"Ah, Severus. You always think of the worst outcomes…" He paused, his eyes locking on Professor Snape's. "But remember that even in the face of failure, there are lessons to be learned. Experiences to be gained. And sometimes, those lessons are more valuable than any magical ability."

Professor Snape's jaw clenched again, the muscles in his face tight with irritation.

Dumbledore's words sounded like meaningless platitudes to his ears, like excuses for why it was okay to dangle false hope in front of Al's eyes. He didn't want to hear about lessons and experiences. He wanted to hear a solution, a plan to deal with the fallout when Al inevitably failed.

"And what about the disappointment ? The frustration ? The anger ? What about the inevitable pain when she realizes that her dreams are unattainable ?”

Severus knew that Al would keep trying, even if all hope was lost. Because that was the kind of person she was. She was strong-willed, stubborn, determined.

And he knew that her eventual failure would be all the more gut-wrenching because of it. Dumbledore's expression turned solemn, a hint of sadness and maybe even regret in his eyes.

"Yes...The disappointment and the frustration will be difficult for her. There will be tears. There will be anger. There will be pain. And I won't pretend otherwise." He sighed, his voice growing softer. "But I believe that Alethea is strong enough to handle it. She will fall, and she will stumble, and she will struggle. But she will also stand up, and she will keep going, and she will adapt. And that, my dear Severus, is a valuable lesson that few will learn and forget.”

Professor Snape huffed, the anger in his chest still smoldering. How could Dumbledore be so confident that Al would be able to handle the crushing realization that her dreams were unattainable ? How could he be so certain that she would cope with the disappointment and the anger and the pain ? Severus knew that Al might put on a brave face, that she might outwardly act like she was handling the situation well. But he also knew that the reality would be much different.

And it would eat away at her, slowly, day by day, until she was a mere shell of her former self.

Dumbledore must have seen the skepticism in Professor Snape's expression, as he continued, his voice gentle.

"Severus, I understand your concern. I truly do. But I have faith in Alethea. I believe in her strength and her determination. And I believe that she will find her own way, even without magic." He paused, studying Professor Snape for a moment. "And I believe that you have faith in her too. Even if you do not want to admit it.”

Professor Snape's anger flared once more, not wanting to hear Dumbledore's words.

He had seen how Al worked. How driven she was, how much she wanted to succeed. He knew that when she failed, it would not be an easy fall. She would blame herself, he was certain of that. She would blame herself for not studying hard enough, for not trying hard enough. She would drown in self-pity and disappointment. She would feel like a complete failure. Professor Snape's stomach twisted at the thought of Al feeling that way, of her blaming herself for her own lack of magical ability. He knew that it wasn't her fault, that there was nothing she could do to change her circumstances. But that wouldn't matter to her. She would still find some way to hold herself accountable.

He clenched his jaw, his frustration bubbling over.

"You set her up for failure, Albus." he seethed.

Dumbledore hummed.

"Perhaps. But can you say that it's not worth the risk ? That it's not worth the chance for her to defy the odds, to find magic within herself ?” He paused, studying Professor Snape for a moment. "Or are you afraid that she might just prove you wrong ?"

Professor Snape's irritation flared even hotter at Dumbledore's implication that he was afraid of being proven wrong.

He wasn't afraid. He was being realistic.

He was looking at the situation from a practical perspective, acknowledging the hard facts.

The fact that squibs never developed magical abilities. The fact that Miss Pacino would most certainly fail, no matter how hard she worked. The fact that she was setting herself up for disappointment and heartache.

"My concern is for her well-being, Albus. Not my own ego." he replied and Dumbledore nodded, understanding in his gaze.

"I know, Severus. But sometimes, we have to take risks, even if the chances are slim. Even if the outcome is uncertain. Because if we don't..." He paused, his voice growing quieter. "What kind of life is that ? To spend it in fear, never taking a chance, never following your dreams, always settling for less than you desire ?"

Professor Snape's irritation flared again at Dumbledore's words.

It sounded so romantic, so poetic. Taking risks, following dreams, not settling for less.

But this wasn't about some grand adventure or a noble goal. This was about a girl, a child, who didn't know what she was getting herself into and was now trapped. Who was risking her happiness and her self-worth on a slim chance.

He gritted his teeth, his jaw clenched tight, his voice low and sharp as he responded.

"But what if the risk is too high ? What if the price she pays is too great ?"

Dumbledore's expression softened once more, his tone gentle but firm.

"Severus, life is full of risks. We all take chances, every day. Some are worth it, some are not. But it is up to each individual to decide whether or not the potential reward is worth the risk. And in this case, it is up to Alethea to determine if this is a chance she is willing to take."

Professor Snape's irritation flared again.

He was always so philosophical, so wise and calm. But he wouldn’t have to deal with the fallout if Al failed. He woulo have to see her face the disappointment, the frustration, the pain. He wouldn’t have to be the one to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams and broken heart.

"All her friends already graduated…and I would imagine that her parents were not exactly thrilled about having a child with no magical abilities. So, tell me, Albus. Who will deal with her disappointment and sorrow once her dreams crushed and her heart shattered ?" he asked. Dumbledore's expression turned somber.

"Ah, Severus. You're assuming that she will fail. That her dreams will be crushed and her heart shattered. But what if she succeeds ? What if she does defy the odds ? And as for who will deal with her disappointment and sorrow, I suggest you consider the possibility that she might turn to you."

Professor Snape's irritation flared again, along with a flicker of surprise.

Him ? Miss Pacino would turn to him, of all people, for comfort if she failed ?

It was almost ludicrous to think that he, of all people, would be the one she would seek out for support. He was cold, harsh, and unapproachable. He wasn’t exactly known for his comforting demeanor.

He scoffed, his voice dripping with skepticism.

"Me ? Why on earth would she come to me ?"

Dumbledore chuckled, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Perhaps because you care a great deal more than you let on, Severus. Perhaps because you understand her struggles better than you think."

He paused, studying Professor Snape for a moment.

"And perhaps because she knows that, despite your cold exterior, you have a heart somewhere beneath those layers of black."

Professor Snape's lips curled into a sneer at Dumbledore's words. Of course the old man would say that. He always saw the best in people, even in those who didn’t deserve it. But he was wrong. Severus didn’t care. He didn’t have a heart. Not anymore. He had locked it away, deep inside himself, where no one could reach it.

"I don’t have a heart, Albus. It died a long time ago…," he said coldly. "And even if I did, I wouldn’t waste it on that foolish girl. No. You will not make her my responsibility. You will not manipulate and use me, as you did to protect Lily’s child."

Dumbledore's expression turned thoughtful, a flicker of understanding in his eyes.

"Ah, Severus. You still believe that I used you. You believe that I lied and manipulated you all those years ago, that I put you in danger for my own purposes. And yet, you still continue to work here, at the school, despite your bitterness and resentment…" He smiled knowingly. "Could it be that somewhere, deep down, perhaps you’re not as heartless as you think ?"

Professor Snape’s irritation flared again.

Of course Dumbledore would try to twist his words, to make him question his own beliefs.

But he wasn’t going to fall for it.

"Do not presume to know me, Albus. You know nothing of me, or my motivations. And for the record, I continue to work here because I have nowhere else to go. Not because I harbor some hidden heart beneath my bitter exterior."

Dumbledore chuckled once more, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Ah, Severus. You always did have a way with words. But we both know that you could have left Hogwarts years ago, if you truly wanted to. I believe there is more to it than just having nowhere else to go. I think you stay because, deep down, you care. Because, despite what you say, you want to protect those children. To protect Alethea."

Professor Snape's expression hardened, his jaw tense, his eyes cold.

"I stay because I am paid to stay. Nothing more, nothing less. Do not fool yourself into thinking that I have any affection for these children." He paused, his voice sharp and cold. "And as for protecting Alethea Pacino, I will do my job as her teacher. But do not assume that I will coddle her, or console her, or be some sort of emotional support for her. That is not my responsibility."

Dumbledore’s expression softened again, a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"I do not expect you to like her, Severus. I do not expect you to console her. And I do not expect you to be an emotional support for her. But I do expect you to be there for her. To offer her guidance, and support, and a safe space…"

The old wizard paused, studying Professor Snape for a moment.

"Just as you would have done for Lily."

Professor Snape's irritation flared once more, and he tensed up.

How dare Dumbledore bring up Lily ?! How dare he mention her name ?! And how dare he use her memory to guilt him into doing what he wanted ?!

"You have no right to speak Lily's name," he hissed, anger seeping into his voice. "And you have no right to compare Alethea to her. The girl is nothing like her."

Dumbledore nodded, a hint of understanding in his eyes.

"I know, Severus. I know she's not like Lily. But she has a determination and a resilience, just as Lily had. And she's going to need it, if she fails…"

He stared at Severus.

"She’s going to need you, Severus."

Professor Snape's lip curled into a sneer at Dumbledore’s words. How could Dumbledore expect him to willingly get involved in Alethea’s struggles? How could he expect him to open up and offer her guidance, support, and a safe space ?

"Why would she need me ? Why not McGonagall, or Flitwick, or Sprout ? Why not you, Albus, if you care so much about her wellbeing ?"

Dumbledore chuckled softly, a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"Because the others do not understand her the way you do, Severus. They do not know her struggles, her fears, her dreams. And they do not have the same depth of understanding and empathy for her situation." He paused, his voice growing more serious. "And as for me, well...I'm afraid I will not be around forever, Severus. One day, I will not be here any longer, and then you will be the only one who can help her."

Severus shook his head.

"The war is over, Albus. Harry Potter has won. And I will NOT be taking care of another lost child because of your mistakes…"

Dumbledore's expression turned somber, his eyes filled with regret and sadness.

"I know, Severus. I know that I made mistakes. And I know that you have suffered because of them. But the war may be over, but the scars left behind are still fresh. And Alethea...she has her own scars, her own burdens to bear. And she needs your help."

Professor Snape’s voice was low and cold, his irritation still burning brightly.

"You haven’t changed a bit. You are once again putting a child's life in danger, all in the name of your twisted ideals."

He paused, his voice growing sharper.

"And I will not be played as a fool once more. I will not be manipulated into caring about a girl who is destined to fail, no matter how hard she tries. I will not be responsible for her disappointment and pain."

Dumbledore’s expression softened, sadness mingling with empathy in his eyes.

"I'm not asking you to care for Alethea, Severus. I’m just asking you to be there. To offer her a listening ear and a guiding hand. To be a source of strength and support for her. Isn't that what you wished someone had done for you, all those years ago ?"

Severus glared at Dumbledore.

"…You knew about what James was doing—him and his friends. Nevertheless, you never intervened. And now, you expect me to protect another child because you have been incapable of doing so yourself ?!"

Dumbledore's expression turned even more somber, his eyes filled with regret and shame.

"You're right, Severus. I did not intervene in the torment and ridicule you faced from James and his friends. And I have regretted that decision ever since...But I was a foolish, idealistic young wizard then. I thought I could fix things simply by observing. I thought I could guide and protect without actively interfering. I was wrong. And I have learned that lesson well…"

Professor Snape's lips curled into a sneer at Dumbledore’s words.

"How convenient. You learned your lesson too late, Albus. After I had suffered through years of torment at the hands of those boys. After Lily was gone." He paused, his voice growing colder and sharper. "And now you want me to put myself in a vulnerable position again. To care for a child who is destined to fail, in order to assuage your own guilt and regrets."

Dumbledore’s expression softened further, a flicker of sadness in his eyes.

"I cannot go back and change what happened, Severus. I cannot undo the pain and trauma you suffered at the hands of James. But I can ask for your strength and guidance now. For Alethea’s sake. She needs you, Severus."

Professor Snape glared at him.

"Why me ? Why not someone else ? I am not a gentle, comforting presence. I do not offer kindness and compassion. You know this, Albus." He paused before adding. "And why should I care about this girl ? She is a child, a student, nothing more."

Dumbledore’s expression grew even more mournful, his gaze locking with Severus’s.

"Because you understand her struggles, Severus. You know what it is to be an outcast, an object of ridicule. And you know the pain and disappointment and shame that comes with failure…And because she has no one else. Because whether you like it or not…you care about her, deep down. I know you do." He paused, his voice growing quieter, almost resigned. "Whether you admit it or not, you care about all your students, Severus. You care deeply, more than you ever want to show.”

Professor Snape's voice grew cold and sharp again.

"You assume too much, Albus. I care for my students' academic progress, yes. I care that they don’t fail and bring shame upon this school. But do not mistake that for the emotional attachment you seem to think I have. I have no emotional attachment to any of my students, and Miss Pacino is no exception to that rule."

Dumbledore’s expression remained solemn, his voice a quiet plea.

"Are you sure about that, Severus ? Or are you simply trying to protect yourself by refusing to open yourself up to caring ?" He paused, his gaze never leaving Professor Snape’s. "Isn’t that what you did with Lily, all those years ago ?"

Professor Snape's expression darkened at Dumbledore’s words, the mention of Lily bringing up old memories and memories too painful to bear.

"Don’t. Do not talk about her. You have no right to say her name, to use her memory to manipulate me into caring for Alethea." His voice hardened, becoming icy and sharp. "Miss Pacino is just a mediocre child, destined to fail.”

Dumbledore’s expression grew mournful once again at the sight of Severus’s pain, but his voice remained gentle.

"Perhaps you're right, Severus. Perhaps Alethea is destined to fail." He paused, his voice barely above a whisper. "But are you really willing to let her face that failure alone ?"

Severus sighed.

"…Haven’t I sacrificed enough, Albus ?"

Dumbledore's expression grew more solemn, his eyes filled with empathy.

"You have, Severus. You have sacrificed more than any one person should have to." He paused, his voice growing quiet and sincere. "And I am sorry for that. But sometimes, we are called upon to sacrifice even more for the ones we care about. Even for the ones we don’t want to care about."

Professor Snape’s irritation flared once more, his expression hardening.

"You're asking me to take on another burden, Albus. Another responsibility that I did not ask for." He paused, his voice cold and hard. "I have sacrificed enough for this school and for you. Too much. And now you ask me to sacrifice even more for Miss Pacino, a girl I do not even care for."

Dumbledore's expression remained solemn, but his eyes softened with sadness again.

"I know it is not fair of me to ask this of you, Severus. I know you have suffered greatly, and sacrificed even more. And I appreciate the loyalty and dedication you have shown over the years." He paused, his voice growing serious. "But Alethea needs you. And even if she doesn’t know it yet, she will come to care for you…"

Professor Snape sneered at Dumbledore's words, his expression filled with disbelief.

"That girl will never care for me. And why should she ? I am not a gentle, kind person. I do not offer comfort and guidance. I give orders, make demands, and reprimand students for their failures." He paused, his voice growing colder and more detached. "I am not someone that a student should look towards for support or comfort."

Dumbledore’s expression softened further, his eyes filled with understanding and compassion.

"Perhaps, Severus. Perhaps, you are correct. But perhaps...perhaps the girl’s heart is open to more than what you give her credit for." He paused, his voice growing more persuasive. "And perhaps...just perhaps, Alethea is destined to surprise you. To see beyond your sharp tongue and your cold stare. To see the person behind that bitter exterior. And she will come to care for you. Perhaps not in the way you expect, but in a way that will mean more than you ever thought possible…"

Professor Snape's expression darkened at Dumbledore's words, his heart hardened against the old wizard's manipulation.

"You make it sound so easy, Albus. So simple. But I am not the person you think I am. I am not some hidden hero, waiting for a worthy protégé. I am a bitter, cold-hearted individual, a man who has given up all hope and happiness." He paused, his voice filled with bitterness. "And I have no hope that Alethea Pacino will make me change."

Dumbledore’s expression grew somber, his eyes filled with understanding and regret.

"I know you believe that, Severus. I know that you’ve given up on yourself, on your happiness, on the hope for a better future." He paused, his voice quiet and gentle. "But I haven’t given up on you, Severus. I still believe that, deep down, there is a part of you that has not lost all hope. A part of you that still wants to believe in the possibility of happiness and redemption.”

Professor Snape sneered at Dumbledore's words, his heart hardening against his hopes and dreams.

"You are a fool, Albus. A sentimental old fool. You have no idea what lies in my heart. You have no idea what I have done, what I have sacrificed, and what I have lost."

Dumbledore’s expression remained solemn, his eyes filled with empathy and understanding.

"I know more than you think, Severus. I know about your struggles and your regrets, your losses and your sacrifices. And I know that beneath the bitterness and the cold demeanour, there is a heart that beats with a fierce intensity." He paused, his voice growing quieter. "A heart that yearns for happiness and redemption. A heart that still longs for hope and friendship."

Professor Snape’s expression hardened again, his heart unwilling to listen to Dumbledore's words of hope.

"You talk of hope and happiness as though they are easy things to achieve. As though all it takes is a wave of the wand and a few kind words.” He paused, his voice filled with sarcasm. "What you don’t seem to understand, Albus, is that I have been through hell and back. I have seen, and done, things that would make anyone ill to even hear about—so how do you expect that child to hear it all and still care for me ?"

Dumbledore’s expression grew mournful at the despair in Professor Snape's voice, his heart filling with empathy and regret.

"I know you have, Severus. I know you've been through more in your lifetime than anyone should have to. And I know that the journey to recovery is a long and difficult one." He paused, his voice growing quieter. "But I believe it is achievable, Severus. I believe you can find hope and happiness again. And that Alethea Pacino can help you on that journey if you allow her to."

Professor Snape's expression darkened once again at Dumbledore’s words, his heart rebelling against the old wizard's idealistic view.

"You speak of hope and friendship as if it's some sort of magic cure-all. As if it can fix everything that’s broken in me." He paused, his voice growing more bitter. "But it won’t, Albus. Nothing can fix me. I am too far gone, too twisted by my past, too damaged by my mistakes.”

Dumbledore’s expression grew more sombre at Professor Snape's words, his heart filling with sadness and disappointment.

"I am afraid you are mistaken, Severus. You have allowed the darkness to consume you, to define you. You have convinced yourself that nothing can change, that recovering from the past is impossible." He paused, his voice growing more insistent. "But you are wrong. You have the power to change, to find hope and happiness again. And Alethea Pacino can be the catalyst for that transformation."

Professor Snape's eyes darkened at Dumbledore's insistence, his heart hardening against the optimism of the old wizard.

"How can you be so certain, Albus ? I am a man, a flawed and broken man, and no child can fix that. How can you be so sure that this child, this Alethea, is the one who can change me ?"

His voice grew sharper, more sarcastic.

"Why her, of all people ?"

Dumbledore’s expression softened at Professor Snape’s words, his heart filling with compassion and understanding.

"I cannot be certain, Severus. All I know is that the future is full of possibilities, and that sometimes, unexpected people and events can change our lives in ways we never thought possible." He paused, his voice growing quieter. "And as for why Alethea, well...I am not entirely sure of the reason myself. Something tells me that there is a connection between the two of you. A special bond that will be forged through this journey. And I believe that Alethea is the one who can bring change to you. I believe there is something special in her, something that can reach you in a way no one else can. And I believe you will find in each other an answer to what you had both been looking for for so long…"

Dumbledore stopped before smiling at him.

"Now, I must leave, old friend. But know that I am watching, and that I will be helping you in all the ways I can."

Professor Snape's expression remained cold and aloof at Dumbledore's words, but deep down, his heart stirred with a glimmer of doubt and curiosity.

"I suppose we shall see in time, Albus," he muttered, his voice laced with skepticism.

He watched as Dumbledore turned to leave, his heart torn between his bitterness and Dumbledore's hopes and dreams.

As the door closed behind Dumbledore, Professor Snape could not help but wonder – could this child, Alethea Pacino, really be the one to change him ?

For a brief moment, he allowed himself to envision a possibility – a future in which he found healing and redemption , a future in which he opened himself up to change and growth. But he quickly shut that thought down, his heart growing cold once again. He would not let himself hope, he would not let himself believe.

Because hope and belief would only lead to disappointment and pain.

With a heavy heart, Professor Snape returned to his desk, his mind filled with doubts and questions. He would help Alethea, as he had promised Dumbledore, but he would do so with caution and skepticism. Because if there was one thing he had learned in his life, it was that hope and belief were the most dangerous emotions of all.

#fandoms #imagine #severus snape x reader #severus snape #harry potter oc #harry potter

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strqyr · 7 months ago

Note

Hi question about a litter thing I've noticed as a reasoning for the tai has always been a terrible parent, and wanted to get your opinions on ot

People tend to use the line in v4 where tai uses the lose of braincells/arm comparison he uses towards yang within the argument he has with yang and how the comment visibly shows to hurt yang.

I myself feel a bit icky about the comment itself, but I always looked at as a spure of the moment comment something tai didn't really mean but accidentally let slip during the minor confrontation, as I have had moments myself like that with my own mother where we've been arguing and she's said something hurtful without meaning too, she alwasy apolgised for it later.

Anyway, tangent aside, what are your opinions? (You don't have to answer if you dont want too)

to me, it's just how this family speaks; not pulling any punches or speaking like they're professional therapists. it's hardly any different to yang's "yikes! meltdown already?", or qrow's "so either you're lying or you're crazy" while smirking, or ruby playfully mocking how "dumb" yang sounds in terms of sensitiveness.

i honestly don't even think the comment hurt yang bc... that's not what her face conveys—and if it had, i'd expect the writers to have addressed it in the moment as yang is not one to hide her emotions. there's just shock which then fairly quickly turns into a smile and laughter, yang playfully punching tai (like she did ruby in beyond) and calling him a jerk, tai joining her in laughter.

and when oobleck whispers "are we finally talking about the goliath in the room?", yang and tai dumbfoundedly look at each other before bursting into laughter again.

it's "breaking the ice" moment. everyone keeps talking about yang getting back to normal, but she has a new normal now; there's no going back to the old, and change like that is always scary. it's also much, much scarier when no one seems to be willing to talk about, walking on eggshells around her like, waiting for the "right" time to talk about "the goliath in the room."

there's a wall between yang and everyone else, and tai's comment breaks right through it like a sledgehammer. more importantly, it gets yang to laugh again. after who knows how many months—winter has certainly come and gone—, yang is laughing when her first scene in the volume made it seem like a thing in a far, far future.

could the topic have been approached in different way? sure. but you gotta also remember that yang doesn't like to be coddled, treated like she's some fragile thing about to break at any moment. and considering her reaction to the prosthetic arm, i doubt she would have brought it up herself; oobleck and port certainly wouldn't have, treating it as the goliath in the room.

so what you could have very easily ended up with is the situation getting nowhere; yang with a new normal that no one else is willing to acknowledge. yet, with one single comment, tai brings the old normal—as per the way this family talks to each other—to the new, and it opens the floor for further conversation.

frankly, it's one of the main things i love about this very fictional, "no real feelings were hurt" family: they're very, very blunt at times. there's no therapy speak that makes them sound like wooden dolls, they feel real; the kind that's saying the first thing that comes to mind, no filter, giving and receiving punches in same amount.

#anon #ask.strqyr

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blues-valentine · 2 years ago

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It’s annoying seeing ppl act like everything ben has to offer aaa throwing insults at Devi and take out of context their entire dynamic and want to paint him as bully.

I think there’s legitimate reasons to find Ben unlikable but one of my biggest pet peeves upon interacting in this circle is the fake concern and refusal to acknowledge Ben and Devi’s dynamic for what it is and that NHIE is a comedy show and approaches scenes that way.

Ben and Devi’s entire dynamic was based on mutual rivalry. A big portion of this fandom wants to pretend Devi was a victim of Ben’s insults and their dynamic was one-sided, like she wasn’t giving exactly what she was receiving from him. They both go after each other. Their dynamic was born out of mutual "hate" and later turned into insults neither of them cares about. The point about Ben and Devi's comedic dynamic is that we as an audience should know that none of those insults are actually serious. Ben and Devi don't care.

But there's a side that wants to rally and be "morally superior".

Ben calling Devi UN did impact her and it was an awful thing to do and you can hate it while admitting that is a term that has not value anymore and both have moved on. Part of this fandom loves to take Ben's lines at face value but never mention that N*zi comment Devi threw at him (you dont care about Jewish people, get it). It's never been that deep once they found themselves in a genuine friendship.

You can hate his insensible comments from Season 1, and don’t ship him with Devi because that's valid. It's the refusal to acknowledge there’s a significant difference in his banter/insults with Devi since becoming friends. He really cares about her and would stop if she was uncomfortable (and she isn't). And, while I get why some people don't like the “David” – it has never been that deep on the show. Devi does not care. And that's a nickname Jaren uses for Maitreyi in real life too, might you. After 12 years, if Devi had wanted him to stop, she would’ve told him off but she doesn't care and it has turned into a term of endearment and familiarity, not a "degrading" nickname. Both Devi and Ben are mean towards each other in a comfortable space and would put boundaries if needed. You can absolutely agree that Ben is too brash and a condescending, privileged snub that has a lot to learn but it's not irredeemable. I like the fact he can be unlikable. I don’t consume media expecting flawless characters.

I feel like people came up with this whole “Ben entire persona is insulting Devi” because fan wars have become this thing where you need to make the other side the “enemy” to feel like you are in the “better” side. You don't have to like them but painting their dynamic as if he was Devi's bully is a bit wild. Ben has done incredible things for her and there’s a mutual friendship. They do seek each other out when the other needs them. He knows her like no one else does and it's always there to push her to be the best version both academically and with her loved ones. They are compatible because they are both driven and share the same humor. Devi likes that dynamic with Ben. She doesn’t feel dumb down by him but challenged. Both have grown and their banter has become more friendly because now they know neither of them are serious. You can hate it, don’t enjoy it but it’s the lies about their dynamic that feels like nitpicking and if I didn't watch the show and it's context I would think he is awful too.

And Ben is literally head over heels for that girl. He thinks she’s perfect and she knows it. Devi is not longer the poor insecure girl some want her to be. Let them insult each other as part of their kinky full hatred flirting ways and move on. It’s never been that serious. I think there’s other ships that deserve that energy instead.

#but that's just me #sometimes this is the dynamic for rivals to lovers #the theme of the show is not that serious either #never have i ever #nhie season 4 #nhie s4 #ben gross #devi vishwakumar #devi x ben #asks

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dragonnwriter · 2 years ago

Text

Inviolable Bindings

AemondxAegonxFemOC

All Chapters Here!

*NSFW Chapter 18+ Only!*

Chapter 14

“Hm.” The noise came from Aemond’s throat while he kept a stoic face. It was enough to reassure Viserra that he wouldn’t make another comment in the moment and she turned away from him to climb the stairs.

While his footsteps were quieter than most, she could hear them following behind her. Mostly out of spite, she chose to ignore him altogether until reaching the doors to her chamber.

Opening the unguarded entrance, she could hear the chambermaids scurrying about, most likely starting to fill her tub at the dowager queen’s command. Slowly, she entered the room, worried about alarming them with her bloody appearance. Her worry, however, had been warranted when Elia came out of the bathroom and almost startled herself into a panic.

“Hush, it is alright.” Viserra reassured, “It is not my blood.”

Elia’s big eyes looked back to her and she did not dare reply. Maybe she just did not like the sight of blood? Sighing and turning from her, she watched as Cassella came through their door with a large pot of hot water. She too almost jumped at the sight, but did not have quite the reaction as Elia.

“M’lady, you startled me,” she breathed while slowing down her approach. “A-are you alright?”

“Yes. I was not harmed.” Viserra repeated while giving the door a soft push to close and stepping further into the room.

Halfway expecting Aemond to follow, she was slightly surprised at the soft thud of the door that had closed behind her. Mayhaps she was wrong in assuming that he would want to talk with her about the events of the day. Though part of her thought he would enjoy the opportunity to scold her like a child instead of hearing her side of things.

“Is the King alright?” Cassella asked, still unwavering from her place across the room.

“Yes.” Viserra replied, only halfway paying attention to the girl’s words. She kept her eyes on the door with an almost anxious anticipation.

Nodding in acknowledgement, Cassella continued on with her previous task to bring the water in. A brief moment of silence passed between them all before the knock came to the chamber doors.

Viserra smirked to herself, entertained by the thought that Aemond attempted to maintain a bit of formality. “Come in,” she welcomed.

He opened the door almost immediately and entered while bringing his hands to his back again, “Lady Viserra. I would like to speak with you.”

Both chambermaids quickly lowered their gaze and continued scurrying about, knowing that it would be better to play blind and dumb than just sit and stare.

“About the private matters of events that occurred today.” Aemond motioned towards the girls who continued on pretending like they were not paying attention.

“Let them fill my bath and then we will speak. You are welcome to come sit while you wait.” Viserra motioned to the armchair in front of the fireplace while she spoke, “I would join you in sitting but I fear I would dirty the furniture.”

Shaking his head, Aemond declined, “Sitting will not be necessary. I will wait here.”

While rolling her eyes, Viserra walked over to the large mirror by her wardrobe, taking a first look at what everyone else had already seen. A laugh almost left her mouth when she set eyes upon the mess of her current state.

Her platinum hair was disheveled and partially brown in color from the dried carnage. She had wiped her face relatively clean but it was still obvious that she had been splattered in blood. Instinctually, she picked some bits off of her skin as seeing herself in the mirror began to make it itch.

It was easy to waste a few moments before deciding that she would take the rest of the dirtied clothing off of her body. When the cloak came off and she unbuckled the belt holding her blades, she looked back to Aemond who quickly averted his eyes. Smiling at his eagerness to look away, she walked to him while watching the girls come back once more with their buckets of water.

“Once you have filled the tub it would be lovely to have a cup of wine,” she spoke, finding it nearly impossible to catch Elia’s eye. The girl glanced at her and quickly nodded at the request.

“Of course, M’lady. I believe the requested food will be ready to fetch from the kitchens soon, I will obtain the wine as well.” And with those words, she had quickly left the room to retrieve what was asked of her.

Looking back to Aemond, she noticed he was watching her chambermaids with an intimidating intensity. As Viserra had previously observed, he was not one to enjoy games. She could tell he was eager to talk with her about the day and was trying desperately to hide his impatience.

After a few more moments, Elia and Cassella came back with a new decanter of wine and a tray of food from the kitchens. She noted that the girls had brought her two new cups as well and smiled at the gesture.

“How else can we be of service?” Cassella asked them as she put the items down on the small table

“I believe that I have everything I need for the night, girls. You may be dismissed for the evening.” Viserra smiled while motioning for them to leave.

Both girls did not move but stared at her for a moment longer.

“I am fully capable of bathing myself,” Viserra chuckled, “Once I talk with the Prince, I will scrub myself clean. I do not want either of you to have to wash the blood out of my hair. Go. Take your leave and rest, I will call for you if you are needed.”

In all honesty, she would have liked the help as the mess had dried solidly in hair. However, Aemond’s patience was truly wearing thin and she thought it best to hurry on with whatever he needed to get off of his chest.

The chambermaids gave curtsies to the both of them and hurried off to their room. No sooner had their door closed, Aemond turned on his heels to Viserra and walked to her.

“Why did you and my brother evade the guards this evening?” He began, getting straight to the point and stopping only a few feet from her.

“We did not evade anyone. When we came out of the Dragonpit, the wheelhouse was unattended by both the driver and guards,” she explained, hoping that she would not finish her day with another argument.

“Hm,” he hummed, looking at her with a certain degree of suspicion.

She held her gaze and brought her eyes to his one, “You can choose to believe it or not. I do not care.” Turning on her own heels, she went to walk into the other room.

“What you did today was reckless. You put the King’s life in danger doing only Gods know what in Flea Bottom,” he retorted, raising his voice just slightly but he did not follow her into the other room.

“I will not be blamed for the rash actions of your brother. Though today, I made the realization that he might benefit from being held on tighter reins,” she confessed, thinking of how the pleasant day had quickly turned sour simply because the man thought he needed a drink.

“My brother is King,” Aemond stressed, “He cannot be prancing around the city like the poor folk whenever he sees fit.”

Viserra let out a sigh while starting the tedious process of unlacing her own corset, “I do not disagree.”

He thought she would fight him on this but instead realized they might be seeing eye to eye. There was a long and drawn out pause while he thought out his next question.

“Then how, may I ask, did you both end up being attacked in the alleyways and smelling of drink?” His voice was steady and slightly condescending.

The laces finally had loosened enough that Viserra could pull herself out of the corset. Bringing it up and over her head, she then slid her boots off of her feet, stepping down on to the cold stone.

“As I had previously told you, we left the Dragonpit and there were no guards. Aegon took off without much discussion and I followed, as to not let our King fend for himself in the city.” While she left out the part that she had been curious and intrigued at first, the rest was not a lie.

The leather pants did not roll down her legs as easily as they did earlier that day, the blood and sweat making the material cling to her skin. While the pants were a battle in itself, the sight of the steaming water made her disrobe as quickly as possible. The tunic found itself on the floor and Viserra did not waste a moment before stepping in.

The hot water felt like heaven on her skin, the oils and soap in the bath immediately breaking the filth away from her body. Lowering herself into the water, she let the heat envelope her, almost forgetting that Aemond was just around the corner trying to have a conversation. But at that moment, the only thought that consumed her was how good it would feel to completely submerge herself in the water. He could wait.

She could hear Aemond say something else, but had already dipped her head back to begin scrubbing her hair. Once it felt clean again, she let herself sink down underneath the surface, the waves of the water on the metal tub being the only sound she could hear. The moment of silence was liberating and Viserra only came up when she felt a tightness in her chest.

Once her head reached the surface again, she filled her lungs with the room’s cool air. Opening her eyes, she realized that Aemond had come a few feet into the tub room and the expression on his face was one of alarm.

“I-“ he stuttered, looking for the words, “I-I thought…something had happened. You stopped responding.” His reaction and expression seemed a bit much for someone who knew very well that the other was going to get into a tub and wash themself. He had turned away to spare her decency as if he had not seen her so intimately the night before.

“Gods, Aemond. You thought what…” she almost laughed, her brows furrowing as she stared in his direction, “That the tub came alive and swallowed me whole?” She had the feeling the joke would be poorly received but did not have the strength tonight to hold her tongue.

“Everyone in the keep had thought the worst had happened to you and Aegon today,” he snapped, “He did not tell anyone that he meant to fly his dragon. It was I who saw the beasts descending down from the sky when I noticed both of your absences. I had alerted the Kingsguard and Mother who were also deeply upset it was the first they had heard of it.”

Viserra pulled herself to sit upright, wringing her hair out and contemplating his last words. She had not considered that none had been notified of the King’s plans to leave the safety of the castle. Once again, she worried about the impulsivity and lack of responsibility Aegon was displaying, especially publicly.

“It will not happen again,” she stated without much emotion, “Not on my watch at least.” Scrubbing the last of the blood off of her body while still somewhat trailing in her thoughts, Viserra noted that the once clear water was now brown tinged. She would have stayed in the heat longer if it were not so dirty.

Aemond remained turned from her, holding a steady silence while she finished. Listening to the sound of the water splashing around, he presumed that Viserra was now exiting the tub. His body language was tense and his jaw remained clenched tight. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed she was grabbing for the large bath blanket that was set on the stool.

“For being the one who left these marks on my body last night, your behavior right now is quite curious,” she observed while wrapping herself in the blanket and taking a few steps in his direction.

As if her words were a challenge, Aemond turned his head towards her quickly and pursed his lips together with another, “Hm.”

While most of her was wrapped in the towel, the small reddened bruises on her neck and upper chest stuck out against her pale skin. His eye trailed down over each of the marks but he did not change the expression on his face.

“I must admit, you're the most peculiar individual whose company I find surprisingly enjoyable.” Viserra looked to him again, yet his eye did not meet hers, “Do you like what you see, my Prince?” The tone was light, almost patronizing. There was something about him that made him tempting to tease.

“You are still rather wet.” Aemond stated, finally meeting her eyes at the same time that she reached out next to him to grab another towel.

Pausing for a moment, she cocked her head while processing his obvious statement. “Yes…that is quite normal when one gets out of a bath.” Her tone was undeniably condescending at this point, “Have you ever taken one?”

Aemond snorted at the remark, completely unamused. His face softened a bit as he watched her soak up the water from her hair.

“Do you not worry about what others will say if they find out you are in my chambers while I am bathing?” Viserra asked, dropping the towel to the floor and walking to find her robe. She swung the cover over her shoulders and let the bath blanket fall to the floor, quickly pulling the fabric around her body to minimize the chill.

“No one knows that I am here in your chambers,” he retorted.

She turned to look at him, “My chambermaids do.”

As good as she was seeing through other people’s fronts, she really could not figure Aemond out. Walking over to the tray of food and wine, she first went to fill the cups.

“Come, I feel as if you might need the first cup.” Viserra suggested, pouring from the decanter and watching as he finally walked towards her. She took both filled cups in her hands and went to sit down on the sofa.

Aemond’s body language seemed to relax a bit now that she was dressed and he didn’t seem to hesitate before joining her on the long piece of furniture.

“It had been a while since you have seen your dragon, am I correct?” He asked but Viserra assumed he already knew the answer.

“Yes, it was wonderful to take him in the skies today. I fear both of us tend to be a bit antsy when we spend more than a few days away from each other.” She brought the cup to her lips and took a long drink. The feeling of the wine hitting her empty stomach was almost nauseating. Reaching for a piece of bread, she hoped to help prevent the inevitable head rush that would come with it.

“When did you claim him?” Aemond seemed engaged and interested in learning about her at that moment. It was nice for someone to ask about him for once, she was not used to it as most were afraid of even the idea of him.

Surprised that he seemed to relax after the last few minutes of her taunting him, she finished the piece of bread in her hand. Watching Aemond sip from his own cup of wine it was clear he was waiting for her answer. “His egg hatched in my cradle shortly after my mother died in the birthing bed. We have grown up together.” The words had a touch of sadness when she said them and she wasn’t surprised that he took a moment to gather his response.

“I am sorry to hear that your mother gave her life in order to bring you into the world,” he said. His words sounded sincere and he paused for another moment before continuing, “And how did your father end up with an egg to place in your cradle?”

That must have been the real question he had been intending to ask. She had heard about him claiming Vhagar and losing his eye in the same day but the details were not really clear. It was only natural that he would be curious how she ended up with one, especially as her grandmother had been exiled many years ago.

“Before your father was named heir to the throne, my father had come here to state his own claim to King Jaehaerys. The gold and riches he brought with him as gifts were then traded for other things. A dragon egg was one of them.” She looked to Aemond who was listening intently. “I believe that my father’s initial purpose was to gain a dragon for power himself but the egg never hatched for him.”

“But it hatched for you,” Aemond stated quietly, taking another sip from his cup.

Viserra looked at him, unsure of the meaning behind the words, “It did…” she concurred. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she turned her attention to the fire. Watching the flickering flames before them as they sat in silence for a few more minutes.

“I imagine that your father is proud of you for being bonded with a dragon. Even more now that you have been accepted back into the same family that his mother was exiled from.” Aemond had not looked at her again, but she could tell that there was raw emotion behind his words.

“Yes, I believe that I have made my father proud. Although I was not an easy child. He learned quickly that I would pave my own path, not one that others had planned for me.” She thought of her childhood, never knowing a time that she was not trying to spar with others or defying her father’s orders not to test the waters, “My father might be a Targaryen by blood but he has never felt the fire rage within him like I do. My grandmother did, but she passed when I was young. He was always scolding her for the influence she had on me. For most of my life, I have always felt alone in the world, like no one truly understood who I was or the bond that I had with my dragon.”

Turning his face from the fire to look at her again, he spoke, “I, too, grew up feeling alone…but it was because I did not have a dragon when others did.”

Viserra gave him an empathetic look and let out her own hum. They had different struggles as children but it was clear they would not be who they were today without those experiences. “And now look at you. A handsome, skilled swordsman who rides the oldest war dragon in the world.”

Sitting for a minute, Aemond digested her words, looking uncomfortable with the flattery. He chose to change the subject altogether, starting with another question that he had been burning to ask, “How did you get the scar across your abdomen?”

She smiled at his inability to take the compliment but obliged in giving him the information that he desired. Finishing her cup of wine in one swig, Viserra repeated the same story she had told Aegon earlier. Unlike his brother, Aemond did not look shocked or concerned when learning of the almost fatal encounter she had that day.

“How long did it take you to recover?” He asked curiously.

“A little over two moons before I wielded my sword again, but it took a few more after that to not feel like it inhibited me in some way,” she responded, subconsciously placing her hand over her abdomen, “I have not returned to the fighting pits since, but one day I hope to fight there again. That is if I survive the war that I have been dragged into here.”

Aemond’s eye widened just slightly at her last comment, “I am surprised to hear that your ego allows you to have doubts of your own survival.”

“It is not myself who I have doubts about.” She had let out a little laugh with the comment, “To be absolutely honest, is not you I have doubts in either.”

Nodding his head, he seemed to understand her meaning. He looked away into the fire again as he finished his own cup of wine. “We will not fail.”

She reached out to take his empty cup, standing to pour them both some more wine. Without turning his head, he watched her with his eye and she gave him a small smirk in return. She couldn’t help but steal a glance herself after feeling his gaze burn into her.

“You have willingly divulged more information about yourself tonight. At some point I’d like to get to know you a bit more too,” she stated, bringing him the newly filled cup.

“I thought about the words you said to me last evening,” he paused, bringing the cup to his mouth, “I agree that we will have the greatest success in battle together if there is mutual trust between us.”

A smirk appeared on her face again, “I am glad you see eye to eye with me on this now. Besides sparring in the training yard, what experience do you have in real battle?”

The immediate silence gave Viserra the answer she needed. She watched for his body language to change as her smile faded. Seating herself closer to him than she had before, she took a drink before speaking up again.

“You are very skilled, it will not take you long to adjust to the real thing. Though I do believe that our ground combat will be limited as we will be on dragonback much of the time.” Viserra spoke but the silence in between them continued still. She brought her hand out to place on his own. “The fighting is always unfair, the steps unchoreographed. If your own ego can manage training with me, I would be happy to fight with you in such a manner. It would be in both of our best interests to learn how each other dances on the battlefield.”

“I will consider it,” Aemond spoke as his eye looked from her hand then slowly trailed up to her neck. His hand came to the neckline of her robe, moving it to the side and exposing more of the small purple bruises on her cleavage.

Feeling her breath catch in her chest, she watched his face as he traced his finger down over the marks. It surprised her how little it took for him to make her feel that way.

“Did my brother see these today?” He asked bluntly. It was almost as if he intended to change the topic each time she had made him feel uncomfortable. Though considering it all, she didn’t see how this subject would be any better.

“He did not,” Viserra answered honestly as Aemond brought his eye back up to hers.

He watched her for any indication that she had been lying, any nervousness or averting of his gaze. She did not give him the satisfaction, instead she hardened her expression. “I will let you leave these marks on me if it is what you desire…but do not think for a moment that it gives you authority over me.”

His lips pursed together and he looked away from her. The tension in his jaw gave away that he was struggling to find his next words. She would not tell him to his face, but she admired the restraint he displayed in these situations.

“For one, I am my own woman and will not be controlled or detained by the opinions of a single man. Second, I think failing to mention to me that you arranged a betrothal yesterday takes away any right for you to have an opinion on my other activities.” The words were bold and sure to irritate him, but Viserra would not let it go unsaid.

Correct in predicting his irritation, Aemond set his cup down then looked to her again. She could see the fire burning in his eye, but his next move took her by surprise. Instead of retorting with words, he brought his hand up to her chin and hooked his finger underneath it, tilting her head up to him in an aggressive motion.

Feeling the energy shift between them again, she let one side of her lip start to curl. He instantly fed off of her reaction, crashing his lips into hers while bringing the same hand to the back of her neck and pulling her closer.

Blindly reaching out to set her own cup on the table next to them, she managed to spill it instead. Attempting to break the kiss and look over at the mess, he placed his other hand to her head, holding her fast to him.

The wine could wait, she thought, she would choose to savor this moment instead.

Once she fully surrendered to the kiss, she felt him move himself on the cushion and turn towards her. Letting him guide her slowly to her back, he somehow did not break the union of their lips. After a few moments, he let his mouth move to her jawline, then down on the side of her neck where the little love bites marked her skin. His hands seemed to share the impatience as the rest of him and he allowed one of them to wander to her exposed thigh.

Compared to the kiss he had started with, his mouth was much gentler and precise when he brought it down to her neck. The way his touch could be rough and delicate all at the same time somehow made her thoughts feel completely scrambled.

Viserra brought her fingers up to lace into his silky hair, letting him know she was enjoying the attention. In response, he brought his other hand to the neckline of her robe again and pulled it down to expose the curves of her chest.

Without hesitation, he took her breast into his hand and captured the waiting nipple into his mouth. Kneading the plump flesh with his fingers, his mouth tugged with a hungry but gentle suction. Finally, a poorly contained moan escaped from Viserra’s mouth. Satisfied with the confirmation that his work was appreciated, he came off of her breast and looked up to catch her eyes with his.

At the same time that he brought his mouth back up to hers, his hand firmly gripped on to her thigh. She winced at the brief discomfort but it soon turned into something much more pleasant.

“Aemond,” she whispered, only slightly resisting the kiss but he ignored her, giving her breast another squeeze and locking his lips to her again. She entertained him for a moment longer before pulling back again and repeating his name, “Aemond.” His name was strained this time.

As the words left her lips the second time, Aemond paused to meet her gaze. The heat of the moment seemed to immediately cool down and they were both drawn back to reality.

It might have been the days' events or maybe even the anticipation that came with knowing the castle was gravely unprepared for any attack. Viserra wasn’t sure what her hesitation was. The thought that the castle was very much awake crossed her mind as well, and she did not want anyone barging into her chambers with them laid out on the furniture like that. Whatever it was, she had put a stop to the quick escalation of her and Aemond’s encounter before she found herself bedding him again.

“What is it?” He asked, his face concentrating on her own while trying to figure out where the sudden hesitation was coming from.

She shook her head and used her elbows to bring herself back up to a sitting position, “Not tonight,” she breathed. The words that left her mouth caused Aemond’s eyebrows to furrow, but he straightened himself up and did not push any further.

Pulling her robe closed to cover herself, there was a sudden tension between them that had not been there before. It had not been her intent to offend him, though it was obvious from his quietness and withdrawal that he may have internalized her actions. His eye trailed to the crackling fire before them and she gently placed her hand on his leg as if to let him know there were no hard feelings.

“I must go, there are a few matters to be attended to this evening.” Aemond’s words did not contain much emotion and he brought himself to his feet with purpose.

“You do not need to leave,” Viserra stated as she quickly met him on her own feet. She had enjoyed the few things they had discussed that evening but would not stop him from leaving if that was what he desired.

He looked to her and took a deep breath, bringing his hands behind him. It was almost as if he was holding something back, but knowing him, he would be able to restrain himself from saying whatever it was.

“As I said, there are matters needing attention and I believe them best to be handled before the feast in two days.” Aemond’s tone did not invite an argument and she would not deny him leave.

As he turned to walk back out of her chambers, she spoke once more, “Might you join me in the training yard tomorrow morning?” It was an offer that would help them both feel better while the castle was busy planning for parties instead of a war.

Aemond turned back to her for a moment, “I will meet you there after we break our morning fast.” He nodded and left through the doors, leaving her standing there with only her thoughts and the slight wine buzz she felt in her head.

Authors Note:

This one is a little bit NSFW at the end. Sorry for the tease! :)

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shkika · 2 years ago

Note

I might end up taking u up on that offer this is so so soo fun

I really enjoy it when people make moon mad at fp..like how could she not be yes she cares about fp a lot but siblings don't exactly...do that to eachother very often I think (but maybe they do /j the woes of being an only child)

I think not being able to harm artificer did him good in the end (therapy dog!!) like he would have definitely just wanted to send that thing FLYING into the sun but he couldn't!! he was forced to just deal with it and eventually he realises hey. Maybe this thing isn't so bad... honestly I think he really needed something like that right then given his tendency to push people away (thinking abt how he BLEW UP srs' poor overseer. That made me jump actually i didnt expect it i sat still for long enough to get myself blown up too it was kind of funny...aside from the trek back of course) (ALSO THE ADS HELP thats golden)

Adding onto that like....him being a silly little loser that wants to do everything by himself and the like loving the attention etc I really think that like... the time period he was built in only made it worse??

Like......i feel that being built when he was added to a sort of pressure of needing to feel superior, to not be one of those bugs in mazes. To have something with like a genuine true path ahead instead of blindly grasping for answers

Like...I guess he'd want to prove just how good he is by doing it without any sort of help and he just has so MUCH to figure out by himself that he just...builds that pressure more and more and that's gotta be too much at some point

^^ I like the idea of the triple affirmative stuff happening like...around this point in time (forgive me if my timeline is terribly off) but anyways like..it kind of just fucks up everything for the dude...like all he's worked for is kinda just for nothing so then it leads to everything with the rot as like some sort of last resort. Like he knows the risks but he just cant bring himself to care like he's in such a vunerable state he doesn't think about how it'd affect moon until all of a sudden there's a forced message being sent his way, but even then I guess being younger than like everyone in the group he doesn't fully grasp like oh. This is as bad as it is. Until moons can comes crashing down and hes left infecting himself with the stuff

Anyway you are so very right with the echo actually I haven't thought very much on the shaded citadel but it must have...not been pleasant going through the rains knowing that there's so many others unaffected by it

Sorry this response is so late actually I've been multitasking to all hell but RRAGHGJ squishing the iterators in my hand like stress balls I am so normal about this game

please do! <3 ramble incoming

Moon being angry at Pebbles is fun. I love seeing different interpertations! Though I do think she doesn’t hold actual bitterness towards him in my personal belief.

The idea that she isn’t actually *angry* angry at him makes her very tragic to me. By all means she knows his actions are inexcusable. What she went through was horrifying and painful and she acknowledges that. Nsh even mentions she’s always had way too much patience for him and that she really tried to be a good big sister to him.

So as his big sister and someone who guided him in early days I can see her being unable to feel spite towards him. He fucked up, hes now sick and rotting and it all fills her with grief. It’s all just unfortunate and sad! (definitely see moon being a little hater with salty comments sometimes. as she does but most of her anger is reserved for their shitty parents)

Pebbles desperately wanting to feel superior is something really fun to me!! Absolutely see it! (idk why u went and became close friends with guy who called you dumb and naive but u do you 🤷 maybe u like that. likr OoOo hes the only one that listens to my theories and he calls me dumb <33) We know he learns about what happened to sliver from suns, so I can only assume that happened before he was made..? But the game is vague enough for u to hc it as you want honestly.

What he did was out of desperation for sure! He never wanted to even involve Moon according to what he says while commenting on a pearl by Arti. It was just kind of impossible.

I think what Suns told him just left a big scar on the poor guy. Not only is he being told he never mattered, he has to accept he’ll slowly break down and not even die while still trying to solve their issue he doesn’t even care about. He wanted the feeling of power over his own self back and he wanted to desperately escape. Feeling helpless is the worst.

He thought he could be fast enough and not harm Moon and then failed! He doomed her and got a very bad case of the rot ( consequences of my actions) ((another bracket but the poor fucker tried to cure himself all the way until arti campaign! sad!!)) along with his failure becoming gossip material and a sensation as we learn from spearmaster logs. Which is why I assume he closes all communications.

Also Moon forced many many broadcasts onto him while dying :) not only partly the reason why he failed the project, it also further cemented his helplesness.. because he can’t do anything to help! A common phrase you hear from him is “I can’t even help myself”.

It’s a little treat in almost all scug campaigns iirc.

Also echoes are all so interesting I love them and their silly little opinions. Shout out to the one who told arti to stop being such an angry bitch <3

#im sorry for writing essays hehe hoho #actually ill out this into read more!#being ill do this with further long asks #waking up ranting abt rw lore oh what joys #waiting for my wrist to heal has never been more fine <3 #ask #pinkavtomation #also these rambles #although i try to take as much from the canon as possible #they uh- u dont have to feel pressured to take any as fact #the fun with media is to enjoy it however u want

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someoneiloveatnight · 2 years ago

Text

Thoughts below because- I had a lot

First of all, fics like these always really give me a reality check. Every time Seungcheol is super hot and cocky and amazing I have to remind myself that real life men who act like that are NOT hot and I’m just seventeen-sexual 🫠

That being said- jesus christ seungcheol 🥵

Seungkwan literally made me laugh SO hard in this story the “well that’s anti-clamatic” SAME SEUNGKWAN SAME

Oh my god I almost forgot- someone please tell me why the contractual relationship guaranteed meeting only a few times a week sounds so appealing suddenly like the pressure is off???

How did he make opening a champagne bottle hot? Marshall opened a champagne bottle and hurt Lily’s eye and Seungcheol made it HOT

The constant praise is killing me. Why aren’t people actually like that? Why don’t people always praise people???

Tbh if they did I’d fall for them but STILL

The fact that Seungkwan pressed y/n to call instead of google the kinks 😂

I had no clue what Quirophilia was and NOW?! Check, check, check

I was on the edge of my seat waiting for Seungcheol to say he knew Seungkwan listening to the phone call I am breathing SO EASY now

ANOTHER TIME? Cheol show y/n your kink list NOW I wanna know too omg

Contraceptive 😂

I wonder if y/n gets pregnant does it breach the contract…? I KNOW that won’t be explored in this story but I’m curious regardless

I am such a (tmi) SLUt for when these big ass stronger men in fics give way for the main characters. The acknowledgment that Seungcheol was stronger only for him to allow himself to be pushed??? IM WEAK.

And the- didn’t expect this 😂 Y/n he LET YOU HA

I THINK HE SAID I THINK? ??? OH MY GOD MOM HELP ME I CANT NOT THE I THINK I WENT TO START READING AGAIN AND IT TOOK ME OUT AGAIN I NEED A BREATHER

This has nothing to do with the story but when I took a physical step away from reading my cat had a sticker stuck to his face and then got mad at me for taking it off- BACK INTO IT

Sorry mr. Only a few times a week skipped bookclub for y/n???? Got me tucking my hair behind my ears he is WHIPPED for her

HELP BORA IS ABOUT TO GET YN IN TROUBLE

Oh my god all this baby talk 👀 Am i going to get the answer to my question

Seungkwan is a real one. How could he NOT write a fic about y/n’s situation???

Oh my god maybe I’m skim reading and didn’t realize it cause I didn’t notice the driver was cheol until y/n straight said it was 😭 I’m so excited I’m not focused 😭 I WENT BACK IT LITERALLY SAYS THE MAN HIMSELF IM SO DUMB

Help Seungcheol is so funny 😂 Y/n is about to be spilling all the deets to the baby 😂

Y/n is so horny 😂- Do I blame her? No, but still so horny 😂

On the knees- at the foot of the bed- I am SCREAMING

WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH YN OUT HERE WITH THE BAD FATHER COMMENT WHEN DID SHE BECOME A PSYCHOLOGIST DAMN

HUSBAND???? AH WHA AH

CAN YOU HEAR ME SCREAMING

16K HAS NEVER GONE BY FASTER

ITS OVER?!?!? HUH

HUHH

Pov: I’m seungkwan screaming into my pillow

I’m so tempted to suscribe to your patreon 🫠 paycheck willing I will probably be back

BUT THIS STORY WAS SO GOOD

I WAS IN IN IT

LIKE THERES A HOLE- okay im obsessive but regardless- IN ME I DONT KNOW I THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE SO MUCH MORE AND THERE WASNT

DONT GET ME WRONG IT WAS AMAZING AND PERFECT BUT I AM GOING TO NEED A SECOND TO GET MY MIND OUT OF THIS UNIVERSE

SO. GOOD. THANK YOU GOOD NIGHT

sapiosexual

🌙 staring. Seungcheol x afab!Reader

🔮 preview. “You’re a beautiful, bright, young woman, and you’re agreeing to be a companion to some middle aged psych nut who hardly has enough time for you-” you both laugh a little at the way he refers to himself, “compensation is a must.”

cw/ tw. daddy kink/issues, size/shoulder/back kink, contractual relationship, unspecified age difference, unprotected sex, choking, semi bondage, multiple sex scenes, fingering, squirting, oral (m/f receiving), baby oil massage, praise, dirty talk, hair pulling, overstim, dacryphilia, slight orgasm denial, hand kink, etc... I pet names. his: daddy. hers: gorgeous, angel, darling, my love, pretty girl, etc...

👹 rating. 18+ explicit I wc. 18.6k

🍭 aus. psychologist au, non idol au, sugar daddy au, aged up/soft dom cheol, etc...

☀️ mlist + an. dont fuck your psychologist, fuck a psychologist... and try to get a cheque while you do it 👀 (sapiosexual: the attraction to intelligence and broad af shoulders)

1: Wednesday

“I’m here to meet someone- under the name Choi?”

The hostess nods politely. “Mister Choi has been expecting you, right this way.”

Your heart lurches in your chest at her words. While it makes sense that the man you’re meeting for your date had let the host know he’d have a plus one joining him, there’s something in the woman’s diction that suggests a certain kind of familiarity.

The restaurant you’re in is an expensive one, and the previous man you’d met through the online sugar dating website had made something of a show of being a part owner of a place such as this, treating the staff in a way that demanded obedience-

You really hope, for everyone’s sake, that the person you’re meeting tonight is much kinder than the last.

The hostess takes you through the main dining section of the establishment and to a more secluded area, where she motions with a hand to the one occupied table by the windows that overlook the city.

“Your server will come by for your drink order shortly,” she tells you, giving you a quick nod and something of a knowing smile before she returns to her post, allowing you to make the final distance to the table yourself.

The man sitting with his back to you hasn’t turned around, and you take a moment to collect yourself, swallowing thickly. Your eyes scan over his broad shoulders, taking in the pretty tweed suit, the colour of charcoal, and neatly styled black hair.

You take a deep breath and begin forward.

“Sorry I’m late,” you apologize as you reach the man you’ve been in contact with just under a week- “you know how traffic can be-”

Your words feel jumbled in your mouth as Mr. Choi stands to greet you- because, although you’d been expecting a handsome man, you hadn’t been expecting him to be godlike-

The photos he’d had on the sugar dating site had been ten out of tens, but the man in front of you is a scale breaker.

He’s even broader up close, and tall too- looking down at you with an amused expression, eyes practically twinkling-

“It’s alright,” he tells you smoothly, voice sexier than you could have ever imagined, “I’m glad you’re here now.”

“Me too,” you breathe, blinking up at him, etching his angelic features into your brain-

“You look beautiful,” Mr. Choi says, taking in the dress you’d spent three hours picking out-

His eyes don’t linger anywhere in particular, they’re quick to move back up to your face, and part of you almost wishes he’d stared at your chest just a little longer-

“Thank you,” you say, remembering you’ve yet to respond to his compliment.

“Would you like to sit?” he asks next, and you realize you’ve been staring too long, quickly tearing your gaze from him to give a curt nod.

The two of you take your seats, and you adjust in your chair, letting out a shaky laugh. “I’m also sorry if I’m a little awkward- I feel like my social skills took a hit during the pandemic.”

The man in front of you nods. “That’s understandable. The aftereffects of global isolation during covid is something that’s going to be studied by psychologists in depth in the coming years. You’re not alone in your feelings, believe me.”

You blink, thinking through his words. “Thank you-” you stutter, “for the reassurance, I mean.”

“Of course,” he nods again. “I think you’ll find I can be very reassuring, if need be.”

Your skin tingles, and you can’t believe that you’d nearly let your best friend talk you out of this date.

‘Psychologists can be dangerous!’ Seungkwan had insisted, ‘One moment you think he’s your boyfriend, the next he’s hypnotized you to cover up a murder-’

You’d told him to stop rewatching Hannibal.

But you have to admit… Mr. Choi, or Seungcheol, as he’d called himself when he’d first messaged you, he definitely looks like Hannibal.

Broad, handsome, tweed suit and all-

“I can see you’re thinking hard about something,” the man sitting across from you notes.

“Sorry, I was just-” you bite at your lip, “was just thinking that you’re probably really good at your job.”

His brows raise at this, and then he’s smiling, “Oh?”

“Yeah, you erm- you have a really calming voice and presence, and I mean- obviously you know what you’re talking about-”

“Are you in the market for a psychologist?”

“No-” you answer quickly, “I mean, I don’t think so- that’s not why I matched with you at least.”

The amused smile remains on his face, and it’s making it hard for you to look at him-

He keeps his gaze so fixed on you, and he exudes confidence on top of the calm-

Confidence that’s making your heart thump louder and louder in your chest-

“Hello, Mr. Choi,” the arrival of your waiter breaks the building tension you’re feeling. The question “How has your evening been so far?” confirms that Seungcheol knows the staff, and the pleasant way in which he responds tells you that you’re on a date with a good man.

After a brief back and forth, Mr. Choi orders himself an Old Fashioned, and you ask for a gin and tonic.

Then, you’re once more alone with the man whose gaze is enough to have your pussy clenching with interest-

“I saw you were new to the site,” Seungcheol notes, and you can’t believe he’d bothered to look for that information on your profile, let alone remember it. “How’s your experience been so far?”

You take a moment to collect your thoughts before responding. “If I’m being honest, I talked to one person for a while, and when we met, he turned out to be- just- not a good person. So when you favourited me, and I thought you looked nice, I told myself it would be better to meet up in person without too much back and forth first.”

“That sounds logical,” he agrees. “I’m sorry your first experience wasn’t what you thought it would be, but there is a silver lining, you’re here now.”

“I’m here now,” you echo with a smile, and the waiter returns with your beverages.

Seungcheol had invited you for drinks and dessert. Seungkwan had insisted that meant drinks and sex, but your view of things is proved to be correct when Mr. Choi orders the ‘dessert tasting menu’ and the waiter scurries off again.

“Should we make a toast?” you ask, allowing your eyes to trail over Seungcheol’s handsome face- his strong brow and pretty lips-

“We should,” he confirms, grabbing his glass and lifting it, “what would you like to toast to?”

“Being here now.”

“To being here now.” Seungcheol allows the lip of his glass to clink gently against your own before bringing it to his mouth, and you each drink to the moment.

“So,” you say when you set your cup down, “why drinks and dessert instead of dinner?”

“Dinners can be long, and full of expectations,” he tells you. “Drinks and dessert allows you to leave earlier, if you’d like to.”

“You seem like the kind of man who has everything figured out,” you muse.

The side of his mouth quirks into a charming half smile, and he leans forward slightly in his chair, assessing you with dark eyes- “Does that excite you?”

“Yes-” the word slips out before you can stop it.

The man in front of you leans back, satisfied.

“What, exactly, are you looking for right now?” he prompts. “Your bio was… somewhat vague.”

“I guess-” you take a sip of your drink. “I guess it depends on who it is.”

“How about you start by telling me your thought process behind creating an account,” he suggests.

You’re momentarily distracted by the way his thumb rubs up and down the side of his cup- dragging through droplets of condensation gathered on the glass-

“My best friend loves Marilyn Monroe,” you find yourself saying.

This is clearly not the answer Seungcheol had expected, as he quirks that inquisitive brow of his at your words, and you’re quick to continue.

“His favourite movie of hers is Gentlemen Prefer Blondes- and I’m not kidding, he’s been bleaching his hair since the tenth grade because of it- and there’s this quote- something like- ‘it’s just as easy to fall in love with a rich man as a poor man.’ And I just sort of thought- I’m tired of putting a lot into relationships with people who give nearly nothing in return. At least with something like this- I’d be guaranteed something- you know?”

“It sounds like you’ve spent a lot of your life trying to make other people happy,” he notes smoothly. “I can understand why you’d want to be on the receiving end. Everyone deserves reciprocation.”

He pauses, swirling his glass, but you can tell there’s something else on his mind, and you wait on the edge of your seat for more.

“From what you’ve said,” his thumb runs up the glass again, “it sounds to me like you’re looking for a contractual type of situation, moreso than a verbal agreement. Something with that added stability.”

“That’s correct,” you nod.

The last man hadn’t ever brought up contracts or boundaries or any of the things that are mentioned when you’d looked up what sugar babying entails.

You’re enthralled by the professional way Mr. Choi is handling himself, and you’re enjoying his crystal clear communication.

“What-” you lick your lips, “what are you looking for?”

“As you know, I’m a psychologist,” he states. “The job comes with a lot of responsibility. I take care of a number of people with quite severe conditions, and unfortunately, regardless of my intentions, this means I’ve had less time and energy to give to people in my own life.”

He pauses to take a breath and a sip of his whisky before continuing.

“I had a fiance for a time, but it became clear to me that she wanted a child. At the time, I wasn't ready to give up my work to be present in the way a developing mind would need. I’ve been looking for a sugar baby who would understand my lifestyle. Someone to meet with once or twice a week, who would provide happy company and the emotional closeness all human beings desperately need, without some of the… expectations that traditional relationships have. Does this sound like something that could interest you?”

You find yourself quickly nodding.

“Good,” he smiles warmly at you. “I’d love to explore the exact details of a contract over drinks, and we can choose a day to do that, but for now, if you don’t mind, I think I’d like to switch the topic and focus on you a little more.”

“On me?” you blink-

Mr. Choi’s grin widens, and the warmth meets his eyes. “Yes, you. I think it’s safe to say we’re both physically attracted to each other, but I want to know more about who you are, inside that pretty body of yours.”

You can feel your skin heating from his compliment, and you avert your gaze, grabbing at your drink to take a sip and cool yourself. “What do you want to know?”

“Let’s start with the things that make you happiest.”

2: Thursday

“Look who finally decided to answer,” your best friend sighs loudly when you put him on speaker, and you can imagine his classic Seungkwan eye roll.

“I was sleeping,” you tell him, which only succeeds in earning you a scoff.

“And I have been waiting for details about your date since last night!”

“I sent you a text saying it was good!”

“And then you put your phone on silent you whore!” your best friend screams, making you laugh at his antics- then his voice dips. “Did you fuck him?”

“No, of course not-”

“You sound like you’re lying.”

“I’m not, I promise-” you roll onto your back and look up at your ceiling, letting out a breath. “Drinks and dessert literally meant drinks and dessert.”

“Did he at least- I don’t know, feed you some of the dessert?”

“No.”

“Oh.” The line is quiet for a moment. “Well that’s anti-climactic.”

You laugh. “First you wanted me going on dates with sugar daddies, then you were weird about Seungcheol, now you’re wishing I had fucked him-”

“Well- did you enjoy yourself?”

“Yes.”

“Was he hot?”

You groan. “So fucking hot you don’t even know-”

“Then I do wish you’d fucked him- you’re my best friend, and you deserve to get laid,” Seungkwan says plainly. “Also- I was only weird about this Seungcheol guy because he’s a therapist-”

“Psychologist.”

“Same thing- the point is, he’s a guy with power and a brain- that can be a deadly combination.”

“I thought I told you to stop watching Hannibal,” you smile, enjoying the way Seungkwan turns everything into life or death.

He scoffs at your words, disregarding them. “So tell me about your date.”

“Like I said, it was good. I got there, we ordered drinks, he’s obviously like- super smart. We talked a little bit about why we’re on the site-”

“Why is he on the site? If he’s hot, rich, and smart?” Seungkwan asks. “Shouldn’t he be with- I don’t know… someone his own age? How old was he again?”

“Mid to late thirties- and there’s a reason for it actually. He mentioned a fiance who wanted kids- I think women ‘his age’ are all looking for a family, but he’s very… invested in his work,” you explain.

“Oh. Huh.” You listen to the cogs in Seungkwan’s brain turning. “So- I guess he just wants a sugar baby to work around his busy schedule?”

“He’s looking for a companion-” you say, “but, you know, someone who can handle the fact that his work comes first.”

“Right.” A beat, then; “So did you guys talk money?”

“Seungkwan!”

“What!?” he yells back. “Quit beating around the bush!”

“He didn’t just- whip a wad of cash out and give it to me,” you laugh. “He paid for everything of course, and we agreed to discuss a contract over drinks-”

“When?”

“Actually-” you look down at your phone, which has just buzzed, scanning the new text. “Coincidently, he’s texting me now.”

“Oooh! What’s he saying?!”

“He said, ‘I really enjoyed your company last night. Would you like to join me for drinks tomorrow at eight?’”

“Wow, this dude works fast- are you sure you didn’t suck him off or anything?”

“Seungkwan!”

“I just mean- two dates in three days- this is fast.”

“Yeah well,” you shrug while texting out a confirmation response for Seungcheol, “if you’d seen Mr. Choi in person, you’d be hoping things go fast too.”

“Is he really that sexy? This isn’t just- your old man kink?”

“I dont have an old man kink-”

“Sure you don’t.”

You groan. “Seungkwan, just trust me. This man-” you swallow thickly, “he could choke me out- and I’d say thank you daddy.”

“Right, but let’s hope he doesn’t though.”

3: Friday

Part of you isn’t surprised that Seungcheol has a study in his home, but another part of you wonders if this man is really someone you should be entertaining, with his shelves of psychology texts and autobiographies written by renowned people in his field- and the framed degrees and papers of certification-

Seungcheol is the real deal; it’s clear as day and reflected in his home.

He gives you a tour of the main floor, moving from the study to the dining room, and despite your ardent attempt at listening- it’s hard to focus.

If he’d been godlike in the charcoal tweed suit when you’d first met him- well, you don’t even know how to describe how well he fits into a plain white dress shirt, sleeves rolled up to expose strong, bulky forearms- and then there’s the way the material stretches over his deliciously broad shoulders every time he turns his back to you-

“Now that I’ve given you a small tour, why don’t you take a seat,” he says as you enter his kitchen. “And I’ll grab us drinks. What are you feeling? Wine, water, beer, champagne-”

“Whatever you think is best,” you tell him, a little overwhelmed by the effect his home is having on you-

The effect he is having on you.

“I think I’d like to give you champagne,” he says, turning his back to you to open his fridge.

You find yourself nearly drooling at the brief moments you’re able to gawk at his shoulders again- and when he faces you, your eyes immediately zero in on his hands as they begin to fiddle with the bottle-

“Has anyone ever talked you through opening a bottle of champagne before?” he asks.

Your eyes meet briefly and you feel your skin heat when you admit, “not really- is there a specific way to do it?”

“I’m not sure if there’s one specific way,” Seungcheol chuckles a little, looking down at his task. “At ceremonies, sometimes they’ll use a sword and knock the top of the neck clean off- but for our purposes, and to avoid breaking anything with the cork if it shoots off, I prefer utilizing the cork cage,” he runs his fingers across the metal contraption on top of the bottle. “The trick is to unwind it most of the way, but keep it on so when you manuever the cork up-” his thumb runs along the seem, working at it- “it pops,” there’s a loud sound, “but it gets caught by the cork cage, and then, both are easily removed.”

He’d done the motion so professionally- a man who’s opened many a champagne bottle in his time.

Seungcheol seems to be an expert of everything - a true wealth of knowledge - and it’s one of the sexiest things you’ve ever experienced.

You watch him pour two glasses of the bubbly liquid, and then he gingerly slides one across the marble island countertop, “I think you’ll enjoy this.”

He watches you with an amused expression while you raise the champagne to your lips, and when your eyes widen at the taste, he grins.

“It’s really good,” you say, toying with the stem of your glass.

Now it’s your turn to watch him take a sip- and you’re blown away by how sexy he can be while simply drinking- his adam’s apple bobbing-

You wanna lick his neck.

You wanna lick his neck so bad-

“Should we get down to business?” he asks.

You wanna get down on something- and it’s not business.

“Er- yes, we should,” you agree, shifting the way you’re seated on the bar stool at his counter-

Your panties are sticking to your core and it’s a little uncomfortable-

You have no idea how this night is going to pan out, no idea if you’ll actually end up in his bed- so you’ve worn a beautiful, silky, matching set- its one drawback is the way the material sticks to you when you’re even slightly aroused- and you’ve been aroused since the moment Seungcheol opened the door to his home and invited you in.

“Since this is a contract we’re making together, I held myself back from writing one up,” he explains. “I was thinking we could discuss it verbally, and I’ll write up a copy of what we’ve talked about after you go home tonight-”

You feel your expression fall a little and Seungcheol pauses, expert eyes assessing you.

“Is something wrong?” he asks.

“No,” you assure him, swallowing thickly and averting your gaze, “that sounds like a good idea.”

There are a few more moments of silence, and then Seungcheol rests both hands on the countertop, leaning forward, voice dipping when he says, “Darling, as much as I’d love for you to stay over tonight, I promised myself I wouldn’t fuck you until the third date.”

Your skin feels electrified, and you gawk at the gorgeous man, who looks down at you with an amused grin.

You nearly shock yourself when the words “why not?” tumble past your lips, and his affectionate smile widens at your question.

“We’ve hardly discussed expectations,” he answers smoothly. “It would be… unwise for me to skip those important steps, to give you time to consider your options.”

“My options?”

“I am older than you,” he points out, “and there’s still a chance you might decide you want someone who can give you more of his time. I want you to be sure about all of this.”

“I am sure,” you insist.

“You think you are,” he muses, bringing his champagne to his lips, “but until you see a finalized document, you shouldn’t be agreeing to anything.”

“You won’t hurt me-” you tell him, “I trust you.”

“Although we only just met,” he points out. “If you trust me at all, trust in this process, okay, Sweetheart?”

You swallow any words of insistence that threaten to bubble up out of you, nodding and taking a sip of your own drink.

“So,” he lets out a sigh, “we discussed a few of my expectations when we first met, do you remember what they were?”

“You were looking for a companion of sorts, who could manage you being at work frequently,” you respond, feeling pleased when he nods and smiles at you. “Someone to meet up with once or twice a week.”

“Very good, Angel,” he praises you. “While it’s implied, I’d like to solidify what you might call a key condition.”

You’re practically on the edge of your seat, waiting for him to continue, your interest piqued.

“Any contract you’d sign would come with a loyalty clause.” He pauses for a moment, eyes searching your own. “Do you understand what that entails?”

“I think so,” you nod. “It would be an agreement that while I’m seeing you, I wouldn’t be entertaining anyone else. We’d be exclusive.”

“That’s my smart girl,” he smiles. “Even though I don’t have much time for you, I’d provide for you to live comfortably when I’m not around, in the hopes that, when we are together, we’re both committed to making the best of it.”

You love the way that sounds.

“Which brings me to my next point,” he continues, “monthly allowances. I’ll cover your food, rent, utilities- anything you need, and provide extra spending money for clothing, jewelry, etcetera.”

“Wow, that’s-” you feel your eyes widening, “that’s very generous of you.”

“It’s really not,” he insists. “You’re a beautiful, bright, young woman, and you’re agreeing to be a companion to some middle aged psych nut who hardly has enough time for you-” you both laugh a little at the way he refers to himself, “compensation is a must.”

You have to stop yourself from happily chirping an ‘if you say so daddy’ at the man that is so close to becoming everything you’ve ever wanted for yourself-

“On top of our one-on-one interactions,” Seungcheol says, “I’d also like for you to accompany me to professional events, but I’d need you to be discreet. On top of a loyalty clause, I might have you sign a nondisclosure act- how does that sound to you?”

You consider it for a moment. “I’m not the type to go tell people about my personal life- and other than my best friend, no one even knows I was on the sugar site-”

“Your friend who loves Marilyn Monroe and bleaches his hair?” Seungcheol asks with an amused expression.

“You remembered-” you laugh, heart warming to know how many details he’s held onto in regard to your first meeting.

“The NDA can exclude your close friend, we all need a confidant.”

“Thank you,” you swallow, “I think- if it allows me to talk to Seungkwan, signing a NDA would be okay.”

“Perfect,” Seungcheol nods, drinking the last of his champagne. “We’ve covered a few of the most important parts of an agreement, so I think maybe now is a good time to grab another important document that I need you to look over.”

“Oh?”

“Stay here for a moment, I’ll be right back,” Seungcheol assures you, flashing you a quick wink before exiting the kitchen.

It’s almost torturous to be alone anywhere in Seungcheol’s home without him, and part of you is inclined to follow him around like a lost, needy puppy-

You finish your drink while you wait, taking breaths to calm yourself, afterall, he’d said he wouldn’t be fucking you tonight- therefore, there’s not much for you to worry about.

Seungcheol returns shortly, holding a dark leather file folder, which he offers to you.

“What’s this?” you ask, not wanting to open it without being prompted to- but your curiosity is as high as ever.

“Separate from our sugar agreement, this is a bdsm contract. It has a list of kinks and other things, as well as a section for you to fill out, detailing what you’re comfortable - and more importantly - what you’re uncomfortable with. I’d like you to take it home, look it over, and if you have any questions, let me know.”

“Right-” you stand up, holding the file folder to your chest-

Any words that you were thinking of saying disappear when you look up at Seungcheol, once more marveling at your size difference and how beautiful he is-

“You’re easily distractable,” he grins, pinching at your chin gently, “aren’t you, Angel?”

“Yes sir,” you mumble-

Easily dazed too.

“My driver will take you home now,” the (much too sexy) psychologist tells you. “His name is Seokmin, you’ll probably have to remind him to give you his number. He’ll be available to you from now on if you need to go anywhere.”

“You have a driver?” you blink- shocked at how he’s able to afford all of this-

You realize he must come from old money- and you’re appalled you hadn’t noticed it before.

He doesn’t carry himself in the way a man who’d made a name for himself would- he has an air of confidence- a confidence that runs deep and is backed up by family money.

“Yes, darling,” Seungcheol grins, “we have a driver.”

4: Saturday

You’ve always loved having movie night with your best friend, but tonight, he’s not interested in movies. Seungkwan is easily distractable - a little like you, you suppose - and when you’d arrived over an hour ago, he’d immediately insisted on knowing every detail about your experience with the man he now refers to as ‘Psych daddy.’

On top of being distractable, Seunkwan is easy to please, and you manage to avoid mentioning the BDSM contract for a good long while, instead focusing on Seungcheol’s hot driver, who Seungkwan finds on instagram within five minutes.

“No way- first Psych Daddy is a ten out of ten, and now his driver is hot too?” Seungkwan bellows while mad scrolling through Seokmin’s profile. “Are you sure we’re not in some weird porn dream? You’re not gonna get tag teamed are you?”

“Seungkwan!” you scream, gently smacking him across the shoulder in shock.

“We were both thinking it!” he insists, shoving you back.

“I’ll have you know that we were not both thinking it,” you state with just as much certainty.

“But you mentioned how nice the guy was when he dropped you off last night and we called for like five minutes before you hung up on me to go to bed!”

“Yeah, in the context that Seungcheol is really nice to everyone that works for him, despite being-”

“One of the youngest, sexiest psych daddies in the city, yeah, yeah-” Seungkwan waves his hand, “Stop rubbing it in.”

“Have you been researching my boyfriend again?” you ask, thoroughly amused.

“Boyfriend?” Seunkwan eyes you up and down, sneering. “Is that what we call dom daddies now?”

“If he makes you sign a loyalty clause and a NDA, I think I can call him whatever I want, can’t I?” you point out. “And you avoided my question- you’ve definitely been googling Cheol again.”

“Been googling myself to pictures of pysch daddy-” Seungkwan says suggestively before asking, “He made you sign an NDA?”

“Not yet,” you sigh, “and don’t worry, we’ve discussed it and it will exclude you- I can tell you anything I want to.”

“Shit, did you tell him my name? Do you think he’ll accept me as a patient if he knows I’m your best friend?”

“Since when do you need a psychologist?” you laugh.

“Uh,” Seungkwan’s brows raise, “Bestie, have you seen my life? I definitely need someone to confide in who knows what the fuck he’s talking about.”

“Ouch,” you touch your heart, pretending to be wounded. “Since when did you not like crack gremlin advice?”

“Since you put down your crack gremlin hat and became a sugar baby to a hot psychologist,” Seungkwan sighs, taking one last look at Seokmin’s grinning face before he puts his phone down and focuses entirely on you. “But go back a few steps and talk to me about this loyalty clause- psych daddy sends you home with a ton of papers to sign, huh?”

“More than you could imagine.”

Your best friend looks you up and down with suspicion, brow raising in a silent prompt for more info.

When you remain quiet, Seungkwan sighs. “Fine, don’t tell me,” but after a beat, he asks, “Was it a sex list or something?”

You’re always stunned by how intuitive your best friend can be.

Upon reading your reaction, Seungkwan’s eyes widen and he grabs at your arm, nearly jumping with excitement. “No way!” he yells in your ear. “He did send you home with a sex list! Show me, show me, show me!”

You look to your bag and before you can even reach for it, Seungkwan is darting past you and retrieving the papers. “Holy shit-” he breathes, scanning the document with eyes full of something like perverted excitement. “A checklist for kinks?”

“Yup.”

“Choking, yes. Spanking, fuck yeah- bondage-” he grins at you, “looks like someone’s a little slut for psych daddy.”

“Oh my god,” you groan, reaching for the papers, but he launches himself off the couch to evade you. “If you’re gonna be like this, I don’t want to show you.”

“Fine, I’ll be nice,” Seungkwan says, but he’s still reading the list, and his voice is lacking any real sincerity. “Okay so most of these are straightforward-”

“You watch way too much porn,” you sigh.

He practically growls at you. “As I was saying- most of these are straightforward, and you’ve filled out the ones I would have expected you to- but some of these are things even I have never heard of- like, what the fuck is…” he carefully sounds out the next word, “Quirofilia?”

“Honestly- the ones I didn’t know about, I just sort of skipped over, hoping maybe you would know- but…” you can’t stop the sly grin that works its way onto your lips, “I guess Cheol did say I could call him if I had any questions…”

“At this point, it’s almost like this list is purposefully vague on some kinks-” Seungkwan sighs, joining you on the couch again. “I bet Psych daddy has been waiting for you to call him for extra clarification.”

“We could google it,” you point out.

“Definitely not,” Seungkwan says quickly. “Call daddy, and put him on speaker.”

“Oh, so he’s just daddy now?” you tease, pulling out your phone.

“Call him.”

“Hmm… maybe I’ll text,” you decide. “He could be busy.”

“That’s no fun,” Seunkwan whines, pouting out his lower lip.

“Too bad,” you tell him, typing in a quick message. “I said, ‘hey, whenever you have time, I have a few questions about some of the terms on the kink list.’”

“Add a smiley face,” your friend urges, “so he knows it’s like- good questions.”

You add a happy emoji, and hit send. Then you put your phone down, reaching for the papers from Seungkwan.

“He might not answer anytime soon-” you say- just as your phone buzzes the familiar ringtone that you’ve only given to one person.

Both you and Seungkwan stare at your ringing phone, and then your best friend grins at you.

“This guy is so whipped for you it’s crazy- are you sure you haven’t sucked his dick?”

“Oh my god stop!” you groan, “and be quiet or I can’t answer-”

“I’ll be quiet,” he insists, pretending to lock his mouth shut and throw away the key.

With one final warning glare, you turn your focus to your phone, answering the call. “Hello?”

“Hey, gorgeous,” comes Seungcheol’s unmistakable smooth drawl- god, he makes your mouth fucking water- “So you got around to looking at the kink list.”

He’s so god damned confident- and when you look up at Seungkwan, you see he’s just as shook by your new lover as you are.

“Uh, yes,” you clear your throat. “There are just a few terms I’m unfamiliar with, and- I know I could look them up, but you said to call you if I had questions-”

“Of course Angel, I’d love to help talk you through it.”

Your panties are wet.

They’re wet, and your best friend is nearly falling off the couch from how seductive your new sugar daddy is.

“What kinks are you unfamiliar with?” Seungcheol prompts, and you can practically hear him smiling at the way he’s taking your breath away on a freaking phone call-

“There’s this one,” your eyes scan over the word Quirofilia, and you do your best not to mangle it the way Seungkwan had when you relay it to Cheol.

“Quirofilia,” he repeats, teaching you the proper pronunciation with the calm, pleasant tone you’re starting to fall in love with. “It’s another term for a hand kink.”

Now it’s your turn to echo, and you say “A hand kink,” while blinking at your friend.

“Yes, angel,” Seungcheol chuckles on the other end. “If you check off the box for receiving, you’d indicate that you’d be more than comfortable with me touching you frequently. For lack of a better term, it goes hand in hand with a number of other kinks- spanking and choking for example, or finger sucking.”

“And for giving?” you question, having already checked off a yes for what he’s just described.

“For giving…” he clears his throat, “well, you’d let me pay for you to get manicures- maybe let me choose the colours and styles-” there’s another pause, then “I have to admit, I did notice that you have nice hands the first night we met.”

“Really?” your heart lurches in your chest and Seungkwan grabs a pillow to bite while listening in on a conversation that’s getting sexier and sexier- “What did you like about them?”

“They’re smaller than mine, for one. I’m sure we can both imagine how pretty they’d look wrapped around something… substantially bigger.”

Your best friend spasms, practically screaming into the pillow, and you can’t help the way your own jaw drops at the statement-

Are you about to have phone sex with Cheol in front of your best friend?

Do you need to get a room?

“We can discuss it in detail when I see you next,” Seungcheol says, cutting off your horny thoughts. “Are there any other kinks you’ve had trouble with?”

“I mean-” part of you wants to go through the whole list and pretend not to know things just to keep him on the phone- “if we’re going to discuss these all in detail when I see you next- maybe I should just wait till then?”

You can’t believe you’re cock blocking yourself just because Seungkwan is here.

“We can do that,” Seungcheol says smoothly.

In the background, you hear someone say his name, and you find yourself asking, “did I catch you at a bad time?” suddenly worried you’ve interrupted something important.

“Of course not, angel, I wouldn’t have called you if I couldn’t step away for a few minutes.” There’s a pause then, “I’m at a conference this weekend, flew out this morning.”

“Oh,” your heart deflates a little.

“I was tempted to invite you,” Seungcheol says, calming the uneasiness you’re feeling. “But seeing as you’ve not signed anything, and I already had plans with colleagues, I figured this wouldn’t be the best first trip to take you on.”

This excites you again. “Do you have somewhere specific in mind for a first trip?”

“Somewhere warm,” he answers smoothly, a small chuckle following a moment later. “Anyways, I won’t be that available tomorrow, you caught me at a good moment tonight.”

“Well… will you be back on Monday?” you question.

Another small laugh, then, “Are you that eager to see me, gorgeous?”

“Maybe.” You eye Seungkwan who’s still screaming into the pillow. “But I mean- I remember what you said about needing a sugar baby that fits your schedule, so, I don’t want to pressure you to see me the day you get back from a work conference-”

“That’s very thoughtful of you, angel,” his smooth voice calms your anxieties. “I do have quite a busy week, a few things aren’t pinned down yet, can I let you know when I have more details?”

“Yes, of course-” you bite at your lip. “I should let you get back to your colleagues- thanks for calling me and talking me through uh- Quirofilia.”

You hear him take a deep breath, and then, Seungcheol lets out something like a groan- “I’m tempted to ask what you checked off for it.”

His words go straight to your pussy and after a moment of silence you ask, “Do you want me to tell you?”

“No,” he responds, “It will give me something to think about tonight if you don’t tell me.”

“Okay,” you grin at the way he’s toying with himself- ego fuelled by the idea of him thinking about you- “I’m excited to talk more about this with you when I see you next.”

“Me too, angel.”

“Have a great time at your conference daddy.”

You slap a hand over your mouth, eyes widening at the way the term of endearment just slipped out of you-

Seungcheol lets out a deep sigh that betrays how much the word has affected him, and he sounds less composed than normal when he says, “Thank you, precious, enjoy your evening.”

You hang up, and as soon as you have, Seungkwan goes ballistic, practically pouncing at you while screaming, “That was too sexy! You guys are too sexy, what the hell!?”

Laughing at his antics is easy- pretending your panties aren’t ruined is another story.

5: Sunday

The ringtone that makes your whole body tingle with anticipation is becoming more and more familiar, and you practically launch yourself across your bed to answer your phone.

“Hi.”

A small chuckle, and a breath, then, “Hey you.”

“How's your conference going?” you ask, having not expected to hear from Cheol today.

“Good. It’s over, we finished the last meet up just before dinner. What are you up to?”

You grin to yourself, playing with the book in your lap. “I’m reading your most recent publication.”

“My most recent publication?” you can hear him smiling now too, and you enjoy the way he teases your choice of phrase. “Since when were you going out and buying my books, darling?”

“Since I saw how many you’ve done- when you showed me your library. I went out this morning and got two.”

“You could have asked, and I would have given you them for free… with a detailed note from the author.”

“I was eager to begin reading,” you admit. “And you’re so busy- I’m still not sure when I’m seeing you next.”

“That’s actually why I called. I took a look at my schedule, and I’ve got options for you.”

“Ooh! I love options.”

Another smile you can hear through the phone, and your heart beats a little faster.

“I can see you alone on Friday, it’s the earliest day I have available- but if you’d like, you can accompany me to a get-together with my work colleagues on Wednesday. I know you haven’t signed any papers and we haven’t discussed anything in detail yet but… I have a good feeling about you, angel, and I’d enjoy having you there.”

“Then of course I’ll go with you to the get-together,” you announce, grinning like a school girl at the inklings of praise he bestows on you.

“That’s wonderful news, gorgeous.” - you love it when he calls you pretty pet names - “I’m sorry that this call can’t be longer- but I’ll see you Wednesday- and I’m sure I’ll find a reason to call you before then.”

“Yes, please.”

He laughs, and the sound has your core buzzing with interest- how the hell is Seungcheol so sexy without even trying?

“Have a good night, angel, and don’t read too much of my book- they’re all depressing.”

“They’re informative,” you insist. “Have a wonderful night Cheol, and thanks for calling.”

6: Monday

“Hi.”

You’ve gotta stop answering your phone with a full grin- but every time Seungcheol calls you, you can’t help but get warm and fuzzy all over.

“Hi, angel.”

And wet. Wet all over.

Wet where it counts.

“I was just thinking about you,” you confess, toying with the page of his book that you’ve been reading.

“Funny, I was just thinking about you,” he responds, “and I have been, all day. It’s quite distracting actually.”

“Really?” Your heart leaps again.

“I was thinking about getting you something to wear to the party on Wednesday- was going to get Seokmin to drop it off at your place, but then… I realized how much I’d rather see you and give you the dress in person, to see your reaction.”

This man gives you full on heart palpitations- and it takes everything in you to clear your throat and ask, “so does this mean I’ll see you before Wednesday, or?”

“I mean… I don’t want to assume you’re free every night- but if you’re not otherwise busy tomorrow-”

“I always have time for you daddy,” you smile, “and I’ll sign a contract to prove it.”

He lets out a shaky breath, and you love that you’re having an effect on him. “That’s good to hear sweetheart. I’ll move a few things around. How does seven sound?”

“Seven sounds perfect.”

“And it will be a longer stay this time. I know I kept our last interaction at my home brief- but if you bring all the documents I gave you, we can…” he clears his throat, “discuss them in full, tomorrow, if you’d like”

“I’d love that,” you admit.

“Seokmin will be at your place to pick you up at seven then, angel. I can’t wait to see you.”

“I can’t wait either.”

7: Tuesday

Seungcheol is a man who strives for perfection. From his home and work, all the way down to the pretty present he’s gotten for you, the box wrapped in a golden bow-

And when you open your gift to reveal an expensive red fabric just itching to be touched- you think there’s a possibility that you might very much be in love with the psychologist already.

“It’s beautiful-” you breathe, pulling the silky garment from its box to assess the length and style.

“You were wearing red when we first met,” Seungcheol tells you, “I thought to myself that I’d never seen such a gorgeous girl- when I invited you to the gettogether tomorrow, I knew there was only one colour I truly wanted to see you in.”

Your heart is having palpitations, you swear-

“Do you-” you swallow thickly, looking up at him, “do you want me to try it on for you now?”

It’s his turn to take a shaky breath, and after a stagnant pause, he shakes his head, “No. I think I’d like to be surprised tomorrow- besides, after we get done looking over the papers and contracts, I feel as if we’d both prefer you to be taking off clothes rather than putting them on.”

He’s right about that.

You only wish you’d known about his affinity for the color red before you’d chosen a black lingerie set, knowing that tonight would be the night he’d finally strip you bare-

You can’t wait for him to fuck you. You honestly can’t- and all these paper signings- they’re just a formality for you.

As far as you’re concerned, Cheol is the one- or at least, he could be the one.

Or maybe he’s just the ‘for now,’ but regardless, for now, you want to be ravenously fucking him-

“My easily distractable darling,” he gently pinches at your chin, pulling you from your dirty thoughts. “Let’s see the papers.”

After putting the dress back in its box, you grab the purse you’d arrived with. It’s large enough to hold the folder with the documents, which you pull out next, setting it down on Seungcheol’s kitchen counter.

“I see you’ve printed out the other documents I sent you since we last met,” he says, and you can hear the pride in his voice that you’d gone a step above and beyond what he’d asked of you.

After your last date, wherein you’d gotten the kink list, he’d sent you an email with a link to a contractual pdf. Once you’d gone over the contract in detail on your computer, you’d printed it out, eager to sign your name- but you’d been patient, knowing he’d probably want to witness your signature being jotted down on the dotted line.

“I’m ready to sign them,” you tell him, also pulling a pen out of your purse-

“Eager angel,” he smiles, taking the seat on the barstool next to yours. “Are you sure you don’t want to read it all over one more time?”

“I’m sure,” you tell him, angling your body towards his and fiddling with your pen.

“Alright,” Seungcheol nods, rolling up the sleeves of his white button-down, his forearms flexing. “How about you let me sign first, then you can do your own signature.”

You hold out your pen, which he accepts, and you watch the way he adjusts his glasses on the bridge of his nose when he looks down at the contract. His eyes scan over the document, and a moment later, the ballpoint pen is gliding languidly across the dotted line, his signature solidified in a binding agreement.

“There we go,” he says smoothly, holding the pen out for you to take.

Within seconds, two signatures are on the contract, and your heart is racing just a little faster in anticipation of what’s to come next.

“And now to look over your kink list,” Seungcheol breathes, moving the signed papers to the side.

Your heart lurches when he picks up the sheet you’ve filled in, and you stay silent while his eyes move over each line of information.

“As much as these all interest me,” he says, “I’m pleased to see you’ve checked off giving and receiving for quirofilia.” His large hand moves to rest on top of your thigh, and he gives you a gentle squeeze, eyes shifting from the paper to your own. “Will you allow me to book a manicure for you tomorrow? In preparation for the get-together?”

“Yes, please,” you rest your hand on top of his own.

“We’ll have to get your nails matching your new dress,” he tells you smoothly, setting the paper down in favour of pushing a strand of hair away from your face, his index finger gently gliding past your cheekbone. “And there will be another present for you tomorrow.”

“Another?” you’re nearly dizzy from how well he treats you-

“Another,” he confirms, taking off his glasses to set down before standing from the bar stool.

“Are you going to tell me what it is?” you ask, allowing him to prompt you to your own feet, both of his hands gently capturing your own.

Seungcheol gives his head a small shake, a smile on his lips when he responds with a “no.”

Something inside of you deflates slightly at the fact that he’s withholding information from you, and you can’t help the way you pout your lower lip out - just a little - in an effort to perhaps make him change his mind-

“Come on, angel,” Seungcheol laughs, pinching your chin and forcing you to look up at him. His dark chocolate colored eyes are swimming with adoration, and his small half smile is breathtaking- “you can be patient for one more day, can’t you?”

“Depends what for,” you admit, reaching your free hand out to hook your fingers in the front of his belt, pulling yourself closer to the man who’s as solid as any brick wall you’ve ever seen-

“Patience for the next present,” he clarifies, gaze dipping down to your lips as you move even closer to him- “not for anything else.”

“Promise?” you ask, pushing onto your tip toes- mouths even closer-

“Promise,” Seungcheol says, finally closing the distance between you.

His lips are soft- he’s a gentleman, and his hand moves from your chin to be cupping the nape of your neck, the other smoothing down to the small of your back.

It’s chaste kissing- too chaste for you, and you wrap your arms around the back of his own neck, pressing your chest up against his.

You don’t want any more distance between you, and you especially don’t want to wait any longer for this man to fuck the ever-loving shit out of you.

“Cheol-” you groan, allowing him to tilt your head and slide his tongue along your lower lip.

“Yes, angel?” His voice is so deep and sexy, the vibrations of it going straight through from his chest to your own and then down to your tingling core-

“Daddy, please-”

“I would ask you to use your words, but now that you’ve filled out your kink list-” he swallows thickly, gently pressing his forehead to yours, “I think I have a pretty good idea of what you’d enjoy.”

In the back of your mind, you remember that you’d said yes to most of the kinks on the list- so you’re not sure how - exactly - he’s going to narrow it down and decide on what to do to you today- but there’s another part of you that trusts him fully.

Tonight is going to be a night to remember, regardless of what kinks he fulfills for you.

“Wait-” your hands move from his strong shoulders to the front of his dress shirt, toying with the buttons there, “I never saw your kink list.”

“Would you like to?”

You nod.

“Another time then,” Seungcheol says smoothly, “tonight, I want to take care of you. How’s that sound?”

“Sounds good,” you admit, tugging on his shirt in an effort to pull him closer.

With a smile, Seungcheol concedes, lips finding yours again.

Instead of being as chaste as he had at the start, with each brush of your mouths against each other, he’s becoming more bold, gently testing your limits-

Little does he know that when it comes to him, you have no hard limits.

He could talk you into just about anything- but part of you knows he’d never really try to talk you into much, which is one of the reasons why you’re so open for him.

As he kisses you harder, and you tug him even closer, you realize you’re practically trying to climb him- and in one motion, Seungcheol bends down and lifts you into his arms bridal style, being mindful of the black dress still adorning your body.

“I’m going to take you to my bedroom now,” he tells you, and you take the opportunity to begin speckling his neck and underjaw in kisses, your hands tugging and toying with the fabric covering his broad shoulders.

It’s so easy to become lost in him- his gentle, calming aura truly overtakes you, and now that you’re contractually under his protection - both financially and romantically - nothing else does matter-

Nothing except him.

You want to make Seungcheol happy- and you note his reactions, note the way he releases a shuddery breath when you find a sensitive spot just under his ear- your tongue dipping out to taste his skin while you press kisses there-

“Okay, angel,” he sighs, “time to set you down.”

He places you gently onto his bed before straightening to look at you.

Seungcheol has always been tall and broad- but towering over you at the foot of his bed while you lay there with soaked panties takes him to new heights - literally - and you find yourself practically drooling- sitting up in an effort to get close to him again-

“Nuh uh uh,” he tuts, pressing one knee onto the mattress between your legs. “Lift your arms so I can take this dress off of you, and then lay back down for me, yeah?”

You follow through with his request gladly, allowing him to strip you of your dress before you flatten against his bed again, looking up at him with a lustful wonder that you’ve never truly experienced.

“There’s my pretty girl,” Seungcheol says smoothly, discarding your dress before looking down at you with appreciative eyes- eyes that finally take in some of your best features, gliding across your breasts and the lingerie set you’re wearing- “You dressed up for me,” he notes.

“Of course, daddy,” you sigh, reaching for him when he presses his other knee onto the bed, “wanted to look good for you.”

“You always look good,” he tells you, flattening his form over your own, one hand pressed to the mattress next to your head while the other gently grasps your jaw. “My pretty little angel,” he says, breath fanning across your skin before his lips find your own.

You wrap your legs around his waist, pulling him closer and looking for friction between your thighs-

A moan slips out of you when you feel his cock, pressing against the front of his pants deliciously-

Seungcheol chuckles into your kiss before pulling away from you, his lips moving to your neck-

“So sensitive, baby,” he says, rutting forward ever so slightly- cock dragging past your panty-clad core and making you groan again. “When was the last time you were properly touched?”

“It’s been a while,” you admit, swallowing thickly and lacing your fingers through Seungcheol’s hair while he kisses down to the swell of your breasts, still captured in your bra.

“Well, we’re going to change that.”

“We better,” you retort, back already arching off the bed to give him access to the clasp of your bra- which he undoes with deft fingers. “Take it off- please-”

The garment slips off of you easily, and Seungcheol tosses it to join your dress on the floor before his large, warm hand is cupping your breast, lips attaching to one nipple while his fingers toy with the other.

Small gasps of ecstasy escape you, filling the room with your whimpery sounds of need.

Your new lover focuses on your breasts in a way that begins to make you frustrated, your pussy clenching with untouched desire- and the feeling of Seungcheol’s muscled shoulders is almost too much for your hands, which can’t help but explore his body-

“Please-” you moan, shifting your hips up, eager for him to grind down on you again-

The hand on your breast is removed, and it slips between your bodies, two fingers pressing to your pussy through your panties.

You release a whimper, body shuddering at the small stimulus on your clit-

“Your panties are soaked, angel,” he says, releasing your breast in favor of looking down at you again. “Do you really need me that much?”

“I do,” you tell him sincerely, once more tugging at the front of his shirt. “I need you so bad-”

Your fingers begin to undo his buttons, but your motions are shaky, especially as he rubs your core harder, teasing you through your panties-

“Please- just take them off,” you groan. “Take it all off-”

Seungcheol grins, “If you insist,” and then he’s pulling away from you, leaving you cold and desperate, your hands trying to follow him-

But then you stop, zoning in on the way his own nimble fingers undo the buttons of his shirt-

And then he’s shrugging the fabric off, revealing a chiseled torso and an abdomen that you could wash clothes on-

“You’re so-” you groan, unable to even believe you’d found a man like this on a sugar dating site.

“I’m so…” he looks at you with a cocked brow, kneeling between your legs, his hands finding your thighs and smoothing down against your skin.

“You’re everything,” you tell him, unable to think through much else.

The complement works, and Seungcheol’s smile widens. “Thank you, angel,” he says. “Daddy’s going to eat you now.”

You’re so overwhelmed- in the best of ways- that you hardly even hear Seungkwan’s voice in the back of your mind screaming ‘hannibal the cannibal, bitch!’

Your best friend had been so wrong about Seungcheol- who gets down onto his knees at the foot of the bed, dragging you closer before hooking his fingers in your panties-

You lift your hips, allowing him to tug the fabric from your form, leaving you completely naked-

Seungcheol releases a breath that fans over your pussy, his lips pressing a wet kiss on your inner thigh.

“You’re so perfect,” he says, teeth grazing past your skin before he finally brings his mouth where you need him most.

You can’t help but reach down and tangle your fingers through his hair, determined to keep him between your thighs-

And he doesn’t disappoint, tongue licking you up and down, pressing through your pussy lips and dipping into your core, nose brushing by your clit-

“Cheol-” you whimper, toes curling at the sensation.

You’ve been eaten out before, but you’ve never been as into a man as you are with Seungcheol, and every brush of him against you has you practically whining and tingling with ecstasy.

You’d never thought sex could be this good- and he hasn’t even fucked you yet.

His tongue is nothing compared to what his cock is going to feel like- but his mouth alone is bringing you shockingly close to your high, devastatingly fast.

Seungcheol releases a groan against your pussy, pulling away just enough to ask “close already, angel?”

“Mmm- yes,” you whimper, tightening your grip in his hair on an effort to bring him back to your pussy.

“You can cum, just- let me know,” he tells you, tongue returning to your aching hole, lapping at you for all you’re worth-

You find your eyes closing, your head resting back against his bed while his ministrations work you closer and closer to the edge-

One of your feet drags along his strong back, your legs threatening to close around his head as your sounds of pleasure begin to tumble out of you uncensored, filling the room-

Seungcheol presses his face against you even harder, lips wrapping around your clit-

“Cheol- I’m gonna-” you whine, breaths becoming irregular as you get closer and closer to cloud nine- “oh my god-” you reach the peak of pleasure, and a gasped “daddy” escapes you as you’re consumed with your orgasm, quivering legs trying to close around Seungcheol-

But two hands land on your inner thighs, forcing you open for the man who eats you through your high like he’s been starved-

Perhaps you both have.

You haven’t felt something this good in- maybe ever, and all you’re able to do is tug on his hair, moan loudly, and rut your hips against his face while you feel him tingling through every fiber of your being.

Seungcheol works you through your entire orgasm and then some, until your legs feel like jelly from being tensed, and you can hardly breathe correctly. Then, he pulls away from you slowly, pressing kisses along your inner thigh-

You open your eyes to look down at him, and you’re met with a visual that has you getting wet all over again.

The gorgeous man between your legs, wipes his thumb across his lower lip, collecting what’s there and slipping it into his mouth, releasing a groan that has you practically twitching-

His pupils are blown with interest, and he’s breathing just as heavily as you are.

He stands up, towering over you once more.

Seungcheol swallows thickly, running a hand through his hair. “I’m guessing from the way you checked off cum play and breeding kink that you’re on some sort of contraceptive?”

You release a small laugh- no man has ever used the word contraceptive in the bedroom with you before. Cheol is so sexy with his fancy words-

“Hey,” he gently taps your inner thigh again, “are you alright?”

“Yes, I-” you take a breath, “sorry, I’m just-” you can’t help but reach for him, making something like grabby hands in the air.

“I’ll give you a second to come down a bit more,” he concedes, returning between your legs, holding himself just over your body while you attempt to latch onto him, ankles crossing behind his back to lock him in- “You really haven’t been properly touched in a while,” he notes, brushing your hair out of your face and behind your ear.

“No,” you agree, “I haven’t.”

You cup his face, eager for his lips to be on yours, but he holds just out of your reach, grinning down at you. “Almost ready to answer my question?”

You nod, taking a breath before telling him, “I’m on the pill.”

“Lucky us,” Seungcheol says, bypassing your lips in favour of pressing a kiss to your neck, just above your fluttering pulse point. “How are you feeling?”

“Good,” you admit, letting out a deep sigh- “needy.”

Seungcheol releases a small groan, and he pushes his hips forward, teasing your bare core with the front of his dress pants- “Yeah?”

“Please-” you tug gently at his hair, “stop teasing me.”

“Just trying to let you take a breath,” he retorts.

“I don’t want to breathe,” you say stubbornly, “I want you.”

He lets out a chuckle, and you find yourself wanting to prove how much you want him.

There’s no way in hell that you’ll be able to dominate Seungcheol, he’s as sturdy as a bear laying on top of you, but when you push at his shoulders, he relents, allowing you to roll him onto his back so you’re now the one on top.

He blinks up at you, lips parting-

“Didn’t expect this, did you, daddy?” you ask, placing your palms flat on his chest while adjusting the way you’re seated, capturing his cock between your bodies-

Seungcheol sits up abruptly- and you almost think he’s going to say something, but instead, he presses his lips to yours, capturing the nape of your neck with his hand so you can’t move away.

His kiss is hungry, tongue gliding past your own and earning a mewl of pleasure- your hips rock slightly, and you’re immediately aggrieved to be reminded that he still has pants on.

“Want you naked,” you tell him between kisses, “want to taste you-”

Now it’s his turn to let out a groan of eager delight, and he lets go of his hold on your neck, pulling away from your lips to look you in the eyes while he grabs a fistful of your hair, tugging ever so slightly to have your head arching back- “You sure about that?”

“God, yes-” you moan, licking your lips-

“Then go ahead, angel,” Seungcheol says, releasing you. “Do whatever your heart desires, and if you get tired, let daddy know so he can take over again.”

You’ve never been wetter in your life. Nor have you ever shimmied down a man’s body and wrestled with his pants so quick, but with Seungcheol, that’s precisely what you do, and within no time at all, you have your mouth wrapped around the head of his cock.

He’s girthy- and you can just imagine how good the stretch of him is going to feel-

You’re practically drooling on him, bobbing your head up and down while he pushes your hair out of your face, releasing a groan and a “that’s it, angel” that eggs you on even more.

You’re aware that you don’t want to make him cum like this- this is just you returning the favour before riding him-

God, you want to ride him so bad- like you’ve never wanted to ride any man in your whole entire life.

“Fuck-”

It’s the first swearword you’ve ever heard come out of Seungcheol’s mouth, and it goes straight to your pussy, which clenches around nothing, your mouth slipping down far enough on his cock that you choke-

“Careful, darling,” the hand in your hair tugs you off his cock, and you take a gasp of air, sneaking a glance up at the man who has you going feral-

“I wanna ride you.”

“Like I said, do whatever your heart desires,” comes his almost casual response-

This man is going to be the death of you.

Death by psychologist cock.

Before you can even think a coherent sentence, you’re straddling Seungcheol’s hips, adjusting his cock to fit snuggly against your core, and sinking down on him, filling yourself inch by delicious inch until you’re sat atop him like a queen on her throne.

His hands find your waist, and you both release sounds of pleasure, your eyes closing to enjoy the feeling of being perfectly full for just a moment before you begin to move-

“Feels good, huh?” he prompts, squeezing your hips gently.

“Feels fucking fantastic,” you tell him- swear words be damned.

Your hands find his strong chest, and you lean over him, connecting your lips while you take a test thrust, bouncing just slightly on his cock-

The feeling is enough to have you both groaning into each other’s mouths, Seungcheol cupping the side of your face while he gently bites at your lower lip-

You’re not used to being on top- and it feels obvious in the shallow way you’re riding him, too distracted in kissing to give either motion your full attention-

But that doesn’t matter, because Seungcheol is rutting up to meet you, matching your slow pace and helping you find a steady rhythm with the hand still on your hip, guiding you as you begin to bounce.

It feels like heaven to be fucking Choi Seungcheol- feels like nothing you could have ever imagined.

You find yourself getting lost in him, working on autopilot with one destination in mind: orgasmic pleasure, and with each thrust of his hips to meet you, he helps you get closer.

“Fuck, Cheol-” you groan, tearing your lips from his to take a breath, burying your face against his neck while your thighs burn from effort- “Daddy, please- please, fuck me-”

That’s all you need to say to get him to take over, flipping you onto your back so he can regain the top position. He captures your hands, raising them over your head where he can lock your wrists together in his strong grip, then his free digits slip between your bodies, seeking out your clit-

“Oh my god,” you moan, eyes closing as you’re overwhelmed in the sensation of him-

“Close already, sweetheart?” he questions, letting out a smug, sexy, little chuckle. “Feels that good?”

“Yes- feels so good,” you tell him, ready to say anything he wants you to if it means he fucks you harder-

His fingers draw small quick circles on your clit, and your legs twitch where they’re wrapped around his waist.

“I’ve hardly even fucked you- you can hold it a little longer, can’t you darling?” he prompts, nosing at your cheek. “For me?”

“I can-” you groan as he fucks you harder, “I can try- but- my clit-”

“Is this making it difficult for you?” Seungcheol smiles, relenting ever so slightly and then removing his hand all together in favour of wrapping it around your throat. “There, is that better?”

He squeezes your airway, and you’re simply unable to speak, unable to do anything but moan like a whore in heat while he fucks you closer and closer to an orgasm you’re desperately trying to hold off for him-

“You feel-” he lets out a groan, “unbelievable.”

No, he feels unbelievable, and you can’t even touch him with your hands still pinned-

You think if you could graze your fingers across his strong shoulders you’d cum instantly, so maybe it’s a good thing he has your wrists in his grasp-

“I think I want you to cum now,” he decides, and you’re thankful- only for him to release your throat and rub your clit, which has you whining loudly all over again- “You’ll cum with me, right?”

“God, daddy- yes!” you whimper- the coil in your stomach clenching as tightly as ever-

Then he releases your wrists, anchoring a hand against your abdomen to keep you down while he works you over the edge- and your own fingers immediately seek out the shoulders that have you dizzy with lust, core clamping down on his cock as you’re high hits you full force.

“Cheol-” you whimper, delighted by the way he immediately presses his lips to yours, eagerly eating up your sounds of pleasure and returning them with grunts and groans of his own while fucking you through one of the best orgasms of your entire life.

His tongue dances by yours, teeth teasing past your lip-

Your fingers are in his hair and you can feel him practically everywhere, your entire body alight with wonderful sensations of bliss-

It starts to slow too soon, but every up must have a down, and as his hips lose pace and your sounds lessen, you realize you’re truly, madly, deeply in love with Choi Seungcheol.

And you’ve known him for less than a week.

8: Wednesday

“Are you settling in okay?” Bora’s voice pulls you away from your daydreaming, and you tear your eyes off of Seungcheol to focus on the woman whose house you’ve been enjoying for much of the evening.

She’d been introduced to you as Seungcheol’s colleague’s wife, and you’ve yet to get any one on one with the very pregnant hostess, whose husband, Mingyu, has been circling her like a puppy this entire time.

“Yes,” you respond, finding your voice, “you have a very easy home to settle into.”

“I appreciate that,” she smiles, taking the free seat on the sofa next to you, one hand settling over her protruding stomach in a maternal way that makes your heart soften. “I’ve been meaning to have a chat with you since you arrived, but both of us seem to have a plus one that’s attached at the hip.”

Now it’s her turn to look over at Seungcheol and Mingyu, who are huddled around another psychologist friend of theirs, Wonwoo, and his wife, their attention fixed on the youngest member of the housewarming party, a six-month-old baby named Yumi.

“I feel as if I’m the plus one,” you say.

“Don’t be modest,” Bora brushes it off with a smile, “Cheol has had his hand on the small of your back for most of the evening. As much as they like to pretend they’re big shot psychologists, we’re the crutches that get them through the evening.”

You take a moment to consider her words.

This is the first event you’ve gone to with your new beau, and for much of it, you’ve been as intent to stick to Cheol’s side as he has been to yours.

“Trust me,” Bora continues, “give it a few minutes and they’ll migrate over here to be close to us.” She pauses, then, “Mingyu has to get used to being in the living room, a pregnant woman like me needs a good, comfortable seat.”

You both laugh at the way she touches her belly again, pushing it out and relaxing back on the sofa.

“How far along are you?” you ask.

Despite already having had dinner and discussion for an hour or two, much of the focus has been on the home and various publications that the four university friends have been working on, with Wonwoo’s wife Minji having arrived with Yumi only a short while ago.

“Eight months,” Bora sighs, continuing to stroke her baby bump. “I’m just about ready to pop. But enough about me and my belly, you’ve hardly spoken about yourself- and Cheol is always so focused on work, I’ve yet to get many details out of him, other than the fact that you’re worth skipping book club for. Did you two have a hot date last night?”

Your skin heats with embarrassment- “I didn’t know he’d skipped book club for me-”

“It’s a loose arrangement, Tuesdays at seven, I’m only teasing you,” Bora leans over to nudge you with her shoulder, offering you a sweet smile. “How did you two meet?”

The nondisclosure agreement pops into your mind like a red warning sign.

“Erm…” you swallow, “Cheol hasn’t told you?”

“Like I said, he’s very tight-lipped about it,” Bora explains. “But- I’ve never known Seungcheol to be a fan of changing his schedule- and the pearl necklace you’re wearing- the dress, your lovely nails- they all seem like gifts to me. Am I right?”

Her husband might be a psychologist, but Bora has just as much of a critical eye. She sees right through you.

“Fine, don’t tell me,” Bora waves your silence off, “I know I’m right. I’ll figure you two out.”

“Are you being nosy again, Mrs. Kim?” Vernon, the fourth and quietest man of your new lover’s friend group joins you in the living room, taking a seat on the single chair to your left.

“Always,” Bora responds with a smile. “Wait, Vernon, maybe you know more about this. Y/N is being no fun- Cheol must have told you where and when they met-”

Vernon’s mouth opens in something like recognition-

“Ah ha!” Bora exclaims, leaning closer to you, sandwiching you in while she presses for more information. “So you do know!”

“I do, but-” Vernon looks at you, then he leans in too, his voice dipping to something near a whisper, “Are we allowed to talk about this?”

“Allowed?” Now Bora is even more hooked on finding the truth than before, and her gaze darts between you and the man on your left, who obviously knows at least a few details about you and Seungcheol’s ‘origin story.’

Due to the NDA, all you can do is sit there like a fish out of water, and you find yourself looking to Seungcheol, hoping he’ll see you in distress and come over to sort things out-

“Let’s just say-” Vernon sighs, giving in to the pregnant woman’s need for information, “Y/N, you seem like a great girl- as kind, calm, collected, and smart as Seungcheol told us you were- but, I am shocked he found you on a dating site.”

“A dating site?” Bora’s eyes have widened, and she shuffles closer to you on the couch, jaw dropped. “Stop- when I told him to try online dating after his last girlfriend I was honestly joking- everyone knows Tinder is hookup central these days.”

Bora is as inquisitive as anyone you’ve ever met, and she checks you and Vernon for your reactions, easily picking up on the shift of energy-

“Wait, not tinder?” She pauses, waiting for an answer. When it becomes obvious neither you nor Vernon are going to elaborate, she sighs and sits back a little. “Now that I think of it, tinder is an app, not a site- the only dating sites I can think of online are-”

It’s like a lightbulb goes off atop her head, and her jaw drops a little more- then she’s inching in close to you again, whispering as Vernon had done earlier, “You know what? Now that we’re discussing it- a sugar daddy site would be perfect for Cheol.”

Vernon groans, throwing his hand over his eyes and leaning forward. It��s clear he’d expected to be able to talk to you in something of vague code without Bora picking up on it- but it seems he’s underestimated the astute woman next to you.

“You guys are horrible at keeping secrets,” Bora grins, sneaking a glance at Seungcheol, who’s now picked up baby Yumi- “This is so interesting.”

“The plot thickens,” you offer, unable to say much more than that.

“Oh my god, stop,” Bora says playfully, poking your arm. “Obviously there’s some… agreement that’s been made between you and Cheol, so I’ll try not to prod you for much more information,” she promises, “but I’ll talk to Cheol and the next time we meet, you’ll be able to speak more freely.”

“The next time we meet?” you ask, wondering how the woman can be so sure of herself in every regard.

“We’ll meet again,” she tells you. “Trust me, anyone watching you and Seungcheol- well, anyone who knows him, can tell he really likes you.”

Your heart skips a beat. “You think?”

Bora smiles at you. “Sweet girl, it’s obvious. Trust me, Seungcheol doesn’t bring around just anyone to parties with us, and like I said, he doesn’t often change his schedule for girls either. I don’t care what site you met on, you have that man whipped.”

“Bora-” the psychologist on your left groans.

“Vernon,” she retorts with the same tone.

They exchange a glance, a battle for dominance, and Bora wins, Vernon releasing a sigh before leaning back in his chair.

“You know what is surprising?” he asks.

“Tell us,” Bora mirrors him, relaxing back against the couch.

“How good Cheol is being with Yumi tonight.” Vernon is watching his friends and the baby again, and soon all three of you are.

“That’s a good point, Vernon,” Bora grins, nudging you a little with her elbow. “I wonder why that is?”

You think her intuition has finally run dry. She can’t be insinuating that you’re partially the reason behind Seungcheol’s apparent baby fever-

And if she is, she has another shock coming for her when she finally talks to Cheol and finds out that ‘no babies’ was one of the clauses of your dating agreement.

“I think, Cheol’s the kind of man who likes seeing people happy, and Yumi is very expressive” you offer. “People can like babies without wanting one for themselves.”

Bora lets out a scoff. “Right, Mingyu and I always thought we just ‘liked babies,’ and now look at me. Liking babies is always how it starts, and before you know it, nine months have gone by, you’ve turned into a balloon and are buying a new home big enough to raise a family in.”

You are envious of her position, but at the same time, you’re acutely aware that you and Cheol are extremely new to each other. He’s not the kind of man to be hasty- or at least, you’d thought he wasn’t, but as Bora had mentioned, Seungcheol doesn’t introduce just anyone to his friends.

You’ll have to talk with him about this and you know it, but until then, it’s enough to just sit between his friends and watch him play with Yumi, who seems to give everyone in the vicinity a serious case of baby fever.

9: Thursday

“Hold up-” Seungkwan says, interrupting you with a wave of his hands, and they land on your knees, “wait a minute- so he makes you sign an NDA, and then invites you out with his friends, and one of them like- bombards you for an hour about him-”

“It wasn’t an hour-”

“Sure-”

“And she wasn’t bombarding,” you correct.

“Ok, fine, yeah, whatever- but then-” Seungkwan takes a deep breath, “he also has a thing about no babies, and in the first week- straight up rubs a baby in your face for an entire night-”

“Yumi was only there for an hour or so before we left-”

“And then!” your best friend interrupts you again, “on the car ride home, instead of discussing it with him like adults- ya’ll put up the separation between you and his hot as fuck driver, and nearly fucked in the back seat-”

“Oh my god, stop-” you groan, “I told you, it was just kissing-”

“With you straddling the man!” Seunkwan yells back. “And all of this, after he switched his schedule to fuck you on Tuesday night- even though you said it would go slow-”

“Actually, he told me he wouldn’t fuck me till the third date, and if we didn’t meet Tuesday, the night with his friends on Wednesday would have been the third date, so-”

“I swear to fucking god, I have whiplash,” Seungkwan tells you, looking as serious as ever. “Ya’ll make me sick! Sick I say! What in the ever-loving fanfic is this bullshit-”

“Have you been writing more Hannibal and Will love stories again?”

“Maybe.”

“Are you going to write a fanfic about Will and Hannibal based on me and Cheol?”

“Maybe…”

“Seungkwan!”

“Well don’t tell me juicy stories if you don’t want them getting thrown in a sex fantasy! Ya’ll nearly fucked in the back of a car with a hot chauffeur-”

“I told you-” you begin to defend yourself again, only to be cut off by your phone buzzing.

Both you and Seungkwan look to your cell, placed a foot or two away on the coffee table.

“Daddy,” you both say in unison, and then you’re lurching for your phone.

“Seungkwan stop!” you screech, grabbing onto his sweater when he latches onto the device first.

“Put him on speaker!” Seungkwan declares, holding your cell just out of your reach while it rings.

“Yeah- I’ll put him on speaker-” you fold easily, “just give me the phone!”

Instead of handing it to you right away, your best friend answers the call and hits speaker, then thrusts it towards your face.

“Hi, daddy!” you blurt out, flustered from the small dust up you’d just had with your friend over the entire situation.

There’s a chuckle on the other end of the line, then “Hi, sweetheart. It sounds like I’ve interrupted something.”

“Just-” you grab the cell back from Seungkwan, “just had trouble finding my phone is all, was worried you’d be sent to voicemail.”

“I’m glad I wasn’t. It’s good to hear your voice.”

Your heart swoons, and Seungkwan grabs a pillow to scream into. “Good to hear yours too.”

“I’m just calling to see if we’re still on for tomorrow.”

“Right, yeah- do you still want to see me? I know you were very specific when we met about meeting up once or twice a week, and I’ve already seen you twice in the past three days-”

“Once or twice a week, plus the occasional group event,” Seungcheol clarifies for you. “I’d really enjoy having you over tomorrow, if you haven’t already made plans. I won’t hold it against you if you have, I can see how there might have been a small miscommunication- especially after my… erratic behavour this week, fitting you in on Tuesday- scheduling will almost always be smoother than it has been these last few days.”

“I’d love to see you tomorrow- I haven’t made any other plans.”

“Good.” You can hear him smiling. “Since it’s a Friday, and I don’t have any specific work engagements on weekends, how do you feel about bringing an overnight bag?”

Seungkwan drops his pillow.

“I would love that, too-” you say.

“Perfect. Should we say pick up at seven?”

“Sounds great.”

God, he makes everything so easy-

“Can’t wait to see you again, angel. Have a good evening, you deserve it.”

You deserved to get dicked down.

“Have a good night too, Cheol.”

10: Friday

When you exit your building, you’re shocked to find a different car - and an entirely different driver - waiting to take you to Seungcheol’s home.

The man himself is standing aside a sleek, black, two-seater sports car, dressed in his usual suit aesthetic that shows off the broadness of his shoulders-

You go feral nearly immediately, and it takes everything in you to stop from practically drooling as you close the distance between you and the man who pulls you into a hug that takes you off your feet for a greeting.

“Hey there, angel,” his breath tickles your hair and he sets you back down. He takes your hands gently, holding them out to the sides so he can get a good look at your outfit, a red dress you’d chosen, knowing it’s his favourite colour. “You look gorgeous.”

“You’re not so bad yourself,” you grin, playing with his fingers.

One quick motion has him spinning you like a dancer, and you find yourself giggling like a schoolgirl.

“Ready to go?” he asks when you’ve come to a stop in front of him again.

“Uh huh,” you nod, giving your head a little shake to pull yourself from a lust-fueled daze, “sorry, I was just- I wasn’t expecting you to be the one picking me up.”

“I gave Seokmin the night off,” Seungcheol tells you, opening the car’s passenger side door and holding out a hand to help you in. “Hope that’s okay,” he leans down and presses a quick kiss to your cheek before taking your overnight bag and closing you into the vehicle.

He puts your bag in the back trunk, then slips into the driver’s seat.

Seungcheol’s hand finds your thigh, and he squeezes gently, offering you a small smile. “I know we’re planning on having you stay the night, but if you decide you don’t want to sleep over, I can always drive you home later.”

“Cheol,” you rest your hand on top of his, “I think we both know I’m not going to take you up on that offer.”

“Sure, but I figured I’d put it on the table regardless.”

You smile, leaning in to steal a kiss to his cheek, as he had when he helped you into your seat. “You’re too sweet to me.”

“You deserve it,” he insists, giving your thigh another squeeze before reaching for the ignition.

The car revs to life.

It’s hard not to stare at Seungcheol while he drives, and luckily, his hand returns to your thigh, giving you something to focus on. You take to playing with his fingers, marveling at how handsome every inch of him is.

“Vernon called me yesterday,” Seungcheol says, dragging your attention from his hands.

“Oh?”

“He admitted to slipping up and giving Bora ideas.” Seungcheol lets out a small chuckle, “said you looked like a deer in headlights when he arrived to the conversation- she was pressing you for details, huh?”

“Not in a bad way,” you tell him, wanting to defend the woman who you’re already coming to think of as a friend. “She was just- curious.”

“It’s my fault for not being specific with you about the NDA, or with Vernon for that matter- the NDA is primarily for when we go to work events outside of our inner circle, which is why your best friend is mentioned on the form you signed- it seems both Vernon and Mingyu were under the idea that I wanted to be highly secretive about us- but I’ve explained to them the nuances of it all. The next time you see Bora, please, feel free to discuss it with her, or Vernon, or Mingyu, Wonwoo, Minji- as long as you’re not too specific with Yumi, you can consider the baby a confidant as well.”

He’s obviously joking about the baby, but the mention of the child brings those same warm fuzzy conflicted feelings that you’d experienced last night at the get-together.

There will be a time to talk with Seungcheol about his seemingly dualistic baby fever and baby aversion- but tonight is not the night for it.

You’re thankful he’d even brought up the topic of Bora and the NDA, and already, what little anxiety you’d felt about this whole thing has been substantially dwindled.

“I really liked your friends,” you admit, thinking back to how pleasant the evening had been. Despite Bora’s teasing and prying, she’d been nothing but a courteous host when Seungcheol and Mingyu had predictably rejoined you in the living room.

“They liked you too, angel. I knew they would.” He lets go of your thigh in favor of gently taking your hand.

You can already feel your panties beginning to get wet-

No man’s hands have ever had this effect on you before- and maybe it has to do, in part, with the whole ‘quirofilia’ thing-

Or maybe, Cheol is simply a man made by the hands of god himself- after all, how could he be this perfect without something like divine intervention?

Before you know it, you’re at Seungcheol’s house, and he’s pulling into the underground garage, where he parks next to the rolls-royce you’re accustomed to being driven in.

Ever the gentleman, Seungcheol makes sure to come around and open your door for you, your duffle swung over his arm. He refuses to give it back to you, insisting on carrying it up to his home, where the two of you head to his bedroom instinctually.

He sets the bag down, turning to look at you, opening his mouth to say something-

But your patience has already run thin, and you all but launch yourself at the broad man, wrapping your arms around the back of his neck and pressing your lips to his while his hands find your waist.

He laughs into the kiss, and you think he must not have been expecting you to jump him like this.

Doesn’t he know the effect he has on you?

“Cheol-” you groan, moving your lips to his neck-

“Eager, angel?” Seungcheol reaches down to cup your bum, prompting you to jump and wrap your legs around his waist. “It was hard being close but not able to properly touch you at the gettogether-” he says, taking a few steps back and collapsing down onto his bed, steadying you on top of him, “Could hardly even get work done today-”

“Was I that distracting for you, daddy?” you coo, teeth teasing past his earlobe.

He releases a groan, hands digging into your hips, forcing you down on his cock, which presses up against his dress pants, caught between your bodies. “Always.”

“How can I fix it?” you wonder out loud, hands already going for the buttons of his shirt. “I wanna make you feel good.”

“You do, angel,” Seungcheol tells you, “make daddy feel so good.”

“Wanna make you feel even better-” Then an idea comes to your head, “How about… a massage?” you suggest, thinking back to a paragraph you’d read from his book yesterday. “Aren’t you the one who claims relaxation time, such as stretching, massages, and the like, can be just as beneficial to the mind and body as activity itself?”

“Look at you, quoting my own work at me,” he releases a deep groan. “Are you sure that’s what you want to get up to tonight?”

“Just to start,” you tell him. “We have the whole evening- and tomorrow morning- why not start the night off with something like a massage? And work our way into…” you swivel your hips, “harder things.”

“I like the sound of that, angel,” he confesses with another sigh of pleasure as you kiss the sweet spot just under his ear. “But you’ve got to let me get up so I can grab massage oil.”

You’d forgotten about that part, and the idea of letting Seungcheol leave you - even for a moment - brings out a bratty side of you that you’ve never truly experienced.

It takes all your willpower to concede, getting off of the man who sits up and runs a hand through his hair. “You okay?” he questions, seeing the shift in your energy.

“Yeah,” you nod, “just hurry.”

He laughs, reaching out to gently pinch your chin between his thumb and forefinger. The kiss he places on your lips is as chaste as your first had been, and it leaves you tingling with potential, even as he stands and heads to the ensuite bathroom.

In his absence, you begin to take off your clothes, removing everything down to your bra and panties, and then, just for good measure, you settle onto your knees on the foot of his bed, trying to be as patient as possible.

You’re rewarded when Seungcheol appears in the doorway again, having stripped himself of his shirt. There’s a bottle of baby oil trapped between his teeth, and his hands are working on his belt and pants-

When he sees you sitting on the foot of his bed, like the best girl there ever was, he lets the baby bottle drop from his mouth, catching it easily in one hand- “look at you,” he breathes, scanning your form.

“Like what you see, daddy?” you tease, skin heating from the attention he gives you.

“Love it,” he tells you. “How good are your reflexes, darling?”

You open your mouth to respond, only to have him toss the bottle of oil at you.

Unlike him, you don’t catch it gracefully, the bottle almost slipping out of your hands- there’s a small fumble but your digits wrap around it-

Seungcheol laughs at you. “With butter fingers like that- should I be getting us a towel to put down?”

You hate that it’s a legitimate question.

And you doubly hate that the answer is a resounding yes, which you verbalize to him, annoyed that he’ll be leaving again-

But then you’re graced with a full view of his beautiful back when he turns to head into the bathroom again, and you decide to be a good, patient girl for just a few more moments.

Seungcheol returns, and you bite your tongue while you watch him set the towel down, but as soon as it’s settled, you find yourself saying - in something like a command - “on your stomach first,” you’re quick to adjust to your tone, “I wanna work your back out a little to start.”

“How could I say no to that?” Seungcheol grins, following through and laying flat on the towel.

You nearly drool while watching him adjust his arms, propping his head up with both hands under his chin. His biceps are bulging and your mouth is definitely beginning to water again, prompting you to lick your lips-

“Have you given many massages before?” he asks, as you straddle his hips, continuing to marvel at the shape of his perfect form-

“Erm- define many?”

He chuckles, and you flip the cap of the baby oil, allowing the liquid to pour into your palm. “I’ll take that as a no.”

“It can’t be that hard,” you tell him, bringing your hands to the muscled back that has you wet like the ocean every time you see it.

“Tell that to my chiropractor,” he says, a joke that makes you both laugh.

You begin to work away at his muscles, both hands smoothing up and down his back, focusing in on the shoulders you love so much-

“Feels good,” Seungcheol groans, releasing a deep sigh of relief that has your ego shooting through the roof.

“That’s good daddy,” you tell him, leaning over him and applying more of your body weight as pressure for your hands. “You deserve to relax.”

He chuckles slightly, and you realize you’re picking up on some of his diction. Hasn’t he been the one telling you what you deserve thus far?

All it takes is you being on top and you begin to emulate his mannerisms, the soft dom tendency towards praise.

You can tell he’s enjoying it, and you are too, your panties getting wetter with every second your hands are on his broad shoulders-

“Can you flip now?” you prompt, knowing it hasn’t been that long that you’ve been working on his back- but you miss his face, and you’re eager to get your hands on his chest-

With a grunt of affirmation, Seungcheol begins to turn, and you lift yourself off of him enough to allow the movement. Once he’s on his back, you settle down again, capturing his cock between your bodies as it strains against his pants.

“You like this position, huh?” he asks, smiling up at you with an expression that exudes adoration.

His hands find your thighs, rubbing up and down while you get more oil on your palms. “Not always,” you tell him, beginning to massage his chest, “top can be fun to start, in some cases, but- I really liked being under you the last time we were in your bed.”

“Oh yeah?”

You avoid his gaze, knowing your skin is heating from what you’d just admitted. “Uh huh.”

“You’re cute,” he breathes, rubbing circles on your thighs, “getting all shy while sitting on top of me like this.”

“I’m trying to focus,” you tell him, trailing your fingers down to his abdomen.

“You look a little dazed, darling,” he presses, “are you sure you don’t want me to take over?”

“I’ve hardly massaged you yet-” you go to argue, but Seungcheol is already making the move to sit up.

He grabs a fistful of your hair and tilts your head back the way he had last time- his breath is hot against your throat, and he trails his nose up under your jaw, bringing his lips to your ear. “What if I don’t care about the massage anymore?”

“Then-” you swallow thickly, pussy throbbing when his free hand unclasps your bra behind you, “then, okay.”

“Okay?” he chuckles. “My love, I don’t think ‘then, okay’ is a sentence.”

“Fuck me?”

“Not too sure that’s a sentence either, but, your wish is my command.”

It seems like the easiest thing in the world for him to discard your bra and flip you onto your back, lips finding your own, tearing your breath away.

Your legs tighten around his waist, and his oiled chest slides against yours, your newly freed nipples pebbling at the direct contact-

One of his hands, slides between your bodies, skimming over your breast and cupping it, squeezing. You release a moan of pleasure, hips bucking, pushing up towards him-

Your own hands slide over his slippery shoulders, and you mentally kick yourself for having lubed him up- there’s hardly anything to grasp onto, so you latch onto his hair instead, kissing him harder.

He releases your breast, hand slipping down and under the waistband of your panties. When his fingers find your core, they tease past your clit, and you can feel the silkiness of the baby oil on his digits, which glide into your wet hole as easily as ever.

“Cheol-” you moan desperately, wanting to push your hips up- to get closer, but he holds you down with his large body, lips moving to your neck.

You realize, as his expert fingers crook up and find your gspot, that the last time you’d fucked, he’d never fingered you. You’d gotten to experience his tongue and his cock, but the middle and ring fingers that explore your pussy have something like trained exactitude, hitting the spot that has your toes curling with deadly precision.

“Oh my god-” you whimper, wrapping your arms around the back of his neck, looking for an anchor while he begins to thrust his digits into you with enough force that your hips begin to rock-

The palm of his hand applies pressure to your clit, rubbing you through the rough manhandling that has you achingly close to an orgasm within no time-

“Gonna cum?” he prompts in your ear, hot breath making your skin tingle.

“Yes, daddy-” it’s the most you can do to hold onto him and clench your eyes shut, an intense feeling of euphoric pressure erupting between your legs-

“That’s it gorgeous, let it all out-” he groans, fingers unrelenting-

You can hear your pussy, squelching sinfully around his fingers- and you can feel wetness gushing between your thighs-

In the back of your mind, you realize you’re squirting, cumming completely undone on his hand, but you’re too lost in the feeling of it to care.

He finger fucks you to the point of overwhelm, until your whines and whimpers are hoarse and tears well in the corners of your shut eyes-

And then he’s pulling his hand out of your panties, and the soaked material is left to cling back to your sopping hole.

Your arms go slack, landing on the bed next to you, and Seungcheol pulls away from your body, making you moan desperately, eyes opening to watch him-

“I’m not going anywhere, angel,” he promises, pushing his own pants down before kicking them to the side, then he goes to tear your panties off, and you see, for the first time, how truly ruined they are. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone squirt this much,” he tells you, discarding the fabric so he can rejoin you on the bed, the both of you fully nude. “Did that feel good?”

“So good-” you whimper, hardly able to form sentences in your delirious, sex induced brain fog-

Seungcheol slots himself between your thighs again, cupping the side of your face, thumb brushing away the tear that’s escaped your eye. “Do you need a moment?”

“No!” you’re quick to protest, locking your legs around his hips. “Fuck me- daddy- please-”

You don’t think any cock has ever entered you as smoothly as his does, aided by the copious amount of wet arousal still dribbling out of your hole.

Seungcheol tucks his face against the crook of your neck, supporting himself above you with two hands buried into the pillow on either side of your head. His lips are feverish against your throat, and the groans he releases as he begins to fuck you make you as horny as ever.

“You feel so fucking good,” he moans, rutting into you with a pace and power that increases with every slap of skin on skin- “so perfect for me-”

“Daddy-” you whine, clawing at his back while he ravages your insides.

“So responsive-” his teeth graze past your neck and you shiver, whole body tingling with delight.

“Harder-” you moan.

“Harder?” he releases something like a laugh, and then you hear him swallow, adjusting his position so he can dig his elbows into the bed, hooking his forearms under your own shoulders, which props you up ever so slightly- enough to change the angle and allow him to follow through with your request.

You release a squeak at the feeling of being completely at his mercy, completely wrapped in Cheol while he’s wrapped in you- the perfect combination really.

The sounds escaping you aren’t something you can hold back, and each rough thrust has his cock hitting a spot deep inside of you, a spot that has you becoming a mewling, moaning, whimpering mess for him.

“Just like that-” you tell him desperately, grabbing at his hair, eager to hold onto something while you get fucked into oblivion-

“You close, gorgeous?” he asks, and all you can do is moan, which makes him chuckle, “yeah you are,” he breathes. “Squeezing daddy so fucking tight- you were made for this, weren’t you, angel?”

“Yes-”

“Made to be fucked-” he growls, rutting into you even harder-

You’re not sure where sweet, soft dom Seungcheol has gone, but you’re more than happy to be decimated by the man fucking into you like an animal, and his sinful praisings go straight to your pussy, which clenches around him even more.

“That’s it angel, that’s it-” he groans, “just a little more-” one of his hands moves to grab your thigh, hiking it higher on his waist-

He hits a spot that has you seeing stars, and you gasp loudly, crying out-

“Cum for me,” he instructs, and before your mind has even registered his words, your pussy is following through with the command, clamping down onto him while the biggest orgasm of your life slams into you like a freight train.

Seungcheol lets out delicious sounds of pleasure, gasping against your throat, fucking you through your orgasm while coating your insides with his own release-

You’re completely surrounded by him.

There’s nothing else, only you and Cheol… and perhaps the ruined towel below you, dragging against your back with each rough thrust.

His motions begin to slow, and he comes to a stop, collapsing some of his body weight down against you while you both struggle to catch your breath.

Neither of you say anything, too lost in the aftershocks of pleasure.

But with Cheol, you don’t need to say anything. You’re completely safe with him, completely content to rest in his arms, knowing there’s not a single place in the world you’d rather be.

11: Saturday

Waking up in Seungcheol’s bed, you immediately stretch in search of him- only to find the bed empty.

Sitting up, and wrapping the quilt around your nude body, you look around, blinking away residual grogginess.

The man who’d fucked you silly until the late hours of the morning is nowhere to be seen, and you can’t help the way annoyance floods through you. But you remind yourself that Seungcheol likes his schedules, and a quick check of the clock next to the bed shows you that it’s eleven am, so you suppose you can’t be mad at Cheol for not staying with you while you slept half the day away.

Getting out of bed, you’re surprised to find just how sore your body is.

Your thighs burn- and you suppose a round number five riding session may have not been the best idea last night.

You find the simple black sleeping shirt Seungcheol had given you before deciding to tear it off of you for round six, and you enjoy the way it dwarfs you.

Sometimes you still can’t believe how big and broad Cheol is-

Finding your overnight bag, you take out a fresh pair of panties, and decide to head off in search of Seungcheol in the simple shirt and underwear look. It’s doubtful you’ll be wearing it for much longer regardless.

It’s not hard to find your psychologist lover, after all, you simply have to follow the smell of food to the kitchen.

Your sugar daddy is standing at the stove, one hand holding a spatula while he cooks eggs, the other propping up a book that he’s quietly reading.

He’s so sexy and smart- and sexy… and smart.

You can’t help but tiptoe towards him, latching onto his back and pressing your cheek against the space between his shoulder blades, releasing a groan of pleasure to finally be connected to him again.

“Morning, angel,” Seungcheol greets you, setting his book down before adjusting you, tugging you so you’re in front of him and he can meet your eyes. “Did you sleep well?”

“Better than ever,” you beam at him, leaning up to press a chaste kiss to his lips. “And you?”

“Never better,” he returns your smile, and your heart practically melts. “Hungry?”

“Definitely- are you my master chef today?”

He laughs. “I’m not sure I’m that good, cooking is a hobby I’ve only truly picked up in recent years.”

“Right,” you say, turning in his arms to look down at the pan in front of you. “Very hard ingredient, eggs.”

Seungcheol releases a cross between a chuckle and a sigh behind you, poking at your ribcage. “I can make more than eggs. I just figured, I don’t really know what you like when it comes to food, so I’d make something safe and healthy. Besides, I wasn’t sure when you’d wake up.”

“So this is just for you, is that what you’re saying?” you tease him some more, enjoying the domesticity of this- it’s as if you’ve done this a hundred times before, or at least, you have the peace that comes with familiarity.

“If I had known you were such a brat-” he begins, but you cut him off with a squeal and turn to face him again, insisting “I’m not a brat!”

He simply looks at you with a smile.

“You’re being mean to me,” you pout, cupping the back of his neck and getting closer to him.

Seungcheol scoffs, shaking his head slightly. He’s quick to change the subject. “Eggs are done, are you going to come sit with me at the table?”

With a sigh, you release the psychologist, allowing him to move the eggs to a plate- and when you turn to head to the table, you see a tray of fresh fruit and other breakfast items.

“There’s orange juice in the fridge, water, or I can make you some coffee,” Seungcheol says, following you to the table where you both take your seats.

“I’m okay for now,” you tell him, grabbing a particularly tasty-looking piece of fruit to gnaw on. “Thanks, daddy.”

Seungcheol smiles, looking down at the healthy fruit options. “You know,” he says, moving a few pieces of cantaloupe and honeydew to his plate, “I’ve been wondering about you and your daddy kink.”

“Hmm?”

“Just that- we’ve never discussed it, not explicitly- I guess, being a sugar daddy, the term is in the name, but… you took to it very easily,” he explains.

“Are you suggesting I have inherent daddy issues?”

“Not suggesting, merely… wondering.”

“How about this,” you set your fruit down, “I’ll talk about my daddy issues when you tell me why you think you’d be a bad father.”

Seungcheol looks at you quizzically.

“I know you say it’s about your work and not having enough time, but- you’re settled in your career and reputation. You have this big house, a chauffeur, a group of smart psychologist friends who are popping out babies right now- and I saw the way you were with baby Yumi. looking at all of that- the only reason I can think of for why you’d be… adverse to babies, is that you have some personal reasons to think you’d be bad at it.”

The man across from you stays quiet, leaning back in his chair, but a smile works its way across his face. Then, he sighs, “touche.”

“So I guess neither of us will be talking about our daddy issues at the breakfast table,” you conclude, picking at your fruit again.

“How did I ever find a girl like you on a dating site?” Seungcheol says. “So pretty, and smart-”

“How did I ever find you on a dating site?” you retort, “so sexy, and smart-”

“Maybe finding each other was destiny.”

“Do you believe in that sort of thing?” you ask, cocking your head to the side. “Many men of science that I’ve heard of tend to lean towards atheism.”

“Maybe I used to, but then- let’s just say, I found an angel, and my world’s been flipped upside down ever since.”

Your heart leaps in your chest, and you avert your gaze, looking down at your fruit. “You’re too sweet to me.”

“As I’ve told you before, angel,” Seungcheol reaches his hand across the table, placing it over your own, “you deserve it.”

☀️ mlist + an. thank you for reading! this fic was never supposed to be this long- i don't know what came over me- it was very self-indulgent :) hope you liked it!

🍭 support me by. sending a tip here or here - or become a patron to access monthly bonus content and extensions for fics like this one :) find the Patreon teaser below!

🔮 preview. You can’t believe how easy it is for Seungcheol to get you quaking for him- but you suppose, in some sense, you’re always quaking for your sugar daddy, who’d turned the entire trajectory of your life around the moment you’d met.

cw/ tw. oral (f receiving), fingering, unprotected sex, daddy/breeding kink, bickering like an old married couple, praise, semi-bondage, size kink, dirty talk, multiple orgasms, etc...

👹 rating. 18+ explicit I wc. 2.3k I teaser wc. 370

🌙 staring. seungcheol x afab!Reader

bonus teaser

“Are you checking your book sales again?” you groan, leaning over the back of the sunlounger chair to look over Seungcheol’s shoulders, your hands smoothing down his bare chest-

“No,” your psychologist lover says, closing his laptop and setting it on the side table next to him.

“Liar,” you grin, moving around the front of his chair so he can see you and the red bikini adorning your body- one of many sets you’ve accumulated over the two and a half years you’ve been dating Seungcheol.

You have no actual intent of going into the private pool behind you.

Seungcheol’s eyes eat you up, and the smile of appreciation that works its way onto his lips is as bright and full of affection as it’s always been. “Look at you, angel. I’ll never get tired of seeing you in red.”

“Ass kisser,” you tease, watching him stand up from the poolside chair. “I thought we agreed no work on our honeymoon.”

“It’s true that I promised that- but… checking sales on my new book isn’t work, it’s… checking sales on my new book, and besides, you were asleep,” your husband grins, hands finding your waist and tugging you to his chest. “What if you pretend you never saw me on my laptop.”

You roll your eyes. He’s gotten cheekier the longer you’ve been together, and this playful side of your relationship isn’t something you’d trade for the entire world.

“You always get up to naughty things while I’m sleeping,” you tease, playing the part of an upset wife.

“Come on,” Seungcheol prompts, leaning down to kiss you, “say you love me.”

“I’ll say I love you when you fulfill your other promise.”

“You know, we’re what, three days into this vacation?” Seungcheol pulls you closer. “Who’s to say I haven’t already pumped a baby into you?”

“Me,” you grin, hooking your fingers in his swim trunks. “I don’t feel full at all right now, in any way, shape, or form.”

“Well then, let’s see what I can do about filling you up sufficiently,” he smiles, leaning down to kiss you one last time before throwing you over his shoulder and taking you back into your private vacation villa..

God, you fucking love this man.

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#b: cheol

7K notes · View notes

crabcanwrite · 7 months ago

Text

Avoidance

Written: 11/27/22

Words: 1,213

Fandom: Steven Universe

Ships: Kevin/Jamie

Warnings: none

“That’s confusing”

Jamie handed Nanafua the clipboard and a pen to sign for her delivery, looking up as he heard Kevin’s familiar voice.

Looking around he saw him sitting at a table with Sour Cream.

He was about to turn back to Nanafua when he heard Kevin say something else.

“They look like a nerdy theater dork, Y’know”

Jamie frowned, trying to ignore Kevin's comment. He knew he wasn't talking about him, but it hurt anyway.

He turned back to Nanafua to see that she had signed her name.

Jamie looked back towards Kevin, as he walked towards the door, trying to avoid overhearing anything else.

But he still caught parts of their conversation.

He heard Kevin saying that he 'didn't get theatre' and that it 'sounded dumb'.

“Then why do you like Jamie?” He heard Sour Cream ask

“I mean, he’s cute, but he’s a total dork” Kevin replied

Jamie turned away, trying not to let the words sting. He shook his head, trying to ignore the spiral of thoughts beginning to form.

Jamie wondered why he even liked Kevin as he finished his deliveries.

He'd tried his best to distract himself with work, but the long walks to make deliveries only gave him more time to worry.

The longer he spent thinking about what Kevin said, the worse he felt.

He wished he didn't like Kevin, but the thought of his crush not liking him broke his heart.

He'd been trying to avoid Kevin for the past week, hoping it would make his feelings go away.

It didn’t.

Kevin glanced at Jamie as he walked past, it was the first time he'd seen him all week.

Jamie had been ignoring his texts, and they hadn't met during the week.

He expected Jamie to at least acknowledge his existence, but he just brushed past him.

Kevin turned to look at him in confusion, before turning back around.

Kevin wondered why Jamie was avoiding him as he made his way home, trying, and failing, to keep himself from panicking over it.

He eventually resolved to ask Jamie to do something with him, sending him a text before he laid down on his bed.

Kevin woke with a start as his phone buzzed underneath him. He hurriedly picked it up.

His face practically lit up before falling when he realized it wasn't Jamie. He pushed down the feeling of disappointment rising inside him.

Kevin sighed and dismissed the notification.

He checked the text he’d sent Jamie, which had been left on read. He looked away from his phone, trying to decide what to do.

Finally, he decided to text Sour Cream for some advice.

Kevin: hey, I need some advice

Kevin: I'm pretty sure Jamie has been avoiding me

Sour Cream: maybe he met you

Kevin: I'm serious! He hasn't answered any of my texts and he's barely glanced at me

Sour Cream: I dunno

Sour Cream: go ask Garnet she's good with relationship stuff

Kevin: uh ok

Kevin groaned and rolled over. How the hell was he going to find Garnet, he barely knew what she looked like. Kevin sighed and pulled out his phone, texting Steven.

Kevin: hey do you know Garnet

Steven: yeah, she's my mom

Steven: why

Kevin: I need to talk to her

Kevin: what's her phone number

Steven: I don't think she has a phone

Steven: also even if she did I wouldn't tell you

Kevin rolled his eyes before turning off his phone. Great. It took him nearly an hour of walking around to find her.

"Garnet!" He called out. "Hey, can I talk to you"

"Yeah, sure" she replied, looking mildly surprised "what's going on"

"Uh... well..." Kevin started, fidgeting with his hands. "Do you know Jamie?"

Garnet raised an eyebrow, "Yeah"

"Well I kinda have a crush on him" Kevin looked away, feeling himself turn red "but lately he's been completely ignoring me"

Garnet nodded "he's probably upset about something"

Kevin scowled slightly "That doesn't really help me here"

Garnet laughed and ruffled his hair "Just talk to him, okay?"

"Uh, alright" Kevin glared at her but nodded.

It took Kevin nearly the whole day to find Jamie. He finally spotted Jamie walking away from a house.

He ran up to him, panting slightly. Jamie turned around, surprise written across his face.

"What are you doing here?" Jamie asked, looking somewhat annoyed. Kevin winced and shifted uncomfortably under Jamie's gaze.

"We need to talk" Kevin mumbled, trying to seem more confident than he felt. Jamie's expression softened slightly

"alright" he replied "but I have to finish my deliveries"

"Sure" Kevin agreed, jogging to catch up with Jamie. They walked in silence for a few seconds, neither knowing how to break the tension.

Finally, Jamie spoke "so, what did you want to talk about?"

Kevin hesitated before speaking "why are you avoiding me?"

Jamie looked away, his cheeks reddening slightly. He opened his mouth to speak, but then stopped and closed it again.

He stared at the ground as they walked in silence, which was only broken when Kevin noticed the tears falling down Jamie's cheeks.

"Jamie?" Kevin asked in concern, reaching his hand up to wipe the tears away "what's wrong?"

Jamie stepped away from him quickly, shaking his head.

"Why are you being nice?" Jamie snapped.

Kevin flinched slightly, he watched as Jamie wiped a tear from his cheek

"all you do is make fun of me and now you care!?"

Kevin froze "what?"

Jamie glared at him. "You're such an asshole Kevin"

"Jamie, wait-" Kevin reached forward and grabbed Jamie's arm "please I'm sorry"

Jamie's expression softened slightly, but it remained cold "no you're not."

Kevin let go and took a step back "I am, really, you're like the only other person I care about in this stupid town!"

Jamie paused for a moment, trying to figure out if Kevin was lying or not.

When he couldn't come up with a conclusion, he looked away and crossed his arms over his chest.

Kevin reached forward slowly, trying to convince Jamie otherwise.

"Jamie... please" he murmured. Jamie looked away, wiping at his cheeks.

Kevin slowly cupped Jamie's face in his hands, wiping his tears away.

Jamie stepped forwards and wrapped his arms around Kevin's waist, hugging him tightly, burying his face into Kevin's neck.

Kevin held onto him tightly, trying desperately not to cry.

"Please don't hate me," Kevin whispered, burying his face into Jamie's hair to hide his tears.

Jamie shook his head, pulling away slightly so he could look Kevin in the eyes. Kevin could feel tears run down his cheeks.

Seeing the fear in Kevin's eyes hurt him more than he thought it would, especially since he was usually so confident and cocky.

Jamie cupped Kevin's face in his hands and leaned in, their lips brushing against each other.

Kevin gasped softly before kissing him. He pulled away after a moment, letting his forehead rest against Jamie's.

They stood there in silence, holding onto each other. It seemed like forever before either of them said anything.

Kevin looked up, smiling at Jamie, who grinned back in response.

"I still have to finish my mail route," said Jaime "wanna come with me?"

"Of course," Kevin replied, kissing him quickly before following Jamie.

0 notes

inquixotic · 2 years ago

Text

EVELYN & ANGEL, LATER DAY 36.

terrace for some fuckin’ reason

with @dobits !

evelyn mendoza.

evie is significantly calmer after her conversation (cry session) with eden and cheryl both, though she's still processing a little bit of why she was so angry. she still feels pretty dumb, and she does definitely blame angel for that, but she also doesn't want to leave things on the sour note she had earlier in her rush to run away from her feelings and his lackthereof. "do you have a second?" she's purposely softened her tone, to avoid putting him on any kind of defensive. the last thing she needs is for him to think she's just going to chew him out again, even if she sort of wants to. @melly

angel reid

it’d taken heaps of restraint not to pull her following the calamity of their chat earlier. it’s angel’s desperate instinct to fix things when they’re broken, to be liked by everyone, but the fact that he’d already gotten along so well with evie makes things even more frustrating. he’s sitting in his guilt, knee bouncing, when she joins him on the terrace. even though he was expecting her, his heartbeat trips. “yeah, yeah,” he motions for her to sit. “got two even.” gentle humor accompanied by a tight smile. he leans forward, elbows propped up on his knees. “but, like, just so you know, this convo’s just gonna be me apologizing every other sentence. it’s gonna get annoying fast.” smile grows on his face, tries to insert his own bold faced levity, plus it probably isn’t far off from the truth. he’s trying to gauge her, determine her mood. dark eyes watch her expression. “you been okay?”

evelyn mendoza.

"fine," she answers, clipped and to the point in her lingering annoyance, not really acknowledging the humor cues he's giving to try to earn a smile back. she's not ready to exactly tell him every little detail of her therapy session, nor is she exactly thrilled at the idea of talking and laughing with him right now, still. getting to the point of being able to express why she was so upset with him calmly had taken a little bit. "if you could, like, wait on any apologies 'til i'm done?" she asks quietly, tilting her head at him, not really giving him much of an option before she continues, "i just wanted to, like...i think i overreacted a little earlier." evie's a little reluctant to admit even that because, honestly, she does still feel a little led on. "i'm just very intentional with my language. so it really hurt my feelings to hear that you weren't, when you knew where i was at and didn't give me the full context of where you were at? does that make sense?"

angel reid

it’s not entirely surprising when evie slices past the bullshit and hits straight at the stinging nerve of it all, if he’s learned anything about the way she deals with confrontation, it’s that she doesn’t shy from it. luckily he’s already in a position of submissiveness, back curved and hands linked. he nods to her question and then listens with perked ears ‘til she gets to the thoughtful end. “makes sense,” angel answers honestly. “you didn’t do anything wrong, y’know. like, there’s no right way to be hurt.” even clutched in the vice grip of reality tv, filled out by on-call therapists, it’s hard to escape knee jerk reactions. if anything, it’ll make it worse. “i get why you felt that way. like, i made you believe one thing and then today i told you something else.” gaze falls to the terrace floor, nodding understanding. “tell you the truth, i dunno why i did that.” heat of the moment? part of him still thinks it was a genuine misunderstanding, or at least a passing comment, but he can take the L when he deserves it. “but it’s on me, for sure.”

evelyn mendoza.

"it's not even that i was hurt, really? like i was, i guess, but it's more like..." she pauses, searching for the right words, that aren't going to hurt his feelings. "like i feel like what you said wasn't what i understood, so i looked stupid. and that is what hurt?" the fact that he's being so understanding, though, makes it a little bit better, the tension dropping a little from her shoulders as she feels more understood than she did earlier, by his knee jerk reaction of if he hurt her rubbing salt in the stinging wound. "i know i didn't do anything wrong, i just was, like, far too dramatic for how serious it was." she shrugs a little, unapologetic in her feelings still. she feels everything a lot, and she'd rather that than be accused of being too unfeeling. "you don't?" her brow furrows a little, frowning in thought. "it wasn't, like, you just trying to spare my feelings?" it's a little bit of an out, if he'll take it. she doesn't think he's really interested in her, based on this morning, but she's a little susceptible still to his being charming in general, her eyes still fixed on his face even if he's looked away. she's not going to disagree with it being his fault, either, not when he literally said he liked her and cheers to getting to know her. "i just don't understand why you would say something you don't mean, i guess."

angel reid

lower lip rolls thoughtfully inward as he struggles to navigate this conversation. feels worlds away from the ease they’d had getting to know one another yesterday. now he’s not sure what he can say to express how he feels without mis-stepping. angel tries to surmise what she’s told him in succinct bits only to hear that it wasn’t quite like that. he’s not sure how much more they can bake the events without burning it all to a crisp. “um, maybe?” he considers with a tilt of his head. “i guess i didn’t understand that power of words like that.” his gaze flickers to her, bracing for a reaction. if the diplomacy he’s been trying to embody so far has been altogether misses, he’s sure that one won’t land very well. “and…,” a short sigh deflates him, a little reluctant to even broach it, “i’m still kinda dealing with this frankie stuff so i guess that’s where my head was at. and i could tell you were, like, really trying to look out for me and we were just having a good convo. i was just rolling with it, i dunno.”

evelyn mendoza.

she nods slowly, trying to understand his perspective, but feeling a little prickle of annoyance at his words that she tries to force down. it's better to know these miscommunications exists now than later, when she has actual feelings for him. "don't think that's a mistake you'll make again, huh?" she wagers, giving him a tiny smile, to set him a little more at ease. the rest...is more complicated and she cants her head, lips pursed as she considers those words. "yeah, i'm not, like, telling jenny i don't think jude's all in on her, y'know? that's not my style, so it just...i don't know." her words trail off with her thoughts, not wanting to say too much on the frankie callie situation, if he's fine being a second choice like he said. "like, i think callie's really great, y'know? but it just didn't feel right for you to not have the full picture of how it looks." present tense, she notes as she says it, refraining from cringing. "are you doin' better with it now?"

angel reid

“yeah, no kidding,” angel huffs a hollow laugh, unclenching a bit as he leans back into the bench, his hand reaching to massage the nape of his neck. “yeah, it’s all good.” it’s about all the confirmation he’ll afford at the moment. it’s not really the goal to get onto the concept, mostly just wanted to mention it to try and paint the picture of where his head was at during the date, why things got so scrambled. “i’m just… y’know, i want you to know i really am sorry. i feel like such an asshole, like, i ruined your whole entrance and your day and… i dunno, i’m definitely the one who looks stupid here. like, my family’s probably ripping their hair out watching me right now.”

evelyn mendoza.

the apology feels so much more genuine than earlier, too, like he actually gets that she had her feelings hurt this time, but the concept that he ruined her day? her entrance? she snorts, shakes her head a little. “man, all due respect, me cryin’ isn’t like that. you did not ruin my entrance.” it’s almost a little insulting, that he thinks she’d let that ruin her first day, but she can’t blame him when she was the one with the tears. plus, her entrance was before all that, and she still knows she was hot during it. “lettin’ a girl like me pass, though? yeah, nah, you do look pretty stupid.” her dimples reappear with her over-exaggerated self confidence, feeling a little lighter with a genuine apology. “we’re good?”

angel reid

it’s emotional whiplash to keep up with, having gone from being detrimental enough to make her burst into tears over a passing comment to being an absolute joke to imagine it had made an impression. “a’ight,” angel chuckles again, dry and vaguely confused, “i’m glad.” it feels misunderstood, the clean vibe between them crooked like a rollercoaster now and his stomach is stuck in his throat. he feels resolved by offering the apology though, can’t do much more and it makes it easier when it seems like she’s accepted it since it’s not the kinda thing he’d grovel over forever. a more genuine smile cracks over his face. “yeah, ‘course we’re good. i’m glad we talked.”

evelyn mendoza.

he seems a little confused, and she silently is a little glad the entire ordeal had happened practically day 1 — she’s spelled out her side, and him not getting that only means he wouldn’t have understood the next time she cries over something equally ridiculous. “me too,” her smile stretches into something a little more genuine, less for show — she doesn’t like to be angry. “thanks for hearin’ me out despite the dramatics. means a bunch, y’know?”

angel reid

“nah, anytime,” he nods, sincere. at least it won’t feel awkward whenever he passes her in the hall. “and, y’know, likewise. you didn’t have to hear me out, i appreciate that, for real.” a pause, then his lips start into a smile. “so does this mean you’re gonna clue me in on where your heads at now?” after all, half the point of being friends with everybody is that he gets to hear all the gossip, though he’s not entirely sure if he and evie are there quite yet.

evelyn mendoza.

“i clued you in this morning,” she points out, her eyebrows raised, though there’s amusement in it. even if he hadn’t taken it seriously, she had been honest — she just had made a much more concrete decision. “charlene’s still top of list, has been since yesterday.” there’s a tiny pause as she debates sharing that the two kissed, cheeks flushing at the memory, but she shakes her head to shake the jitters off. “i just gotta know that i’m not messin’ with her plans, y’know?”

angel reid

“tippy top of the list, looks like,” he teases, chin jerking up in reference to the flush coloring her face. “well, i’m pretty sure you aren’t gonna be stepping on naomi’s toes, if that’s what you’re worried about.” fair to say that shipped has crashed, burned, and left no survivors. “do you think she’s vibing you?” odds are yes, he’s not sure it’s possible for charlene to not vibe with somebody.

evelyn mendoza.

she shakes her head, not quite in the mood to joke around like that with him, but he's not wrong. "naomi's toes aren't even in the realm of my worries," she frowns, at the memory of how little of a chance naomi had given what seemed to be the sweetest girl there. she isn't even the least concerned about her. "well, she said she has other options too, so i just don't wanna like, put her out or anything." she still has no idea what to do, frankly.

angel reid

“she did?” that makes him laugh a little, vaguely surprised that char would be playing it so cool, hardly seems her style. he can’t even imagine who the other options could possibly be. angel shrugs. “well, i really doubt she’d be feeling put out if you chose her. i mean, you gotta choose somebody, right? should be someone you actually like.” that’s pretty much what he’d meant when he’d advised her not to worry about stepping on toes, he’d kinda technically stepped on charlene’s himself. “have you pulled miles for a chat yet?”

evelyn mendoza.

his surprise makes her eyebrows knit together, a little confused. does she not have other options? why was he surprised, aren't they friends? "why do you keep saying things like that?" as if she'd pick someone for another reason, as if there's more strategy than that in her. "'somebody i actually like.' like...what, do people pick someone they don't like?" ignoring the question about miles in favor of getting an answer because, frankly, she's not sure she wants to put herself in the middle of something again.

angel reid

brows tick up, the antithesis of her as ever. “liiike, keep saying what?” genuinely confused. it’s like all his words are being catalogued and then apparently twisted into something ill intentioned. her clarification doesn’t exactly do what it was presumably intended. “uh, i guess i dunno what people do. i was just trying to hype you, dude. like, just saying you should pick her if you like her. i totally doubt she wouldn’t be into it.” a tentative shrug, like he’s not sure if that was also the wrong thing to say as far as she’s concerned. “that’s all.”

evelyn mendoza.

"you're, like, really unintentional with your language." it's an observation, more than an accusation, but it's not free of judgment as she watches his face twist with confusion at her question. but, seriously, what's she supposed to think? it practically sounds like he's implying she has ulterior motives, but if she were, she'd definitely be picking someone in a stronger couple.

angel reid

“— what?” he’s full blown shocked now. maybe he misspoke before - and profusely, genuinely apologized - but now he thinks he’s just taking punishment for no real reason. maybe she’s on the defensive with him or maybe she’s purposely twisting his words. either way, angel’s not polite enough to take character assassination lying down. “uh, no, i’m not,” he tells her point blank, shrugging. now he’s the offended one, brows knit as he stands, his path obviously toward the door. “it feels like you’re taking everything i say in the worst way possible. i guess you don’t know me that well.” maybe if they’d been able to get to know each other in the chill, friendly way he’d wanted to, it wouldn’t be like that. “i’m literally trying to be friendly here, but obviously that’s not gonna work, so i’m gonna leave ya to it, ‘kay? i’ll just — see you out there.”

evelyn mendoza.

"angel, i've known you for quite literally half a day. i don't know you," she points out, shoving herself up to leave, the frustration bubbling back up under her skin. she's sure as hell not going to be left on the terrace alone for the fucking cameras to show her looking upset or whatever. "all i've done is say i want to get to know you and tried to tell you that being so closed off so soon after one of you got off an intense break up might be a bad idea. i don't understand how you think i'm taking everything you say badly when i was trying to take it at face value — no, you stay, it's fine — and then when i did that, i misunderstood you." she gestures to the terrace as she speaks, he was here first after all. and frankly, she'd like to be alone for a bit, far away from him. "which, fuckin' fine, you apologized, i'm over it, but now that i'm trying to figure out what you are saying and make sure i'm not missing any, like, subtle cues or whatever that i clearly did before, i'm trying to take it in the worst way? that's bullshit." she tugs at the door handle to leave, maybe go find charlene to talk to about the recoupling instead of the dude trying to confuse her more, figure out what's going on there. she waves a hand up, not bothering to look at him. "we can catch up later, clearly you need space."

kangaroach stan (jia)

please end this

Love Island

keep going

angel reid

“you’re being so—,” he doesn’t even have the words. would probably be told they were wrong anyway. wait, no, he has the word, “difficult. like, what subtle cues could you be missing in me telling you you should go for her if you like her?” his hand’s planted high against the door, doesn’t budge when she tries to beat him to the punch and escape from this absolute mess. it seems insane that she’s gonna dump all this at his feet and say adios. the whole thing’s rife with miscommunication and it’s bothering the hell out of him. “i’m trying not to be closed off, like, i’m out here taking L’s left and right just so we can still talk and be friends, but, jesus, every fucking thing i say is some, like, personal attack to you and i don’t know why. that’s bullshit.” he’s looking down at her with his mouth in a terse line, a wrinkle in the middle of his brow. the door is still effectively blocked off, he needs a second longer to think before he can let it end already. “if you and me aren’t good, just say that. but don’t make it out like i’m some careless asshole ‘cause i’m not.”

evelyn mendoza.

"i'm being difficult?" a shaky laugh escapes her at that and she tugs harder against the door, though without luck with him holding it shut well above her head. her eyes flicker to his hand to gauge whether she could actually reach him or not to pull at it. "i'm the one being difficult? you're the one literally holding a door shut here." her finger jabs towards his chest instead, before gesturing to his hand. the way he phrases it, it's hard not to take offense, taking L's, as if she's a loss. "and i'm not trying to take this shit as an attack. it's just kinda fuckin' hard to take it seriously when you say things like you're not closed off again, when you said you were this morning, and you weren't yesterday," her finger jabs towards his chest, before gesturing to his hand. staring up at him for a moment, quiet, before finally she takes a breath like she knows she should have a few minutes ago, then another, a hand running over her face. "sorry. i'm sorry. we're fine. i don't think you're a careless asshole." completely, at least. she's hit with a wave of embarrassment again, over fighting with him again when she doesn't even want to fight, and she's pretty sure she's actually picked it this time. "i wouldn't have picked you yesterday if i did. i just — sorry. just let me leave you be."

angel reid

“evie, you’re completely overthinking it,” he tells her, uncharacteristically short. angel can’t help it now, frustrated in a way he hasn’t been at all since stepping foot in the villa. it’s already reached it’s crescendo though, the fire in him flickering down on cue when she starts apologizing. he can unclench a bit, huffing out an only mildly perturbed breath. at least they have some common ground now. “— thanks,” he says a bit glib, like it’s the least she could do, but it is appreciated. it could be claimed that this whole thing was a net zero, or maybe even that they both lost, but the optimism in angel says there’s nothing more bonding than getting into a squabble with somebody. “fine,” he decides after a prolonged beat, sliding his hand down the door to push her hand off the knob so he can grab it instead, finally wrenching it open so she can walk through it. he’ll just stay up here for a few more minutes and try to find his inner zen. “we’ll catch up later.”

evelyn mendoza.

words mean things, she wants to shoot back. she gets the feeling callie wouldn’t like that he said it like that, closed off, if she knew anything about the show, which he clearly didn’t. his shortness has her wanting to poke back, uncharacteristically. she forces herself to take another breather, even as he’s pushed her hand off the door knob to yank it open for her, her eyes rolling at the show. “you just had to do that,” she grumbles, stepping through it with a glance over her shoulder. “i am sorry, though. mean it.” before she shrugs and heads off to find charlene or adela.

#evelyn & angel.#thread: discord.

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m4gicisland · 2 years ago

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૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა damon reznor x f!traveller — sfw / fluff / lazy proofread / 1.2k wc

it’s not as if damon had received a lot of gifts in his life.

growing up, his birthday was never celebrated, if even acknowledged, and he’d learned that expecting so much as a “happy birthday” was a complete waste of time. he would be met with nothing but disappointment, and damon wasn’t a huge fan of disappointment.

it was just another day to live through. another year in which he had somehow avoided a one-way ticket to hell. because, let’s be honest, only in his wildest dreams would he be granted any bittersweet depiction of an afterlife. in reality, damon reznor was undeserving of second chances—even ones that he didn’t believe in.

throughout the years, the assassin had somehow acquainted himself with people that, deep deep deep down, had a heart. one big enough to bless him with gifts on a day that he had gone years without recognising.

but opening the door of his quarters at the ass crack of dawn to a member of the royal peg’asi family clutching a knife in their hands on such a day? the thought of an afterlife paled in comparison. that seemed more within his reach than whatever clusterfuck of a fever dream he was having right now.

“to what do i owe the pleasure, your highness?” resting one hand on the door frame, he took their brief silence as an opportunity to rack his brain for an explanation. the target on his back might as well be tattooed with all the people who dream to one day put him out of his misery, but he cannot recall doing anything that would push this peg’asi to darken his doorstep with a knife so early in the morning.

“i brought you a gift!” the princess exclaimed somewhat excitedly, although the uncertainty in her voice and inability to make eye contact made damon raise a scarred brow. a gift? for me?

“i hate to break it to you princess, but it’s the middle of july. i don’t think santa made plans to come early this year.”

“don’t be a dick, damon. i know it’s not christmas,” the princess’s gaze raised to meet his. “in fact, i’d say today is a bit more special than christmas...”

it took everything he had to not snort at such a comment. while damon reznor was a dick, he most certainly wasn’t dumb. he knew exactly what today was, but he had better things to do than pay any attention to that fact.

“i’ve gotta say, i’m surprised you even realised. i don’t remember telling you the day my mother made the greatest mistake of her life.”

“oh no, i’d say she made it long before that,” the princess grinned. “but that’s not the point! here-“ the royal waved the knife in damon’s line of vision, making it impossible to miss. “-take this.”

he took the knife with ease, weighing it in his hands. it felt familiar, his eyes narrowing with realisation. “this is my knife.”

“shocker.” the princess rolled her eyes, her smile lighting up her face. “the knife isn’t the gift, dumbass.”

“ah, but it would’ve been a very thoughtful one.”

“hey, you know any sane person would question why they’ve answered the door to someone with a knife in their hand?”

“ha, i doubt there’s even an ounce of sanity on this ship, princess.”

rolling her eyes, the princess bent down to retrieve something hidden behind her legs. damon failed to notice the messily wrapped object she’d kept tucked out of his sight.

despite the insanity of this situation, one question tugged at his thoughts. “seriously, how did you know?”

she held it out eagerly, pushing it into him. “i was having a nice little chat with ryona the other day and she let it slip.”

he had no choice but to take the gift into his own hands if he wanted to leave without a hole in his stomach. seriously, the force was unexpected.

“alright, alright, i’ve got it.” he held the gift out between the two of them to examine. it’s shape is reminiscent of the notepads that lived comfortably on his desk, only this one was wrapped up messily in about three different designs of wrapping paper. “but if this is my gift, why the knife? i don’t think threats are part of the tradition.”

“well, it’s been a while since i’ve been able to give a gift like this. i’ve always had so much fun doing the wrapping part and got sort of... carried away? i used too much tape, it’s quite difficult to open without cutting it somehow. i just thought it would come more naturally for you to use a knife.” the princess smiled apologetically.

“well, if the gift is shit at least i can stab it to show my disapproval.” damon laughed. “or maybe i could stab you for insulting my honour?”

the princess’s mouth gaped open in poorly concealed horror. “insulting your honour?”

“i didn’t even want to celebrate my birthday, but you went and got me a gift i hated just to make things worse. i’d be deeply offended.”

“whatever. just open it, will you?”

damon proceeded to cut the wrapping paper open with swift ease, almost confirming his suspicion of its contents. he peeled the paper away to reveal a doodle of an orange tabby cat glued neatly to the cover. it’s a sketchbook. flipping through it uncovers multiple illustrations of all different breeds of cats.

“i originally wanted to get an actual cat, but your birthday gift isn’t worth getting thrown out into space for.”

damon chuckled, although his gaze didn’t leave the sketchbook. “blondielocks definitely wouldn’t approve.”

the princess hummed in agreement. “instead we can torment him with my drawings until he caves and brings us the real deal as a peace offering.”

after examining every page, he closed the book gently and tucked it under his armpit. “thanks, princess. this is not what i expected when you showed up to my room with a knife, but i’m pleasantly surprised.”

the princess winked at the assassin before knitting her brows together. ��hey, i think i deserve more credit. do you know how long it took to draw all of those cats? do you know how much debt i’m in with bash now? he’s expecting a lifetime supply of crayons after this project!”

damon clicked his tongue. “it’s impolite to demand things from the birthday boy. did you not learn anything from that expensive education of yours?”

folding her arms across her chest, the princess huffed a defeated sigh. “fine. happy birthday, damon.”

chuckling in amusement, damon leaned down to tuck a stray hair behind the princess’s ear and brushed a soft kiss to her forehead. that precious, adorable angry look quickly being replaced by one of shock. “thank you, princess.”

satisfaction painted his face as he stepped back into his room, leaving the flustered princess with the gorgeous view of his door once again.

as if the gift itself wasn’t a big enough shock, the warmth flooding his heart left him with more to think about than he’d have liked so early in the morning.

the princess was a fool if she thought he’d let the captain lay a finger on her artwork. it was his, and only his. he would treasure this gift for as long as he had to celebrate the tragedy of his existence.

an unexpected gift from the same person he’d threatened and tormented all those months ago. if she could forgive him, maybe he wasn’t all that bad.

maybe damon reznor was deserving of second chances after all...

#a6 x reader #a6 #andromeda six #damon reznor #damon imagine

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cleostoohot · 2 years ago

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Hi! I I know you don’t care about the drama but I just hate the misinformation being spread rn. People on Twitter will take whatever their mutuals say and run with it and even though I’m not a sammy fan I still can acknowledge what happened to her on twt wasn’t right. So a month back when everyone was worshiping sammy on twt she made a coaching service based around the 10k challenge where she would just make some affs for one desire instead of several like her regular coaching she wasn’t charming people to do the challenge it was just loosely based around it via the name which she changed. She also tagged td and viper in the video she made about the 10k challenge but after td ran to twt she removed td from the description even though td was mentioned in the video itself. They claimed she stole and tried to profit off the challenge that td and viper made bc td is black but it was only the 10k challenge in name the coaching was literally the same thing she was doing for every package expect it was focused on one desire instead of several. Then they started calling her transphobic bc she called someone with she/they pronouns in their bio “miss” like it was a witch hunt they even made Twitter circles to discredit her, fat shame her, they even posted pics of her with her family to bash her and they started saying she was a scammer and paying for coaching is dumb etc. It was really bad and messy and people sent her death threats and after that td and her friend started saying the death threat was fake with their “proof” which was saying their twt doesn’t look like Sammy’s but sammy showed her twt dms and proved that it was a real death threat. Sammy tried letting it go but the whole loa twt community kept bashing sammy body shaming her saying if she’s such a master manifester why can’t she manifest being skinny etc. whew this was lowkey really triggering for me bc I had been recovering from my ED so that was whewwww a moment to say the least. Anyways Sammy told her followers to not engage in the drama especially bc td was a minor etc but there’s two annoying bitches on twt that be under every sammy hate comment defending her they’re hella dumb and annoying lmfaooo but I digress. The situation ended but loa twt kept making sammy into a joke etc and there was hate accounts created about sammy one is called “caliyah Meeks” and all they do is shit on sammy. Then a YouTuber made a video basically shitting on sammy presumably for clout bc that vid got 4k views and her other videos Barely reached 100 views. This account was in communication with the sammy hate account on twt and that account used the aiva situation to bash sammy and use it as a reason to say she’s awful yet that same person couldn’t even tell their 30+ thousand followers to affirm for Aiva and all the other black content creators impacted?? That shit is madddd weird! So tbh I can understand why she feels that it’s a setup bc they kept their foot on her neck even after she left twt not to mention this behavior from the hackers is something she doesn’t condone and has never encouraged and tbh it came as a shock something like this would happen bc sure ppl would defend her when they were being vicious to her on twt but for her followers to try and take down other channels??? And unprovoked at that???? It’s just out of nowhere and I’m sure she just like many others are surprised with the mermaid gang hacker cult that’s happening bc it was so random like even in the fb group everyone is chill af yk? All ppl do is just manifest and give out tips and success stories no drama at all. She actually did address the situation in her YouTube channel community tab and she’s trying to find out the rest of the impacted channels to try and get their subscribers back and told the mermaid gang to affirm that the people who did this gets exposed and that the people get their channels back so if you or anyone else know of the other channels please spread the word so we can help them gain subscribers!!!!! This situation is serious and we need to affirm at least. Sorry this is so long.

ima put that on my reading log for english class now worries 🫶🏽 (it’s a jokey joke)

but no i never see bullying or especially death threats as acceptable like it’s so childish. imagine telling someone to harm themselves or just saying harsh things to them when they haven’t even said anything like that to u. that’s something that a lot of people need to work on.

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moonstrider9904 · 2 years ago

Text

Scorpio

Chapter 4 of Gravitation

{series masterlist} | {next chapter - soon!} {previous chapter}

{crossposted to AO3}

Pairing: Tech x Original Female Character (Bree Peridot)

Summary: Bree lets her friends know about her decision, and life on Répit seems lovelier every day.

Tags: 18+. SMUT towards the end of the chapter: unprotected vaginal sex (please wear protection in real life!), making out, cunnilingus, blowjob, cum eating, thigh grinding. Food, fluff, family dynamics, brief talks of pregnancy.

Word count: 5.9k

Songs: scorpio, lucia emilia

Tech had taken care of everything else up until that moment; Wrecker and Scarlett would catch up eventually, and news that Hunter was already at the cottage seemed like a ring falling on a finger. When Tech and Bree walked up the path of Clair and Crosshair’s cottage, it already smelled like something delicious was cooking inside.

They’d all grown to love that association.

Bree opened the door and let herself in proudly—as Clair’s best friend, it was her right to barge into her home when she pleased. The three—four, if you counted the cat—were all gathered in the kitchen, the source of the smell of cooking tomatoes, melted cheese, and spices. Clair and Hunter stood over the stove while she mumbled a few instructions on the dish they were cooking, and Crosshair sat patiently on one of the dining table’s chairs looking at them.

Crosshair was the first to acknowledge Bree and Tech, followed by his loyal cat Bean, who leaped off of Crosshair’s lap to greet the visitors, gladly rubbing his back on Tech’s boots.

That was when Clair looked over her shoulder with a grin. She set her utensils down and left Hunter to watch over the sauce while she went over to give Bree a big hug, later acknowledging Tech.

“I didn’t know you were coming,” Clair smiled. “Take a seat, I’m just teaching Hunter how to cook.”

“A rather unlikely event,” Tech commented as he pulled a chair out for Bree. “Not that I disapprove, I simply figured Hunter found himself satisfied with his current eating habits.”

“Actually, this isn’t for me,” Hunter commented while lowering the flame of the stovetop to let the sauce simmer.

“He wants to know how to cook some of Scarlett's favorite foods,” Clair said.

“As if he couldn’t be a bigger simp for her,” Crosshair crooned.

“You cooked for me too, Berry Pie; you’re hardly in a position to tease Hunter about this,” Clair winked at her husband.

“It’s just something nice I want to do for the woman I love,” Hunter said. “And since food is the way to do things around here, I figured I’d try my hand at it.”

“That is all quite lovely, but you’ll have to put a pause to it,” Tech announced.

“Why?” Hunter, Clair, and Crosshair said in unison.

“Because Bree has news for us all,” Tech replied. “As a matter of fact, we have asked Scarlett and Wrecker to come here. They will both arrive shortly.”

Clair looked at him blankly. “Tech, this dish is a surprise for Scarlett.”

“I did not know that,” Tech replied.

“Doesn’t matter, we’ll play dumb,” Clair said. “We’ll act like it’s just regular dinner.”

“And on the subject of inviting people to our home without telling us,” Crosshair glared at Tech.

“Your wife is okay with it,” Tech replied.

“Don’t you dare use my wife’s authority against me,” Crosshair growled. “Only she can do that.”

Clair had gotten out the kettle to put water on for tea. “I am always right. But,” she turned to Bree, “I know you. And if you didn’t give me a heads up, I’m guessing this is not just important, but recent.”

Bree smiled back at Clair. “It is.”

Clair knew better than to try to get it out of Bree now, but judging by the easy nature of the look in Bree’s eyes, Clair would assume she had good news. That much would be enough for the moment.

It wasn’t long before the door burst open again for it to reveal Scarlett and Wrecker prancing themselves into the cottage. As expected, Wrecker had been the one to burst in with more energy whereas Scarlett was calm and collected, her eyes scanning the group to find her lover awkwardly standing in front of the stove. Her attention diverted from Hunter when she caught the scent of the lasagne cooking, and her eyes widened subtly as she took a big inhale of its warm, comforting smell.

Wrecker, on the other hand, for once didn’t care what was cooking on the stove. He’d only heard Tech say there were good news to be heard, and Wrecker’s place had gone to one place only. He walked across the cottage’s kitchen and made his way over to Clair, picking her up in his arms and hugging her tightly.

“I knew it!” He bellowed. “Congratulations!”

“Wrecker, what are you—?” Clair asked.

Wrecker looked up at her, still squeezing her in his arms. “Well, you’re pregnant, aren’t you?”

Crosshair nearly choked on his tea.

Clair laughed, her voice strained by the strength of Wrecker’s embrace. “No—Wreck… can’t… breathe!”

Wrecker hurried to put her down. “Right, uh, gotta remember not to hug you that tight. But… you’re not pregnant?”

“Nope,” Clair smiled once she caught her breath, making her way over to Crosshair and gently running a hand over his upper back, meeting his gaze. “You’d be the first to know.”

“Well then,” Wrecker looked around, puzzled, his eyes landing on Scarlett as he pointed at her inquiringly.

Scarlett chuckled. “No. Don’t get me wrong, Hunter’s tried a lot.”

“Makes sense,” Crosshair mumbled as Tech nodded in agreement off to the side.

At that moment, pairs of eyes landed on Tech and Bree, with the latter getting up from her chair and drawing the group’s attention to her. She gave them a little smile as she looked all around them, and ultimately, she settled on landing her gaze on Clair to finally make the announcement.

“I’ve decided I’m going to move here to Répit,” Bree said. “Permanently.”

There was silence in the room while the news settled in everyone; Crosshair turned to look at his wife, whose gaze had softened and her eyes had begun to sparkle as a smile slowly formed on her lips.

“Bree,” Clair sighed as she got up from her chair and headed towards her childhood friend, pulling her in for a tight hug.

Around them, the sight made everyone smile, and being closest to them, Scarlett was the one who grinned brightest. She couldn’t resist the need to hug the already embracing Bree and Clair, and the two friends gladly let her in as they mumbled incoherent noises of happiness. Next to them, Wrecker followed, visually beaming with the biggest smile anyone had ever seen on him as he took the three women and enlarged the group hug—he was careful not to suffocate any of them.

Even Bean, the usually grumpy cat who’d reflect his owner’s mood, curled up against Clair’s foot, purring.

Crosshair got up from his chair and walked over to Tech, resting his hand on his brother’s shoulder. Tech didn’t find the gesture repulsive, but regardless, he looked up at Crosshair with a raised brow, his head tilting.

“You had to do with Bree choosing to stay here,” Crosshair told him, “and that makes Clair happy. Thanks.”

Tech’s confusion faded, and he directed his younger brother a smile. “I suppose I did. But Bree’s love for this place goes far deeper than just me.”

Before them, the embrace dismantled; Bree and Clair looked at each other with bright smiles, two childhood friends coming together again in the place they felt they belonged. The story had been theirs from the beginning, far before the Allium had been lost to the pirates on Naboo, far before Crosshair or Tech or anyone else had come into their lives.

This was just things taking their course again, and Bree and Clair had been kind enough to share part of that with the others.

“So, Clair didn’t know,” Scarlett looked around, her eyes landing on the stove again. “I could have sworn you did and that’s why you were cooking so nicely.”

Hunter’s gaze immediately snapped to look at Clair.

“Nah, I just felt like spoiling Crosshair a bit,” Clair brushed it off. “You all are welcome to stay and celebrate, I’m sure we can ration this lasagne for there to be a serving for all of us.”

“Though, maybe Crosshair could spare some,” Hunter found it easy to play along. “You’ve grown a bit of a belly since your wedding, my brother.”

“It’s not that big,” Crosshair said, looking down at his stomach. “It comes with being married to a baker.”

Clair walked up to him and hugged him, her hand gently squeezing the small curve that his stomach made—that indeed hadn’t been there in his days as a soldier.

“I love it, you know that?” Clair said to her husband.

“I’m still hot,” he purred quietly at her.

“You’re incredibly hot, and you actually eat enough now,” Clair winked.

Crosshair bent down and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll help serve.”

Crosshair took out the plates while Hunter tried, and mostly succeeded—with Crosshair’s help—to assemble the lasagne into different plates, surprisingly having made enough for everyone. Bree sat with Scarlett and Clair at the table, telling them about what would happen now and what pushed her to finally decide.

As they talked, Hunter and Crosshair delivered plates around the table, inviting everyone to eat—Hunter paid close attention to Scarlett's reaction when she tried the lasagne, and once she’d clearly liked it, she’d been the first one to finish her plate. Everyone else’s silence or minor chatter left Bree and Clair to direct the conversation, talking about the old days, but focusing more on the new days to come.

Bree thought back to their time on Naboo, and she and Clair had indeed never had an evening like that one. They’d spend their time only with each other, and having an entire family chosen by them was as new as things could get.

Bree knew it would be worth it, and better than she could imagine even then.

A ray of glee had illuminated Répit after Bree’s announcement. More than ever, it was a symbol that things were falling into place, and that a person’s will could prevail over expectations.

At least until she told her parents, Bree figured.

But she’d been through too much to not know already that things had to happen at their course. Deciding was the first step, followed by letting her second, chosen family know. Bree smiled at herself every time she remembered their reactions, namely the way Clair had looked at her. It was really beautiful; Bree had gotten used to visiting that little cottage and greeting that grumpy white, green-eyed cat.

She’d gotten used to Hunter’s swooning over Scarlett, to the magnitude with which Wrecker could feel, to Tech’s infodumping and his ingenuity.

“I sense you have drifted onto a different train of thoughts,” his smooth voice broke Bree from her daze.

With wide eyes, Bree looked over at Tech feeling as the heat rushed to her cheeks, and playing with her thumbs, she gave a light grimace.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Bree said.

“I understand,” Tech smiled. “Big decisions carry with them a lot of pondering.” He turned around and looked at the whiteboard in his office, his goggled eyes narrowing as the scribbles and diagrams stared at him back in the face.

“Such pondering comes with these calculations as well,” Tech said, “which I very regretfully inform.”

“Well,” Bree stood from the chair she sat on, the chair she'd normally take whenever she visited him. “If I could eventually settle my mind, you can eventually find the answer to your calculations.”

Tech angled his body to look back at her, his lips softly curved. “I appreciate the encouragement, Bree.”

“Would you like to talk it out?” She proposed. “I promise I’ll listen this time.”

“Well, not much has changed in my hypotheses since we discussed them over lunch a few days ago,” Tech set his datapad down on his desk, finally turning away from the board and heading to sit on his own chair. “That is, of course, the problem. Nothing is going to change until I change my focus, my approach.”

“And you’re struggling to find it,” Bree finished for him.

“Precisely,” Tech replied. “There are only so many ways to approach electronics and circuitry. By the gods, the Havoc Marauder is infinitely more complex and I have disassembled and reassembled it countless times. Where am I going wrong?”

“Mind if I suggest something?”

“I am open to hearing what you say,” Tech said. “I unfortunately cannot guarantee I will follow through with your advice.”

Bree chuckled; many were the people who were open to hearing advice, and fewer were those who admitted they might not follow it. Honesty was, in any case, appreciated.

“Is this project urgent in any way?” Bree asked.

“Not at all, this began as a personal project that I now want to apply in order to help others,” Tech replied. “No one has put a time limit but myself, and I like to make progress.”

“Maybe you’re pushing yourself too hard,” Bree said. “When I tell you to take care of yourself, I don’t just mean eat healthy. Overworking is as bad for you as the next bad habit, or worse.”

Tech sat up straight in his chair, his gaze lost in thought.

“What is it?” She asked him.

“I have looked back at my whole life and realized no one has ever actually told me that,” Tech said. “Quite on the contrary, actually. I always had to be faster, more efficient, more productive. I always had to… to hurry. At times, my own life, the lives of my brothers’, we all depended on my quickness to perform tasks and find solutions.”

Bree’s features softened in sympathy. “You were soldiers… I’m not saying it’s okay, but I understand why you feel that need.”

Tech’s gaze finally met hers, for once finding himself at a loss of words and knowledge, baffled by the fact that the woman in front of him had been the only one who’d managed to do that to him.

“Bree, I…” Tech said. “I had not thought of that.”

She smiled at him and reached across the desk for his hand. “You’re not a soldier anymore. You do have duties and things that need to be done, sure. That’s part of being an adult in civilization. But it isn’t life or death anymore, and you can free yourself from some of that burden.”

As she’d been speaking, Tech had absently brushed his thumb over the skin of Bree’s hand. He’d looked away, his gaze brushing over his desk before returning to her, and once he’d registered what she’d said, he smiled.

“What?” Bree said softly, her own lips curving.

Tech gathered himself. “Truly, I am quite pleased that you will stay.”

Her smile widened, cheeks turning pink. “I am too.”

Bree retrieved her hand and placed it over her thigh, letting out a long sigh as she looked out the window at the pre-autumn landscape. “Of course, with deciding to move here, there’s a whole plethora of other things to consider, mainly where I’m going to live.”

Tech chuckled. “Plethora. That is one of my favorite words, and you’re the only person I’ve heard using it correctly.”

She gave him a proud smile. “Thank you.”

“As for where to live…” Tech trailed off. “I thought you were living with me.”

“Well, yes, but…” Bree trailed off. “I need to give evidence to the refugee program that I live somewhere, which means my name will have to appear in some sort of contract. I have to be paying rent for it to be to my name, and with that they’ll verify if my current income can sustain my living. It has to match, and if not, I won’t be let off the refugee program easily.”

“Right,” Tech said. “But you are living with me.”

“I appreciate you letting me stay with you in the meantime. I can’t very well stay with Clair or Scarlett; Clair’s married and Scarlett is just a few dinners away from getting engaged and they need their space. Perhaps I could find something with Mora or Iroh—”

“Bree, I believe you misunderstand me,” Tech said. “You already live with me.”

Bree’s big, green eyes widened at Tech, and once he realized what he’d said, he adopted a bashful hunch to his shoulders.

“I—I mean,” Tech began, his free hand clutching the curls on the back of his head. “You need not worry about finding a place to live. If you so wish, you have one already, and that can easily be arranged into a format of evidence apt for the refugee program.”

Bree chuckled; for someone so confident and intelligent and sure of himself, Tech was priceless when he was shy.

“I just…” Her amusement faded. “I can’t impose like that, not on your home.”

“Are we not a couple?” Tech asked. “Is moving in together not something couples eventually do?”

Bree blushed. “I’d never heard you call us that.”

“Well…” Tech trailed off. “Aren’t we?”

Bree grinned at him. “Yes, I believe we are.”

She and Tech remained in silence, their hands still holding one another once the words have been spoken, and in the moments that passed, the clock on Tech’s wall struck a new hour, breaking them from their trance.

“Well, I believe I can call it a day now,” Tech let go of her hand and stood up, reaching for his datapad and the keys to his office. “Shall we walk home?”

Bree’s smile hadn’t faded, and with the same spirit, she got up from her chair as well. “I haven’t decided if I will stay with you or not.”

“Right,” Tech chuckled. “Either way, the option is there. And if you wish to stay with me tonight…”

“I do,” Bree said.

Tech’s features had softened at her remark, and gracefully, he reached for the office’s light switch and flicked it off.

“Well then,” he said. “After you.”

Bree left the office with Tech following after her and the two walked outside, where it was much colder. Bree hugged herself, figuring one of the many things she’d need to get for her big move over to Répit was a bigger coat.

On the way, she and Tech had gotten to talking about their current duties, whether it regarded the bakery or the county, and as they made their way through the village, the sun kept going down and the villagers who owned food businesses set up for their nightly openings at the marketplace. Regardless of the appeal of a night at the marketplace, Bree and Tech continued to make their way towards the lake, crossing its shore and even passing the place where the Marauder was parked.

That part of the forest wasn’t much different than the others, but Bree had learned to identify it as Tech’s place. The hull of the Marauder, visible to the east, did its job in signifying it as Tech’s corner just like the lanterns led up to Clair and Crosshair’s home or the large spruces signaled Hunter and Scarlett's.

The sky had gotten darker, and the village gleamed warmly in the distance, and way in the distance, a waning crescent moon set. The whirring of insects and pit-patter of rodents gave the forest more ambience, and the scent of the plants lingered in the air.

Not much deeper into the forest was the small, discreet cabin that Tech had turned into his home. Tech was the one who walked up first to the doorway, and once he unlocked it, he stepped aside to let Bree in. The moment she stepped inside, the movement sensors around the place went off, making the entrance and living room of the house light up. The two of them looked at each other in silence once Tech was fully inside, neither of them saying anything.

It wasn’t an awkward silence. It wasn’t tense or painful, and while it would seem like many things were left unsaid, Tech and Bree had heard from one another what they needed to until that moment.

Finally, Bree smiled wider at him with a light sigh, and she made her way towards the kitchen intent on cooking something to finish the day right. Still wordless, Tech followed her inside and observed as she took out pots and plates, wondering what her experienced mind and skilled hands would want to prepare. Bree moved around with expertise, seemingly never missing a detail, and Tech found himself drawn to her, pacing one slow step at a time towards her until he was behind her and his hands landed on her forearms.

“Yes?” Bree asked him softly.

Tech hovered closer to Bree, and he only let go of her to take off his goggles and set them aside on the counter, allowing him to drift even nearer. He nuzzled the side of Bree’s head, taking in the scent of her hair, his breath sending shivers down her arms.

“Tech…” Bree whispered when she felt his lips pressing kisses down the side of her face.

“Do you wish for me to stop?” Tech asked quietly.

“No…” Bree sighed, letting go of the knife she’d been using to cut vegetables. She felt Tech’s hands begin to circle around her torso and, giving the cooking utensils a light push away, she sank into Tech’s figure and tilted her head, letting him have better access to her neck.

“Tech…” Bree whined when Tech gently nipped on the flesh of her neck. Her body squirmed in his grip, now more firm as his hands crossed over her chest and held her possessively even if his kisses were still kind.

Bree then turned her head and her lips were irresistibly close to Tech’s, and without hesitating, she closed the space between them. In his arms, Bree turned around to face Tech, kissing him harder as her hands went around his upper back while his arms surrounded her waist, his hands clutching at her clothes.

With craving, Bree pushed toward Tech, and the two stumbled until they were at the other side of the small kitchen with his back now pressed to the wall. Her hand fisted the brown curls at the back of his head, giving them a light tug—Bree shivered at the way Tech groaned when she tugged. Meanwhile, Tech had untucked her cream blouse from her long, brown skirt, the delicate fabric now ruined and wrinkled by his pulling, until Bree hastily stopped kissing him to take the blouse off, leaving her only in her lace bra on her upper half.

Tech took the moment to take his shirt off as well, throwing it onto the kitchen table. Bree took a moment to look at him, feeling her mouth literally watering at the sight of his muscular chest—it wasn’t unusual to underestimate Tech’s figure. He didn’t look physically impressive next to someone like Wrecker or Hunter, but he was definitely strong, his body toned, with his left arm covered by a sleeve of intricate tattoos Bree hadn’t yet deciphered but ached to know what they represented.

Bree would have loved to tell Tech something, anything to eloquently let him know how beautiful she found him, but all she managed was a little whine at the sight of him, her hand hovering up to cover her mouth as she hungrily bit her lip when her eyes settled on the growing bulge in his trousers.

With his iconic, confident little smile, Tech held his hands out to Bree. She placed her hands in his, soft and delicate in comparison to Tech’s stronger, larger hands, hands that didn’t lack the occasional scar, and she felt him pull her towards him, wrapping his arms around her as he kissed her again. The feeling of his skin on hers and the warmth between them made heat begin to pool at her lower core; she wanted more.

“Tech…” Bree whimpered.

“Darling?” He prompted her between kisses before managing to pull himself to a stop, looking at Bree in the eyes; even the blurry sight of her without his goggles was adorable.

He could see the desire with which she looked at him, the need that she had for him, and he could feel it when her hands landed on his chest in the form of fists that shook mildly with the rest of her body.

“I need you now,” Bree whispered.

Tech smiled. “So I gather, my darling.”

He grabbed her waist firmly and turned her around, now pinning her to the wall where he was as he hovered closer to her, his breath fanning over her.

“Fortunately for you, the feeling is mutual.”

Tech hungrily kissed her lips, amazing Bree further, but it wasn’t long before he made his way down. His hands massaged the entirety of her body, including her breasts as his lips made their way down the center of her chest, until it was time for Tech to kneel before Bree. He looked up at her, satisfied by the way her chest heaved in anticipation and the scarlet shade cast over her face, her usually down-to-earth green eyes entranced.

With a smirk, Tech gently took his hands to her lower belly where the buttons of her skirt were. He undid them one by one with a tender touch, and he let the long skirt slide gracefully down her legs, revealing her beautiful legs. The panties she wore matched the lace bra she had, and its delicate fabric hugged her hips beautifully, so much he almost didn’t want to remove them.

They were, regardless, in his way.

Tech wrapped his fingers around each of the sides of her panties and slowly pulled them down. He heard Bree’s breath hitching the lower the fabric got, and past her knees, Tech let the garment go, watching it drop gracefully at her feet. He helped her step out of them and he softly removed her shoes as well, leaving Bree in her small, delicate socks.

He looked up at her, hardly believing Bree’s beauty, and he made his way back up leaving a trail of tender kisses up her leg before making it between her thighs. He felt her hand running through his curls again just when his breath began to fan over her cunt, and Tech couldn’t help but smile when she parted her legs just a little, almost as if she’d done it without even realizing.

She was already gleaming and plump, aching for him, and Tech wouldn’t resist her further. He leaned in and brushed his tongue over her pussylips, reveling in the whine that escaped Bree, groaning when she tugged his curls again. Tech ravaged her tender flesh, eating her out with that expertise Bree praised of him.

Her head was pressed back to the wall. Her vision had blurred the few times her eyes remained open, but most of the time she was rendered too dazed to even think. One hand tugged at Tech’s full head of dark brown curls, the other one massaged her breast delicately over the fabric of her bra. Bree didn’t even notice when her hips began to rut against Tech. All she could make sense of was the pleasure he cast on her, the craving she felt for him, the need to get lost in him.

Unsurprisingly, Tech made her reach the pinnacle sooner than she could expect. His tongue flicking over the pearl of her clit, lips massaging the flesh that surrounded it, gliding over every nerve of her cunt with the perfect amount of pressure; it was all she could do not to crumble to the ground like the puddle she’d become.

When the waves of her orgasm finally hit, Bree’s body squirmed against the wall, her moans and whimpers high-pitched and delicate as opposed to Tech’s low, hungry groaning. His hands kneaded the flesh of her hips as he continued to feast on her, focused on the cues of her body and her voice and stopping before it was too much for her. Still, he felt her pulling on him, prompting him to stand up and look at her entranced green eyes still full of desire.

“More…” Bree whined. “I need more, Tech…”

Tech smirked, firmly grabbing her ass and pressing her harder onto the wall. “I would not dream of leaving you in a lack of satisfaction, my darling.”

Bree’s hands got started at unbuckling his belt and undoing the buttons of his trousers, and finally, Tech pulled them halfway down his legs, freeing his hard cock that sought out Bree’s warmth. Again, Tech kneaded her hips and lifted her up, with Bree wrapping her legs around his waist as he sheathed himself into her.

Tech groaned when he was as deep inside her as he could be, delighting in the sound of Bree’s ecstatic voice. She met his brown eyes adoringly, her hands running through his curls as she whimpered in tandem with the rhythm of his hips. Tech kept his gaze on hers, examining her until she reached that exquisite point where her eyes rolled back and her body surrendered to his strength.

He grinned, inevitably proud of himself and the pleasure Bree felt because of him. He listened to her moans and the way the impact of his thrusts sounded on the wall, so hard it made some of the decorations and the keyholder rattle with his strength.

At last, Tech was at the highest point of ecstasy as well.

“Bree—” He groaned. “I… ‘M gonna…”

Bree listened as he mumbled, his beautiful, smooth voice mostly drabbling incoherencies, but she managed to recognize the need and the warning that he was close. She knew how good he’d been to her, how selfless and kind and mind-blowing Tech could be, exceeding every one of her fantasies. It was the least she could do to give him a little something in return.

She pushed against him, prompting Tech to come to a stop. Dazed and puzzled, Tech watched her as she stepped from the wall and knelt in front of him, never straying from her intention. She took Tech’s cock in her hand, feeling as it pulsated in her grip, and she heard his awestruck sigh when she took most of his length into her mouth.

Her lips parted around his girth, Bree’s cheeks hollowed every time she emerged only to take him in again. She took him all the way down to his throat, pursing her lips around him making him shudder. Tech’s groans had increased their strength, and when his body gave a shiver, Tech fisted Bree’s hair when he finally released inside her, his body relaxing as the ropes of white were gladly swallowed by the woman in front of him.

They stumbled back onto one of the chairs; Bree straddled Tech, her wet, swollen cunt resting on his bare thigh, and she couldn’t help but grind onto him, seeking just a taste more of pleasure. Tech moaned softly, his hands traveling up her back until they found the hook of her bra and undid it, letting her breasts fall freely as he threw the undergarment aside.

Her lips fell on his. Tech let his fingers wander around Bree’s soft skin, reveling in the way his fingertips at times brushed with the strands of her hair. He felt the cool air crashing with the slick she left on his thigh, her body at times squirming weakly with newer, dimmer waves of pleasure, aftershocks of an already intense orgasm.

“My darling…” Tech mumbled. “You require something else for dinner.”

Bree moaned into him. “I already had a snack.”

He tilted his head and let out a breathy chuckle. “Are you referring to me?”

Bree hastily nodded with a hungry moan, her body quivering again as another small orgasm took over her body. After that, Tech placed his hand on her hips and stopped her, kissing her lips until he finally got her green eyes to land on him and her grinding on his thigh ceased.

“You always amaze me,” Tech whispered. “Do you know that?”

She smiled. “I figured it was difficult to amaze a mind like yours.”

“Not for you,” Tech spoke.

They kissed each other one last time before Bree sunk into his arms and rested her head on her shoulder. She felt a wave of exhausting casting itself over her, but no matter how tired she was, she couldn’t wipe the grin off her face. Her gaze, once absent, landed on the unattended board of chopped vegetables she’d started with earlier—it was a mischievous little reminder of what had just happened, but nevertheless, she knew Tech was right about them needing to eat something.

Bree closed her eyes and rested on Tech; she figured she could remain in his arms a little while longer.

The night had blurred into day. Tech was already gone when Bree woke up on her side of the bed, unsurprising given the nature of his duties. Bree, however, had more time to spare in the morning, and after wrapping her naked body in a delicate nightgown, she made her way downstairs hoping to get some caf in her system.

Her body felt sore in the most beautiful way, tired of wave after wave of orgasms she’d felt even after the dinner Tech had insisted on having. The thought made her have a wide little grin on her features as she walked into the kitchen, warm and beautifully lit by the morning sun.

Bree was making a beeline for the caf blender, but she stopped when she saw a small pile of papers at the center of the table with a smaller, different colored slip on top of them. The pile and note where themselves held down by a plate of fresh peaches that made Bree’s mouth water and her stomach growl, but she set them aside to look at the documents waiting for her.

It was a contract signed by Tech, with one line at the bottom empty.

Bree nearly didn’t believe it, and she went to the note her lover had left for reference to seek the remaining clarity she needed.

My dearest, darling Bree.

I lack the knowledge of whether or not you heard me in the middle of the night as I woke to draft this. The document in itself was not difficult to write seeing our discussion from earlier; you may have already seen it is the ownership contract for the house itself. While the name of ownership remains mine, this contract is meant for you to sign yours as co-owner if you so wish.

I by no means wish to pressure you into a decision, I merely aim to let you know that you are welcome in my home and that, if you choose, you may use this as one more step regarding the refugee program on Coruscant. Showing this contract during the paperwork will suffice.

I also left peaches seeing as how your body will probably need energy following last night’s events. I do hope you are not too tired, but take this day to rest. I shall be looking forward to seeing you again later today.

Bree’s cheeks had begun to ache when she reached the end of the letter, and she set the paper aside to look at the contract again. She reached for one of the peaches, taking a juicy bite out of it as she pranced around the kitchen, preparing her own cup of caf.

Once her cup was full in her hand, Bree reached for something to sign her name onto the contract.

Thank you for reading!

Tags: @nunanuggets @wildmoonflower @coffeyorky @lnparanormal @stardust9905 @the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond

#moonstrider writes #tbb tech smut #tbb tech fanfic #oc bree peridot #tbb tech x oc #gravitation series #tbb tech #tech smut #the bad batch smut

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