#i felt like i’d been chewed up and spat back out and then put back together again

[ikarakie]

i’ve truly never walked out of a movie unable to describe the things it did to my brain chemistry the same way i did with barbie (2023)

[ghouldump]

hi your fics are so amazing!!

if you’re open to requests, i was wondering if you could write a lestat x louis x reader fic that takes place during their huge fight in the townhouse? i can imagine the reader being a mother figure to claudia and trying to protect her during it and getting hurt in the process of trying to break up louis and lestat. i’d love to see how the reader deals with the aftermath of her and louis’ injuries as well as claudia taking care of the two of them.

sorry if its confusing😭 i thought of this while rewatching s1

For The Love Of A Daughter | Lestat x Reader x Louis

ෆ out of fear, lestat does the unimaginable and has to try his hardest to win his family's trust back, but it may be too late

the comparison of s1 vs s2 of this scene had me on the edge of my seat 🥺 ⚠️ THIS IS S1 E5 ‼️

How did your once beautiful family go to ruins? When Claudia was created? When she rebelled? Or when she left? Your daughter, you would go to hell and back for her, yet, you couldn't convince her to stay.

Lestat was cruelly strict with her, invading her privacy by reading her diaries, not considering the fact that she was trapped in the early stages of puberty for an eternity. She couldn't help that she was a young girl stuck in this body, and he never let her forget or made it easier on her.

Louis, he'd always been passive, about your companionship, as well as his role as a parent. He wanted to keep the peace and harmony. If that meant allowing Lestat to discipline her, then he’d turn his head to not have to watch out of guilt.

Then you, Lestat often complained that you spoiled her too much. You never raised a finger to her, nor your voice. You hadn't been brought up that way, and so you did the same with her. You still remember the night she left. Packing only a few things, while you and Louis tried convincing her to stay. Standing her ground, she gave you both a hug, letting the wind carry her away.

Seven years flew by, silence made its way into the house that no longer felt like a home. Louis nose-deep in book after book, Lestat leaving going god knows where, while you remained secluded, drawing, reading, and sometimes staring at the wall.

Tonight was a rarity, Lestat wasn't running off, and Louis sat on the sofa, reading, while you sat in a chair, your head lying on your arm, taking in the soft jazz music.

Hearing the door open, Claudia entered, setting her suitcase on the floor. Rushing over, you wrapped your arms around her, rocking back and forth. Pulling away, your heart broke as Louis hugged her tightly. He too had been taking it so hard, since she had been gone. Abruptly, the music stopped, Lestat glaring at her.

“The prodigal daughter”

“I've come to apologize, I put all of you in a bad spot, I wasn't right in my head. I am now,” she said. You couldn't put your finger on it, but there was something different about her, a certain brokenness, she was trying to shut away.

“Apology not accepted,” Lestat said.

“How was college? Magna cum? Summa cum? Phi Beta Kappa?” he continued.

“I've read a lot of books. Started with Persia and Babylon, the old gods who longed for blood. A lot of it was popcorn, but a few old tomes. A Romanian tract on vampirs. A strange old Hungarian text, ‘Masticatione Mortuorum,’ the chewing dead. I plan to leave for that part of the world as soon as I can,” she told him. You and Louis shared a look, sensing that this wasn't headed in a positive direction.

“So, quick stop home to do laundry before you fuck off for good,” Lestat spat.

“A quick stop to pick up my mama and Louis,” she told him. Your hand went to your stomach, trying to control the unsettling nervousness building up. Lestat glanced at the two of you, before glaring at her in disgust.

“Oh, Perused a few folklore anthologies, and now you're going to cross the ocean and take on a society of monsters,” he said, slowly making his way towards her.

“If what I've read is lies, then tell me what's true,” she told him, but he only continued to stare at her as if she was beneath him.

“Seven years and what’s changed, other than you need a housekeeper?” she sneered. He slowly approached her, and as you were about to step forward to intervene, Louis grabbed your hand, discreetly shaking his head.

“The vampires out there…are vicious. Oh, but you've learned that already. Who did you meet out there in the American hinterland? Read her,” Lestat looked at the two of you, walking away. Staring at her, you quickly wiped the tear from your eye, you couldn't imagine what she had been through all on her own.

“That’s it, keep 'em scared. That's his way,” she said to you both.

“The vampires in Europe are much, much worse”

“But I think he's scared,” she spoke over him.

“I never asked, how did Charlie taste? Like the love you'll never really know,” he said, trying to get under her skin.

“And when he's scared, he ridicules”

“She was a destitute little girl, destined to live an inconsequential little life,” he said, approaching the both of you.

“And we took it from her, we cursed her,” Louis said, making the smug expression drop from his face. Looking at you, his frown deepened, seeing you gaze at her, the bloody tears moments from seeping out.

“Come with me!” she called out, both of you staring at her.

“Come with me, mama, Louis”

“Louis, Y/n,” Lestat said, becoming angry as neither of you looked at him.

“I thought I could live without either of you, but I was wrong,” Claudia said, her eyes pleading for you to come along.

“Y/n, Louis”

“Louis, Y/n,” Lestat continued, raising his voice.

“His love is a small box he keeps you both in, don't stay in it,” she said, as you glanced at him.

“A thousand nights of sulking, and the first sight of her, you are just gonna up and leave me?!” Lestat yelled.

“Please, come with me! Let’s be vampires worth of your love!” Claudia screamed before Lestat surged, choking her.

“Get off of her,” you said, going to shove him off of her. However, he was much stronger, gaining the upper hand, his fingers wrapping around your throat, he looked unrecognizable.

“You, always choosing her,” he spat, before Louis charged over, tackling him.

As they fought, Claudia screamed, panicking, as you tried to keep up with them. Throwing Louis in the living room. Lestat straddled him, punching him in the face.

“Lestat, stop it,” you cried out, jumping on his back, but he easily slung you across the room, as you smashed into the wall, you could feel your arm already broken.

“Claudia, stay down here,” you told her, rushing to the bedroom.

“Stop fighting,” you screamed, as they continued tackling each other.

“Let him go,” you hear Claudia crying.

“It’s alright, you stay where you're at,” Louis told her, as if he wasn't completely bruised up.

“You're going to choose her too? Leave me for her when she left you both, I’ve been here,” he told you, as you slowly backed away, unsure of what he'd do next.

“Lestat st-

“Do not tell me what to do,” he told you, wrapping his hand around your throat, and pulling you close. His nails were in your skin, with your airway completely blocked.

Dragging both of you downstairs, and outside, you could hear Claudia running.

“I fought myself a million times, fought my nature, controlled my temper. I never once harmed either of you,” he said.

“Let him go,” you cried, hoarsely, trying to claw at his hand, while reaching for Louis.

“Silence,” he told you.

“Uncle Les”

“It's Uncle Les, now suddenly?”

“Let them go, they didn't do nothin’, let them go, it's me you want,” you could hear her steps approaching.

“Listen to me, and listen very carefully my infant death, it was never you. No matter how much your mama made you think otherwise,” he spat, crushing your throat, and dragging you both out into the road.

“I chose you, and you, given you the dark gift and you've betrayed me,” he said, biting into your neck, draining almost every ounce of blood from your body, before throwing you, watching as you flew into the backyard, colliding with bricks, you could feel your rib cage shatter.

However, as you stood up, you quickly fell to your knees in pain and fear for Louis’s life, watching as they flew into the sky to the point where they were no longer seen.

“Mama, are you alright?” Claudia ran to you, reaching for her hand, your other hand on your throat. You couldn't speak, Lestat’s nails had managed to pierce through. Claudia gasped, as you coughed, blood spilling out.

“Are you okay?” you asked.

“I’m okay, we just need to get Louis,” she said, helping you stand, however, just as you stood, Louis fell from the sky, hitting the ground. Limping over, you were afraid to touch him, the slightest touch looked as if it would break him even more.

Crying, you looked up, staring into Lestat’s eyes as he flew over you all, not saying a word. You couldn't say it, but from your expression, there was no way you could easily forgive him after this.

Healing was a struggle, not just from the physical damage, but any previous trust was gone. While you managed to bounce back within a few months, Louis had a long way to go. Lestat skipped town and hadn't bothered to show his face.

You avoided thinking about him, altogether. Dedicating yourself to Claudia and Louis, from coffin-bound to limping, every day was progress. Louis was slowly getting better and you both worked on strengthing your bond with Claudia. Then the calls started coming.

All of this time, you managed to push through the soreness and pain, but the moment he called you hid away, licking your eternal wounds. He was a completely different person that night, the things he said, the things he'd done. After Louis fully healed, you were no longer opposed to the idea of leaving for Europe with Claudia.

Hearing the doorbell ringing, you turned your head, watching as Claudia went outside. You could hear his voice, he had gifts, and he wanted to talk, to apologize. Louis went upstairs, throwing his coffin out of the window, you couldn't help but snicker.

“There’s your answer”

“And where is Y/n? I know she would enjoy these paints, they are rare. I paid quite a price because I knew she would make the most beautiful-

“My mama ain't got nothin’ to say to you, like you said, she betrayed you, choosing me,” she told him, shutting the door, and locking it.

Coming back to the living room, she glanced your way before to Louis, who came from upstairs. As Louis sat next to you, you pulled him close.

“You okay?” you asked him.

“Getting there,” he mumbled, smiling as you kissed his cheek.

Lestat didn't show his face anymore, but the gifts never stopped. Each time more spontaneous than the next, and while you knew, Louis was becoming weaker, you wished you could say the same for yourself.

“Emily Dickinson is not a vampire,” Louis said, as you laughed.

“How do you know?” she asked.

“Because she is dead,” you pointed out.

“How do you know?”

“She got a grave,” Louis said.

“And a tombstone,” you added.

“So do you,” She told Louis, all of you laughing, afterward.

As you crossed the streets, the driver honked their horn, as they slowly came to a stop in front of you. Opening the door, Lestat climbed out, smiling at you all. Rolling your eyes, you simply looked the other way.

“25 horsepower Rolls-Royce six-cylinder engine and a front end they call a coffin nose, is that rich? This one’s yours, mine’s back at home in blue,” he said, showing off the new car, and tossing the keys to Louis.

“I know how much you despise driving, so I got you other things, the finest fabrics, books, art supplies, and music, waiting for you at home, I'm back in town permanently,” he continued, looking your way, but you just stared off to the side, as if you didn't see him.

“Were you gone?” Claudia asked him.

“Across the river, in Algiers,” he said, you could still feel his eyes on the two of you.

“You know who lives in Algiers” Claudia said to you, as you clenched your jaw.

“I don't know what possessed me that night,” he said.

“Three years ago, that night, three years ago, he means,” Claudia corrected him.

“I was someone I don't want to be anymore. I've changed. Let me prove it to you. I’m nothing without you. I’m nothing without any of you”

“If you want me to go away, just say so. I’ll obey you. I’ll leave your lives forever. This silence is cruel, all I ask is that Y/n looks at me. You haven't spared me a glance since I've been here. Neither of you were ever cruel, don't let our situation change you,” he said.

“Just look at him,” Louis pleaded.

Turning to face him, he cleared his throat, straightening his posture. You didn't say anything, emotionlessly staring at him.

“You look stunning as always, ma chérie,” he complimented, his heart breaking as you looked away again.

Taking the keys, Claudia threw them, before scratching the car, reaching for your hand, walking away.

Six years, came and went, and more gifts flooded the house. It was unspoken between you and Louis that you both missed him. Although it looked different, Louis wanted him to come running back, each extravagant, but sentimental gift was tugging more and more at Louis’s heart. You preferred the distance, reminiscing on the past, before that night. You didn't think you could have that back, now, you secretly enjoyed every time he saw you, or wrote to you, begging that you would acknowledge him.

Unexpectedly, it happened, the record came in the mail and was immediately played. The song meant to win you both back while pissing you off, a song sung by his affair partner. Louis was seething, grabbing the record, and ran out of the house.

“You're not going with him?” Claudia asked.

“They will be back,” you mumbled, knowing his plan worked, he got through to Louis and would be coming back.

“Rule number four-

“Kill Antoinette”

“Antoinette is my own private-

“Affair,” Claudia said.

“Said child, interfering in the romantic lives of her parents,” Lestat said, wanting one of you to stop her. She had been sharp with him since the moment he stepped into the house.

“She will be 33 soon, far from a child,” you reminded him, rolling your eyes.

“It’s a lick and a promise in vampire years,” he shrugged.

“Maybe, but I am not your child anymore, that's rule number five,” Claudia said, catching his attention.

His eyes shifted from her to you, your interlocked hands. She had you, wrapped around her fingers, taken from him. Louis was more willing to work on the broken relationship, but you had shut him out, choosing your child.

“I’ll be your companion, your sister,” she told him, as he scoffed.

“It's not as simple as choosing a new family configuration, now I'm your cousin, now I'm your aunt, I am your maker,” he told her rudely.

“I’m going to bed,” you said, standing abruptly, he looked into your cold eyes, searching for any emotion.

“Will you not lay down your rules, as well?” he asked, sarcastically.

“Good night,” was all you said, turning away, going upstairs.

“She needs time,” you could hear Louis say.

Did you need more time? You didn't go through nearly as much as Louis and he managed to forgive him, why couldn't you? You were never maternal until Claudia came along, perhaps it came with being a mother. The way that he treated her, turned you against him. As much as you loved him, thinking back to the times you were spoiled, lavished as if you were royalty, you couldn't bring yourself to open up.

Hunting became insufferable. Louis began drinking human blood, it was supposed to bring everyone closer, hunting as a family, but you kept your distance. He knew he'd wounded you, his choice of words hurting you just as bad, and he'd have to be more persistent to win you back.

“I wished you’d look at me, the simplest glance would help me a great deal,” he said, following you, sighing in relief as you faced him.

“Happy?”

“You have my heart at your will, your precious words command me, and I would do anything you ask of me,” he said, trying to fight the tears, as you slowly approached him.

“Take up your heart, I wouldn't want you to feel betrayed when I don't choose you,” you said, turning around, leaving him to stand there and try to gather his emotions.

“Could you at least try to compromise?” Louis asked you, as you looked through the different fabrics in the store.

“I am-

“No, you're not, you put your coffin in Claudia’s room, and the other night, whatever you said, he cried himself to sleep”

“Aw, poor baby,” you said, placing the fabrics into Louis’ arms.

“You agreed that we would work things out, everybody is compromising trying to work through our problems, we need you too,” he said, pouting, as you approached the cash register.

“Fine, I hate when you give me that look,” you playfully rolled your eyes at him.

“Thank you, I love you,” you grinned.

“I love you,” you laughed, pecking his lips.

Later that night, after putting away your things, and changing into your nightgown, you were about to into Claudia’s room, when you stopped. Huffing, you went to your shared bedroom, opening the door.

“Did she say anything? I left a note, but she never responds,” Lestat grumbled.

“I talked with her, but it is up to her to make a decision,” Louis said.

“I hope you don't expect us to squeeze that coffin,” you said, making both of them face you.

“We could always sleep in the bed,” Louis offered, both of them approaching you.

‘Thank you’ he said, as you faced Lestat.

“Will you keep that stupid look on your face, or will you speak?” you asked.

“I didn't know it was okay for me to do so,” he chuckled.

“Y/n is willing to compromise, she hasn't said it verbally, but she does still love you,” Louis spoke, as you stared at the two of them.

“Ma chérie, if I could take back what I've said, what I’ve done-

“But you can't”

“I can't, and I will have to live with the burden of knowing I hurt you and Louis both, your role in Claudia’s life was never a problem, I am sorry, my love,” he said, walking to you, falling to his knees in front of you. His head laid against your stomach, and he continued to apologize profusely.

“To have you look at me, after months of refusal, even if it is a look of anger, is to see heaven,” he said, looking up at you. Reaching for his hand, you helped him stand, pecking his lips. Holding your hand out for Louis, as soon as he was close enough, your lips were on his soft skin.

Pushing Lestat onto the bed, you straddled his lap, rolling your hips, as Louis stood behind you, kissing your neck. Leaning down, you wrapped your hands around his neck.

“I’ll forgive you, but if you ever do anything remotely similar, I’ll make sure you burn in the sun, and I’ll wear you as makeup,” you said, making him smirk.

“Anything you say, although the thought of me being on your face, arouses me greatly,” he said, watching as you pulled Louis onto the bed, moving over to him.

Your nearly decade-long monogamy had now come to an end, sharing the night with Louis and Lestat. You had forgotten how spontaneous he was, managing to pleasure both of you.

‘Have you taken him back, like Louis?’ Claudia asked.

‘For now’ you thought, as Lestat kissed along your shoulder blade.

‘Do you think Louis will help?’

‘He will’

‘Do you think it will work?’

‘I don't know, my child, but we will try’

‘We can do it, mama, he wants to keep you and Louis for himself, he hates me and would probably kill me if it meant having you both alone’

‘I know’

Now lying in bed, Lestat in between you and Louis, both of you in his arms.

“I hope you will allow me to continue to prove myself to you, and I am lost without either of you, I feel empty without you both here with me, I love you,” he spoke, you couldn't deny the way your heart fluttered.

“Then it is official, we will kill Lestat’

‘And if our plan doesn't work?’

‘Then we escape to Europe, we find other vampires, and we rebuild our lives there, does that sound okay?”

‘It sounds perfect’

‘Great, good night mama’

‘Good night, my child’

Looking up at Lestat’s face, he lay peacefully, his eyes shut, face relaxed. He was incredibly handsome, you didn't dare tell Claudia but coming to this room, you were just as weak as Louis. Would you be able to kill this beautiful man, the love of your life? Or run away and live an eternity with your daughter? You couldn't decide anymore, only time would tell.

brotha eughhh, this was so mid

[theflowerrooms]

To Request • Miguel’s Masterlist • Main Masterlist

Running Red

Miguel O’Hara x spider-person!reader (gender neutral)

Summary; Miguel was a fair leader and a fair lover, never did he blend the two titles, never had he taken his anger from work on you, until now.

wordcount: 1.8k

Warnings: angst, arguing, Miguel is a bit aggressive, insults, hurt/comfort, very slight ATSV spoilers

Miguel had three different modes. The silent, brooding kind, seemingly displeased at all moments. That was his default mode, the one most everyone saw, the one most often associated with his name. And then there was his stressed mode, where he would rant, and rant. A loud string of blurred Spanglish that was intelligible to anyone but himself as he paced back and forth anxiously. That wasn’t seen by too many, mostly yourself, Jess and sometimes Peter. Finally, there was the gentle touches that would lead to more, soft smiles and sweet words. Intimate kisses, goosebumps, and whispered ‘I love you’s’. That was reserved for you

This was new, whatever this was. Silent for a while, and then loud venting, eyes glowing scarlet, slight lisping because he was so angry he couldn’t retract his fangs. It wasn’t like you didn’t understand, he was carrying the entire world on his shoulders. But then again, that wasn’t something you could ever fully understand. You’d been by Miguel’s side for nearly all of it, but you’d never been in his place.

“Miguel, baby, please try to calm down-” “No!” He snapped loudly, cutting you off faster than you could process it. That only made it worse. Miguel was a pessimist, and you were a mediator. You’d defended Gwen- and Miles, every chance you could. You didn’t think they were entirely in the wrong.

You reached a hand out to him and he only jerked away from it, that felt like a blow to the chest. He was acting like you were against him, like you were the opposing force and you weren’t, it was stressing you out.

You sighed and chewed your lip. “None of this is Gwen’s fault, you know this.” You pulled your arms closer to body, making yourself seem smaller, but still not backing down from the conversation-turned-argument.

He dragged a palm down his face and turned slightly to look away from you. “I was an idiot. I took a chance on her. I was an idiot for taking a chance on her.” He growled, fingers twitching at his sides.

“You took a chance on all of us- You took a chance on me-” your voice shook slightly and he cut you off quickly. “I wouldn’t have if I’d known you would turn out like this, so stupid.” He spat, voice laced with venom and resentment.

Your arms dropped to your sides and your lip wobbled. You wanted to yell and fight, you wanted to be angry. But you were only sad, hurt, more insecure than you’d ever been in front of Miguel.

The features of his face, aged with stress, softened just slightly, his tense shoulders sloped as he realized what he’d said, how it affected you.

The image of your partner in front of you blurred as your eyes welled with tears. He had yet to say anything else and you weren’t going to stand there and wait, so you turned on your heel. You wouldn’t let him see you cry.

He watched you walk away and you could feel his eyes on your back. Part of you was grateful he didn’t put up a fight against you walking away but a bigger part of you wished he’d apologized immediately, or begged you to stay there with him and explain that he didn’t really think you’re stupid. He watched you walk away instead. Did he really think you were stupid?

✽-

You had no interest in staying in his universe, and your own universe wasn’t quite an option. That’s how you found yourself sitting on the floor of Mayday’s nursery in Peter’s world. She squished her little head against yours, wild hair tickling your cheeks which were soft from crying. ‘Baby-love. Cures all types of sad.’ Peter had said. You had to admit he wasn’t all that wrong.

“Do you feel like talkin’ yet? Or…” Peter offered, leaning against the doorframe with two cups of coffee in his hands.

You smiled weakly. “Thank you for letting me borrow your baby.” You squeezed Mayday in a gentle hug. He took it as permission to hand you a coffee and sit on the floor with you, which you were entirely fine with.

It was quiet for a bit. You sipped your coffee and pulled your knees to your chest as Peter’s baby clumsily made her way over to him. He stared at you, his eyes kind and inviting. “Peter we’ve known each other for a good while, worked together a ton. Have you ever thought of me as stupid?” Your voice wavered toward the end of the question.

Peter tilted his head and furrowed his eyebrows. “Of course not. Why would you even ask that? It’s been an honour to fight alongside you. You’re so intelligent, you’re a wonderful teammate and a wonderful person. You’re far from stupid. I mean- Obviously. Miguel wouldn’t give you that much responsibility if he thought you were stupid.” He laughed softly, but the mood shifted and his demanour had entirely changed. He must've sense of change in your expression when he said Miguel's name. "Did Miguel say something to make you think that? Did he call you stupid?" He looked mad, and although it rose your anxiety, you knew none of it was directed at you.

“He said he wouldn’t have taken a chance on me if he’d known I turned out this way. ‘So stupid’ he said. I’m not sure if he meant taking a chance on me was stupid or I’m stupid but-”

“Either way.” Peter cut you off, finishing your sentence. He shook his head. “He shouldn’t have said that, Miguel doesn’t think you’re stupid.” He scoffed and you only shrugged. “Don’t let what he said make you think that. He doesn’t think you’re stupid- and even if he does, you aren’t. Understand?” He rose his eyebrows and you nodded with a sympathetic smile. While you loved Peter, and valued his opinion, you weren’t worried about what he thought right now. Miguel’s words were replaying in your head.

‘I wouldn’t have if I’d known you would turn out like this, so stupid.’

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

✽-

You’d spend the night at Peter and MJ’s that night, in their world. Alone in their guest bed rather than wrapped safely in Miguel’s arms like you were used to.

You were mostly over it now, having gone over everything in your head again and again, with each word Miguel said repeating in your mind. You’d mentally given him a million excuses, just desperate to be over it so you could forgive him and then everything would be fine.

Of course you had yet to forgive him, and nothing was fine. You weren’t sure if you could sleep in a bed so cold and lonely.

“Amor?” Miguel’s voice startled you and you scrambled, sitting up in the bed. You hadn’t heard or sensed him anywhere nearby. Did Peter let him in? “Can we talk? Please?” He spoke monotone, straight faced. This was the cold, emotionless Miguel that others were used to seeing. For a moment you worried he was still angry with you, that this front was to hide emotions he was feeling because he was about to break up with you- for being so stupid. Though, would he have addressed you that way if that was the case?

You nodded and chewed your lip. “We can talk.” You wanted to return the straight, monotone voice he'd given you, but you stumbled over your words. You wondered if your eyes were still puffy from crying- and that's when you noticed his were too. He’d clearly been crying. You’d never seen Miguel cry before, you were witnessing entirely new parts of him today.

He sat on the side of the bed and rested a large palm on your shin through the blanket. “I am so- I shouldn’t have- I’m so sorry. I do not think you’re stupid.” He kept eye contact with you. It was important to him that you understood how serious this was to him. “I didn’t mean to say it like that. I’m so grateful to have you by my side- and I- you’re not stupid-”

“Miguel- I’m not mad at you, you have so much on your plate, it’s okay-”

“It is not. I should not have said that to you- I didn’t mean to say it like that. I don’t think you’re stupid, I think I have been stupid, I could have prevented all this and I didn’t.” His voice shook. He was showing you insecurity and vulnerability; two things he’d made you feel already. You appreciated what he was doing for you right now and you understood how hard it was for Miguel to give himself to you like this.

You moved to your knees and took his face in your hands, smoothing your thumb over the worry lines between his eyebrows. “It’s not your job to save the world Miguel. I think it’s incredible that you’ve made it your job, but still it doesn’t have to be. You haven’t done anything wrong, and you haven’t been stupid.” You pouted slightly and let him kiss the pout off of you. One kiss releasing all the tension and stress from you both.

You rested your forehead against his and then two of you stayed like that for a while; breathing each other in, basking in the closeness. “You really don’t think I’m stupid?” You asked, the corner of your mouth quirking up into a smirk.

“No, no, lo siento carino, lo siento- te amo, mucho mucho mucho-” He rambled in a tone similar to baby-talk, peppering kisses all over your face until you were giggling and pushing his big head away.

“Te amo! I love you too!” You laughed, leaning against him. “Don’t ever speak to me like that again.” You still had a soft smile on your face, but you were being serious and he knew.

A kiss to the top of your head “Never.” He replied. You hummed, head against his chest and palm against his lean torso.

“Good. Because if you do, I’ll turn evil and start causing problems by tearing holes in all kinds of universes. And Jess and Peter won’t help you stop me because they think I’m cooler than you.” You joked and he fake laughed.

Gently, with faux annoyance, he pushed you away from him. “Is there anything I can do now to persuade you not to do that in the future?” He inquired, leaning toward you.

“Hold me?”

You weren’t doomed to sleep in the cold, desolate bed all on your own anymore. Gifted with Miguel’s arm thrown over your body and holding you tightly, he pressed his nose lightly into your hair and his heart beating against your back. You hoped Peter wouldn’t mind Miguel having a surprise sleepover.

He didn’t mind at all.

[voraciousvore]

Boarding School for Giants (21/25)

------ Chapter 21 ------

The bell hadn’t rung yet to signal the end of the day, meaning Joey was still in class. I decided to go back to my dorm. My thoughts were a tangled mess, and I needed to work through them. My world, yet again, had been violently turned upside-down and mixed up like a cocktail shaker. I had assumed that I was stranded here at the giant boarding school after my mother abandoned me. The tantalizing opportunity to return to a normal life, with other humans my size, was something I had been pining for ever since I first got here. 

So why was my heart in such turmoil? As I biked through the vast, empty halls of the giant school, I was reminded of how small and insignificant I had felt upon my arrival, like hardly a person at all. Certainly, I was tiny when compared to a giant, I couldn’t deny that. But insignificant? No. Mr. Henderson and Joey treated me with kindness and respect, and attended to my needs to the best of their abilities. The other giant students, such as Stephanie, were beginning to notice me more and recognize me as an individual. Hell, even the giants who hated me like the principal or the student who swallowed me out of spite still attributed some meaning to my presence; otherwise, they would have treated me with indifference, rather than such execrable contempt.

I realized that a lot had changed within me in the short time I had been here. While I still got nervous around giant strangers I didn’t know, for obvious reasons, I wasn’t absolutely terrified of all giants like I had been initially. Like the human doctor had told me, the feeling faded with time. Despite my excessive, egregious suffering, my attitude and behavior had improved significantly overall. I didn’t lash out at everything and everyone around me and misbehave just for the sake of it. External factors were a huge reason for the difference, but internally I was affected as well. In my personal trial by fire, I discarded my weaknesses and discovered strength, bravery, and resilience I didn’t know I had, along with a new blossoming force within me that wanted to be better, to fight for something more than a tormented existence. 

I biked through the doors of the school out into the courtyard, brightly lit by the afternoon sun. The colossal trees were starting to shed their leaves for the fall season, leaving the pavement and grass peppered with vivid hot splashes of red, orange, and yellow in varying shades. The leaves rustled and crunched in a satisfying way under the narrow tires of my bike as I sped along. The languid warmth of the summer breeze was gradually giving way to the crisp autumn air. 

I couldn’t deny that this giant world was beautiful, and had its own appeal to it. I thought about Joey and Mr. Henderson. Joey was so sweet and thoughtful, and I had developed an irresistible crush for him. Mr. Henderson had been by my side since the beginning, and was more of a father figure to me than my absent biological father. Could I really give up the strong ties I had forged to live with humans again? Was it worth it? 

If I went back to the human side of the wall, I’d be put in “the system,” a cold and impersonal machine for processing the unwanted, a ruthless bureaucracy that chewed up people and spat them back out. I would live in an orphanage or be relocated to live with strangers. Maybe they would be nice people, or maybe not: There was no way to know for certain. I would be alone again, and would have to start everything from scratch. My old life was dead to me; nobody loved or missed me over there, or waited eagerly for me to come back. Not even my own mother. I pushed her out of my mind. She didn’t deserve to occupy my thoughts anymore. 

Instead, I tried to picture what a life here would look like, with Mr. Henderson as my father. My father. I could have an affectionate father again, one who would care for me and love me. A comforting glow flowed into my soul, overflowing through my body until even the hole inside me disappeared. The idea was alluring. I could dream of a rosy future. 

A glance at the watch on my wrist snapped me back into cold reality. I was really only parsing through the positives, as if trying to convince myself to accept an idealistic image of what could be. I wanted a father so badly, I was almost willing to set aside the painful truth that I simply didn’t belong here. It was a dream, nothing more.  

I didn’t know if I could survive among giants for any extended period of time. I had already been through hell so many times, had enough close calls with death to leave me traumatized for the rest of my life. I ran through all the terrible events in my head. I had been bullied to tears and devoured alive by one giant student, and had only escaped being digested in his stomach because Mr. Henderson happened to be nearby to get me out. Another giant student had snatched me up when I was alone in a foiled attempt to gratify his own sexual urges—a student who was currently present on campus, by the way, and still posed a threat. The giant principal had harmed me badly enough to send me to the hospital, and I had been helpless to stop him. Even when malicious intent wasn’t involved, a simple accident had the potential to kill me, such as in the diner when I had almost been eaten a second time by another giant.  

I constantly needed to be on high alert, in case there was a predator lurking in the shadows. Any giant could easily kidnap me, torture me, eat me, kill me. Could I really endure the pain and chronic fear? Not likely. Was it worth being loved if living with giants might kill me? Probably not. My soul withered and died within me with recognition of the reality I lived in. I had to prioritize my safety first. As usual, I didn’t really have much of a choice. In that sense, the illusion of choice was a deception, a falsehood. 

I pulled up to the human dorm and shelved my bike in the rack. At least with the roof locked I felt safe here. I went inside, continuing to mull over my options, or lack thereof. Why was life so cruel? The twisted irony of my situation was not lost on me. I had been desperate to return to the human world, and now that I had the chance, I didn’t want to go. What the hell was wrong with me?  

To distract myself, I flopped down on my bed and worked on some homework. I had almost forgotten about the English assignment the teacher had given the class the day I went to the hospital. I figured this would be a good chance to try out my new computer. I set up the laptop and wrote the essay, pretending as if the homework mattered. As if anything I had done here mattered. I had barely attended my classes since enrolling at the giant school. I had yet to go to my third period class, but I guess it wasn’t important anyways. Regardless, for whatever reason, I did the assignment, and emailed it to my teacher with a brief apology for tardiness. 

Once I was done with all my homework, I played on my new computer and explored some of its features. I thought to myself, with a twinge of pain, how kind Mr. Henderson was to provide me with the tools necessary for me to succeed in school. It would be hard to leave, I realized, to simply give up on all the things I had strived for. The advance of thunderous footfalls jerked me out of my thoughts. As I got up out of bed, there was a knock on the door. 

“Eren?” Joey’s voice called out to me. “You in there?” 

“Coming!” I yelled back, hopefully loud enough for him to hear me. I felt a stab of remorse, knowing I would have to say goodbye to Joey if I decided to leave. I would break his heart, and shatter mine in the process. A pit of dread settled in my stomach, but I forced a smile and opened the door. He was crouching down outside, looming over the building with one hand casually resting on the roof, and beamed when he saw me. 

“Hi Eren! Everything good?” he asked, with a mild hint of concern. “If you don’t mind me asking, what did Mr. Henderson want?” 

“Oh… not much. I got my bike back. He also gave me a laptop so I can do my schoolwork on my own. You won’t have to help me type up my homework anymore,” I informed him. I decided not to mention the more pertinent discussion of my future. I hadn’t made a decision yet, so telling Joey would be premature. 

“Nice!” Joey said. “You deserve it!” He grinned in a way that made my heart dissolve in my chest. “So, are you free tonight? There’s a new movie out that sounds neat. It’s about a superhero that can turn into a bug, or something like that. You wanna go with me?” 

Of course I was free. “Sure,” I replied. “Let me change out of my school uniform, and I’ll be right out.” I closed the door and quickly changed. As my body mechanically went through the motions, I collected together my confused thoughts. Should I tell Joey? Perhaps he could help me work through my line of reasoning, and give me some good advice, much-needed fresh perspective. On the other hand, we had become emotionally invested in each other; he wouldn’t be an objective voice in the matter. I was conflicted, but I had time. I would hold off for now and enjoy our time together, because we might not be able to see each other for much longer.  

My chest tightened. If I went back to human society, I didn’t know where I would be sent. I might be placed in a home far away from the wall, never able to visit Joey. The faceless adults who would hold power over me may prevent me from ever coming back. Humans feared giants and viewed them as dangerous—a fact I knew better than anyone. No responsible guardian would let their ward gallivant about on the giant side of town unsupervised. I realized then that moving to the human side of the wall would be a permanent break. There would be no going back. 

With that realization weighing my heart down like a metal ball and chain, I stepped back outside and smiled up at Joey. He smiled back, and I suddenly felt light, like I could float away. Goodness, he was handsome. The late afternoon sun painted his face and body on one side in a warm glow that made him look like he was shining, almost angelic. He opened his hand to me and I climbed inside it, settling down in the curved center. 

He lifted me up high into the sky, elevating me far above the earth. The air so far up felt cooler, cleaner, crisper, as it danced on my face and ran through my hair. He surrounded me with his body, his warmth, larger than life. I leaned back into the fabric of his shirt, against the wall of flesh behind it, and exhaled with contentment. He began to walk with those enormous long legs of his, and I rocked soothingly with the rhythm of his great strides. When I was with Joey, everything felt right. All my problems and hardships seemed to dissolve away, drip off his hand into the infinite expanse below, never to be seen again. How could I possibly bring myself to give this up? 

The hard boundary delineating my options had crystallized in my mind into not only practical choices, but abstract concepts, with real consequences. If I stayed with the giants, I would be choosing love, both romantic and familial. I would be choosing danger and risk and adventure. An exciting and fulfilling life, but also one fraught with hazard and terror, perhaps unnaturally short, violent, and brutal. I may flourish, or I may fall. If I decided to go back with the humans, I would be choosing safety and security. I would be choosing loneliness, emptiness, conformity, mediocrity. My body would certainly live, but my spirit would flounder. 

In both choices was an element of the unknown. I could not see through the fog that obscured the future. I was lost in the murky gloom, and didn’t know the way. I didn’t know what option was right or wrong. One choice might kill my physically, but the other choice might rob me of any chance of happiness or love. I just didn’t know. 

Next chapter: https://www.tumblr.com/voraciousvore/731608904363048960/boarding-school-for-giants-2225?source=share

1st chapter: https://www.tumblr.com/voraciousvore/731600430392639488/boarding-school-for-giants-125?source=share

[hannahsmusings]

Renee

*my entire chest aches when I notice her flinch away from me, her not having that same look of love and adoration as she did the night before, my body and mood deflating a bit when I realized that we were right back to normal, Jen sometimes being a bit cautious and apprehensive around me* *we were always quite affectionate up until she met Michael and that’s when things changed drastically* *she never told me outright but I knew he didn’t like me due to my sexuality, him having made enough comments in front of me for me to catch on and obviously his hateful ways rubbed off on Jen, not to mention that she had her own internalized shit going on from when we were kids* *I let out a defeated sigh as she pulls her hands from me, letting them go easily, my entire body a bit sagged with disappointment* You’re not a mess, Jennifer. Never a mess. It’s your bachelorette weekend… you deserve to let loose and have fun. *I just nod when she says she wanted to shower* Alright, go take a shower. You can use mine if you want. *I motion to my ensuite bathroom since we were in my room, standing up, not willing to linger around her and make her uncomfortable* I’m gonna go check on the other girls. *I give her a smile, trying not to let my disappointment and frustration show, always feeling so tossed around when it came to Jen’s hot and cold tendencies, one minute she was pulling me in and the next she was pushing me away* *I point to the bedside table, there being a bottle of pills and a fresh glass of iced water* Take those at some point… you’ll feel better. Have a good shower, cu— Jennifer. *I hesitate calling her a pet name, giving her another smile before turning and walking out of the room, feeling like I was leaving a limb behind but this was my fault for getting in too deep the night before, I needed to keep my distance, I needed to not get involved and not let myself fall into these traps, needing to remind myself that Jen was not mine and would never be mine ever* *I go out to the living area where some of the other girls were, sitting and chatting with them, trying to take my mind off Jennifer and how my heart felt chewed up and spat out right now* 

________________________________

*i felt so torn, guilty and shameful for allowing myself to let lose when I should have been prim and proper and put together like Michael wanted me to be, him always saying that you were a bad influence and you lived your life in sin and that I should be careful around you and I did disagree with him as you were my best friend but I also felt guilty for upsetting him whenever we hung out, trying to tell myself I wouldn’t get into that needy state again* *nods a little, avoiding your gaze before I shake my head as you offer your shower* No it’s okay, I should go back to my room. *murmurs, in my head and anxious about how happy I was last night, so confused by all these conflicting feelings* *nods and offers you a small smile as you point to the pills and water, you always knowing exactly what I needed before I asked for it and I loved that feeling, despite it creating a tension in my stomach as I try and figure everything out* Thank you. I’ll be out in a bit.. *murmurs, sighing softly as you leave and taking a moment to think things through, rubbing my face before taking the painkillers and finishing the glass of water, taking it out with me as I head back to my room* *checks my phone as I get inside and sees a text from Michael advising me not to drink as much tonight, remembering the phone call and the comments he’d made and frowning to myself as I jump in the shower, trying to clear my head of all these thoughts* - Jen

*I couldn’t make the first night of the bachelorette because of work commitments so I’d planned to come this morning, having arrived a bit earlier than planned but I was excited to see everyone* *i’d just checked in and come up in the elevator, this hotel being way more fancy than expected and it only making me more excited as I knock on the door before letting myself in with the keycard and calling out* Hellooooo? The party has arrived!! *hollers and whoops as I come into the living room with a bright smile, grinning as the girls cheer and come up to hug me, seeing you and offering you a playful wink* Where’s the bride to be? *grins* - Jade

[mariharem-trash-heap]

I’ve Had Enough

Because some things are just unforgivable, and Ondine finds that she’s finally had enough of her boyfriend’s lack of maturity and obsession with Chloe Bourgeois.

(Obviously not gonna line up completely with Derision, but y’know what? I don’t care. I just want to salt.)

“He... he what?” Ondine questioned, staring at the trembling girl across from her with shaking hands and a trembling voice.

“I... I know he probably didn’t really even mean it, y’know,” Marinette fumbled, running her hands through the ends of her pigtails before tugging. Her eyes refused to meet the swimmer’s, body hunched and foot tapping incessantly on the floor of her bedroom. “I’ve always figured Chloe put him up to it... but... I mean, it still really hurt.”

“I-- I’m so sorry, Marinette,” the redhead breathed, leaning forward and pulling her into a tight hug.

“Hey, it’s not like it’s your fault I’m afraid of pools.” Weakly chuckling, she patted Ondine on the back before heaving a sigh. “Anyway, if the class wants a pool party I’d be happy to plan it out - just, uh, heh... not planning on swimming.”

“No.” The firm note in her voice made the younger girl take pause. “No, it’s not okay. What they did to you isn’t okay, and I don’t feel comfortable just knowing about this and not doing anything.”

“Really, Ondine, I’m fine now--”

“If you were actually fine, you wouldn’t have a fear of pools,” the swimmer flatly retorted, lips pressed into a line.

Marinette shrank back, gaze dropping to the floor in defeat.

“Kim hasn’t... done anything else to you, has he?”

“Well...” Marinette chewed on her bottom lip, brow knitted together in thought. “I mean... on his own accord, or because he wanted to impress Chloe?”

The redhead’s hands clenched into fists. She glared at the ground, her heart beating against her ribcage with enough force that her vision was blurring from anger.

“Has he been bullying you for a while?” Her voice came out deceptively calm, so calm it even surprised her.

“Ondine, I--”

“Has he been bullying you for a while, Marinette?” The older girl repeated slowly, turning a hard stare on her friend.

The class rep fumbled for a few moments, stumbling over her own words and gesturing lamely before the pressing silence forced her to hang her head and sigh. “Ever since his first year at our school, back in élémentaire.”

Ever since his first year.

“Putain,” she hissed in frustration, making her friend look over sharply in confusion.

Abruptly she stood. “Sorry, Mari, but I just remembered I need to get back to the pool. Got some swimming lessons to supervise.” Flashing her an apologetic smile - one that felt far too tight on her lips, one that nearly didn’t reach her eyes - she continued, “I’ll see you later, okay? We’ll have to discuss this again.”

“Oh, well, uh... okay,” with a puzzled frown, she nodded and got to her feet. “Thanks for stopping by, Ondine. I’ll hold a class meeting and get some more feedback on the idea.”

“You do that,” the older girl nodded in agreement, her face friendly though her eyes were cold as she made for Marinette’s bedroom door. “You do that.”

-

“Kim!” Ondine called as soon as she got to the poolside, scanning the waters for the athletic boy.

“Oh, you’re back!” Speak of the devil, here he came - with a bright, goofy smile that usually cast butterflies into her chest. Today, it only made her heart squeeze tight.

“Hey,” he greeted, hoisting himself out of the water and onto the side. “I thought you’d be hanging out with Mari a little longer.”

“Something came up,” the redhead explained, nails digging into her palm as she crossed her arms. “Kim, you like me, right?”

“Huh?” His smile faded slightly, and his brow furrowed in confusion. “Well, yeah, of course I do.”

“Really?” She pressed, face pinched in simmering anger. “Do you love me?”

“Dine, what’s this about?” Kim questioned, scrambling to his feet.

“While I was talking with Marinette earlier, an interesting little topic came up.” She practically spat the words out at her boyfriend. “For example, while we were discussing possibly giving your class a pool party for raising the most money in that fundraiser earlier this month, I found out something. Did you know Marinette is scared of public pools?”

Ah, there it was. what remained of his hopeful expression dropped, and the realization dawning on the boy’s face made her vision begin to blur with rage.

“Because I didn’t know that,” she continued, voice raising, “and y’know what’s even more interesting? She told me how she got it.”

“Ondine--”

“You traumatized your classmate - a girl who had a crush on you - because of Chloe-fucking-Bourgeois?!”

Her shout rang out, echoing in the open space. An instructor chatting with another in a poolside office paused in their conversation to glance through the window curiously for a moment.

Kim cringed back from the shout, raising his hands in defense. “H- hey, that--”

“Not only that,” she added, a thunderous expression on her face, “but even after I met you this year, you still continued to pine after her so much that you would ignore her mistreatment of your friends! Of me! You practically ignored me for the longest time because you just-” she took a step forward, and he took one back, “-couldn’t-” another step, “-let-” another step, “-go!”

“I’m sorry, okay?” He exclaimed, covering his head as she continued to advance, fists clenched tight at her sides. “I was young and stupid-- I wasn’t thinking straight!”

“You still aren’t thinking straight if you think this isn’t that big of a deal, Kim!” Ondine’s seafoam eyes flashed with barely-concealed rage.

“Well- I’m over her now, so it’s not a big deal.”

“Not a big deal?!” She roared, and he cringed back even more. “Marinette can’t even stick her feet in the pool without having a panic attack and you think what you did isn’t a big deal?!”

“Ondine,” a swim instructor called, causing the two to turn and look. The adult was standing half-out of the doorway in concern. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, Mme,” she answered, trying to force herself to calm down. With a deep, steadying breath, her shoulders lost some of their tension. “Just having a chat with my boyfriend.”

“... alright,” she relented, and as soon as she was back in the office Ondine whirled back around, thrusting a pointer finger at Kim’s chest.

“If Chloe threw herself into your arms tomorrow, begging for you to date her, would you dump me? Be honest,” she ordered, eyes narrowing.

Kim swallowed, his hands shifting a little higher as his eyes darted up and down, taking in her face. After a moment’s hesitation, he answered, “Y- yeah, of course I would. You’re my girlfriend.”

“You hesitated.” She hissed, abruptly stepping back and raising her arms in surrender. “Y’know what, Kim? I’m done. We’re done.”

“Wha-- Ondine, what--”

“I refuse to keep dating a selfish coward who isn’t capable of manning up and making things right when he hurts others.” Angry tears blurred her vision as she began to storm away. “Come back when you’ve made things right with Marinette. Then we’ll talk.” Turning to glare at him over her shoulder, she added icily, “I’ll know if you do. Because unlike you, I actually care about my friends.”

Apparently in Derision Kim will still call Chloe the pretiest and funniest girl in the world ... in front of his f*cking girlfriend. And she won't break up with him even after this !

Ondine pls

[charnelhouse]

keep your vigils on the road

Pairing: Steven Grant x F!Reader, Marc Spector x F!Reader, a third pairing ;) Wordcount: 4.2K Warnings: Explicit AF. Rough smut. Gore. Oral. Mental Health Strugs. Choking. Summary: They're on the run. It's kind of a vacation. A/N: potential spoilers for Moon Knight and future episodes if my guess is correct.

Steven’s on the run. 

He should have known that it was going to lead to this. His life is in tatters. It has erupted quite spectacularly. He’s wanted for multiple murders that he didn’t commit. 

The thing is - Marc didn’t either. 

“Wear this,” you instruct, passing a baseball cap into his hands. Your voice is gentle and soothing as rain. He misses the London rain. He misses those lush hilltops of England. The sand here is baked. The air is dry and smells like toasted crackers. He’s wading in deep water here. 

Then again - he never thought he’d be in America. He never thought he’d be driving cross country with a girl so completely out of his league it’s almost silly. 

“Treat this as a vacation,” you advise him. He’s positive you’re telling Marc something else. He’s positive you are trying to keep him from the truth about how dire their situation is. 

All he understands is that you have deep pockets and connections in high places. You’re able to get them fake passports and bundles of money. There are safehouses dotted across the USA that they are burning through. “We have to keep moving,” you sigh as you scroll through your phone - as you chew your lip when you read another mysterious message. “No more than two weeks per spot, maybe three if we don’t cause a ripple.”

“How would we cause a ripple?”

“Murdering more people.”

“Alright,” Steve nods. “Well - we’ll be on our best behavior, yeah?”

“I’m not worried about you, Steven,” you remark in such a way that it makes his heart flutter. He doesn’t really think about the implication that his other would - indeed - murder more people.

Their landscape changes continuously. The mountains to the desert. Oceanside. Lakeside. A forest. A canyon. Hot springs. Waterfalls.

“Never thought I’d see any of this,” Steven  murmurs as they watch the orange sun spill down the back of Mount Rainier. It turns the snow the color of juice. “Mental,” he adds as an afterthought - after his fractured brain puts together all of the events that have led him here. The Jackal and then Egypt and the failed mission and then all the death and coming to drenched in blood that was so thick it felt like syrup. He had left a trail of bodies in his wake. A nest of limbs and blank, slack faces. I’m sorry, he thought. I’m sorry I didn’t-didn’t -

And then everything hit him. The corpses. The scent of iron and cordite and piss. There was a distinct aroma to death. Steven never thought’d he’d have to learn that and yet…

What’d I do? What’d I do? What - how? Marc?

It wasn’t me! Fuck - this is not good. This - this is really -

It was you who had jumped into action. “Calm down,” you ordered in that firm, kind voice you had. “I’ve got this.”

You had whisked Steven off into some back room under a Cairo hostel. “Trust me,” you assured him. “Trust me. I have people I can call.”

He doesn’t remember the flight to the states. The journey flickered between Marc and him and it was the first time he wished that he didn’t have the body.  Instead - Steven was stuck swallowing his own tongue and heartbeat as the tiny plane you ordered bounced and jerked.

Five hours in, Marc finally reappeared in the plane’s bathroom. He was eyeing him over the sink, his figure blurred by multiple fingerprints.

“Finally showed up then?” Steven spat. “Think I’m gonna be sick.”

Marc ignored him. “I’ve been going over this - over everything.”

“Yeah. And?”

“There has to be another.”

“Another what?”

“Another us.”

***  

In America, Marc calls you baby. For him, this really is a vacation.

Khonshu has been unnaturally quiet, bubbling at a low hum in the depths of his body. The mission failed. He failed and Khonshu has nothing more to say. He’s brooding. He’s out of ideas. It does not matter. He does not have to think too fast about how to fix the cracks. He’s been alive for thousands of years. He is good at waiting.

There are no people for Marc to fight. There are no sewers he must climb down or villains to defeat in alleyways. He’s running for his life and yet it is so much better than the day in and day out curse of being Khonshu’s fist of justice. 

Plus - he’s playing outlaw with you. He’s a fugitive with you. They’re mostly fucking around rather than laying low, which is probably not a good idea, but it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters that much anymore. 

You and Marc go to a rundown bar called Black Kettle in Carmel and makeout like hormonal teenagers. The music is all from eighties hair bands and the regulars keep to themselves, actively trying to ignore the way he gropes you. You’re nearly in his lap and he keeps slipping on the peeling leather booth. His hand clasps the nape of your neck as his tongue slides warm and deep into your mouth.

“You’re so fucking pretty,” he growls between kisses and under the shriek of Axl Rose and Woah-oh-oh-oh! Sweet child o’mine. He senses Steven watching them in the reflection of a butter knife. He doesn’t really mind.

The ceiling is covered in a vine-tangle of Christmas lights. Paper stars hang from rafters. He touches you over your jeans - pushing his thumb against the zipper as you grind into it. “Don’t tease,” you pout, your nails skating the back of his scalp - catching in his mop of curls. He hasn’t cut his hair in an age. He’s barely shaved and his stubble rasps across your chin and jaw leaving your skin chafed to a near-ache. 

“Bathroom?” he asks because he’s so hard that he might just blow before he gets inside you. 

“Beach,” you counter and then they’re out of that bar and flying down the street. He’s got his hand in yours as he drags you toward the dark band of the coast. 

The sand is white-soft. It feels like walking on silk. He is careful with you. He is nothing like what he usually is. He’s not rough or demanding. He coaxes. He seduces. He tugs off your pants and underwear and lifts your pelvis to his mouth where he slicks his tongue through the seam of your sex. He laps and suckles as you writhe and cry out. His hands cup your ass. He feeds himself all the while murmuring how good you taste and how stunning you are and how he is happy. 

He plants his forearms on either side of your head. He braces his weight as you grasp around his cock and guide him inside you. It’s tight and burning hot. You are soaked from his tongue. He fucks you first in shallow thrusts - three inches in before he draws all the way out. You cling to his shoulders, your thighs framing his hips. 

“Please, Marc,” you beg. Your eyes wide and striking beneath the cool sheen of a crescent moon, the continuous crash of the surf not far from his feet. 

“More?” He drops his head and noses at your cheek and then into your hair where he smells sunscreen and salt water taffy. They ate so much ice cream earlier that you’d had to lie down for an hour and what a blessing it had been - to have the ability to do nothing. “Do you need more?”

You nod frantically - desperately trying to raise your hips for more friction. He grins as he delivers a sharper stroke - one that seems to hit the back of your cunt and force an oh from your throat. He crushes his mouth to yours until his breath is your breath - until your whimpers are his - and every sheathe to the hilt stretches you - molds your body around his shaft. You’re mine. You’re ours. He plucks your clit and your walls go unforgivably tight - so tight his release bombards him - shatters him, causing him to finish before he can pull out. It’s over - oozing from your pussy and rather than panic, he just uses his fingers to plug it back in. A strange feral sort of marking. 

“Not smart,” you chide.

“I’m an idiot,” he says before lowering his head to taste himself and how you flavor him.

***

Marc talks to Steven in the mirror or Steven talks to Marc. Just depends. There’s blocks of white space between them, you see? There are definite moments where they are both blind and deaf to whatever their body is doing.

There’s a third alter. A third man. The same one who had to have committed all those murders back in Egypt and then London and then Turkey. 

“Why don’t we just ask her?” Steven hates being in the ether - the muddled world between reality where he must wait. It’s gotten easier. It’s gotten less heavy, but it’s still unpleasant. 

Marc wraps his fingers around the porcelain rim of the sink. His knuckles turn bone-white. “I don’t know. She hasn’t brought it up so maybe she doesn’t even realize it’s someone else.”

“A little fucked if she thinks that we killed those people, innit?”

“She’s - she’s just a very forgiving person.”

It’s true. You have a whole life that they really don’t know about. They don’t even remember how they first met you. You had simply slipped into their routine - not even blinking at the fact that he was a vigilante in a moon-bright cape and Steven worked in a gift shop, but could decipher ancient texts in under a minute.

You had resources. You had numbers to call. He woke up covered in blood from a new slaughter and you simply pulled him into the shower and washed it from his skin.

Marc stares down at you as water sluices between your tits - dampening the soft curls above your cunt. He notices the water cling to your lashes and catch on your bottom lip. 

“Hold still,” you order as you drag a wash cloth across his chest, down his arms, between his fingers and legs. He stares in wonder - in shock. You glance up at him, pausing as you register the look on his face.

“What?”

“Why are you here? Why are you doing this? You should get out…I’m…fuck I’m dangerous.”

You drop the cloth and cradle his cheeks. You tug him down and he goes willingly and the kiss is dirty and innocent at the same time. His mouth move furiously against yours. Your nails dig into his face. He lifts you up with all of his magic strength and holds you against the wall and with one quick thrust, he’s inside you. 

“You’re not dangerous,” you sigh and he fucks you harder.

***

Steven doesn’t mind the safehouse in California. They’re in a place called Riverside where the air is stamped with the scent of citrus. There are lemon trees. Orange and tangerine trees. Old Spanish style architecture. Mexican fan palms that brush up against the powder blue sky. Bougainvillea the color of magenta and peach-pink. The buildings here are newer than in London. Nothing like Egypt. 

It doesn’t seem to matter though. He spends his days in the house with you. He goes hours with his mouth on your pussy and yours on his cock in some yin and yang position where they curl around each other. The house is secluded away in the hills. One-story. Easy escape routes. 

He sleeps well here when he’s in control of his own body. He enjoys wrapping himself around your back as the air conditioning ticks and rumbles. The heat is unforgiving. The sand is closer to dirt and it sticks to his tongue and in his nose. His skin goes golden brown. You pick up Yorkshire Gold and it reeks of home.

Still - he would rather be here with you.

He holds you in the shower, his cheek resting on the rounded curve of your shoulder. He’s already hard, cock nudging against your inner thigh. The shower is lukewarm as it pelts them. The humid wet-air inside this tiny tile box smells like your fancy jasmine shampoo and eucalyptus and ivory soap. You thread your fingers through his curls, gently tugging on it as his hands coast down your back and then the hump of your ass. He knows every part of you now. He knows how deep he can sink his tongue. He knows how to curl his fingers just right. He knows how to kiss you and it’s not how Marc kisses. He uses less tongue and more pressure.

He wouldn’t mind living in you. He wouldn’t mind devouring you in some pseudo-Kronus way or maybe you could devour him and he could be your rib. After all, he has never felt safer than when he is with you. You always have the answers. You always know what to say when his world gets disturbingly small.

Should he ask you about the third man? Would that break the spell of this? You letting him hold you under the sheeting spray of cool water. 

***

Marc comes to with blood in his mouth. He scans the room where there is absolute wreckage. Broken furniture. Wispy white stuffing spilling from tears in fabric-covered cushions. The tv is a smoking mess as it lies silently on the floor. The screen cracked. 

Something burns in his palm and when he glances down, he grimaces. There’s a gun in his hand, his thumb idly stroking the barrel. He drops it abruptly and it clatters.

There’s a dead man on the floor. The top of his head blown clean off. Red is soaking into the cheap linoleum. He shouts your name, panicking.

“Here,” you call from behind. Your voice is weak and hoarse. When he turns, he finds you huddled against the wall. Your hand rests on your throat, your lashes fluttering.

“They broke in,” you explain. You are very far away. Your stare is somewhere else. The dead man is not a policeman. He is not FBI. He’s in all black with a red emblem on his chest.

“They?”

“There are - there are two more in the bedroom.” 

“Did they hurt you?” Marc’s tone is blisteringly harsh. He is both confused and pissed off. He doesn’t like this. His hands itchy with blood and the house covered in a thin film of dead bodies. 

“No,” you say and he knows you’re lying. There’s subtle swelling beneath your eye, but he won’t point it out. At least, not tonight.

He gazes down at the body. Just a body. Just an unknown. There are others after them, then. He puts that much together. He isn’t just running from the law or the government or - whatever 

“That wasn’t me,” Steven announces from his reflection in the shattered television screen. “Must have been the other one.”

“Must have been,” Marc says under his breath.

“This place is compromised.” You rise up on unsteady feet. You square your shoulders and shove yourself away from the wall. It’s quick - a flickering shift in your expression that now means you are ready to plan and strategize and move forward as opposed to back. You never go back. You never think of what they have left in their wake. “I’ll get the car ready. You pack.”

***

You drive fast. Rubber squealing and burning underneath the tires. They’ll have to ditch this vehicle for another. It’s never really an issue. He knows that you carry credit cards that are connected to a mystery source. Infinite funds. 

You punch the radio on and it’s The Wallflowers. It’s Third Eye Blind. It’s James Taylor. It’s Donna Summer. In the rearview mirror, Steven mutters about wanting Coldplay. Marc twists the knob to another station and something ruthless and jerky spills out. Something modern. Alternative. 

“Who is he?” Marc finally asks. 

You lift one perfect eyebrow as you shoot him a sidelong glance. “Who?”

Your fingers are clenched around the steering wheel and you’re flooring the gas as they go into the deep blue-black horizon of another territory. There’s another mountain range. There’s cacti. There’s sand. There’s husk-dry craters where there once were lakes. There’s a new city. A gas station. There’s the moon.

“Don’t play dumb.” 

You are silent for what feels like hours, but is probably just a minute. You inhale sharply as if you’ve been stabbed before you release a long, winding breath. “Jake.”

“Jake?” he repeats before he starts wracking his brain for any sort of memory of a “Jake”. How can he be unaware? How can he not know about another person in his head or in his body or in his bones?

“He was the first,” you tell him. “The first one I met and then it was you and then it was Steven.” 

That explains the rest. How easily you picked up after “Jake” tore a violent hole through various countries. How you adapted to Marc and Steven.

“He’s a killer,” Marc says.

You bristle. “Pot. Kettle.”

“I kill bad people.”

“He does, too,” you snap. Your gaze is still hard on the road. “He might just be a bit…reckless.”

There’s nothing else to say. Marc settles into the passenger seat and keeps glancing up into the rearview mirror, in case “Jake” decides to make his appearance.  

You drum your fingers over the steering wheel. The headlights burn neon-streaks across the shadowy highway. It’s desolate out here. It’s empty. He opens the window, he needs some air. The wind burns its mouth across his cheekbone - it ruffles his hair. His chest is tight. 

Finally, Marc lifts his arm and touches your cheek. “Are you safe with him?”

He’s seen what Jake can do. He’s seen the broken things he has left in his wake. “Yes,” you reply, leaning sweetly into Marc’s palm. “He’d never hurt me.”

His hand slides from your cheek to your hip to your thigh. You’re still in a sundress because it’s spring in the West. There’s a spot of blood under your eye from those three corpses now rotting in their Riverside house. 

Was it a house though? Was it their home? For a minute, perhaps. Now home is the road and the car and you sitting beside him.

The hills are dark and bald. The sun has not yet risen. You spread your legs and he moves his hand further until his knuckles meet the cloth of your panties. He curls three fingers around the crotch of the fabric before tentatively grazing his fingertip through the slit of your sex. He is murderously slow. He is lazy about it. He watches your face as he strokes your cunt. He gloats at the way you bite your lip and the furrow between your brows and still - you do not beg him. 

“Just fucking do it!”

A ragged, coarse voice - not Steven’s - bursts from the rearview mirror. Marc jerks and he looks up, but there is nothing there aside from the reflection of the dark night at their backs. 

He frowns and then glances at you. There’s recognition in your expression. There’s a knowing. Did he come to say something? Did he come to speak to you, Marc?

Marc glares before leaning forward and latching his mouth to your throat, he shoves two of his fingers inside you and your foot goes down on the gas. It jolts them both and he does not let up. He finger fucks you ruthlessly - your pussy making wet, sucking noises with each thrust. Your hips buck and your head falls backward and he bites the vein in your neck. Low, broken noises sound from his chest as he fills you up - as he jams himself inside you to the knuckle.

“Let me make you come,” he grunts. “Let me make you feel it. Pretty fucking baby. I love how tight you are - how wet you get.”

You gasp softly - elegantly - like a maiden. A wisp of a moan. You’ve got your hands on the wheel and your foot nowhere near the brake and it’s all calm on that front aside from your pussy clamping down on his fingers.

“She likes it when you twist your fingers up and rub that patch behind her clit.”

It’s that stranger’s voice in his head - in the mirror. Marc doesn’t look. 

“C’mon, Marc. Make our “pretty baby” come.”

It’s mocking. It’s mean. Still - he does what it says and the effect is instantaneous. You break out with a high-pitched oh and then you’re wetting his hand - the seat. You’re gushing like a fountain and Marc can’t quite believe it. He draws his fingers from you and puts them in your mouth. It’s an act he’s never done before and yet he feels as if he has. You wrap your tongue around them - taste your own salt. 

Afterward, you fuck him in the backseat and you’re still shivering from the climax. You’re warm and cold at once. You hold his head to your tit and, at some point, Steven takes over. He rests his cheek above your nipple that he’s sucked raw. He listens to the subtle thrum of your heartbeat. 

“Don’t leave,” he pleads as you ride him, hips rolling back and forth on his thighs and his cock buried balls deep. “I couldn’t bear it.”

You pause and stare down at him. “Why would I leave you?”

It’s because there’s a new wrench thrown into the mix. This other. This Jake. Steven knows the world with Marc. He gets Marc. But this other one is something entirely different. Scary.

“I don’t know,” he says - averting his eyes. “I have a bad feeling.”

You sigh, gripping his face between your hands and kissing him so hard, their teeth click. “I wouldn’t. I’d never.”

Steven has never felt so physically present in his life than right then. He’s got you around him hot and tight as a fist. He’s got your softness and your kindness and your love if he dares to dream it. You had told him once - in the very beginning - that you had found him both utterly sweet and oblivious. Totally harmless.

It had hurt him initially. It was obvious that you saw Marc as a worthy partner while Steven was forever characterized as the bumbling fool. The worm.

“I thought that,” you continued. “I believed that until you’d start speaking in French or Mandarin and then solving ancient Egyptian puzzles. How you spoke of the stars and history and it was - fuck Steven - it came out of you with such conviction and it was so obvious how special you were.”

Steven isn’t sure when this journey will stop. He isn’t sure when he will return to London and the warmth of that loft. The hundreds of books. The pages crisp and lined. His thin mattress and ankle restraints. 

He deepens their kiss. He doesn’t mind going North. He doesn’t mind at all. He stops fretting about the lack of rain.

***

They see flashes of Jake. They see him with you in mirrors. He is tense and angular. He is a bit laissez-faire except when it’s just easier to kill someone than leave them to the crows. They never have full conversations. He seems to only really come front and center to speak to you or fuck you or both. 

Does he not like us? Steven grumbles. Bit of a bastard, yeah?

Marc agrees. 

Marc and Steven watch as he bends you over the sink in the shitty motel bathroom. His pupils are pitch dark as he meets their twin glares in the mirror. His hips snap against your ass with the inexorable sound of sweat-slick flesh meeting flesh. Again and again. You groan as his hand grasps the nape of your neck like a collar. He uses it to anchor you - to hold you still as he continues to ram into your pussy - filling you up. Sometimes he tugs your head back so he can kiss you slow and rough with his eyes wide open and directed at Steven and Marc. 

Fucker.

He is silent. He is always silent. Haughty and smug as you come on his cock. He spreads the lips of your cunt so he can flick his thumb over the tiny bundle of nerves. You go boneless, collapsing into the sink and he wraps his arms around you, hauls you to his chest. 

“It’s alright,” he coaxes as he carries you out of the bathroom and drops you on the ugly, flowered bed. “It’s alright, princess. Jake’s got you.”

And then he kisses you all over, stretching you, kneading you, licking you messily beneath the mirrored ceiling in the trashiest room they could find in Nevada. 

“Stop antagonizing,” you finally chide once you are limp and sated. You roll away from him and onto your stomach. He grabs your hips and lifts them so that he can stuff his face between your legs from behind. He inhales crudely. His eyes glinting at the ceiling while the others stare down.

***

You are an obsession for Jake. You are a lover for Marc. A dream for Steven. 

You are not easy to possess because even when one of them does have you, you are still split into thirds One slice for each of them. Now, it is a group of three (and Khonshu) trying to make peace in one skull. 

They are still on the run. There is an invisible monster at their heels and most of the time they forget because they’re concentrated on the journey. The leather passenger seat. The landscape. The horizon line. Their fingers inside you. Street tacos shared on an empty beach.

Just this long road of cracked asphalt and scorched earth as they go straight West. As they go North or South, but never back East where the world is still waiting. 

“Don’t question it,” you tell Marc and Steven about Jake. “Don’t worry. I’ve got him in under control.”

“Okay,” Steven relents. “Alright - as long as he’s treatin' you as he should.”

“I don’t care if you have it taken care of,” Marc rumbles. “He seems like a fucking mess.”

“It’s fine, baby,” you singsong as you ride shotgun. “Let’s go”

It's probably not fine. But Marc has learned that you're stubborn as a fucking mule and there's no changing your mind when it's set.

Just chill. Just relax. We've got the time.

You roll the windows down and he drives 100 miles an hour. It’s all dry desert air until they hit the coast and then it’s balmy. You crank the music up until the volume shudders and pounds and it’s some band that Marc doesn’t know, but Steven does and so Marc let’s him take over because why not? 

They’re on the run and it’s the happiest he’s ever been. No justice to deal or alternative lives he has to keep balanced. It only seems to be a matter of avoiding whatever is chasing them. Maybe - Khonshu will fill in if the danger truly gets rough.

Marc tucks his baseball cap down over his nose and grabs your hand as they walk down some nameless avenue near the bay in another silver city. They go to bars and motels and diners and safehouses on quiet suburban streets. 

He could live at the ends of the Earth and be content if it was just like this.

They speed out into the dark, following the egg-shell stream of headlights and yellow road paint and the concrete median. Marc laughs. Steven laughs. Jake is silent. It all comes out at once. He thinks he’s probably ignorant - oblivious - that there is something coming that could end this for all of them. He doesn’t really care. He swings the wheel and goes faster. You lean over, pressing your face into his shirt. You call him beautiful.

[sluttywonwoo]

take it off || k.mg x reader

Pairing: mob!mingyu x fem reader

Summary: as much as you hate to admit it, jealousy looks good on your fiancé 

Warnings: swearing, light smut (18+)

Word Count: 1.8k

a/n: reworked this old blurb originally posted on my tom holland fic account ( @wazzupmrstark )

Masterlist

“Mingyu, slow down,” you said with a sigh, trying not to roll your eyes.

“What was he thinking?” Mingyu spat, not acknowledging what you had just said. He gripped the steering wheel even harder.

You watched as his knuckles began to turn white and rubbed his arm soothingly. “Baby, take a deep breath. Relax.”

He just shrugged you off and cursed at the car in front of him.

“Don’t fucking tell me to relax.”

“It’s not a big deal, Gyu.”

He actually turned his head towards you and looked at you this time. “You’re joking.”

You shrugged sheepishly. “I’ve had worse.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

You winced, knowing you’d probably made it worse and that Mingyu was likely now picturing the grimy hands of ill-intentioned strangers all over your body.

“I should have him killed,” he snarled.

To most, that threat would sound completely ridiculous or utterly insane, but your fiancé was the head of the Seoul mob-the South West branch anyway- and he was no stranger to violence. Having someone killed would be as easy as snapping his fingers.

You scoffed to call his bluff.

“You think I won’t?” he challenged and you groaned.

“You promised you were done with that.”

It’s true, one of the conditions of your engagement had been that Mingyu agree to put the more sinister side of his business to rest, and although you trusted him, in all honesty, you weren’t sure how well he was upholding his end of the deal.

“I’d make an exception.”

“Well don’t. I don’t want some poor guy’s blood on my hands.”

At that, the car screeched to a stop right in the middle of the freeway. The cars behind you honked and flashed their lights at Mingyu as they maneuvered to avoid a collision.

You huffed in frustration, wanting to bang your head against the dashboard. This was exactly why you didn’t like for Mingyu to drive himself: he pulled dangerous shit all the time like this. Literally, all of his other men had drivers who took them places and you desperately wished Mingyu would hire someone, but he insisted that it was safest if he was the one driving (yet here you were in the middle of the highway).

“You could’ve fucking killed us!” you shouted, more annoyed than anything.

Mingyu took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. But y/n, he’s not just some poor guy.”

“He was trying to get a rise out of you, Gyu. He fucking hates you, of course, he’d go after me, and he was drunk.”

Mingyu narrowed his eyes at you, foot still pressed firmly on the brake. “That’s not a fucking excuse, you of all people should know that. Why are you trying to defend him?”

“I’m not trying to defend him, I’m just saying he doesn’t deserve to die. Can we please just get home?”

Mingyu relented and put the car back into motion making you breathe a sigh of relief.

Even though he didn’t say anything else you could tell his mind was still going a thousand miles a minute. You watched him chew at his lip in silence and wondered what was going on in that beautiful head of his. Nothing good, you could be sure of that.

Mingyu’s mind was darker than most. Occupational hazard. He carried so much pain that you hadn’t known about when you first met him. He’d let you in slowly, keeping you at arm’s length for months, until he almost lost you. And then he knew he couldn’t keep things from you anymore. It was still a challenge to understand his thought process sometimes, but you liked it that way. How could a ruthless, power-hungry mobster also be the most loving, family-oriented person you’d ever met in your life? How could someone who dropped a grand on a dinner like it was nothing secretly rather spend one more night picnicking with crappy Chinese food on the bedroom floor in your old apartment? You couldn��t think of an answer, and you didn’t want to.

The guy at the bar tonight had been some rival of Mingyu’s. You hadn’t seen him before, but you could tell because when Mingyu got up to get the two of you more drinks he swooped in and laid it on heavy. He looped one arm around your waist and placed his other hand on your knee and began attempting to seduce you. Sure, you were uncomfortable but more than anything you were angry. And tired. Tired of being used as bait, something to get to Mingyu.

You didn’t want to make a scene so you listened to the asshole talk about how much better he’d treat you than Mingyu until your fiancé eventually returned with your drinks in hand, face beet red, eyes dark with anger.

The man, you never caught his name, left the bar with a broken nose. Mingyu left with bruised knuckles. You’d thought it would end at that, but of course, once Mingyu got started it was hard for him to stop. It was a gift in the bedroom, but a curse in the rest of your life.

Then, so softly you almost didn’t hear it, Mingyu broke the silence in the car and said “I know what he said to you,” and it all clicked.

Normally, a hand on your shoulder, thigh, ass was enough to set Mingyu off, but combine that with the filthy words he’d undoubtedly overheard spilling from the man’s lips… no wonder all he could see was red.

“Mingyu, I-“

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t want to start something.”

“Start something? Is that true? Or do you think he’s right?”

“No, of course not.”

“Do you think he can satisfy you better than I can?”

“Mingyu!”

“Well do you?”

You shook your head and rubbed your thighs together, fighting a shiver. As irritating as Mingyu’s jealousy could be, the effect it had on you was even more infuriating. The man could already turn you on without doing anything and whenever he started acting a little jealous it was game over for you. It was pathetic, really.

“Why the fuck did he even think it was okay to look at you, let alone touch you?”

“I don’t know,” you shrugged finally settling in to play the game. “These big dudes with huge muscles just think they can have whoever they want.”

Mingyu whipped his head back towards you. “What did you say?”

You ignored him. “I mean he definitely wouldn’t be as good as you, but he could do some damage.” Mingyu was full-on glaring at you now, and you wanted to tell him to keep his eyes on the road, but you couldn’t give up so fast. “I mean, just one of his hands could probably wrap around my whole neck. Like they were giant, and you know what they say about guys with big hands-“

“Do you think this is funny?”

Any sane person wouldn’t even think about taunting Mingyu like this, not with his reputation, but you couldn’t be sane to be with someone like Mingyu anyway, and besides, you knew he was a big softie at heart.

“A little,” you admitted. “You look really hot right now.”

He really did. His hair was tousled with silver highlights from the moonlight streaming in through the windshield, his tan skin was flushed with adrenaline, and his white button-up was unbuttoned just a few times to show off his collarbone. You bit your lip. You were so fucking weak.

“That’s not going to work.”

“No?” You quirked an eyebrow and leaned over the console to see that he was already more than half hard in his dress pants. “Because it looks like it’s working.” You reached over and began to palm him through his trousers, smirking when he cursed and rolled his neck at the contact.

“Y/n, if I have to pull over, you’re not going to be able to walk for the next week.”

Oh no, that’d be horrible you thought to yourself and rolled your eyes. He had to know that’s what you secretly wanted, right? Right? Why were men so stupid?

Either way, you took your hand back and moved it up under the hem of your dress to where you were feeling a little desperate for some friction. You sighed deeply when you rubbed yourself over your panties, not even surprised at how wet you were.

“Fuck,” you hissed out and hiked your legs up onto the seat so you could give Mingyu a better view.

“Stop that.”

He said it so forcefully that you froze, fingers hovering over your panties, about to pull them to the side. Then you smiled.

“No.” You went ahead and did it anyway, slipping two fingers inside of yourself easily.

You weren’t one to defy Mingyu often, especially when it came to what he asked of you in the bedroom, but you knew how crazy it drove him and just couldn’t resist.

Mingyu groaned, trying and failing to maintain an angry expression. His eyes betrayed an absolutely sinful lust that made you want to melt and you wished more than anything he’d just pull the fucking car over.

“Fuck, Gyu,” you gasped, “I wish these were your fingers, you’re so good with your fingers.”

“Yeah? You sure you wish they’re my fingers? Not someone else’s?”

You shook your head vigorously. “Never. You’re the only one who knows how to make me cum that hard.”

“Is that what you want? To cum hard?”

“God, yes,” you moaned, pumping your fingers in and out of you faster.

“Take off your dress.”

“What?” you weren’t sure if you’d heard him right, you were still driving down the highway after all.

“You heard me. Take. It. Off.”

Not wanting to push your luck any further you didn’t hesitate to listen this time and pulled the loose fabric up and over your head.

“Good girl,” he praised and you whined. You were still wearing your bra and underwear and as much as you’d love to flash oncoming traffic, you hoped Mingyu wouldn’t ask you to take them off.

“You can touch yourself,” he said and you complied, knowing it was more of an instruction than an allowance.

It felt good, really good, but you still wished it was him instead of you.

“Fuck, darling you look so beautiful like that, God, I can’t believe I get to marry you.”

“If, you stop, killing people,” you managed to get out through gritted teeth and Mingyu laughed.

“I’m not going to kill him, baby. I made a promise. You’re too important to risk losing, even if he is a fucking prick.”

You whimpered, the mixture of complete head-over-heels love you felt for Mingyu and pleasure making you crumble.

“Don’t worry, baby,” he said, reaching over and taking you by the wrist, stalling your movements just as you were about to fall over the edge. “I’m gonna fuck you so hard you’ll forget you ever met that asshole.”

lmk what you think i always appreciate feedback!!

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[robininthelabyrinth]

I hope you get plenty of prompts that you enjoy. Thank you.

NMJ bonding with child Wangji. Maybe a few times NMJ beat little LWJ in a spar and the time he knew little Wangji would one day beat him. Mostly Pre Cloud Recesses arc?

Of Few Words - ao3

The first time Nie Mingjue met Lan Xichen’s little brother, he thought he would be just like Nie Huaisang, so he picked him up and threw him.

“Mingjue-xiong,” Lan Xichen gasped, clearly horrified. “What are you doing?”

Probably something forbidden by the rules, Nie Mingjue thought, and shrugged.

He wasn’t good with words, was too blunt and too direct, especially for the Lan sect, and so over the past couple of weeks or so that he’d been here he’d found it was easier not to speak at all. They’d make whatever assumptions they wanted about him, no matter what he did; it was easier to just let them do that and work with that than it was to futilely strive to get them to actually understand him.

“Even if Wangji has done something to upset you, you may only assign him to do copying,” Lan Xichen told him, and Nie Mingjue was briefly surprised that his new friend had assumed he was angry before he remembered that everyone here thought he was angry all the time, so it wasn’t actually that much of a surprise. “Please keep that in mind. Also, I don’t know if I’ve said, but he’s very reserved, so please don’t take offense if he just points things out...oh, I wish I wasn’t needed elsewhere this afternoon! I’d much rather show you around myself, but as it is, he’ll be showing you around this part of the Cloud Recesses in my place.”

Nie Mingjue grunted assent, and watched, a little desolately, as Lan Xichen disappeared down the still confusing twists and turns of the paths of the Cloud Recesses. It was all gardens here, carefully tended to maximize graceful tranquility, and he was sure he would have no chance of ever finding his way back on his own if left to it.

It wouldn’t surprise him in the slightest if he was. The other Lan disciples hadn’t really taken to him the way Lan Xichen had, much less a younger brother that the (rather reserved, by Nie Mingjue’s standards) Lan Xichen had described as reserved…

Unexpectedly, a small hand slipped into his own, and he looked down in surprise.

Lan Wangji looked up at him, his cheeks flushed a little red.

Nie Mingjue instinctively smiled at him, charmed by the reminder of Nie Huaisang, then remembered that too much exuberance seemed to only disturb the Lan sect and struggled to get his expression under control. He expected him to start leading him around the Cloud Recesses without another word – he had overheard Lan Qiren telling his father that Lan Wangji wasn’t much of a talker, very quiet, and to not expect much interaction with him – but to his surprise Lan Wangji did not move, looking at up at him thoughtfully, lips pursed as if he was considering saying something.

Nie Mingjue waited for his judgment.

“You weren’t angry,” Lan Wangji finally said. “When you threw me.”

Nie Mingjue blinked.

“No,” he admitted, breaking his own informal vow of silence. “I wasn’t. I thought you might enjoy it.”

Nie Huaisang loved being tossed around, whether up into the air or into bushes, headfirst shrieking into his bed or ass-first into a pool of water; he’d thought tossing little brothers around was what big brothers were there for. Sure, there was a small age gap – Lan Wangji was six, Nie Huaisang still not quite five – but he hadn’t thought it would make such a difference.

Lan Wangji hummed thoughtfully. He did not speak for another long while, but Nie Mingjue was starting to think that that was just him chewing over his thoughts before forming them into words.

At last, he spoke again: “I did.”

Nothing afterwards. Hesitantly, Nie Mingjue asked, “Would you like me to do it again?”

Lan Wangji nodded.

This time, Nie Mingjue was a little more cautious: he threw Lan Wangji up into the air and caught him, trying to demonstrate that he knew what he was doing, that he could be trusted, and by the third or fourth time Lan Wangji was smiling. It wasn’t quite on part with Nie Huaisang’s giggles and shrieks, but felt rewarding nevertheless.

Satisfied by his success, Nie Mingjue was about to put him down on the ground, but hesitated. “Do you want to ride on my shoulders?” he asked, and waited as Lan Wangji considered it.

“Another time,” Lan Wangji decided. “Not today.”

Nie Mingjue nodded and put him down. Lan Wangji took his hand once again and, this time, led him around the way he’d expected from the start, pointing out various places and naming them in a quiet murmur.

Lan Wangji really wasn’t much of a talker, a person of few words, but that was fine. So was Nie Mingjue.

-

It was a few days later that he came across Lan Wangji kneeling beside the training grounds and impulsively challenged him. He was getting bored of training alone: Lan Xichen was busy again, and the other Lan disciples had already made clear that they didn’t want to have anything to do with him, the interloper who’d pushed his way into their lessons by force.

It wasn’t actually like that at all – his father had sent Nie Mingjue to learn here for the season as a gesture of goodwill, wanting to support Lan Qiren’s lecture series and make it clear that other sects should follow suit, to encourage Lan Qiren’s goal of eventually creating a safe haven for all the Great Sect’s heirs to come together and learn and build friendships while still in their youth – but Nie Mingjue knew that there was no convincing any of his wary Lan sect peers of that. Even if there was, he certainly couldn’t do it, not with his clumsy tongue and scowling face and too-tall height that made everyone immediately assume he would resort to violence as his first and only argument.

So he trained alone and studied alone, or with Lan Xichen in the rare times when his friend was free, but it was boring, and anyway, he thought he’d gotten on pretty well with Lan Wangji the first time they’d met. It wouldn’t be a real spar, of course, not against a six-year-old, but doing the moves slow and mirroring a smaller opponent would force him to pay close attention to his own technique, which would pay off in the long run.

He explained this to Lan Wangji when the boy frowned up at him in what Nie Mingjue was starting to be able to identify as a silent question – he didn’t use many words himself, just spat out “Mirroring improves technique,” and saw that Lan Wangji understood the rest – and a moment later Lan Wangji nodded and rose to his feet, picking up one of the practice swords and taking a position opposite him on one of the fields.

Nie Mingjue started with a standard warm-up routine, unsure of Lan Wangji’s skills. Supposedly he was the opposite of Nie Huaisang in this respect, too, startlingly advanced for his age, but Lan Qiren had also said something about him pausing his sword training as a result of some incident, not specified; his father had nodded in response as if he’d understood, which was very unhelpful to the eavesdropping Nie Mingjue, who didn’t. Since he didn’t know the background of the incident or when Lan Wangji had picked up sword training again, and more to the point wasn’t inclined to ask since he knew that Lan Wangji wouldn’t enjoy explaining, he just started out with the basics and went up slowly from there.

It turned out his concerns were mostly unnecessary – Lan Wangji was a bit stiff at first, maybe because of the kneeling he’d been doing, but he clearly had the basics down flat, and they were able to progress to something a little more interesting quick enough, trading very slow swipes with saber and sword.

Nie Mingjue didn’t even notice that they had an audience until he heard Lan Xichen say his name in a strangled voice. He finished the follow-through of the move they were on, since stopping in the middle could be dangerous (not for them, not with training swords, but in the future, when it was real, and forming good habits now would help more later on), saluted Lan Wangji with his saber and was saluted in return, and then turned to look for his friend.

Lan Xichen was staring at them as if they’d turned into ghosts, and there was a whole crowd of Lan sect disciples standing around gawking at them instead of doing their own training.

Nie Mingjue hunched up his shoulders, assuming he’d somehow managed to do something wrong again, and automatically stepped in front of Lan Wangji, blocking the others’ views of him. “I challenged him,” he said bluntly, hoping to take the brunt of whatever punishment would need to be imposed here – generally speaking, he’d learned that the Lan sect’s penalties for being lured into misbehavior were less than the penalties for instigating it. “He didn’t seem otherwise occupied.”

“Wangji,” Lan Xichen said, or started to say, but Lan Wangji was already turning to put away his training sword. He then formally saluted his brother and trotted away from the training field entirely.

Lan Xichen watched him go without stopping him, then turned to Nie Mingjue. “Mingjue-xiong, how did you get him to fight you?”

Nie Mingjue blinked, confused. “I asked.”

“Yes, but – how?”

“I asked him to train with me,” Nie Mingjue said slowly, not sure if he was missing something. “I pointed out that mirroring improves technique. He probably did it as a favor to me…listen, do you need me to copy lines or something?”

“Copy lines?”

“For whatever rule I just broke,” Nie Mingjue clarified, but Lan Xichen only looked more confused. “Was it because he was kneeling and I interrupted him?”

Everyone is staring at me again and I don’t know why, again. Just tell me what it is that I did, impose the punishment, and I won’t do it again, I promise – but you need to tell me what it was that I did wrong first.

“Mingjue-xiong,” Lan Xichen said, staring at him even more strangely now. “You didn’t break any rules at all.”

That was even weirder. “But –”

“Wangji was kneeling because that’s what he always does during training hours,” Lan Xichen said. “He doesn’t train the sword anymore.”

“He – doesn’t?” Nie Mingjue asked, now even more confused, and in his confusion forgot that he was in the Lan sect with their carefully thought-out sentences and myriad of prickly unwritten rules. “Why not? He’s so good at it! And he seemed to be having a good time, too…listen, I know your sect prizes musical cultivation, Xichen, and that it’s often one or the other, but there’s really no reason he can’t do both.”

He belatedly realized he was talking too much and shut his mouth, embarrassed. He shouldn’t have brought up that subject.

After all, Qingheng-jun had been a sword cultivator with little interest in music beyond battle-songs  – still was, Nie Mingjue supposed, although he was in seclusion so much that it might as well be ‘had been’ – and Lan Qiren was an expert at musical cultivation, skilled in both xiao and guqin, but used his sword only to fly.  They’d been trained that way, complementary to each other’s strengths – Qingheng-jun the attacking hand, Lan Qiren the supporting arm – which was a pretty decent plan right up until it had all rather been ruined when Qingheng-jun had for whatever reason retreated from the world.

“Of course,” Lan Xichen echoed, and luckily he didn’t seem to notice the implied criticism. “He should, of course, if he wants to…Mingjue-xiong, I’m sorry, I have to go again, I need to talk to my uncle at once. But you should feel free to challenge Wangji again – in fact, I would appreciate it if you did. Liu-xiong, can you tell Mingjue-xiong what Wangji’s training hours are?”

One of the other Lan disciples nodded, and Lan Xichen flashed them both a thankful smile before disappearing again, even though he’d promised that his uncle only needed him for half a day and that they’d be able to go down to visit Caiyi Town that afternoon.

As a result, despite Lan Xichen’s assurances, Nie Mingjue still had the distinct feeling that he’d done something wrong, but he really couldn’t see what. Best not to think too much about it, he supposed.

-

By the afternoon, Nie Mingjue had retreated to the library to avoid being stared at. He’d thought that the indirect sneers and silent rigid politeness that invited no familiarity was bad, but apparently it was actively worse when the Lan sect disciples treated him like he’d just turned into a performing monkey that had done a neat trick. They still wouldn’t condescend to talk to him, of course, but they felt no issue staring or talking to each other about him – even though Nie Mingjue was sure there was a rule about not talking behind people’s backs.

Maybe it didn’t count if you did it in front of their faces.

Nie Mingjue actually rather liked the library, despite the Lan sect’s general tendency to treat him like an illiterate ape that only knew how to swing a saber – even Lan Xichen had looked a little puzzled the first time he’d asked to spend the afternoon there, though of course he hadn’t said anything out loud beyond reminding Nie Mingjue that they didn’t have to go there and that it wasn’t necessary to sacrifice his own enjoyment for Lan Xichen’s.

It wasn’t his friend’s fault that he was brought up to prefer those were gentle and scholarly, Nie Mingjue reminded himself, even if it chafed a little every time that Lan Xichen automatically sided with someone who could express themselves better, someone cleverer with words than he; that trait was common to just about everyone at the Cloud Recesses, and at least Lan Xichen would eventually listen to him if he kept his temper under control and persisted in trying to make his point.

Nie Mingjue might wish that the Lan sect didn’t view losing one’s temper as an automatic forfeit of the argument – do not succumb to rage had been whispered in his vicinity more times than he could count, though rarely to his face – and he might think in his heart of hearts think that they were simply wrong in dismissing his viewpoint just because he felt too strongly about a matter to contain himself, but he was a guest here and he needed to respect their ways, conform himself to their customs, even if it upset and disturbed him to do so.

At least sometimes those ways and customs served him, including in the deliberate air of quiet contemplation in the Library Pavilion. There were separate rooms for private study, of course, but an emphasis was put on preserving the tranquility of the location, and it seemed that the Lan disciples at least knew enough shame to avoid coming to gawk at him from the door when he was there.

Deciding to entertain himself, Nie Mingjue picked out several books on military strategy utilizing musical cultivation – just because he was all but tone-deaf didn’t mean he didn’t appreciate the power of the Lan sect’s core techniques – and settled down for a nice afternoon of being alone.

Until, of course, he wasn’t.

He was pretty absorbed in an analysis of altitude effects on range attacks for a while, deaf and blind to the outside world the way he usually was when he was reading, and then, perhaps alerted by some sound, he looked up to find that the sun had shifted position and also that Lan Wangji was sitting across from him with his own book primly laid out in front of him.

Nie Mingjue blinked and thought briefly about saying something. If it had been Nie Huaisang, he would have – some friendly jibe that Nie Huaisang would return in full measure, before they both settled down to enjoy each other’s company in communal silence – but this was Lan Wangji, who was a Lan, and probably wouldn’t appreciate it.

So he didn’t say anything, just looked back down at his book and continued reading.

After a little while, there was a tug at his sleeve.

Nie Mingjue looked up. Lan Wangji was pointing to one of the words in his book – “Frivolous,” he said, assuming that Lan Wangji was asking for assistance with the more complicated characters the way that Nie Huaisang would have, albeit with much less whining. “Means lacking purpose or value.”

Lan Wangji nodded, released his sleeve, and returned to his reading.

They carried on in this fashion for a while, quiet reading interspersed with occasional reading comprehension questions, and it was nice. Nie Mingjue could feel the stress of the day slowly sliding off his shoulders – more than just the day, maybe the whole week, the entire time he’d been here, or even before, when Nie Huaisang burst into tears at finding out his big brother was going to be leaving him behind. He would need to write to him again soon, Nie Mingjue thought to himself, and send presents; he’d been hoping to pick something up in Caiyi Town today, but then Lan Xichen had gotten busy…

It’d be nice if he could get him something from the Cloud Recesses itself, though.

“Wangji,” he said before he could stop himself. “What is a present you would get for someone who likes pretty things?”

Lan Wangji blinked up at him, then frowned. Nie Mingjue was pretty sure that it was a thinking frown, though, so he just waited, and sure enough Lan Wangji carefully closed his book and stood up.

“Flowers,” he said, and held out a hand as if to help Nie Mingjue up.

Nie Mingjue long ago learned that when a small child offers to help you, you accept regardless of whether or not they were actually capable of performing the action in question – though with Lan sect arm strength, who even knew – so he took Lan Wangji’s hand and scrambled up to his feet.

“Flowers?” he asked, a little dubiously. “I don’t know if they’d survive being sent by post.”

“Flower petals,” Lan Wangji clarified. “Pressed.”

Nie Mingjue blinked, but actually, no, that sounded perfect for Nie Huaisang. Especially if he got them pressed into a bookmark or something.

“My brother will love it,” he said enthusiastically. “Do you know where there are good flowers?” He knew himself well enough not to even try to make that sort of judgment call. “Can you show me?”

Lan Wangji frowned, and this one wasn’t his thinking frown – it seemed sad, almost.

“You don’t have to,” Nie Mingjue assured him, but Lan Wangji set his shoulders in a look of fierce six-year-old determination and he nodded as if he was going to go to war. “Really, if you don’t want to interrupt your reading –”

“The place is sad,” Lan Wangji said. “But it has the best flowers.”

Nie Mingjue frowned. He could tell from the way Lan Wangji’s little lips were firmed up in stubborn intent that there would be no stopping him, that he was determined to get Nie Mingjue the best flowers – truly, Lan Wangji was such a good boy, unlike that junior hellspawn and walking calamity named Nie Huaisang – but also that he thought it would hurt him to do so.

He didn’t want Lan Wangji to hurt.

“Do you want to ride on my shoulders this time?” Nie Mingjue asked, and Lan Wangji looked at him in surprise. He shrugged. “Sometimes having a different perspective on the same place makes it feel different.”

He knew he was butchering the explanation – he really wasn’t good with words – but he didn’t know how else to explain it.

He didn’t know how to explain that he used to spend days and days looking at the place where Nie Huaisang’s mother had gone in to give birth and never come back out, equally drawn and repulsed by it, right up until the day he climbed up the gate of the Unclean Realm on a dare and by coincidence happened to see it when he looked down from that great height, only to realize that the place he’d thought of as dark and depressing and even haunted was just a room like all the rooms right beside it: he couldn’t even tell it apart from the rest.

“…mn,” Lan Wangji said, sounding doubtful, but he hopped onto Nie Mingjue’s back when offered and scrambled up to sit on his shoulders, ducking his head to avoid the doorway to the Library Pavilion as they exited out the side door, and then he showed him the way to a nice looking cottage that seemed a little out of the way but which was surrounded by what were undoubtedly lovely purple gentians.

“Wow,” Nie Mingjue couldn’t help but say. “They’re very – purple.”

Lan Wangji poked him in the head.

“They are! Very purple. I’m sure Huaisang will love them to a ridiculous degree and that my father will write me angry letters about trying to sell him to the Jiang sect again –” There was a very small snort from above his head. “In my defense, he was really annoying when he was a colicky baby, and at the time I thought the Jiang sect were pirates.”

Another snort, this time less small. Somewhat disdainful.

“Listen, they’re ‘known for their watercraft’, right? It was a perfectly reasonable mistake to make…”

Lan Wangji didn’t giggle the way Nie Huaisang did when Nie Mingjue clowned around for him, but he was smiling by the time he edged onto a nearby tree branch to get a particular blossom that Nie Mingjue had set his heart on, declaring it the fattest of all the flowers and thereby a necessary acquisition, and in the end they collected a full basket of the purple flowers, more than enough for a dozen pressed bookmarks.

The smile made Nie Mingjue feel like he accomplished something.

It was almost enough, even, to let him brush off all the stares they got as they walked back together, side-by-side.

-

Nie Mingjue reported to Lan Qiren’s study with a great deal of trepidation.

It only got worse when he saw Lan Xichen sitting there as well, and when Lan Qiren instructed his nephew to serve them all tea. Nie Mingjue was abruptly seized by the fear that something terrible had happened: that he’d broken some unknown rule and needed to be punished severely, that he’d failed all his tests, that they’d decided he wasn’t actually a good fit for the Cloud Recesses after all, that his father had been summoned to take him back home early in disgrace –

“You’ve been spending some time with Wangji of late,” Lan Qiren said.

Nie Mingjue nodded.

“Yesterday, you presented the craftsman with a basket of purple gentians. Did Wangji show you where to find them?”

“Yes,” Nie Mingjue said cautiously. “He helped me pick them.”

Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen exchanged glances.

Nie Mingjue somehow felt even more nervous.

“Was I not supposed to take them?” he asked. “Wangji said they’re his mother’s favorites.”

Lan Xichen dropped his cup.

“Xichen,” Lan Qiren said sternly, and Lan Xichen apologized and quickly cleaned it up. Luckily the cup had not shattered. “Nie-gongzi, to confirm, Wangji told you that himself?”

Nie Mingjue nodded.

Lan Qiren stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Nie-gongzi…if I were to tell you that Wangji has not spoken to anyone in nearly six months, what would you say?”

Nie Mingjue blinked.

“He also hasn’t trained with the sword in that time,” Lan Xichen interjected.

Nie Mingjue opened his mouth, then closed it. He had no idea what to say.

“Our mother died,” Lan Xichen explained, his brow creased in misery and concern. “Wangji didn’t really understand…it took a long time before he understood that he couldn’t see her any more.”

“Oh,” Nie Mingjue said, feeling uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, Xichen.”

Now it was Lan Xichen’s turn to blink. “Sorry? For what?”

“For your loss? I mean, she was your mother, too, right?” It occurred to Nie Mingjue that she might not be, the way his mother and Nie Huaisang’s mother weren’t the same, but he was pretty sure the Lan sect only allowed for one marriage, and the age gap between Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji was smaller than the one between him and Nie Huaisang…

“Yes,” Lan Xichen said. “She – was. Thank you.”

Lan Qiren made a thoughtful sound.

“If you’re asking if I did something to convince Wangji to come with me and do all that,” Nie Mingjue said, having finally figured out why he was sitting here having tea and being uncomfortable, “I really didn’t. It may just be that enough time has passed for the wound to scab over.”

“Perhaps,” Lan Qiren said.

“I think he feels bad for me?” Nie Mingjue hazarded. “I’m not sure. I’m still learning how to understand him.”

“The fact that you’ve realized that there’s something there to understand puts you way ahead of most people,” Lan Xichen told him.

“Why would he feel bad for you?” Lan Qiren asked.

Because your sect is full of snobs that all hate me.

“Uh,” Nie Mingjue said. “I – have no idea.”

Lan Xichen frowned at him. “Mingjue-xiong, ‘do not tell lies’ is a rule.”

“So is ‘do not insult people’,” Nie Mingjue said sulkily, and refused to say another word no matter how many ways Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen asked. He’d already figured out that not talking was the best way to avoid getting into trouble – the Lan sect was much more insular than the Nie sect, with all sorts of restrictions about getting brought in, and he didn’t have any confidence that expressing grievances would result in anything other than more shunning.

Eventually, Lan Qiren dismissed him, frowning, and Lan Xichen escorted him back to his rooms.

“Is it because you don’t trust me?” he asked, and Nie Mingjue stared at him.

“What are you talking about?” he said. “Of course I trust you. You’re my friend.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me that there was something wrong?” Lan Xichen demanded. “And don’t say nothing’s wrong, that’s obviously a lie.”

“It’s because we’re friends,” Nie Mingjue said with a sigh. Most of the time, he forgot that there was an age gap between him and Lan Xichen – three and a half years, same as the gap between Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji – but sometimes it really hit home. “I don’t want to make trouble for you. This is just a place I’m staying for a little while, but you live here; after I go, we’ll still be friends, but you’ll still be stuck with whatever mess I make for you.”

Lan Xichen was scowling, his lower lip trembling a little, and Nie Mingjue cautiously reached out a hand to put on his shoulder, squeezing. He would prefer to give him a hug, but he didn’t know if it would be welcome – he’d already told Lan Xichen that he himself was always open for hugs, but he knew very well that Lan Xichen was uncomfortable with too much contact.

“It’s all right,” he said.

“No, it’s not,” Lan Xichen said. “Wangji noticed that you were unhappy, and I didn’t! What kind of friend am I?”

“You’re a good friend,” Nie Mingjue insisted. “You are. It’s not about you. I promise.”

They still hadn’t resolved it by the time Lan Xichen left him at his room. Nie Mingjue sighed, hoped that he hadn’t inadvertently ruined everything, and went to sleep.

The next morning, he woke up when the door to his room opened abruptly with a slam that seemed, in his sleep-fogged brain, to echo throughout the entire Cloud Recesses.

“Mingjue-xiong!”

“…Xichen?” Nie Mingjue said, and rubbed his eyes disbelievingly. “Did you just slam a door?”

It wasn’t really a slam. It was a small shove, at best.

“Why didn’t you tell me people were being mean to you?” Lan Xichen demanded, and Nie Mingjue stared at him. “I would’ve made them stop! Really, I would have! I don’t care if they’re Lan sect and you’re not, they shouldn’t be – I shouldn’t be – making assumptions about you or pushing you out or – or – or anything!”

“Where did you get all of this from?” Nie Mingjue asked, utterly at sea. He was right, of course, about the problems Nie Mingjue had been having, but he certainly hadn’t known it last night before curfew and while, yes, it was only morning by the standards of guest disciples and not Lan sect members themselves – he got an extra shichen to sleep in while he adjusted to the earlier schedule, of which he generally tried to use only half – it still seemed a little implausible that Lan Xichen had managed to puzzle all of that out overnight.

“Wangji!” Lan Xichen said, and threw himself on the bed next to Nie Mingjue and gave him a hug, a good proper one like the ones he used to get all the time back in Qinghe and which he missed rather terribly. “He actually came and talked to us! With words! Well, a few words, anyway, but he hasn’t said anything to Shifu or me for six months up until now. He said you were unhappy because of the other Lan disciples persisted in thinking that you were stupid and angry when you’re neither.”

Nie Mingjue felt warm inside.

“Your brother’s smart,” he said gruffly.

“He is,” Lan Xichen said. “I’m sorry if I made you feel like I also thought you were stupid and angry and nothing more than that. I know you’re not.”

“I didn’t think that,” Nie Mingjue said, and it was mostly not a lie. “We’re friends, aren’t we? A friend wouldn’t think that about another friend.”

“That’s right,” Lan Xichen said, nodding firmly. “And friends don’t let friends go around thinking they didn’t do anything when they did something big – I still don’t know what exactly you did, Mingjue-xiong, but you helped Wangji a lot, and I’m eternally grateful.”

“There’s no need for thanks between friends,” Nie Mingjue reminded him, the first rule of their friendship formed in the spaces between discussion conferences that neither of them had any choice but to attend, and Lan Xichen smiled.

“I know,” he said warmly, and Nie Mingjue felt warm in response. “But I’m going to abuse my privilege and ask you to keep spending time with him – with both of us, sometimes, but with him by yourself if you don’t mind – so I think you’re owed at least one ‘thanks’.”

“Oh, I see how it is,” Nie Mingjue said, grinning. “You just want a free babysitter, is that it?”

“It is not! Mingjue-xiong!”

Nie Mingjue started laughing. Lan Xichen smacked him – lightly by Lan standards, no doubt, but it was a good thing Nie Mingjue was as strong as he was.

“I don’t mind,” Nie Mingjue finally said. “I like your brother.”

Lan Xichen’s smile was as dazzling as the sun. “Good,” he said. “He likes you, too.”

[chipper-smol]

Hollow Knight Telephone Round Two: Babysitter SL

Prompt: Shade (lord) is in the midst of final exams and they’re more stressed and tired than usual while babysitting. They accidentally fall asleep in the middle of a calm spell and the god babies become worried. The next time Shade comes over, all of the god babies present a gift they all made together!

By @minnesotamidian-blog​

Shade barely noticed their surroundings as they entered the nursery playroom. Plastic clattered and they sighed as Radiance yelled at the top of her lungs. At least she wasn't screaming. Yet. The scene was set: Unn was still in a crib and chewing on a bar, Root was climbing slowly onto a chair. Radiance was knocking over plastic blocks as Grimm cackled away. For once, Wyrm was playing peacefully with a kick toy, batting at it with his tail. Root got onto the chair and squealed, raising her arms. "Big Root now!" The little blue-eyed godling squeaked out.

Shade picked her up, hugged her to their chest before holding her out. "Now you're a flying Root."

She screamed laughter as Shade tiredly walked her around the room before setting her down near some of her favorite toys. They made sure nobody else had claimed the chair and took a seat, bending over to pick up the fussy moth. "Ancient enemy!" Of course she bit their hand.

Shade winced and just ran a hand over her fluff. "Are you hungry for something that isn't void?" They spoke tiredly.

"Oranges!" She yelled out.

The teen sighed as he went to the mini-fridge with snacks and found some miracle of miracles! pre-peeled oranges. Shade pulled them out and put her in a high chair with one at a time so she wouldn't be tempted to throw the extras at them.

Finals were here and they were really taking it out of the gangly god. Why did they have to know stuff about inorganic chemistry? Why did they have to know about history nobody cared about? There were some fun subjects, but the finals seemed to even suck the fun out of those classes, going over notes and studying everything just in case. They'd been pulling long nights and the night before had been an all-night cram session-and they still had to come to work, they couldn't afford not to. They'd underlined all the stuff the teacher had said was important to remember and had written down stuff from the last finals about each teacher's usual tests.

It made narrowing down what to study from impossible to I'm totally toast. They groaned as they set down a calmer Radiance the opposite side of the room from Wyrm. She found toys that interested her, at least. Root wandered over to Wyrm, who was really into knocking at the kick toy and purring. Root settled nearby and burbled as she hugged and gnawed a plushie.

The teen couldn't help it. The kids were calm for once; their head started to tilt forward, eyes heavy. They were exhausted. Shade's eyes closed and their breathing deepened. At first, their toys were too interesting to notice their babysitter's state; but it didn't take long for Grimm to get bored enough to fly over and notice. "...Shade? Shade's eyes are closed." They landed and the four children not in a crib headed for the batlike godling.

"Is Shade dead?" Wyrm sounded worried.

"Don't be stupid, they're having a nap!" Radiance huffed.

Root looked up and swayed before patting Shade's leg. "Grown-ups don't have nap times." She was tearing up.

"Nuh-uh, they're having bad dreams and it's tasty!" Grimm clamored onto their lap.

The others joined, Radiance grabbing Unn to join them on the sleeping teen. Grimm rested between Shade's horns, Unn was on one shoulder, Radiance on the other, with Root and Wyrm curled up together on Shade's lap, Wyrm purring for once.

When Shade woke up, they were surprised by the weight on their body and forced themself to look down and around before moving. "Uh oh, I fell asleep… sheesh, I'm glad this place isn't a fiery disaster." They picked the godlings up. "You're not dead!" Wyrm exclaimed.

Root burst into tears and even Grimm joined in on the crying spat. Shade sighed and spent the rest of the time comforting them until meal time and settled them down. Time to go home for them all!

But the worry didn't leave the heads of the little godlings. "We should make something for Shade. If they're having nightmares, they might be sad." Radiance sighed. "But that doesn't mean I feel bad for my ancient enemy!" "What do we make?" Root twirled around, slowly turning in place until she fell onto pillows in her dizziness.

"Something of clay! I can burn it dry!" Grimm hopped around.

"But there's no clay." Unn spoke slowly, thoughtfully. "But there's crayons and paper."

"Oooh. We can make a pretty picture for Shade!" Wyrm waved his head happily. The group went for papers and each started to draw on the paper. "You're taking up too much paper!" Wyrm whined.
Radiance complained in turn, pointing at the color he was using. "I want that color!"

Wyrm growled and argued back. "I had it first!"

They started rolling around over their drawings, biting and clawing. Grimm gave a solid scream that startled the two. "You ruined Shade's pretty pictures!" He yelled.

The two looked at each other and hung their heads. "...sorry." Radiance muttered.
"-'m sorry." Wyrm looked away from the moth, skulking. "Start again? You can have the crayon, Radiance…"

Radiance took the crayon and they all picked up the last piece of paper. "I think this is better." Root spoke cheerfully.

It was three days later, once Shade had a solid night's sleep and finals completed that they'd returned to work. A large construction sheet of paper in grey covered in scribbles and rough names and messages was waiting for them.

Feel better soon Shade

Love you

Best babysitter

Tastiest nightmare!

Not the worst anciant ancient enemy.Shade could only feel warmth and laugh, hugging the drawing to themself. There were some days the job felt like the best thing in the world.  ------------------------------- By @tomatotimes

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

By @loud-whistling-yes

"No."

The kids protested louder. Shade lifted the TV remote higher up, now above their head.

"Screentime's over, I said no."

Wyrm attempted to crawl up their leg in what was a rather pathetic attempt at stealing the remote, but was promptly shaken off. Grimm tried next, flying overhead to snatch the controller. Shade ducked and grabbed him by the tail before he could send himself flying straight towards the ceiling fan for the third time that day.

"Find something else to do," Shade said as they stuffed the remote deep into their pocket, much to everyone else's dismay. "Look, as much as I'd love to shut you guys up for the whole day, you've all been staring at the TV for hours now and I don't want to get in trouble with your parents."

Louder complaints.

"No, no, no. I am not cracking this time." Shade announced as they pulled Radi, who was hissing like an angry cat, off their jeans and pulled their phone out. "You guys got me last week, never again. No more TV for you, we're doing something else before I lose my money for tonight. Google almighty, what is your suggestion."

activities to do with children

fun activities to do with children

activities to do with toddlers

what can I do with kids that isn't a major headache to deal with goddamnit

Go to the park? Shade took about half a second to consider the thought before wondering why they even thought it was possible anyways. Five kids from the deepest depths of hell, outdoors? No. No park.

Finger painting? A pain to clean up, but better than outdoors. Then they looked up from their phone and considered the idea with greater thought. Grimm's wings, Radi's legs, Unn and Wyrm's… er…. Body?.... Nevermind.

Play pretend? …. If they hear the name Hallownest one more time they might just go insane.

Hide and seek? No. No no no no no. No more hide and seek. Shade was utterly sick of hide and seek. If they had to spend another second stuffed inside the closet or trying to get Radi off the roof they'll probably quit the job right there and then.

Baking?

… That might work. Sure, cleaning up is gonna be absolute hell but it's the only thing Google suggested that they haven't tried yet without horrible results.

Shade stuffed their phone back into their pocket and made a getaway to the kitchen, everyone else following, probably still trying to get the remote back. Butter, eggs, flour, sugar, oh, even some chocolate chips…

"Well then," They declared, pulling every ingredient out of the cabinet and fridge. "We're making cookies! And no, no one is allowed to touch the oven when it's hot. If you guys behave we'll have cookies in like, an hour or something like that."

The kids watched in confusion as Shade ran around the kitchen, pulling out bowls and spoons and a bunch of other utensils while typing furiously on their phone.

Cookies recipe

Cookies recipe easy

Cookies recipe for beginners

Cookies recipe for kids

"What do you guys think about chocolate chip cookies?"

Multiple chitters of approval. "Chocolate chip cookies it is then."

Step one: sieve the flour. Oh wyrm, first step and it's already gonna go to shit.

"Okay, you guys can watch this but for the love of the holy wyrm, do not touch it." Shade measured the correct amount of flour before scooping Wrym and Unn off the floor onto the table so they could see while Radi pulled herself onto the chair. The Lady had already clinged herself onto their sweater and Grimm was doing just fine flying nearby.

“You guys get one chocolate chip each if you guys behave and don’t get flour everywhere.” Shade added. “Now, Lady, hold still and don’t move, I gotta keep my hands steady for this…”

************

"Okay, chocolate chip time." Shade popped open the jar of chocolate as the kids cheered. "Actually, we’re not supposed to be eating this plain, cause it's going into the cookies. But no one actually does that so you guys get five chips each for not setting the kitchen on fire so far."

"The recipe says a cup of chocolate chips but we all know that's a lie." They added while shoving their phone back in their pocket and grabbing a handful of chips before mixing the batter together. "I'm probably not someone you should take life lessons from, but here's one thing I can guarantee you should take to heart: never follow the recipe when it comes to chocolate chips, you count that with your soul."

Final step: oven time. The oven was preheated earlier, and the only thing left was to get the cookies into the tray and into the oven. "Now, who wants to make heart-shaped cookies?"

****************

Three deformed stars, five mutated trees, two malformed cats, several irregular hearts, a couple handfuls of chocolate eaten straight from the jar, and one (1) perfectly round cookie later, the cookies were on the tray, in the oven, and in a surprising turn of events, no one burned themselves… yet. Shade grabbed everyone and made sure no one was in a five-meter radius within the oven before picking up all the dirty bowls and utensils. “Cookies will have to sit in there for about 15 minutes, we’ll be cleaning up in the meantime.”

“Don’t look at me like that, and no whining, if you want cookies you gotta deal with the mess afterwards. That's the payoff, unless you're a wizard who has a passion for baking. Then that's fair, I guess." They dumped all the used utensils they could find and turned on the sink. The sief, three bowls, tablespoons and teaspoons.. Oh wait.

"Radi, the big wooden spoon, please?" Shade called, sponge in their hand and bowls being thoroughly rinsed.

Radi, of course, was not willing to help, because she's basically a feral house cat that just so happened to grow more legs than the average feline. Shade sighed and moved on to finding the next helper they could find.

"Grimm, I know you're touching the oven, stop it. I'm pretty sure you're immune to fire but not everyone else and you're setting a bad example for them. Get me the spoon please."

“Lady, here’s a cloth, help me dry the bowls up. Wyrm, … i have no idea how you can help, no limbs and all but uh, could you go get Unn? I have no idea where she went. Thanks.” The last sentence was to Grimm, who flew over with the mixing spoon and dropped it into the sink while Wyrm scurried away to find Unn, wherever she’s napping at.

"Radi? Radi, I know you're right behind me, stop pretending that you can't hear me. Lady has an extra cloth with her, you're on table wiping duty."

*********

“See? That wasn't so bad,” Shade sent the last of the bowls back into the cupboards and closed it shut. “And the cookies are pretty much done.”

“Also, no. You may not eat the cookies the moment I pull them out of the oven. These rules also apply to Grimm because it's unfair to everyone else.. Don’t look at me like that Grimm, I know you’ll eat them all before they cool and leave us nothing.”

The cookies smelt delicious, and were left on the dining table to cool. “Now that it's cooling down, it's naptime.”

A chorus of groans and wailing.

“It’ll be ready when you guys get up. Up up up, sleep time.”

**********

If you’ve been anywhere near toddlers before, you’d know that getting them to nap in their bedrooms is a near-impossible situation. And Shade was not a person who deals with near-impossible situations well. So following the months old custom, Shade turned on the tv, remote miraculously not pickpocketed, collapsed onto the couch, and waited for everyone piling on them to fall asleep before moving them into their bedroom and pretending they managed to wrangle them all into bed.

And it all goes to plan, the Lady and Wyrm were sound asleep on their lap, Radi and Unn were dozing off on their shoulders, and they're pretty sure the snoring from the top of their head was coming from Grmm. Now, step 2: get everyone off them and onto the beds.

… Or maybe later. It's been a long day, and the couch is pretty comfy. Yeah, just five more minutes, nothing wrong with that…

And if the parents came home to see a cleaner-than-expected kitchen, a tray of chocolate chip cookies, and five kids snoring on top of their babysitter, also sound asleep, then that’s nobody’s business.

And if the originally completely full jar of chocolate chips was pretty much empty, then that’s no one’s business as well.

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By @astronomicartz​

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By @hollow-kin​

Shade lord wanted to take a nap. They are sooo tired, but they are babysitting 5 baby gods for 5$/H. Grimm is a brat, Radiance his sister is also a brat. Unn was ether eating or seeping, same with grub1. Lady was, well sweet and cuddly. they needed to find a distraction for the kids, what would work?

Would tv work, would cartoons work? They had dinner already. Tv had to work or grub and radiance would destroy the house. They needed to take a nap. Now what to watch was a different question, they would have to ask the kids. “so, what do guys want to watch? “Movie!” well they were all in agreement, what was good. “What kind of movie do you guys want to watch?” “Fire!” “dath” “animal” “tree” “ok. No, we are NOT watching fire.” “awww” “i do not know what dath means so no. So nature show it is then.” they go over to the tv and turn it on, then select the world around us. Lady was quick to fall asleep, on their lap. Shade lord slowly fell asleep, and grub nested between grub and shade lord. Grimm climed up to shade lord's head. 

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By @hawaiianbabidoll

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By @neoliberalsatan

A gentle darkness surrounded the shade lord. He finally felt at ease. "finally", he thought, "rest." it didn't take long after that before the darkness started to take shape and a whole new world created out of shadows sheathed him.

But the happiness of the shadows didn't last long. A new and a new sound drowned out their world and all the animals and plants took to hiding back in his head. The shade lord felt the distressed creations stir inside his mind and woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. He rubbed his lowest eyes and accepted the call

"Hello, with shade lord. How can i help you?" "Oh sorry dear, i know it's terribly late but we got an unexpected call and need to leave. Since you've babysat Unn multiple times we assumed she would like to stay with you. Is it okay for you? Can we bring her to your place?" The shade lord thought for a moment and decided he could use the money. "Yea it's fine, she's always such a pleasure to babysit." The voice on the other side sounded relieved. "Thank you. You're a life saver. We will make sure you're compensated accordingly."

Feeling a bit more awake after the phone call he started to prepare for having baby Unn over. After a while her parents arrived and after some greetings he was home alone with the baby. He walked with her in his arms towards the living room and placed her gently inside the crib. She opened her eyes for a moment after losing the feeling of someone holding her, but then closed them again and fell back asleep.

The shade lord decided he couldn't sleep anymore and made some popcorn and decided to put on a movie. It didn't even take 20 minutes before he got called again.

"Hello, with shade lord. How can i help you?" "Oh yes finally someone who answers. Sorry but you're our last hope. We were going somewhere tonight but our babysitter called off. Do you think you could babysit our lovely Radiance? She's very good behaved and won't cause you trouble." "yea, no problem. You'll just need to bring her to my place if it's no trouble"

Not even 5 minutes later the parents showed up and dropped of their larva. Shade lord looked at it a bit confused but didn't get the time to say anything because the parents left as soon as they handed her over. He closed his front door and gave the larva a good look. She was white and had a fluffy appearance. She had 5 pairs of legs and yellow-orange eyes. She started to writhe a little bit and shade lord made sure to hurry to the living room. He took a pillow and placed it on the couch and softly laid her on it. She seemed at ease and rested on the pillow all stretched out

Shade lord continued his movie, which was finally starting to get interesting, but as usual the commercial break hit. He was in the kitchen making more popcorn when he got another call.

"Hello, with shade lord. How can i help you?" "Hello, is this the babysitter?" "Yes, that's the one you're speaking with." "Great, a family member had an accident and i need to be there for them so do you think you could babysit for me?" "Yep, totally." "Thank you, can we bring him to you?" "Oh yea, no problem."

A few minutes later his doorbell rang and he hurried towards it. The father carried his toddler in what could only be described as wing-esque appendages. The shade lord extended his arms for the man to put his toddler in and felt a gentle brush of the leathery membrane. He shivered lightly before feeling a sudden warmth light up in his face, like someone has started a fire. When he looked back up the man was gone and he closed the door. The creature he was holding in his arms was unlike anything he had ever seen. 2 horns sprouted from its black head. The face was as bleak as white linen on a summer day. It seems she likes make-up because she had already 2 black lines running from her cheeks towards her eyes, eventually fading into the darkness of her head. She had the same membranes as her father and no limbs besides it.

He wasn’t even in the living room before he heard his front door being was under siege. He put the weird creature down and opened the front door. Immediately he was assaulted by Hollow, a very energetic child. He was wearing a green cloak today and it finally seemed he was starting to grow bigger than a hand. His horns has also branched into the inside. Immediately after Hollow jumped on his he could hear Pale complain about his unprofessional work attitude. Although he was bigger than most it seems he wouldn’t grow much anymore. His tiny stature didn’t discourage him from being bossy. Finally White entered. By far the biggest of the bunch, she was also the most introverted. Her roots slid elegantly over towards him and even managed to stop Pale from talking for a moment.

He took them inside the living room only to find that somehow the larva and the winged creature had somehow gotten into a fight and now both were in hiding in opposite sides of the room. Normally he wouldn’t make such a big deal out of this if somehow his couch wasn’t full of tiny needles and a chair was on fire. He rushed to the tap to fill a bowl of water to extinguish the little fire. With the attention being diverted Hollow managed to slip from the watch of Pale and could now be found in the corner Radiance was hiding. The larva figured out quickly he liked to play games and had soon enough set up a plan to make him betray Pale.

In the meantime White had climbed the couch and started pulling out the needles while Shade lord had figured out what the membrane between the appendages from the weird creature were for. Namely, for flight. And now she was attacking his horns and he couldn’t reach her. As if her flying was not good enough alone, whenever he raised his arms she would back off and launch a little fireball  All this commotion woke up baby Unn who slowly started to slither away from her crib to find food.

The shade lord finally had enough of the little fire hazard and rushed towards the pantry to get a kettle. Once he had found it he peeked around the corner only to find that fire hazard eating his popcorn! All caution was thrown aside and he grabbed her by the guts and put her inside the kettle. She tried to heat it but he added some water to it. While it evaporated quickly it was apparently enough to bring over the message. Now he could focus his attention back on the larva again, only she could’ve produced those needles, which White was making great progress with removing them as a quick glance told him.

Now back to Pale and Radiance who were apparently having a fight (Darkness, that larva really has a talent to provoke others). They were arguing near the coffee table, because apparently they wanted a fight so bad they just ran to each other and met in the middle. Hollow was climbing one of the legs of the table, but wasn’t noticed by the shade lord because he was too occupied with the other 2. He tried to separate the arguing pair but they were at each other’s throats. They even had summoned a needle and a tiny dagger to fight each other. The shade lord obviously didn’t count on this tiny factor and had soon enough one in each hand. He screamed, trying not to curse, barely not failing miserably, and Pale managed to escape. In any other situation this wouldn’t pose a problem, but Hollow, after eating some popcorn, found himself at the right edge of the coffee table and pulled out his tiny wooden sword he got from Pale. The larva, Darkness curse her, used this to her advantage and made the sign to Hollow to betray Pale. The act of betraying Pale involved jumping off of the coffee table and hitting Pale as hard on the head as possible. Naturally, all of this went according to plan and even brought some extra spectacle. After Hollow had hit Pale on the head he wasn’t prepared for the recoil of the wood and ended up hitting himself in the face.

All of this lead to 3 crying children (1 of them from laughing, the others from pain) and 1 very angry young adult. He put the larva on the couch and took care of the others while White held a close eye on the damned 10 legged thing. After Pale and Hollow weren’t crying anymore he took the little fire hazard out of the kettle and continued his movie, which was getting to an end.

After the film ended a documentary started and had all the kids hooked. He went to check on Unn only to find an empty crib. He could however see a slimy trail lead up his wall and onto the ceiling. It went through the door into the pantry where he kept his food and toys for the toddlers. He looked up on the ceiling only to find a sleepy Unn with a letter block in her mouth. Suddenly Unn started to make a very weird noise and fell from the ceiling onto his face. He swiped her off of his face onto his shoulder and then washed it.

He returned back to the tv to watch the documentary that was still playing and plopped down on the couch. Not long after he was asleep with White on his left shoulder, Unn on his right shoulder, the little fire hazard on the same arm and Pale curled up in his lap. Radiance and hollow were still awake but occupied with the documentary instead of causing trouble. After the documentary ended they crawled up against his sides and fell asleep.

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By @constantlost 

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By @bugbeee

Exhaustion seeped into Shadelord’s body, limbs weighed down by a heaviness they hadn’t experienced in a while. The smatter of godlings that lay around them on the couch, or on them in Radi’s case, was enough to convince them that they had died and that this was the Eternal Void that was created to punish them for cheating on that test in the 8th grade. In their defence, it had been on rock sedimentation.

Wyrm continued his grumbling from the corner of the couch, still infuriated by the attack on his person only moments before. Root, the aggressor, looked remarkably pleased with herself. Shade knew they should probably punish her further in some way but... well, to be perfectly honest, they simply were not paid enough to do so.

They really should have charged more. Fifteen dollars at least per tiny demon they had to look after rather than the whole bunch. Fifteen dollars was not enough to encourage discipline. It was enough for them to make sure none of the godlings killed the other. And they had thought they had come up with an ingenious plan to secure some peace and quiet.

After much wrangling, they had finally managed to set up two separate playpens, each far enough away that the godlings wouldn’t start screaming if one of them saw their rival. Wyrm and Root in one pen, Grimm, Radi and Unn in another. It was a gamble, but one that thankfully seemed to have paid off. Radi was still exhausted from the tussle she had just had with Wyrm, and Grimm seemed content to chew off the heads of the plastic Garbies they had found. Unn continued to watch, and occasionally helped Grimm execute a Garbie in a spectacular manner. It was both reassuring, and beyond disturbing. Root and Wyrm meanwhile were cheerfully ignoring each other as they both played with their own toys.

It should have been foolproof.

Unfortunately for Shade however, they were dealing with infants instead of fools.

For some damned reason, Root had decided that now was the perfect time to act up, instead of being the sweet little darling she had been so far. Her target, much to their dismay, had been Wyrm. In all fairness, the godling had probably deserved it in some way; most likely he had tried to worm too close in order to steal some of the grubpaste and mushroom sticks Shade had left out as a snack. Root had seen this theft as a cardinal sin, and had subsequently decided that Wyrm deserved nothing less than absolute annihilation.

The momentary doze Shade had managed to fall into was abruptly interrupted by loud shrieking and wailing, resulting in them vaulting over the couch to hurriedly find out which one of the godlings was being tortured.

The scene that greeted them was... well, it wasn’t any less ridiculous than some of the other stuff the little goblins had pulled before.

Using her flexible tendrils, Root had seen fit to wrap them around Wyrm, and aggressively dunk him into the bowl of grubpaste he had attempted to steal from. His shrieks and hisses had woken up Radi and drawn the attention of the other children, who were now cheering on Root’s attack on Wyrm’s person.

“Enough,” Shade declared, shooting a glare behind them, “Root, let him go.” Root looked up innocently.

No, she seemed to say with her eyes, justice must prevail.

“Justice won’t get me my fifteen dollars,” they hissed out in return, and they could have sworn that Root shrugged, turning away from them to dunk Wyrm into the bowl yet again.

“No!” they cried out, quickly whipping down to grab the poor child before he could be further humiliated. After finally being saved from his vicious tormentor, Wyrm decided it was time to go into hysterics, lashing out with a sharp tail to fully show his displeasure. Root simply watched impassively as the rest of the children cheered.

Shade wondered if fifteen dollars was even worth it at this point.

“Alright, alright, enough! Root, you go in time out. We do not waterboard our fellow godlings in grubpaste. Wyrm, calm down, it’s just grubpaste- Settle down!” they yelped out, flinching as something heavy settled onto their head. The soft fluff revealed that Radi had decided to fly out of her pen and taunt Wyrm in person. Shade wanted to sob with frustration.

The door cracked open, and Ghost peered in, head tilted curiously.

Need help? they signed, and Shade wanted to collapse in relief.

“Please,” they begged, and their sibling nodded grimly, even as amusement danced in their eyes. Shucking off their school backpack, they quickly headed over to the other pen and signed to them, bobbing their head up and down in a soothing motion. Grimm and Unn were entranced. Radi less so. She remained seated on their head, but at least seemed to have finally stopped provoking Wyrm.

“I’m just going to clean him up,” Shade explained uselessly, watching as Ghost simply nodded and waved them off. 

With a tired gait, Shade wandered into the kitchen and turned on the tap, listening as Wyrm’s panicked yelps grew louder at the realisation of what was going to happen next. Radi snickered softly, before leaping off and gliding back into the living room.

Bath time, according to the godlings, was a fate worse than death, and something to be avoided at all cost.

Unfortunately for both Wyrm and Shade, it was a necessary evil. Wyrm disagreed. Loudly. And with claws.

He howled furiously as Shade slowly lowered him into the warm water, softly scrubbing at the now-dried grubpaste sticking to his skin. Despite his attempts, Wyrm failed to prevent them from continuing his bath. He turned to pathetic pleading instead, making soft mewling sounds as though he was nothing more than a poor innocent child who had done nothing wrong, ever.

Shade, who remembered the little bastard knocking a glass ornament onto their head, was not convinced. Ultimately there was no escape, and Wyrm reluctantly gave in to the soft scrubbing, though he made sure his rumbling complaints were known.

“Yes, yes,” Shade said quietly, “I truly am the worst. Close your eyes so I can rinse you.”

Wyrm, in a dumb act of defiance, did not close his eyes. The hysterics started again, and Shade contemplated drowning themself in the half-filled sink. Fifteen dollars, they repeated. Fifteen dollars.

Grabbing a tea towel, they quickly dried the godling off, carefully teasing out water droplets from soft scales. He child gnawed on their fingers in revenge. “I’m done,” they announced, wandering back into the living room with a now clean, and furious, Wyrm.

Ghost looked up from their position on the floor, back leaning against the couch as they played with Grimm. Radi immediately perked up at the sound of Shade’s voice, and quickly flew over, making herself at home on top of their head. Unn seemed to have decided to undertake the momentous task of scaling up the back of the couch, leaving a thick trail of slime behind. Root, still stuck in her pen as punishment, let out a wail, demanding to be let out.

Shade was all out of energy to fight back or deal with a tantrum.

“Alright, alright, out you go,” they muttered, depositing Wyrm on the couch before reaching down to lift out the petulant child from her terrible prison. She clung to them desperately until they finally collapsed on the sofa. She quickly wriggled out of their hold and instead plonked down beside them. Wyrm had hissed at the sight of her, and slunk to the other side of the couch to sulk.

Grimm let out a raspy cackle at the sight, before diving down to nip at Ghost’s fingers.

Unn finally made her way to the top of the couch and waved her eyestalks victoriously. All Shade could do was give her a tired pat.

They sank into the couch, the exhaustion creeping back in. It should have been foolproof.

Fifteen dollars.

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By @arandoskeleartist​

[theladyofdeath]

Life As We Know It {Prologue}

Summary: After the sudden deaths of Nesta’s sister and Cassian’s best friend, they gain guardianship of their nephew, Nyx.

Based on Life As We Know It (2010) and a prompt sent in by anonymous for our Nessian fanfic contest. This is a modern au.

Instead of doing a tag list for this story, we have decided to have a set schedule. Chapters will be posted weekly on Mondays and Thursdays. Chapters will be posted on both Shelby and I’s blogs! >> @snelbz​

We hope you all enjoy. :)

Cassian knew very little about Nesta Archeron, but he knew one thing for certain: she was hot as hell.

He had sworn he’d never go on another blind date, but Rhysand had begged, over and over again, for him to go out with the eldest sister of his girlfriend. So, to shut his brother up, Cassian agreed.

Reluctantly, but nonetheless. 

He took a quick shower where he bathed himself in a new bottle of body wash before stepping out and towel-drying his hair. Considering Nesta was Feyre’s sister, he felt the need to make a good first impression, although he wasn’t sure what a good impression was to Nesta Archeron.

He was hoping he was sufficient enough.

He dressed in his usual attire of jeans and old boots, but decided to wear a button up for once, rather than one of his go-to t-shirts. Still, he pulled on his leather jacket and grabbed his keys before hurrying out the door.

He typed the address Rhys had texted him into his gps, seeing the drive was going to take him nearly twenty minutes longer than he’d anticipated, thanks to an accident on the interstate.

He swore under his breath, throwing his truck into motion. He hurried across town and parked in front of Nesta’s townhouse, fifteen minutes later than he was supposed to. Flipping down his sun visor, Cassian ran a quick hand through his loose hair and was heading up to the front door, knocking twice.

Or he would have, if the door wasn’t pulled open the second his fist made contact with it.

Suddenly, in his jeans and leather jacket, he felt extremely underdressed.

Nesta Archeron wore a beautifully fitted dark blue dress that fell only a couple inches above her knees. She wore heels, and her hair was curled. A silver clutch was gripped tightly in her hand.

She eyed Cassian, from the top of his head to his toes. For once, even though he was half a foot taller than she, even in heels, Cassian felt smaller than shit.

“Hey,” he said, at last, once the silence became unbearably awkward.

“You’re Cassian?” she asked. 

“Were you expecting someone else?” he shot back.

Nesta’s lips thinned. “You’re late,” she said, instead. 

“At least I came,” he grinned. “Hungry?”

Nesta took a deep breath as she lifted her chin. “I suppose so.”

“Good,” he said, gesturing toward his running truck. “Let’s go. I made reservations.”

She locked her door and followed him down the sidewalk. “Are we going to be late for those, too?”

Cassian elected not to answer her, pausing at the passenger door and opening it for her. He let out a sigh as he rounded the truck to his own seat.

Something told him this was going to be a long night.

He was absolutely right.

Not a single word was said on the way to the restaurant across town, and, by some grace of the Cauldron, they made it on time for their reservations.

They were set at a table by the entrance quickly, and once their server arrived, Nesta ordered a glass of wine, while Cassian stuck with his usual beer.

“So,” Cassian began, clearing his throat as they waited for their drinks to arrive. “What should I know about you, Nesta?”

“That’s it?” she asked, brow raised. “That’s the question you’ll begin with?”

Cassian’s head fell to the side. “What question should I have gone with?”

Nesta took a moment to look around the bustling restaurant. “Well, you’ve yet to tell me how beautiful I look, or ask me how I’m doing tonight.”

Cassian couldn’t help but chuckle. “Fine. You look nice. How are you?”

Nesta snorted. “Well, I waited twenty minutes for my date, thinking he wasn’t coming. Other than that, fine, I guess.” 

“You don’t do this often, do you?” Cassian asked. There was nothing accusatory in his tone, just simple curiosity.

“Do what?” Nesta asked, the words nearly clipped.

“Date,” Cassian replied, simply. “Go out with someone for the first time.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “No. I don’t particularly have a lot of free time to waste.”

Cassian’s eyebrows rose at her choice of words. “You don’t have to be here, you know?”

The server quietly returned to the table, setting their drinks down, before hurrying away, sensing the tension between the two. Nesta’s eyes didn’t leave him the whole time. She picked up her wine glass, taking a long drink, before she asked, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you clearly would rather be anywhere but here,” Cassian replied, leaning back in his seat. “I’d hate to waste your time.”

She was about to reply when a voice came from their left.

“Cassian?”

He looked over his shoulder to find an old friend - a term that he used very, very loosely. 

Tanwyn and he had a very complicated relationship. They were friends - at least, they had been at one time. It had all become very complicated the first time he had invited her into his bed.

And the second time.

And the third.

And every time after that.

He smiled at her, almost hesitantly. “Hey, Tan. What are you doing here?”

“Here with some friends,” she grinned, approaching their table. “And you?”

“Here with…” Cassian’s voice trailed off as he looked across the table. “This is Nesta Archeron. Nesta, this is Tanwyn-.”

“Nice to meet you,” Nesta said, words clipped. “If you’ll excuse us, we’re on a date.”

She blinked, taken aback at Nesta’s cold greeting. “Right… Sorry to interrupt. I’ll see you later, Cass.” She nodded to Nesta. “Nice to meet you.”

She was gone before Cassian could say another word, and he looked at Nesta incredulously.

She raised her glass before putting it to her lips. “So when is the last time you slept with her?”

Cassian was stunned, shaking his head. “She’s a friend, there was no reason to be rude.”

“My question still stands.” Nesta folded her hands on the table, her eyes on Cassian’s.

“How do you even know-? What are you, a psychologist?”

“No, I’m a chef,” she said, glaring at him. “But you show everything on that pretty little face of yours. It was easy to read.”

He closed his eyes, dragging a hand down his face. “We just need to…start over. This is all going wrong.”

Nesta stayed quiet before finally nodding. “Fine.”

The server picked that time to return, the two of them ordering their food, and the awkward first date conversation began again.

“I have to be honest,” Cassian began. “I’m not sure where to even begin.”

“Your name would be fine,” Nesta said, sipping from her glass.

Cassian watched her for a moment to make sure she was serious before saying, “Cassian Nazari. Childhood friend of Rhys’.”

“And your occupation?” she asked, in all seriousness. 

“I’m a bartender,” Cassian said.

Nesta stared at him for a moment before asking, “Seriously?”

“Yeah, seriously, and before you make any judgements, bartenders make damn good money,” Cassian said.

“Interesting,” Nesta said, watching him intently. 

“Right,” Cassian muttered. “Now, will you give me some insight into you or should I beg?”

Nesta rolled her eyes before saying, “I’m Nesta. And, yes, lie I said, I’m a chef. I’ve got a little restaurant in the Square”

“That sounds…interesting,” he said, repeating her words. “And your Feyre’s sister?”

“I am,” she said, pausing as the server brought out salads and she began to eat hers, without any dressing.

Cassian, on the other hand, nearly drowned his in ranch dressing. He watched as she ate her plain lettuce. “That looks…boring.”

“Salad dressing is fattening. It negates all of the goodness of the salad.” She took another bite, chewing and looking at him, then his salad swimming in ranch. “You look like you take care of yourself, I’m surprised you don’t watch what you eat as well.”

He scoffed. “I work out, but I’m not going to be miserable and eat rabbit food.” He gestured to the bowl in front of her.

She rolled her eyes, but continued to eat her rabbit food.

Silence grew between them but neither of them attempted to break it. It wasn’t until their main courses arrived that Cassian nodded toward the cursive ink on the inside of her wrist. 

“You have a tattoo,” he said.

She eyed the ink that swirled around his arms, up beneath his rolled up sleeves. “I have a few,” she confessed. 

“What are they?” he asked, starting to cut up his steak.

She took a bite of her salmon, chewing it slowly before deflecting his question with one of her own, “What are yours?”

Cassian glanced down at the swirls and marks of black ink that covered his forearms. “They’re Illyrian tribal marks. They all mean something different, but I would be lying if I told you I knew what every one of them meant.” 

Nesta snorted. “Then why have them?”

Cassian met her eyes. “My mother was Illyrian. I grew up in Illyria, with her tribe.” 

It seems the answer nearly took her back, but she ended up nodding, curtly. “How is your steak?”

“Too done,” he said, shrugging as he took a bite. “I like my meat red.” Her nose crinkled slightly. He asked, “What?”

Nesta shrugged. “I don’t eat meat.”

He blinked and watched as she took another bite of salmon. “You’re…eating fish.”

An eye roll was her reply. “I don’t eat red meat,” she clarified.

“So you’re a vegetarian?” He asked.

“No, I just don’t like to eat red meat. Chicken, pork, fish,” she gestured to her plate. “I like that. But I just prefer not to eat red meat.”

“Hmm.” It was more of a non-answer than anything, but before she could say anything, a man appeared, standing next to their table. Cassian glanced up at him. “Can we help you?”

He wasn’t looking at him though. He was looking at Nesta, who was pointedly not looking at him.

“What are you doing, Nes?”

She took a drink of her wine, draining the glass. “This doesn’t concern you, Tom.”

“Bullshit,” he spat. “We take a break and less than a month later, you’re on a date?”

She finally looked at him. “We’re not on a break, I broke up with you.”

Cassian cleared his throat. “Is this where all exes gather?” He looked around again to see if he saw Tanwyn, but she was gone.

“Leave,” Nesta said, plainly. “I can’t enjoy my dinner with you standing over me like the controlling bastard you were in our relationship.”

Cassian’s lips nearly fell open.

The woman had balls.

He respected that.

“I hate to break up this little reunion, but this is awkward as hell,” Cassian muttered, popping a spoonful of garlic mashed potatoes into his mouth. 

“This doesn’t concern you,” Tomas said, looking to Cassian, using Nesta’s own words.

Cassian chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll give you two choices here, Tom. Either I call someone to take your ass away from our table or I make you leave, myself.”

“Tough guy, huh?” Tomas asked, putting a hand on Nesta’s shoulder.

Nesta brushed his hand off the second it made contact with her skin. “This is ridiculous. I’m calling over the server. We’re leaving.”

Cassian was inclined to agree. This date had been a catastrophe so far, but he was hopeful that maybe if she invited him in, he could salvage it.

Tomas seemed to take the hint, looking back to Nesta. “I’ll call you tomorrow. We’ll talk about this entire situation then.”

She flagged down the server, but said to Tomas, “Don’t waste your time or mine.”

He walked away, muttering something under his breath, but the server returned and after a quick explanation from Nesta, she was off to get their check.

“Well, that was awkward,” Cassian said, clearing his throat, taking a drink of his beer, planning to finish it off.

“No more awkward than running into your fuck buddy,” she replied, pulling her lipstick out of her purse to re-apply it.

Cassian managed to swallow the mouthful of beer before he spewed it all over her. He coughed quietly. “You don’t tiptoe around anything, do you?”

Her answer was curt. “No.”

The server returned, standing the check book on the edge of the table, and Cassian elected to let the conversation drop at that. He reached into his back pocket to grab his wallet.

And froze.

It wasn’t there.

He checked every other pocket he had on him.

Nothing.

“Fuck,” he breathed, patting himself down.

Nesta arched a brow. “Issues?”

“I have to run out to the truck,” Cassian said, quietly. “I can’t seem to find my wallet.”

Nesta froze from where she sat behind her half-eaten salmon. “You forgot your wallet?”

“It’s probably in the truck-.”

“I didn’t see it in the truck-.”

“Then the glove box, maybe,” Cassian snapped. “Just, give me a minute.”

“Don’t bother,” Nesta bit, reaching across the table to grab the check.

Cassian got to it first and held it outside of her reach. “I can pay for it. I took you out, I’m paying.”

Nesta scoffed. “Spare me your holier than thou male bravado.” 

Cassian stood. “I just need to run out to my truck.”

She was on her feet, snatching the check book from him and looking at the total. Without another word, she reached into purse and laid down a series of bills, before closing it and heading for the door.

Sighing, Cassian followed her, his cheeks heating. Never had he let a woman pay for his dinner, and he’d sure as hell never let her pay for the first date.

He didn’t say a word as he unlocked her door, opening it, and closing it after she’d climbed in. He rounded to his own door, immediately looking around the cab for his wallet. It was nowhere to be seen. He reached across, opening the glovebox, pulling a few things out.

His wallet wasn’t one of them, but Nesta didn’t fail to notice the gold foil wrappers. And how many he had. She scoffed, buckling her seatbelt and looking out the window.

“I’ll pay you back,” he said, after he’d started the truck and had pulled onto the main road.

“No need,” she snapped, staring out the passenger side window. “Dropping me off and leaving me the hell alone will do.”

The words were barely audible. She spoke the words under her breath. And yet, Cassian felt them like a slap in the face. 

He was mortified.

He was at a loss for words.

He just wanted to go home.

He also wanted to make a move on Nesta Archeron.

There was something about the head-strong, independent woman that made Cassian swoon.

Not that it stopped the car ride back to her home any less silent and awkward.

“You’re Feyre’s sister,” Cassian said, randomly.

Nesta blinked, looking toward him. “Yeah. Is there something wrong with that?”

“No,” Cassian said quickly. “It’s just that, you’re so…” Different. Cruel. Different. Opposite. Different. Vindictive. Different. “Not the same,” Cassian finished, at last.

“I am my own person,” she snapped, as he stopped in front of her townhouse.

“I know you are, just-.” He sighed, turning to look at her. “This has been a mess from the start. Can I come in? I’d like some time for us to talk, just the two of us. No ex’s, no servers, no interruptions. I just want to get to know you.”

She laughed once.

The sound infuriated him.

“You mean you want to fuck me,” she said, unbuckling her seatbelt. He was, once again, caught off guard by how blunt she was. She pulled open his glovebox and removed the strip of condoms, holding them up. “Forgot your wallet, but made sure you didn’t forget these.”

Cassian slowly looked at her. “That’s not fair.”

“Not fair?” she repeated. “What are you, a child?”

Cassian couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Are you fucking kidding me? I’ve tried to be the perfect gentleman tonight, alright? Yeah, I forgot my wallet, but-.”

“And we also ran into your fuck buddy, don’t forget about that,” Nesta said, with a vindictive grin. She opened the door, grabbed her purse, and hopped out.

Cassian was close behind her, following her up her walkway. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Nesta spun around. “What the hell is wrong with me?” she laughed, humorlessly. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“You’re a pain in the ass, you know that?” Cassian asked, as she approached her front door.

“Yet you’re still following me to my door,” she said, not looking back at him. She unlocked the door, opening it and stepping inside. Turning back to him, she held the door in one hand, the hand holding her purse propped on her hip. “Thank you for a truly unforgettable evening, Cassian, but I don’t think this is going to work out.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, letting his gaze slowly drag from her head to her toes and back up again. He watched as her cheeks heated, anger lighting up her eyes. “Yeah, I think you’re right. You’re too stuck up for your own good. Too bad.”

She groaned before slamming the door in his face, praying she’d never have to see Cassian Nazari again.

[aereres]

Ready - Sidney Crosby

Summary: Sidney Crosby - ex NHL star, the new coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, the man every woman could wish for, a proud father. His daughter, Lily, is his ray of sunlight, the person he'll always love unconditionally, and when his new girlfriend walks in the picture, things take a turn.

A/N: @beauvibaby​ received an ask about this amazing concept and let me write something about it! Thank you sm girl! ❤️ Definitely not one of my best works or something I’m really proud of, but I decided to publish it anyway

Word Count: 7,4k

Warnings: talks of divorce and absent parent, swearing, mentions and allusions to sex, shitty ass writing

Nerves were eating you alive as you waited on the Crosby household’s front steps, your heart hammering against your ribcage. It wasn’t the new environment - you had been inside the mansion many times before - but rather the new acquaintance you were going to make.

She was a character constantly mentioned throughout the first stages of yours and Sidney’s relationship, a really important character. Lily - short for Elizabeth - was Sidney Crosby’s fourteen-year-old daughter, and as much as it scared you to meet your boyfriend’s daughter for the first time, you couldn’t avoid it any longer.

The front door opened quickly, snapping you out of your anxiety-induced trance to meet Sidney’s dark eyes, the smile on his face reassuring you just lightly. “Hi,” he said, voice gentle as always as he took in your sundress-clad body. “Come in, sweetheart,”

The cake you had made for the occasion was slipped out of your hands after a quick second, and Sidney’s hands were soft on your skin as he led you towards the kitchen with a hand on your smaller back.

“Smells good,” you whispered, leaning on the tip of your toes to press a kiss to his cheek. You let your head rest on his shoulder as you looked around the house again, remembering the familiar couch where you had cuddled together many times before, but also the kitchen aisle where more than just breakfast had happened.

Your cheeks heated up as the memories replayed in your head, extremely not appropriate for that moment. You were just about to meet his daughter, why were you thinking about your private time with him?!

“Dad, Kailynn is asking if I can go to her sleepover on Friday,” an unfamiliar voice said from the distance, the sound of footsteps making you panic. You distanced yourself from Sidney, smoothing the material of your sundress just before the younger girl walked inside the kitchen, her eyes focused on her phone.

“Lily-”

“Please? There won’t be any boys, I promise,” she interrupted her father, head still down to face her device.

“Lily, this is my girlfriend, Y/N,” Sidney’s words seemed to snap her attention towards him, her eyes settling on you before giving you a once-over. “Y/N, this is my daughter, Lily,”

“Hi,” you smiled her way, her hand shaking yours hesitantly as she analyzed you. “It’s so nice to meet you, Lily,”

She didn’t reciprocate your words, keeping silent as she sat down at the dining table, looking down at her phone again. You bit your lip, holding back a saddened sigh as you stayed by Sidney’s side, playing with your fingers.

He seemed to sense your discomfort, pushing you closer to his side as he finished cooking, plating the food for the three of you in silence. You found yourself sitting in front of Lily a few minutes later, her eyes looking at you as you awkwardly ate, your hands cold.

“Lily, will you stop that?” Sidney scolded her, dropping his fork on the table as he faced his daughter.

“Stop what?”

“Making things awkward,” he sighed, shaking his head as he poured you a glass of water. “How was school today?”

“Normal,” she mumbled, picking at her peas as she chewed on some salmon. “So, how did you two meet?”

“Oh-” your eyes widened, not ready for her question. “I work as a physiotherapist for the Penguins,”

“So you met at work?”

“Yes,” you nodded your head, taking a sip of your water to push down the lump in your throat.

“Are you in like, college or something?” Lily mumbled, making her father sigh out loudly.

“Elizabeth-”

“She just looks really young, dad!” Lily exclaimed, giving you another once-over as she waited for your answer.

“It’s fine,” you smiled Sidney’s way reassuringly. “I’m twenty-seven, I graduated college a couple of years ago,”

“Dad, what the hell?!”

Your eyes snapped up from your plate when she raised her voice, staring right at her father with anger as she waited for an answer. “She’s basically half your age!”

“Don’t talk about her like that,” Sidney warned her. “I can easily call Kailynn’s mom and tell her you’re not going to the sleepover if you don’t drop the attitude,”

“Whatever, I’m not hungry anymore,” she spat out, pushing her plate away before folding her arms over her chest, a scowl on her face as she glared at you. “Can I be excused?”

“No,” Sidney said, clenching his jaw before muttering his next words. “Y/N was kind enough to make your favorite cake, so you’re not excused,”

“Cheesecake?”

“Yes,” you breathed out, sending her a quick smile as you stood up to grab the container inside their fridge. “Your father told me you’ve always liked it,”

She hummed absentmindedly as you helped Sidney take the almost-cleared plates to the kitchen, focusing on the dessert just a few minutes later. You handed her a slice, cutting yourself and Sidney your own pieces as she tasted the cake, an unimpressed look on her face.

“It good, Lily?” Sidney asked with a smile, pressing a small kiss to your cheek when you handed him his plate. She took a few seconds to respond, standing up from her chair and grabbing her phone from her back pocket, checking the notifications before looking up at you and Sidney again.

“Mom’s recipe will always be better,”

She was out of the dining room just seconds later, leaving a saddened you and a pissed-off Sidney on your own. “Elizabeth!” Sidney yelled after the teenager, clenching his jaw when he got no response.

You sighed out as you ran a hand through your hair, sitting down to enjoy your cake in silence as you tried not to get too affected by Elizabeth’s behavior. “Y/N, I’m so sorry,” Sidney whispered, shaking his head as he sat down next to you, his hand grasping yours on top of the table. “I don’t know what’s gotten into her, she’s never been like that,”

“It’s okay, Sid,” you smiled sadly, putting your feelings aside for one moment to send him a smile. “I probably should have paid more attention to what I was saying,”

“It’s not your fault, sweetheart,” he whispered. “I’ll go talk to her later. Now, let’s enjoy some cake,”

You smiled his way before you pushed your fork to your lips, another bite of the dessert filling your mouth. Your mind moved elsewhere as you thought about the events of the night, and how much Lily’s words had affected you.

You were sure there was more to her, that maybe it just wasn’t the right time. You were convinced she was actually as amazing as Sidney had described her to be: kind, always smiling, the best daughter anybody could ask for.

Thinking about everything Sidney had said about her really made you realize just how close the two of them were, just how much he cared about her. So you gave yourself a mission, a goal.

You were going to make her change her mind about you.

-----

“And God, he was so rude!” You giggled, head resting against Sidney’s chest as you pushed a raspberry in your mouth. “Like, I just asked for this ointment and he literally side-eyed me,”

Sidney chuckled, letting his hand smooth the skin of your thigh as his eyes held yours, fondly smiling your way. “And what did you do?”

“I just paid and left. What else could I do?” You spoke, running a hand through your hair as your eyes focused back on the TV, where a quite boring reality show was playing. “How was work?”

“The usual,” Sidney stated, one of his hands linking with yours as he kept silent, eyes definitely elsewhere. “Evelyn called last night,”

Evelyn. Lily’s mother.

“Said she needed another check to take care of Lily,” Sid sighed, rubbing his forehead as he thought about the conversation again. “My checks are always abundant, generally more than what she could spend for Lily on the weekend, so I don’t get it,”

You sighed, your thumb caressing the back of his hand as the room fell silent. You had wished many times to learn about their situation, just why he had become a single father at such a young age, or why Evelyn had always been barely mentioned throughout the various months spent together.

It was always a silent wish, though, something you kept to yourself. Sidney needed to bring the conversation out on his own, whenever he felt ready. And you were willing to wait.

“I’m home!”

“Hey, Lily,” Sidney called back, muting the TV as you heard various items hitting the floor of the entrance hall. “How was tutoring?”

“Boring,” she sighed, her footsteps coming closer to the living room second after second. By the time she reached the doorway, her eyes found yours, her rather smiley face turning into a frown. “She’s here,”

“Hi,” you smiled, ignoring her glare and Sidney’s clenched jaw. “I brought some snacks, they’re in the kitchen if you’re hungry,”

“No, thank you,” she muttered, rolling her eyes. “I’ll be in my room,”

With that, she was out of the room, running up the stairs before Sidney could even try to get mad at her. He sighed, rolling his head back against the couch as he closed his eyes. “I’m sorry about that,” he mumbled, his free hand playing with the ends of your hair as you pushed yourself closer to his body. “I’ve talked to her after dinner, the other day, and I was hoping she’d stop,”

“It’s okay, Sid. I get her,” you whispered, planting a sweet kiss on his cheek as you looked into his dark eyes. “I’d be like that too, if I was in her place,”

Sidney fell silent again, your eyes scanning his face as he focused on the wall in front of him, a serious look on his face. “Hey, mister serious,” you mumbled, positioning yourself on his lap as your hands cupped his cheek, bringing his lips to yours. “Don’t worry about it, okay?”

“Okay,” he said with a sigh, stealing another kiss from your lips before you could pull yourself off his lap. “Where are you going, babe?”

“I’ve got dinner with my friend Sarah,” you reminded him, slipping on your shoes in a rush as you felt his eyes on you.

“Right,” he said, his hands finding your waist as he pulled you closer, your body standing between his spread legs. “Call me later?”

“Of course,” you whispered, leaning down to kiss him once more, struggling to pull away when his hands wandered to your ass. “Hands off, mister. I’m going to be late,”

“I know, I know,” he mumbled, pecking your lips again. “I love you,”

Your heart still hammered against your ribcage whenever he mentioned those three words, no matter how many times you heard them coming from him. “I love you, too,”

Before you could leave the house, you noticed that one of the bags of chips you had brought over was missing. Specifically, the one brand Sidney had told you Lily loved, and you were sure it was still there before the teen came home. She took it.

You left the Crosby household with a smile, that afternoon.

-

“What? No,” you scoffed, digging your fork in your salad as you looked at your friend. “Sarah, drop it. She’s not a brat,”

“Well, it sounds like it,” she rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her wine before she kept the conversation going. “She’s been giving you hell ever since she met you,”

“But I get her,” you admitted. “I’m crossing her territory and she’s not happy to have me there, especially since I’m dating her father,”

“She literally mentioned your age gap as if you were still underage dating her father, Y/N,” Sarah spat out, her eyebrows raised as she spoke the truth, a sigh leaving your lips. “Didn’t she mention she didn’t like your cake? Where did her manners go?”

“She said her mother’s recipe would always be better,” you mumbled, pushing your food around the plate as you really thought about the situation.

“She basically told you your cake sucks,” Sarah said, honesty coming out of her words as she stared at you. “Y/N, you deserve better than that, come on,”

Biting your lip, you sighed. Sarah was right, you didn’t deserve Lily’s treatment, and you didn’t want Sidney’s relationship with Lily to be destroyed all because of you. That was a nightmare that, in some ways, often kept you up at night. You would have never forgiven yourself, if you ruined Sid’s relationship with his own daughter.

“Listen, I’m in love with Sidney,” you admitted, running a hand through your hair. “And I will try my best to make things work between Lily and me,”

“That’s good,” Sarah mumbled. “But I still think you deserve to be treated better, especially by a girl half your age,”

“I know,” you sighed. Silence set between you and your best friend as you ate in silence, both of you clearly in your own thoughts.

“You did deliver a hot guy, though,” Sarah started, holding back laughter when you giggled. “I mean, a total DILF, so I get you,”

“Sarah!”

-----

You were humming under your breath, getting the studio clean and tidy at the end of the day with a smile on your face. It was Friday - almost the weekend - and you wanted nothing more than to go home, enjoy a glass of wine in front of the TV, and maybe even chat a little with Sidney, if he was free.

There was something about the weekend that had always made you happy, ever since you were a kid. In elementary school, you were able to spend entire Saturdays and Sundays outside with your neighbors, playing together until the sun would go down; in middle school, you used to take Saturdays to go out with your friends; while in high school, the weekend would be the only free time for awkward dates.

The weekends had taken a turn in college, where you’d get hammered on Friday nights, and spend the rest of your free days trying to recover from the hangover with your friends. They’d become messy, headache-filled, but still the best days of your life.

A knock on the opened door snapped you out of your nostalgic trance, making you sharply turn around to see Sidney standing by the threshold, a smile on his face. “Hey,”

“Hi, coach,” you smiled, his body embracing yours in a soft hug as he pressed a swift kiss to the top of your head. “What are you doing here?”

“Just came by to see you before I leave,” he mumbled, his face settling in the crook of your neck as he let his lips press a few kisses on your neck. You hummed, leaning into his touch as his hands inched closer to your hips, pulling you firm against his toned chest. There wasn’t room for words as he turned you around, his mouth finding yours hungrily as the two of you acted like teenagers again.

His lips were soft, but their movements were anything but gentle. You had to refrain yourself from letting out a whine - remembering you were still at your workplace and that people were still most certainly around - as your hands made their way in his hair, his arms picking you up and propping you on your desk.

“Come back to mine,” he whispered, breathing uneven as he pushed some strands of hair out of your face.

“What about Lily?” You asked, biting on your bottom lip as he leaned down to press a few other kisses on the side of your neck.

“She’s at her mother’s,” he grumbled, his lips finding yours again in another heated kiss as you smiled, arms wrapping around his neck as you enjoyed another moment with him. Your legs wrapped themselves around his waist, pulling him closer to you just as his hands started to undo the first few buttons of your blouse.

His head dipped to the newfound skin, your head lulling back as pleasure shot down to your core, your mind not thinking straight anymore. His mouth was on yours again after just a few minutes, his hands gentle on your lower back as he kept you close.

His phone was what snapped the two of you out of your trance, your bodies parting as he tugged the device out of his pocket, his brows furrowing when he saw who was calling. There was no hesitation when he accepted the call, his phone pressed to his ear immediately.

“Lily? What’s wrong?”

Your eyes met his worried ones at the mention of his daughter, waiting for any kind of information as he kept silent. “She hasn’t come to pick you up?!” He spoke, clearly angry. Your legs clenched at the sound of his pissed-off voice, but you forced yourself to put the heated making-out session behind you and focus on the moment. “Lily, practice ended an hour and a half ago,”

They exchanged a few other words before Sidney sighed a quick ‘I’m on my way’, pushing his phone back in his pocket as he helped you down the desk. “C’mon, let’s go,”

“You want me to come?” You hesitantly asked, knowing it probably wasn’t the best to intrude between him and Lily.

“Please,” he sighed under his breath, rubbing his forehead as you buttoned up your blouse again. “I’m so sorry, I ruined everything,”

“Hey, hey,” you were in front of him in a second, cupping his cheeks as your eyes met. “It’s no big deal. Let’s go get her now,”

He nodded his head, waiting for you to lock the office before the two of you were headed towards his car, speeding off through the streets of Pittsburgh in silence. Sidney seemed tense, gripping the steering wheel tightly as he stopped the car in front of the gym, where his daughter was standing. When she opened the backseat door, you heard the soft thud of her duffle bag hitting the car floor, soon followed by her silently sitting down.

“You should have called earlier, Elizabeth,” Sidney sighed after starting the car again, his voice slightly rising. “It’s cold outside, why did you even stay there waiting?”

“Can we not have this conversation in front of your girlfriend? Thanks,” Lily muttered, clearly annoyed at your presence. You repressed a sigh, the car filling with silence as you looked out of the window.

“Lily, it’s dark outside, God knows what could have happened to you!” Sidney yelled, carding a hand through his hair as he stopped at a red light, his emotions getting the best of him. “I need you to answer me. Why didn’t you call me?”

Elizabeth stayed in silence, arms folded over her chest as she looked straight ahead, eyes on the street. Silence set between the teenager and her father as he waited for an answer, his jaw clenching as he kept his eyes on the road, almost home. “Elizabeth?”

“I thought she was going to come and get me!” She yelled. “I wanted her to come and get me!”

Sidney had just parked inside their garage, and with her last words, she left the car. She shut the door angrily, leaving you and her father on your own inside the vehicle in silence. A sigh left his lips as he rubbed his face with the palms of his hands, clearly tired.

He hopped out of the car after a few minutes, helping you out of your seat as you silently made your way inside the Crosby household. Lily was nowhere to be seen, the living room was silent, and so was the kitchen. You guessed she was in her room, the place you had learned she loved the most.

Sidney didn’t talk much throughout the night, exchanging a few words with you just to order dinner and to ask you to stay the night. It was a no-brainer for you, with a whispered ‘yes’ you smiled his way, feeling reassured when he sent you a small smile back.

He seemed to be unreadable, no kind of emotion showing as he mumbled something about going to take a shower, his voice barely a mumble. Lily’s plate of food was sitting in front of you, her chair empty. It felt quite lonely to sit on your own at an empty table.

You grabbed her plate, walking towards the kitchen to heat it up as you let your thoughts crowd your mind, a long sigh leaving your lips. It was clear that with her words she wanted to express how much she wished for her mother to actually take care of her, to treat her like a daughter.

You dragged yourself up the stairs with her plate in one of your hands, your nerves yelling at you to go back downstairs. When you were faced with her door, you studied the banner with her name attached to it: it was a deep shade of purple, definitely a big contrast to the white wood of the door.

With your last ounce of courage of the night, you knocked on her door. “Lily? I brought you food,”

There was no answer from her, so you took it upon yourself to leave her plate on the floor, guessing she might have wanted to eat on her own. You headed towards the master bedroom soon after, closing the door behind yourself when you saw Sidney standing inside the ensuite, only clad in a pair of boxers.

You walked up to him, circling his waist with your arms as you let your cheek rest against his back. “I brought her food,” you whispered, pressing a kiss on his shoulder blade.

“Thank you,” Sidney sighed, letting one of his hands slip inside yours. “For everything,”

“Don’t worry about it,”

You stayed like that for a while, your body close to his as he got himself ready for bed, parting only when you decided to take a shower, too. When you climbed in bed next to him, he seemed to be snapped out of a trance, his arms embracing you in a hug.

“I can’t believe Evelyn didn’t pick her up,” Sid sighed, burying his face in your hair. “It was clear in court, she needs to take care of her daughter,”

“Why is she so distant with Lily?” You asked, voice as thin as a whisper as you traced the prints on his shirt with the pad of your index finger.

“I have no idea,” Sidney mumbled. “Ever since we got divorced it’s like she hates the kid that we’ve both created,”

He stayed in silence for a while, carding a hand through your hair as he wondered whether it was a good time to let you inside his life even more, to talk about his past and tell you one of the most important stories of his life. The story of his daughter.

“You know, we wanted her,” Sidney started after pushing all his internal worrying aside. “We had been married for a year, and we were ready for a baby. Evelyn fell pregnant after a few months of trying and we were more than happy to finally build a family.

“Lily was born a little earlier than expected, but she was healthy, and we were happy. I spent almost an entire year off, I was training but not going to games, while Evelyn worked from home, we were organized.

“By the time Lily started elementary school, I went back to playing hockey full-time but Evelyn wasn’t happy with it anymore, so she decided to get a divorce. I- I didn’t think she was feeling that way, I felt so shocked,” he mumbled, his arms tightening around your body. “We went to court, I was able to see Lily only during the weekends, and I could tell she wasn’t happy with her mom.

“I had teachers calling me, telling me nobody had picked her up, or that she had no lunch for the day. Lily even went as far as to say something about the entire situation to a friend, who later told her mom, who told the teacher that later enlightened me about the fact that my kid wasn’t being treated right by her own mother,” he sighed, your eyes veiled by a layer or tears at the heartbreaking story.

“So I dragged her to court and I was able to get custody of Lily on the weekdays. Truly the best day of my life after the day Lily was born,” Sidney spoke, his fingers drawing shapes on your smaller back as silence filled the room again.

“You’re a good father, Sid,” you whispered, letting your forehead rest against his. “Don’t ever think otherwise,”

He stayed in silence, carding a hand through his messy curls before settling your body on top of his, his hands oh so gentle on your skin. “It’s late, we should probably go to sleep,” he mumbled, leaning down to press a gentle kiss on your lips. You nodded your head, agreeing with him as you let your head rest against his chest, hearing the sound of his heartbeat. “Good night, sweetheart,”

“Good night,” you whispered, keeping your eyes open for a little longer when he turned off the lights. Sidney seemed scared: scared to not give a good enough life to his daughter, scared that Lily might not feel loved, scared that it could be his fault.

He didn’t deserve it, was what you thought before falling in a deep slumber, wishing he and Lily could feel better by the time dawn rolled around.

-----

“And where exactly do you think you’re going?”

Sidney’s voice snapped your eyes away from your laptop, making you face Lily standing in the middle of the entrance hall. She was wearing a yellow sundress, dark hair pulled up in a ponytail as she slipped on a pair of sneakers, ready to leave the house.

“What do you mean?” She called, facing her father with a confused look. “I have that date? With the brother of the little girl I tutor?”

“A what?!”

You gripped Sidney’s hand over the table when he slightly raised his voice, side-eyeing him as the teenager’s eyebrows furrowed. “A date,” she repeated. “Dad, I asked you last week if I could go, and you said yes,”

Sidney’s own eyebrows furrowed, making you notice all the similarities the two of them shared just then. Even if Sidney’s hair had silver streaks, Lily shared the same dark shade of curls; you could often see them using the same facial expressions, from the confused looks, to the way their noses would scrunch up any time something didn’t make sense to them. Lily was Sidney’s copy, and the best way to really notice it was during arguments, as bad as it sounded.

“Well, I probably wasn’t in my right mind, back then,” he spat out. “You can take your shoes off, you’re not leaving the house,”

“Dad!”

“Elizabeth, you’re too young to go on dates,” Sidney spoke, his palm leaving yours when he folded his arms over his chest. “I don’t even know who this guy is!”

“Dad, you literally know his parents,” Lily whined, carding a hand through her hair as she sighed out. “And we’re only going out for ice-cream,”

“I don’t care,” Sidney stated, stubbornly keeping eye contact with his daughter. “You’re not going out with him, and I won’t change my mind,”

“Sidney,” you scolded him, his eyes moving towards yours as he turned around to face you.

“What? Don’t you agree with me?” He asked, Lily’s distant footsteps making you realize she had gone to her room.

“She’s almost fifteen, Sid, and it’s just an ice-cream date,” you sighed, lifting your eyebrows slightly at his clenched jaw. “I went on my first date when I was her age, and it went just fine,”

Sidney kept silent after your confession, staring straight ahead of himself as you looked at him, waiting for any kind of reaction. Lily had seemed to be hurt by his words, especially since she looked more than happy to go on her first-ever date, and you at least wanted him to realize that.

“Sid?”

“Fine,” he grumbled, sighing heavily as bit the insides of his cheek. “She can go, but only if we tag along,”

You jokingly rolled your eyes at his rule, standing up from your chair to press a swift kiss to his cheek. “I’ll go talk to her,” you whispered, ignoring the way your heartbeat had just picked up at the thought of having an actual conversation with Lily again.

By the time you reached her bedroom door, you were more than nervous. Your hand was shaking as you knocked on the door, waiting for any kind of response from her. “Lily?”

“Y/N, go away. This is not the right moment,” you heard her say, voice strained and distant.

“Lily, I need to talk to you,” you gently said, playing with your fingers. “Can I come in?”

There wasn’t a proper verbal answer, but the door snapped open after a few seconds of shuffling, and you quietly entered the dimly lit room. It felt strange to walk into her personal world, her room representing her in some kind of way.

A large bookcase filled with novels caught your attention from the start, a smile forming on your lips when you noticed the fairy lights that gave the room its quite cozy vibe. Lily was laying on her bed, face buried in her pillow as she stayed in silence, only sniffles coming from her.

“Lily-”

“I just don’t get it,” she sniffled, sitting up as she wiped a few tears from her cheeks. “I asked him, and he was okay with it,”

You felt shocked at how open she was, considering just how much she didn’t want anything to do with you, but sat down next to her. “What was he doing when you asked him?”

“He was on the phone,” she admitted after a beat, playing with her hands in her lap when you sighed, knowing that Sidney was never as concentrated as he usually was when he was on the phone with someone. “But I thought he had put the other person on hold, and that he was listening to me,”

“I know how you feel, Lily,” you admitted, smiling softly at her as you stood up and reached for her mascara sitting on her desk. “When I was your age, my dad was really protective of me, too,”

“He was a little pissed off when I asked him if I could go on a date,” you mumbled, lifting her chin up gently as you opened the small bottle. “But my mom made him change my mind, and I was able to go play bowling with the weird kid that sat behind me in Spanish class,”

Lily suppressed a giggle. “And how did it go?”

“It was really awkward. Never went on another date with him, after that,” you laughed, applying a light layer of makeup on her lashes carefully as she looked up at you. “And you’re ready to go,”

“What do you mean?”

“C’mon get up,” you smiled, holding out a hand to her as you stood up from your spot on the bed. “Your dad is allowing you to go,”

“What?!” The smile on her face was priceless when she processed your words. “Really?”

“At only one condition,” you lifted up a finger, jokingly mocking Sidney’s voice. “You can go, but only if we tag along,”

Lily giggled, nodding her head as she slipped her shoes back on, a smile on her lips as she did so. You were about to leave the room in silence to get ready yourself, but Elizabeth’s voice stopped you.

“Y/N?” She called for you, voice hesitant. Your eyes met, a frown forming on her lips as she tied her shoes. “I’m sorry, for everything,”

“It’s fine, Lily,” you whispered, sending her a reassuring smile.

“It’s not,” was all she said as she stood up. “I wasn’t ready to see my dad with someone else, and you came in, and you’re so perfect, and I don’t know why I acted that way,”

You wrapped your arms around her at her confession, her body reciprocating the hug in just a few seconds as comfortable silence filled the room. You had to hold back a tear as you pulled back, smiling down at her. “We’re fine, Lily,” you whispered. “Now, it’s better if we get going. Don’t wanna be late, do we?”

She smiled up at you, shaking her head before looking back inside her room, mumbling something about having to find her purse. As you made your way down the staircase, the sight of Sidney standing by the front door with a beaten-up look met your eyes, making you chuckle. “Is she okay?” Was all he asked, his hand finding yours when you stepped in front of him.

“More than okay, now that she gets to go on her date,” you whispered, leaning up to press a quick kiss to his lips.

“Are we ready?” Lily yelled from the stairs, a happy smile on her lips as she made her way down in a rush, throwing herself in her father’s arms quickly before opening the door.

“We are,” Sidney spoke, smiling at her silent way of thanking him as he followed her outside, dragging you along by the hand. The drive was filled with soft music from the radio and excited giggles coming from Lily, and by the time you reached the parlor, the teenager was more than ready to throw herself out of the car.

Sidney was about to follow her - probably to have some words with the guy - but you stopped him, a hand on his bicep as you made eye contact. He sighed, understanding what you meant with just a look of your eyes, sitting back in the driver’s seat.

“Have fun, Lily!” You cheered, sending her a smile as she shut her door, waving towards the two of you as she walked away.

The smile on your face didn’t leave as you took a look at Sidney, who was focusing on the rearview mirror a little too much, trying to see Lily and her date and what was happening.

“Oh, Sidney,” you laughed, slipping your hand in his to give his palm a squeeze. “Let them at least grab ice-cream, before you judge the guy,”

“Hey! I’m not judging anyone!” He scoffed, smiling your way when he saw the look of fondness on your face, your hands cupping his cheeks before you leaned in for a kiss.

“Sure, mister serious,”

-----

The sound of the Penguins’ game playing on Sidney’s TV was filling the living room quite loudly, your eyes following the movements on the screen as you mindlessly stuffed your mouth with popcorn.

It was a Thursday night that would have been perfect, if Sidney was home. He had been in Vancouver for two weeks, instead, so far away from you it almost hurt. You had grown so accustomed to his presence around the mansion, after moving in with him and Lily, that it physically hurt to see him leave, even if it was just for a few days.

The house always felt quite empty when it was missing his laughter, or his music that Lily couldn’t stand, or even his booming voice when he heatedly spoke on the phone. In some way, every single part of you was missing him. Sitting in front of the TV on your own often made you realize that: just how lost you felt without him, without his presence, or his support.

On the other hand, Lily was the ray of sunshine that made your days just a little better, when he wasn’t around. Maybe it was the bubbly personality that she had slowly shown you, or maybe the inside jokes you had grown to share.

Lily had opened up to you after the ice-cream date - and even when you had thought things between you and her still felt quite tense, the smile on her face when Sidney had told her you were going to move in was enough to make you think otherwise.

Sidney appeared on the screen for a quick second, but the sound of the front door snapping shut was what brought you out of your thoughts, a smile on your face when you realized Lily had finally come home.

“Hey, Lily!” You got no response from her, only hearing her shoes hitting the floor before she made her way towards the living room. “How was tutoring?”

“Good, until James decided to be a dick,” she sighed, flopping on the couch with her eyebrows furrowed.

“James as in your-almost-boyfriend? The one from the date?” You asked in shock, pushing popcorn in your mouth when Lily nodded her head. “No way,”

“I was doing maths with his little sister, and he had the great idea to interrupt us by coming in with his friends,” Lily started to explain, clearly pissed off at her peer. “They were screaming and it was so hard to hear the little girl talk,”

You shook your head in annoyance, handing her the bowl of popcorns as you focused for a second on the TV, checking the score. The Penguins were winning, but the Canucks weren’t ready to surrender.

“Eventually, they calmed down and went to the living room,” Lily continued. “But I heard them talk about some bet, and it didn’t take a while for it to click in my brain,”

“A bet?!”

“A bet, that’s all the date was!” she repeated, nodding her head at your shocked face as she let her arms fold over her chest. “I confronted him about it and he even tried to play nice and act as if he had been forced to do it!”

“No way,” you whispered, jaw slack as you watched her for any kind of reaction. “I’m so sorry, L,”

“It’s fine,” she huffed, stealing a handful of popcorns as she gave her phone a quick look. “It’s not like he was the best almost-boyfriend anyway,”

You giggled, pulling her closer as the two of you silently watched the game, your heart skipping a beat every time they showed a concentrated version of Sidney - hair perfectly styled and suit neatly ironed.

He seemed tense, eyebrows furrowed as he shared a few words with the team, or watched his players skate around the rink. His concentrated look was something you had fallen for, painting his face so many times on a daily basis you sometimes got worried his muscles got stuck.

Sidney Crosby was fascinating, to say the least.

“Don’t tell dad, though,” Lily whispered from your side, still thinking about what had happened with James. “He already didn’t want me to go on the date with him, if he had to know about this, he’d probably kill James,”

“I won’t, don’t worry,” you whispered back, carding a hand through her hair just as the Canucks scored, making the both of you groan out in unison.

“Oh no,” Lily sighed, giggling soon after. “He’s gonna talk about this goal for the next week, I’m so sure,”

“He is,” you agreed, holding back a chuckle as you stood up from the couch, heading towards the kitchen to grab more snacks for the two of you. “Ready for girls’ night?”

“We’re having girls’ night?” Lily asked, a smile on her face as she looked at you.

“It’s always girls’ night, when your dad’s not home,” you winked, coming back with enough chips and candy to keep you full for an entire weekend. She giggled at your words, shaking her head before heading upstairs to get changed.

As you got settled while waiting for her, you hoped to stay awake just enough to be able to see Sidney. He was supposed to be home early the next morning, and you were willing to stay up the entire night on your own if it meant you’d get to hug him as soon as he’d be back.

When Elizabeth came back down the stairs in her pajamas, she said the words that in some way, reminded you of Sidney. They left his mouth just so often, and you had connected the phrase to him.

“Are we ready?”

You smiled up at the teen, nodding your head as she sat down next to you, draping a blanket over her legs. “Ready,”

-

The sound of Lily’s bedroom door opening woke you up from your deep slumber, your eyes struggling to adapt to the still dark room as Sidney’s frame sat on the bed next to your half-asleep body.

Lily was still lightly snoring by your side, one of her arms holding the bag of chips she had been nursing before falling asleep, the other draped over your stomach. “Hi, baby,” Sidney whispered, carding a hand through your hair as you snuggled your head closer to his thigh.

“Hi,” you whispered back, breathing in his scent as you relished in his closeness. “I missed you,”

“I missed you two more,” he said, bending down to press a quick peck to the top of your head, soon moving towards Lily’s. He stayed in silence for a few moments, your sleepy eyes holding his as you relaxed. He was finally home.

“Let’s get you to bed, sweetheart,” he whispered after a beat, lifting you up in his arms effortlessly just as your eyes started to droop again. With your head against his chest, you sighed in content, letting one of your hands touch his warm skin as if to make sure he wasn’t just a dream.

By the time you were carefully let down onto the expensive - and way too soft - comforter, your eyes were still staring up at his. The covers were pulled over your body by Sidney, giving you just enough time to read the digits on the clock standing on his bedside table.

It was well past three in the morning, the moon still shining in the darkness of the night as you tried to keep yourself awake to enjoy a moment with the love of your life after the two weeks spent apart. He had turned his back to you, his opened button-up sitting on his shoulders as he took his wristwatch off, the sight leaving you speechless.

“You should close your eyes, my love,” he spoke, a gentle smile on his lips as he looked at your mirror reflection. “It’s late,”

“I need you close,” was all you whispered, biting on your lip when he finally undressed, joining your body underneath the warmth of the duvet. He pulled you in closer, his lips meeting yours in a gentle kiss as you tried to keep a few happy tears at bay, way too tired to contain your emotions.

“Sid,” you whispered as soon as you pulled away, catching his attention as he pressed a swift peck to your forehead. “I love you, so much,”

He smiled at you, biting on his lip as his hands rubbed your smaller back. “I love you more, Y/N,”

“I- I feel so empty when you leave,” you admitted, your fingers drawing shapes on his chest as you revealed the feelings you had been developing for months. “You’ve become the best part of me, and I don’t think I could ever be able to live a life without you,”

Sidney was silent as you talked, carding a hand through your hair as he listened to you, trying to impress your words in his mind. “I don’t want to spend my life with anybody else but you and Lily. Fuck, I don’t even know where I would be, if we hadn’t crossed paths.

“I know that maybe it’s too soon, and that it might not be the right time, but I just felt like telling you. You’re the one that I want, for the rest of my life, even when I’m old and ugly,”

Sidney suppressed a chuckle at your words, leaning his forehead against yours as you stopped for a second. “I don’t think you could ever become ugly, darling,” he admitted, his nose touching yours as you giggled softly.

“That’s not my point,” you jokingly slapped his chest, your eyes meeting his again as you formulated your next phrase in your head. “I’ll be waiting for you, Sid. I’ll be here when you’ll be ready,”

He stared at you with a smile as you finished your monologue, his heart beating so fast against your palm it almost got you scared. After splitting with Evelyn, he never thought he’d be ready. He hadn’t been ready to leave the house, the first few days after the divorce. He hadn’t been ready to love someone as much as he had loved Evelyn, until you came along.

It felt like old Sidney came back, when you became part of his life. He was happy, genuinely ready to love again, and you were the angel that made it happen, the reason why he felt ready, after all that time.

“I’m ready,” was everything he said, eyes staring deep into yours as he let his forehead touch yours, his words making your heart leap out of your chest. “I’m ready,”

Taglist: @thirstyybitch​ @bellaguarneri​ @boqvistsbabe​ @trashforbarzal​ @captaindaddies​ @keithseabrook27​ @heatherawoowoo​ @sidscrosbyy​

[bakugohoex]

uwu hcs for jean and eren with a s/o who’s bold in giving affection but gets easily flustered when they’re the one receiving it 😗

“now whose the flustered one”

paring: eren yeager x female reader, jean kirschtein x female reader

cw: implies nsfw, kissing, heavy flirting, fluff

word count: 2400+

a/n: sorry for the lack of content, but i hope you guys like this, im trying to get through all the requests before i go on hiatus but hope you like it any comments will really benefit, also i didnt read it properly but its a headcanon sort of, idk sorry im tired 

summary:  in which giving affection to the boys always leaves them swooning but as soon as they do it to you, you become an entire mess in front of them

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eren yeager

You had known Eren since day one of the cadet corps, both meeting one night out on the barracks. You had seen him around whilst in the cadet corps, but you talked to Sasha and Connie a lot more than you did him and his two friends who always seemed to follow him around.

But the one encounter late at night had bloomed a friendship where you both became closer than anybody realised. Now two years later, on the brink of graduating and joining the survey corps you and Eren were partnered up to spa with the boy, the consistent teasing and flirting for two years flowing out from your mouth.

“Aww is Eren not able to beat a girl.” You mock going in for a punch, he dodges but cocks his head backwards in a laugh.

Looking at your much shorter frame, he goes in for a punch himself, “I’m capable of beating anyone Y/n, that includes you.”

You’re the one to laugh this time, arching your back to miss the swing of his fists, “maybe you’re going easy because you like me, it’s fine a cute boy like you, I might let you win.”

He blushes but tries to hide it with his fists raised, “like you, I could never.” The back and forth continuous on, everybody in their own worlds except Armin and Mikasa, the latter being annoyed at how you hit him.

“Come on Eren, aren’t you going to try harder.” You tease before you feel him grab your arm and flipping you to the ground, he stood on top of you his feet planted beside your waist.

An idea popped into your head as you quickly grab his arm dragging him down on top of you, you heard Mikasa shout his name but you both ignored it. His body on top of yours, you smirk feeling his hands on the sides of your body. He encased your body in his own and you leant up to meet his ear.

“Baby if you wanted to get me in this position, all you had to do was ask.” You kiss the side of jaw the blush on his face evident. Mikasa and Armin had come up to you both, confusion at how you both just stayed there.

The flirtations had been a common occurrence, you weren’t just naturally flirty with everybody you happened to have a soft spot for the boy and maybe a teensy crush. And the only way for you to let it out was through teasing and flirting which he seemed to enjoy a lot.

“Eren are you okay? Did she hurt you?” Mikasa speaks worriedly grabbing the top of his shirt to get him up, his cheeks visible to everybody.

You laugh getting up yourself, “Mikasa I’d never hurt the pretty little thing.” His eyes flash, widening at how easily you can flirt and tease at him, evidently a rush had gone somewhere else with how he grabbed his jacket from the floor covering his lap.

“Eren you shouldn’t put dirty things on your clothes.” Mikasa spoke about to grab it.

“I’m fine.” Eren muttered back, he watched as you walk a way a grin on your face at how at ease you were.

It wasn’t till after you all got back to the barracks that he could sort the downstairs problem and all he could imagine was you. A happier grin on his face he joined everybody for dinner, the bread being stale and the food being grim to say the least but the first thing he notices was how you, Jean, Marco, Connie and Sasha were on the table with Armin and Mikasa.

He shrugged it off grabbing the food and going to the table, “where were you?” Mikasa questions ready to give her his seat, but he instead sits beside you. You hadn’t noticed him listening to Sasha about food and hunting a smile on your face.

“I had to sort something out.” You nearly jump out of your seat at the sound of his voice a laugh echoing through your ears at how close you both were. His arms touching your own.

“Sort something out yeh.” You muttered lowly, it was barely audible but Eren heard and as much as he loved the flirting, he needed to give you a bit of your own medicine.

He moved his face towards your ear, his hot breath fanning your ear. “You created a problem for me, so I had to sort it somehow…” his voice becoming even more quieter, “how about next time you help me yourself?”

You had watched the boy grow, watched everything for two years and now at the sound of him knowingly flirting back, knowingly acknowledging something was there. You heart fluttered and a heavy red scattered across your cheeks, you felt warm and in heaven.

He moved his head ready to start a normal conversation with everybody else, nobody having paid attention except Mikasa who always kept an eye on the boy. For her sake, you hoped she didn’t like him because you knew you were not letting him go. “Now whose the flustered one.” It was audible enough and your head spun out how he knowingly knew that you were blushing at his comment.

You could barely speak; he expected a response but was instead brought with your wide eyes and flabbergasted face. “i…i…”

No words came out and with Jean on the other side of you trying to gain your attention you stayed frozen. “Did someone break Y/n?” Jean mutters, Marco laughing at how dumbfounded you were.

“I…I’m fine.” You seethe out trying to cover your face with your hair, “I need some air.”

You weren’t trying to get away, but you felt embarrassed, they had known you for two years as a major flirt even more than Ymir was to Historia but the way you had easily got flustered over a proposition. It was humiliating to say the least.

You rushed out, moving past the people. You had been holding in a breath that you quickly let out, the warm air hitting your skin, you leant against the building, looking up at the stars before you heard a cough beside you.

You turn and see Eren, the boy looking down before meeting your gaze. “I shouldn’t have said that and I’m so…”

Interrupting him, you began to speak yourself, “you don’t need to apologise, I just didn’t expect it I thought you didn’t know of my feelings towards you.”

He smiles coming closer to you, he brings his hand to your jaw making you look up at him, your back pressed against the wall. His other arm against the wall trapping your head, “Y/n you’ve been flirting with me for two years you really think I’m that unaware of anything.”

You tried to turn your head away, but his grip made you face him, “I thought your only focus was killing all the titans, or you liked someone else and were trying to let me down easily.”

“I’m not a dick to lead a girl on for two years Y/n, I needed to get over some stuff and then everything happened, and we’ve nearly finished this whole thing and I realised in a couple days we’ll be in the survey corps and fighting titans and I might not have another chance to say this. But I love you.”

The last three words were a whisper, but it was all you needed for you to grab his hair pulling his face closer to yours. He closed the gap in an instant, his hand removing off your jaw and onto your waist, it was a sweet kiss, filled with love and lust. His tongue licking your bottom lip for access, which you allowed, soft moans came from you both. Hoping nobody would see but that was the last thing on Eren’s mind as he relished in the way your tongues moved together. It was as if you were both made to fit into each other. It was a needed kiss and the turmoil the would come made it even sweeter.

jean kirschtein

The survey corps was the worst place to ever flirt ever. You and Jean had only just finished training and you were both thrown into the deep end with the first scouting mission, of course you and Jean had unhidden feelings, but it was always just flirting. Heavy flirting especially from you but just flirting.

The female titan being uncovered made everything become even more chaotic and finally when you both had gotten some sort of peace in where the main base of the survey corps were. You were spending it with your friend hoping no more disorder would come.

You sat at dinner, chewing at the bread as you leaned against Jean. He would often let you lean against him just to know that you were there, and to everybody you acted like a couple but you both knew that neither of you had admitted any feelings. You talked between yourself as the others had left themselves before it was just the two of you. They knew that once you two were deep in conversation nobody was every going to break past the two of you. Which was evident as you realised everybody had left.

“Where did everyone go?” You gestured to the empty dining area.

Jean looked around, you both had been in your own world, talking about everything you two possibly could, “they must’ve left.” He shrugs grabbing the glass of empty water. “You drank my water.”

“I was thirsty.” You try and gain sympathy, but he rolls his eyes at you.

He drops the glass looking at you again, “I wish I spat in it.”

“Gross but if you’re into that.”

“You’re terrible Y/n, I hope you know that” He mutters shaking his head, you had still been leaning against him but as you stretched, he knew what was coming.

“Come on pretty boy, let’s go on a walk.” You gesture about to stand up.

“Pretty boy, really.” He mutters but you could sense he had a thrill from hearing the words.

You pout standing up and putting your hand out, “would you rather me call you horse face?”

The nickname Eren had given him a plague on your tongue, he whipped his head to face you. Taking his hand in yours, he was a lot taller than you, but you liked the height different, it made you feel safe. “If you call me that I’m never talking to you ever again.”

You laugh at the boy before speaking, “I don’t need you to talk, just little moans will do it for me.”

He always admired your boldness, both your feelings there but never told to each other. It wasn’t like you two had even kissed yet and this had been going on for two years now. Of course your flirting always left him a mess, many nights along in his room thinking of you. Sometimes you came too close to him your breath on his neck, or it was how in your normal clothes you left a couple buttons shown to see your visible chest. Or even better how you said bold words that to anyone would only be reserved for a couple.

He knew how outspoken you were but you both had just not gone down to talking about your feelings. He himself never went to the extent you did but he loved watching you flirt with him and even make him jealous occasional by touching Eren’s arm.

He knew if in a relationship, you doing that would make him fuck you in an instant but right now he couldn’t do shit. He could only watch you flirt with  him, you both had arrived outside, the breath of fresh air hitting you both.

You saw some of your friends, seeing Connie try and fight Sasha for some meat presumably. You dragged Jean the other way, wanting him all to yourself. “You’re awfully quiet, what happened am I too pretty that you’ve gone quiet?” You giggle pulling him along the narrow alleyway, he admired how you occasionally looked around to make sure he was still following even though you were the one holding his hand.

Finally getting into the open area, you sat on one of the steps waiting for him to join, you undid a few buttons. His eyes fixated on your hand movement, “I don’t bite you know, unless you’re into that.”

A blush creeped onto his face, he shut his eyes to surpress it but to no avail he became a mess under your words. He sat beside you quietly, trying to think of what to say before an idea popped into his head, “a pretty girl like you shouldn’t be spending so much alone time with me, I might ruin you.”

“Ruin away.” You taunted back waiting for a comeback, he smirked facing you your head rested against his shoulder whilst looking up at his face. He was a pretty boy, you could imagine him ruining you, you had been known back in your town as timid and quiet, but it was really because nobody really took an interest in.

But Jean, he was perfect having come up to talk to you and as time went on you grew comfortable enough to stop being timid and be the loud outspoken person you are today. And it was all down to the hot head.

He touched your thigh rubbing is fingers up and down, a friction making you tense up. He had never gotten this close, never done this before but you liked it. “I bet you’ve spent countless nights thinking about me, you enjoy taunting me because it gives you a thrill, but both of us know that when we’re alone you’re just a hot mess…” He paused taking a breath, “just for me.”

You knew he was right, the nights tossing and turning not able to sleep, with thoughts of him touching and kissing you. Your cheeks erupted in a flush on embarrassment. You were the one to get shy this time, he grabbed your face, moving his lips closer to yours whilst speaking, “now whose the flustered one.”

He edged closer and closer before you closed your eyes and kissed him softly, the fireworks that erupted inside of you made you melt under his touch. He guided the kiss with his hand, making sure that you were comfortable but satisfied by it all, it deepened with his hand grabbing your thigh to bring you closer. You could almost feel his own thighs beneath him, his teeth tugging at your lip to gain access for his tongue. You obliged with ease, the movements of both your tongue perfectly balanced with soft moans erupting from your mouth. You felt dazed but enjoyed every second of it, because you had finally gotten the kiss you had dreamt about.

i’d really appreciate if you guys could leave a like, reblog or comment, thanks x

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[wonderwomanfantasy]

Stress relief

mind your bisnuess I’m working through some shit 

Atsumu x reader

warnings: smut, just- so much smut, Oral, car sex, fingering, Daddy kink, degradation, marking, ass play, dirty talk,Brat taming, slut shaming AND virgin shaming (we got it all folks), hair pulling, cum play, creampie, breading kink, drinking/ Drunk sex, angst annnnnd swearing. 

word count: 4,800 (about) (yes really get off my back)

summary: Atsumu is a dick, but he’s got a good dick at least you have no idea how mad I am I’ve already used the title Enemy with Benifits. 

“Are- Are you fucking kidding me?” you asked, Atsumu just shrugged. 

“No, I’m not fucking kidding you what’s your deal?” he said casually. You took a deep breath. You had been trying to work on your anger issues, Not blowing up on people over nothing. But this really felt like something worth blowing up over. 

“Myia, be honest with me, do you think I’m stupid?” you asked. He smirked.

“I think you’re a lot of things babe-” you stood up getting in his face jabbing your finger in his chest cutting off his no doubt horrendous flirting. 

“You fucking ripped off you’re entire part of the project! How the fuck did you think no one would notice?” you shouted. You had known this was going to be a train wreck the moment Atsumu was assigned as your partner. He was such a fucking moron, he’d only gotten into this College because of his sports scholarship. You would have been better working on your own.

“I cited the article I copied, what's the deal?” he snapped, the volume of your voice irking him. 

“That’s not how this fucking works you can’t just hit copy-paste and call it a day the point is you come up with your own ideas, although in your defense I’m not sure you’re brain could manage something like that,” you shouted. He sneared. 

“I’ll rewrite it just stop being a bitch alright?” he scoffed, turning to leave your dorm room. You wanted to hit him, how dare he call you a bitch when you were just looking out for his dumb ass. Even high schoolers knew you’d be expelled for plagiarising. Once Atsumu left you slumped back in your seat looking at the presentation open on your laptop. You were already so busy but somehow you’d have to find enough time to do half of the project unless you wanted to fail that was.

“Hey, you’re working with (y/n) on your project right?” Osamu asked, setting his volleyball up in the air over and over again. 

“Yeah, they totally blew up on me today so now I gotta redo the whole thing,” Atsumu sighed 

“They’re hot though,” his brother said. Atsumu smiled to himself, remembering your angry face as you chewed him out.

“Really hot,” he agreed. 

“Are you gonna fuck them?” 

“Of course, they might an asshole but they want me,”

“Hey (y/n),” you looked up at the sound of your name only to groan seeing Atsumu run towards you. He had clearly just come from practice, he was still in his jersey. Fucking jocks. 

He probably thought he looked hot, with a light sheen of sweat that made his skin glow and tousled hair. He did look hot, it made you want to kick his shins. 

“If you aren’t going to tell me that you finished your half of the presentation I don’t want to hear it,” you snapped.

“Well then you aren’t going to be happy then but there’s a game this weekend, you should come, cheer for me,” he said winking. You rolled your eyes. 

“I was already planning on going, but you’re nuts if you think I’m gonna cheer for you,” you snapped, still a little heated about your last encounter with him. 

“And why not?” he asked, smirking, it pissed you off. You just knew he thought he looked so cute smiling at you like that. 

“I cheer for winners,”

You and Atsumu were at each other’s throats for the rest of the year. Atsumu Gave up on his plan to sleep with you and you gave up on your anger management, at least around him. If other people were in this situation they might stay away from their sworn enemy, but not you two. 

You made it to every volleyball game just to tell Osamu how great he did and how handsome he was looking today. Atsumu sat next to you in every class you shared talking your ear off making sure that you didn’t learn a damn thing. 

It was annoying as hell, you wanted to strangle him, but it was nice in a kind of way. If you were stressed or pissed off you could drag Atsumu as a little fun. And even if nothing else in your life was going right. You could always count on this blonde dick to be the worst to you. 

“Damn we had the exterminator here last week but there’s a roach right here,” Atsumu sneered over the thumping music at the party. You scoffed and rolled your eyes. 

“You need to look up more insults you’ve already used that one,” you barked back, normally seeing Atsumu would be enough to dampen your mood but the booze must have been doing its job because you still felt all light and buzzed. 

“Beer?” he asked, holding up a bottle for you, ever the gracious host. 

“I’m good,” you said holding up the can of seltzer you’d been drinking out of it was fruity and only had a little bite to it, you were already on your third one. 

“Right I forgot that a baby like you couldn’t handle the taste of beer,” he scoffed, he was closer now, towering over you and pressing one of his forearms to the wall by your head as he leaned over you, shielding you from the rest of the party. You never realized before how big he was. Tall and wide. Muscular too, it was no wonder half the people at the Volleyball games creamed themselves just seeing him. 

“You’re such a dick, why do you always have to be so mean?” you asked before even realizing the words that you’d spoken.

“You aren’t exactly nice either princess, besides that’s how this works, that’s our dynamic,” he said. He must be pretty drunk too. Nothing he was saying was making any sense. 

“Still, how do you expect anyone to put up with you when you’re such a douche bag all the time?” you said the anger you associated with Atsumu finally setting in. 

“If it works it works, I mean you’re obsessed with me,” he said. You gagged and shoved his chest, he didn’t move, god how strong was he?

“Fuck off I hate you, why would I be obsessed with you? God you think that the world fucking revolves around you. How could any-”

His lips met yours effectively shutting you up. His hand came up cupping the back of your head and you couldn’t help but melt into the kiss, pressing your body against his and dropping your drink so your hands would be free to rake through his hair. You weren’t nice about the kiss either, your teeth gnashed against his when he tried to push his tongue into your mouth. You bit his lower lip and tugged at his hair, moaning against his mouth when he did the same to you. 

He broke away breathlessly, still holding you close to his body while you caught your breath. He was so pretty his cheeks flushed his lips wet and glossy. God, you wanted to kiss him again, even if he tasted like beer and he had been right in his assessment that you weren’t a big fan of the taste. 

“Good to know theirs one way to shut you the fuck up,” he teased. You groaned in frustration pulling him back down into another kiss. This one was just as passionate and fierce as the first. He pushed you against the wall and pulled up one of your legs and forced it around his waist so he could grind against you. You shuddered feeling him rut the seam of your jeans against your clit. 

“Woulda fucked you a lot sooner if i'd known you made such pretty noises when you were touched,” he muttered reaching up and palming your breast through your shirt. Atsumu started kissing, or maybe biting was a better word. The top part of your neck even pays some attention to your jaw and earlobe while he humped and groped you. 

“I knew you were a pervert but I never knew you were filthy enough to fuck me out in the open like this,” you gasped, tugging at his hair. You could feel your panties get sticky with your arousal and you wanted him to take you out of here and fuck you already. 

“You’re gonna let me fuck you?” he asked, pulling back so he could look at you and smirk. You smiled back, the fight wasn’t out of you yet. 

“Why would I do that? I’d rather sleep with someone who could make me cum,” you spat and his grin quickly fell, there was a competitive fire in his eyes that you normally only saw when he was playing.

“Oh Daddy’s gonna make you cum you fucking brat, I’ll make you squirt, you’re gonna cry with how good my dick feels,” he growled in a low voice you’d never heard before and suddenly you were regretting your comment. 

“Daddy?” you snorted

Atsumu detangled himself from you and grabbed you by the wrist tugging you out of the frat house and to his car. You shook your head and broke free of his iron-clad grasp. 

“I know you’re stupid but this is a new low, both of us are way too drunk to drive,” you shouted. Atsumu just laughed at you, opening the back door to his car. 

“We aren’t driving dumbass now get in,” he said. You bit your lip and slid into the back seat shortly followed by Atsumu who locked the door behind him. 

The seat wasn’t large but it was big enough to move around in. He pressed you onto the leather upholstery, your legs bent and splayed out at an awkward angle to fit him between them. He went back to kissing you sloppily while his hands went to work taking off your shirt and bra. 

Your nipples hardened once the cold night air touched you. “Wanted to suck on your pretty tits for the longest time,” he groaned quickly lowering his head, sucking one of your nipples into his mouth while he fingered the other twisting and pinching it. You yelped when his teeth grazed over the bud. His eyes flicked up to yours and he let go of the spit-soaked nipple blowing on it lightly making you shiver. 

“How long has it been since you’ve been fucked huh? So many guys want to fuck this sweet little pussy but you’re too stuck up to let that happen.” he snears sucking the other nipple into his mouth. 

“Bet you’re still a fucking virgin,” he said speaking around your mouth. 

“ I a-am not,” you whined, you’d lost your virginity in high school, but you really hadn’t gotten fucked since then. 

“Oh listen to you whine you totally are,” he scoffed 

“No I’m Not!” you protested he let go of your nipple and kissed you again threading his fingers through your hair and pressing your face to his. 

“Shut up you fucking virgin,” he said sweetly, before pulling off his shirt, and before you could admire his chiseled chest he distracted you by biting your neck again. You pressed your hand to the center console to keep from slipping off with one hand and clinging to his shoulders with the other. 

Atsumu deftly unbuttoned your jeans and shoved his hands in your pants touching your through your soaked underwear. You felt him smirk against your neck but he didn’t make any remark about it. Good thing for him too because you could feel his hard prick pressing up against your thigh and you were ready to drag him for it if he commented on your own arousal. 

God, you could feel his cock. It was big, heavy, and hard, pressed against your leg. You wanted to see it, touch it, feel it inside of you. He’d pushed your panties to the side now so he could push his large fingers inside brushing against your velvet walls. 

“A-Atsumu,” you said, pitching your leg up to rub against his dick.  “I want to suck your cock,” you whimpered. You felt him twitch. 

“Here I thought you were a virgin but you’re just a slutty whore aren't cha?” he growled against your neck picking your hips up and yanking your pants down your legs leaving them pooled around your ankles leaving you to kick your jeans off completely. You felt a little stupid naked except for your shoes but Atsumu quickly distracted you by folding you in half pressing your knees to your chest and leaving your pussy completely exposed. 

“I’ll fuck your throat later, right now I gotta make you cum remember?” he said playing his hands over your thighs keeping g you folded before lowering his head and diving into your folds like a man starved. 

Just like he kissed you, he was mean about it, sucking so harshly that you cried out and spanking your cunt just to make you jump. The only time he pulled back was to spit on your asshole lubing it up enough to slip a finger inside. 

“Sumu please,” you cried out as he filled you with his tongue pressing against your G-spot over and over again while he pinched your clit. You weren’t even sure what you were begging for. He just hummed in acknowledgment, whatever you were begging for he wasn’t going to have it. 

“Daddy,” you pleaded, finally caving. Atsumu smiled to himself. He wasn’t nice but he did reward good behavior. 

He switched it up sucking your clit into your mouth and plunging the fingers of his clean hand, the one that hadn’t just been your ass, inside of you curling up and pressing against your g-pot over and over again until you came screaming so loud that you were sure people back at the house could hear you. 

“See didn’t that feel good slut?” he cooed condescendingly. There was a pool of cum beneath you soaking into the leather seats. Good thing this was Osamus’s car. Now all he had to do was make you cry. 

“I-I’m not a slut,” you whined. 

“Oh? Which is it? Are you not a virgin or are you not a slut?” he asked, squeezing your cheeks. You didn’t know how to respond. 

“Well I think you’re a slut, Daddy’s little slut,” he snapped. 

There was a dark stain of precum staining his jeans where the head of his cock was leaking he quickly shoved down his pants and boxers before sitting down and pulling you into his lap. You hovered above him as he pumped his cock in his hand running the head of his cock through your soaked folds and bumping your clit. 

“You’re gonna be a good whore and ride Daddy’s cock right?” he asked, lining the head of his dick up with your entrance. You bit your lip and nodded, shakily lowering yourself down on him. Atsumu hissed feeling your tight heat wrap around him. 

You gripped his shoulders feeling how well he filled you up, the tip pressing against your cervix. You took a minute to adjust before lifting yourself up on your knees and started to fuck yourself onto him. 

Atsumu brought you close and kissed you again, one of his hands slipping between your bodies to stroke your clit while you bounced up and down on his cock.  You couldn’t help but moan into his mouth as he touched you. He filled you up so well, you had teased him about not being able to get you off but even you couldn’t deny how good it felt to have him so deep inside of you. 

“You feel that baby? You feel Daddy pressing up against your Cervix, I’m going to blow my fat load right into your slutty little womb,” he snarled his hips snapping up to meet yours. You whined, throwing your head back in pleasure, almost hitting your head on the headrest. 

“Gonna knock you up, gonna stuff this slutty pussy with cum,” he growled, he was talking more to himself but you couldn’t help but shudder at his words. You were on birth control but you desperately wanted him to fill you up. 

“Are you gonna cum princess?” He asked, “I can feel your cunt squeezing my cock like that, you’re gonna cum.” He was right, you could feel a second orgasm welling up in your core as his cock pulsed inside of you. 

“Atsumu-Daddy, I’m gonna cum,” you moaned kissing him sloppily, your hips faltered when you came but Atsumu’s hands went to your hips moving your body for you as he chased his own high, true to his word he came deep inside of you filling you up and pressing his cock against your cervix. 

You collapsed against his chest gasping for breath. He ran his hand soothingly over your back. 

“You look tired, you wanna crash somewhere babe?” he asked. 

“We’re still too drunk to drive,” you murmured. 

“I have a buddy in the frat house, I’m sure he’ll let me steal his bed for the night, especially for a cutie like you,” he said. You pulled back to look at him.

“You had a bed here this whole time and you still made me fuck you in the car?” 

When you woke up your whole body hurt. Your head ached your eyes stung and your body was littered with bruises. You didn’t even want to check in with the lower half of your body. You groaned sitting up in bed clutching your head. Then you felt the bed beside you shift, you froze remembering how you’d ended last night. 

Atsumu cracked one eye open and his face split into a huge grin. “I had the best dream last night-” he teased you and moved to hit him but he caught your wrist and flipped you on your back pinning you to the bed. 

He hovered above you his breath hitting your face in soft puffs. You leaned up and kissed him, suddenly you were a mess of limbs and hands trying to tear each other’s clothes off while you kissed. You hissed as his fingers grazed the bite marks on your neck. 

“Go easy on me I’m still sore,” you complained. Atsumu smirked.

“Did I wreck you that badly baby?” he asked, teasingly grinding his morning wood on your leg. You shuddered. 

“Shut up and fuck me asshole,” you demand. He tugged off your underwear and hooked your legs over his shoulders. 

“As you wish your majesty,” he scoffed and slowly pushed two of his fingers into you

Your cunt ached and it hurt to feel his fingers prod you open, but soon the pain dissolved into pleasure as he continued to finger you. 

“Such a pretty wet little cunt, so wet and sticky for me,” he purred, “you like this slut? You like getting fingered first thing in the morning?” he asked. 

“Do you like humping my ass like a fucking dog first thing in the morning?” you spat back. He grunted and roughly jerked his finger up hitting your G-spot making you cry out your back arching off the bed. 

“That’s what I thought,” he scoffed before completely pulling his fingers out and sticking them into his mouth sucking on your juices. 

“I’m not gonna fuck you if you keep being mean,” he said shoving down his own clothes 

“Shut up, I bet I’m the only one you know who lets you get your dick wet,” you growled. He snapped into you in one swift motion. You cried out your nails digging into his shoulders. It hurt but the pain sent a rush of endorphins making you moan. 

“Really you think that I could fuck you like this without any practice dollface? Don’t forget you’re the virgin here,” he teased drawing his hips back before ramming back into you. This pace was much harsher than what you’d set last night. You were helpless, and entirely at his mercy, he had you folded in half, and you could only moan and scratch at his back. 

“Imna fill this cunt with cum, nothing better than emptying my balls in your warm cunt first thing in the morning,” he muttered to himself as he continued to fuck you. 

“Already?” you teased.

“Fuck off or I’ll fuck you until you pass out,” he threatened. 

“Hurry up and make me cum, I’ve got shit to do today,” you snapped. 

“God do you ever stop being a bitch?” he asked, pulling out of you and flipping you over, jerking your hips up and sliding back into you. you moaned feeling his cock hit new sweet spots. You arched your back pressing your hips to his and burying your face into the pillows. 

The bed creaked with the force of his thrusts, the headboard hitting the wall with a loud bang. Atsumu brought his hand down on your ass making you jump, it stung and you were reminded of his killer serves that you had seen so many times. 

“There, no more bitchy comebacks? Have you gone braindead on my cock?” he mocked spanking you again. 

“Daddy!” you pleaded. Your thighs trembling as wetness dripped down your legs. 

“Awe theirs my sweet little slut, ready to be good now?” 

“Y-yes,” you whined desperate to cum.  Atsumu grunted and finally went easy on you, rubbing your clit and easing into you in slow, deep thrusts until he felt your pussy cream around him. 

“There you go baby,” he said pulling out of you, his hard cock dripping in your juices. “You still want to suck on my cock?” he asked. You bit your lower lip, embarrassed at the memory. You shifted on the bed settling in between his legs taking the head of his cock into your mouth and wrapping your hands around the rest of his dick. 

You licked softly at the slit in the head picking up the bitter precum with your tongue.  You slowly took more of his cock in your mouth hollowing your cheeks out around him. His dick was just too big for you to fit completely into your mouth so you moved your hands up and down his shaft while you took as much of him as you could, swirling your tongue around the head. 

“You’re doing so well baby,” he moaned, smoothing your hair back from your face. “I didn’t think a virgin like you’d be so good,” he teased. You glared up at him as you continued to suck his dick but you resolved to bite him if he made a comment like that again. 

“I think I like you better like this you’re so pretty when you shut the- OW watch the teeth,” 

You could taste it as the precum dribbled out of his cock smearing over your tongue, you were getting used to the bitter taste and it wasn’t that bad. You pushed your head down pressing his cock to the back of your throat suppressing your gag reflex. 

“Fuck, baby just like that i’m going to cum down your thoat,” he groaned his hips stuttering upwards pushing his dick down your throat deaper making you choke. Atsumu didn’t care,he was moaning loudly as his hips spasmed up into your mouth. 

You choked when his semen flooded your mouth. “Fuuck,” he sighed, pulling out of your mouth. You sluptered trying to catch the mess that bubbled out of your mouth. 

“Ah, swallow what you can baby,” Atsumu said, whipping your chin with his thumb. You did as he asked, choking down what you could. He pushed you back on the bed kissing your neck, his lips running over your bruises, 

“I like you like this, we should fuck more often he teased,” you shoved his chest, but weakly, it was clearly just for show. You didn’t want to admit it but you agreed with him. 

You kept seeing Atsumu after that. He was a little nicer with you normally. Or at least, he saved his mean side for the bedroom and was a little sweeter to you. If you were a little more naive you might have even started to fall for him a little bit. 

That was the Chliche right? You start out hating someone but then after a few nights of passion you were in love?  Bullshit, it was all Bullshit. 

you knew Atsumu hadn’t changed, and he wasn’t exactly saving himself for you. You couldn’t count how many times you’d walked in on him making out with some random chick, you’d even walked in on him while he’d been balls deep in some other girl. 

That being said, you hadn’t changed either. you still had a temper like no other and were quick to snap, especially at Atsumu. You didn’t have many friends who put up with your bullshit so why would He even fall in love with you?

You shouldn’t be in love with him. He was an asshole, a heartless fuck boy. So why did you like him so much? why did it sting when you thought about how hopless your whole situation. 

It sucked, this whole thing was just awful. That being said, you still jumped at the chance to see him everytime he called, you really were hopless. 

“Where are we going?” you asked as Atsumu drove. You didn’t recognize this street and you knew you weren’t going to his place. 

“It’s a surprise,” he said. You scoffed and crossed your arms. He pulled into a parking lot and you were surprised to see you were at a park. 

“What are you going to fuck me on the slide?” you asked, following him out of the car and into the park. 

“I used to come here all the time when I was a kid, me and my brother would play here,” he said, ignoring you and walking to the swings, you followed. 

“And I still come here a lot, it’s a good place to think and it’s just a really special place for me,” he said sitting on the swing and gesturing for you to sit on his lap. 

You did, wrapping your legs around his waist and your arms around his neck. “I don’t like where this conversation is going,” you said furrowing your eyebrows. It was almost the middle of the night so it was dark but you could still see the dopey lovestruck look on his face. 

“Stumu, you’re not supposed to call me for stuff like this,” you said unwrapping your arms around his neck, you were going to get off his lap but he wrapped his arms around his waist keeping you there. 

The two of you had agreed only to call each other when you wanted sex, this mushy romantic shit was defently not sex. 

“You’re so pretty baby, let me be nice to you,” he said kissing you and you melted into him, just like every time he kissed you. 

“You’re never nice to me,” you protested. He reached under your shirt groping you. 

“Because you never let me,” he protested. 

“What’s with you?” you asked, grabbing his wrist and shoving him away from you. 

“I love you,” he said. You couldn’t deal with this right now, you got off his lap and started walking back to the car

“Take me home,” you demanded.  “I don’t want to talk about this,” you said. 

“(y/n)-” he said running in front of you stopping you. 

“Please, I know you hate this shit, but please can we talk,” he pleaded taking your hands in his, 

“You can’t just say shit like that Tsumu! We’re not supposed to love each other we’re supposed to fuck and get under eachother’s skin and fight that’s how this works!” you shouted.

Atsumu kissed your knuckles, seeming to ignore your yelling. 

“We didn’t used to fuck either, we used to just get under eachother’s skin,” he pointed out. He wrapped you in his arms. You pressed your face to his chest and you felt your cheeks get wet with tears. You hiccupped and sobbed,  trying to keep your emotions bottled up was hard.  

“I love you,” he said again.  You shoved him and whipped your face. 

“I don’t want to do this Atsumu, take me home,” you demanded. He deflated. 

“Okay baby, let's go home, I’ll be waiting, when you’re ready,” he said rubbing your shoulders and taking you back to his car. 

You drove in silence. You hated this. Yout hated him. Atsumu was a playboy, an idiot and an asshole who only cared about Volleyball. You just wanted to insult him and fuck him to blow off steam. You weren’t supposed to fall for him. You weren’t supposed to love his cocky smile and his stupid jokes. His stupid flirty remarks weren’t supposed to make you blush. 

“Baby?” he prompted you blinked and saw you were sitting in front of your dorm building. “Hey,” he purred, wiping the tears off your cheeks. You didn’t need him to tell you that he loved you, you could tell every time  he did something like this. You couldn’t help but lean into his touch. 

“I really wished we’d had sex tonight,” you whispered. He laughed. 

“fuck am I really that ireaistable doll?” he teased, pinching your cheek as he pulled away. 

“I do love you Atsumu, I just- I just don’t know what to do about it,” you admitted. Atsumu smiled lazily. 

you meant it too, you loved him so much. but it was impossible to get the image of the time you walked in on him sleeping with another girl out of your mind. Was that what it meant to be in a relationship with him? If so then you weren’t going to do it, you weren’t signing yourself up for that kind of heartbreak. Maybe you should just give up on him and block him. 

“Like I said. I’ll wait for you, and next time I promise we’ll have the best sex of your life-Not that’s a hard bar to clear you virigin,” he teased. You smiled and playfully hit him in the arm. You got out of his car and walked into your building as he drove away, and at least for tonight. That was enough. 

[exilethegame]

Hey! Your game so far is amazing and I'm so in love with my Commander it's unreal! I was just wondering if you had any playlists or maybe just songs that you associate with the different commanders and/or the RO's? I was listening to Overcome by Laura Mvula and Nile Rodgers and it felt like such a good fit for my painted phoenix that I thought I'd take a chance and ask

*Clears throat and proceeds to rummage through all 97 of my playlists*

Worry not, anon. Music is my preferred drug.

As of now, there’s Vethna, ???, and Syfyn’s playlists on the Spotify which you can find here!

But, because I am a fiend for music, I went and found two songs per RO (some are on their playlists, but shh). The first is in reference to a relationship with MC, and the second is just a song that fits them. 

At the bottom are also two songs that I think fit The Commander in general!

Vethna 

Shelter by The XX

“I find shelter in this way, under cover, hideaway. Can you hear when I say, “I have never felt this way?” Maybe I had said something that was wrong. Can I make it better with the lights turned on?”

Bad Things by Cults

“Bad things happen to the people you love, and you’ll find yourself praying up to heaven above. But honestly, I’ve never had much sympathy, because those bad things, I always saw them coming for me. I’m gonna run, run away, and never come back.”

Nikke

You Know Me Too Well by Nothing But Thieves

“Filthy, impetuous soul, I wanna give it to you, oh, just to see what you do ‘cause I’m so drunk on you. Baby, you’re all that I want. I want you all to myself. Oh, but you know me too well.”

Little Bastards by Palaye Royal

“Sometimes, I’ve been losing my mind running out of faith. Lonely, I’ve been feeling lonely, put me in my place. So fuck you, I don’t even like you, sick of all the fake. No sleep, got another nosebleed, I can’t feel my face.”

Amilia 

Bloom by The Paper Kites

“When the evening pulls the sun down, and the day is almost through, oh, the whole world it is sleeping, but my world is you. Can I be close to you?”

Metaphors by The Crane Wives

“I’ve gotten good at leaning on metaphors. I’ve gotten good at living on someone else’s page. I cut my teeth on secondhand sentiments. You can’t trust a single thing I say.”

Sabir 

Clocks by Coldplay 

���And nothing else compares. Oh, nothing else compares. You are home. Home, where I wanted to go.”

Viva La Vida by Coldplay

“For some reason I can’t explain, once you go there was never, never an honest word, and that was when I ruled the world. It was the wicked and wild wind-- blew down the doors to let me in. Shattered windows and the sound of drums, people couldn’t believe what I’d become. Revolutionaries wait for my head on a silver plate, just a puppet on a lonely string-- oh, who would ever want to be king?”

Syfyn

Iris by Chris Lanzon 

“And I’d give up forever to touch you, ‘cause I know that you feel me somehow. You’re the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be, and I don’t want to go home right now.”

Soldier by Fleurie

“Soldier keep on marching on, head down ‘till the work is done. Waiting on the morning sun, soldier keep on marching on. Head in the dust, feet in the fire, labour on that midnight wire. Listening for that angel choir, you got nowhere to run. You wanna take a drink of that promise land? You gotta wipe the dirt off your hands. Careful son, you got dreamers plans, but it gets hard to stand.”

???

Jealous Sea by Meg Myers

“And I don’t think I can stop the jealousy. When it runs, it runs like lightening through my teeth. I want you to tell me what to do. I want you to tell me what you need. When you look at me like you do...don’t leave, I just can’t get enough. Everything’s right, everything’s wrong, when you call my name.”

Virginia Woolf Underwater by Chelsea Wolfe

“Everything you’ve owned is gone. Everything you’ve known is wrong. Everyone you’ve loved has left. Everything you’ve touched is dead. Everyone you know is gone. Everything you’ve touched, gone wrong.”

The Commander 

Numb by Meg Myers

“When all is said and done: tell me how to write this, tell me how to fight this war. I’ll keep marching on, like a broken robot, money back guarantee. I’m in your custody, but I’m not a criminal, I can be your next big thing. Look at what I’v become. Silly little monster, should’ve just held my tongue.” 

Oh Beautiful Town by IAMX

“I grew up blind, just like everyone’s child, in the warmth of milk and deceit. Smothered by love and chemical dust, there was never enough to believe. They chewed me up, they spat me out, of their system and onto their street. And the rest of my life was a sprint to forget all the greatness that could never be.”

[topazy]

Silent bloom

Pairings: Finn Collins/ Reader Bellamy Blake/reader

Warnings: swearing, and character death

Chapter: 2.03

"They want you. If we want a truce, we have to give them Finn."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Raven asked, stepping forward.

Clarke avoided making eye contact with any of you, "That’s their offer."

"That’s not an offer," you snapped. "That’s a death sentence."

"It’s punishment," Finn squeezed your shoulder lightly as he brushed past you. "For what happened at the village. Blood for blood."

—

Murphy walked towards where Finn was standing with a complex look on his face. "Hey, man. Byrne actually gave me a gun. I guess we really are screwed, huh? Look, we kicked their asses last time. We’ll do it again."

Finn looked at him blankly and said, "A lot of people died last time."

You chewed on your bottom lip as Bellamy and Finn continued talking, completely zoning out. Would the grounders really take Finn as a trade? The thought made your stomach turn. Your biggest fear right now was that someone would betray Finn and turn him over.

Hearing Clarke’s voice, you looked up again, to see Finn and Bellamy walking in another direction.

"Hey," Murphy said, stepping forward. "Any orders for me, princess?"

The blonde glared at him, "stay away from me."

You were surprised at the look of hurt on his face. "Just trying to be helpful."

It was obviously by the venom in Clarke’s voice that she blamed Murphy for what happened in the village. "You were with him at the village."

"I tried to stop him."

"Not hard enough!"

"You know, you want to start blaming people, Clarke?" Murphy stepped closer to her. "He wasn’t out there looking for me, was he? It’s not my fault he went batshit crazy."

He was out there looking for you.

You stepped in between them, stopping this before it went any further. "Enough! Both of you. Clarke, go do whatever it is you need to do. Yelling, and arguing isn’t helping anyone."

You watched Clarke walk away before turning to face Murphy, who looked slightly guilty. "What?"

"I…I didn’t mean it was your fault."

You shrugged, pretending his words didn’t strike a nerve. "Whatever, we have more important things to think about. Like how the hell we are going to save Finn."

"He’s a dead man walking," Murphy raised his hands defensively when you raised your brows at him. "What? I’m only pointing out the obvious."

You looked back towards the fence, and slowly walked towards it as the chanting got louder. You felt a lump at the back of your throat, as tears threatened to spill from your eyes.

Murphy stood beside you, "jus drein jus daun, Jus drein jus daun."

"Blood must have blood."

You looked back around to face Abby, and Jaha who were talking to some guards. "You don’t trust them, do you?"

"Do you?"

Murphy scoffed at your comment. Of course he didn’t. Nobody who has been screwed over by them should.

"Well, angel eyes, if we leave it to them, we are definitely screwed."

"Yeah," you agreed. Besides Abby, none of them would care what happened to Finn. "We’re going to need a miracle to happen."

—

"What’s the plan?" You asked, stopping beside Finn.

"The dropship."

Clarke shook her head. "You know that this is the safest place for him right now.”

"It isn't if they're turning on him," Bellmay pointed out. "We can protect him at the dropship until we figure this thing out. Grab your gear and meet at Raven's gate in five minutes. She’s already working on cutting the power to the fence."

Bellmay was right. Going to the dropship would probably be the safest place for him right now. It would also give you time to try and figure something else out.

"Okay," Finn nodded. "But nobody's coming with me."

You frowned, "of course we are. This isn’t up for discussion."

Clarke pressed her lips together. She still didn’t seem convinced that it was a good idea. "We are surrounded by Grounders."

"It will be easier if we split up." Noticing others starting to shout at a Finn you gripped his arm as Bellamy knocked the boy called Gruff out. "We need to go, now."

—

You nervously gripped the gun tightly, praying you didn’t make too much noise as you walked through the forest.

"I know I’ve said it before, but-"

"Shh," you stared at Finn wide-eyed.

He has been mostly silent since you caught up with him, and now wasn’t the time to start talking. You knew by the look on his face that he wasn’t going to let whatever was on his mind go.

"I was scared... when you disappeared. I thought I’d never get the chance to say I’m sorry, and I needed you to know that I love you."

"Finn," you stopped walking and turned to face him. "We have talked about this. None of it matters now, all that matters is getting you through this. We find a way to save you, and then we rescue Monty and Jasper, along with everybody else who the mountain men took." You let out a small laugh, "Who would have thought it would be grounders that saved me from them? "Ironic, huh."

"What were they like, the grounders who took you?" He whispered.

"Eh…good as far as kidnappers go. They gave me clean clothes, food, and water." You let out a sigh, "I was afraid they were going to torture me like they did Murphy."

“You have a soft spot for him."

"No I don’t."

For the first time in a long time, you saw Finn smile, "Oh my God, you have a crush on him."

Him teasing you reminded you what life was like back on the ark before everything went to shit. It made you almost forget when you were in the forest in the first place.

You shoved Finn’s arm playfully, "shut up. I just feel bad for him."

"You do like Bellamy though."

You shot Finn a look, "let’s not."

"He’s a good guy, he’d keep you safe. I’m sure of it."

"And who’s going to keep you safe from me? Because once this is all over, I have no issue raising hell if you don’t stop teasing me, Collins."

"What do we do after the dropship? Where do we go? You think the Grounders will just leave when they find out I'm gone? Is this the best way to help our friends inside Mount Weather? "

You gave him a sympathetic smile, "will figure this out."

The last thing you remember seeing is the horrified look on Finn’s face as a loud yelling came from behind you.

—

You let out a loud groan as you sat up. Looking around, you were confused. The last thing you remember was walking in the forest.

"Y/N," Clarke knelt down beside you. "Take it easy when you sit up. You got knocked out."

Of course you did.

"How’s your head?" Finn asked as he helped you stand up.

"Never been better."

"It will be another neat scar to add to your collection," Murphy shrugged.

You ignored his comment as Finn spoke to you in a hushed voice. "When you went down... I thought you were dead. Because of me."

"Finn," you say softly. "I’m right here."

"I’ve killed so many people."

You shook your head, "things that we've done to survive... they don't define us."

"What if you're wrong? What if this is who we are now?"

Not knowing what to say to comfort Finn, you pulled him in for a hug at the same time that Bellamy rushed into the drop shop. "We got company!"

"Oh fuck. We’re surrounded."

As everyone made their way to the outside of the ship, Bellmay stopped to face you. "I’m glad you're okay. You had me worried for a moment."

"Thanks. But honestly, I’m still worried."

—

"They’re not moving any closer."

"Staying out of range. Probably waiting until it's dark."

Murphy looked up at him, "If we hit them now, at least we'd take them by surprise."

You wouldn’t admit it out loud, but Murphy's idea made sense. You didn’t like it, but he did have a point. "The problem is, we don't even know how many of them are out there."

Murphy rolled his eyes, "I’m not hearing any better ideas, Daisy."

Raven stepped forward. "We’ll give them something."

Bellamy looked at her, confused. "All they want is Finn."

Raven looked away from the rest of the group, as her eyes landed on Murphy. "Finn wasn't the only one at the village."

"You can’t be serious! We aren’t handing anyone over to the grounders."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Raven, I came here to protect him. You were the one who wanted me to come." A hurt expression crossed over Murphy’s face. "You... That’s why you asked me to come along."

The brunette glared at him. "Enough Grounders saw him at the village. They’d believe he was the shooter."

"Sick bitch!" Murphy spat.

Clarke tried to calm her down. "Raven, you don't mean this."

"You know what they do to people?" you said, stepping towards her. "They want Finn, nobody else. We can’t protect him if we are fighting among ourselves.

Raven ignored what you said and pointed her gun towards Murphy. "They want a murderer, we'll give them one."

Hell no.

You shared a knowing look with Finn, before moving to step in front of Murphy. "Raven, this is insane! Put it down."

"Daisy, move out the way, I don’t want to hurt you. Murphy drop your weapon!"

"Raven, stop this before somebody gets hurt!" You yelled back at her. You knew deep down she wouldn’t actually shoot you, but you weren’t so sure about Murphy.

Ravenstill refused to lower her weapon, "I said drop it."

"Stop! Stop!" Finn pushed her hand down so the gun was no longer pointed in your direction. "We're not doing this. They’ve got us surrounded. The only thing we can do is stay. And defend this place. Murphy?"

"Yeah?"

"Go upstairs with Daisy. You two watch the rear. I'll take the lower level. You three, take the front gate. That’s the plan. All right?"

As Murphy walked ahead, you hugged Finn again, saying, "We’ve got this."

"May we meet again."

"We will." You pulled back from him, "I better go make sure nobody else tries to kill him."

"Yeah. Be careful."

—

When you joined Murphy, he glared at you. "Are you insane?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You stepped out in front of me! Raven could have shot you!"

Taken aback by his yelling, you shuffled uncomfortably. "She wasn’t going to-"

Murphy cut you off, "you don’t know that. Don’t ever do something like that for me again. Ever!"

You turned and faced the other direction, to avoid looking at him. Why was he so upset? You were only trying to keep everyone safe.

Hearing yelling, you quickly made your way towards the other side of the ship. "What’s happened?"

Bellamy looked at you with fear in his eyes. "Finn’s handed himself in."

—

You stood on the edge of Camp Jaha by the gates, squinting. Grounders were putting a large post into the ground. "What is that?"

"It’s for Finn," Clarke confirmed. "They want us to watch."

As others talked about what to do next, you noticed Clarke getting ready to leave. "What are you doing?"

"I’m gonna talk to the commander."

"Okay," you stepped beside her. "I’m going with you."

Bellamy stared at you both. "What else do you have to say?"

You sighed. "I don't know, but we need to try."

Raven stepped in front of you. "Give me your hand. If she won't let him go, kill her. Things will go crazy, and we'll grab you and Finn. Daisy, you and Clarke have to help him. I owe him my life."

Before you had a chance to say anything, Raven slipped a small knife into your hand.

—

As you and Clarke walked into the commander's tent, a grounder stepped forward and pressed a spear up against your chest.

Clarke seemed to know who the grounder was. "We are here to talk to your commander. Let us through."

Looking down, you noticed small drops of blood appearing on your top. The grounder has cut you.

"Let them pass," the commander said before looking you up and down. "You bleed for nothing. You cannot stop this."

As Clarke pleaded with Lexa to spare Finn’s life, you noticed Ada standing guard. When she noticed you walking toward her, she frowned. "You are here to beg for the traitor's life?"

"Finn’s my friend. He did an awful thing, something he can’t undo, but torturing him won’t bring anybody else back."

"He killed Zelda."

"I’m sorry…" you whispered. "It’s all my fault. He killed all those people because he thought they had taken me."

"You can’t save him, blood must have blood." Ada said harshly. "If you try to save him, all of your people will die."

Tears spilled onto your cheek. You turned to face the commander, "can I say good-bye?"

The commander paused for a moment before nodding. You were surprised that she was allowing you to talk to him, but you didn’t have time to overthink it. It was probably because of Clarke anyway. You needed to help him. You couldn’t let Finn die by the death of 1000 cuts.

You rushed towards Finn, and kissed him. "I love you, Finn, I never stopped."

"I’m scared."

You wiped tears from his cheek. "You’re gonna be ok. I won’t let you suffer." You kissed him once again, before showing him mercy. "You’re ok."

"Thanks, Daisy."

Stepping back, the only sound you could hear was your own sobs, mixed with Raven's screams, as you stared at Finn’s limp body.

Season two