#i don't even wish for them to return...like i could so easily interact with them again. but i know it's no use

[tragedy-of-commons]

ivan x reader. wc: 1.1k. inspired by those fucked up teeth dreams! if you're squeamish, probably avoid reading. don't krill me alnst fandom i just think he's Cool and Interesting. based on vibes, possibly ooc. modern/actor au.

It was unlike Ivan to dream.

Before you came into his life and turned his servitude on its head with no regard for his balance, he was used to sleeping hard. The star would hit the pillow after a grueling but manageable day, only to wake up to his familiar alarm—only to rise and do it all over again.

Such was his life, and he had no reason to believe that’d change. He had no reason to believe he would experience any subconscious projections beyond nebulous memories of the slums, or the occasional object of terror that’d he shortly forget after waking.

But circumstances change. Environments change; Ivan’s home welcomed you, as did the telltale rabbiting of his heart. When you slipped into bed with him that first night, awkward but sweet, he had to bid himself to relax. Actors are supposed to adapt, to transform and flourish under the circumstantial, so that’s what he did. Ivan selfishly held you close to his chest, an indulgence he didn’t want to spoil himself with, but still did so anyway. 

In his mind, to enjoy that guilty pleasure—the privilege of you—he had to do something in return. It’s always about doing something in return with him, every interaction mentally catalogued and carefully executed so Ivan never owed anything to anyone. He learned young that equivalent exchanges rule the world, that every selfless gesture was expected to be repaid in kind. 

And Ivan wanted to do right by you. More than that, he did not wish to be your debtor; Ivan does not have much to give other than his loyalty, which will still someday lose its value. So he savored the moment.

When you’d fallen asleep, putting all of your stock and trust into him, he’d gingerly maneuvered into another position, one far more favorable. He’d rolled over on his side, facing the door to the bedroom. However in doing so, the dark-haired actor had no choice but to untangle himself from you, unable to hold the person he couldn’t yet comfortably call a partner.

He remembers missing your warmth. But ultimately it was better to face the door, to stand guard… to protect you. From what? It’s hard to say, though the heady satisfaction buzzing under his skin affirmed it was the right thing to do. It felt more sustainable to enact some distance in the interest of looking out for you. 

He didn’t want to burn you in the maw of his embrace, even if he sometimes thought about it. To abstain is to be noble. And to torture himself, to deprive himself of love—that is just how things are to go. Ivan is fine with that. 

But then he dreamt, really dreamt, for the first time in years. 

Your steady hands were planted on his shoulders while you looked him square in the eye, unblinking. The vibrant luster of your irises easily reflected the inky dullness of his own, making you seem more like a mirror instead of a three-dimensional being. Uncanny. You didn’t smile like you normally would, only holding him in place. Pain-that-wasn’t-quite-pain began to needle at his gums, and that’s when you spoke.

“They’re hurting you, Ivan,” you’d whispered, grasping his chin with a pinched brow. He was unable to speak as you tapped against his square jaw, rambling with a gentle type of determination. “Rotting… they’re rotting. We need to get them out.”

His dream self was overcome with understanding. His teeth, the ones then beginning to whistle with agony down the nerve, were rotting. The sensation was forceful, like the most miniscule shift of his tongue or the tiniest provocation of his vocal cords could send his molars tumbling out of his mouth by the root. He itched in a way that he couldn’t scratch by his lonesome, with no words at his aid.

(It is true that Ivan’s mouth has always felt too full, a fang or two roguishly protruding outward, but it goes beyond that. When he would smile for each camera shutter, each sponsorship and each recording, it felt more like he was snarling, doling out a cheap imitation of joy when he had no earthly idea of the concept. Always, when the star grinned, it was a lie. Fortunately for him, beasts with pearly whites and uniform eyes can still be domesticated into well-loved pets.)

The room was stark white, a sterile nightmare. While he struggled to think, you’d materialized a pair of rusty, red and black pliers into thin air. Even at the sight of them, Ivan does not remember recoiling. You were going to remove the rot, the miasmic burden—he knew this for a fact. And if anyone were to attempt to fix him, he’d want it to be you. It needed to be you. 

“Do you trust me? You’ll feel better, I promise.”

He could only nod passively as you wrenched open his mouth, probing around and clamping the plier’s metal teeth around any particularly egregious offenders. It hurt, something akin to mercury boiling angrily inside a thermometer, or a kettle reaching its shrill fever pitch. He does not recall screaming or reacting, even as you’d twisted and yanked to your heart’s content. Ivan was allowing you to remove the wretched thorn from his paw, paralyzed from what he could not possibly imagine.

This is how things are to go, he thought. At least you’re the one doing it. If you’re going to hurt someone, let it be me. I’ll take what I can get. 

Your actions were severely disjointed. You’d be pulling one moment, then his central and lateral incisors would be in the palm of your hand the next, not a speck of blood staining the specimens. Then you smiled fully while you made sure he could never smile again. You: merciful, complicated, confusing, and too good for Ivan.  

When he woke, since dreams often end abruptly, it was in a cold sweat. 

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” you laughed. Your hair was mussed from the most gratifying of rests, and your voice was warm, addictive. 

The bedroom door stood wide open, sunlight streamed through the fluttery curtains, and you meandered over to his side of the mattress to greet him. “I made breakfast. How long was that instant pancake mix sitting in your pantry, anyway? Up, up, I put chocolate chips in your share!”

“Good morning to you too,” the star remarked, scrambling to conceal his lingering discomfort. It took a moment for him to recalibrate, to suppress. “And it couldn’t have been there for long. I went shopping with Sua last…”

“Last…?”

“...month.”

You snorted. “My point exactly. Come on!”

Then grabbing his hand and pulling him up (like he wasn’t the one doing all the heavy-lifting), you saw fit to bless him with a kind reminder. You did so in the same tone you always used—sunny and rich—but the words you bestowed upon him next were deeply knowing:

“Just don’t forget to brush your teeth after. You don’t want to get cavities, do you?”

It was unlike Ivan to dream. But then you came along. 

[waves-against-a-cliff]

Where Soul Meets Body - Ghost x Reader

Ao3 Link

Content Warnings - afab!reader, no pronouns used, reader has a call sign, canon typical violence, ghost's past :(, angst, smut, fingering, oral, thigh riding, PiV, unprotected sex, happy ending. MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

Summary - Simon Riley has been your best friend since the two of you were five. You've been in love with him since you were 15. It's too bad life has other plans

WC: 18k

Big thanks to @shotmrmiller for helping me with the last chapter and big thanks to @itsagrimm for listening to my rambling about this since January. I'm so happy to see it written and finished.

Rainy days in the United Kingdom were far from abnormal. Seeing the bright sun with no clouds obstruction was abnormal. Seeing someone without an umbrella, even a jacket, in the rain was more than abnormal to you. Who in the world would set out to school without a jacket or umbrella? You approach the strawberry blond boy and tentatively hold your umbrella over his head. "What are you doing without an umbrella?" You ask, head tilting ever so slightly at the boy looking up at you. Oh, he's from your class, what was his name again?

"I don't have one."

"Did your mum not buy you one?" There was a small silence but you smile, "Well it doesn't matter now, I'm here and we can share." You give him your name and get the smallest smile from him.

"I'm Simon Riley." Ah, that's right, Simon Riley.

"Well then Simon, let's get to school." The umbrella was hardly large enough for you to fit under but you held it over his head as the rain came down. It rained all day but that was okay because you and Simon sat together all day. "I'll walk home with you so you don't get wet." You say while playing another round of Sorry!.

"You don't need to." Simon mutters as he moves his piece, his brown eyes downcast. You frown, brows pinching together as you try to piece together the logic behind that statement.

"I don't need to but I want to." You respond with a toothy grin. "It's what friends do." You say with confidence as you draw a card.

"We're friends?" Simon asks, his eyes suddenly meeting yours.

"Of course. We're sharing an umbrella." You laugh and move your piece according to the card. "And when you get your own umbrella, we can be umbrella friends." He repeats the term umbrella friends as if testing the waters and then smiles. A smile suits him much better than a frown you decide. During lunch, you offer part of your sandwich when you realize how sad his packed lunch is. "Here, I'm full." A lie but he hardly had half of what your mum packed. He looked at the triangularly cut sandwich with apprehension. "Please eat it." He continues to stare at it before picking it up and taking a bite then looking at you. When he sees your smile, he keeps eating it. "You have very brown eyes." You suddenly comment, unable to keep it to yourself. "I like them."

Simon easily fit into the routine of your life, each day after school he would walk home with you on Fridays. Together the two of you would chatter about anything and everything, conversation flowing easily. Somedays were worse than others, like right now while you treated Simon's busted lip with a bag of cold peas pressing against his cheek. "I'll beat him up." You promise. He seems different these days, he had always been a bit timid before but any loud noise scared him. You don't ask what happened, you could see it in his eyes that he didn't want to talk about it. Those same eyes were always looking down all the time now too, you wish he wouldn't. You like to see his eyes.

"You can't beat up Tommy." He insists.

"He beat you up, I'm just returning the favor." You huff as you dab the blood away from his lip and hand him a bag of cold broccoli. The attic of your home had become a safe haven to him and the walls and ceiling were decorated in drawings that the two of you had created over the last two years. A plate of triangle sandwiches sat half eaten on the box-made-table. "I'll just punch him. Serve him right." You huff and cross your arms after throwing the wet rag in the corner. Books and half put away board games were scattered all around the little attic.

"Please don't." Simon begs, his brown eyes downcast again.

"Will it make you happy if I don't?" You ask, twisting your shirt and pulling at the loose thread. Simon nods and you sigh, pushing your hair from your face. "Fine then but you're staying the night." You declare.

"Don't you need to ask your mum and dad permission?" He asks.

"They'll say yes. They always do." It was true, there hadn't been a time your mum hadn't let Simon sleep over if you had asked. Simon tapped your arm and handed you a book from the pile.

"Out of your head, let's read." He says while giving a frail smile. When did his smiles get smaller? You take the book from his hand, you hope it'll make him happy. A knock on the attic door as your mum peaks her head up.

"Are you staying for dinner Simon?" You mum asks and you jump on the opportunity.

"Can Simon stay the night mum? Please." You draw out your please and put on your best puppy eyes. Your mum looks between you and Simon who still held the bag of broccoli against his mouth.

"Of course he can stay. Just be quiet after eight pm." Your mum disappears back down the ladder towards the kitchen while you turn to Simon with a victorious smile on your face.

"Told you so."

You knock rapidly on his home's front door, "Come on Riley! I'm not gonna stand out here all day waiting for you." You would, of course you would. Rain or shine, warm or hot. The door swung open and you scrunched up your nose when Tommy was standing in front of you. "You smell like a sewer rat." You remark, "Where's Simon?"

"Don't you ever shut up?" Tommy snapped, "Simon isn't your boyfriend."

"He doesn't need to be my boyfriend in order for me to ask where he is." You immediately respond. He snorts and rolls his eyes. Tommy, Simon's younger brother, had been teasing the two of you for years since the first time he saw you walk Simon home. "Simon!" You say, a smile immediately appearing on your face as he finally appears behind his brother. "Come on!" You push Tommy out of the way and grab Simon's hand. "I got my drivers license." You boast, "Dad's letting me drive his truck around whenever he doesn't need it."

It was a rare day in spring when it wasn't raining and you weren't gonna let it go to waste. The windows of the truck were rolled down and the wind blew through your hair. The city of Manchester slowly disappears, the loudness exchanged for the quiet of the countryside.

"Don't look so grumpy Simon." You say when you notice he had his head in his hand and a scowl on his face. "You're acting like I'm driving you to your death."

"With how you drive, I'm sure you are." He retorts, a small smile growing on his face as you bark out a laugh.

"Well we're almost there so your death won't be quiet so soon." You remark. You slow the truck down before pulling off into a dirt road and coming to a complete stop. You turn the truck off and tuck the keys into your pocket and grab the basket you brought from the back of the truck. You look at the fence blocking the way into the flower field before you toss the basket over the fence before you launching yourself over the fence. "Come on Simon, just jump it!"

"Isn't this illegal?"

"Only if you get caught." You laugh and wink before helping Simon over the fence. The field of flowers stretch far and bumblebees buzz around from flower to flower. You open the basket and lay out the thin blanket onto the ground. Lowering yourself onto the blanket and you motion for Simon to join you.

"What's all this then?" He asked with a brow raised as you began to pull out a few cans of coke, a couple of sandwiches and apples.

"Happy 15th birthday." You say with a grin, "I got your present back at my house but I figured you'd like it out here." Simon stares at you, brown eyes wide as he looks between you and all the food you somehow managed to pack into the basket. You shift a little his heavy gaze as anxiety crept up as your cheeks turned red. "Do you not like it?" You ask.

Simon looked at you before a lopsided grin grew on his face, "It's great. Thank you."

"What are you planning to do after school is over?" You ask after taking a sip from your coke. "I mean, we only have next year left. Are you going to attend University?"

"I'm gonna take a butcher's apprenticeship."

"What?"

"My grades aren't doing great and I figured why not." Simon shrugged, "Not like it's a bad idea." You punched his shoulder lightly and glared at him.

"Why didn't you tell me you were struggling Riley? You know I would have helped." The wind blows softly, the flowers and grass rustle, birds sing in the distance. "You're a smart man Simon, if this is what you want to do," You take a steadying breath, "then I'll support you."

Simon smiles at you, "You took it better then my mum did at least." He sighs and takes a bite from his apple.

"She just wants what's best for you." You say, softening your voice. If there was one thing you learned about Simon Riley after these five years, it's that he loves his mum more than anything. You lean against him, coke can still in hand as the silence blankets the space between you and him. After a few minutes of silently eating and drinking, he nudges you.

"Look." He whispers and points to a flower by his side. You lean over and a massive smile grows on your face as you spot a very tired bumblebee resting within a flower. You look at Simon and feel something within yourself turn on or maybe become louder as you see his soft gaze at the sleeping bee. Suddenly, you wanted him to look at you with that same soft expression.

"You know Daisy?" Simon asks one day while you were driving to the flower field. It had become a place to get away from school and home, away from all the stresses of life for at least a few hours. Daisy was a classmate in the same year, you had never been close with her but you had grown up with her the same as you had with Simon.

"Of course, Daisy Lockmon right?"

"Yeah." There's something in the way he says it that makes your heart clench. It's the softness of it, the fondness and the soft sigh, even the sort of dreamy look in his eyes you spot in the mirror as he gazes out into the countryside.

"Yeah?"

"I'm dating her. She asked me out a few days ago." Few days ago. Why did that sting so fucking much? You smile at him as you grip on the steering wheel until your knuckles turn white and your fingers go numb. It doesn't compare to the squeezing grip of whatever is holding your heart. No, you know who holds your heart and he doesn't even know it. It's my fault, I never told him. You try to reason with yourself but it doesn't stop the hurt.

"Congratulations then. Daisy is a sweet girl."

A few months later, you feel like you're going to throw up. You fight back any words threatening to come out of your mouth besides something good and kind because he doesn't deserve your anger or sadness. Simon doesn't know, you keep reminding yourself, you're just his best friend that he's confiding in. Just the person he's grown up with since ten years old, just the person who treated his busted lips, cuts and bruises. Just his best friend. Not the girl, not Daisy Lockmon who he thinks he loves. He probably does love her, you've never seen him look at someone the way he does Daisy.

You lay in the field, something that allows your stress to melt away, does nothing for you. Not as Simon lays next to you, not as you think about the times before all of this you could have said something. Simon says nothing, you say nothing and the two of you just watch the clouds float by. Simon sits up as he speaks, "I'm ready to leave, how about you?" Your heart clenches again, time in the field has been getting shorter and trips less frequent. You know it's not just because of his relationship and it's just how life is sometimes. He has his butcher's apprenticeship and you're studying for university classes but logic doesn't dictate emotion.

"In a moment, I'll catch up with you at the truck." You say, pasting on a smile. Simon shrugs and grunts as he gets up. You wait until you're sure he's already hopped the fence and heading towards the truck before you move over to his spot. Where the grass and flowers are flattened down into his shape, slowly you curl into the spot. For a moment, you imagined that you were the one he says he loves. For just a bittersweet moment, you pretend that you're his and he's yours.

"I'm joining the military." Your ceramic mug shatters on the floor. Just like that, everything comes crashing down. The world was still reeling from the twin towers attack in the United States, the sense of safety shattered in a terrorist attack.

"What?" That was the only word that could come from your mouth. You look at Simon with wide eyes, the cozy atmosphere of your flat turned cold. "You're joking. Right Simon?"

"I'm not."

"What about your apprenticeship Simon? You've been working as a butcher since you were 16. You're nearly done." The words come flying out of your mouth, "Simon-"

"I'm not asking you to understand my decision. I'm just telling you that I'm doing it and you can't stop me." You laugh bitterly and the sound is so foreign to both your ears and Simons.

"As if I could stop you Simon." You mutter, moving to grab a broom and dustpan to clean up the shattered mug on the floor. "But why? You've never once shown interest in joining the military." The answer is clear, its reason why many people were joining the military and you already know his answer before he opens his mouth.

"The attack in the US." Of course, he doesn't elaborate. "I'm being sent to bootcamp in two weeks."

"Two weeks? That's hardly any time at all." You sigh and sink down into your couch, putting your face in your hands as you try to process everything. "What about Daisy?"

"Broke up with her." He says so plainly and with a shrug of his shoulders. You have to bite your tongue to keep from saying something back handed. You're not petty, you're not petty, you're not petty, is the thought running through your head but you can't deny how good it feels to know he isn't dating her anymore. Not like you have much of a chance now since he's going off to bootcamp. "She said she didn't want to date a guy in the military. It's a deal breaker apparently." It's not for me you think quickly.

The day comes too quickly, for once you wished life would slow down and let you soak up Simon's presence in your life. It's not like he's dying, he's just going off to bootcamp and then he'll be back is what you think to keep yourself from falling apart. Nearly nine years of friendship, spending hardly any time or going a long distance away from one another, now Simon will be gone for 14 weeks. Then he'll be stationed somewhere for two to six years. You wrap your arms around him, squeezing him hard and burying your face into his jacket. "You be safe Simon Riley or I'll raise you from the dead."

He chuckles and pats your head, "Its bootcamp not an active war zone." You just shake your head and he wraps his arms around you. "But I'll be safe. I'll write to you every chance I get, I promise."

"Good."

The last three years had passed quickly with the letters from Simon being the only rest stop between university studies and work. Grabbing your coat from the back, you sigh as you finally shut off the lights to the cafe you work at part time. With a small click, your work day was finally, finally over. You twist the lock on the cafe front door, struggling momentarily from your thick gloves. You turn to start walking towards your rather cheap flat and scream when you see a massive figure barely a foot away. The familiar voice hissing your name made the panic subside as quickly as it appeared.

"Simon?"

"Glad to know you still have those pipes of yours." You look at Simon, he is barely illuminated by the street lights but you can still tell he's different now. He's no longer the slightly slender boy you knew three years ago. He wasn't slouching and made direct eye contact with you. You take him all in before you rush to him and wrap your arms around him, burying your face into his coat and drinking in his scent.

"Simon Riley," You whisper into his coat before pulling back to look up at him, "you've really grown. Come on, I'll let you crash at my place." He opens his mouth to argue but you're already pulling him along. You lead him to your flat, which isn't far away from your place of work thankfully. You kick off your shoes at the door and tell Simon to do the same. Placing a kettle on the stove to boil some water you then sit down and look at Simon. "So, what's brought you back here?" You ask.

Simon looks at you, drinking in your appearance. You look tired, worn down and ready to collapse. "I'm gonna fix my family." He finally answers after you cock your head to the side.

"You're... gonna fix your family?" You ask, leaning back as the words wash over you. Your heart hurt slightly for a reason you didn't want to understand, for a reason you didn't want to voice out loud or in your own head.

"Yes. And I'm not leaving until it is."

You purse your lips and get up to pour the boiling water into two cups. You put an earl gray tea bag with a splash of milk into the mug for Simon and a few cubes of sugar for your own cup of tea. You hand him the tea and sit back down as you continue to run through the implications of his choice. "Alright." You finally say. "You can crash at my place while you fix your family."

"You don't believe me." Simon states and you snap your head to look at him completely. "I know it sounds crazy but I'm stronger now. I can finally do what I've always wanted." He says between sips of his tea. "And I won't leave until it is fixed."

You sigh and set your cup down, "Fine." You get up and grab a piece of paper and a pen. You scribble down the addresses of Tommy's friends that he keeps couch surfing between before handing it to Simon. "This is what I know about Tommy. You'll probably get a confirmed address from your mom."

"And my dad?"

"Still an arsehole who comes and goes as he pleases." You grumble.

You walk out of your bedroom as quietly as possible. You peak over your couch and feel a weight lift off your chest. He was still here, right here in your flat. Your best friend, your rock and crush. Simon was finally back, not for the reason you might have fantasized about more than often you were willing to admit, but he was back. Love is such a funny thing, you think to yourself as you lay in bed. It had been three years since you had last seen him, hugging and barely holding back tears as he hopped on a bus to bootcamp. You hadn't cried that hard ever as you had cried on that day when he left. You turn onto your side and wipe away a few tears that leak from your eyes, at least he was here now.

You stand outside his family's home. You look down the street and recall the exact path that you could take to see your family. You had turned down Simon's offer to come inside, you didn't want to intrude on his reunion with his mother. You tap your foot as you lean against your truck, the same one you had driven to the fields outside of Manchester all those years ago. Simon steps outside of the house and hugs his mother one last time, his mouth moves but you don't hear what he has to say. His mother looks around him and looks at you. She's been crying you realize. You exchange a smile and a wave before she goes back inside of the house.

"Got the address?" You ask Simon as you both get into your truck.

"Got it." He confirms and gives you the address. You can't stop yourself from grimacing, of course it had to be that arsehole’s address. You hadn't left Simon in the dark of what was going on with his family while he was deployed and away. You didn't bother to spare details, okay, well maybe a few. Mostly about your own interactions with Tommy and his friends. But Simon didn't need to hear that, he had already sworn to come back and fix his family at least a dozen times since the third month. He didn't need to stress himself over you.

The car ride was quiet, the radio was off and the only sound was the wind blowing in through the open windows. You can feel the rage rolling off him but also the concern for his brother. The truck comes to stop outside of a dingy and unwelcoming flat building, you look at Simon and take him in. His brown eyes fill with determination and rage the longer he looks at the building. Finally, he opens the door, "I'm gonna get Tommy." He says before turning to go into the building after shutting the door. You let out a shaky sigh and let go of the steering wheel, looking at your shaking hands you try not to think too hard about what Tommy and his friends had done. What kind of people they were.

Tommy, your best friend's young brother had let his so-called friends push you around at your job until they were banned by your manager. Then they slashed your tires. Tommy hadn't changed, just become a carbon copy of dirt-bag father. Simon was made from something different, he was his mother's son, the undying love of his family and the ability to go with the flow of life. To never give up. You tense up as the people who lived in the flat walk past you, your breathing becoming more shallow as you watch them enter the flat. Oh god. Oh god. You panic and go to unbuckle yourself but struggle as your trembling hands only become worse.

You could hear the fighting coming from inside the house as you finally unbuckle yourself. There were five of them and only one of him. Oh god. Oh god. You push the truck door open and nearly tumble out, rushing to Simon's aid. You didn't expect to see him handling himself well against five other people while Tommy crouches low to avoid the fight altogether. One of the men goes to try and put Simon in a headlock, you do the only thing you can think of. You grab the man's jacket and pull him into your punch.

Simon places Tommy in the back seat, telling him he's going to bring him to the clinic and get him clean. You rub your throbbing knuckles, the pain from that one punch still echoing in your body. Simon gently takes your hand and inspects your knuckles, clicking his tongue. "You were never much of a fighter." He comments and looks up into your eyes. "But that was a good punch."

You're standing outside the clinic, the cold early spring wind making you pull your jacket closer to your body. Today was the day Tommy was going to be released, you weren't going to turn down Simon's request for you to be there. You had been spending more and more time with Simon and his mother. She is such a sweet lady, and loves her sons more than anything in the entire world. Simon looks at you and smiles, "I told you I would fix my family."

You roll your eyes, "I'll believe Tommy is clean when I see it." You grumble.

"I know he wasn't a good man back then,"

"He was a fucking mess Simon." You say, "He and his druggie friends cornered me once, demanded whatever money I had on me." You finally spill your guts, "I don't like him. You've been defending Tommy and his stupidity every day since I've known you." You look him right in the eyes, "He doesn't deserve your love or your mothers. As far as I'm concerned, he's been on my shit list since the first time I had to clean your bloody lip."

Simon looks at you for a long moment, your words hanging in the air until he pulls you into a hug. "I'm sorry." He mutters and hides his face in the crook of your neck. You freeze and he hugs you tighter, "I'm so sorry. You should have told me about that. I would have never-"

"Don't be sorry." You whisper quickly, "Never be sorry. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry. Simon you're too kind, too forgiving."

"That's not true."

"I think it is."

Someone coughs and Simon lets go of you, his face breaking into a smile as Tommy stands in front of the two of you. He looks different, better. Healthy and alive. "Can we go home now?" He asks. You watch as Simon walks up to Tommy and wraps him in his arms.

"Of course."

You watch from the driver's seat as their mum opens the door and jump into Tommy's arms as Tommy hugs her tight. You can't help the smile that grows on your face when Simon joins the hug. Their mum looks at you and motions you to join them. You shake your head but Simon walks over and pretty much drags you from the car and into the group hug.

Later that night, their mum pulls you to the side. "Thank you." She says and takes your hand into hers, "for being there for my Simon."

"It really was nothing." You assure her and she shakes her head.

"You love him very much. Don't try to deny it, you've stuck by his side all these years and I've seen the way you look at him." She winks, "I just hope the two of you get together before I'm dead."

You can't help the quiet laugh that comes from your throat, "Me too." You whisper and look over at Simon who sits next to Tommy as they watch a football match after eating dinner.

You can hardly believe that you're sitting here at Tommy's wedding next to their mum as you comfort her. Simon stands as Tommy's best man as they trade vows. Beth looks beautiful as she always has. Long black hair and charming blue eyes, she was beyond kind as well. Perfect for Tommy who hadn't lost some of his snark but Beth softened him. You look at Simon and smile when you notice he's holding back tears as they exchange vows.

The wedding's reception wasn't filled to the brim with people but it was lively, friends and distant family members mingled as you sit at a table with a glass of champagne. Simon lets out a sigh as he sits next to you at the edge of the party. "Are you having fun?" You tease and Simon rolls his eyes. Joseph, Simon's nephew who you are sure will never know a day of fear or hurt like his uncle and father, is exchanged between party members and snuck small bites of cake.

"I'd let to get away from all of this for a moment." He admits as he runs a hand through his sandy blonde hair. You remember when he was the sad strawberry blond boy that rainy school day. The way he avoided eye contact and others. You smile and take his hand.

"Then lets go."

You can faintly hear the music from the reception but other wise, this bench away from the party was the perfect place. The night sky is some what visible, with only the brightest stars being visible from all the light pollution of the city. A small breeze blows through your hair and you close your eyes to just soak in the moment. You open your eyes and Simon looks at you, softness in his eyes.

"What?"

"You're stunning." He says and you furrow your brows, ignoring the heat in your cheeks and neck. He leans in closer and cups your cheek, "Can I kiss you?" The words don't come to you but you nod frantically, feeling worried that he might change his mind for some reason. His eyes look between your eyes and lips before he leans in. The kiss is slow and he holds you like you might break or in case you want to leave. His lips are slightly chapped but soft and you vaguely wonder if he put on flavored chapstick earlier. You wrap your arms around his neck to pull him closer and he takes the hint. The kiss turns from soft to practically ravenous as he holds you close, your mouth parts automatically and he slips his tongue in.

When you finally pull back to breath deeper, he looks at you with amazement. "I love you Simon Riley." You whisper and rest your forehead against his, "I have since we were 15. Don't leave me again Simon. Not if you can help it."

"You're gonna hate me then." He whispers as he holds you close. "I'm returning to duty in a month."

"I could never hate you Simon. Not in a million years. Just… write to me and when you go on leave again,” You take a steadying breath, “We can talk about what we are." He nods and you press your lips to his again.

You stand in the rain. You fucking hate the rain. It soaks through your black clothes and makes it stick to your skin. It mats down your hair and hides the tears that run down your face. There is no one here, no one but you and the priest at this funeral. How could this happen, you wonder. Everything was perfect. You look at the name on the gravestone. Tommy, Beth and Joseph, there's another gravestone a few feet away that has his mothers and fathers name on it. Simon is the only one who is buried alone. A bitter and petty choice from their distant family. Everyone thinks Simon did it. There was no proof to prove otherwise and it fit the story. A soldier returns home and suffers a PTSD breakdown and kills his entire family.

It didn't make sense. Simon was getting better, he promised he was getting better and attending therapy appointments. He loved Joseph, he loved his family and he loved you. He would have never done this. Maybe he would have murdered his father but the anger there was long and bitter, if he wanted to kill his father, he would have done it years ago.

Earlier last month, you had passed by a stand with different brochures. Some of them were for churches, others for activities to do with the family. Normally, you would have passed by it, eager to leave the store as quickly as possible. But you stopped this time and glanced at a particular brochure, you picked it from its spot and glanced over it. “You belong here.” A soldier is yelling while another is taking cover, inside are different recruiting offices and general information. You pocket it.

It was an impulsive decision. But the papers were filed and your two week notice already given. You didn't want to think about the consequences of what you were about to do, you just felt lost. University didn't matter, your cafe job didn't matter and every street in this fucking city reminded you of him. You decided if you were going to join the military. You had been accepted, the letter sat in your bag now that all of your items in your flat had been packed up and stored in your old childhood bedroom. This was just the last thing to do before the bus picks you up tomorrow morning.

You throw the roses in your hand into the caskets until you reach Simons. Your hand trembles as it holds the thorny rose, shakily you bring it to your lips and kiss the petals before tossing it into his grave. "I love you Simon Riley."

You watch as the city of Manchester flows past you like a river. It's raining again and the droplets obscure your vision of the outside world. People around you talk and you realize just how out of place you are. These are 16, 17 and 18 year olds with bright eyes and dreams. You vaguely wonder if Simon had sat in silence as he liked to do or if he had been dragged into a conversation. You glance at your duffle bag by your feet before leaning your head back and shutting your eyes. The bus ride would be a long one, you figure that some rest would make it faster.

Your name is called and you step forward, you hold onto the bag of items shoved into your arms. You listen to the drill sergeant yell that these are your items. You are responsible for maintaining and keeping track of all things in this bag. You realize, in a way that makes it difficult not to smile, that Simon was right. They are hard arses here.

The scratches that litter your body sting as you crawl through the mud and muck underneath the barbed wire with a rifle held close to your chest. You breathe out puffs of condensation in the air, you’re shivering and you keep your jaw clenched so your teeth don’t chatter. You keep crawling, inching like a caterpillar towards the end of this section and fight the urge to just lay there on the ground. The cold rain soaks through your clothes and you grunt when part of the barbed wire above you catches onto your leg again. “Fuck.” You hiss but you’re nearly there.

You wonder why Simon never told you about this but he never seemed to tell you anything. You curse the dead man and curse yourself for being impulsive. Nearly done with university and you dropped out for him, for a dead man who was buried alone in his own grave. You use your anger to make it to the end, your uniform is covered in mud and the sensation makes your skin crawl but you run forward towards the rope wall, swinging your rifle over your back. “Come on Private!” The drill sergeant screams at you, “I’ve seen injured men move faster than you do!” You grit your teeth as he mocks you.

It's his job, you remind yourself, to try and break you. If Simon leaving didn’t break you, if him and his family dying didn’t break you then this fucking drill sergeant was not going to break you. You climb up the rope and grapple onto the next bit of rope, locking your legs with your ankles and you inch down the rope even as your hands burn.

That night as you sit in the corner of the mess hall, you itch at the bandages wrapped around your hand. Whatever salve the lady in the med bay had slathered onto your hand hadn’t done much to cool the burning. You know it's counterintuitive to scratch at it but who was going to stop you? You were an adult now and could suffer the consequences of your stupid actions. Like not demanding Simon give you answers on why he was pulling away after finally confessing his feelings. You clench your fist and smother those feelings with the pain you feel.

No matter how many times you try to remind yourself there's no point in focusing on the past you can’t stop. How can you stop? Everything you’ve done has been for him and now he’s gone and you’re still doing things for him. You look around the mess hall at the different groups of fellow trainee’s and know you’ll never have that kind of connection with anyone else. Simon was it. Your best friend since childhood, your first crush and first heartbreak. You wander outside and sit on a stack of crates near the mess when the talking and clanking of silverware grows too much.

The night is cool, the sky is clear from the rain that had poured so hard earlier but you can’t see the stars anyway. You go to itch at your hand again when a drill sergeant comes around the corner. You stiffen up and immediately get up to salute but he dismisses you before you even get your hand to your forehead. “Private, why aren’t you in the mess eating?”

“Lost my appetite, sir.” You reply, “Figured some fresh air would do me some good.” You go to scratch at your hand again and his eyes snap to the motion.

“Private, did the nurse not provide you with burn cream?” He asked and it was weird having the man who yelled at you all day suddenly become concerned for your well-being.

“She did, sir, it just itches.” You explain and the drill sergeant makes a face, for a second you worry that he will demand that you return to the med bay again. Instead, he nods.

“Dismissed Private. Get some rest.” You nod and scurry away to your barracks.

The helicopter’s wings slow but any flyaways in your hair whip and stick to your face anyways. After serving in the SAS for five years, you had been picked by Chief station Laswell and Captain John Price to be a part of the 141 task force. You couldn’t believe you had finally done it, all these years of serving and you start to finally believe that you might’ve done Simon some justice. All the broken bones, bruises and scars are worth it if it means he’s looking down on you fondly. You look between the four men in front of you. You recognize Captain Price immediately with his boonie hat and well groomed mutton chops. He extends his hand which you take and shake with a firm grip. “Boys, this is Gator. They’ll be joinin’ our task force startin’ today.”

The man standing next to Price smiles at you, beautiful white teeth with a stunning smile and soft brown eyes. He has a scar on his cheek and you wonder how he got it as you shake his hand, “This is Sergeant Garrick.” Price says and you beam back at him.

“A pleasure to meet you Sergeant.”

“No need for that, just call me Gaz.” He assures you and lets go of your hand. You turn to meet the third man and before you can even open your mouth or extend your hand to shake, he’s grabbing yours with a grip tight enough to shatter a few bones. He has a stupid mohawk haircut that he somehow makes work, crystal blue eyes and you can tell that he’s a little mischievous.

“I’m Sergeant MacTavish but e’eryone calls me Soap.” He laughs, warm like an early summer day, when he sees your eyebrows raise. “I’ll tell ye why later.” He promises with a wink.

“Oi! Johnny, stop hoggin’ the new meat.” You turn to the voice and have to stop yourself from taking a step back just so you could look at the man fully. He’s fucking huge. Broad shoulders, wearing all black and a skull mask to hide his face. You can barely make out his brown eyes from under all that eye black. His accent is rough, with a voice that gives away how much he smokes. He looks down at you, like you suspect he has to most people, and you want to slink away into whatever hole he thinks you crawled out of. Despite this, you stick your hand out for him to shake.

“And this is your Lieutenant, Ghost.” You have to stop yourself from snorting. Ghost, how fitting for a man literally wearing a skull mask. He grips your hand and gives it a firm shake as his eyes burn holes into your soul. You look at his hand when you feel something other than familiar flesh, it's a glove. Even funnier, its skeleton gloves. It sends you nearly into a giggle fit, yes this man is intimidating to a point where you would have been shaking in your boots a few years ago. But he’s unironically wearing skeleton gloves. How is that not funny? He gives you a firm shake but just as quickly removes his gloved hand from yours. “Alright Gator, Ghost will give you a quick tour around here and then I want you to report for training at 0500 hours.”

The tour is silent besides the simple sentences Ghost speaks and you’re that sure he wouldn’t if Price hadn’t put him on the spot for giving you the tour. “This ‘ere is the training hall, this is where yer expected to be tomorrow.” He gruffly says, stiff as a board. You nod and nearly jump out of your skin when someone wraps their arm around your shoulders.

“There ye are! I was tryin’ tae find ye.”

“Sergeant.” Ghost says gruffly and Soap rolls his eyes before removing his arm. “They are busy.”

“Away an bile yer heid.” Soap says with a laugh, “I ken that yer aboot as excited fer this tour as they are.” You didn’t need to see Ghost roll his eyes to know he did, it was just in the way the air shifts around the three of you. “Lemme take over the rest of the tour aye?” Ghost sighs but concedes which confirms that he would really rather be anywhere else than giving the FNG a tour. “Good lad.” Soap chuckles and pats Ghost’s shoulder.

Ghost leaves quickly for being a man so massive and Soap turns to you, “Dinnae mind him, he’s a big grump.” You snort and laugh while nodding in agreement. “Alright, let's continue this tour.” Soap claps a hand on your back and for the rest of the day, with breaks for food of course, he showed you around. He was certainly better at it then Ghost who acted like he had been asked to travel across the sahara desert while carrying you.

“Steamin’ Jesus.” Soap groans while he stumbles back from you. Sweat sticks to your forehead and your usual hairdo is ruined but so is the way of sparring and training. “I see why they call ye Gator.” He grumbles as he holds his head. “Ye fuckin’ death rolled me.” Soap accuses and it was true. You have the strength to take down men bigger than you in not only height but sheer mass. It was a skill you had honed for the past several years ever since you figured it out in bootcamp.

You wrap your arms around him as he tries to pin you to the mat and roll. You twist with all your might and switch the position then without a second thought you slam your head against his. The force knocks your brain around and the headache you’ll get later is going to be absolutely terrible but the man under you groans and holds his forehead. “I yield! Holy shite.” He curses as you immediately back away from him. You glance around at the group of people who had made it this far into the training and then meet the eyes of your drill sergeant who, if you weren’t mistaken and didn’t have a concussion, looked almost proud.

That night as you hold an ice pack against your forehead and sit outside the mess hall away, he approaches again. “Never seen a private do that.” He says after immediately acknowledging your salute and telling you to be at ease. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone do that before.” You sheepishly shrug.

“I didn’t want to lose.”

“And so you didn’t.” A silence hangs in the air as the crickets chirp and you wonder if that's an owl’s hoot you hear. “I think you're going to have a nickname before you even leave camp.” He says, “You have the other sergeants wantin’ to call you Gator.”

“Gator?” You ask even if you understand the implications. You guess you did a kind of death roll that poor buy but Gator? Really?

“Better than some poor sod who got named Dirt because he ended up with a mouth full of dirt after tripping on the 20 mile march.” You chuckle at that.

“I guess Gator is much better than Dirt.”

“That’s the spirit. You better get some rest for tomorrow, Private.” He says before walking away and just like that time, leaving you to sit in the cool night air before you heed his warning.

You grit your teeth as Ghost ignores you again. You’re just trying to get him to sign from fucking paperwork Captain Price asked of you. “Lieutenant I need-”

“Not now sergeant.” Ghost says as he walks away from you and you want to scream. Its been like this the entire time you’ve been on this team. At first you thought it was his way of hazing you, act like a dickhead and see if the FNG breaks. Well you haven’t broken, you’ve only doubled down because every time he acts like this you keep being reminded of Simon and how he wouldn’t have given up.

At least Gaz and Soap were more open to you being on their task force now that months had passed. Although you doubt if Soap had ever disliked the idea of you being on the force. You barely duck Gaz’s punch but aren’t fast enough to catch his leg before it slams full force into your side. You grab it before he can bring it back and yank on it so he falls onto the floor, he rolls over before you can pin him down. You stare at each other for a moment before you lunge at him like a rabid dog without a leash.

He steps to the side and then grabs the back of your shirt collar to slam you down into the mat. You squirm and fight to keep him from pinning your arms back but it's no use. And in this position, death rolling him was nearly impossible. And you’ve definitely been trying. “Distracted Gator?” Gaz asks as he pants and you snarl back at him before you let out a meek ‘I yield’. He releases you immediately and you rub your wrists. “Broken?”

“Negative.” You say as you walk over to grab your bottle of water.

Watching you spar from the corner was Ghost. He observes the way you fight and the way you wiggle out of every attempt to pin you until the last. If it wasn’t for your infamous ability to death roll, he’s sure you would have ended up being called Weasel. And wasn’t that an amusing thought? Still better than Soap. “Ye stalkin’ the FNG.” Soap teases and Ghost glances down at Soap with what he knows is a deadpan expression. Or at least deadpan eyes. Mask and all that.

“You stalkin’ me?” Ghost shoots back and Soap grins this feral grin that makes Ghost groan inwardly because that grin meant only one thing. Dog with a fuckin’ bone, thats what Soap is when he thinks he’s smelt something out. “Don’t start MacTavish.”

“Oh its MacTavish it is?” Soap feigns hurt as he clutches his chest. “Ye wound me sir.”

“It is when yer about to say somethin’ god awfully stupid.”

“Yer no fun L.T.” Soap laments and Ghost rolls his eyes while shaking his head at Soap’s antics. Soap looks past Ghost and to Gator who is talking with Gaz on the bench while the two of them drink water and give the other advice. “Slippery thing they are.” Soap comments and Ghost nods. “Dinnae think I’ve ever seen someone slip out of your hold befure.”

“Is tha’ the reason yer botheirn’ me Sergeant?”

“Botherin’ ye? Nae sir, jus’ wanna see how Gaz manages to take them down.” Soap says, a half truth and they both know it.

“They gave him a hard time too.”

“Do ye think tha’ they oil up befure every sparrin’ match?” Soap says with a smile and Ghost rolls his eyes despite the small smile growing beneath his mask. You look up and notice Soap and Ghost which immediately makes him want to flee the scene. Every time you lock eyes with him, it sends him back to his time in Mexico. You’re a constant reminder and he wants you gone. Simon is dead and he’s not sure why you even joined the fucking military in the first place. Last he knew you were close to finishing off your degree, did you drop out to join this place?

Ghost grits his teeth as he shoves the memories of both Roba and you back into the box he had stuffed the two of you into years ago. He can’t open the box for one without the other escaping. You offer him a small smile and he turns on his heel. He walks as quickly as he can back to his private quarters, perks of being an officer and also being dead he guessed. He slams his door behind him and marches right into the bathroom. He yanks off the mask and stares at himself. He stares at the scars across his face, his broken one-too-many-times nose and the scar that cuts his lip. He takes stalk of his flaws within his face, the one you had seen and hadn’t recoiled from.

He wonders if you even suspect that its him and his chest hurts at the thought that you’ve forgotten him. But he knows he hasn’t earned his right back into your life, he’s dead. He can never be the man you need or want, he’s different now. Much more scarred than when he returned from Mexico, he’s brash and rude. He doesn’t like people and he doesn’t like that he still wants to be near you. It’s irrational, it’s stupid and there’s nothing he can do about it but try and get to you to quit.

“Captain Price told me to give this to you.” A Corporal says, clearly shaking in his boots, as he hands Ghost a file. “A-and he told me that he wants you in the briefing room.”

“Dismissed Corporal.” Ghost says and the man scurries off. Ghost looks at the file and opens it, the first thing he sees is that it’s a duo op. The second thing he sees is that you’re the one coming along. “Fuckin’ hell.” He mutters as he looks at your little picture papercliped to the top of the page next to his faceless one.

“He always does that.” You groan to Gaz as you watch Ghost turn on his heel and leave once you lock eyes with him. “Did I do something wrong?” You ask, “It's been months.”

Gaz shrugs, “Ghost is an enigma, when you start to think you know him you find something else about him. That man has secrets upon secrets.” You frown at that statement. Obviously he was hiding his face to protect his identity and of course that made you naturally curious but you’ve never pressed about it. He’s quiet and efficient if any of the stories told you by Gaz and Soap were anything to go by. And now he’s a secret keeper.

Who are you Ghost?

You sit at the table in the briefing room, bouncing your leg up and down under the table as Captain Price goes over what the mission objective is and what intel you and Ghost will be going in with. The mission is in Siberia, the objective is to get an old usb drive from a recently re-abandoned USSR base. You glance over at Ghost who hasn’t stopped looking at you this entire time, only dragging his eyes away from you when Captain Price addresses him specifically. His brown eyes seem to be trying to burn holes into your very soul so you try to match it. This would be your first duo op with Ghost and you would not be pushed around during it.

”The group that had been inhabiting the old soviet base are still lingering around and might return when they realize that they’ve left behind a very important piece of information.” Captain Price says and points to the projected map on the wall. “You’ll need to be fast and efficient. Is that clear?” His blue eyes scan over the two of you and both of you echo a ‘yes sir’ at the same time. “Good, get your gear and be ready, you’re wheels up in two hours.”

“Yes sir.” You say and leave the room after being properly dismissed. You look at the file in your hand, the information covered in the briefing summarized in the file with certain things blacked out. Like the fact this is in Siberia or that it’s an old soviet base that had been taken over by a terrorist group for a short while. You worry about that fact, if this base had been well and truly abandoned, why would the group set up there? Siberia wasn’t exactly a very hospitable environment and would take a certain amount of resources to deal with. Not just any kind of terrorist group would be able to afford those expenses.

“What’s got ye frownin’ so hard?” Soap asks and you jolt, not even aware that Soap had come up to you. He glances at the file and whistles, “Yer on a mission with L.T?”

”Somethin’ wrong with that? Something I should be worried about?” You ask, glancing behind Soap to make sure that specter wasn’t there.

“Nae, nothin’ ye should worry about besides the stick up his arse.” Soap jokes and you can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of you. Soap grins, “There’s that smile.” Soap pinches your cheek and you swat at his hand.

”What are you? My aunt?”

”Nae I’m worse.” Soap laughs as he goes to pinch your cheek again. You squeal and laugh as you take off towards the armory and Soap gives chase. You eventually make him leave, shoo-ing him off so you can change into your gear. The gear is heavy but familiar, a comforting kind of weight that you always mourn once an op is over. Tightening the strap of your vest until you felt like it was secure enough and doing the same thing with the gun holster on your thigh.

”You tighten it anymore and you’ll lose blood flow.” Ghost grunts and you stop yourself from startling a little. Ghost walks up to you and loosens the straps himself a little before your brain starts working again. You slap his hands away and glare up at him.

”I am perfectly capable of knowing when to stop tightening my straps.” You hiss. You had been in the SAS long enough to know your preferences and the fact that he is trying to baby you is insulting at best and downright disrespectful at worst. Ghost stares down at you, brown eyes dead but also filled with some kind of emotion you can’t place. He says nothing else, doesn’t even grunt, before he turns to get his gear on. You huff and finish preparing your items for the op.

You go over the file one last time while on the flight to Siberia, flipping through the different pages and you can’t fight off the gut feeling that something isn’t right. You bounce your leg as you look at the map of the base, for an old soviet base, it's small. Granted, you don’t know how big USSR bases in Siberia tended to be but this is just too small. You glance at Ghost and contemplate mentioning this to him but since the armory he hasn’t spoken a word to you. Let alone even look your way which would normally be a reprieve but right now you wish he would look, just so you’d feel less awkward starting a conversation. You remind yourself that he’s a Lieutenant, he knows more than a Sergeant such as yourself. You need to trust your commanding officer.

Ghost can feel the warmth from you, like you had leaked a part of yourself into his gloves and now he can’t get rid of it. He doesn’t understand why he had approached and went to fix your straps, really they are too tight for comfort, but when you had slapped his hands away it was like a shock had gone through him. Like his entire system had been rebooted from the simple touch, now he can’t even bear to look at you. He can feel the weight of your gaze on him though and that’s how he knows that he acted out of character. He clenches his fist so tight his knuckles are cramped when he opens it again, he wishes you would just say what you want to say.

He wishes you would yell at him so he would have something to tell Price about, to maybe get you booted off the team. He’s been a prick to you, moving your stuff in the rec room, eating your food and being condescending. What kind of drill sergeant you had, he didn’t know but they must’ve turned your will into steel. Or maybe you were always like that, you hadn’t given up on him when you got a glance at his life at home. You treated his bloody noses and busted lips, you convinced your parents to let him stay over as often as possible. You even went with him to get Tommy despite the shit Tommy and his shitty friends had put you through.

Ghost clenches his jaw, no matter what, this is better for you. He just needs to get you to quit or maybe transfer to some kind of safer job in the military if you’re so hell bent on staying. He still can’t wrap his mind around the fact that you dropped out of university. He steals a glance and sees you looking at the file the same way you would look at study notes before a test.

You were right. Of course you were fucking right. Why do you have to be right? The base is much, much bigger than the intel said and worse is the fact that its not completely abandoned. “Get the fuck out of there!” Ghost yells over comms and you’re so close to just tearing the wiring in half so you don’t have to listen to him. You turn another corner, refilling the ammo in your pistol as the sound of pounding footsteps echo down the long concrete hallways of this underground base. You wait for the man to turn the corner and shoot him right between the eyes, the muzzle on your pistol only does so much and the sound bounces off the walls. ”I said to get out of there soldier!”

You snarl, “I’m getting this fucking USB drive, fuck off!” You say into comms as you run down the halls. Lights flicker above you and distantly you can hear soldiers yelling. Just a few more turns, you tell yourself as you slide into a wall, using your arms you push off it and keep going. Once out of this god forsaken underground, NOT abandoned, USSR base you’d die happy never seeing another concrete hall. You slam the door open to the server room stored deep in the base and lock it behind you, hoping that might spare you some time between you and soldiers surely running down the halls towards you.

”Don’t ignore me Sergeant!” His voice comes out warbled, likely because you’re so far underground. You clench your jaw so hard your teeth hurt as you fling open different desk drawers, toss everything onto the desk in search of the USB they sent you here for in the first place. After six desks, you realize there is no way there is a USB.

”Fucking CIA intel.” You grab an unused USB from a desk and jam it into the nearest computer. “Fucking lucky I took that damn class.” You mutter to yourself as you bypass the passwords and begin to download the information.

”Sergeant! I said get out of there, use your bloody ears!”

”I have to download everything myself!” You yell into the comms, “The intel was shite!” You slam your pistol into the PC you’re not currently using. “Fucking CIA.”

”I don’t care! I’m pulling us from this mission.”

”I’m getting this USB Lieutenant, you’re welcome to chew me out once I’m back on the surface.” You snap, “Going dark.”

”Don’t you da-“ You rip the wires out of your comms and throw the damn thing onto the floor.

Ghost yells into the comms again but only gets static back, he looks down at the base from the scope of his sniper. It looks abandoned, it looks small and easy to navigate but he heard what you said. He knows that its all a facade, that the terrorist group had found tunnels to another base nearby and have been smuggling weapons and food between those tunnels, hardly ever having to go outside at this base. Which is what led the intel team to believe its been abandoned and therefore an easy op. His heart is pounding against his chest and it hurts from how hard its beating against his chest, he keeps trying the comms. “Gator! Gator turn your comms back on!” He snarls into the mic but still nothing.

It’s then that it dawns on him that you didn’t just turn comms off, you ripped the wiring out. “God damn it.” He grunts as he gets off the ground, the snow disguising him falls to the ground as he hauls his sniper up and buries it under the snow between two trees. He pulls out his shitty cracked phone, that he frankly refuses to replace. He knows why and its not because he doesn’t like the newer versions. It’s because this one has those pictures of you, the version of you that hadn’t turned your back on civilian life yet. The version of you that makes him feel kind of sick for looking at now that he knows you now.

He opens up his map to the coordinates to the nearest safe house, and grabs his pistol before he puts his phone away. He sighs and makes his way down towards the base that must be crawling with enemy terrorists but no one gets left behind. And he’s not about to let you die down there, his grip on his pistol tightens for just a second before he forces his fist to relax. He saunters his way in, everyone is far too distracted with chasing you down to pay attention to the cameras. He slides down the ladder into the base and is immediately greeted with the muffled sound of an alarm. “Fucking hell.” He mutters as he readies his pistol and knife.

You grunt, push the metal cabinet against the door, pushing through the pain in your thigh to do so. By the time it’s in place, you collapse against the wall next to it, grunting at the pain that shoots up your thigh in quick bursts. You look at the bullet wound and can’t help the disgust that crawls up your face when you realize it's pumping blood out in the rhythm of your heart beat. It’s funny, you’ve been shot before but you never had the time to look at it. It makes sense that it would do that though. You lean your head back against the concrete wall and can’t help the sob that rips it way out of your throat. Not because you’re going to die, not entirely because of that. Because you’re going to die in a concrete box alone.

You smear your bloody hand against the wall, wiping it off as you fumble with your shirt, pull just enough fabric out and rip it. No, you think, you’re not going to die here. Anywhere but in fucking Siberia surrounded by enemies and in a damn concrete room underground. You wrap the torn fabric around your thigh, just above the wound and wrap it tightly. So tightly you can actually feel the blood flow being slowed and this time on purpose. You check the bullets in your pistol and laugh when you see only two. “And I’m fucking out.” You mumble just as you hear someone’s boots echo outside of the room. You rise on shaky legs and bite your tongue to keep from crying out from the pain but walk over to the corner. You raise the gun and point towards the metal cabinet that is rocking from the force of what must be either several people pushing or one big motherfucker.

You don’t pray, no sense in praying right now. Even if you did ask for forgiveness you wouldn’t get it, the blood on your hands is more than any person can justify, not even God because it is a rule. Thou shall not murder. You huff out a laugh at that, well you’ve certainly sinned. The metal cabinet comes crashing down and in bursts three men. Fuck. You fire your last two shots and take down the first two but when the third enemy hears the gun click, he laughs. It’s an ugly and horrible laugh, one that expresses his entire arrogance of you being in this situation. Wounded and without any ammo, your knife left behind in some fuckers neck a few corners ago. “You lose.” He taunts as he walks closer and your leg finally loses feeling, you slide down the wall as you stare at the man who is going to hopefully bring you death.

You’re reminded of that quote you read once, When I die, bury me in the woods, the wolves will be kinder to me than any man. And if you weren’t about to meet your end, you’d laugh at the fact you can’t even remember the woman who said it. You hope she got her wish. The man raises his pistol and presses it to your temple. You hear a bang echo in the room and expect for it all to be over but you grunt when the man lands on you. “What the fuck?” You mutter as you struggle to push the weight of a dead man off of you. He’s pulled off of you and you look up at the bloody skull face plate, “Aren’t you just a life saver?” You quip before you throw up.

Ghost huffs when you pass out after throwing up and narrowly avoiding his boots. He hauls you up and over his shoulder, tucking your pistol into your thigh holster. Trying to get you up the ladder was hell, he was constantly afraid that his grip would loosen and you’d fall to your death. The walk to the safe house is about half way done when he feels your stirring. He grips you tighter just in case you try to flail around and attempt to land yourself in the snow.

When you come to, you realize that you’re over someone’s shoulder. Just as you’re about to flail around, the memory of Ghost standing over you. “Awake now?” Ghost asks, his voice rough as always and that reminds you of someone you used to know. You give your reply in the form of a groan which is all that seems to want to leave your mouth. “We’re about an hour away from a safe house.”

”And I wasn’t told?” You snap, anger pushing past the way you feel like you’re going to throw up if you speak again.

”Need to know.”

”Well I might’ve needed to know!” You flail your arms around harmlessly before you collapse back to being a rag doll on his back. He doesn’t respond and when you think he’s about to return to his normal grumpy silence, he breaks it.

”What the fuck were you thinkin’?” He snaps and you jolt awake from the half sleep you had unknowingly slipped into. “Ripping your comm wires out and going dark. What the fuck Sergeant?”

”I wasn’t able to focus with you screaming at me to abandon the mission.” You immediately jump to defend, “I got the damn USB drive with the intel they need, I completed the mission.” You don’t even realize that he’s reached the safe house until he nearly kicks the door in because the doorknob is frozen. He practically tosses you onto the couch before slamming the door shut. “I completed the objective.” You nearly snarl out.

”You failed to follow simple orders to retreat.” He slams his pistol and knife down on the table, “You nearly died.”

”Yeah, well it didn’t seem like you’d care all that fucking much if I did! If I hadn’t gotten the USB,” You pull the damn thing from your front vest pouch and throw it onto the table. “then the entire thing would have been a waste!”

”I don’t care about the USB, if you’re in danger like that you follow my damn orders! I can’t lose you!” Ghost grabs you by the shoulders and shakes you just a little. You look at him, feeling confusion creep up before it is swallowed down by anger.

”What?”

”Forget about it.”

”No. You’ve been treating me like a damn nuisance the minute I joined the task force and now you suddenly care? Why now huh? Why now? Because you sure didn’t act like I mattered very much.”

”I said forget about it.” He snarls but you go to stand on shaking legs

”No fuck that! Fuck you Ghost! What changed?” You keep hounding him until he slams his fist down the table and rips off his mask.

Rage boils up in you so quickly, so quickly you aren’t able to express it all just through yelling. It burns you up, sets you on fire and throws lighter fluid into that inferno any time you think it's about to burn a little less. It’s all consuming anger mixed with all those years of grief that you never properly addressed, just slapped a bandaid on called military life and carried on. Hot tears run down your face as you scream and rage at him. You even throw something at him, though he ducks out of the way easily. “You fucking bastard! You bastard! Fuck you Simon Riley!” You scream as you cry, head pounding from something. The pain in your thigh? The rage in your temple? Or how hard you’re crying? Probably a mixture of all three. “You’re dead! I buried you! I went to your funeral Riley!” You throw something else at him, probably an MRE.

He says your name gently, like he’s trying to soothe an animal but you’re frankly ready to sink your teeth into his skin if he tries to approach. “You didn’t even have the courage to write? Not even a little postcard? Something! Anything! To let me know you’re not dead? You’re lucky I’m not able to walk.” You spit.

”Would you listen-“ Simon tries to say but you immediately cut him off. Hearing his voice makes whatever walls you have built up over these five years crumble so easily. You can’t let him speak or else you’ll fall into his arms and just cry. And you need to be angry because you deserve to be angry.

”No! You listen to me Simon Riley!” You ball your hands into fists, “Why? Why did you treat me like shit? Why did you undermine me at every turn? It’s bad enough that you let me believe that you were dead! Wasn’t that enough for you? But of course it wasn’t, you had to make my life hell because you met me again!”

”Shut up!” Simon finally snaps, his brown eyes swirling with fury and guilt. “I had my reasons and if you would just-”

”Well what were they then? Huh? I’m all fucking ears.”

”You keep interrupting me. If you didn’t-“

”You had months to come clean Simon! Years if you count the time before I met you again and after all that time you couldn’t just be a man and tell me? Couldn’t even send me a hint that you were alive?” You slam your fist into the wall, you ignore the pain that shoots right up your arm into your shoulder. You glare at him through your tears and wipe at them frantically. “You didn’t even try.”

”I did it to protect you! And if you’d just let me speak I’d tell you all the reasons I had to not tell you or even let you think I was alive!” Simon finally manages to say, he goes to speak again and you hold up your hand.

”Don’t talk to me Simon Riley.” You say as you wipe away any tears from your cheeks that hadn’t rolled all the way down. Your eyes burn and your stomach hurts from just how much you’re feeling right now. Deep down, past the anger you feel relief because he’s alive. Your Simon is alive and maybe more rough around the edges with a scar bisecting his lip, a nasty scar along his cheek and nose broken and not properly set several times. You’re also sure his eye bags have increased tenfold since you last saw him but his eye black keeps that little fact hidden from you. His teeth are chipped and broken but his brown eyes still hold that same depth. You can tell he still smiles the same and he’s still that overprotective boy who had scared off your date that one time just by opening the door.

That’s still your Simon Riley. But damn him to the deepest hell and back for making your heart hurt so badly. “Fine.” He grits out before he marches to what you assume is the safe house bathroom and slamming the door behind him.

There is something wrong with me. That is Simon’s first thought when he looks at himself in the mirror that must be old because his reflection is warped. There is something wrong with me and it's not the scars or the way my joints ache when I stand or sit down. There is something wrong with me and it makes my blood run black. Simon wonders if he had been born wrong. He suspects he’s always been this way, he was his father’s son after all, doomed to be awful to all of those he knows. To use them and drain them dry until they cut him off or he tosses them away. He doesn’t want you to be part of that cycle, to be a part of the cycle that always results in those close to him dying.

He already lost his family, he couldn’t lose you too so he cut you out completely. It was better if you thought he was dead. You were better off thinking he was dead in the ground even if it hurt you, even if it hurt him. And fuck did it hurt that first year, every time something happened he wanted to call you or text you. Tell you all about it late at night in a part of base where no one would care if he was awake if they even dared to approach him at all. Simon wanted to return to you more then anything but Ghost hadn’t dug himself out of that grave and lost his entire family as consequence for not fucking dying just for you to meet that same fate. No, you’d be his only in memory. Maybe one day he’d stalk your social media and find that you’ve moved on. Hopefully out of that fucking city, working a good paying job with a man who deserved you.

And it didn’t matter how much that thought made his supposedly ice heart hurt. It didn’t matter because he was dead and there was nothing he could give you besides this rotting body and whatever love he could scrape together for you.

Simon looks at himself in the mirror, completely maskless and bare for what felt like the first time in years. It felt like his skin had been pulled away to show the maggots, rotting tendons and muscle underneath. Every tear that had left your beautiful eyes had felt like acid on his skin, every word thrown his way a well placed knife throw. He knew he deserved all that malice and if you didn't want to talk to him, then he wouldn’t talk to you. No matter how much he wants to.

The next two days go by slowly, it reminds you of the time you had to go through a bog. Slow movements and time seemed to slow to a fucking crawl as you traversed the bog to go around an enemy encampment so you could get the jump on them from behind. It didn’t matter that your clothes had been soaked through or that you could feel the cold of the water seeping into your bones. You kept going. So the same logic was applied here. Your bullet wound in your thigh eventually got treated properly, in silence of course. Simon had given you the first aid kit and you did your best with what you had. Digging out the bullet had to be one of the most painful experiences you’ve ever had.

Simon had wanted to step in and do it himself but he knew you’d sooner accept an infection then let him any closer then needed. By the end of the hour and several deep, guttural screams cut off only by the belt between your teeth, you had managed to pull the bullet out. You were quick to stitch the hole closed and to wrap it in bandages. When that was over, you only had enough strength to crawl onto the shitty couch and pass out.

The first day not talking to him was filled with tension. It was so thick you could cut it with your knife, if you had it that is. It’s still stuck in that asshole’s neck which sucks because it was a good neck. You were hesitant to put any pressure on your wound, terrified of ripping your frankly shit stitches and increasing the chances of you getting an infection. You spent the entire day cleaning and taking apart your gun with occasional glares sent to Simon if he tried to enter the same room as you and stay for more than a few minutes.

He understood your anger, he did, but he couldn’t stand it at the same time. He wants to sit right next to and soak in your presence in a way he hadn’t allowed himself before this. He hadn’t bothered to put his mask back on and when he had stepped out of the bathroom without it the first time you had jerked like someone had pinched you. You could still tell he had blonde hair from his eyebrows but seeing his blonde hair in a buzz cut had felt like an electric shock. That was still your Simon even all these years later and that made you angrier. How could he? How dare he? After all these years, he looked the same despite the scars on his face but you? Do you still look the same despite the weariness in your eyes and being grief eaten.

The only word he spoke to you was, “There’s a blizzard coming in tomorrow.” You had only given a grunt in acknowledgement which he had to admit, stung. How many times had he responded to you like that while trying to get you to quit and transfer somewhere else? Far too many times, he ran a gloved hand through his prickly hair as he shook his head. God he had been so fucking stupid and stubborn. As it turns out, the blizzard couldn’t wait until tomorrow or maybe it was the next day. The wind shook the entire safe house, the walls creaked and groaned from the force of it. The windows were covered by snow or maybe it was a white out, you couldn’t tell. You didn’t even want to lift your head to check. You were fucking freezing despite your thermals and the blanket. Your teeth chattered as you pulled the blanket even closer and closed your eyes. Your cheeks were numb and you could barely feel your nose, your fingers actually hurt from how cold they were.

You blew more warm breath into your cupped hands, your entire body shivered as another burst of wind caused the house to groan from the weight of it. You glanced around the living room/kitchen area, the fireplace was boarded up but it wouldn’t matter if it wasn’t, you had no wood. The only thing of light was a battery powered lamp that you had been surprised still worked. You knew where Simon was, in the only other room besides the bathroom, the bedroom. Getting up those stairs would have been impossible for you the first two days here with your injury. Hell, you even doubted if you had enough strength to do it now even with the protein and nutrient packed MRE’s given to you for rations. But you suspected if you didn’t seek out another form of warmth and soon, you’d end up a popsicle. And frankly? That sounded like a bad way to go.

You shakily got to your feet, where it was from being nervous about putting weight on your injured leg or if you were cold, you couldn’t be sure. But you wobble up the stairs, gripping the rail for life the entire way and nearly falling when you finally manage to get the doorknob to turn. Simon catches you, he opens his mouth to chastise you before he realizes the state you’re in. He mutters your name, brown eyes filled with worry as you shrug, too tired and frozen to verbally shrug. He shakes his head and brings you to the mattress in the corner, he quickly runs downstairs and grabs your blanket before returning upstairs. You grumble, which honestly was just noises from the back of your throat as he settles next to you, pulling both blankets over the two of you. After a few minutes and warming up a little you mumble, “This doesn’t change that I’m upset with you.”

”I would never expect it to.” He whispers back as he wraps an arm around you. It shouldn’t be as easy as it is, like two pieces of a puzzle finally snapping together. You seep warmth from him like a leech while he holds you close and steady enough that you don’t shiver or shake. He stays awake the entire time, long after you’ve fallen asleep on your pack-made-pillow. Simon looks at you and drinks you in properly this time. Despite the blizzard outside still raging on and the cold temperatures making your skin lose a little color, you’re still as stunning as the day he confessed his love to you. He can still recall that day, sitting at a bench a little ways away from the reception party. The cool October breeze blowing through and the way you looked so relaxed. So content with the moment and with him. He kissed you that night, he kissed you like a starving animal. Like he might never get to kiss you again and that he needed to take what he could now.

“I love you Simon Riley. I have since we were 15. Don’t leave me again Simon, not if you can help it.” He was fucking idiot not to say it back, he didn’t even think to do so because his heart had been stabbed the moment you pleaded with him not to leave because he was leaving again. He was leaving you, the best thing in his entire life. Then he came back fucked but he did his best to get better. He didn’t want to touch you, he was terrified he would hurt you. Force himself on you, every night he dreamed that he was hurting you and that he enjoyed it. The therapy helped a little, you and his family helped a lot. Having something to return to helped so much. Then it all came burning down and damn it, he wasn’t going to let you die. So he killed the men then he returned to Mexico and killed Roba and his entire cartel. Then he never returned home, he never let you even think that he was alive. He glances down at you, sleeping in his arms

Sometimes, if he looks at you even now, he can recall the day the two of you met.

It was so cold and the rain didn’t make anything better. He trembles in his too-big shirt and pants which are rolled up to stop him from tripping again. He sniffles and wipes at his face, if he wipes away tears or the rain he doesn’t know. Other kids pass by him quickly with their umbrellas, rain coats and boots, protected by the things their mum’s and dad’s buy for them. His dad had sold his and Tommy’s umbrella’s and coats to afford more alcohol and drugs. Being the good big brother that Simon told himself he was, he let Tommy take their mum’s coat instead of him. He didn’t regret that, he could never regret making Tommy’s life a little better.

He isn’t expecting you to walk up to him with an umbrella with yellow ducks on it. He recognizes you almost instantly, you go to his class. You ask him, “What are you doing without an umbrella?” with your head tilted to the side like a confused puppy.

He mumbled out, eyes averted to the ground and soggy strawberry hair sticking to his forehead, “I don’t have one.” You asked if his mum didn’t buy him one. She did, she always did her best to provide for him and Tommy but his dad always ruined it. You don’t wait for him to respond, you don’t push for further answers or make fun of him for not having an umbrella or raincoat.

Instead, you smile at him and hold the umbrella with yellow ducks on it over his head after pulling the hood of your coat over your head. “Well it doesn’t matter now, I’m here and we can share.” You give him your name and he gives you his with the tiniest smile on his face. You held the umbrella over his head the entire way there then you walked him home because it was still raining. You called him a friend.

When you wake up, he lets you sit in silence. The blizzard had mostly passed through during the night, the worst of it was over but the safe house outside of the blankets was freezing cold. Simon knew he wasn’t exactly in a rush to leave the warmth and comfort of this moment. The silence hangs between the two of you and at some point, you begin to play with fingers in the way you used to when growing up. It takes a better part of an hour for him to work up the courage and it really feels like he is going to throw up when he whispers, “Do you still love me?” It’s quiet that if you didn’t know his voice that you’d think it was the wind still blowing.

He swallows hard and squeezes his eyes shut as he waits for the killing blow. For you tell him that you don’t love him anymore, especially after these five years and the shit he pulled. But it doesn’t come, instead he hears your shuffling and feels your slightly cold hands cup his stubble covered cheeks. He peaks his eyes open and nearly melts at the sight before him. You, nearly in tears as you look at him so fondly like you did that October day. “Of course I still love you Simon Riley.” He can’t stop himself from closing the gap between the two of you as tears spill from both of your eyes and kiss you.

You’re taken by surprise when he kisses you, it's gentle and some tears slip between your connected lips. You don’t even realize that either you or him has started to cry but you return his kiss, trying to keep him this close for as long as you can without breathing. His hands tug you closer, if he could tear open his ribs and stuff you in there instead of his heart and lungs, he would. When you finally pull away, tears still running down your cheeks, you look at him. Tears run down his cheeks too and wet the fabric of his shirt now that they’re not being caught between your lips and spread between your cheeks and his. “Say it again.” He croaks and you repeat it.

”I love you Simon Riley.” You kiss his cheeks, “I love you.” You kiss his forehead, “And I’ll keep loving you for eternity.” Simon melts with each kiss you give him and sighs when you kiss his lips again. His large hands find your waist and tug you closer, his thick thigh parting yours as his tongue swipes at your bottom lip. You happily part your lips for him, your hands gripping his shoulders as his tongue explores your mouth and a needy moan leaves you. Your heart aches still and tears keep slipping down your face because he’s here. Simon Riley is alive and has been for years. The relief is almost enough to make you forgive him on the spot.

Maybe you are forgiving him in a way, not fully. God knows that it will take a lot more than just this to make you forgive him but it's a start. And it’s a start you desperately need, your fingers dig into him further which pulls a groan from him. Immediately you loosen your grip on him, fearing that you’ve hurt him until he pulls away completely breathless and with pupils so wide there’s hardly any brown left, “Don’t stop doing that.” He leans in and whispers against the shell of your ear. It sends goosebumps rising up on your skin as you dig your fingers back into him right as his mouth connects with yours again.

He rests a hand on the back of your neck to keep you close and connected to him. You feel like a teenager again when he slips one of his thick thighs between your own and you grind down on it nearly out of pure instinct. The pressure of your pants seam pressing against your clit makes your legs weak and a liquid warmth to pool. You do it again and you moan into the kiss, his other hand which he had used to cup your cheek immediately went to your hip and grabbed it. He doesn’t try to stop you, instead he encourages you to grind against his thigh. He mutters something against your lips and it comes out muffled but it sounds like, “Take what you need love.” And you’re not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

You grind against him, a little harder this time which causes your entire body to jolt as the electric pleasure shoots up your spine. His hand on the back of your neck tangles itself into your hair and he pulls away only barely so he can catch his breath. You’re left breathless and panting as you grind against his thigh, he rests his forehead against yours and his eyes focus on you using his thigh. “Fuck.” He mutters as his hand on your hip moves up and cups your chest. “I’m sorry.” He whispers and you furrow your brows, your pace faltering at his words.

”Did I do something wrong?”

“No! No, I’m sorry fo’ bein’ such a twat.” He says and pushes his thigh back against you. Your head tips back as a moan leaves your throat and you resume your previous pace. He gropes and paws at your chest, trying to pinch and twist at your hardened nipples from over the fabric of your shirts. “Love, please let me- let me push your shirt up.” He begs and you immediately give your consent. He doesn’t waste another second and pushes your shirt up as far as it would go then he grumbles something to himself before he pulls it over your head and discards it nearby.

He dips his head down and immediately takes a nipple into his mouth while his hand squeezes the other breast. He sucks on it, laving his tongue over it like a dog and letting his teeth graze it slightly when he figures out it makes your hips jolt. You tighten your grip on his shoulders as your thighs tense up and you desperately keep rocking your hips against his thigh. “Si-Simon I’m cl-“ You’re cut off by your own moan when he switches nipples and when he looks up at you between blonde lashes your orgasm washes over you. Your hips stutter and your entire body jolts once or twice as you soak your underwear. Simon swears at the sight of your mouth falling open and your head tipping back to expose your entire neck.

His fingers are nimble as he unbuttons your pants, he hooks his thumbs under the waistband of both the pants and your underwear then yanks them down. “Let me? Please let me make you feel good.” He begs and you nod, mind still trying to piece itself back together after the first orgasm. He shuffles under the covers and it’s kind of funny to see the bottom half of his body sticking out but the sight of it is pulled away from you as he yanks you further down the mattress.

”Simon-“ You yelp before it’s cut away into a moan. There’s no preamble or teasing, likely because he feels like he’s going to die if he doesn’t have his mouth on your cunt now, before he buries his face in it. You grab at the blankets, your mouth falling open as you moan when his tongue flicks your engorged clit. He can’t seem to decide if he wants to focus on your clit or your pulsing hole, dipping his tongue down to slurp up your juices before returning to your clit. He’s desperate, his hands are gripping your thighs like you might try and pull away despite your moans and pleads for more filling the safe house.

He eases one thick finger into you as he sucks on your clit and you see stars in your vision. “Like that- oh my god- like that please don’t stop.” You whimper as your fingers card through his hair. You moan and start to squirm a little as he begins to pump his thick digit in and out of you. He seems to be searching for something, trying different things and sticking to the one that makes you keen the loudest. He crooks his finger just right and your thighs tense up around his head as a moan tears through your throat.

Like the sniper that he is, he focuses on that spot within your increasingly soaked cunt as he tortures your clit with his mouth. The slurping sounds have your cheeks heating up and you squirm as he pushes a second finger into you with no resistance. He rubs against that soft spot inside you that causes your body to relax further and pins down your hips when you try to squirm away from his tongue.

“Simon- nngh- that feels so-“ You can barely string together a sentence as he seems intent on rendering you boneless and incapable of speech as he abuses your g-spot. You feel a tightness growing within your abdomen, like something is winding up before it lets go. It barely registers in your brain that you’re on the verge of cumming. Simon must feel it too, with the way your pussy clamps down around his fingers, because he redoubles his efforts. Your fingers dig into his shoulders as your pussy pulses without a rhythm and you’re thrown over the edge. The muscles in your thighs clench involuntarily as the pleasure runs through you. He keeps rubbing at that spot through your orgasm, his fingers soaked in your slick as you twitch a little from the aftershocks.

You try to move upwards when he eases a third finger into you but he holds you down. “It’s too much.” You choke out as he crawls up your body, leaving a trail of sticky wet kisses. “Si please.” You hiccup as he begins to work you open with those three fingers.

”Got to work you open love.” He mutters reassuringly before capturing your lips in a kiss. He swallows down your moans like the greedy man he is, keeping all of these sounds for himself. He doesn’t care if the two of you are the only people around for miles upon miles, he doesn’t even want the walls to know your sounds in case they ever learn to talk. You whine at his words and a hand grabs his bicep as he fucks his fingers in and out of you. The stretch of three of his fingers is delicious, just that slight sting that ebbs away the more he finger fucks you.

It feels like he rips the next orgasm out of you, your entire body tenses as it slams into you. You feel yourself gush on his thick fingers and he keeps going, keeps fucking you through it until your pushing at his arm and pleading for a moment of reprieve. It’s only until tears gather in your eyes that he finally stops. Simon peppers your face in kisses while he whispers that he’s sorry. He promises that he’ll do right by you this time, no more running away or disappearing. He swears it as you unbuckle his pants and pulls them down. There’s a noticeable wet patch on his boxers but you don’t comment on it, just pull those down as well. Your mouth waters and your eyes widen when you see his cock.

It's thick, uncut and long. The tip is red from neglect and drips pre-cum like a leaky faucet. His cock is heavy that it hangs low and his brown eyes are filled with lust as he watches you reach down and wrap your hand around his length. “That’s not going to fit.” You finally whisper out, meeting his eyes which crinkle from the cocky smile on his face.

He leans down, body draping over yours. You can feel his body heat rolling off him in waves as he takes his cock from your hands and lines up the bulbous tip with your cunt. He strokes it a few times with his slick coated fingers as he looks you in the eyes before whispering, “I’ll make it fit.” When he pushes it, he does it slowly. You can feel every ridge, every pulsing vein of his cock against your walls. Despite having stretched you with three of his fingers before hand and making you cum twice the sting remains. It’s a sweet burn, a delicious heat that licks from your hips up to the back of your skull. It grounds you to the moment as his fingers dig into you as his hips meet yours, bottoming out in you he lets out a low moan. His eyes flicker down to where the two of you meet and he licks his lips at the sight.

He pulls back just a little and the squelch that comes from your cunt when he pushes back in makes your face hot. He leans down and grabs your uninjured thigh. He hooks his arm around it and forces it up as he cages your body between his arms. You grab onto his shoulder and bicep, your eyes can’t seem to leave his as he thrusts in and out of you. The pace isn’t fast but his hips snap against yours, the sound of skin on skin fills the room and mixes with each noise pulled from you. Simon swallows the lump in his throat as he supports himself on one arm and cups your cheek, his thumb swiping something away. You sniffle and reach your hands up to his face, you try to drink his face. The same face you thought you would never see as tears roll down your cheeks and his cock fills you past the point of full.

“I love you.” You say between hiccups and moans. You watch as his eyes water and he buries his face within the crook of your neck. He mouths at the sweaty skin there and whispers that he loves you back. That he loves you so much it hurts and that he’s sorry. He repeats it over and over again with each roll of his hips and that feeling within your stomach grows again quickly. With each snap of his hips you feel yourself getting closer and more tears leak from your eyes. You cum again with his name on your lips and feel his hips stutter and loose pace. He grinds up against you, nudging your cervix in a way that causes a slight pinch within your lower abdomen that makes you clench down harder on him.

You feel him cum, you hear his groan right next to your ear as his hips come to a complete stop and pressed against the meat of your thighs. His sticky warm cum fills you, the feeling is odd. Foreign but not entirely unwelcome as he stays in that position after letting your thigh rest back down onto the mattress. You twist your head to the side and give him a quick kiss, “Say it again?” He whispers.

”I love you.”

Simon lets out a shaky sigh, the relief he feels is palpable, “I love you too.”

It’s not all that surprising that he can’t keep his hands off you and you’re not innocent either. After seemingly fucking all of your anger towards him out, the two of you cling to each other. He rocks his hips into your again, every movement lighting up your nerves in a way that seems never ending. Like this pleasure will swallow you whole but you don’t mind, it hides the twinges of pain from your thigh from being pressed so close to your chest. You kiss all of his face, soft moans from both of you mixing together into a melody.

”How long until someone is able to get us?” You ask later while you lay on his chest and trail your fingers up and down his abdomen. You’re exhausted, barely able to keep your eyes open and the heat between the two of you is slowly lulling you further into sleep.

”The radio said they’ll be here tomorrow.” Simon replies and you mindlessly hum.

”What will happen when we leave?” You ask, “When all of this is over.”

”We’ll figure it out.” he murmurs and kisses you. “Rest up love.” You’re not surprised, actually delighted, when he wakes you up with kisses on your neck. He trails down from your jaw, nipping occasionally at the soft flesh which earns a wanton moan from you.

”Happened to resting?” You tease and he chuckles against you.

”Oops.” He says and it would be convincing if you couldn’t feel his smile. Simon’s hands trail down your naked body and he pushes two fingers back into your sopping wet cunt. You gasp and arch your back, eyes fluttering closed as he pumps his fingers in and out of you. “You’re so wet.” He groans, like he still can’t believe that you still want him. “Never going to let you go again.” He promises as he begins to abuse that soft part inside you.

Simon kisses your nose and you chuckle. “Excited?” You ask and he nods. It’s been two years since that mission when everything changed again. Two years since you found out Simon Riley never died, that he had refused to die once again. It had taken a little while to figure out what the both of you wanted, therapy helped a lot. It helped you realize that the military lifestyle, despite it being the thing you had only known for the past five years, wasn’t truly for you. Of course you had known that you had only joined in Simon’s memory but therapy helped you let go of it.

God bless John Price, bless him for being utterly professional despite two of his soldiers fucking which has to be the most unprofessional thing to do in the military. He looked at you with that smile that made his eyes crinkle when you placed the discharge paperwork on his desk that day 8 months ago. “Finally figured out what you want then?” He asked as he immediately signed off on it, not even bothering to read through it.

”Yeah, I have, Captain.” You said with a fond smile, you’d miss this. You’d miss him, Gaz and Soap but it wasn’t like they couldn’t come and see you when on leave. You’d only be an hour away in a nearby city anyways. You glance at the two keys in your hand, one for you and one for Simon. You place the second one into his palm. “Let’s go see our home then.” You pick up the cat carrier and Mittens meows in protest. You coo your reassurances to her, promising that it’s almost over. The three of you climb the steps up the porch of the townhouse you now own and Simon unlocks the door.

You glance around the currently empty space then glance behind you to the moving truck parked out on the side of the street. “I think it might take us a day to get everything in here.” You say when you turn to look at Simon

”I’d say two.” Simon says as he takes the cat carrier from your hands and sets it down next to the stairs. You quirk an eyebrow up and part your lips in an ‘o’ shape when you realize what’s on his mind.

”Really Riley?” You ask as you loop your arms around his neck and he chuckles as your expression.

”I’ve always wanted to bend you over a countertop.” He purrs as he tugs his mask down and plants a kiss on your neck which sends shivers down your spine.

”Is that so?” You ask as he backs you up against it after closing the front door. He hoists you up on top of it with a ‘mhm’ before he captures your lips in a kiss and his hands settle on your hips.

You grasp at the edge of the counter, moans being punched out of you with each thrust of his hips. The sound of skin on skin echoes in the house and mixes with his groans. Simon’s fingers dig a little harder into your hips, enjoying the sight of how your fat squishes up between his fingers. “You’re so fuckin’ stunning.” And all you can respond with is a moan as his fat cock abuses the tip of your cervix. “I’m gonna retire.” He babbles and his words hardly register in your mind as you begin to clench down on him as a sign you’re on the precipice of an orgasm. He loops a hand around and rubs mean circles around your clit which sends you falling off the edge.

He swears as your cunt clenches down on him like a vice and he spills himself in you all while he keeps rubbing at your clit. You lay there panting, trying to gather your senses as you blink away the tears of overstimulation once his hand falls away. You gasp and gulp down the air, “Simon?”

”Fuck I said that out loud didn’t I?”

You can’t help but giggle and shake your head. “You mean it?”

”Yeah, I mean it. I’m gonna look into retiring, I can’t be a soldier forever.” He rests his sweaty forehead against your back as he speaks.

”I love you so much Simon Riley.”

His hand reaches out and loops through yours, the matching rings on your fingers glinting in the light. “I love you too.”

[oh-no-its-bird]

Incredibly self indulgent 'early konoha kids get zapped into canon right after Hiruzen is killed' au..... save me incredibly self indulgent 'early konoha kids get zapped into canon right after Hiruzen is killed' au ,,,,

This is so stupid but I'm embracing the cringe.

POV a Nara an Orochi and 2 Hatake twins fuck around and find out with one of Tobirama's seals (that one of the Hatake's definitely stole) when they really really shouldn't and get zapped to Konoha

Immediate glaring problem: the Orochi clan is incredibly recognizable. They all look very similar. And Orochimaru is the only one left in modern era and also just killed the Hokage in front of a fuck ton of people, like, last week. And is also a known body hopper so any minor differences in appearance can be very easily waved away.

They don't even realize smthn went wrong at first bc they were fucking around way on the outskirts of town to avoid being caught playing with things they shouldn't, and when they return to town they take the back ways around so they don't even notice the new buildings n stuff

They all just kinda shrug and call it a day after the seal explodes on them (and poke at the Hatake who's genius idea it was to play with the seal, who is also the only one of them currently throwing up in the grass due to the seal backlash) and split off to go home

"Did it hurt?" Haru cheerfully prodded his brothers cheek with his finger. "Do you feel sick?" He gave him another poke. "Do you feel stupid?" At this poke, Hiro let out a low grumble. "You look pretty stupid."

Only, in going home, the Hatake's return to a ruined, falling appart clan compound that suitably freaks them out

The Nara to a house that looks somewhat the same (with some changes to the garden) but has a new family in it who yells at her in confusion when she apparently breaks in and chases her away

And the Orochi, the only one of them to go run errands before heading home, is immediatley mistaken for Orochimaru and tackled by like 10 ANBU agents at once while trying to buy groceries (the weeping shopkeep is very relieved. The Orochi meanwhile, is very confused)

Prison break time !! The Nara and Hatake twins very messily break out their friend, who then refuses to leave without retrieving their gourd, which was taken to evidence (and is an important clan artifect and weapon) so the escape gets even messier

They may have tried to clear up any misunderstandings but that was before their Orochi buddy got put in prison under threat and schedule of torture, so they decide to fuck off from the village in hopes of creating some distance

(There's a lot of conflict on Konoha's side, behind the curtains and higher up, from some who had interacted w Orochinatsu, who do not believe them to be Orochimaru. And those who interacted w them and do. And Danzo, who wants them dead and or in his hands either way, who is also kind of in charge rn bc Sarutobi's fucking dead)

So they retreat real hard and real fast and knock right into Sasuke actually, who's in the middle of trying to defect to sound.

Oh also it's to note that the warring states guys are all 17-18, so they (read:the Hatake twins) see Sasuke and are like "oh the ittle baby wishes to commit treason? That's so cut— whO taught him that ????? (Chidori) WHY CANT I DO THAT I WANT TO DO THAT ???????"

Anyways they somehow join Sasuke on his little trip to sound— They hear Orochimaru and think of the Orochimaru of their time (the name is a title passed down through Orochi clan heads) and they also, now somewhat aware of the time travel, think of the (literal this time) baby Oro they occasionally babysit together, and who is Orochinatsu's baby cousin (who is, yes, the Orochimaru of this time)

They get to Sound and Orochimaru is like "???? Ayo ????" for MULTIPLE reasons, this entire thing fascinates him

Omg Sasuke u brought him a gift ?? Ur such a good guest!

Unfortunately for them tho, Orochinatsu is also like. Literally the most perfect body he could ask for, actually. They look really similar, the kid is young and strong and healthy, plus also very talented (annoyingly to the others, one of the most skilled among their generation in early konoha) they already have a snake contract, and best of all they're literally directly biologically related to Orochimaru, which could seriously help the body snatching procedure, etc.

Unsure where it goes from there, they might tuck Sasuke under their arm and book it, maybe even promise to help w his Itachi problem, idk I'm just having fun spinning around in circles in a chair daydreaming ab silly stupid oc time travel aus

Staring at a wall telling myself to embrace the cringe ,,, I earned it,, tis my birthright to make unasked for naruto oc content ,,

[jollyparaphernalia]

Omg, I saw the newest Clovis post and I got so many things in me brain. 1. Titles. The Knight seems to have a fondness for them. While Sif used them to distance himself, to make interactions impersonal. I think Clovis might use them more as the others see nicknames. If you're important enough, then you get a title, you embody something. Like there are many housemaidens, but Mirabelle is the housemaiden. She's the most important one. He'll still use their names, but it depends on what context he's thinking in. And also, I think they'd be both different from Siffrin's titles and change more often (depending maybe on context), be more personal. Something the person in question might like to be called themselves, since he'd have more time to develop them. Just an idea. And imagine Loops reaction, when the knight waltzes in day one... 2. In a sense, one of Siffrin's flaws was giving up too easily. In a sense, one of (the king) Clovis' weaknesses is not knowing when to stop. Now, stay with me. I believe that the stagemaster would be quite offended that they'd bring a child to fight them. (They truly are fools!) So much so that they might specifically engineer situations where the child might 'accidentally' put the others in danger (Or themselves, Oh what a foreseeable tragedy!). It would be too boring if he just let the saviours walk through the house, uninhibited. Clovis decides that, perhaps they should not bring a child with them into the house. For as much as he respects their unshakable spirit, bravery in the face of the unknown, they are yet just a child. So he would go about convincing everyone, including the child in question that *maybe* they should be a little stricter about this actually... Yeah but there's no convincing Bonnie. Bonnie has already made up their mind, and Bonnie is a particularly stubborn child. So, the knight. Being multiple loops deep of failed persuasion tactics. (And very many loops in general. Loop being quite unhelpful, very often seems to try and deliberately get him killed.). Decides that it would probably be easier to convince the others that Bonnie decided to not come along than it is to convince them. Deciding might be a strong word. It was more so cold anger doing the decision for him. He did not have time for a proper funeral, so to the sea they returned. Or the lake... Clovis can be good at lying. Especially when people want to believe him. So he continues. If it works, then it was a sacrifice worth making. And if it doesn't then it will be undone soon. ... 3. The head housemaiden! Is that the one who knows Clovis is looping? Will he see her darkless hair, and wonder? Will she say something else? Also Is Clovis inciting wish different from Siffrins? Is it even that which has trapped him? 4. Will Clovis tell the others about his timeloop? He pledged his alliegance to Mirabelle, and anything that could be useful in defeating the stagemaster she deserves to know, no? I imagine he would tell them until starts being just a time waster. When there's no new input or ideas they could give And he decides to tell them on the last loop, when he's figured out how to save Vaugarde for good. Sorry for such a long ask, and basically writing fanfiction for your fanfiction. But I love your au, It's a delight! I can't wait to see more.

I'm delighted people are thinking and also rotating thoughts in their head about all of this! Don't apologize for essentially writing fanfic of a fanfic - this is the fans domain, baby! If the version of Clovis you might have/think of might differ from what I think of, and thats okay, that's the intent, really.

Yeah, Clovis likes his titles, but since the Party was all 'nooooo call me by my name' he respects their wishes so he'll call people by their names (though he does interchangeably refer to them by formal names and occasionally nicknames, ex: he calls Bonnie Boniface and also Bonnie...and also maybe Bon-Bon. )

Not knowing when to stop (and get help) is a good way to refer to Clovis. Though, if i'm reading this right here, I think you're implying here that he'd hurt someone physically to keep Bonnie from the House. I think Clovis would rather die than hurt someone from the Party (or intentionally deny someone their purpose, in this case, Bonnie being Snackleader.) You know, Universe leading and we follow (even if he can't always remember the phrase). Universe led Bonnie to being Snackleader, and if Bonnie being there is causing issues...then it's Clovis' job as protector to 'figure it out, idiot' it IS, however, very in character for the Stagemaster to fuck with people by engineering situations where one of the Party Members quirks/mannerisms causes them to trigger a trap or something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b4ULg131PM This is all info i'm planning to answer later :)

Maybe. I think it's fun to give Clovis a Siffrin characteristic, as a treat - instead of 'I can't say anything about the timeloops because then they'll hate me', it can be Clovis going 'I should be able to handle this on my own, I don't want to burden them/imply to them that i'm struggling, then they might see me as a burden and not worth the trouble'.

Thank you so much for the interest! And as an added reminder, again, we are all in the same fandom boat together, and while Clovis is my creation (and even then, while he's technically an OC, i'm trying to be very specific with him as an extension of the King's themes and ideas) it's like - have fun with it, if you have an idea that has your head spinning a blorbo like a rotisserie chicken, you don't need the creators approval to make stuff, or to theorize, ya know? Like how Insertdisc5 has stated that if any of the party members were Looping, they'd figure that shit out easy and solve the loops in practically no time at all...

But if everyone adhered to that way of interacting with the text, we wouldn't have cool AU's involving the other characters looping...Including one of my personal favorites and a big inspiration for me to post my brainrot publicly to begin with, Sharkylass' 'In Repetition and Change'!! Go check it out! Do it! Do it!! I love the way they interpret Isabeau as a character and peel the guy apart to examine him. And to think! If we were completely concerned about being 100% canon all the time, we wouldn't see cool shit like that! Their AU gave me a new way to look at Isabeau and I love that!

[scaryspears]

Evil Regulus Black

One day I was casually scrolling Tumblr, when I came across a snippet of some kind. Can't remember what it was about specifically, but it probably had to do with Sev's school life. I think he was exiting the Slytherin common room with the other Slytherins, and Regulus was amongst them. Sev accidentally bumped into him (or was pushed and got bumped into him). Regulus said something along the lines of "I don't like being touched by filthy mudbloods, thanks." It came off as cold. I imagined him saying it with a blank face, and a dead-ness to his eyes. I can't remember if it was described, but I remember that being my interpretation.

It was a realistic take of what Sev's relationship with other Slytherin purebloods would be. If he wasn't outright bullied by them, he was definitely shunned and isolated. Furthermore, I liked this version of Regulus. You could tell that he was a very cruel person purely based on that interaction, and I loved it. I love the idea of Regulus and Severus as associates or friends, in fanfiction settings. However, this accurately depicted Regulus would defeat that notion. And I like that. I wish this was explored more. As a person who loves variety, having a Regulus that was somewhat a bully would be interesting. 

Regulus comes from the Black family - known for their hate for muggles, but some members of the family were more tolerant - so I'd imagine his traits are similar to Sirius', but different fonts. Following my headcanons, Regulus is calmer and less reckless. You won't know he's insane or that he's cruel just by looking at him.

Here's 2 examples: 80s Terry Silver (Sirius), Present day Terry Silver (Regulus) or Movie Kazuo Kiriyama (Sirius), Manga Kazuo Kiriyama (Regulus). If you get it, you get it.

If he were to become a tormentor of Sev, then it might have to be a 'Black family coincidence' situation. Sirius. Narcissa. Bellatrix. If they all know Sev in some fashion, then Regulus surely will. There's just something about Snape.

I'd imagine Regulus would be the 'don't bother me and I won't do anything to you' type. He would have to be provoked in order to actually do something to another person. Other than that, he'll kindly accept the fact that you exist. He'll prefer it if it was away from him, though.

As for the Marauders bullying Sev, maybe he would find it funny (probably does). He will utter out a few chuckles here and there, but wouldn't join in. Sometimes he finds it boring, and would go on his day like nothing happened. The only thing that keeps him up at night is that he doesn't understand Sirius' obsession with bothering Sev.

James Potter has a reason, but not Sirius. That makes Regulus curious.

And then, Regulus realises it. Snape has a choice. Snape has other options. Considering what world he lived in, those options were small - but options none the less. Snape belongs in both worlds, and can easily pick a side. He could escape and leave everything. It was the very thing Sirius desired, and was jealous over it. Angry that Snape chose that side of himself that Sirius actively rebelled against. Snape represented freedom.

In other words, Sirius' opinion of what freedom looked like.

Regulus then decides to get under Sirius' skin by making sure Snape is guided towards that freedom. Regulus makes Severus' school experience a living hell. He uses every connection he has to make sure Snape's wizard life is squashed.

He dissuades everyone he knows from associating themselves from Snape. Even talks Lucius out of keeping Snape as his 'lap dog'. 

He drives Snape away from wanting any involvement with the wizarding world because he won't belong on either side. The light side allowed him to get bullied, while the dark side wants nothing to do with him. Snape will have no other option, and must return to his muggle life. Meanwhile, there's a war going down.

Regulus inadvertently 'saves' Sev from becoming a Death Eater. Sirius will never see that freedom. Regulus unintentionally becomes a hero.

You might call him an evil mastermind, but Regulus is just playing a game. A really fun game that the other player needs to catch onto in order to beat him.

[cheruberris]

○ ۫ ⠀،،̲ cheruberries 草莓 ͟ ͟𝐹ame SMOSH! dr

vogue, 73 questions with MARGARETA LILI TASHEV✸ ،،̲ how did you and angela come to be? ━━ ' something like this ... '

⠀⠀၇୧ ⠀ᅟ𓈒⠀angela giarratana as my fame dr (smosh) girlfriend!

i joined the smosh fam in late 2022, originally to guest write for the main channel. at the time, i was doing everything to leave my comfort zone after an anxious episode━ which meant doing anything that proved that i could do it. taking a solid year to live in LA for the for-see-able future, and write for a huge comedy channel was a BIG step. due to me.. well, lowkey having social anxiety i was not interacting with the cast a bunch.

the first REAL shift happened when i started to appear on little challenges here and there. improv challenges used to be the bane of my existence but it all changed with her (cue romantic music) ━ we got paired up for a “funny or not” improv bit. it was my second month in. but i remember we were doing this bit about two horrible exes running into each other at a funeral or something insane like that, and angela—god bless her—was fully committed. i was trying to stay in character but she said something so quick that i broke. first time on camera with her, and i laughed so hard i had to turn around and face the wall. and then SHE started laughing because i was laughing and the crew literally had to cut (because it our laughter was continuing for like five minutes straight)

we started getting paired up a lot more after people started enjoying our chem. no ship edits YET, becuase the material wasn't there & nobody knew about my sexuality at the time. but we were so cute together during this era 冬◞¡ ♡︎. i'm always very intune into people ( i pay more attention to others like 80% of the time ) ESPECIALLY when i like them. so it was always like, i'd mention some shit that i remembered about her from a few months ago like, 'oh yeah angela likes that too' etc etc. on smosh mouth and stuff. and people started to CLOCK my tea. 🍵

the finishing touch at the time (so early 2023?), was me confirming i was bisexual with a prefrence for women, just casually, i don't even remember when. but i REMEMBER me going on twitter the day after and seeing everything in shambles.

this. is the time where my habit of calling people around me 'babe' for no reason developed, casually. but 90% of the time i was using the nickname with her for funsies #trolling it's just because it slides of the tongue so easily, and sounds so cuteee.

and then after about a week. she started saying it back (˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )づ♡ the first time she did it during was during mid-video??? i was so gagged. 'your turn babe' and i stood there so caught of guard, literally mouth agape with a 'what' i recovered after three seconds, "that's my thing babe" will never forget how i felt there.

i flew home for my birthday, late august. and then on vacation w my fam!!! so no couple bday content. I'M KIDDINGGG. we did get a few crumbs!!! :33 i returned from vacay early september, and everyone was like happy birthday blah blah confetti emoji whatever. and THEN she walks out with this dumb mini capcake with sprinkles (GREY!!! my favorite color hello??) all decorated, and one candle. she went “you get one wish babe” and i OH MY GOD- i said “i already got it.” like as a joke. but also not really. but a joke, y'know? but i literally look to the side.

whole room dead silent. everyone gagged. i look to my front and i see angela SMILEEEEE ૮꒰◞ ˕ ◟ ྀི꒱ა it was so cinematic.

from the corner of my ear i could hear shayne go 'bro??' and courtney was like 'congrats?' for what ??? HELPPP 😭😭😭 and like. NOTHING was confirmed. by anyone. we didn’t say anything. suddenly we were sitting next to each other every time (by choice, but yes.) and suddenly she was saving me the last slice of pizza and calling it “reserved for my fave.”

and godddd it was so confusingggg (girl so confusing but literally.)

because we'd go around LA, browse through thrift and record shops, go eat sushi or turkish food, like every day we were on set together during breaks etc. and i just couldn't figure out if this was serious? or just a 'haha i love flirting with you but i'd never date you lol' kind of thing.

but then there was the night.

it was early october. we’d wrapped on a long-ass shoot day, and she was like “come over. i have edibles and ‘mortal kombat.’” and i said yes before she even finished the sentence. like obviously. so i uber to her place and it’s cozy and dim and she’s wearing something cute and i’m trying to be chill about it (and failing).

we split an edible and 30 minutes in, it hits. i remember going, “this feels like a date,” and she just blinked at me and went “it kinda is.”

and i was like.

oh.

OH.

(🧍)

i remember— maybe we cuddled a little longer than “platonic” allows. and maybe our legs were tangled, and her hand was on my waist. and MAYBE her thumb was kind of. moving. like? brushing back and forth? just slightly?? maybe we kissed? maybe we made out????? so when i woke up the next morning, i was like—did that happen. did we kiss. or was that just my horny bisexual brain on 10mg.

BUT. the thing is… she was being so soft with me. tucked a blanket around my legs. made that oatmeal. said “text me when you get home,” even though she DROVE ME. and when i said bye she hugged me from behind!!!!! like we were in a movie montage and i was about to board a plane to war. so i was like. okay. okay so something happened.

but after that?? we were both SO. ODD. about it. like not awkward-awkward but “do we acknowledge that i may or may not have tasted your lip balm?” kind of awkward.

we were filming a chaotic group video — like one of those classic Smosh Games things, teams, trivia, punishment round, lots of yelling. energy high. and it’s me, angela, shayne, and courtney on a team. and for whatever godforsaken reason the question is:

“who in this group would you trust the most with your heart?” it was OBVIOUSLY a joke prompt. OBVIOUSLY meant to be funny.

shayne IMMEDIATELY points to courtney and goes, “easy. she’s my platonic wife.”

courtney: “awww 🥺”

courtney, pointing at shayne: “duh. same.”

and then there’s this beat of silence and all four heads slowly turn to me.

i’m like. uhhhhh.

and i go “okay if this is like metaphorical heart surgery i’d probably pick arasha.” (me completely ignoring the 'in this group' part of it cause i was panicking?? help) BUT THEN. without missing a beat, angela goes:

“she meant me. she’s just being shy.”

gagged. speechless. mouth wide open.

i tried to recover “okay bold of you to expose me like that” and angela SHRUGS. SHRUGS like “oops 🤷🏻‍♀️” and then has the AUDACITY to say while acting nonchalant,

“girl we made out last week it’s not a secret.”

everyone in the room starts screaming. like that ugly mix of screaming and ferally laughing, because it just came out of nowhere???? i try to slide out of the frame and under the table because my face is so red i might just explode. courtney is yelling something along the lines of 'I KNEWW ITT' and shayne is combusting on the table.

i hear courtney yell 'i knew that cupcake was gay!' at the corner of my ear. meanwhile i'm trying to process that she knew that we had kissed this whole time!!!!!!

i don't even remember the next 15 minutes, but i end up outside, i needed air BADDD. and then the convo happened 🥹

“you okay?”

and i’m like “define okay.”

she leans against the wall and goes, "well, now they know. but i think they always knew anyway, but you know."

i'm trying my best to act somewhat nonchalant, hitting the 'im just a chill guy' pose while secretly crashing out, "yeah— i guess they know.." pauseeee, "i didn't know we were a thing."

and she hits the squint, and head tilt combo, “okay well. we kissed. we cuddled. i save you pizza. we flirt literally non-stop. what else would we be?”

“i mean when you put it like that 😭”

“i like you, dude. i’ve been liking you.” AAAAHHHHHHHHH

and that was the story on how i met your mother.

[scrapyardboyfriends]

I'm glad Emmerdale are finally getting rid of some of these characters. Nate and Will and Wendy and such have been on my axe list for years and characters like Ella never worked anyway. But I do share others concern that they're axing mostly non Dingle characters other than Nate and the show desperately needs to expand beyond the Dingles if it wants to survive. I was even thinking about the teens and I feel like half of them are related to each other so the dating pool just gets smaller and smaller, which is an issue.

I feel like if they want to get rid of Dingles, Sam and Lydia would be where I would start honestly, and Belle. Of course I'd feel bad for the actors but from a story potential perspective, Belle has really been exhausted over the years and especially with this latest story. I'd honestly send her off with a nice job opportunity exit and let her go live a happier life off screen.

Sam and Lydia have just become extremely irrelevant. Other than maybe Lydia's friendship with Kim, which doesn't get the amount of focus it used to anyway, they really have nothing to do. Samson is in prison, Amelia and Esther are gone. Zak and Lisa are gone. They could easily follow Belle or go to Scotland or anywhere. Follow Amelia to be closer to Esther.

Then I'd probably just move Mandy and Paddy up to Wishing Well so Liam can have his damn house back.

I'd axe Bear because I've never understood his purpose. I'd also axe Ryan because honestly what's the point.

And then I'd let Charity and Chas and eventually Cain rest as characters for a bit. Let Chas and Charity just be behind the bar for their episode counts but not have massive stories. Let Cain just be support to Moira and work at the garage for a bit.

I'd pull Noah into Joe's orbit and let him embrace his Tate side a bit. I'd let Joe get a true foothold into Home Farm so he and Kim have to actually work together up there. I'd bring in Jean Tate to make them more of a proper family up there. Maybe let them remember that Caleb is half Tate as well.

I'd kill the HOP and put in a better more functional business up there. One that can actually visibly employ people.

Honestly, at this point I'd probably axe Dawn and Billy as well. I want to like them and I do like Billy but they just don't know what to do with them and with Will gone, they either need to make them functional village characters with jobs or they need to go. I'd move Gabby back into the Home Farm sphere with Jean and Joe and Noah.

As for other new characters, I'd still bring in a whole new family with teens and then actually use those teens to allow the current teens to start having real stories and not just troubled teen stories. But not all issue stories either. Let them just date and work part time jobs and have visible friendships and react to their parent's stories and stuff in addition to have bigger stories of their own. Let them be real characters with real personalities.

I was also thinking about bringing back/recasting a character like Scarlet King. She could be good to give Jimmy more family again but you know...not make her a psycho. She could come in with a family or not. But she could give characters like Vic and Amy and Matty someone new to interact with.

I'd also probably axe Charles and Claudette and as much as I do like Manpreet, she has nothing to do either. Bring in a new vicar with a family.

And none of these new families would be connected to anyone in the village, especially not the Dingles.

I'd also probably axe Suzy and just let Vanity get back together and free Mack. Let Mack move in with Aaron and John until John just fucking leaves.

I'd still do whatever I possibly could to convince Ryan to return obviously.

I'd also probably axe Kerry at this point.

I'd let Vic and Matty/Amy buy into the B&B because Nicola and Jimmy are stretched too thin. Let Vic expand the B&B restaurant and be a functional character that has a life and purpose and doesn't exist just to annoy people or be their plot friend.

One of the new families would definitely have an older mother or aunt come with them that could date Mary.

Mary and Kim's friendship would also get to flourish again, especially if I axe Lydia.

I'm also just desperate for them to return to having some village stories that bring in the comedy and positivity. Things that aren't so serious.

Anyway...call me ITV, I have ideas.

[zenshigarakilover]

I might be Delulu, but hear me out.

I know that AFO keeps Yoichi isolated in the vault. When AFO came and visited Yoichi and told him that he hadn't eaten yet. What bothers me is that Yoichi said he refused to eat because he didn't want to be manipulated. This makes me wonder why he didn't mention like "Bro, you lock me up here, and how do I plan to eat?" or "Even if you give me, I still refused to eat because I don't want to be manipulated by you" or something. The panel where they show Yoichi locked up was pretty dark, but I can't help but think that AFO did give him luxury stuff all around him in the room, but Yoichi still refused to use them. He was afraid that he might be tainted. It was just that it was proof that there was a vault door.

I like to believe AFO likes to keep giving Yoichi more stuff and wants nothing in return, Just like how AFO gives him a quirk but ends up isn't enough for Yoichi to be by his side. MAN, I still wish we had more Yoichi's POV.

He might have mentioned it earlier, as based off of AFO's words there Yoichi has skipped meals previously, but as usual AFO ignores him and tells him the only way to get out is to agree to join him.

And hm the idea of AFO originally gave him luxurious items at first in the vault is something I've seen in several fics before, but don't agree with. Considering the purpose of the vault is to break Yoichi's will so he could give into AFO, I think AFO sticking him in a dark room with nothing in it alone for hours would be more effective in achieving that.

I also believe the whole being stuck somewhere surrounded by wealth was already Yoichi's reality pre-vault. When AFO had the means to put his brother somewhere nicer he did, but doubt he would have allowed Yoichi freedom to come and go as he pleased, especially since he could be a target for his enemies. I don't think many people knew Yoichi existed in the first place, only AFO's most loyal and trusted (brainwashed) guards knew of his existence and even then their contact with him was limited. Yoichi's main form of human interaction was his brother and AFO kept it this way be keeping him isolated from everyone else. So to me the vault was just AFO making a bad situation for Yoichi worse by taking away his luxuries and keeping him truly alone to be able to break his will easily. I do think Yoichi felt guilt about having those luxuries in the first place because he knew they were obtained via blood money.

Tbh I wouldn't say AFO is giving Yoichi stuff without wanting anything in return, baby AFO may have believed Yoichi provided him nothing but the text seems to contradict that as we see how Yoichi provided him love and attention when no one else did. I think that's what he wants more than anything in return is for Yoichi to give him that same love and attention Yoichi gave to him as a child. It was the thing he valued most growing up and is what kept him going throughout all those years. He can't stand a world where he can't have Yoichi there by his side providing him human companionship and love, he needs these things and its evident he wants it from Yoichi the most.

His entire motivation in becoming a villain is desiring to have the world give him the attention and need him like his brother did. In his own words without Yoichi he is nothing. Based his entire life trying to get him back shows Yoichi provides him things no one else can. As anything he deems useless he easily tosses away, but he can't do to Yoichi. Not because of any sort of familial obligation as he didn't have anyone to ingrain that in him, but because his younger brother provides him with the love he desperately desires. At his core he's lonely and doesn't want to rule everything alone. We saw how depressed he got when he believed Yoichi shattered for good, saw everything he worked for futile if he couldn't have Yoichi too.

i do think of this from time to time and how we see the word siblings be emphasized. Yes, he's trying to convince Kotaro to have another child so he can use them but I also feel AFO is being genuine here in his belief that siblings help you out when no one else did. That's how it worked for AFO as a child at least.

Rambled far more than I planned too, but thats how I view that.

[papaziggy-devblog]

What would your RO's options be of the DoL RO's?

This is going to take so long why would you do this to me? OTL

Harper:

Kylar: Probably similar to Xavier... Bully but more in a cousin-ly sort of way... Would play games with, Would carry by the scruff like a stray cat

Whitney: On sight, throwing hands, no questions asked

Sydney: Makes Harper itchy :\

Robin: Who's lost child is this? Doesn't know really what to do with him... Would default to playing fortnight with... Possibly friends on Roblox?

Avery: Thinks he's weird, is loaded himself so not impressed, which I'd imagine would annoy Avery

Eden: Would probably never meet unless Eden lived near the camp cause Harper would never willingly spend any amount of time in the woods unless it involved MC

Alex: Probably banned from the farm for saying 'I wanna be a cooowboyy baby' one too many times

Malik

Kylar: "Oh great.. another fuckin' weirdo"

Whitney: Avoids if possible but probably has been targeted a few times, has probably tricked him into eating laxities at one point as retaliation

Sydney: Is chill with... C!Syd would probably fit into the friend group p alright, always returns his science textbooks at the very last second though

Robin: Goes older brother mode

Avery: Doesn't even bother, hates guys like Avery

Eden: Would 100% avoid at all cost

Alex: Don't really have any strong opinions on

Gavin

Kylar: Feels kinda bad he's always alone... probably would try to interact with? Check up on here and there? You ok buddy?

Whitney: Would be absolutely terrified of... would avoid at all cost

Sydney: Would hit on both P! and C!

Robin: Would help with the lemonade stand

Avery: Feels very uneasy around

Eden: Also terrified of

Alex: Not allowed on the farm anymore, but only cause the chickens bully him too much

Sophie

Kylar: Also feels kinda bad he's always alone... maybe brings him a snack here and there

Whitney: Whitney very quickly realized he was out of his depth.. For once, pray for this man

Sydney: Thinks he's a sweetheart! Would be gentle with him <3.... Would not be gentle with C!Syd cause he's freaky like that... On a related note, is probably Sirris' #1 customer

Robin: Goes mom-friend mode, maybe dotes a little too much though

Avery: Avery wishes he could handle her

Eden: Would feel a bit bad about him being all alone in the woods, might also go mom-mode with, the thought of tiny little Sophie scolding him makes me giggle

Alex: Would think he's nice, I could see her liking to help with the animals

Cammie

Kylar: Is creeped out by him, stays away as far as possible

Whitney: Like Gavin, is terrified of him, avoids at all cost

Sydney: Thinks he's really nice! Would be very easily flustered by C!Syd though

Robin: Would probably get along the best with tbh, I see them being sweet friends uvu

Avery: Ducking through alleyways to avoid, leave her alone pls

Eden: Is never stepping foot in the forest ever again qvo

Alex: I could see her volunteering at the farm! Probably helping with smaller livestock

Jazz

Kylar: Keeps a close eye on him, very suspicious

Whitney: Having absolutely none of his BS... Probably suplexes him at one point

Sydney: No strong opinions of, happy he's not much of a trouble maker

Robin: .... Are we sure this isn't one of the campers?

Avery: Shoots him down point blank and tells him to piss off

Eden: Battle for dominance lmao

Alex: Probably has some sort of deal going where campers can come to his farm for educational stuff

Dante

Kylar: 'ThatBoyAin'tRight'

Whitney: Has probably punched him out

Sydney: No strong opinions of tbh

Robin: Dad mode

Avery: Just turns and walks away without saying anything

Eden: Staring into the camera like in the office

Alex: Don't really see much interaction between the two

[bettydice]

I have finished Veilguard. A bunch of thoughts under the cut!

The Companions: Loved all of them and all the banter and their interactions. I thought the companion quests were fantastic and there was a lot of content there and I enjoyed it all. Voice acting was fantastic and some line deliveries made me tear up. And while it was honestly nice to have everyone get along well and be respectful with each other, I did miss some... bite and conflict. Like you get all those delicious conversations with Solas and questioning of motives and I wanted more of that sort of thing. Also I'd die for Assan and Manfred. The Environments: This is definitely one of the strongest parts of the game for me. Everything is gorgeous and I loved just walking around, exploring. I thought they found a great balance of streamlined and exploration! Puzzles were at a difficulty that I can still enjoy (thus very simple, I'm sure other people are annoyed by that) and it made exploring satisfying and relaxing instead of a chore. And I loved seeing changes in the environments after certain events or NPCs moving into places that I'd cleared. I rarely fast travelled because I loved walking through the Crossroads so much.

Rook: Overall, I enjoyed Rook. I chose Erika Ishii's voice for my first playthrough and thought it was fantastic. Also loved every Mourn Watch dialogue option. However... Rook has a loooot of auto dialogue and the dialogue options feel quite limited, so I'm worried about replays and being able to make different Rooks actually feel different. Also hate to say this, but Rook could smile a little less in cutscenes... I also don't think you can play a Rook that antagonizes any companions or is just plain shit at conflict resolution.

Combat: Even though I never felt like I fully mastered it, I enjoyed it. And especially after recently replaying all the other games - the dragon fights were so much cooler (though as a mage, they were also 80% running around screaming). I didn't miss being able to control my companions, except for taking screenshots. Romance: I romanced Bellara and I love her, she is my beautiful wife. I do wish there'd been more romance specific content, especially because you get to see soo much of your companions getting together and being together and you're just there like... what about me? Spare romance banter for Rook pls? I didn't even get a romance specific greeting! Though ultimately, I'm really happy with the romance and the ending added some welcome drama, because Bellara was the one that got abducted by the blight/Elgarnan and yesss! The drama! The fade statues guilt trip! She's so smart and fierce when she returns! And the last scene was super sweet. <3

Story: Overall I'd say... Yay? Loved all the Lore drops and actual answers. Thought the side quests were well done and interesting. Another shout out to the companion quests! All in all, I'm satisfied with the ending, I think. HOWEVER! You can feel the Things We Didn't Import all over the game. There were so many moments where I was like, okay they COULD have mentioned xyz here easily, but no, they have to go out of their way to be vague or not let you talk to this character much. I don't need actual cameos (Isabela you deserve better) but there's so many missed opportunities for simple mentions or codex entries and it's such a shame. Because this IS the culmination of the story and why can't we see that reflected in little moments, so that we can truly feel the depth of the story once more? But I do love the Codex! There's so much good stuff in there! I might even go back and read all the Codex entries I haven't yet. Oh, why do we see no Elves working for Solas? Did he manage to get his entire spy network killed before the game? Classic Solas. Music: Soundtrack was fine, better than I expected tbh though a few scenes had some really awkward whimsical music that made me go ?????????? The Varric thing is dumb. The 'twist' only works because I guess nobody ever mentioned his death ever again. I hate sacrificing character development or People Behaving Normally for twists.

Why is the Inquisitor still wearing FUCKING PYJAMAS. Really wish there was an option to dye armour. The decision between Minrathous and Treviso is a cool concept and loved (though hated) seeing the fallout but what.... Rook and their two buddies are the only thing standing between a city and complete ruin???? I do not think so.

That's all for now.

[loosesodamarble]

I have a tag game challenge for you.

How do you think the dynamic would be between you and your newest addition to your harem/ last fictional crush?

Well that's a fun question~! Thanks for that, Anon!

Now my most recent fictional crush in question is Yukimaro from the otome visual novel 9 R.I.P.

He's just so pretty to look at~! But there's more to it than looks. He's a sweetheart; a spirit guardian in training who wants to be able to look after others. It isn't all that easy for him though as he's childish and needy at times. But he's also emotionally intelligent and clever when he needs to be, carefully using his words to make someone see things from a different perspective and make them reconsider their actions.

Were the two of us to interact, Yukimaro would at first try to act as my spirit guardian and help me become truly happy in life. It's what he does for Misa in 9 R.I.P. But unlike her, I'm an adult with a job already. It's not exactly my dream job but Yukimaro can't easily help me reset the course of my life the way he did for Misa. I'd have to tell him that since I'm already in a semi-stable place in life so helping me be happy is going to have to happen in other ways.

If anything, I'd imagine Yukimaro doing his best to help me socialize more. I am an introvert so my social circles are tiny. He'd never push me too far out of my boundaries—and his ability to read auras means he'll always know when far is too far—but he'd investigate where I live to find a social space where I could fit in. He'd even take on a human form to join me on any outings so I'm not alone and more comfortable. He'd be no replacement for a therapist but he'd be the one that could hear all my complaints and wishes and figure out how to handle them in reality.

Like I said, though, Yukimaro can be childish at times. He can whine or get bored. But that's where I come in. I want to be someone reliable so I'd take it upon myself to cook for Yukimaro and show him things to keep him busy when I'm not around. I'd also let him know how much he means to me. I'm admittedly selfish wanting someone like Yukimaro, who makes it his purpose to help others, in my life for my sake but I wouldn't allow myself to take him for granted. I do think that if I didn't give Yukimaro the attention he rightfully deserves, he would leave. He's a spirit with pride; he wouldn't let himself be used and neglected. Thus, I'd show Yukimaro my gratitude everyday and praise him for the things he does (so long as it's not causing trouble).

But my gratitude doesn't mean I'll let him get away with anything. In the game, Misa is can be pretty lenient with Yukimaro since she ultimately finds herself amused/charmed by the things he does. I do think Yukimaro is cute often times but I would have to be a little strict with him regarding his behavior. I don't want him trying to eat my food while I'm at the dining table with my parents. And I'd tell him be absolutely can't follow me to work. I'd also make it a rule that he can't show up to my home as a human unannounced. Because if he just turned up at the door one day without warning me, I'd struggle to explain my relationship with him to my parents. Mostly, I'd just want Yukimaro to behave a little more covertly when in spirit form and not be sudden when he appears as a human. But other than that, I don't have many problems with him.

Like, I find his neediness cute and that part of him helps me feel like I'm not just relying on him but taking care of him in return.

In a final note, falling in love isn't guaranteed but... I wouldn't mind if it did happen~! Although, considering how things pan out in 9 R.I.P., a long-term relationship with him would have a lot of wrinkles that would need ironing out. 😅

Edit: I remembered the tag game part of this question. So I'll tag @mikuyuuss @lyranova @eternity-just-fangirls and @drmarune. Now it's your turn to answer: How do you think the dynamic would be between you and your newest fictional crush?

[onyxino]

Break Me Down

Lieutenant!Muken!Aizen x Captain!Reader

WC: 3.8k

CW: Creampie, riding, soft sex, Oral (M&F receiving), Virginity loss (M). Slight Dom and Sub dynamic. Touched Starved Aizen. lil OOC/soft Aizen. If there is anything else lemme know &lt;3

I'm always of two minds on Aizen's sexual experience, on one hand he gives off the aura of 'THIS GUY FUCKS' but on the other hand I really don't think he would have the time or desire due to being more concentrated on his plans. So today I decided to play with the idea of Aizen having little to no sexual experience. Hope you enjoy! Prolly grammar and spelling mistakes but idc I'm human and yall just read for the fucking so .

this is just a conjuring of my delulu mind

You couldn’t believe it when they exonerated him.

You couldn’t believe it when Kisuke found a way to remove the Hougyoku from his chest without killing him.

You couldn’t believe it when they simply just placed him in your squad. With the head captain's only statement on the matter being “Captain (Name) can handle him if he gets out of control.”

Then you really really couldn’t believe it when you appointed him to be your lieutenant.

He had really proven himself to you, he seemed remorseful for his actions. He no longer wished for the fall of the soul society he wanted quite the opposite actually, he seemed to have been changing right before your very eyes.

At first even though you treated him with the same respect as you did your other subordinates but you limited your contact with him to just bare minimum, the stigma around him was just too strong.

Then one day you caught him sitting on his own underneath a shady tree and decided to join him, he looked so lonely and in a weird way you felt sadness for him.

The way his face twisted up in shock at your presence sealed in all of your assumptions. He wasn’t used to someone just willingly being in his company, he wasn’t used to human interaction at all.

As time passed you joined him under that tree any chance you could. You took your time and actually had meaningful conversations with him. You learned that you two enjoyed a lot of the same things. That’s when you decided that he would make a splendid lieutenant for you.

Aizen declined the offer at first stating that he hadn't had a real chance to earn your trust yet but you insisted and he relented.

That led you to now both of you sitting in your personal quarters on the floor looking and digging through old files looking for a specific report that would aid squad 12 in some research they were conducting.

You sighed and pinched your bridge. It was near midnight at this point and your eyes were starting to betray you, lids becoming heavier each time you blinked.

Aizen also felt the fatigue setting in, since returning to his shinigami state he realized how easily it was to become exhausted.

“Welp Lieutenant of mine, I really don't know if we have a shot at finding this report for them!” You said a yawn forming as you stretched your arms into the air.

“Agreed, my head is starting to hurt.” Aizen replied, running a hand over his partially covered face. It's true the headaches that have been coming and going since returning to his shinigami state had been killer. One of the many, many side effects his body had been enduring over the course of the last year or so.

“Oh damn, another headache again, Sosuke?” You ask worry etching its way to your face.

“Yes, unfortunately. Urahara said that they will lessen in time though.” You nod your head at his reply before slowly standing up.

“Would you like some tea then? I have chamomile, which works wonderfully for headaches.” You offer walking over to your kitchenette 

“Yes captain, please.” Sosuke had taken this moment to let his composure falter while your back was turned. Slouching forward he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

Having put the electric kettle on to heat making note that the timer would go off in 10 minutes and the kettle would shut off. Swearing to yourself that you wouldn’t forget about it this time you turn and you catch your eyepatched subordinate in this state. 

You felt your heart lurch a little for him “Do you want me to try something that my mom always did for me when I got bad headaches?” you asked, retaking your seat in front of him.

He opened his eye a little and nodded, “I’m willing to try just about anything at this point.” 

You nodded back at him and scooted a little bit closer just within arms length, you took note of how he flinched slightly at your movement “It involves me touching your head, if that's okay?”

All he did was a nod and you slowly reached your arms forward, slotting your digits into the brunette’s hair. He shuddered slightly at the contact, you massage his scalp digging your nails in ever so slightly.

Sosuke seemed to be enjoying it and it seemed to be alleviating some of the discomfort. You frowned slightly at the strap of the eyepatch getting in the way, your nimble fingers went for its buckle at the back of his head.

“Wait!” Sosuke almost yelped as his hands wrapped around your wrists stopping you in your tracks.

Your eyes widened at the sudden action, “I’m sorry, did I do something wrong?” panic ran through you. You have never been able to get this close to him, the thought of crossing a boundary and having him regress on you made you feel ill.

“N-No, it’s just some parts of me are still- My eye it’s still discolored.” He explained quietly, still having your wrists in his hold.

“Sosuke.” The way his name slipped off your tongue in such a sweet fashion had him slightly shivering “It’s okay, I just wanna be able to message your head better, can I please take it off? I won’t judge you, I’m your captain, this is a safe space.”

He exhaled a breath he didn't realize he had been holding “Very well.”

You smiled at him and he swore the heart he insisted he never had stopped.

You slowly remove the eyepatch from his head and let it fall to the ground, you then return to lightly massaging his scalp.

You were right, he thought, this does feel a whole lot better.

Keeping his eyes closed he leaned into your touch more and let himself get lost in the feeling of your hands combing through his hair.

Then he whimpered,

You paused and his eyes shot open in disbelief. 

It was a small one but it was unmistakable, Sosuke Aizen just whimpered and you were the one who pulled it from him.

“I-”

“Wow, you really are touch starved aren’t you?” You ask a sympathetic look gracing your features, you dug your nails in just slightly harder. Testing the waters.

This had him inhaling a sharp breath “N-Never been touched like this.”

“I can tell, do you want me to keep going?” You ask cocking your head to the side.

“Yes, keep going but I need you closer.” Before even registering what he had said you felt a soft but strong grip on your hips pulling you into his lap. He lifted you like you were made of nothing.

You found yourself straddling his lap, chests smooshed together and faces dangerously close, It was your turn to take in a sharp breath. A hot feeling coursing its way throughout your body.

You can’t remember who did it first but in a fraction of a second your lips were connected, Aizen’s hands running up and down your sides. He was already a whimpering whiny mess in your arms, just from kissing you. He felt like he was going to explode when you took the opportunity to slide your tongue into his mouth.

It was sloppy, but it was passionate. He craved more, he never experienced wanting like this. Wanting another person. His hands further their exploration sliding their way up to your chest squeezing breasts roughly, you moaned into his mouth and it only fueled the fire, sending blood straight to his hardening cock.

You both parted from the intense makeout session with a string of saliva connecting your mouths. Heavy breathing just staring into each others eyes, taking this time to admire his slightly fucked out features.

Man, if this has him fucked out just imagine what sex would do to him you thought. 

Thinking of having him in such a state had heat pooling in your core, without thinking you slowly grind your hips into his. 

He yelped at the friction “(name)” he pleaded, and you did it again.

“D-do you wanna keep going?” You sheepishly ask burying your face into his neck placing soft kisses along the sensitive flesh leading up to his jaw line.

“I’ve never-”

He didn’t even have to finish his sentence, you understood completely. You pulled away from his neck and gave him a soft smile. “I can lead. I want you, Sosuke.” your hands rubbed up and down his shoulders in a comforting motion.

He sucked in a jagged breath “Please.”

“Please what, Sosuke? Use your words.” 

“Please, fuck me.” He panted, gripping your hips and pulling your clothed cores closer to each other in a desperate attempt to gain friction.

You placed a soft kiss to his lips before standing from him, he looked confused and almost sad at the loss of contact you couldn’t help but giggle at him. Sticking your hand out, he grabbed it and you led him over to the futon before gently pushing him down on it.

His breathing picked up once again as you kneeled over him. “Relax, at any time you wanna stop, just tell me and we will.”

He nodded in understanding at this and licked his lips as he watched you go for the knot tied in front of your shinigami uniform. Suddenly a surge of urgency ran through his body as he shot up and stopped your hands from continuing their action.

Your eyes shot up to him, worry spread throughout your body, had he changed his mind all of a sudden? Was something wrong?

“I want to undress you.” This statement sent a rush of liquid into your already damp panties.

You pulled your hands away from the semi untied knot of your uniform and allowed his hands to take their place. He was slow and gentle with it as you pulled the knot loose and went to work on your top. The way his face gained a new shade of red as he exposed your bare chest to himself had you breathing heavily.

He wasted no time exploring the new territory, the way your breasts fit perfectly into his hands had him in awe. He was a fast learner too, as to be expected he picked up quickly on what made those little noises he’d come to like so much fall from your mouth.

He noticed how sensitive your nipples were and little flicks and taps turned into rough pinches and pulls. “F-fuck, Sosuke. That’s so good.” You mewled as his lips attached to your right nipple and his hand continued to assault the left one.

Slotting your hands into his hair you slowly pulled him away from your chest, “I need you here though.” guiding his hands down to your bottoms, he picked up on exactly what you needed and he was quick to remove the rest of your clothing.

The sight before him was like no other, you laid out legs spread open for him. He may have been a virgin but he knew exactly where women liked to be touched. It took him no time to locate your bundle of nerves rubbing slow and soft circles against it.

“Can I taste you?” The request sent shivers down your spine.

“Only if I get to return the favor.” You said cheekily as you combed your fingers through his dark brown hair.

He swiftly lowered himself between your legs and applied a rough suck to your clit, the action caused a guttural moan to leave your lips. The hand in his hair tugging lightly was now gripping it aggressively pulling his face into your heat. Your other arm laid itself across your eyes unable to contain your embarrassment at your noises and sounds.

This did not go unnoticed by Aizen who detached his mouth from your heat and leaned up to remove your arm from your eyes “Don’t, I want you to look at me, if you look away or close your eyes I will stop.”  

You took in a sharp breath at this, this was the first showing of his dominance you have seen through this entire ordeal. You said you would lead but it was short lived once Aizen got the hang of this particular task. He needed your eye contact, he needed you to see him making you feel this good. You needed to know it was him and only him who could do this to you.

You maintained eye contact as he lapped and sucked at your clit, you gasped lightly as the intrusion of a long slender finger into your walls “Sosuke!” You cried as his finger curled up and he began to softly move it in and out of you.

“More a-and faster, please.” You pleaded, these pleas did not fall on deaf ears.

Aizen then added another finger and increased his speed, drinking up your arousal while listening to the sweet noises that tumbled from your shaky lips. It was a new form of heaven for him.

“S-sosuke- I’m really, really close.” You mewl pulling his face into your cunt, he increased his speed just a little bit more and sucked just a little bit harder on your clit but it was enough to send you falling over the edge. The sound of his name broken and falling from your lips had him grind into the futon below it was a high he knew he’d soon be addicted to.

Your breaths soon steadied as Aizen lifted himself over top of you taking in your form, your eyes met his and you gave him the sweetest smile he thought he’d ever seen, it filled his chest with warmth. “Thank you, that was so good, but now it's your turn.”

The warmth in his chest rose to his cheeks as you flipped your bodies in an instant demonstrating your strength just as he had earlier. Now you were sat on top of him grinding your naked core against his clothed one, the repeated action provided some friction but not enough and it was frustrating to him but not as frustrating as the moment you ceased all movement and removed yourself from his body.

His mouth hung open and he looked at you in disbelief “Don’t look at me like that, lieutenant. I have to undress you too don’t I?”

The realization hit him and had him slightly embarrassed, the pink dusting his cheeks turning a darker shade. Your hands went to the knot in the front of his uniform and with a simple tug it came undone, you decided to tease him with this and keep your movements slow. Aizen felt as if he was burning from the inside out.

He sat up slightly so that you could pull the top portion of his shinigami uniform off. You gasped slightly at the sight before you, he was absolutely gorgeous, like the gods chiseled his body by hand. 

Too Aizen, though your gasp was one of disgust, adorned on his chest was not only the scars from the seals piercing him but also the scar left from the Hougyoku’s removal procedure. He turned his head away from your gaze fearing the worst from your silence.

“Sosuke, your body is gorgeous.” You said in awe as the tips of your fingers grazed the scars upon his chest, he shuddered at the contact.

He returned his gaze to you eyes widened slightly at the compliment. You? Find him? Gorgeous? He was pulled from his thoughts by you applying just a little bit more pressure to the center of his chest with the tips of your fingers causing him to wince slightly. This did not go unnoticed by you “Did it hurt?”

He gazed at you trying to understand the context of your question. Did what hurt? The seals piercing my chest for what felt like ions? Or the surgery that I was mostly awake for that had me feeling as if my soul was being sucked from my body? He pondered.

“Yes, it hurt. All of it hurt.” He muttered quietly.

A somber look etched its way to your features “I’m sorry, love.” leaning down you pressed your cool lips touched the scar in the center of his chest and it felt like fire had begun to run its way through his veins once more.

Lastly you began working on his bottoms, once ridding him of the garment he was fully bare in front of you. Hungry cock springing free, your eyes widened at the impressive length of his manhood. Your mouth began to salivate at the thought of trying to take all of him down your throat.

Softly wrapping your fingers around the shaft you gave him a few strokes as you settled in between his legs. A strangled groan escaped Aizen’s lips, he thought he would cum from just the contact alone. You giggled at his reaction, the noises he made had your clit throbbing and your hole clenching around nothing.

Licking from the base to the tip you wrap your lips around his head and slid him into your mouth as far as you could take him. Your hands stroked what you couldn’t reach and you began to bob your head up and down hollowing your cheeks.

The pleasure was almost unbearable for Aizen, his hands found purchase in your hair swooping it back into a makeshift ponytail. He was finding it very hard to control himself, he eagerly wanted to thrust into your mouth and face fuck you until you were gagging, the thought of that had him on the brink of orgasm.

He was getting close, way too close. “Captain (Name), if you keep going like that I’m not gonna last.” the words left his mouth broken moans in between each word and you could have sworn you heard his voice crack.

You lifted your mouth from him with a obscene ‘pop’, “Fuck.” the curse fell out of his mouth as a hiss. 

Wiping your mouth on your arm you settled on top of him, running your folds against his shaft, fingers digging into his shoulders every time his tip bumped into your clit. Aizen’s grip was ironclad on your hips helping you drag them back and forth on his member.

“I need to be inside you.” He pleaded his nails leaving crescent shaped marks into your skin that will no doubt be bruised come morning.

Listening to his pleas, you lifted yourself up and aligned him with your entrance, sinking yourself down just enough to have his tip buried in you. A throaty gasp left Aizen’s lips, silently praising and cursing you in the same thought. 

“You’re gonna drag this out aren’t you, little minx.” He accused, head thrown back in pleasure.

You couldn’t hide the smirk playing on your lips, you had to tease him just a little “You can take it.”

In one swift motion you let yourself completely sink down on to his cock. You knocked your head back, eyes rolling ever so slightly at the delicious stretch of his girth. You couldn’t help but clamp down around him as you adjusted to his size.

“You’re so tight.” He hissed, eyes glued shut focused on not coming to an end just from being sheathed inside you.

You rolled your hips just a little and the moan that fell from his lips was obscene. You slowly bounced yourself on his cock it was like torture for the man below you, he was getting very impatient. He bucked his hips rough up into you cause your rhythm to falter “Faster, please- I”

You silenced his pleas by giving him exactly what he wanted. You picked up the pace and he met you halfway as he thrusted up into you, cock kissing your cervix with each thrust. 

He couldn’t contain the whimpers and pants rolling off his tongue. He looks so fucked out and on the edge. A particularly hard thrust from Aizen brought you out of your thoughts back into reality.

His hands slid from your waist to your thighs, groping them and gripping them hard, those will also undoubtedly become bruises come sunrise.

 “F-fuck, Sosuke. You’re doing so good, fucking me so good.” you whine tossing your head back and raking your nails down his chest leaving little red lines behind.

All he could muster in response was obscene moans and whiny breaths. You take a moment to drink in his image, he is beyond fucked out. His hair everywhere, his mouth a gape and there is a little bit of drool that slid from the corner of his mouth to the pillow below

You make note of this to tease him about later.  

You bite your lip hard at the sight, feeling that knot in your lower abdomen tighten up. You were getting close, really close and he was too. You walls clench around him when he brings his thumb to you clit rubbing slow circles.

“Tell me- Tell me where-” you already knew what he was getting at and you took no time with your answer.

“Inside please- need to feel it.” The thought of him cumming in you made your head spin and sent you flying off the edge. Walls squeezing against him repeatedly and the way his name fell off your tongue was pure sin.

His name sounding so debauched coming from your lips sent him over the edge with you, a rush of warmth spread through your core. You slowly rocked your hips against his working him through his orgasm, and milking his cock dry.

Taking note of each breathy whine that left his lips when your hips rocked forward.

Unable to hold yourself up any longer you laid atop his chest trying to regain your breath. His hands rub gently up and down your sides. You tilt your head upwards hoping to lock eyes with him but you are met with his eyes shut, a peaceful look etched into his features,

You admired him for a minute and a smile slowly curled on your lips as you drank him in.

“What are you smiling at?” He quipped, opening an eye to stare down at you, you would be lying if you said you didn’t jump a little bit slightly embarrassed. Just how long had he known you’d been staring?

“Oh nothing, nothing at all.” You say lifting yourself up and off him.

The sudden movement and disconnection of your conjoined bodies made a small barely audible whimper leave his lips. This did not go unnoticed by you, again you make a mental note of this to tease him about later.

“Stay here tonight, we can talk more in the morning.” You suggested as you snuggled yourself into his side.

He only nodded at the statement silently agreeing with you. He watched as your features slowly relaxed and your breathing mellowed out as sleep took you into its grasp. A sense of peace washed over him as his eyes wandered over your sleeping form.

What in the hell are you doing to me, woman.

[rjthirsty]

Incomparable

Nokto/Dahlia, Licht/Dahlia

Words: 7.8k

Tags: Threesome, No Incest, Smut, Smut, Smut, Poly-relationship, The Dicks Don't Touch

Dahlia made her way through the familiar hallways and corridors of the palace carrying a stack of documents that were to be delivered to King Chevalier. She had walked this path more times than she could count, both as her time as Belle, and also in her current employment as Sariel’s apprentice, aiming to be a minister of the court. 

Delivering missives and documents was most of the work she was able to handle at her current experience level, when she wasn’t studying or following Sariel around for hands-on training, so this happened to be her several times a day daily routine.

Politely, she rapt on the office door before opening it, only to find that Chevalier wasn’t in the room. Instead, a pair of smiling crimson eyes met hers. Dahlia quickly averted her gaze, moving to Chev’s desk to set the paperwork down.

“What’s that? You’re not even going to give me a hello?” Nokto teased in his lazy tone.

Dahlia didn’t turn towards him, instead keeping her eyes locked on the papers she had just sat down. “Hello, Nokto. I’m working.”

“Mmm, but you don’t have to be, right?” His voice was much closer - surprisingly closer - and she hadn’t even heard him move across the room.

“I do.” She said as she tried to bite down a smile. “And I know if I give you the chance, you’ll easily distract me and I won’t be returning to my training.”

She should have run as soon as she saw it was just the two of them. She shouldn’t have stalled. Nokto’s scent enveloped her, he was so close, she didn’t have to look to know. She had left herself open and he had taken the invitation to sidle up behind her, his hands resting on her hips and his warmth easily felt despite the layers of clothing between them.

"I think it's a little late for that..." He breathed against her ear, sending a delicious shiver down her spine, "...I've already caught you."

Dahlia let out a content sigh as she turned her head away from Nokto’s sweet voice. “Just for a moment.” She lifted her fingers to where her ear had been a second before and Nokto nipped and kissed at her fingertips.

“I want more than a moment.” His hands moved from her hips to wrap around her as he pressed against her in an embrace. “I’m practically starved.”

She didn’t even bother hiding her smile this time, an amused chuckle on her voice. “You’re going to have to find a way to survive, because I’m spending time with Licht after work. I doubt I’ll see you again until tomorrow night.”

Nokto moved to nibble at her ear. “More reason to take off work now.”

A giggle rolled from her lips the way Nokto’s tongue rolled against her ear. “Then I’d be with Licht because it would be after work. ”

“What are you guys doing tonight, anyway?” He sighed and leaned his head against hers, nuzzling her behind her ear.

“I don’t think we have any plans. We’ll probably read together.”

“Hmm. Have fun with that.” Nokto’s voice sounded dismissive, but Dahlia knew he meant the well wishes, just maybe not doing something so mundane such as reading. It wasn’t the sort of thing that Nokto liked to engage in when they spent time together, but he was aware his twin and him were very different in many ways, and the way they interacted with her was a big one.

Dahlia let the moment expand and drag on until it was too hard to justify just standing there. She softly sighed and shifted to pull away from her lover, ready to return to her training, but Nokto didn’t relinquish his hold on her, making it impossible to move. “Your moment is up.”

She felt him smile, his lips pressed against her neck pulled back in a foxy grin. “Not even a kiss goodbye?”

It was a trap. Dahlia knew Nokto enough to know that if she gave an inch, he’d take a mile. But it was a sweet, enticing trap and she was more than willing to fall into it. Reminding herself she had to stay strong, she turned in his arms so they were face to face. Her eyes roamed his enchanting features; he was incredibly handsome and she knew he knew it.

“One kiss. Then I go back to work.” She tried her best to sound authoritative, but Nokto was more than a capable negotiator, and she was always at the mercy of his words and whims.

“Sure.” He agreed too easily.

Nokto’s eyes smoldered like the cherry embers in a fire, and Dahlia held onto that image as she closed hers, lifting onto her toes to make the ‘goodbye’ kiss easier. His mouth was on hers immediately, gentle and sensual with too much tongue to be considered chaste. He licked at her lips and she welcomed his tongue into her mouth where they held their own conversation of all the things she was denying him before returning to work.

Dahlia’s knees were growing weak, and she pressed herself against Nokto for support. He was relentless, ravaging her mouth while he pulled her ever closer to press her against his growing erection. She gasped at the feeling of his manhood, and he took that opportunity to bite and nibble at her bottom lip.

She opened her hazy eyes to look at him with lust and desire, panting and breathless. Nokto’s smug smile brightened his face, and his eyes danced in amusement. “Last chance to give Sariel the slip and find something more fun to do with me.”

Another sigh escaped her. It was much too tempting. Dahlia pressed her lips together and slowly stepped away from Nokto, his arms hanging on until the last moment, but falling away easily. “I have plans today. Tomorrow?”

“Mmmn.” Was all he said in response, his cunning smirk giving Dahlia momentary pause before she decided not to look too deeply into it. He adjusted himself through his slacks, and Dahlia tried to not let her eyes linger on his movements, reminding herself she had work to return to.

Leaving him was always a difficult task and he knew it.

Licht was waiting outside the ministerial offices when Dahlia finished her day’s work. She smiled instantly on seeing him, and the way his usually stony expression softened caused her heart to warm and flutter. “I didn’t think you’d come to pick me up. I know where to find you.”

“It’s not an issue. And besides, I wanted to see you sooner.” Licht pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against and fell in step next to Dahlia.

He wasn’t one to talk much, usually stewing in his own thoughts and only expressing himself when necessary, which meant their time together was often silent and Dahlia had grown to find great comfort in that silence. This walk to Licht’s room was much the same, quiet and comfortable, and at a pace that said they had no expectations or plans to be anywhere.

Dahlia hooked her arms through Licht’s, snuggling against his shoulder and Licht’s slowed his steps even more to accommodate. He had also grown comfortable with her company and found a quiet joy in the closeness she offered him. Mere months ago, he avoided her and everyone else. But now he couldn’t imagine keeping her at arms length.

“Are you happy?” He asked suddenly.

“Huh?” She looked up at him with slight worry in her expression. “Yeah, of course. Where’d that come from all of a sudden?”

“Nokto came to talk to me today.”

“Ah.” Dahlia answered.

She wasn’t sure what the twins talked about when she wasn’t around, but she knew they hadn’t even been on speaking terms when she first met the both of them. While the wound they carried would never be fully knitted together, their relationship had begun to improve over the course of her stay at the palace - something she likely played a part in. Dahlia didn’t attempt to meddle and force the men to mend the distance between them, but they had both developed feelings for her and if their relationship was going to work, they couldn’t continue to avoid each other.

Dahlia had made it clear how open communication was a must, and the twins readily accepted the condition. It wasn’t like they had to spend time together, or hold meaningful conversations with one another, they just couldn’t ignore each other, and she was certainly going to be talking about each of them to the other, so they had to get used to it.

Even so, the times one of them would seek out the other was growing more frequent, and while she had hoped that it was a good sign, Licht’s sudden question raised a lot in her mind about the sort of conversations they were having. She didn’t expect Nokto to bully his older brother, but Licht had a way of taking on blame for nearly anything if he was involved in it to some degree.

“Licht?” Dahlia slowed, her arms hooked through his pulled him to a stop. He swung to face her as best he could with the way she was holding onto him, and she gazed up at him. “I’m happy with you.”

They held eye contact for a long moment, feelings being conveyed through that look without a need for words. Licht felt his heart skip a beat, filling with warmth where there was an unease just seconds earlier. A soft smile touched his lips, one that also touched his eyes and softened his expression.

Tentatively, he brought his free hand up to gently touch Dahlia’s cheek. She leaned into his touch, letting her eyes close as she found comfort in his quiet expression of adoration. Then something warm and delicate touched her lips, and the smell of him filled her senses. She licked her lips, tasting his surprise kiss, and smiled contentedly.

Licht’s hand dropped away, and Dahlia opened her eyes again. Giving his arm another snuggle, they continued on their way to their evening together.

The final destination was no surprise, Licht had always isolated himself from others, so when they started spending more time together it tended to be in his room. Of course, the room of a prince in a palace was as large as Dahlia’s home as a commoner had been, so it wasn’t like they were confined in a small space.

When they stopped in front of Licht’s bedroom, Dahlia’s thoughts began to wander to the book she had left there several days ago. She often read several novels at the same time, just during different occasions, that way she didn’t have to be sure to carry a book with her wherever she went, but instead had them on hand wherever she ended up. She was gearing up for a quiet evening, leaning against Licht who was adamant about holding her while they both read their own books; she was not expecting what laid behind the door in front of her, or the conversation that was about to take place.

“Nokto?” Dahlia blinked at the other man sprawled on the couch sitting inside Licht’s room. She threw a glance at Licht over her shoulder, but he didn’t look surprised at all to see his twin making himself at home.

Nokto gave a wicked smile. “What’s wrong? Hoping for someone else?” He tilted his head playfully as he asked the question.

“No…” She answered, cautiously moving into the room. “I just didn’t expect to see you here.” Once again she looked to Licht for an answer, but he was being his usual reticent self. Licht closed the door and came up behind where Dahlia stood, wrapping his arms around her and setting his chin on her head, literally draping himself on her.

“Licht didn’t tell you anything, did he?” Nokto’s smile didn’t falter, but his eyes moved from her to his twin standing behind her. She saw the subtle shift in direction, and despite Licht not saying anything in return, it seemed Nokto gathered all the answers and information he needed from some silent conversation they were having.

“Only that you came to talk to him today.”

“Well, I’m not surprised.” Nokto drawled in the lazy way he did, which always made the things he said sound much more provocative than the words he used. “But, Licht, in staying quiet you’re making it sound like you’re a bystander and it wasn’t your idea.”

Nokto gave Licht time to respond, and eventually the man behind Dahlia murmured, “You’re better at explaining things.”

Dahlia set her hand on Licht’s wrapped around her. She still wasn’t sure what was going on, or what this was all about, but she felt her lover needed reassurance that she didn’t compare him against his brother. They were different people, and she loved them both for different reasons.

“Fair enough.” Nokto gave an incline of his head in acknowledgement, then leveled his eyes back on Dahlia. “We had a little discussion about trying something new. You’re welcome to decline, of course, your opinion on the matter is important to the both of us, but we wanted to talk about it between the two of us first before bringing it to you.”

With a slight tilt of her head, Dahlia’s eyes narrowed in interest. “Something new?”

Nokto’s smile deepened into a smirk, the flirty fox always looked incredibly amused at everything, and somehow at the moment he looked even more so than usual. “Just a bit of fun. Licht brought it up, and I am far from opposed to the idea.”

“You can stop dancing around it, Nokto, I’m listening. But I’ll remind you that my attention has a tendency to wander when you take too long to get to the point.” She smirked teasingly at him.

“To the point then.” Nokto’s crimson eyes raked against Dahlia before meeting her gaze head on. “Your thoughts on sharing a bed with the both of us at once?”

Her eyebrows shot upwards. It honestly hadn’t been a thought she’d ever had, so she wasn’t sure where to even begin on it. Once proposed, though, curiosity began to take shape. Sharing a bed, as in the three of them cuddled together for sleep? Or…? Surely Nokto had to be implying more than just a restful night where she had four arms around her rather than just two. Then what those four arms and hands would be doing began to cloud her mind, multiplying and propagating until there was nowhere to turn that didn’t involve something lewd inside her own head.

Dahlia lightly cleared her throat and turned her gaze away, towards the floor, hoping that looking away wouldn’t give away how flushed she was feeling all over. She could feel Nokto’s eyes on her. She could feel Licht’s arms around her. And suddenly she was feeling very, very warm– uncomfortably warm.

“I… hadn’t really thought about it before.” She kept her eyes turned downward, at the moment she couldn’t bear to see Nokto grinning at her embarrassment. “Licht, you came up with this idea? I take it the two of you are in some sort of agreement otherwise you wouldn’t have brought it up to me.”

“Mhm.” Licht rumbled behind her, briefly hugging her closer as if to assure her he was agreeable to this matter.

“Naturally, if you’re uncomfortable with the idea, we can table it, or never broach the subject again.” Nokto prompted, hoping to get Dahlia to express some thought at all.

“I’m not uncomfortable.” She quickly answered. “I just hadn’t thought to find myself in a situation like this. I’m not opposed… In fact it sounds… interesting.”

Dahlia was struggling with trying to find the words to express herself. For all the reading she has done on all sorts of romantic and sexual matters, and all the times she has openly discussed physical intimacy with her partners, she couldn’t manage to piece a full sentence together at the moment.

“I think… I might… be interested in trying it out.”

Licht moved his chin from on top of Dahlia’s head, to press a soft kiss against the back of her ear. His breath tickled and further coaxed the fire that was already building inside her. It was such a small gesture, but it promised many bigger expressions of affection to come.

Dahlia heard Nokto lift himself from the couch, and soon he was in her peripheral vision, his heat easily felt without him even touching her. She was sweltering. Nokto’s lips gently touched her cheek, right below the corner of her eye, and his fingers danced along her hips.

“Wait…” she breathed. “Right now?”

“Is that okay?” Nokto’s voice slid over her cheek like satin. It was warm and inviting; it grazed her ear and made the tiny hairs on her neck stand on end, it provoked a shiver down her spine, and she caught a small amount of it in her inhale, tasting how sweet his words were.

“Yeah…” Dahlia sighed. Once the word left her lips, she realized they had been waiting on her agreement. When she had said wait, they waited, neither had made a move to attempt to entice her, and suddenly she was filled with so much love and affection for the two men that really did put her first. How she loved them both.

Licht released his hold on Dahlia, pulling his gloves off and tossing them on the ottoman by his bed. His fingers free to touch her skin, he brushed her hair aside, enjoying the feeling of the delicate shiver that he elicited from her before he played his tongue and lips down her neck. His other hand began pulling at the strings of her corset, slowly unlacing the constricting clothing.

Nokto almost mirrored the other man, just on Dahlia’s front. He nipped and kissed at the curve of her jaw, and found his way to her mouth where he toyed with her lips, pulling tender sighs from her mouth. He shrugged off his jacket, not caring where it fell and leaving it on the floor. His hands tugged at her blouse, untucking it from her skirts so he could slide his hands under and grip her skin directly.

Dahlia, meanwhile, was trying to keep her wits while her senses were being overwhelmed. Two sets of hands were undressing her. Two mouths were kissing her. She wasn’t sure what her role at the moment should be, and trying to figure it out was becoming increasingly more difficult. All she could manage was quiet moans every time one of them touched and teased her.

She curled her fingers into Nokto’s vest, fumbling with the buttons with eyes closed. Her corset came loose, and Licht pulled it away. She heard it land somewhere behind her, in the same general direction of where his gloves had been tossed. Nokto captured her mouth and kissed her deeply, his fingers digging into her soft curves as he probed deeper with his tongue.

Licht ran the tip of his nose along the curve of her neck, pushing her collar away from the meat of her shoulder where he lavished licks, nips, and kisses on her. His hands moved under her blouse as well, and Dahlia fought to keep the moan in her throat instead of letting it go into Nokto’s mouth. Licht’s fingers passed over Nokto’s to caress Dahlia’s sides, and trail along her ribs, his fingertips barely making contact with the swell of her breasts.

He pulled away, again. Removing his jacket, he set it on the growing pile of his and Dahlia’s clothes and worked his own buttons on his shirt, soon pulling it off and also discarding it. The sounds of Nokto and Dahlia’s kisses were strangely arousing, and he found himself watching while he undressed.

It was an odd sight, seeing his twin making out with his lover– Nokto’s lover as well, Licht reminded himself. But even knowing that this wasn’t unusual for the couple in front of him, he hadn’t ever thought about the way they kissed or how they were physically intimate. He knew it was something that happened, but who actually thought about how it happened with someone else?

Dahlia moaned again and Licht decided to take his turn in feeling Dahlia’s lips on his. He smoothly slipped his fingers under her chin and turned her towards him. This prompted everyone to shuffle since she was facing Nokto previously, and in order to give him attention she had to turn fully around.

Nokto’s hands fell from Dahlia’s hips, and he pulled his loose tie from his neck as he had the opportunity to watch Licht and Dahlia come together. He hadn’t realized Licht was already half-undressed until this moment, having been too caught up in Dahlia’s noises and affection.

Licht’s kisses were sweet and reverent. A budding blossom building up to a blooming flower with each touch of their lips, until the two of them were deep in each other. Licht’s hands roamed Dahlia’s body, the ghost of a touch wherever they passed, until he had Dahlia’s blouse between his fingers and he deftly pinched each button free. Dahlia hooked her arms around Licht’s neck, using him to help support herself while he undressed her.

Nokto shook his shirt off, letting it drop on top of his jacket that was haphazardly lying on the floor. He hunched over and worked his boots off, giving Licht and Dahlia time to enjoy each other. Next came his belt, which he tugged off impatiently after spending so long on his tall boots. A fire had already ignited inside him, and he was lusting after his lover who continued to mewl and keen with Licht’s touch.

Licht opened Dahlia’s blouse, and she dropped her arms and shoulders to help him slip it off her. He was sure to set it with the other clothing on the ottoman, this was the typical routine despite this occasion being anything but typical. Once each arm had come free, she was wrapping them around Licht again, he didn’t need to see where the stool was, his movements were practiced and precise.

Nokto’s blazing hands were on her again. The way his fingers dug into her flesh to grab and pull at her was an indicator of the need he felt and how long before they’d be in the throes of passion. She felt him press against her, even with the layers between them she could tell how hard his cock was. With one hand on her hip, Nokto slipped between her and Licht to grope at her breast, squeezing and kneading in the way she liked him to do.

The difference between how her two lovers expressed their physical affection was clearly discernible with both of them on her at the same time. It was a dizzying experience, the way Nokto’s needy hands tried to grab and claim her body, and the way that Licht’s touch was so soft that every gust of his fingers on her skin was like a breeze passing by, heightening her sensitivity. The two of them together was evoking an array of sensations she didn’t think was possible, and despite no attention to her sex yet, she was certain it wouldn’t take long to climax when they started.

“Come to the bed with me.” Nokto’s dusky voice sent a shiver down her spine as he murmured in her ear.

Dahlia broke away from Licht, looking up at him through half-lidded, hazy eyes. She parted her lips but couldn’t find the words to ask for reassurance that he was okay with where this was headed. It felt wrong to have another man making love to her in his bed. Licht’s gaze never wavered, and after a few seconds of silence he leaned in and delicately kissed her parted lips. When he drew back, his smile was soft and sweet, the same as his kiss. Then he moved further away to sit on the stool where his clothes and hers were layered and began unlacing his high boots.

Dahlia was swept away, willingly following Nokto as he clasped her hand and pulled her towards the bed. He guided her to the edge of the bed and sat her down. Dahlia watched him in a daze. She felt like she was in a dream, the room was an odd pairing for the man in front of her.

Nokto’s face was so familiar to her memories with this background, but her head told her this was not the correct answer. Silver hair hung about his face, dusting his cheeks and trailing down his neck, not like Licht’s shorter kept hair that could only cover his eyes. And those deep red eyes - the color of cherries or pomegranates - were the right shade, but the way they burned was unique only to Nokto. She dug her hands into the comforter she was sitting on, even the texture told her where she was, and that made the whole thing even more surreal.

Nokto kneeled in front of Dahlia, hooking his fingers along the waist of her skirts and freeing her from the layers. Lastly, he slowly edged her panties down her legs, leaving her bare for his eyes, and Licht’s as well. Dahlia glanced over to Licht at the foot of the bed, he was watching her and his eyes on her suddenly made her feel naughty. A delightfully dark shiver ran through her and a sigh escaped her, a tightness clenched in her stomach as she clenched against nothing, growing more wet instantly.

It seems it didn’t go unnoticed to either man. Nokto chuckled breathily, “Does that turn you on?”

Dahlia swung her head back towards Nokto who was grinning at her devilishly. He had noticed the way she reacted, and where her eyes were when it happened. He gave Licht a glance, as his hands slipped up Dahlia’s leg, then dragged back down to bring her knee over his shoulder, tilting her hips upward and causing her to fall onto the bed. A single kiss just above her knee on her inner thigh set a whimper loose from Dahlia’s lips, and Nokto was grinning at her again. “Do you want him to watch?”

Another kiss, closer to her core, but still so torturously far away gave her enough time to not get lost in the desire for the pleasure that was to come, and Dahlia couldn’t help but be drawn to Licht’s eyes again. From one set of deep red, to another, both of them driving her equally mad despite Nokto being the only one touching her.

She hadn’t known that having someone watch her like this would feel the way it did– it felt good. It felt wrong, but not in a shameful way. It was wrong in that you know it’s a guilty pleasure, like eating too many sweets or staying up for another chapter, except this was something that sent a current through her body at the thought, at the action, and it was way more pleasurable than sweets or reading.

Another kiss touched her thigh. Another whimper escaped her mouth. Another wave of that guilty, hot desire passed through her.

Licht’s eyes remained fixed on Dahlia. He hadn’t heard her whimper like that before, and it was surprising to be met with the realization that it was because HE was watching her while someone else was pleasuring her. Nokto hadn’t even begun, but Licht wondered just what sort of sounds she’d make if he waited and continued to watch her.

“Mmm.” Nokto continued his painfully slow journey up Dahlia’s leg. “I’m liking the noises you’re making.” His lips brushed along her skin as he spoke.

“What other noises can we get you to show us?” His breath was hot and humid, heating her inner thigh and then freezing the spot when he inhaled and the cool air rushed in.

“Licht, do you want to know?” Nokto paused inches away from Dahlia’s sex, his eyes sliding to meet his brother’s gaze.

Licht nodded before he spoke, “Yeah.”

Nokto grinned and quietly chuckled. It seemed the two of them were on the same wavelength for once. Though, this was dealing with Dahlia, a woman they both grew to love, so it wasn’t so surprising they had similar desires with her. “Mmm. What a lucky lady. Keep your eyes on her, Licht. I’ll watch when you’re with her.”

Licht did as he was told– though he didn’t need to be told. He was more than willing to find out what would come from this proposition. When he had suggested it - the three of them together - he didn’t entirely think Nokto would agree, they didn’t tend to agree on much. And then when Nokto brought it up to Dahlia, he was venturing into curiosity, himself. Now he was watching the love of his life flushed with desire, hanging onto the last threads of reason by the skin of her teeth, and all because his eyes were on her from across the room.

Nokto gave Dahlia’s pussy a long, languid lick. Dahlia knocked her head back and moaned, her shoulders already pulling back to make her chest arch. She wasn’t coming yet, but the build up of anticipation, and the new feelings of being watched had made the first touch against her sex more intense than any other time. Licht’s groin throbbed, the sound Dahlia had made was pure ecstasy, beautiful, and more than a little arousing.

There was a huff of air against her labia as Nokto chuckled from the profound reaction, then he repeated the long lick. He dragged his tongue over Dahlia’s hooded clit, slowly and deliberately. He savored the taste of her. He relished in the feel of her on his tongue. He delighted in the way her hips rocked in expectation before each caress.

Her moans were a song for his ears– no, his and Licht’s ears this time. But he didn’t mind sharing this experience with his brother. As greedy as he was to have time with Dahlia, her happiness was paramount and he didn’t want to do anything to take that away from her. He had come to talk to Licht about how they could ensure her happiness, and work together on a common goal, and when his twin suggested this, he was intrigued.

Nokto lapped at Dahlia’s pussy, her clit stiffening from the stimulation, which prompted him to apply more pressure with each nudge and lick, taking new angles to provide a different feel. He brought his hand around her thigh on his shoulder and pulled the skin taut on her mound to expose more of her clit for him to toy with. She was growing louder and writhing beneath his mouth.

Snaking his other hand up between her legs, he circled her entrance with a fingertip, pressing into the muscle and flesh and feeling it clench deeper inside. He gave her clit a thick suck and Dahlia bucked. He pushed his finger inside her slick hole, dragging it along the ridged muscle and he felt her clamp around him. She was on the edge, and depending on how he managed the next few seconds, was going to either bring her to orgasm or lead to frustration.

Dahlia pinched and tugged at her own nipple while Nokto nuzzled her pussy, stroking her clit with his tongue. He fondled her entrance with a finger, and when he sucked on her bud, he shoved that finger inside her and caressed the other side of her erogenous organ. She could feel herself clenching, trying to derive every bit of pleasure that Nokto’s fingers could grant her. Suddenly there was a vibration, a buzz almost as Nokto groaned against her.

“Mmm. Licht?” The man between her legs said the name of her other lover and Dahlia remembered they weren’t alone in the room.

“Dahlia.” Licht called. Her eyes shot open and she turned to see Licht’s heated gaze on her. He looked almost as drunk on the moment as she felt, and another ridiculously intense dark shiver ran through her.

Nokto rubbed inside her. Licht gazed at her. The current ran through her, licking and nipping at the base of her skull. The pressure between her legs was almost too much to bear. Nokto gave her clit another hard suck and Dahlia saw stars.

Her cunt pulsed, clenching and throbbing, while Nokto continued relentlessly. She couldn’t see Licht anymore, she wasn’t even sure she could see anything. Her eyes rolled back and her back arched, and some truly animalistic moans came from deep inside. And then her moans were being muffled. Licht’s mouth was on hers, ravaging her with his tongue the way Nokto was ravaging her cunt.

Dahlia couldn’t think. She was swimming in the back of her mind, desperately trying to tangle her tongue with Licht’s, huffing and completely unable to rein in the sounds that came from her. Licht kept at her as if trying to devour the noises she was making. Eventually she wasn’t moaning anymore, but he kept kissing, and changing angles, and nibbling and licking at her lips, and it was the only thing that had kept her grounded despite being so overwhelming in its own right.

She felt Nokto kiss her pussy, her leg, and as he lowered her thigh off his shoulder and moved, he kissed inside her hip near her navel. Licht pulled back, breathless, and Dahlia vaguely registered how hungry his eyes looked. She offered a crooked smile and nodded, but she couldn’t say what she was nodding about. Her eyes lazily swung to Nokto, who also looked hungry and desperate, and once again Dahlia felt so very loved by these two men.

“Mmmmmn.” Was all she managed to utter as she rolled and wriggled on the bed, trying to reposition herself near the pillows.

“That was sensational.” Nokto marveled. “Are you done?”

“Nnnnnnm!” Dahlia retorted which brought a chuckle from Nokto, and even a huff of amusement from Licht.

“I’ve never seen her like this before,” Licht affectionately mumbled.

Dahlia stopped wiggling on the bed, seeming to be satisfied with where she ended up. She turned her loving gaze on the two men, giving each of them a long moment of intimate eye contact. She wanted to ask what was next, but she still was having trouble finding her ability to make anything more than sounds so she just happily hummed a “Mmmmm.”

Licht leaned in, filling Dahlia’s view. He kissed the corner of her mouth and brushed the tip of his nose against her own. “Is it okay if I make love to you?”

Dahlia smiled again, nodding with a soft sigh.

He moved over her, taking a spot up between her legs. Apparently he’d completely disrobed while Nokto had been busy with her. Dahlia shifted to line her hips up with his, her eyes locked on his. The bed shifted with Nokto’s weight as he took a spot on the edge, once again reminding Dahlia that they weren’t alone in the room. She looked over, and of course, he was smirking at her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep my eyes on you, too.” Nokto purred. And suddenly that guilty pleasure swept through her, causing her to catch her breath. Her eyes snapped to Licht.

“It’s alright. I want to see that look on your face again.” Licht’s eyelids dipped, the memory of how Dahlia had looked utterly lost in euphoria was fresh and tugged at his own desire. For some reason, Licht looked even sexier to Dahlia in that moment than he had ever looked before. It was so primal that she trembled in anticipation.

Licht rubbed the head of his dick against Dahlia’s wet folds. Using a finger and knuckle, he spread her slick arousal over him to make easing into her easier. He guided himself into her, she was so wet that there wasn’t a need for thrusting to lubricate, instead in one slow motion he had buried himself in her cunt until they were pelvis to pelvis.

Dahlia hitched a gasp and could feel herself already squeezing against Licht’s cock. She was engorged and sensitive to a degree that she couldn’t recall feeling before, and just having him filling her was enough to send small tremors of pleasure through her. She clutched at Licht’s back with the pads of her fingers, digging her fingertips into him.

“Ah, ah.” Nokto chimed next to her. The next thing she knew, his hand was under her chin and he was gently pulling her face his way, bringing her eyes to look at him. “Eyes on me, Dahlia.”

Another wave rolled through her. Another tightness began building in her core. Licht dragged himself away from her before rolling back inside. And Nokto’s eyes - those rubies that danced so often with amusement - flickered and were trained on her. Dahlia almost wanted to look away, it was all so much at once to process and she was feeling dizzy again. But Nokto held her chin, and she found herself beholden to his gaze.

A moan tumbled from her lips as she rocked her hips in rhythm with Licht, who had set his pace of slow thrusts. She pushed herself into the mattress on his withdrawal, angling his cock to drag against her, and rose to meet him when he pushed back into her, giving him unhindered access to pound as deep as he could reach.

In her head, she was having trouble keeping her lovers separate. Looking at someone else while in the act was messing with her head more than she imagined it could. She was aware she was bucking against Licht. She could feel him under her fingers, and hear him breathing, and feel him in the fashion they fucked. But seeing Nokto’s face studying hers, a face so familiar to Licht’s, fantasy was overlapping and it was almost as if Nokto was the one penetrating her.

Every time a thought like that popped up, she felt that current pulling her deeper into her own head, deeper into the feelings coursing through her. And every time she tried to correct the thought, the current grew stronger, reminding her that she was with TWO men at once at the moment.

Licht’s loving kisses were peppered against her jaw and neck. Nokto wouldn’t release her so their mouths could meet. Licht didn’t appear troubled by that fact, but the way Dahlia reacted to everything he was doing was wearing at his own restraint. She was gasping and moaning unlike she had ever done before, and the continual clenches and spasms she was experiencing gripped his dick unexpectedly, threatening to drag him over the edge into the beast he was under his love for her.

“That face is so erotic.” Nokto murmured.

Dahlia moaned louder, her head was starting to swim again.

Licht grunted on top of her as she stuttered in her rocking with him, another tremor coursing through her. The sound caused another loop of titillation between the two of them. Nokto’s appreciative gaze set Dahlia into another. At this rate she was going to climax again in a matter of minutes.

“I think I’m about to lose my composure. This is hotter than I imagined.” Nokto finally let go of Dahlia’s chin and stood up from the bed.

“Nokto?” Dahlia was almost as surprised that she found her words as it seemed the two men with her were. Licht pumped himself a few more times, but slowed and stilled, looking first at Dahlia, then Nokto standing beside the bed. Nokto’s eyebrows were raised before he offered a quick smile.

“I wouldn’t dream of leaving in the middle of this.” He chuckled and doffed his trousers. “But seeing as how you’ve taken a break,” his eyes slid to Licht, “I propose a change of position.”

Licht sighed quietly and disentangled himself from Dahlia, she moved readily enough to accommodate. Dahlia sat up, unsure of what Nokto was planning, but making herself ready for anything. Nokto climbed back on the bed and gave Dahlia a quick kiss before scooting behind her.

“First, my love, I’m going to need a little bit of your…” Nokto trailed off as his hand slid between Dahlia’s legs, rubbing at her clit before he thrust two fingers into her.

“Nokto!” Dahlia gasped at the sudden intrusion on her sex.

“You could be nicer.” Licht muttered.

“Yeah!” Dahlia exclaimed.

“What? Are you telling me you don’t like it?” Nokto’s voice had dropped to a purr in Dahlia’s ear as his fingers worked in her.

“Mmmn, no?” Dahlia tried to suppress the moan.

“Don’t let him bully you.”

“I’mmmn not?”

“Yes you are.” Both Licht and Nokto answered in unison, causing Licht to frown and Nokto to laugh.

“Okay! Mmmm, so I’m letting him bully me–nnngh– Nokto, you better explain what we’re doing before I can’t think straight!” Dahlia was grinding against Nokto’s hand, his fingers curling inside her and building her climax back up.

Nokto rose to his knees, pulling his fingers from Dahlia’s pussy and rubbing her slickness along himself. “Hips here, and you can lean forwards. Yep, like that.”

As Dahlia backed up against Nokto and began leaning forward, she became keenly aware that her head would land right in Licht’s lap. She dropped her hands onto the bed to stop herself from falling face first onto his erection and looked up at him surprised. He looked equally surprised, clearly they hadn’t considered where Nokto was going with his instructions.

“You have it right.” Nokto assured them, finding Dahlia’s slit with his hand and sliding his dick into her cunt. There was no need to work himself into her, he had lubed himself with her fluids and she was still plenty wet on her own, so he sank fully into her, much quicker than Licht had, leaving her gasping with how deep he went on the first thrust.

Dahlia’s eyelids dropped as her eyes threatened to roll back, and her surprise was overtaken by lust and desire. She lifted her ass higher in the air to give him easier access and help him hit that sweet spot.

Licht shifted, attempting to move out of Dahlia’s way as her head began to sink lower.

“Wait–haaah,” she panted as Nokto thrust into her again. His hands were digging into her hips and he looked for the life of him like he was completely focused on Dahlia and himself. “I don’t… nnmmm– mind–ah!”

Licht took in the scene, and damn if it didn’t make his cock twitch unintentionally. Dahlia was already moaning and looked drunk on bliss, and his heartbeat picked up at the thought of spilling his seed into her - something they had avoided for pregnancy reasons. But she hadn’t gone down on him to completion and that was seeming a likely end here.

He edged closer, giving Dahlia room to take him at her pace. With the way Nokto was bouncing her he worried she might choke or gag if he tried to help. Dahlia licked her lips, and grasped his shaft with one hand, giving his glans a swirl with her tongue and Licht’s eyes slid closed. She took him into her mouth with careful practice, though Nokto behind her seemed to throw her into several moments of panic and a need for adjusting. However, it didn’t take long before she was working with Nokto’s thrusts to bounce forward and bob her head onto Licht’s dick.

Licht clenched his fists into the blanket under him. Dahlia had worked a rhythm out and she was stroking his cock with her tongue while her lips glided up and down his shaft. He willed himself not to thrust, not to add any more difficulty to Dahlia’s kindness to him.

Nokto worked himself into a quick pace, one hand was between Dahlia’s legs toying with her clit. Usually she would be groaning and making noise, but with her mouth busy with Licht, he was starting to regret losing the ability to listen to the sounds he could bring out of her.

Dahlia hadn’t been penetrated by two men before, the experience was novel and exciting, if only because it was new. But being between two men that she loved brought a whole new level of affection that filled her up more than the two of them currently were. Perhaps that’s why she found herself enjoying the current set-up, sucking Licht off while Nokto pounded into her.

Nokto leaned forward and wrapped his arms under Dahlia, grabbing her shoulders, and then lifting her to pull her back against him. Her mouth popped off Licht, giving her only a brief look of surprise before she was sinking into ecstasy.

Licht sighed out of frustration, that was the second time today that Nokto had interrupted his orgasm. One look at Dahlia’s face, however, quickly chased away his own selfish desires, she was utterly beautiful and he closed the distance between them to rain kisses on her.

Dahlia began moaning almost the instant her mouth was free. When Licht pressed kiss after kiss to her, she only grew louder. Nokto used her shoulders for leverage, his blunted nails digging into her skin the same way he did against her hips. He hugged her closer yet and hammered her harder, causing her to become even more vocal, which seemed to bring more attention to her from Licht.

It was a dizzying, intoxicating cycle that continued to build until Dahlia was on the edge of orgasm again. Her voice reached a pitch that warned how close she was, and Licht covered her mouth with his, muffling her moans as if he was trying to claim them as his own by stealing them between her lips.

Dahlia’s cunt clamped on Nokto, her body spasmed and the pressure that had built in her core released in a wave of tantalizing delight. Licht gave her space to breathe, but just barely.

Nokto reveled in the feeling of Dahlia’s cunny throbbing around his cock. “Shit,” he hissed, pulling back from Dahlia to fit his hand between the two of them and pinch his orgasm from unloading his cum into her. As soon as his dick was clear of her pussy, he released, letting himself spurt onto the bed.

Licht hooked his arms under Dahlia’s shoulders, her form was quickly going limp. She slumped against him, panting and sighing, snuggling into his shoulder. He cradled his lover against himself, wrapping her in an embrace. Nokto leaned against Dahlia’s back, draping his arms around her waist.

The three of them were a knot of heat and heavy breathing. They all attempted to come back down from what had just taken place, but none of them made any move to break from each other. Despite how sweltering it was sitting between the men she loved, Dahlia hadn’t ever felt more loved or cared for in her life.

[anithemonsterlover]

Something New

Something fun I wanted to write! Erik/one of my OCs i thought could be engaging. It's an OC from my own story i have, away from POTO, but if you guys are interested i wouldl write more...I like their interactions...and this is more kerik than intended...but imagine this erik is like...in his 20s

--

"Silent again."

The figure had entered into the tent, irrupting him from his thoughts.

He turned, used to those flickering golden eyes, a wave of familiarity striking. But beneath that glance stood a pleasant face. And well, that had been, from the start, the man's most alluring aspect, ever since Erik met him.

But Dal's good looks were his weapon, as much as Erik's own monstrosity, he reasoned. The Shah had asked him to coordinate with this independent man to locate the whereabouts of the previous Vizier, who had fled the court under unknown circumstances. Erik was the new sensation, so the Shah thought practical for him to work with his original "shadow", a "blight youth", "the desert fox", in his words. Erik guessed he needed allies, in a way. Yet...

The boy got closer to the makeshift table with the fruit bowl, and took a peach. Insolent, ask first.

But Dal seemed to read his mind in that moment. He shrugged as he waved the peach around.

"I haven't eaten the whole day." And bit into the fruit, his skin a similar hue to the peach. Erik had initially found that curious...Everything pertaining to Dal's visage marked him as different. The pink skin, the golden eyes, the orange hair...If he wanted to play target, he could easily win...And therefore, working as an assassin seemed a bit of a contradiction.

Although maybe that's why he was dressed head to foot in black, even covering his head with a scarf at night. Erik found the similarities to his wardrobe amusing at first. See, Daroga? My fashion tastes are not that unusual.

But the initial droll would last for seconds, as he recalled the first night they met for the mission. Neither of them had talked beforehand...Probably not even knew of each other, if Erik's account could testify.

He saw the smug smile carved on his face and he felt a feline sensation of guardedness.

"Is my job threatened?"

"Only if you see it that way, boy."

The smile vanished in that moment, as fast as lightning.

"How old are you to call me that? Decrepit? I'm not a boy."

And that first impression had done little to sway him to his enchantments. Back in the present, the golden eyes flickered with defiance.

"Fine. But ask first before you indulge yourself."

Dal lowered his head, in a parodic fashion. Erik would be insulted...Would, if he was in any authoritarian position. But alas, the throne fit for him didn't exist. Just makeshift tent, in the middle of the desert, on the road for a wanted criminal.

But his face was striking, much like his was...In the opposite direction. Both would star prominently in paintings, tho, he reasoned. The Fallen Angel and Death, perhaps, holding on amiably....Incidentally, being a reflection of their current predicament. He wasn't sure the Shah would be generous to this deserter once he returned to court.

"Forgive me, your grace." Alright, now it delved into mockery.

"Hold your tongue."

And he showed his tongue! Well, he had to give credit; Dal would know when to be cocky and when not. Of course, based on the little glances Erik had stolen of him in court, he never behaved like that with the Shah.

Of course, tho, being like that with Erik, of all people...

Dal then stretched and sat on a pillow, continuing with the peach.

"Ya know, i don't think we've started on a good foot. Let's try to bond again." He titled his head and smiled. Erik then noticed his tongue dangerously edged between his teeth.

He was startled at the suggestion. What to say to that?

"...What do you suppose?"

"...We're working together." the teasing paused. "If we want our mission to succeed we must share the same goals. I don't think your wish is to return to the kingdom to a cell."

"...No."

"...Well, then, let's start...I am Dal."

"...Erik."

"...Only Erik?"

He arched an eyebrow. "You're too curious for your own good."

He grinned. "Curiosity enrichens this cat."

"Or leads him to an early grave."

He chuckled, and kept stretching. Attention seeker, is he...

"Dalar, actually, but friends call me Dal."

"...I'm a friend?"

"...I want to believe so."

He finally chuckled at that. if he was younger, more naive, he might have felt hopeful at the open invitation...But he could see the red strings around Dal's words.

"You're not from Persia."

"Neither are you."

Touché. He wondered if he would be interested in displaying his past...Although maybe he could be reserved...Much like him.

"...What brought you here?"

"I could ask the same to you."

Alright, he wouldn't bend.

"Seems a little dangerous, dear Dal, to be an assassin with your...mesmerizing features."

"Not the first time I got that compliment." He laughed.

"Your hair stands out a lot."

"That's what the hood is for."

"But...amongst a sea of black...Red just..." A dye would be essential. But Dal's shrug showed a certain arrogance.

"Everyone's got their signature, this one's mine."

Well, alright, he'll get his throat slit any day...

"...The Shah has you in high esteem. 'The desert fox', he calls you."

"Is it surprising? I do a job well done, I get credited. Nothing to get wowed." He seemed annoyed at that.

"Why do you work for him?" Erik, feeling more secure, sat in front of him in a spare cushion. His senses urged him to guard his distance, stand up, but...

"Good pay." He arched an eyebrow. "Strange you ask me that."

He noticed right now...He had yellow eyes...Just like him...Huh...Well, he guessed the eyes weren't as haunting...In the proper face.

"A foreigner in the service of the shah of Persia" he insisted. "There's more to it than that."

"I tend to not tie myself up. It's a hassle." He shrugged, impatient. "Better to open yourself for the world...Somewhere i'll find work, and my skills will be appreciated."

Hah, curious ways of describing his work...Erik thought similarly.

Still, it sounded either like ignorant, headcharging stubborn youth...Or a man taking a decision and sticking to it...And Erik was aging himself with these dumb comparisons...Dal possibly was only 5 or so years younger than him.

He lowered his glance. He could spot the luck oozing from the words...But he didn't seem arrogant, at least. Just a little impatient. But...He wasn't merely a green boy, either. His figure, amidst the lazy stretches and superficial smiles, hid competence, coldness, dedication.

He liked that.

"You're very self assured, maybe too much for your age."

He sat still, cat-like, observing the horizon.

"I'm not a boy." He ate the peach. Erik noted a silver glint near his leg, under the robe...And Dal noted his eyes. "Curious?"

Erik looked away "I was just...-"

He chuckled again. "People have said ruder things." He slid his voice. "So..."

Erik titled his head...Yes, a metallic toe looked back at him. "...How did it happen?"

He was expecting for Dal's reaction there to change, and be somber...But, while the smile diminished, the air of nonchalance still followed him. He seemed at ease with Erik.

"Dumb mistakes."

He made a noise. "...Care to reveal?"

"If first you reveal your face."

Touché. The fox was true to his nature, and would not drop its slyness. Still, Erik appreciated that he hadn't touched the subject of the mask, in all the time they spent together...Till now.

"Why the mask?"

"...Dumb mistake." God's dumb mistake, rather...But possibly God also played to have Dal lose his leg, if one could passively believe in the concept of fate.

And he was close. Insolently close. Recklessly close. Foolishly close...Invitingly close.

The peach's scent was printed on him...And his eyes searched for him, searching that connection. Erik raised a putrid hand, maybe to rebelliously play with one of those firey locks...

But Dal turned away, towards the flap of the tent.

"Well...If you need me...You can make out the color of my tent." He paused before leaving. "Or you can just wait."

Normally he would growl at the scent of an order, but Dal's voice carried a light edge that would lull him into complacency.

Well...He had another aspect to look forward these years in Persia, he imagined.

[dayseternal-blog]

Hi days!!! Thank you so much for being like the only one to interact with me on here 🫶 I was wondering if you and anyone else could send me any fics with naruto being a gym rat? Even if he’s just a little background character lol

💕💕💕💕 You're a dear mutual to me 😭😭 you don't have to thank me 😭😭

The first fics I thought of are ones you probably already know 😔

Gym Naruto in NaruHina Fics

“Serenity Prayer” by katarinahime - Rated E, Modern AU, Multi-chapter, Incomplete. When their fairytale endings smash to ugly pieces, Hinata and Naruto help put each other back together.

“Common Side Effects” by katarinahime & “Medicated” by szajnie - Rated E for a lot of things, Crime/Modern AU, Multi-chapter, Incomplete. Naruto and Hinata, in a struggling relationship, must confront the pain inside before they can love each other.

There are these others that show gyms...of various types...:

“Seeing Stars” by Free Mentality - Rated T, Modern AU, One-shot. They had been attending the same boxing gym for months before he noticed her, and the first time they met was a bit of a disaster, to say the least.

Chapter 21 from “Between the Trees” by @utsus - Rated G, Olympics AU, One-shot. It’s not uncommon for them to train in the same gym.

Chapter 6 from “Heartbreaks and Heartaches” by @powerful-niya - Rated T, College AU, One-shot. Prompt 4: Hinata slowly raised her head to look at Tenten, her eyes burning from the amount of tears, “No, it’s my fault.” She muttered, clutching her own shirt, “I caused this to happen— I told him to leave.” (prepare to be very sad.)

"Prey" by @sessakag- Rated E, Crime AU, Multi-chapter, Ongoing. Following a midnight chance encounter with Hinata Hyuuga, a smitten sociopath, Naruto Uzumaki, tries his hand at romance, determined to make her fall in love with him the only way he knows how.

Oh, here's a couple that I think fit the idea of gym rat a little better!

“Naughty or Nice?” by @vegebulsoup - Rated E, Modern AU, Two-shot. Even though she was against the idea at first, Hinata can’t take her eyes off the Sexy Santa that Ino recruited for their company’s holiday party.

“Nighttime Workout” by Breezyanimetra - Rated E, College AU, Two-shot. Shy Hinata doesn’t usually have the courage to speak with her long time crush Naruto. All she does is watch him workout wishing she can do more. A snow storm one fateful night changes that for her.

Oh this next one doesn't show any gym setting, but Naruto is a physical trainer:

“Warped” by BountifullyBeautifullyBlessed - Rated E includes non-con, College AU, Multi-chapter, Complete. Hinata can’t sleep and her roommate, Naruto, is more than willing to help her out.

going to the gym is also mentioned in these:

“The Study Session” from “Endless Lemons” by agitosgirl - Rated M, High School AU, One-shot. She’s covered in piercings and leather, and has a bad attitude. But she takes an interest in him. A very special interest…

“Echoes of Silence” by @ellaroundpanda - Rated E, Modern AU, Multi-chapter, Ongoing. Hinata Hyuga was trapped. Her relationship with Toneri was leading to nowhere and she wanted to find a new Dom. Naruto Uzumaki seemed to be the answer to all her prayers, but her fiancé wouldn’t give up that easily…

Naruto does weightlifting in this one:

“Asynchronous With You” by @bunny-hoodlum - Rated E, High School AU, Multi-chapter, Ongoing. They told everyone they were foster siblings. He did it for her because she didn’t want them to grow apart. She did it for herself so she could stop loving him. Their timing couldn’t have been worse.

uhmm I think in this one, he owns gyms:

“Missed Years” by Rinne-Kami - Rated T, Modern AU, Multi-chapter, Incomplete. The act of one night gave birth to their future. And now, with years past since that one night, they were left with years to return. Seven years of love to find, seven years of trust to rebuild, and seven years of fatherhood to return.

Okay, I found more than I thought I would! If anyone can think of others, feel free to add!

[book-of-legends]

*Destino approaches Queen Lunaria*

Destino: Queen? You're some sort of queen? How could someone that looks like you be considered royalty? What are you even the queen of? Standing around doing nothing? I may not be monarch yet but I know when I am, I'll be ten times more useful than you appear to me. Unless you can prove your status, I don't think I'll consider you at an equal level to I. I mean, I'm not even wearing my crown and yet I feel more royal than you.

Hope gently pet Destinos fur, "Oh, I love it when mortals act so bold in the presence of a god! It's so amusing and endearing. You creatures are endlessly entertaining!" Though her comment was well-intentioned, it sounded more demeaning than anything. Perhaps she didn't know any better? After all the goddess barely interacted with mortal Pokemon.

"For me? It's quite simple, They consider me royalty because I'm a deity. My appearance matters not, I just look like this to not frighten my people with my presence. You see, Mortals are quite small. I do not wish to accidentally injury one, especially little cuties like you!" "As for your other inquiry... I love little games like this! Hmmm, let me ponder..."

The Lunala looked quite giddy with her idea, "Alright~ Do me a favour and stand really, really still!! I don't want to accidentally decapitate you!" With a cheerful snicker, her form seemed to grow, shift and loom over them suddenly. "Get ready cutie~"

With a rake of her giant wing, she easily severed the Absol's soul from their body. Everything went black within an instant and their husk of a body fell to the ground with a soft thud! It was almost as if all your senses had been instantly taken away, you felt nothing. You were no longer connected to the mortal realm but rather were shoved into a completely different one.

"Hello there little one! I see you have finally arrived!"

She caught the tiny Pokemon in her grasp. "I apologise for that, I had to do that to allow you in here. Your mortal body was much too heavy to phase into a completely different realm. But look!" Hope held the Absol much like a puppy as she proudly showed them around.

"I store my body here whilst I am in a different form, that holds true for my children as well." Every which way you could possibly look there was only endless night. It seemed desolate... void, and almost lonely? There was nothing apart from the stars and her. "This is where I used to stay before I created my mortal realm! I must admit it was only me and my counterpart for many millennia. Quite isolating..." "Eventually we decided to create something of our own. But that is a story for another time! I shouldn't keep you here for too long you might get stuck!"

Hope placed a gentle kiss on Destinos forehead before she abruptly let go of them and allowed them to fall into the endless void below... just as they left they were already being returned to the mortal realm. ...Or rather, they never truly left. Hope was peering down at Destino, almost as if she'd been there the whole time staring at them.

"I wouldn't want your soul to try to take residence up in some other poor creature's body! Having your soul split up doesn't feel very pleasant." "Alright, I should go cutie! It was fun talking to you though! I'd stay longer but having food around is too tempting~ I must say, your soul looks very yummy, it's making me hungry. So, Bye now!" She smiled, Hope gave one final ruffle to Destinos hair before she wandered off.