#i haven’t even read the book yet or finished the new movie but we’ll get there
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aceredshirt13 · 8 months ago
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“found out there’s age gap discourse in the All Quiet on the Western Front fandom” is really not a sentence I ever thought I’d be saying in this lifetime but
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littlepadika · 4 years ago
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Calling Home (1) | Frankie Morales x Reader
Summary: You are a receptionist at the VA. Frankie Morales keeps calling. Yearning ensues...
Rating: M -> E in later chapters
Warnings: fem!reader, age gap (legal), praise kink, voice kink, discussion of addiction/PTSD/trauma, no use of y/n, no beta reader, reader is bad at Spanish, Frankie has a sexy voice 😩
Masterlist here
AN: My first fic. Pedro writers have inspired me to finally start writing again 🥺. Concept inspired by the movie RED. I hope you like it ❤️Set after triple frontier.
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Chapter One
~~~~~~~~~~~
The first time he called was an ordinary Thursday.
“Veterans Affairs, how can I help you?”
You had been working at the VA office for about two weeks. Fresh out of college you felt lucky to have a job in the first place. You went to school to be a writer but your big idea for 'The Next Great American Novel' had yet to present itself. At least here you had access to the most inspiring stories and interesting people. Men and women who had seen more and done more than you probably would in your entire life. You loved talking to clients on the phone. It was weird but something about only being able to hear people’s voices excited you. You would sometimes write little stories in your head about the people you'd talk to, filling in the details that were unknown.
Your desk accessories reflected your love of books and writing. You had your growing collection of books sitting on your desk sandwiched between baby pink bookends. Next to them was a matching desk organizer filled with your favorite sparkly pens and sticky notes. You had decorated the plain cubicle walls with posters of quotes from your favorite books. You also brought your favorite candle from home. Even though you couldn’t light it you still liked to lift it to your nose once and a while and smell it between chapters. When you weren’t on the phone or scanning documents you would read. You finished To Kill A Mockingbird in your first week on the job and were now halfway through Murder on the Orient Express.
You were starting a new chapter when Frankie Morales called the first time.
You picked up the phone on the second ring already mustering your chipper 'customer service' voice. “Veterans affairs.” You stated your name. “How may I help you?”
“H-Hi. My name is Frankie- uh-Francisco Morales." A deep voice answered you. "I’m calling because I have gotten my benefits check yet. It’s been a month. I was hoping you could tell me if it got sent?”
“Okay Mr. Morales." You flipped on the computer. "Let me check. Can you spell your last name for me?”
“M-o-r-a-l-e-s”
“Okay... let's see.” You clicked on his account. You were momentarily distracted by his picture likely taken when he graduated basic if you had to guess based off the uniform. He looked sweet. Sharp nose and strong jaw balanced by kind eyes and a shy smile. You could imagine how age would continue to soften his expression making him even more handsome. The image was a strange juxtaposition to the voice you were hearing on the phone which was much deeper and rougher. His profile said he was special forces. A pilot. The rest of the information was blacked out. Something you were used to seeing on many people's accounts but even his years of service were redacted. He must have been involved in some dangerous stuff, you thought to yourself. The dates that were not redacted were mostly in Latin America. You clicked over to processing requests. “Looks like the check got sent one week ago.” You informed him.
"I'll look again but I haven't seen anything-" It sounded like he was apologizing when clearly it was not his fault.
"No no. It's probably a mistake on our end." You interrupted. With how shitty and outdated the payroll interface was you wouldn't be surprised if there was a mix up. "I’ll go ahead and let payroll know to send another."
"Great. Thanks." He replied sounding relieved. The roughness in his voice gave way to a smooth baritone.
“No problem. I'm sorry for any inconvenience it may have caused. We'll get it sent right away." You hoped he was not relying on this benefit check for anything important. While you could promise you'd fix the problem, the administration was notoriously slow. When he didn't respond you asked, "Is there anything else I can help you with today, Mr. Morales?”
“Uh-no" The roughness back in place. "Thank you." He paused before adding your name onto his thank you which made you smile. People usually never remembered your name.
“Alright. Have a nice day and thank you for your service.” You chirped before hanging up. The smile he put on your face lingered for a few minutes as you returned to your book.
The next time he called was exactly twelve days later.
“Veterans affairs” you answered, your routine greeting cut short as your eyes were still on your book.
“Hi- I’m calling because uh I still haven’t gotten my benefits check. This is Frankie Morales.”
“Oh Mr. Morales.” You recognized his voice even before he even said his name. You quickly shut your book, pushing your hair out of your face. Had you been thinking about him? No! Okay maybe you stared at his picture for a few minutes longer after he hung up. Yes, it was probably very unprofessional but you couldn't fight the curiosity. You were trying to rationalize the contrasting sharpness and softness of his features with his voice. How it all worked together. How one person's voice could change textures and colors so easily. You wondered what kind of things this man might have seen on the job. Most of the veterans you would help day to day did not have so many redacted missions and deployments. You were in the middle of Narcos season one so you immediately thought of drugs or something equally dangerous. After much pondering, you had come to the conclusion that Frankie Morales was both insanely attractive and insanely courageous. “Still no check, huh?”
“Nope.” He sighed the sound making the phone's shitty speaker crackle as you held it to your ear.
“Let me just check that it was approved...“ you found his profile again and scrolled to the status page. “Hmm... it says it was sent out last Friday after we spoke. That’s so weird...”
“Yeah. Really weird.” He echoed your frustration on the other end.
Typical payroll, you thought to yourself as you rolled your eyes. “I'll get another one sent to you right away. I'll see to it myself.” You tucked the phone under your chin and typed out a short email to Mary in payroll letting her know you'd be stopping by her office to explain the situation. You realized he hadn't hung up yet.
“Sorry for the back and forth.” You said, trying to fill the silence.
“It’s not your fault." The earlier irritation gone. "You’ve been really helpful.” His voice sounded warm and reassuring. Less gruff than it was last you spoke. Instead it was that rich baritone that you caught of glimpse of last time.
You feel your face warm at his compliment. It was this annoying reflex you had. Praise always made you blush no matter what context but it was worse when it came from a (you assume) gorgeous stranger.
“And just to verify that your address is correct- you’re on Maple Lane in Miami, Florida?”
“That’s right.” He confirmed.
“Okay. Sent!” You clicked send on the email, which caused the window to close and reveal Frankie’s profile page again. “I was curious-" You spoke before you really made the decision to speak. You didn’t want to overstep but once again your curiosity got the better of you. Honestly, you were just searching for a way to keep him on the phone. The day had been so boring.
“Your profile says you were stationed in Costa Rica.”
“For a bit.” He replied after a moment. He didn’t sound too defensive but there was definitely some tightness in his answer that made you feel bad for asking. Like you were scratching a wound.
“Did you like it? The country I mean.”
“Are you planning a trip?” He sounds a little amused.
“Yeah- well- kind of. It's more a trip in my head right now. I’d like to go there one day. It looks so beautiful.” You sighed closing your eyes trying to imagine the heat on your skin.
“It is." He agrees. "Really humid though.”
“Mm that sounds nice.” You would kill for some warm weather after such a long winter in DC.
“It was too muggy for me at times." He grumbled. "If you do go, stick to the costal areas where it’s more breezy or else you’ll just be sweating the whole time.”
“I don’t mind a little sweat” you shrugged, still thinking of the awful east coast winter you were currently suffering through. The sexual connotation of what you said hit you hard as soon as you heard the statement in its entirety. You felt your face flush again, though the man on the other end would never know.
“I’m learning Spanish!" You announced loudly trying to move the conversation past your awkwardness.
“Wow. Muy impressivo.”
“Si” you replied but after a moment you admit “I don’t really know what you said.”
Frankie laughed loudly on the other end and you couldn’t help but join in, drawing dirty looks from the elderly lady, Donna, working in the cubicle across from you. You ducked your head behind a stack of papers to avoid her glare.
“Fake it till you make it.” He chuckled.
“Maybe you should help me out.” You took on an indigent but still playful tone. “You sound better than duolingo” Your smile widened when he laughed again. His laugh was what you hoped it would be, by all your assumptions from his picture. It was an unencumbered, unburdened, rich sound with only a hit of roughness from the air behind it.
“Tell me you’re not using that dumb app to learn.” he scoffed, saying your name in an almost scolding tone.
“I’m got my thirty day streak today.” You boasted.
“You’ll be a total tourist if you go by duolingo.”
“But the owl is so cute every time I get something right!” You argued your voice taking on a more childish cadence.
“That’s how they trap you, silly girl.” He teased right back. Usually such a condescending nickname would piss you off but something about the affection behind him using it made you feel very differently. You felt warm like you were proud to be silly as long as it made him laugh.
“Then you saved me just in time, Mr. Morales.” You bit your lip. His scoffing and laughter died down on the other end.
“Frankie” He corrects you.
“Frankie…” You repeated it, smiling at how well the nick name suited the voice over the phone. Honest, sincere, and not pretentious at all. Way better than the pompous guys you know with equally stuffy names like “Edward” and “Christopher.”
“So what do you want to know?” Frankie interrupted your thoughts. “Dime”
You started asking him questions in Spanish to the best of your ability. Granted they weren't particularly probing questions. What is your name? What is your favorite color? What is your favorite animal? What's your favorite book? I am reading Gone Girl. He answered them all with patience and amusement, occasionally interrupting you to correct your pronunciation or explain what a word meant. Every time you’d repeat the word back correctly he would say something like “good” or “there you go” or “you got it”. You hated to admit that his kind words and his praise was doing something to you. You didn't even realize you were clenching your legs together unconsciously, almost in anticipation of his next correction or next answer. His low voice so sweet and encouraging against your ear, more tangible when he was speaking Spanish. You just wanted to hear more of it. Would it be this sweet in other situations? Would it get huskier or rougher? If you closed your eyes it was like he was sitting right next to you. It would be all too easy to slip into that daydream and escape the dull office.
Suddenly out of the corner of your drooping eyes you saw a flashing red light on the phone console meaning another caller was waiting.
“Shoot- i’m sorry, Frankie- I have to take this call.” You shot forward in your chair, legs uncrossing.
“Of-Of course. I should let you get back to work.” He sounded a little sad or so you hoped. You felt bad for interrupting him after you both were having so much fun. You wanted to say he could wait on hold but he killed that idea when he said, "I have work too. Technically I'm five minutes past my lunch break."
Your pout turned to a smile. He was spending his precious lunch break with you? Get a grip! you snapped at yourself.
“You’re welcome to call again if you want.” You threw out the offer in a small voice, scared you would be rejected. You peered over the cubicle wall to see if you were still being glared at. Thankfully Donna was away from her desk. Probably out for a smoke. “It’s really boring here and usually no one calls.”
“Maybe I will.” He replied and you could hear the smile behind those words. You felt your heart clench weirdly in your chest like it didn't know how to process the sudden spike in emotions.
“Bye, Frankie.” You beamed.
“Bye”
This time the smile on your face lasted for hours. Frankie’s laugh echoed around in your head, taunting you, sending your mind to the gutter. His voice went from grit to molasses on a dime. You wanted to be the one to bring out those sounds. You wanted to hear his voice bend and stretch and strain as you fucked him. What the hell is wrong with me? you screamed internally. You had never been so depraved and with a stranger no less! You clearly needed to get laid fast because this much yearning would not end well.
Frankie got the second VA check a few days later and this time he didn’t even feel bad about ripping it in half. He was already reaching for the phone to call you.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Tags: Message to be added 💕 no minors please!
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darling-i-read-it · 3 years ago
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May Queen
Pelle x reader
Word Count: 3.7k
Warnings: being indoctored into a cult, murder, suicide, basically the plot of midsommar
Author’s Note: This can be seen as a sequel to ‘Hug’ or it can be read on it’s own!
yeah i was a little excited that you guys wanted this one lol I don’t know if you can tell. I’ve seen this movie enough, it was about time I did something within the events of the film. I also referred to the script so some of the lines will be familiar! I hope you all enjoy!
Requested: by anon, omg your pelle fic wow; would you consider doing a sequel to it that either takes place during the events of the film or just before they arrive at Pelle's commune?
Requested: by anon, I would LOVEEE to see a sequel with pelle cause that was a pretty good fix and I think he deserves a bit more attention, I personally would like to see something happen during the events of the movie just because I think it would be interesting to see but that's just me
I don’t own these characters. They belong to author/director/creator
(not my gif)
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“You think that Pelle asked you to go just because I’m going?” Dani asked, messing with her fingers. You were standing beside your bed, packing your suitcase slowly. Dani had already packed; she didn’t like to be unprepared.
“I don’t know...maybe he thought you would enjoy yourself more.”
“You’re acting like I’m the one who’s been dating him for these couple of months,” she told you. She was sitting on the bed, looking up at you. You nodded a bit, putting another pile of clothes inside.
“I know. I guess I’m just nervous. Meeting his whole group, going to where he grew up. I mean. I really like him. What if I fuck it up?” She shook her head and reached over to grab your arm. You looked her in the eyes.
“He really likes you. I can’t remember the last time Christian looked at me the way that Pelle looks at you.” Her eyes were honest. It made you feel bad. You should have gotten her to break up with Christian when you got the chance. But it was too late now; you were all going to Sweden.
“I suppose you’re right. Per usual.” She smiled weakly.
“Finish packing.”
=======
Pelle almost wanted to tell you about the whole thing. When he was on the plane, it crossed his mind to let you in on the whole scheme of things. The May Queen, the festival, all of it.
But he bit his tongue. That was tradition.
You arrived in Sweden well and took the trek up to where the first stop was. It was beautiful. Truly, it was stunning.
Pelle held your hand the whole way until you arrived at the first spot. There were people around the grassy hills, scattered around. Pelle got out of the car.
“These are other people from America that my friends have brought!” he exclaimed. He gestured to the many people around. You looked around, gazing at the nice afternoon. He grabbed your arm and started to drag you along.
“Hey, don’t rip it off!” you joked and he eased up.
“Sorry, I’m quite excited!” You smiled sweetly at his happiness.
“Me too!” He approached some people and started to introduce them when a man behind you started to yell. You turned around quickly, surprised at the loud noise. Pelle turned around too and his smile only grew.
“If you’ll excuse me,” he said and then ran over to the approaching man. They embraced each other, hugging tightly.
“Everyone, this is my brother Ingemar. Ingemar this is Christian, Dani, Mark, Josh and my girlfriend, Y/N,” Pelle said. Ingemar followed where Pelle pointed, shaking hands with everyone. He paid special attention to you, his smile getting wider. You could tell that he and Pelle were related.
“Nice to meet you all. This is Simon and Connie from London,” he said, gesturing to the others behind him. “Simon and Connie this is Pelle and...all the names I just remembered two seconds ago,” Ingemar said laughing. Simon and Connie said hello. “Perfect timing by the way.”
Ingemar pulled out a bag of mushrooms from his pocket. Your eyes went wide.
“We just took these five minutes ago. Haven’t even started feeling the effects yet,” he explained.
“Oh shit!” Mark said, happily.
“Do you all want to take it now or should we get settled in?” Pelle asked.
“Fuck it, let’s take it now!” Mark said. You weren’t too sure about that. You trusted Pelle and everyone of course but in the new environment...it rubbed you the wrong way. Thankfully, Dani turned to speak to Christian about it.
“I think I want to get settled in first.” Christian was about to speak but you cut him off.
“Me too. You guys go and have fun, we’ll keep each other company,” you said. Pelle turned to you.
“Are you sure? I assure you it’s safe,” he said in a soft voice. You smiled kindly and put a gentle hand on his arm.
“I know! I just wanna get settled. Dani and I can handle ourselves, I promise.” He gave you a longer look, just to check that you were alright and then nodded. You turned back to Dani who grabbed your arm desperately.
“Thank you,” she whispered. You nodded.
“No thank you.”
=====
It wasn’t until the next day, Dani’s birthday, that you were able to get on further. You and Dani played some card games that you had brought with you while you waited for the effects to wear off for everyone else.
Christian came over to sleep beside Dani, still high. Pelle came over to you and braided your hair and then unbraided your hair, making very long sentences that didn’t make sense to whisper in your ear.
But when you arrived at the commune it was bright and sunny. Pelle rushed around, hugging people and introducing you and the group to everyone. You were able to get some blankets to sit on the grass, while everyone got their things together.
There was a group of girls dancing around in circles, wearing all white.
“You should go join,” Pelle suggested, gesturing to you and Dani. She shook her head a bit.
“Oh no, I’m too scared,” Dani said sheepishly. You nodded in agreement.
“Maybe another time.” Christian stood up.
“Hey can I join…” he started turning to Pelle.
“You’re American. Just jam yourself in,” he said. Christian nodded and walked away. “I think I’ll join him,” Simon said and was quickly followed by the rest of the group except you, Pelle and Dani. There was a moment of silence as you watched them go.
“Hey, just real quick,” Pelle said, digging for something in his pocket. He took out two pieces of paper and handed them to you and Dani. You both opened them to reveal gorgeously drawn pictures of yourselves wearing flower crowns. “For you Dani, think of it as a birthday present. For you Y/N, I imagine it’s a thank you present.”
“Oh Pelle,” Dani said. “It’s beautiful, thank you.”
“Thank you for what?” you asked, brushing your finger over it. He smiled and shrugged.
“Just a thank you.”
“Well thank you for it,” you said. “I got Dani a new sweater. Christian forgot.” Pelle raised his eyebrow and you shared a look.
“I forgot to tell him...it’s my fault,” Dani explained. You shook your head.
“I tend to disagree,” you muttered. You folded the picture back up and put it in your pocket. You put your head on Pelle’s shoulders “But I think Christian is rude.”
“Perhaps you are too judgemental,” Pelle mused. “But I tend to agree with you regardless.” You and Dani laughed a bit. “We should probably go and catch up with them in case they get lost.”
=====
You got settled in in one of the large buildings, plenty of beds against the walls. Pelle was on the bed to your right while Dani slept on the one to your left.
“All right, beauty rest! Tomorrow’s a big day!” Pelle announced. You had one of the books you had brought open on your lap but you looked up at him.
“What’s tomorrow?” you asked.
“First of the big cerinomines,” he said mysteriously.
“So you’re just going to be weird and cryptic?” Josh asked, laughing a bit. Pelle pauses and then took Josh's notebook, writing something inside. You made an attempt to look but it was not a word that you recognized.
“What’s that?” Christian questioned. Pelle shrugged and laid down in his bed. You faced him, on the bed beside him.
“What is it?” you whispered to him. He gave you a teasing smile.
“It’s hard to explain.”
“I will come over there and tickle it out of you,” you threatened. He chuckled and turned around so he wasn’t facing you. But he put his arm back behind him, reaching across the space between your two beds.
You grabbed it and rubbed his knuckles anxiously.
=====
There was a very odd breakfast the next day but you tried not to judge. You wanted to really appreciate Pelle’s culture and understand it. He had admired you for your understanding and he knew you would make an effort.
That’s why he chose to love you.
You were the obvious choice.
After that you walked out to a cliffside where most of the people were already out and lined up. You were curious to find complete silence. Everyone was silent as it happened and you were able to do nothing but watch as these two elderly people stood up on top of the cliff.
When the first person, a woman, jumped, you grabbed Pelle, putting your hand in front of your mouth. He grabbed you and wrapped his arms around you but it didn’t change the look of serenity on his face.
Simon was standing next to Ingemar yelling as the man approached the cliffside.
You had your face in Pelle’s arms. You were shaking.
“It is the way of life,” he whispered to you. Simon was still screaming. Another elder was talking to him and you could feel Pelle want to move toward them but he stayed beside you. “It is our way of recycling them and their gifts.”
You pulled away from him and shook your head a bit. You met Dani’s eyes. She wasn’t showing much emotion other than shock. You didn’t blame her.
“They’re dead,” you whispered. He nodded and put his hands on your upper arms.
“And it is an honor to have died that way.” You weren’t sure how to feel. You wanted to be understanding, to try and understand him and his ways. You would want that from him. But he should have prepared you more for that.
You walked over to Dani and walked beside her on the way back to the houses.
=====
“I’m leaving,” Dani said.
“I don’t blame you.” She was already packing a bag. You sat down on your bed, head in your hands. You took a deep breath and leaned back on the bed.
“Are you coming with me?” she asked. Her voice was shaking. She was clearly shaken up by all of this.
“No,” you muttered. “I’m not leaving Pelle yet.”
“Not even after that?” Her voice was quiet but it was urgent. You shook your head a bit.
“I just have to talk to him. He should have warned us more, of course but....it’s what he’s been raised to believe is normal. I don’t think I should think of it as a bad thing.”
“We just watched people die!” You stood up off the bed and put your hands on your upper arms, steading her.
“You can go home and I will not blame you. In the slightest. I just think I should stay longer,” you told her. She nodded solemnly. She took a deep breath in through her nostrils and nodded again.
=====
Before bed that night Pelle approached you. You were standing outside of the bed house, leaning against it to try and clear your thoughts. You almost completely ignored him but in the end you locked eyes with him as he approached.
“I’m sorry I didn’t give you adequate warning,” he said sympathetically. He grabbed your hand and held it. “I thought you would understand but I know now that it was wrong of me to assume.” You shook your head quickly.
“I understand it was just...a shock,” you muttered. He nodded and kissed your forehead softly.
“You are completely safe here. I want you to know that.” He looked you in the eyes when he said it. You believed him. You nodded back and gestured to the house.
“Let’s get some shut eye huh? And maybe warn me if we see another person...you know.” You made a slicing gesture across your neck. He laughed gently and nodded, placing a hand on the small of your back and leading you inside.
=====
Dani walked up to you, still distraught but less so. You were standing beside Pelle the next day as he kneeled in front of the ground picking some vegetables. You turned to her as she walked up, ready to handle whatever she was about to throw at you.
“Hey,” you said, taking the step away from Pelle and toward her.
“Hi. Did you see Simon left without Connie?” she asked. You raised an eyebrow and shook your head.
“Seriously? What a dick.” She clearly felt a little bit off put by it so you lowered your voice. “You think it’s weird?” Dani nodded a bit.
“I don’t know...it’s a little weird. They seemed so close.” You nodded. They did seem close.
“I don’t know...something to keep in mind I suppose.” She nodded quickly in agreement.
======
Dinner that night was simple pastries. You were pleased. The last food they had given you wasn’t your kind of taste. You sat between Pelle and Dani again.
“Have you seen Connie?” Dani asked you quietly. You shook your head.
“Excuse me but I know what happened,” a man sitting beside Mark said. “Her boyfriend called the landline from the train station. She begged us to drive her so we took her down to the station.” You nodded slowly, glancing at Pelle. He shrugged, seemingly in agreement.
“Why would Simon leave without her?” you asked quietly.
“I can see you doing that,” Dani muttered at Christian. You wanted to laugh so you turned to Pelle, sneaking a smile. He shrugged with a smile on his face also.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Christian asked.
“Nevermind.”
“You wouldn’t do that,” Pelle said quietly, so only you could hear. You ate a bite of the pastry proudly.
“You’re damn right.”
======
One of the important books was stolen that night. They announced it at breakfast.
“Where is your friend Josh?” one of the elders asked, after breakfast. You, Christian, Dani and Pelle all stood in front of the two elders, caught like a deer in headlights.
“I know. We have no idea,” Christian said.
“He and your other friend disappear in the same day. You understand how that looks.”
“Yes obviously, but we swear to you we are not a part of this,” Christian said. Dani shuffled a bit.
“We did see Mark go off with one of the girls last night,” she said.
“Which girl?”
“Inga,” Pelle said.
“But Mark wouldn’t have done this. Josh, though, he came to bed with us, and when we woke up, he was gone. And if he did take that book, I just pray you understand we do not identify as friends of his, or collaborators, or anything. I certainly don't vouch for him and we'd be so embarrassed to be connected to this in any way,” Christian explained.
“I feel responsible,” Pelle said. The elders nodded a bit.
“Well you and Odd can go looking. Perhaps you can redeem them,” one of the elders said. You didn’t want Pelle to leave. You didn’t like it when you were separated here. You believed him when he said you were safe but...it was still a little odd. “You two will be going with the women for the day’s activity,” he said to you and Dani. “And Siv asks to see you in her house,” she said to Christian.
You glanced at Pelle as he left. He grabbed your hand and squeezed it, almost saying ‘do well!’.
=====
You and Dani got dressed in white shirts with flower crowns. It made you a tad bit nervous but at least you had her.
She gestured to the drink they were handing out. Cups had been given to both of you to drink it.
“Can I ask what’s in this?” Dani asked one of the girls.
“It’s...tea for the dancing competition.” You raised an eyebrow but took a glass anyway. Dani looked back at you and you shrugged.
“I’ll beat you,” you muttered.
“Try me.”
You both took drinks of the tea.
Your head became fuzzy the second it hit your throat. You hadn’t taken those drugs before hand and you almost didn’t want to do it now but it was already done. Your feet were moving along with the girls, tossing bodies left and right it felt like.
You lost sight of Dani very quickly.
You were running and jumping and laughing until the elder lady yelled to stop then you kept dancing.
Dancing, dancing, dancing, dancing.
Dancing.
It seemed to go on forever. Your mind was hazed, your head hurt, your glances were so quick they gave you whiplash. You were smiling brightly when they announced they were down to the final eight. You finally saw Dani again, in the eight with you.
All of the fallen dancers had sat off on the side. You saw Christian, looking hilariously out of place. And Pelle.
Your heart swelled with love for Pelle. You could barely know anything else for a moment as you stared at him.
You couldn’t see it but in that moment, Dani believed she learned how much she hated Christian.
Then more dancing.
People were speaking and then it was just you and Dani, holding hands, dancing around in a circle, tired and out of breath. She stared at you and a smile went over her face as she held your hand.
And then she tripped. You stopped dancing and someone ran up to you, putting their hands on your shoulder.
“It’s over?” you asked.
“You are our May Queen!” they yelled. You were still hazzed. Each face looked the same. The people running up to you were strangers but you felt nothing but warmth for them. They placed a different flower crown atop your head.
Pelle ran up to you smiling brightly.
“Wow! May Queen, my love!” he said, giving you a strong kiss, both his hands resting on your cheeks. You were smiling brightly and then he was gone. You didn’t want him to go.
They carried you on a platform to a dinner table where you sat at the head, Dani beside you and Pelle on the other side as usual.
One of the elders stood at the end of the dinner.
“Now it is traditional for the May Queen to bless our crops and livestock. And after the luck you just inherited from that salt herring, we should all be doubly encouraged.” You looked around nervously.
“Can Pelle come with me?”
“No. The Queen must ride alone.”
You were starting to come to your own and realize how crazy this all was. How did you get here? How would you get out of here? You found yourself hoping you didn’t get out of here though. This felt like home. Some form of home. As you walked to the carriage you saw a glimpse of the pride on Pelle’s face.
It made you immensely happy.
======
They made you do a ritual in Swedish and you did your best with the limited knowledge of the language you knew. You went to Siv’s house, where she blessed you. You wondered where Dani was. You hoped she was alright. You should have let her become the May Queen. You should have let her win, just so you knew she was alright.
The women left you alone for only a moment where they ushered Pelle into the house with all of the beds where you were. He was still smiling that bright smile as he rushed up to you, hugging you tightly to him.
“You have no idea the amount of honor and pride you have brought to me. I am so very proud of you,” he said, cupping your cheeks. You tried not to get too flustered with your smile in return.
“So I get my picture up on that wall?” you questioned. He nodded pleasantly.
“Yes you will!” He kissed you passionately and you let him, allowing him to dip you a bit. “And you will be allowed to stay here, with the family.”
You didn’t even react. You didn’t feel the need to.
“With you?”
“Yes of course. You will be mine and I will be yours.”
You nodded happily.
“Where is Dani?” you asked.
“She is alright, she’s with the other women preparing. She is also going to stay.” You wanted to laugh of joy with that. “It is time for the final of the ceremonies,” he told you. “You will finally be able to give Christian what you think he deserves, if you wish it.”
He placed an even larger flower crown atop your head.
“And a dress as well, to fit a Queen.”
He gestured to the large flower dress in the room you hadn’t even noticed. He kissed you once more.
“It is time for the final ceremony. I’ll help you put on the dress. Are you ready?” he asked. He looked at you patiently. You nodded.
“Yes, I am.”
587 notes · View notes
slightlymore · 4 years ago
Text
my soulmate loves wine
part of the ‘soulmates collection’
Tumblr media
doyoung x fem reader
others: jaemin, jeno 
genre: one-shot, soulmates au, enemies? to lovers, romance, smut, fluffy tones, phone chat (there are pics of the conversation) 
warnings: tarot readings, alcohol, swearing, insults, explicit sex scenes (oral f and m, penetration, protected and unprotected - seriously, have unprotected sex only with people you trust. if you will have unprotected sex with strangers, i will manifest in the room and besides it being absolutely embrarrassing for you, i will also smack your heads together and call you stupid - bondage, rough, spanking, hair pulling, spit swallowing, slight breeding kink, use of 'slut', dom doyoung,  sub doyoung, overstimulation f and m, edging f and m, dry humping, wet humping, mouth fucking, cum swallowing, slight exhibitionism, f solo, m solo, phone sex), doyoung has a big cock too lmao (in all of my own personal readings I always get that my soulmate has a big cock for no reason and I thought it was a funny detail)
words: 17K
tag list:  @seostudios @doyochii @doodlingpizza @eboyhyunjunreblogs​ @mina-is-babie @sorrywonwoo @peterrogers15 @delphiskpoporacle @waffletaeng @wownajaemin @shimyshimykoko @doyoung-onli @chxb03 @strawberrymilkandcigarettes @hyucksie​ @neonun-au​ @cumtrov3rsy​ 
_____
January 1st 2:23 am 
And if he's not my soulmate, I'd rather wander alone than touching someone else's skin, I'd rather walk this earth with no hand to hold and lift me from the ground. And if I have to heal from it and accept the universe's imposed call, I'd rather suffer from my eternally open wounds. I'll fight the stars and let them burn me, I'll let them laugh at my weakest state and I'd gladly make them erase my memory of ever existing in all of the infinite lives if I have to follow Fate. 
Doyoung felt the golden letters on the book cover in front of him and raised his eyes when he heard the crystal curtain move. 
“I wouldn’t open it if I were you.” 
A middle-aged woman was smiling at him, walking towards the table Doyoung and Jaemin were sat at. 
The room became even darker but a certain comfort engulfed Doyoung when she smiled. 
“I’ve never seen a book with a poem on the cover instead of a title.” 
“A dear friend of mine made it.” 
Her expression was calm and peaceful when she eyed the book and put her hand on it, pulling it towards herself. 
“It’s beautiful,” Doyoung looked at the worn bordeaux leather. “What’s inside?” 
“I’m glad you like it. And that’s-,” she leaned in mysteriously, “-a secret.” 
As she spoke, a little candle lit up between them and the boys both flinched. 
“Wow,” Jaemin whispered. 
Doyoung blinked at the woman then chuckled once, laughing mostly at himself for being so jumpy for no reason. That place was made to look creepy but he reminded himself that it was only a facade. 
“I’m here for a reading.” Her gaze was piercing and Doyoung realized that she hadn’t stopped looking at him since she entered the room. 
“There’s a certain resistance on your part.” Doyoung tried not to snort. “Well…” I don’t believe in these sorts of things, he wanted to say, but Jaemin suddenly laughed, slamming his palm on the table and making a decent amount of colourful stones jingle on the glass table. 
Doyoung sighed. “Sorry, my friend is very drunk.” 
“You’re also drunk as fuck,” the other pointed his finger to the first’s face, poking him in the nose as he couldn’t keep his balance. 
The woman smiled kindly as if unbothered to suddenly have two obnoxious young men trying to get a reading at two in the morning.  “This is going to be a love reading. We’ll see what the Spirit wants to tell you about your soulmate.” “Actually, I’m here for a general one? Like, I don’t know-,” Doyoung tried to find his words and looked at Jaemin. “Money and sex?” the younger one suggested before they could have another laughter fit for no apparent reason. The woman kept the corner of her lips lifted as she retrieved a beautiful tarot deck. “Would you blow on this please?” Jaemin tried to open his eyes. “Blow? Of course. Doyoung is good at blowing.” Doyoung hit him with the shoulder. “Shut the fuck up. We’ll get kicked out if you continue,” he whispered amused. Or at least he tried to whisper. The boys kept giggling for a few more moments then got serious as they eyed the spread of cards in front of them. 
The woman nodded and smiled. 
Doyoung blinked at the lady then at the cards. 
"There's mystery and magic attached to this connection. The universe wants this to be a surprise. You’ve been manifesting a lot, haven’t you?” 
The young man felt suddenly very awake. 
“Uhm, no.” 
“It’s okay if you’re not honest with me. The Spirit can see your true feelings. It’s saying that if you needed a confirmation that this is real, then here it is.”
Doyoung stared at her nail, tapping at the card and wondered how many years of training she needed to be able to read people like that since he was sure that that piece of paper could not be able to tell her anything. 
Relaxing on his chair he tried to put on the most neutral expression ever then nodded. 
Okay, it meant. Go on. 
“King of cups. Your soulmate is very in touch with their emotions. They’re going to teach you how to open up more since it’s difficult for you to express what you’re feeling.” Doyoung tightened his lips before he could wrongfully deny it. On his left, Jaemin was already sleeping with his head on the table.
_____
January 1st 2:23 pm 
"Will we know right away that we're each other's soulmate?" 
The Lady smiled and nodded at your widened and curious eyes. 
"You have an intense soul connection. Also, you’ll know right away because sex-,” You gulped. “-is going to be the best you’ve ever had in your whole life. He’s a very fiery person and is quite domineering, I can tell it from the King of swords. He wants to dominate you in bed, maybe pull your hair? You love it. And he definitely loves your body, especially legs and chest. He worships you and he will put you on a pedestal.” 
You felt your face warm up so you put your palms on your cheeks, trying hard to process all of that information. 
The woman continued after a little giggle to herself. “He can come off a little cocky. He thinks he’s very good in bed thanks to his natural attributes but that’s just because he’s a little insecure. Maybe consider reassuring him that he’s making you feel good?” 
Your mouth was dry and you automatically nodded. 
“Wait, what do you mean with- uh-- with natural attributes?”
_____
Sometime in June 
“Did you hear about the guy accused of stealing because it looked like he had something in his pocket while in reality, it was his 10 inches monster?” Jaemin asked before laughing like a supervillain, head thrown back on the couch cushions, splattering spit all over Doyoung who was sitting near him with furrowed eyebrows as he tried to find a good movie to watch. 
“Yeah, it was me,” Doyoung replied with a monotone voice. 
“Oh? Doyoung made a joke? I guess I might say that you’re-- cocky?” 
Doyoung chuckled even if he tried not to. 
“Okay, since you’re in a good mood-,” the other clapped his hands once. “No.” “You don’t even know what I wanted to ask you!” Jaemin whined. “I’m busy.” “You don’t do anything all day.” “I have to take care of my monster cock-” Jaemin slapped Doyoung’s mouth to cover it. “It hurts,” he mumbled. 
“Listen. Next Sunday you’ll accompany me at the opening of a new winery. You don’t have to do anything besides be pretty and drink wine while I try to get between one of the associates’ legs.” “I knew it had to do with pussy.” “She invited me! It’s not like I can refuse. I’ve had a crush on her ever since I met her at that work meeting.” “You mean a few days ago?” “Love has no stages.” “Why do I have to come with you?” “I have two invitations. Drinking expensive wine for free? Hello? I’m doing you a favour," he spoke quickly and dramatically, clicking his fingers. “You need three invitations, for me and my co--ahi!” Doyoung giggled after Jaemin smacked him with a cushion.
_____
You had no idea you’d be having backseat sex that day and honestly, you felt highly unprepared. 
Black ripped jeans and a leather jacket, the most basic outfit one guy could have on, yet you were salivating and for once it was not because of the pizza Jeno was handing you. 
“Uhm, Houston?” he clicked his fingers in front of your face then looked into the direction you were looking. 
“The guy on the right?” he asked without batting an eye. “How did you know?” you turned your head suddenly to face him and he put the slice of pizza inside of your open mouth. Then he rolled his eyes. 
“He’s completely your type.” "I want to fuck him."
Jeno raised one eyebrow and you suddenly realized what you've just said. 
"No. I meant-," "Hey! Guy with the rabbit mask!" Jeno suddenly yelled at the group of boys sitting on the grass in front of you. "What the fuck are you doing? Are you stupid?" you pulled his arm down. "My friend here said that she wants to f-," you slammed a hand on his mouth before he could finish. "I'm going to kill you," you whispered as Jeno started to giggle. 
The Rabbit boy looked at you for a little while, tilting his head to the side, but then turned his back to you. He probably didn't hear anything and thought that you were all drunk. 
“What the fuck was that?” you whispered. 
Jeno sighed. “Y/N. You’re too shy. If you want to fuck a guy just go and do it."
You scoffed. “I’m too shy? I am not shy. I can fuck whoever I want.” “Yeah? Then fuck the Rabbit.” 
You crossed your arms on your chest and put your tongue in your cheek. 
“Can’t do it huh?” Jeno teased you. "I can. And I will." "I bet you can't." "I bet I will."
_____
“I’ll be honest with you. I’m here because of a bet.” The Rabbit had a gulp of beer as if girls with a Moon mask approached him with bet talk every day. Then he giggled. 
“Sorry, your mask is ridiculous.” 
You rolled your eyes even if he couldn’t see it. 
Okay, he was a douche. Did you still want to fuck him though? Yes. 
“What’s the bet about?” he inquired. 
You straightened your lips in a tight line, the sound of your pulse almost audible in the silence of the parking lot. 
“MyfriendsaidthatIwouldn’tbeabletofuckyoubecauseI’mshyandIwanttoprovetohimthatI’mnot.” 
You spitted everything out thanks to the gigantic amounts of wine you had that night and found yourself panting a little when you were done. A little voice inside your head was screaming that it was dangerous and highly inappropriate for you to behave like that but you shrugged internally and hit it in the face.
“What?” the dude asked after a beat. 
You sighed. “MyfriendsaidthatIw-” “Okay, okay,” he raised his palms, “hold up. Talk slowly? Your friend what?” “Myfriendsaid-” “Can you just talk slowly, please?” 
“Nevermind,” you turned your back to him and walked away. 
“Mooney, come back here.” 
You stopped. “How did you just call me?”
The guy straightened his back and laughed under his mask. “If you want to fuck me, at least try and seduce me first.” “Aren’t you already under my spell if you’re so eager to keep going on with this conversation?” you found yourself saying. He shrugged. “I’m just bored. And don’t you want to win that bet? I guess you’re actually shy and your friend was right.” You scoffed. “I’m not gullible. You won’t make me do things only because you told me that I can’t.” “You’re here doing a thing only because your friend told you that you can’t. How is that not being gullible?” “It’s not being gullible if I’m here with that as an excuse when in reality I want to fuck you on the backseat, Rabbit.” 
You couldn’t see his face but you knew he was smiling as he opened the car’s door and with a dramatic gesture he invited you in. 
You walked in front of him slowly, asking yourself what the fuck you were actually doing, and he was quick to follow you inside. 
It was dark and warm and you decided to lie to yourself that the trembling sigh that escaped your lips was because you’ve been feeling cold before and not because you felt the Rabbit’s hands on your waist. You let him pull you in his lap and his palms slowly brushed your goosebumpy thighs first, then your torso, hovering over your breasts before they could grab your mask and take it away. You were breathing through your mouth and you desperately needed to see his expression upon seeing your face. With trembling fingers, you pulled the little white rabbit down and his eyes made an appearance first forcing you to inhale sharply. Masks slipping on the side, you both took in the view of each other. He did not speak a word and you didn’t either. 
“Do-,” you started unsurely, “do we know each other? Have we met before?” 
He blinked at you and you could tell he was as confused as you were. “I don’t think so,” he whispered and you finally realized how close he was. 
Like a switch, when you moved he moved as well and you roughly hit your mouths together, his hands cupping your ass and your fingers curling in his hair. It was so fast and almost painful the way you embraced each other that you wondered just how horny some wine could make you become. He grunted as you suddenly bit his neck and just that sound made your blood boil. You knew how and where to touch him and when his fingers got underneath your dress it seemed like he knew your weak spots as well. You let go of his neck and grabbed his head as your nipples disappeared inside his mouth. His lips were cold just like his touch and it made you shiver.
_____
Doyoung noticed you the exact moment you walked onto the lawn. 
Your legs were bare and he wondered why Jaemin dragged him to such a weird party. 
“Just buy whatever,” the younger said behind a black ominous mask while examining himself in the mirror. 
Doyoung hummed pensively and grabbed the white Rabbit. 
“I wanted that one too but since I’m going to see the associate lady tonight again, I thought that something less stupid would be better,” commented Jaemin.  
“So you think this is stupid?” 
“It goes well with your vibe. Buy it,” he wiggled his eyebrows and for once Doyoung just sighed and shrugged. 
“Ah come on, why are you not in a good mood tonight? We’ll have free food and alcohol tonight then free food and wine tomorrow.” 
“I really don’t feel like coming. It makes no sense to throw a party before a party. I can’t believe you tricked me into coming to two parties.” 
It was Jaemin’s turn to shrug. “These people have been travelling through all of Europe and shit. It’s their version of an afterparty. Like a rave. But it’s before the actual party and it’s on grass, with masks on and at 5 pm. You have to come.” "So there's going to be classical music and tea?" 
The cashier ringed their items quickly and Jaemin took out his wallet to pay.   “Why do you even get invited to all of these events?” Doyoung went on and added a pack of mints too. Jaemin smirked. “She likes me a lot, huh? Can’t wait to taste that sweet juicy pussy.” The cashier cleared her throat and was quick to dismiss them with her rightfully dry “have a good day”. “I just think she’s trying to gather customers for her wine. Don’t get your hopes up.” “She’ll want to gift me her wine after I’ll make her boun-”
Doyoung was so ready to accept an evening of him wandering around a party full of strangers talking in god knows what languages while his friend got it wet that when you pressed yourself on his crotch, nibbling at his neck and exhaling so deeply, he felt lightheaded. 
You were with another guy and Doyoung watched you sit down on the cushions behind his group of friends. Your nude legs got even nuder as your white dress shifted up exposing your thighs. A sudden urge to spread them invaded his mind and he had to do something with his hands instead. 
“Hey, guy with the rabbit mask!” 
Doyoung turned his head around right in time to see you smack the dude on the face. 
“Did that guy just tell you that his friend wants to fuck you?” Jaemin inquired with a giggle. Doyoung wondered how Jaemin could hear something like that at such a distance. 
“I guess?” he agreed though. “And I want to fuck her too,” he heard himself add.  
Jaemin’s mask looked as shocked as his expression underneath it. 
“Why are you so bold all of a sudden? No, I mean, yes! Fuck her.” 
Doyoung shook his head to get rid of the imaginary fog. “I was joking. Why are you getting so worked up?” 
But when Jaemin finally disappeared suddenly, presumably to drink some wine with his lady, Doyoung could physically feel your eyes on his back as he walked down the hill towards the parking lot. 
Your steps were light and you’d stop when he’d stop, unsuccessfully hiding behind the tall bushes of roses. 
As he unlocked his car with a high toned beep, he leaned on the side of it and waited for you to approach him. A giggle left his chest when he saw you trying to find him in the middle of all of those cars. 
“I am here,” he announced and you jolted. 
Turning around you eyed him and stopped in place then took a timid step, then another until only a few separated you from him. 
“I’ll be honest with you. I’m here because of a bet.” 
You looked airy just like the moon on your mask and he thought you were adorable swinging your body weight from one foot to another like that. 
“Sorry, your mask is-,” adorable, “-ridiculous. What’s the bet about?” 
“My friend said that I wouldn’t be able to fuck you because I’m shy and I want to prove to him that I’m not.” 
You were so bold that Doyoung felt his air miss from his lungs. 
You slurred your words on purpose and he tried hard to pretend that he didn’t understand just to hear you say that you wanted him to fuck you again. 
“What?” he asked.
You sighed. “MyfriendsaidthatIw-” “Okay, okay,” he raised his palms, “hold up. Talk slowly? Your friend what?” “Myfriendsaid-” “Can you just talk slowly, please?” “Nevermind.” 
Fuck. 
“Mooney, come back here.” 
The air rustled with energy and he completely missed everything besides “I want to fuck you on the backseat” part and he had no idea how you got into the car and how he got you on his legs. 
But now there you were, soft in his arms. 
And when you took away your mask his head got drilled by a thousand questions. Your eyes, mirroring his expression as you slid his mask down, told him that you were thinking the same thing. Like two magnets you collided in a heated kiss and your scent was so familiar that Doyoung sighed when you let his lips go to breathe.
_____
Finally, finally, finally, your mind was chanting as the Rabbit moulded your body with his hands. 
Your mind became mush so quickly that it was honestly embarrassing when you realized that you were riding his hardened cock. His lips on your neck seemed amused and after a moment he took away his fingers from your body, leaning back and watching you from under heavy lids. 
You bit your lower lip and stopped with a certain difficulty, the burning sensation between your legs already boiling inside your veins. 
"Go on." 
His voice was sultry and raspy and your body reacted to it as if under a spell. 
Your fingers on his shoulders deepened their hold and you closed your eyes for a brief moment before opening them again. 
"Come on. Go on. Doesn't it feel good?" 
He cooed, dragging one single finger across your bust, between your breasts and down on your stomach. His eyes wouldn't let a single expression of yours escape them. 
"It would feel better if you fucked me."
The light in his irises twinkled. 
"But I like to see you like this," he said before leaning in and letting his breath caressing your ear. "Desperate." 
His voice was like a hiss and your skin shivered with goosebumps. You felt his open mouth on your nude shoulder, slowly going towards your clavicle and you extended your neck up to welcome him. 
"Go on," he ordered again and your hips snapped, rolling on him, feeling the way your panties got pulled up as he slid his hands under your dress and twirled the sides around his fingers. It was frustrating as intoxicating and soon enough the windows of his car became misty from your heavy breaths. 
"I hate this," you whined and he chuckled. "I can see that."
Almost completely lost in your foggy mind you jolted at a sudden snap and you stopped your motions just to see him slide your panties from between your legs and throw them to the front. 
With a single pull, he pushed your now raw pussy on his clothed cock while his hands spread your ass, guiding your movements. 
"Fuck," you gasped, feeling the rough material on your sensitive skin and it didn't take you a lot to go over the edge with fingers curled inside his hair and mouths open against each other. He drank your shaking moans, then without giving you a second to remember where you were, his arms wrapped your torso and pushed you under his weight. Your feet stopped on the window as you yelped and you desperately wanted to call his name when you felt his tongue lap at your wetness. His fingers were tightly wrapped around your thighs and when you moaned a few times in a row, your back arching and your body squirming in his hold, he palmed your stomach and pressed you down again.
_____
You looked like every sex dream Doyoung has ever had. 
Arms thrown around your head, chest rising and falling, your sweet whimpers and soft skin, it drove him crazy. Your thighs pressing on the side of his head felt like everything he has ever wanted but wasn’t aware of. 
Mine mine mine all mine. A weird possession sentiment swept him away and when he looked up at your fucked up expression he felt like shivering. With a plop he let your clit go and kept pumping his fingers inside of you, curling them right where you wanted him to, kissing your navel, licking your under breasts, sucking the skin in until it probably hurt, then sucking on your nipples, and finally on your lower lip. He wanted to see your face when you’d cum all over his fingers and when you gasped, wrapping his torso with your arms and trying to hide your face into the crook of his neck, he grabbed your chin and made you look at him. Your eyelids fluttered as he heard you swear multiple times and as he felt you clench so deliciously that he couldn’t wait to feel it around his aching cock instead. He wanted to rest a bit, maybe put his head on your soft chest and listen to your heartbeats but you were a stranger and you were hooking up in his car. So he sat on his knees between your legs instead, panting as if he were the one who just came, and he let his eyes trail on your naked body, licking his lower lip when he reached your wet core. He would have wanted to smear all of that on himself but he reached his jacket instead and took a condom out.  
“Why do boys always carry a condom with them? You never know when you’d end up fucking?” 
“Actually, when we carry a condom we never fuck and when we don’t have it we have the opportunity to fuck.” 
“Well, today you’re lucky,” you smirked and he loved the way you tried to hide away your embarrassment with banter. 
“Do you still want to do this?” he palmed your knee.
“Yes,” you nodded. “You didn’t cum.” 
“You don’t have to worry about that. Do you want it?” 
Doyoung wondered what kind of expression he had on to make you light up so much. 
You bit your lower lip and sat up suddenly, getting on your knees as well and turning around with a certain difficulty. 
“Yes,” you said again and bent over. 
Doyoung choked at the view and wondered what country he had saved in his previous life to deserve all of that.  
_____
You dreamt about opening a winery probably since you tasted wine for the first time. 
You loved it. 
Sour, sweet, bitter, flowery, fruity, still and frizzy, you loved it all. 
People thought you were crazy and no one supported you until you met your best friend in university. 
“Are you kidding? I’d love to open a winery with you.” 
The classroom was well lit and she looked like an angel against the sunny windows. 
You looked at her with wide eyes. “Really?” 
She hit your arm playfully. “Of course! I love wine and that sounds like a very cool idea.” 
“Look, I’m actually very serious about this so if you’re saying this just to-,”
She took your hands and looked into your eyes. “Me too. We’ll do it. I promise.” 
Now, years later you were looking around at the freshly painted venue and couldn’t believe your eyes. 
You did it. 
Tall ceilings and shelves full of your blood and sweat, you walked around slowly, one finger to gently tap on the various displayed bottles. 
“Hey, hey, no touching. We’ve cleaned them up and they have to shine.” 
Your friend appeared on your side and you smiled. Her dress was sleeveless and you made a face touching her arms. 
“Have you been working out girl? What are these?” 
She snapped her head down to look at herself. “I guess… uhm, it’s all of the exercises… uhm that I do.” 
You took her sudden panic for embarrassment and cackled. “With the party guy?”
“Who?” 
“Jaemin you said?” “Oh yeah! Yeah, we’re quite active, aha.” 
“Well, to get those arms you might have done a lot of hardcore BDSM.” You laughed but your friend looked rather mortified. 
“Aw, come on,” you gently elbowed her. “I also fucked the guy from yesterday,” you added to make her feel better. And she lit up so much at the news that she almost knocked over the bottles in front of you. 
“And you tell me now? How did it go?” “Well, I guess. I don’t really want to think about it though. I don’t think I’m into hookups.”
_____
Doyoung didn't like hookups but when he stepped inside the winery's main hall and saw your legs again and the way your ass was wrapped in that short dress he desperately wanted to bury his cock in it. 
"Not bad, huh?" Jaemin smiled at the waiter welcoming them with glasses of wine, before looking up at the nicely decorated venue. 
"Yeah, not bad at all," Doyoung murmured as you turned around and he considered fucking your breasts too. 
Then he cleared his throat as he took a glass of wine as well, feeling his neck warming up. He looked around as he sipped, suddenly conscious of people as if they could read his horny mind. At that moment, with his body acting up as if possessed, he wondered if the wine didn’t have some sort of aphrodisiac in it. 
“Do you also feel a little funny?” Doyoung placed down the wine and reached for his tie to loosen it up. 
Jaemin glanced over him and promptly looked down. “Uh-oh. Do we have an emergency?” he started to laugh and Doyoung closed his eyes briefly before opening them and turning around towards the buffet. 
“Heh, did that girl do something to you? You were so upset when she left without saying anything.” 
“It was just a hookup,” Doyoung murmured trying to understand what kind of food he was staring at. 
“An amazing hookup if you get like this upon seeing her.” 
“Not for her I guess.” 
“So you are upset. Cupid worked hard last night,” he elbowed his friend. 
“Give me a break. You’re also crushing on your lady.” 
“Also? Kim Doyoung, are you crushing on the winery girl?”
He shook his head quickly putting a pastry in his mouth to have an excuse to not speak. Jaemin lightly hit him and Doyoung hit him back like kids in third grade when suddenly the lights became dimmer and you spoke into a mic.
_____
“Hey, have you seen Jeno?” you asked your friend after finishing your introductory discourse and let people finally get wasted as they wanted to. “Who?” “Jeno? The guy I’m always hanging out with? He should have been here by now but I don’t see him anywhere.” 
Your friend made a perplexed face and you sighed. “You’re right. You’ve never met him before. You’re both my best friends so I always forget that you’ve never seen each other.” 
“Well, I kinda know how he looks like, so if I see him then-,”
"So you stole my money,” a sudden voice at your back interrupted you and you turned around to lock eyes with none other than the Rabbit. 
He was so good looking that you felt the urge to kiss him, yet his mocking face made you so irrationally mad that you felt like slapping him too. 
You put your hands on your hips and raised your chin. "Proof?"
You were still panting last evening trying hard to stop shaking from your third orgasm in a row. The Rabbit did a lot of things to you and you wondered why you didn’t hook up with strangers more often if that was the outcome. His wallet was on the seat in front of you and for a split second, you smiled wondering if he carried a family photo in it. His back looked very broad as he stood outside the car and presumably tried to make himself pee with a half-hard penis but probably failing. A sudden voice startled you and Doyoung replied to it. You quickly pulled down your dress and eyed the ripped panties on the steering wheel. Shit. You tried to grab them but the dude talking to Doyoung took a few steps closer so you retreated. "Fucked her good just like you planned?" Your face scrunched in a pout and you suddenly found yourself very upset. Doyoung didn't reply anything but you weren't sure that he didn't make a face. It was a good night. You had fun and a good-looking dude made you cum. You fucked him good just like you planned too. Then why did you feel a little used? Maybe you weren’t acquainted with the hookup culture, or maybe deep down you hoped that the sudden attraction you felt for the Rabbit was magical, but suddenly you felt very weird and a wave of disgust invaded you. 
He was definitely not your soulmate and you should just get out of there. 
You opened the door slowly on your side, quietly looking over your shoulder to make sure that they wouldn’t hear you. Feet on the ground you eyed the wallet again and you opened it. Not to check his family photo as you previously wanted to, but to get all of his cash. You swallowed a chuckle and ran away up the hill back to the restaurant’s garden.
He scoffed. "You’re a terrible thief. I make you cum and you steal from me?" 
"You look like a rich guy. You deserved it. Also, you ripped my panties."
"And you liked it."
You clenched your jaw. "It wasn't even good sex."
His jaw's muscles flinched too. "You probably couldn't walk properly."
"Yeah, because of the cramped car not because of your cock." 
"I think you have a loss of memory all of a sudden. Do I have to remind you how my cock feels like?" 
"Sure. Then I will be able to say to your face that it doesn’t feel good.”
_____
"Fuck, it feels so fucking good."
Dragging you by the wrist, Doyoung shoved you in the first room he found and pressed you against the cold wall. 
"I can't believe I'm about to have sex in the rosés showroom," you spoke with a breathy voice and when Doyoung pressed his open lips on yours you realized that you didn’t even know his name. 
One thing is hooking up with a dude in his car while drunk, another thing is choosing to fuck him consciously on the opening of your new business and completely sober. 
Although, when he started to kiss your jaw and neck, his tongue slowly creeping out and tickling your nerves, your mind felt so hazy that you wondered if you somehow had something to drink already and couldn’t remember. 
Didn’t you hate the guy just a few moments ago?
“Do you really have to wear these dresses and drive me insane?” he whispered on your lips as his hands pulled up the dress in question. 
You wanted to reply with something smartass but honestly, you chose that dress with him in mind. 
Somehow, while browsing your closet for the big day, your mind could not stop thinking about the Rabbit boy. Your mixed feelings towards him confused you and you'd go on weird tangents of complete hatred and high adoration thinking about his face between your legs. 
Certain that he’d come to the opening too, you carefully wore each piece of clothing you had, looking at yourself in the mirror and imagining he was the one looking at you through your eyes. Would he like the split on your thigh? Or would he like the way the dress accentuated your breasts more? Without realizing your hands were on your bust going up slowly, gently kneading your soft skin, cupping your boobs and flicking your nipples. Then one moved on your stomach, then on your thigh and just like that you started to moan. 
And you were moaning at that moment too as the Rabbit lightly caressed your clit with the tip of his cock. You pushed your hips towards him to get more and he pushed you back into the wall, one hand reaching for your mouth and slipping the thumb on your tongue. You twirled it around his digit and sucked, lightly choking when he reached farther and choking again when you finally felt his cock fill you up too. 
“You have to be quiet, Y/N.” 
Your name on his lips made you tremble. 
He probably heard it during the welcoming discourse or read it on the pamphlets and the fact that he knew it and you didn’t know his one, made you feel vulnerable in a pleasant way. 
Or maybe it was the way his hand gripped the softness of your thigh, keeping it up on his hip, or maybe his own hips pushing inside of you that made you feel like turning into mush. 
“Will you be quiet for me or am I fucking you too good?” he took away his finger and you gasped for air, your whines getting louder. 
“As I thought,” he mocked you. “It wasn’t even good sex, she said.” 
You bit your lower lip and hid your face into the crook of his neck but he pulled you away, cupping your cheek. “You have to look at me. I want to see this pretty face when you cum.”
Your eyes fluttered as his cock basically decided to rearrange your guts and you dug your fingers into his shoulders with a teeth-gritted moan. 
“Are you close, baby?” You nodded breathlessly, the sudden pet-name just making it impossible for you to not beg to make you cum.
“You want me to make you cum?” 
You nodded again. “Gonna cum- so hard-,” 
The Rabbit thrust a few times more into you and suddenly pulled out. 
You gasped as if mortally offended but unable to move a muscle. 
"I don't think so."
His smirk made you swallow your own spit and he held your waist when he took a step back after letting your leg down. 
“Hey! Come on!” 
Dragging you away just like before he made you walk towards the party hall. His iron grip made it impossible for you to just go away and finish yourself and honestly, it would have been quite pathetic. 
You moved as if drunk, fingers visibly shaking and mind clouded in the middle of the crowd.
"Fuck, I'll make you pay for this." 
He smiled at you and intertwined his fingers with yours before lifting both of your hands and placing a kiss on your knuckles. 
"Yes darling, I've already paid last time," he replied as a few curious people looked your way and saw just a random couple chatting peacefully. 
You took a deep breath and tried to smile unbothered, imitating Doyoung's relaxed expression. 
"It was just a joke. Do you want those couple of bucks back?” 
He tilted his head to the side. “No. Let’s say I had paid you for your services.” 
You disregarded him and opened your clutch, retrieving a few dollars. With a quick hand, you shoved them halfway inside Doyoung's pants making sure others didn't stare. 
"Thank you for today’s fuck too then, slut."
_____
To say that it was easy for Doyoung to stop feeling you around his cock and pretend he wasn’t about to lose his mind when he couldn’t cum either, would be the biggest lie of the universe. But your frustrated expression, trembling limbs and glossy eyes made it all worth it. 
“Where have you been?” 
Jaemin handed him a glass of white wine and Doyoung took it absentmindedly. When he brought it to his mouth and had a sip he almost spit it back inside.
“What the fuck is this?” 
Jaemin chuckled. “The winery’s speciality.” 
“This is disgusting.” 
“I had a whole bottle of that yesterday so now I’m used to it.” 
“Why is it so sour?” 
Jaemin hit his shoulder lightly to bring his attention to something and when Doyoung raised his gaze he saw your furious aura staring at them from a few steps away. 
“Maybe the lady behind the recipe is sour as well,” he joked. “I lied when I asked you where you’ve been. Saw you together just now. Did you not fuck her good enough?” 
Doyoung smiled and took another sip of the wine, barely being able to not make a face for a second time. “I fucked her so good that now she’s mad.” 
“From her expression, she doesn’t look very pleased with the experience. And in fact,” Jaemin added quickly, grabbing Doyoung’s arm since he got distracted by the red wine, “she’s probably seeking a better one.” 
You were chuckling at some dude’s pick-up line and accepted to disappear with him out of Doyoung’s sight. 
The sweet dessert wine he tasted felt as sour as the first one.
_____
“Is the person I’m thinking about my soulmate?” “You already know the answer to that.” 
You bit your lower lip unsure. 
“What do you want me to say?” the lady smiled. “Yes or no.” “Why don’t you have faith?” 
You leaned back in your chair and let your gaze fall on the decorations on the tarot reader’s desk. The little obsidian stones reminded you of the dude’s eyes and it made you irrationally angry. 
You wanted to make him jealous. 
You wanted him to come up to you and grab your hand or something and make the boring-ass guy that approached you to leave. 
But he didn’t. 
If he really were your soulmate, wouldn’t you both feel it? Were you just going crazy? Were you lonely enough that you weighed your every desire on him?
“I saw him just twice and I don’t even know his name,” you sighed, talking almost to yourself. 
You probably unconsciously pouted because the Lady smiled kindly at you. She was no therapist but she gladly accepted to talk to you again after your first encounter. 
“Does he match the description the cards gave you?” 
“Well, he does have a very big cock, yeah,” you started. “Uhm, yes, it was that type of meeting,” you explained quickly before she could judge but the woman didn’t look unfazed. In fact, she was quite pleased to hear that. 
“You think that meeting your soulmate is just seeing them and everything falls into place. But it’s harder than that. You still have to want it and you still have to work for the union. So many people missed the opportunity to get with their soulmate because they didn’t work hard enough.” 
“Well, shouldn’t this be meant to be or something? Even if I make mistakes?” 
The Lady tilted the head to the side and for a split second you felt as if talking to a lost best friend. “We have a lot of choice in life. Everything is out there ready for you and you will get help but only if you have faith it will happen.”
_____
“You again?” he asked, fakely annoyed. 
You’ve always brushed off your mom’s words. 
“At least take your sweatpants out of your knee-high socks.” “It’s just the convenience store at the corner, mom. It’s not like I will meet my soulmate tonight at 10 pm.” 
But you actually met him and it was terrible. 
The packs of instant ramen in your hands trembled a little as the Rabbit dude passed one hand through his hair waiting for a normal human reaction from you.  
“What are you doing here?” 
“Buying groceries for dinner,” he explained then eyed your snacks. “You too, I see.” 
You tried to not let his subtle mockery get to you. “Yeah but why in this store in particular?” 
“You’re wondering if this is fate?” he giggled. 
But actually, Doyoung was the first to wonder if it was fate. 
He has never really thought of the Lady’s words in detail, nor he believed in any of it, but when he first saw you descending the hill with your moon costume as if you were the actual moon, his mind independently carved the thought of how nice it would be for you to be his soulmate.  
“I live in this neighbourhood and I assume you do too since you’re dressed like this,” he let his eyes fall and he looked at your stained pyjama pants. 
A wave of heat passed through your whole body and for the first time, it wasn’t pleasure. 
Your real soulmate would have never said that. 
Embarrassed, you cleared your throat. 
“Well, see you around then.” Turning on your heels, you didn’t wait for him to greet you back. 
“Did that guy make you cum?” 
You stopped so suddenly that the first two packs of ramen fell to your feet. You grunted and tried to bend but it was impossible to grab them without making the others fall too. With the corner of your eye, you saw the rabbit boy’s hands retrieving your stuff and when he got up again you felt his skin on the back of your hands as he pulled the remaining packs from you and let them fall in his cart. “Thank you.” 
“Answer my question.” 
You gulped but put on a brave face. 
“This is not a conversation to have in the condiments aisle.” “Then come to my apartment.” 
The intensity in his voice made your heart beat faster and then you blinked at his back as he turned around the cart and made his way towards the register. 
“Wait, my ramen!” 
He didn’t acknowledge you and greeted the cashier good evening. You awkwardly stood beside him as they beeped all of his fancy groceries. 
“Uhm-,” you extended your hands to get your ramen but they beeped that too without batting an eye and the rabbit bagged everything in a few seconds. 
“I- I could have- why-?” you followed him. “Now I have to pay you back.” “You gave me enough money last time.” 
You crossed your arms on your chest as Doyoung placed the bags inside his car's trunk.
“That was for-,” you started but stopped realizing that you were about to talk about sex on a busy street in front of your corner grocery store. 
He smiled. “Yeah?” 
“Give me my ramen now.” 
“Get inside,” he indicated with his head and without missing a beat he got behind the wheel. 
“Why do you even drive if you live in the neighbourhood?” You entered and sighed, trying to put on the seat belt. “The groceries are heavy.” “Do you even lift?” “I love lifting women but not groceries.” “You lift other women and I can’t get a guy to make me cum without you asking me questions about it?” 
Doyoung looked at you with a little smile as you stopped at the red sign. “Does the thought of me with other women make you upset or am I imagining things?” “Does the thought of guys making me cum make you upset?” you retorted. “Yes.” 
You choked on air and the movement of the car starting again made your body press back on the seat. You didn’t expect that. 
“Then why did you make me leave with him?” 
Your voice got tiny and you hoped he didn’t actually hear you because at the same moment you realized that it was a little embarrassing. But his sudden glance told you that he did. His gaze returned towards the street and his adam apple travelling up and down his throat told you that he didn’t know what to say. 
“Why did you leave with him?” he eventually asked. 
It was your turn to not speak. 
Not in a million years you’d admit to a stranger you wanted to make him jealous. A stranger that put his dick in you twice, but a stranger nevertheless. 
“We just talked a bit. I was bored.” “So I guess he didn’t make you cum.” “I don’t do hookups,” you said before realizing what you’ve just said. “I mean-,” you looked at him and he blinked back. Fuck. You told the hookups guy that you didn’t do hookups. 
“I mean, without being attracted to the person a lot. And that dude was not attractive,” you tried to explain fighting the urge to hide your face away. 
“Thank you. I’m also crazily attracted to you.” 
The car’s air became a little heavier and you thought that if you touched it with a single finger it would buzz as if made of electricity. 
The walk to the apartment complex was almost urgent. His hands didn't leave your body once when you reached the elevator as if he suddenly forgot what personal space was and when you got to his door he firstly slammed you against it, hands quick to get under your shirt. 
"Hey," you eyed the elevator's lights behind his back as he started to kiss your neck. "Someone's coming." "Let them come." The skin he sucked in made your eyes flutter and you whined feeling his fingers so close to where you needed them but so far away. "No, seriously. I think they're going to stop here." Doyoung hummed unbothered but you felt his hand press the code behind your back. Right when the elevator doors opened and you made eye contact with a cute little old lady, the door behind you opened too and you yelped falling backwards. Doyoung was quicker though and he held your waist, pulling you back into the kiss and closing the door with his heel. 
Shoes off and no time wasted, you were suddenly bent over some sort of furniture and your pants got pulled down. 
A single silent gasp left your mouth when you felt Doyoung's lips on the back of your thighs and when his fingertips grated at your sides pulling your panties down to your knees you started to pant. His hot breath tickled your pussy and you shifted in his hold. Doyoung's hands grabbed your ass to keep you in place and slapped one of your cheeks when he licked up a stripe between them. 
You whined once and put your head down and closed your eyes, fingers mindlessly grabbing whatever Doyoung kept on the cabinet. When he pushed his fingers inside, your back arched and his cologne fell to the side with the cap open. The sudden scent of it made you even wetter and Doyoung hummed appreciatively with his mouth full. 
"It feels so good," you whined again, imperceptibly grinding on him, brain not understanding when you got so horny all of a sudden. 
"Please please please make me cum this time," you begged, looking behind you and seeing his hands spreading you all out for him before his fingers could find spots inside of you that you weren't aware of having. 
"I kinda wish you'd beg some more," you heard the note of amusement in his voice.
His hands didn't stop though and before you could form any words your whole body contracted and lifted itself on the tiptoes, knees buckling and head light. Doyoung's airy breath met your spine and he held you in his arms to prevent you from slipping on the ground, kissing your back up slowly until meeting the shoulders. 
"Good girl," he brushed your ear with his lips and you remained with your eyes closed, breathing heavily and when he made you turn around, you felt your body weak as if it was made of jello. He pulled you towards himself and you heard his chuckle buzz inside of his chest. In a second he threw you on his shoulder and you let out a little cry, your limbs dangling around him. 
"I didn't know you were this strong."
He walked a few steps and turned left inside a dark corridor. You tried to look around but you barely noticed anything before he gently placed you down to sit on the bed. 
"You don't know a lot of things about me."
When you raised your head to meet his face you smiled tiredly. 
"I don't even know your name."
He tilted his head to the side amused. "Doyoung."
"Doyoung," you repeated, feeling the sounds on your tongue. 
It felt very right. 
Then his eyes fell on your naked legs and you sucked the air in, suddenly rolling in his bed, one piece of blanket to cover you up. 
Doyoung, still standing by the bed, put his hands on the hips and furrowed his eyebrows.
"I'm here with my pussy all out. That's so embarrassing,” you explained. 
"Yeah. I've just seen it up close just one minute ago." 
"I'm having post nut clarity," you added, voice muffled and only the top of your head poking out the impromptu burrito. 
"Well, I'm not having any post nut clarity since I didn't nut, so to me, it's not embarrassing."
"Oh my God you're right!" you eyed his crotch and sat up. 
"It's alright. I didn’t plan to do anything else anyway. Just wanted to cook you dinner actually since I’ve already eaten," he sat near you chuckling and took off his shoes. "My mom would hit me in the head if she knew I walked up to the bedroom with these-," but then he gasped softly as you placed a kiss to his nape. Your arms wrapped his torso in a back hug just as your legs did with his waist, draping them in his thighs. His hands automatically started to palm your knees as you made your way towards the base of his neck. 
“I don’t have any condoms,” he whispered as to stop you. 
Your fingers found the hem of his shirt very quickly and you lifted it, loving the way it ruffled his hair after you threw it somewhere on the floor. Having his bare back in front of you made you lose track for a moment and when you touched his chest you realized it was the first time that you actually saw him naked. 
“We don’t need them for what I want to do to you,” you murmured. 
He breathed in shakily. “Well, we’re responsible adults so you have to know that I also don’t do hookups so I’m completely clean but if you don’t want to--ah shit-,” he almost whined when you let your hand down his abs to palm his crotch slowly. 
He turned so cute all of sudden that your tummy did backflips as you kissed his jawline. 
“Are you saying that you want to fuck me raw?” you whispered amused. 
His cock twitched under his pants and he bit his lower lip.
“Does the thought turn you on, Doyoung? Feeling me around you, soft and wet until you can’t take it anymore? Huh?” You cooed, pouting your lips as you pronounced his name, savouring it on your tongue. 
His breathing increased and you wondered how he still kept it all together. 
“Cumming inside of me? Having your warm cum spill out-,”
He turned around suddenly and you let him push you down on the bed but only for a moment. The kisses you started to litter on his neck made his hold weaker and he threw his head into the pillow as you got on top of him. You kissed his chest slowly, then went down until you could finally pass your tongue on that single vein under his navel’s skin. 
"I'm so on edge that I might cum only with a single touch," he breathed out and you smiled on his stomach at his honest side, whining a little when he slid his fingers into your hair as if to urge you to go on quicker. 
"You should have told me," you sat on his thighs and slowly fumbled with his belt. 
He bit his lower lip and watched the little show you put on for him.  
"Well, now you know and you still want to torture me like this."
You lifted one corner of your mouth as you finally unbuttoned his pants. 
"I think you deserve it, don't you think?" 
He shook his head. "Not one bit. I've been good to you."
"Oh really? Then why don't you show me again what a good boy you can be and beg me to finally touch you?" 
"You really think you can use my ways with me?" 
You opened your mouth to reply but every word died in your throat as he reached down and pulled out his cock, pumping it up himself, a single shaking sigh of relief coming out of his mouth. "Shit-," he closed his eyes and pushed his head back, exposing his neck as his adam apple went up and down. You couldn't take your eyes off him and the sounds he started to make hit you right between the legs. His tip poked out of his fist as he fucked himself and for the first time in your life you were dying to suck a cock. 
"Doyoung-," you breathed out but his hisses made you gulp, feeling your mouth dry at the sudden spurts of cum on his lower stomach. 
"Shit," his chest rose and fell heavily and his eyes looked black underneath his heavy lids. Without being able to take it anymore you bent down and licked his tip sending shots of electricity through all of his body. 
"Ah- Y/N-," 
You sucked his cock clean and, letting it out with a lewd pop, you smirked.  
"Now you're going to take it."
And he took it well, cupping your head as it bobbed up and down, not without the most sinful sounds you've ever heard a man emit. As he placed his other hand on your cheek, you slid your own fingers down your stomach and reached your aching clit.
"Ride me?" he caressed your face with his thumbs and you looked up, basking in his fucked up expression. 
With a wet sound, you let his cock out, licking his tip once to break the string of saliva attached to it and moved upwards on his body. 
His hands were quick to grab your sides and when you started to grind on him he inhaled shakily, eyes piercing the way his shaft slid through your lips. Then he grabbed your shirt and roughly pulled it up, making you discard it in a second. 
One hand to guide your ass and one hand to grope at your breasts and you were almost cumming again. And when he reached behind you and you felt his cock poke at your entrance you lost strength in your arms and leaned down on his chest, your breasts squeezed and your skin rubbing on each other when he started to thrust into you. 
His hips' movements were deep and sharp and when you raised your bust enough for your nipples to rub on his chest he squeezed your ass and spanked it once making you moan loudly and fall back on him. So near to your orgasm, you dug your fingers into his arms not worrying about the little marks your nails left on his skin. 
And then he stopped with a grunt. 
You whined and opened your eyes to see him smirk.
"Fuck you, not again," you whispered breathlessly. "Yeah, fuck me."
And you bit your lower lip, lifting yourself up by putting your palms on his chest and started to bounce on his cock. Doyoung started to breathe with his mouth and he let his hands rest on his sides enjoying the way you were so desperately trying to chase your high. 
Your thighs were burning and your mind was clouded but you didn't stop and when you started to call his name, Doyoung finally grabbed your waist again, taking the lead and finally sending you over the edge. 
You finally cried out and pushed your face into the crook of his neck biting down on his skin as he kept going, not giving you a moment to breathe. 
And when you heard him choke against your ear too, a string of profanities lingering in his lips you felt his hot cum fill you up, but getting slowly fucked back in with his last thrusts. 
You remained like that both breathless for some time, his hands gently cupping your face to look at you. His eyebrows furrowed and he quickly dried your wet eyes. 
"Are you okay? Was that too much?" 
The concern in his voice made your heart swell and you shook your head. 
"I'm feeling very good," you smiled and his expression relaxed a bit. 
As he pulled out you felt his semen slide on your thigh and pool where your stomaches we're meeting. 
“Are you sure?” 
“Yes, Doyoung. I was just getting frustrated as always when I’m around you.” 
His hands went up and down your back as if soothing your skin. “I love how my name sounds on your lips. It feels like I’ve somehow waited my whole life to hear it.” 
You blinked a few times, the sudden sweet words so weird in his mouth that you raised your head to look at him. 
He looked back as shocked as you. 
"Wow, I feel so sticky," he changed the subject as you opened your lips to talk. You eyed the little buds of sweat on his forehead and imagined you looked as spent as him. 
"Are you also having post nut clarity?" "Yes. Everything is clear." "What's clear?" "This was one of the best nuts of my life and I want to do it again."
_____
Unable to stand on your own legs without shaking you remained sprawled on Doyoung's bed for a while, eyes heavy with sleep. 
"The groceries are still in the car," he said while zipping his pants. 
He offered to take a shower together but your growling tummy interrupted him so now you were alone in the bathtub, lazily lathering up your skin and waiting for him to come back from the parking lot. 
Relaxed from the good fuck and the hot water, you looked around curious, checking out his toiletries as if they could tell you more about this mysterious Doyoung guy. 
Perhaps it was too soon but as you collected the soapy water to blow on it you felt like falling in love a little. 
A little smile crept on your lips when you heard the entrance door open and close with a thud and you looked in the mirror to check on yourself before Doyoung could barge in. As if he didn't fuck you while you were looking crazy just moments before that. 
"That was very quick-," you started but squealed and put your hands on your chest as a man entered the bathroom not looking like your Doyoung at all. 
"Oh my God!" the guy jumped back a little before starting to laugh. 
"Who are you?" 
"You scared the shit out of me. Why are you here in the dim light?" the young man kept going without answering. 
You blinked at him. "It's relaxing."
"I'm Jaemin. Doyoung's flatmate," he finally explained and you wondered why he looked at you as if knowing you. "And you must be the winery girl."
You tilted your head to the side. "Winery girl? Do you know me?" 
"I kinda go out with your friend? The other winery girl?" 
You widened your eyes. "You're the BDSM guy?" 
For the first time since he entered the bathroom, Jaemin looked flustered. 
"Exactly what did she tell you about us?" he scratched the back of his head. 
You giggled. "My friend has been very happy lately. I know enough to make sure you're treating her well."
Jaemin's eyes lit up and you thought he was so cute to have a crush on your friend. Your mind suddenly thought of Doyoung and wondered if he might have a crush on you too. 
"Think of the devil," you murmured as Doyoung appeared behind Jaemin with the groceries bags. 
"You were thinking of me?" he smiled then suddenly realized the whole situation. "Why the hell are you looking at my naked girl?" he tried to tackle the other. Jaemin chuckled and took a few steps back in the corridor. 
"Had no idea she was here, I swear!"
_____
My girl. 
You were sitting timidly at the dinner table, wearing Doyoung's clothes and looking at Jaemin's back as he prepared the food. The water running in the bathroom and Doyoung's faint singing voice made you chuckle. 
He said, my girl. 
You put your hands to your cheeks. 
"You really like him."
You jolted and raised your head to see Jaemin comforting eyes. 
Batting your lashes you wondered what kind of expression you had on and with a little note of panic, you wondered if it was that easy for Doyoung to see it too. 
"This is a secret between us," Jaemin started lowering his voice, "but I think he likes you too. You really look like his soulmate now that I think about it."
You were about to melt but his last words made you snap out of the dream. 
"His soulmate?" you questioned, suddenly very interested. 
Jaemin shook his head as if to not give him any importance but upon seeing your curious eyes he placed the lid on the pot and sat down in front of you. 
"So it was new years," he started and you gulped. He then stopped to giggle, remembering the scene as if it played in front of himself. "We were drunk as fuck. We went to like three different parties and I was wasted. I don't know if you're familiar with the place but there's a tarot reader downtown. We were bored so we decided to go there."
Your head felt suddenly very light. "And what happened?" you asked with a faint voice. 
"Oh, we made a fool out of ourselves for sure, but the woman was nice and did a reading for Doyoung. I don't remember much but I kinda remember the physical descriptions. And you scarily look like that a lot." 
You swallowed again and you felt your mouth dry. 
"And does Doyoung remember?" 
"Remember what?" 
You gasped when Doyoung appeared on your side, a towel around his neck as he used one end to dry the back of his head. 
"I was telling Y/N about the soulmate thing, you know? When the lady told you that they'd be coming around summer?" 
Doyoung's pupils trembled a little but then he turned around and headed towards the fridge. 
"Ah yeah. I don't believe any of that though," he said and poured himself a glass of water. 
You looked at his profile as he drank and then noticed Jaemin's pitiful expression. 
"I got a reading on new year's too in the exact same place," you confessed and the silence afterwards felt heavy. 
"And your soulmate was someone that looks like me?" Doyoung joked and Jaemin giggled awkwardly. 
Your heart stung very painfully but you let out a dry chuckle too. 
“I don’t believe in it either. But it was very fun,” you lied. 
“I should have done a reading too,” Jaemin commented. 
"I'm starving," Doyoung lifted the lid and his friend got closer to stir again. 
Their voices talking about ingredients felt muffled as you tried hard to swallow your stupid tears.
_____
You had no idea why you believed the soulmates story. 
Maybe you were lonely or just plain bored but the idea of having a designated person you could be with during your lifetime felt very comforting. Especially since the Lady told you to have faith. 
Doyoung seemed to fit every category and you were so insanely attracted to him that it did not make sense for him to not be your soulmate. But do soulmates appear then disappear from your life, leaving behind nothing besides your memories of them?
Maybe you should have given him your number after you left his apartment that night, but reflecting about it with a cold mind, you did well to not seek him out given his reaction to the whole soulmates discourse. 
He was definitely not your soulmate. It shouldn’t have been this hard. 
Looking at your desk you sighed at the amount of work you had to do for the day and you imagined Doyoung walking through your door just like soulmates in movies would do. Then you shook your head trying to get those intrusive thoughts out of your head. 
Enough. 
But it was so difficult, especially as your eyes kept falling on his cologne, partially hidden behind your pens. 
You grabbed it suddenly intending to throw it out. 
"Oh sorry, I made this fall," you eyed the bottle of perfume on the cabinet by the entrance as you put on your shoes. With quick hands you grabbed it but before placing the cap on, you brought it to your face and smelled it again. "It's very nice." Doyoung, seeing you out, was leaning on the wall. "Do you like it?" You nodded. "You can keep it." You hesitated, wondering if he was joking or not. "Think of me," his eyebrows wiggled amused and if you wouldn't have been so exhausted you would have begged him to take you against the same cabinet again. 
Now, eyes closed, you were thinking of him indeed as you smelled that cologne, a shy hand slowly creeping up your thigh. 
No. You weren't about to masturbate at work but the temptation was so big that you jolted as if awoken from a dream when your phone rang. 
You breathed in and out as if to calm down and picked it up. 
"Y/N speaking."
"Hi, soulmate."
His voice made you physically shiver and your heart started to beat so fast inside your ears that you were afraid Doyoung could hear it too. 
"How did you get my number?" 
"I don't have your number. This is the winery's one and I googled it."
You bit your lower lip feeling stupid. 
"Yeah, yeah, you're right. Sorry, I'm a little tired."
"Have you been working a lot lately?" 
"Yes," you replied and it was true, but it wasn't work that clouded and exhausted your mind. 
"You need a pause then. Do you want me to help you relax?" 
His low and amused tone made your legs shift and you changed their position. 
"What do you have in mind?" 
"Are you alone?" 
"Yes," you almost whispered. 
"Then close your eyes for me."
You did timidly and the increase of your breath probably was a confirmation for him that you listened because he went on soon after. 
"Now touch your neck slowly with your fingertips. Go down to your clavicle then gently cup your breasts."
"This is making me shiver," you breathed out. 
"Good. I bet you're wearing a thin bralette and your perked nipples are poking through."
You sighed as you touched them and smiled at Doyoung's correct intuition.  
"Yes," you replied. 
"Can you play with them as I would if I were there?" 
You whined and bit your lower lip trying to resist the urge. 
"Doyoung-," this is a little inappropriate and honestly, kinda rude of you, especially since you went mia suddenly and now you want to pick up from where you left, you intended to say but didn’t manage to. 
"Do it," he commanded and your hand flew to your breasts and started to play with your nipples as if it didn't belong to you anymore. 
"Good girl. Does it feel good?" 
"Yes," you whispered. 
"Speak up love."
"I can't be loud."
"Oh really? Then, now slip one hand under your panties and rub your clit. I bet you're soaking wet and let's see if you'll be able to not be loud." 
His voice sounded like a hypnotic melody and you didn't even question it when you found yourself with the fingers gently pressing on your clit in little circles. Your breath got quicker and heavier, the grip on the phone was even stronger. 
"Doyoung-," 
"Yes, babe? Does it feel good?" he cooed. 
"It feels so fucking good-," 
"Can you slip a finger in for me too, love?" 
You nodded even if he couldn't see you and you did as he wished, the stretch so unsatisfying in comparison to Doyoung's girth to make you whine frustrated. 
"I- I wished you fucked me instead-," 
"Okay then," he replied calmly and for a split second, you wondered if the whole phone sex thing was not something you weren’t good at to make him reply so dryly when the door to your office opened and Doyoung took his tongue out at you. 
His sudden presence made you so flustered that you promptly pulled your fingers away as if he caught you doing it instead of being the one ordering you around. 
"What are you doing here?" you put your phone down with a shaking hand. 
He walked lazily towards your desk and put a paper bag on it. "Brought you your clothes."
You looked at them. "How did you get in? My secretary-," 
"Told him I was your boyfriend."
You felt the air stop inside your lungs at his words but you couldn't do much as Doyoung suddenly bent down with hands on the desk and took your still wet fingers into his mouth. 
You gasped softly as he sucked on them slowly, letting his tongue collect every single drop of your wetness, his deep eyes flickering with amusement at your visible lust. 
And you were so horny that you didn't even question it when he grabbed your wrists and made you stand. You took a step towards him but he pulled you by the waist and turned you around, pushing you towards the desk with his hips and pressing himself into your ass until you were bent over. 
"You look amazing like this, just like a little slut waiting for my cock, ain't I right?"  
You gasped for air as he pressed one palm on your spine and the other slowly raised your skirt. 
"You keep dressing like this at work. No wonder your secretary was so upset to hear that I was your boyfriend. Do you want us to put on a little show for him? So he knows his place." 
His fingers drawing lines up and down your clothed pussy prevented you from forming any words and when you felt your panties slip to the side and heard Doyoung's zip you inhaled aching to feel him inside. 
But he didn't touch you where you wanted him to. 
"Answer me," he slapped your ass and you curved your neck up with a hiss. 
"If you finally fuck me good enough perhaps I'll be loud enough for him to hear me."
Another slap. 
"Are you being a brat now? Should I not make you cum just like-," 
"Nonononono please please no please--" the string of begging erupted out of you way too easily and it was interrupted by Doyoung's dry laugh and hard cock finally slipping inside. 
You exhaled deeply and he grunted, bottoming out until you felt his hip bones on your ass. 
He remained still then he snapped. 
"Fuck fuck Doyoung--ah!" you cried out. 
"Louder."
Your voice would have increased in volume without him ordering that but it certainly added to the whole desk creaking and skin slapping symphony. 
One of his hands was palming your ass while the other pulled you towards him by the waist, but then he changed his mind and grabbed your arms by the elbows, pulling your torso up and making you curve your spine. 
You cried out his name again and stared at his reflection in the window in front of you. Eyebrows furrowed and a couple of strands of his hair fallen from the styled fringe made his gaze even deeper when you locked eyes. 
Then he smiled wickedly and a shiver shook your body knowing that nothing good will come out of that. And soon enough he let go of your arms and held your bust instead while the other wrapped your throat. You gasped for air and he attached his teeth to your shoulder sucking deeply and slowly, so different to the pace of his quick hips. 
Your desk phone rang and Doyoung held you harder as an indication to not even think about it. Not that you even cared about besides the way his cock was stretching you all out. 
The string of your choked moans just increased their tempo until you shuddered in his arms with a cry, so hard and so suddenly that his hips stopped and he let go of your throat in a second, holding your body and breathing deeply with you until you didn't whine anymore. 
A kiss on the cheek then on the neck and you turned your head around, searching for his lips. 
Your phone rang again and he smiled. 
"Answer."
"But you're still-," 
He grabbed the phone, placing it to your ear and you had nothing else to do than breathe heavily and greet with a shaking and hoarse voice. 
You understood the first three words of the person talking on the other side before Doyoung pushed you on the desk again and started to thrust into you, this time seeking his own high. 
You gritted your teeth and rotated your torso to be able to place your palm on his stomach and push your nail into his shirt. 
The look in your eyes just made him even more amused. 
“Yes, yes, no, could you please repeat that?” 
And even if the voice on the other line kindly repeated itself, your eyes rolled inside of your head and your body moved back and forth on the desk making you not understand a single thing. 
It was so highly unprofessional and inappropriate that it made your blood boil with pleasure. You hung up, making a mental note to call back and use the ‘line went dead’ excuse. 
Doyoung didn’t like that independence a single bit and he made sure to show you as you suddenly found yourself standing, no cock to stretch you out anymore and his hands on your waist turning your around. 
“On your knees.” 
You slipped down in front of him with hands on his stomach then you let them fall on his soft suit pants. 
The veins on his hand were popping when he grabbed his cock and lightly hit your lips with its tip. You let out your tongue and let it bounce on it, leaning in to be able to catch in between your lips. 
Doyoung tutted and took half a step back making your suck on air. 
“When and how I say so,” he murmured and got closer again. 
His other hand grabbed your head and kept you in place, fully controlling the way he pushed his shaft between your lips, slowly smearing his precum on them. 
“I really want to let my cum slide down your throat right now.” 
You opened your mouth eagerly and he smiled wickedly. 
It reached the back of your throat in one go and you gagged, pressing your nails into his thighs. Heavy on your tongue, you couldn’t move so it was Doyoung to slowly thrust his hips, increasing his movements until you started to drool. 
“Fuck, you’re so good-,” 
Short-breathed and fingers tightening in your hair you could feel him reaching his orgasm soon. 
You lifted your gaze up and when he pulled out to make your breath you cupped his balls with one hand and took him inside of your mouth again. 
He choked and started to grunt, meeting your movements with his erratic ones until he went suddenly still and you whined feeling his cum hit the back of your throat. 
You swallowed quickly making him hiss as he thrust a couple of times more and he pulled out slowly, a string of saliva and his seed to connect your tongue to his tip. 
“You’re amazing. You know that?” he whispered with a raspy voice. His fingers caressed your cheeks and lips as you looked up at him panting.
_____
“Do you want me to hit him with my car?” 
Knowing him, it wasn’t a joke so you lightly hit his thigh. “Jeno!”
He chuckled. 
Meeting your soulmate - it should have been electrical, like two magnets meeting each other. 
The first moment you saw his shoulders, you knew it was him. Before you even saw his face and learned his name, you sighed in relief. Finally, you’ve found him and you were at home. 
Then why was it so difficult to just be with Doyoung?
He fucked you good and kissed your lips. He made sure you were okay after fucking your throat and even massaged your feet as you tried to catch your breath on the couch inside your office. 
“Can you please bring us, like, something to drink and some snacks?” Doyoung opened the door and talked to a very mortified secretary. 
“Sure,” he suddenly got up and looked around as if not knowing which planet he was on.
“Why are you torturing that poor boy?” you rolled your eyes when Doyoung plopped back on the couch near him. “Now he’ll want to resign from the job and he was quite good at it.” 
“I think he liked it. I know a post nut face when I see one and he definitely had some fun under that desk.” 
The secretary entered the office and his lips were tight as he placed the tray with coffee on the little table in front of you. 
“Thank you,” you smiled kindly at him. 
“No sugar for you ma’am and one sugar for you sir,” he announced before leaving as quickly as he came in. 
You leaned in and took your mug, sighing when you felt it’s warmth heat your skin.
“How did he know I take my coffee with one sugar?” Doyoung furrowed his eyebrows while doing the same. 
You looked at him and shrugged. “I told you he’s good at his job.”  
And you were thankful that the boy didn’t leave because now as you talked to Jeno in your office, weeks after you’ve seen Doyoung in there, you really needed someone to do your job. 
“I’m just not even concentrating much. I think I caught feelings for him while he only saw this as-- fucking,” you threw your hands in the air once and sighed, sitting down at your desk. 
Jeno hummed pensively. “Well, he strikes me as someone too romantic for that. People who just hookup don’t behave as he does. They just fuck and leave.” 
You rubbed the bridge of your nose. “I just think he was being considerate. You can’t fuck someone’s mouth then leave them there like that.” 
Jeno hummed again. “But he did call you my girl and he called himself your boyfriend.” 
You looked up. “My girl as the girl that I fuck and my boyfriend only to make the secretary let him in.”
Your friend pursed his lips as if considering that side of events. 
“How do you even know all of these details? I don’t remember telling you any of this before,” you chuckled. 
Jeno cleared his voice. “You told me. Are you having a loss of memory too now?” 
You sighed. “Maybe.” 
The young boy cleared his voice again. “Anyway! Plan. Send him nudes.” 
“What?” you exclaimed. 
You could go around your sweet friend Jeno suggesting you to fuck Doyoung when he was the Rabbit boy but suggesting you to send the dude nudes? 
Seeing his pink cheeks Jeno must have suddenly realized what he has just said too and regretted it. 
“Trust me. He’s an air sign. They like sexting and mind fucking and all of that stuff. Now I have to go.”
You looked at him standing up. “Since when are you into astrology? Also, where are you going? We were supposed to have lunch together!” 
“Sext him and send him a good coochie pic. Bye, love you,” he left like the wind and you leaned back in your chair perplexed.
_____
"Do you trust me?" 
"Yeah," his voice was a whisper and it got engulfed by the jingle of handcuffs in your hands. 
You were so beautiful and intoxicating that Doyoung found himself having difficulties breathing when you slowly started to crawl on the bed towards him. 
“I’m glad you wore the lingerie I sent you,” he whispered, hands reaching towards you to feel the material under his fingertips. But you grabbed them with a sudden force and Doyoung groaned, finding himself pinned to the bed instead.  
“No touching,” you purred. 
The young man sighed, feeling his cock twitching on his lower stomach. 
You eyed it and smiled like a cat. “You want me to touch you, babe?” 
Doyoung nodded. “Please?” 
You licked your lips and leaned down, your lips so close to his cock to make him audible whine. A little bit. A little bit more and he would feel-
And then he woke up shaking in his bed. 
“Shit.” Doyoung closed his eyes again, rolling on his back with a certain difficulty. 
His cock was so hard that it was almost painful and he felt short-breathed. 
He looked at his ceiling again and he blinked twice when he realized by the hue of it that his phone lit up. 
With a groan he extended his arm to the side and grabbed it, narrowing his eyes at the bright screen. 
Then he choked and sat up.
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“Fuck!” Doyoung exclaimed upon seeing his phone turn dark in his hands. 
With a quick roll of the body, he put his palms on the ground looking for his charger. It took him some other swears and grunts to finally charge it but the phone remained black.
“What the fuck,” he sighed, hitting his head into the pillow.
_____
It was in the way you walked, the way your feet touched the floor. 
Or maybe it was the way the air floated between your fingers when you moved your wrists as if grabbing something in Doyoung’s chest and pulling him towards you. 
The line of your back extended up until your neck, the line of your jaw, your cheeks puffing up when you laughed and your eyes closing for a second. The sound of it making his heart beat faster and a little smile creeping on his lips although he was in a very bad mood that day. 
The people you were talking to stopped looking at you and stared somewhere behind your back instead. 
Mouth still open while explaining to them that blue and red looked disgusting together, you turned around to see what caught their attention and you met Doyoung’s face. 
Your breath hitched and you had to swallow a few times before being able to speak. 
“Hey,” you straightened your back as he approached you. 
“It’s time for a lunch break,” he announced without batting an eye. 
You blinked a few times, trying to process his presence there all of a sudden. 
“You’re dismissed,” he spoke to the creative team and they obeyed him, walking away slowly and chuckling between themselves. 
You waited for them to not eavesdrop and huffed before whispering. “Who do you think you are?” 
“Your soulmate.” 
He slipped his hand in yours and started to walk towards the exit. You let yourself be dragged amused for the first steps then stopped. 
“My bag.” 
Doyoung rolled his eyes and raised his other hand that was already holding it. 
“Come on. I’m starving.” 
“Where are we going?” you asked the back of his head as you were already descending the stairs. “Why are you here?” 
“I’m annoyed,” he replied as if that was a sufficient explanation and opened the passenger seat’s door for you. "So I wanted to see you because it puts me in a good mood."
You looked at him for a few moments then sighed, trying to conceal your flustered emotions. 
“Why are you annoyed? Because you realized that leaving me on read last night was stupid?” you put on your seatbelt. 
When you raised your head Doyoung’s palms were on both sides of your face and his lips on yours. You exhaled softly, not expecting any of it so suddenly, then timidly you rested your hand on his knee. The luscious material of his suit was delicate under your fingertips so you absentmindedly started to draw little circles on it, imitating the pattern Doyoung’s tongue was making yours dance in. When he pulled away slightly you managed to look at his eyes. He placed another peck on your lips, then another. By the time he placed the third one you were giggling. The corners of his mouth raised too and you cupped his face and he flinched imperceptibly. 
“I thought you wanted to slap me.” 
“There are many reasons why I would want to slap you but not today.” 
“Not today.” 
“Be ready anytime.” 
“You too,” he kissed your knuckles before putting his hands on the wheel. “But like on the butt.”
The engire roared as Doyoung turned the keys. 
“My phone died,” he explained. 
“Yeah, okay.” 
“I swear.”
The engine roared again and you drove away from the winery's parking lot. 
You sighed, crossing your arms on your chest. 
“It’s okay. Only because you’re sweet.”  
"Am I sweet?" 
"You are." 
"You're sweet too so I can't wait to eat you out again."
You rolled your eyes playfully. "Okay, you went there." 
But he didn't do anything you'd expect him to do. Entering his apartment calmly, you both let the shoes at the entrance and you sighed to feel his soft living room rug under your bare feet. 
No bending, no pushing and no hands to knead your flesh. 
You tilted your head to the side amused as he placed your bag on the couch and ventured towards the kitchen. 
"Is Jaemin home?" you inquired. Maybe that was the reason he didn't want to rearrange your guts that day. 
Doyoung took away his jacket and slowly rolled up his sleeves. Your eyes followed his movements and although you weren't horny one bit before you saw him, now you would have been able to go on for multiple rounds with no rest in between upon seeing just his forearms. You took away your jacket too and expected him to do something already but he turned around and entered the kitchen instead. 
"I'm making spaghetti."
You blinked at his profile as he retrieved a pan and a pot, filling the latter with water. 
"Did you really bring me here for lunch?" you couldn't help but ask as you sat down at the table. 
"Yeah. Why? Is that strange?" 
You shrugged. "I don't know. You've always sought me for other things."
He faked an offended expression. "I fed you dinner last time."
You smiled. "But you also fucked me."
"You want me to fuck you after spaghetti?" 
"Not necessarily. I like just hanging out with you, but only you like it as well."
As if sensing something in your tone, his amusement wore off when he finally started to cut the onions. 
"Of course. Why wouldn't I like it?" 
"I mean, we've never really openly discussed this," you gestured between you. "Hell, I fucked you three times before knowing your name."
"You've never asked for it."
"Yeah, well, my mouth was busy doing something else." 
He smiled a little and let the onions fall into the hot pan, stirring a few times and opening the fridge to retrieve the tomato sauce. 
"How do you want to discuss it?" 
His voice got quieter and you had the hunch that he really didn't like having serious talks or emotional ones. Just like, well, just like your supposed soulmate. The thought made your stomach knot up. 
"I know this might sound a little funny, but like, what are we?" 
Doyoung added the tomato sauce and sprinkled salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes on it before stirring. His domestic look made your chest hurt in ways you've never experienced with him before and suddenly you were afraid to know what he had to say. 
"I don't know, but we can be something starting now."
You sighed a little. "Like, friends with benefits?" 
Doyoung's expression didn't change but his throat moved as he swallowed. The water started to boil and he put the spaghetti in, pushing them inside as they softened. 
"You want us to be friends with benefits?" 
No. 
Yes. 
But like no. 
You wanted the friends, you wanted the benefits, but you wanted more. 
Would you scare him away if you said that? Would he retreat just like he did when you mentioned the soulmates discourse? 
"What about you?"
Dancing around each other like two assassins about to throw the first dagger you let the silence be the witness of it. 
"I like you," he hit you first but it was no knife. It was light just like a kiss and your eyelids fluttered. 
"Really?" 
He let out a single soft chuckle. "Yeah. Why are you so surprised?" 
You gulped and looked around not knowing what to say. 
"It's just-- your whole soulmate discourse made it look like you wouldn't be romantically interested in me at all."
Doyoung didn’t speak for a moment as if trying to remember, then nodded. 
"I don't believe in soulmates." 
He placed the lid on the sauce and let it slowly cook. 
"I believe in choices. And I'm choosing you I guess."
"Don't you think that maybe you're conditioned to choose me because I'm your soulmate?" you tried to joke but Doyoung didn't smile. 
"And where would the fun be in that? My freedom? I think the universe might give you a path but you're free to follow it or not."
"Of course. But isn't it comforting to know that the universe is taking care of you that way?" 
"Maybe. Perhaps we're actually soulmates and we've met like ones but now it's our duty to do something about it. I can decide not to see you anymore. What's the universe going to do about it?" 
"Make me get into your way and annoy you?" you smiled and his lips curved too.  
"What I'm trying to say is that I think we're making our soulmates. I decide that you're my soulmate and we mould ourselves to fit each other. No one is a perfect fit."
You didn't know what to say. 
"I tried all of this time you know? I actively sought you out and maybe to you it was fate but we wouldn't be here if I didn't come to you. But you've just been waiting."
His words stung your heart and it felt like a scold. 
"I just--it's not like I don't care. I also like you. A lot. I was just--hoping for it to be soulmate like, you know? Maybe that was childish of me." 
"What did the Lady tell you? As your last words?" 
"To have faith."
"Me too. But to me, faith is putting in the effort and believing in good results. Not waiting for stuff to happen."
"I guess you're right."
"Would you have let me go if you didn't think I was the soulmate you were looking for?" 
You blinked a few times unable to speak. 
Yeah. 
You would have and the sudden realization felt so scary that your spine started to shiver. 
He has been speaking without looking at you and at your silence, he turned his head towards you. When he noticed your glossy eyes he let the pan go and walked towards you.
"Why? No. Why are you crying?" he kneeled in front of you, talking with a soft voice and he placed his hands on your shoulders. 
You shook your head shocked to see a few drops on your thighs and quickly patted your cheeks dry. Then you let out a timid laugh. 
"I don't know what happened. I got emotional all of a sudden. It's fine."
Doyoung sighed and nibbled at his lower lip. 
"What I'm trying to say is, even if someone came to me now and told me that you're not my soulmate and they are instead, I would not care. I'm still choosing whoever I want and that's you."
You felt your chin shake by itself and hated the fact that you wore your emotions on your sleeve like that. 
"I'm sorry."
"Why?" 
You shrugged. "I don't know. I feel like I fucked up something." 
Doyoung waited, his fingers gently running your arms. 
"I would have probably made the mistake of letting you go-," you sobbed, "and at first since things have been so weird and not necessarily easy I didn’t try enough-," 
His eyes softened and he pulled you into a hug. 
"You're here now. Why are you worrying about things that could have happened?" 
You wrapped his neck and hid your face into his shirt. His familiar scent culled you and you bathed in his warmth. 
"I feel like I'm very childish right now and the lady told me that my soulmate liked me for being a boss woman-," 
"I like all of our sides, you fool," he pulled you away and kissed your forehead. 
"But you’d like me more if I tied you up." "You’d also like me more if I tied you up." "I actually like it when you're subby." "See? And the lady told me that you liked me being dominant." "I do love it when you're dominant," you timidly circled his chest with your finger. "Hm, maybe I should-," 
"The pasta!" you yelled pointing your finger and Doyoung jolted turning around towards the stove. 
The pasta was completely fine and he sighed closing his eyes. 
"I thought it was on fire," he complained with a whiny tone as he turned the stove off. Quickly he drained the spaghetti and threw it in the tomato sauce stirring it afterwards. With the corner of his eye, he saw you stand. 
"Come here."
You giggled and took a few quick steps back. 
His eyes were furious and paired with his smiling expression he looked like a tornado. 
"Come here," he repeated. 
You shook your head. 
"I said-," he managed to grab you and throw you on his shoulder, "-come here."
"Fuck!" you squealed. "Yeah, fuck, that's exactly what I'm going to do to you now."
One second you were standing and the other you were lying down on the couch with the most aggressive Doyoung you’ve ever seen attached to your neck. 
The whines came quickly as he sucked your skin inside the mouth, not worrying for a second if it might become sore. As you grabbed his belt his iron fingers clasped your wrists together and you found yourself pinned with your arms above your head. Your chest rose and fell fast looking at his dark eyes under the unstyled fringe. 
“Be a good girl and perhaps I’ll think about making you cum,” he whispered through his teeth. You squirmed under him and found yourself breathless. 
“Did you hear me?” his other hand fell back the exact moment he bit down on your clothed nipple. 
“Are you not wearing a bra?” 
You giggled. “I manifested you coming to see me today. And you did.” 
His eyes were dark as they analyzed you and for an instance, you thought he’d burst into tears. 
But then he reached the hem of your blouse and lifted it up in a second, biting your nipple, letting his tongue circle it afterwards, soothing the sudden sweet pain then biting on it again, stretching it out, sucking on it, giving the same treatment to the other one. His fingers intertwined yours when he felt your wrists try to lift up from the couch and he pushed them down even harder than before. 
“Do I have to tie you all up? Huh? I bet you’d like it, right?” 
His breath was hot on your lips and so was his tongue when he took it out and slowly outlined them with his wet tip. You opened your mouth and took out your tongue too with a little moan, trying to catch him into a kiss, but he chuckled lightly and let you feel the air instead. Another whine as you lifted your head to reach him but he was quick to push you down by pressing his fingers on your throat. You choked lightly and he pouted. 
“Bad baby girls don’t get to kiss,” he murmured. "But if you really want it-" he pressed one finger on your lower lip and opened your mouth. Y
our thighs tightened their hold around his waist and you pulled him towards you even more. The trail of saliva falling on your tongue from his mouth added somehow to the wetness between your legs. 
You wanted to be a good girl. You wanted to be a good girl so badly, pleasing him and letting him whatever he wanted to you. 
Swallowing slowly, you opened your mouth for more and he finally shoved his tongue inside, kissing you deeply, grunting as he let your hands go and you were quick to let them slide under his shirt. 
His skin was hot and your fingers icy cold. He hissed when you circled his nipples and bit your lip. 
"Maybe you should warm your hands by doing something useful." He took his cock out and-
"Okay, that's enough!" Jeno threw a cloth on the crystal ball. 
"Ah! Come on! I was having so much fun," the Lady complained, jingling her earrings as she giggled. 
The boy sitting across the table made a throwing up sound. "Also, why are you still looking like that? It's creeping me out," he commented. 
The Lady looked at the mirror on her right and chuckled again. 
"I like it when Haechannie is like this," Jaemin appeared from behind him and playfully kissed his cheek. 
Jeno made another gag sound. "Gross."
Haechan shook his head and as the boys blinked he was back to his boyish looks. "I'll never get used to this," Jaemin murmured as he was not holding long hair anymore. 
"Good job guys. We did it again," Haechan stood up and yawned, lifting his arms in a satisfying stretch. "If Jaemin didn't get back home that time she was over then it might have been quicker," Jeno lifted his legs on the table and leaned down on the chair. 
“This is my first job! It was very tough for me actually,” Jaemin complained. 
“Hard for you? I had to be myself, the winery girl, the secretary-,” he counted on his fingers. 
“I had to be the cashier and I almost lost it when Jaemin said he couldn’t wait to taste your wet pussy-,” Haechan threw his head back and laughed. Jaemin imitated him soon after.
“Did you see Doyoung’s face? He wasn’t into it at all.” 
"I miss being a Gryffindor. This universe is boring as fuck,” Jeno rolled his eyes even if he was also smiling a little. 
"The next one might be as boring as this my dear friends," Haechan sat back down and brought out his book. 
Jeno groaned. "Can't we have a normal life for once? I had to pretend I was a girl. And not only. The thought of Y/N thinking I was doing BDSM stuff with that guy-," he indicated a very amused Jaemin, "-took a toll on my health." 
"I'm sorry I'm not a shapeshifter too. I would have loved to be the girl in this relationship. Also, it was you that told her we were doing BDSM stuff, not me.”
“It’s because I forgot to fully shift my arms! She thought I was-,”
"Quiet."
As Haechan spoke the guys immediately stopped talking and Jeno put his feet down. 
"The next one is going to be a hard one. We're going to a dark place."
He closed the book.
"To hell, boys."
2K notes · View notes
screamingatanemptyroom · 3 years ago
Text
One Shot Werewolf Story
So... first of all, Next part of PFTS should be coming out soon. It's going to take some work to make sure that I pull all the threads that's I've placed in all the worlds together without plot holes, so apologize for how long it's taking. Will probably finish this last world in 2-3 parts, with possibly 1 or two extra parts from Liam and the Traveler's perspective.
Now, back to the story at hand. About a week ago, I wandered into the werewolf side of Wattpad. It was very... interesting. Never written about werewolves before. Thought it might be fun to try my own using my own style. (Women who constantly think they aren't pretty or good enough for the man, men who force physical intimacy and growl "mine" aren't really going to work for me.)
Anyways, It's about a 13k oneshot. It's a bit out of my norm, so I hope you guys enjoy! (Also I would love to hear ideas on what to title this.)
Here it is:
________________________
“I can’t believe you read this garbage!” Alyssa’s coworker held up the book in her hand, staring at it with disgust. “What do you see in books like this, anyways?”
Alyssa sighed, looking up at the book in question. The cover showed a shirtless muscular man holding a busty woman while scowling at the camera, with the title written across the top in bright orange words: “The Alpha’s Timid Mate.”
“I don’t read it for fun.” She muttered, reaching up and snatching the book back. Opening the large roller suitcase behind her, she found its place among the hundreds of other werewolf books and put it away carefully.
“Then what is it?” Her coworker asked with a tone of disbelief.
“Research.”
“Really? Research? For what? When your werewolf boyfriend shows up out of nowhere? “ She let out a derisive snort. “Sure.”
“…You don’t understand.”
She doesn’t understand us. The wolf in Alyssa’s head spoke up silently.
“That’s what I said.”
Can we eat her? Her wolf seemed excited by the idea.
“No. You know we can’t. You don’t even really want to. You’re just acting out because you’re upset I won’t let you watch horror movies any more.”
I am not acting out! But since you mentioned it… bring back the horror movies!
“No.”
“What are you talking about?” Her coworker frowned; confused by the conversation she could only hear half of.
Turning to her briefly, Alyssa shrugged. “Sorry, I’m just having a small discussion. I’ll be free to talk shortly.”
“Don’t bother.” The girl walked away, whispering under her breath. “Freak.”
Should have just eaten her.
“Wolves don’t even eat people. Stop pretending.”
How do you know? Maybe WEREwolves DO eat people! You have no clue! You haven’t found a pack yet. Even though you PROMISED!
“I know, I know.” Alyssa rubbed her forehead tiredly. “It’s harder than I thought it would be.”
I’m lonely and bored! I want to go run! I want a pack!
“Anything else, Your Highness? A bone on a silver platter?”
The wolf paused at that, pouting quietly … I’m hungry. Feed us something tasty.
“That I can do. We’ll eat on our lunch break.”
Steak?
“…We’ll see.”
As her wolf silently cheered, the door to the bookstore she was tending opened. A strange smell reached her nose. Mint and pine along with another scent she couldn’t quite place.
Alyssa looked up and was startled. The man who walked in looked like he had stepped off the cover of one of her werewolf books. Muscular, handsome… his brown hair just long enough to frame his green eyes. And tall… Alyssa had always known she was short, but never felt quite so at a disadvantage height wise as she did at the man’s approach.
He looks like the lead from book #298. Her wolf suggested in an interested tone.
“I was thinking book #645, but I see your point.”
Why do you think he’s here?
“I don’t know.”
As he moved closer, his gaze meeting her own, Alyssa stepped back, the sound of her wolf’s growl filling her mind.
HE’S A WEREWOLF! … even better, he smells strong… an ALPHA? QUICK, MATE HIM!
An alpha? Crap. Alyssa had done enough research to know that was bad news. “Look here, missy, I am not assaulting some stranger just because…”
Then let’s switch over to wolf so I can do it!
“No!”
“Excuse me…” The man spoke up, his voice hesitant and trailing off.
Alyssa turned and hurried out the back. Passing through the bookshelves, she heard someone following close behind, and picked up the pace. The door squeaked loudly as she forced it open, slamming against the wall as she broke out into a run towards the back alley.
“Wait!” The man’s voice called out.
Seeing that they were now alone, she stopped in her tracks, and turned, more irritated than nervous. “What?”
“…” He seemed thrown off by her sudden change, but shook his head, studying her closely. The man seemed to recognize something, and moved quickly to stand next to her. “You’re…” His eyes widened, and he reached out to grab her. “A werewolf? My mate?!”
YES! I knew it! Her wolf’s scream of excitement echoed in her mind.
Alyssa sighed tiredly, reaching into her bag. “Well, crap.”
________________________
It had been a terrible day.
Lewis listened to his family arguing, wishing for the thousandth time that he wasn’t in charge.
“Nightfang’s pack could wipe us out!” Gary, his Beta, slammed his fist on the table, the force of it scattering plates and cups.
Lewis’s mother stood up, and despite her height only coming only to the enormous man’s chin he shrunk down in fear. “…Did you just mess up my kitchen?”
“���”
“Then you’re gonna be a good boy and clean that up right now, yes?” She raised an eyebrow. “Or you won’t have to worry about that Nightfang pack. There won’t be enough of you left for them to fight over once I’m through.”
“…I’ll clean it up right away, Ma’am.”
“That’s what I thought.” She turned to Lewis, patting his shoulder comfortingly. “What’s you plan to deal with this, dear?”
“My plan?” His voice came out slightly more stressed than he meant it to.
“Well, you’re the alpha. Your father left it to you to protect us. “
“Yes. Of course… a plan… which I definitely have.”
Gary and his mate Berta glanced at each other from the other side of the table.
“He doesn’t have a plan.”
“Did you really expect him to?”
“Hey!” At Lewis’s hurt exclamation, Gary shrugged.
“No offense, Alpha, but since your broth… since Nightfang left and took half the pack with him, things have been a little disorganized. You have to admit that’s true.”
Lewis walked over to the window of the cabin, leaning on the sill and staring up at the cloudy sky. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. We were supposed to help each other. Help the pack. But now it’s all just one huge mess and I’m the only one left to take care of it.
Hey, you’re not alone! His wolf’s irritated voice burst out. I’m always here. We’re stuck together for life!
I’m aware. He chuckled quietly. Glad to have you, Buddy.
So… Can we go find our mate now?
You know we can’t. There could be an attack any day now. Besides, I’ve already visited all the packs within driving distance. She’s not there.
Maybe she’s human, like our mom. We should go to town and find her.
Yeah, just go to town and pick up a mate like going to the grocery store to pick up milk. No problem with that.
She’s probably waiting for us! She’s wondering what’s taking us so long to find her. What if she thinks we can’t provide for her? Hurry, you have to find her…. Bring steak… no… four steaks… fatty ones! It will show that we can feed her… make her fat! She’ll definitely want to mate with us then!
Nothing turns women on more than shoving red meat in their face and telling them that you’ll help them gain weight.
Like you would know? Who have you dated? Regale me with tales of your vast experience.
Hey! You haven’t dated either.
I have instincts, at least.
“Lewis?” Gary’s voice broke him from his silent talk with his wolf.
He turned back “We’ll tighten up the patrol schedule.” He rubbed his forehead.
“It will mean giving up territory.”
“I’m aware.” The words came out as a growl. Territory was everything. In the old days it was a pack’s survival. The instinct to protect it at all costs remained, but Lewis had no choice. “Their safety matters more.”
The pack has to be protected first.
Agree. His wolf sounded unhappy, but stood by him, as always.
“Alright then. Continue with training, and preparing for if Nightfang brings his pack for war.” Lewis sighed. “Hopefully they’ll wait until the colder weather passes.”
Although it might be just delaying the inevitable.
“You are all dismissed.” As he stood up, however, his mother stopped him with a smile.
“Can you pick up some milk, dear? I’m out.”
“… Sure, Mom.” He held back a laugh thinking about his conversation with his wolf, knowing that no one else would get the joke. Maybe I’ll pick up my mate while I’m there.
He headed into town.
As he parked his car and walked towards the supermarket, however, his wolf suddenly started shouting in his head.
She’s here!
Lewis frowned. Who? Nightfang or one of his followers?
No, you idiot! Our mate!
Where? He skidded to a halt, staring around frantically. His heart started to race, as he prepared to meet his soulmate… the one he had been waiting for his entire life.
In the bookstore! His wolf wasn’t much better, barely able to communicate in its excitement.
He opened the door, ignoring the soft chime that sounded out to alert a new customer’s arrival. His eyes scanned the room, trying to spot… something. A familiar face, a special feeling. How do you know if someone is your mate…?
His silent voice trailed off in shock as he stared at… her.
She was beautiful.
Dark curls, the tips just barely brushing her shoulders. She was short… very short. He felt awkwardly tall, wondering if she would dislike his height. She seemed to be packing a book into a suitcase, but then turned to face him.
Her grey eyes widened at the sight of him.
Does she feel it too?
QUICK, FEED HER!
With what?!!! I don’t have any food!
Why didn’t you bring the steaks?!!! Now she’s going to think we’re weak and she’ll starve as our mate! What if she leaves us?!!
Human women don’t need steaks for courtship… watch.
Lewis cleared his throat. “Excuse me…”
She turned and rushed out of the store.
…You were saying?
…Maybe you were right about the steaks.
He followed her out to the back of the shop, cringing at the suspicious looks that the customers in the shop gave him.
I’m chasing after a girl into a back alley. I’ll be lucky if no one calls the cops.
She’s our mate! We could never hurt her!
They don’t know that. She might not even know that!
To his shock she stopped and turned around once they were out of the store. Placing her hands on her hips, she glared at him. “What?”
“…” She was even more mesmerizing up close. Lewis nervously cleared his throat, stepping closer.
Her scent filled his senses. Lilac and spring and… wolf?
She’s a werewolf! That’s awesome! Let’s shift and show her how strong our wolf form is. It’s much better looking than the human look.
“You’re…” Feeling stunned, he reached out, wanting to touch her, to hold her hand. “A werewolf? My mate?”
This is amazing! His mate, his soulmate was standing right in front of him. Would she be happy too? Was she excited to meet us?
She didn’t seem shocked. Didn’t seem happy either… or angry, or afraid. Her face just showed mild… annoyance?
Does she not feel the bond?
“Well, crap.”
As she spoke out with a matter of fact tone, Lewis’s hand neared her shoulder, only to spasm and drop as he fell to the ground shaking. His mate stood over him, staring down at him blankly, the Taser in her hand still sparking.
Well, crap. He silently echoed his mate’s words as darkness overcame him.
________________________
Alyssa sat on her favorite chair, holding her favorite mug, drinking her favorite tea, wrapped in her favorite blanket, hoping it would improve her mood.
It wasn’t working.
Mostly due to the large man on her living room floor, just now waking up from the effects of her Taser… and the large animal sedative she stuck him with after he went down. He blinked his eyes, seeming confused and disoriented.
He’s adorable. I bet his wolf is good looking! Can you ask him to shift? Her wolf hadn’t shut up since they met the other werewolf.
“Shush. He’s waking up now. It would be rude to ask him before we’ve talked. “
Spoilsport. At least show him all the hamburger meat we have frozen.
“Why would he want to see our hamburger meat?”
THAT will show him how effective we are at gathering food! We can be an asset to his pack! If he doesn’t have a pack he should follow us around, and we can fatten him up! … he’s too skinny.
“He’s not skinny… he’s very muscular.”
What if there’s not enough prey in the winter? His muscles will go away. He should have a nice little layer of fat.
“Do not fatten him up! I like him like this.”
“Excuse me?” The man on her living room floor struggled to sit up. Leaning back against her TV stand, he blinked a few more times, obviously still fighting off the tranquilizer. Looking around, he just seemed more confused. “Where am I?”
“My home.” Alyssa told him, taking another sip of her tea.
“Ah.” He paused, awkwardly shifting his weight and raising his hands which were tied together with silver chains, like his ankles. “Why am I tied up?”
“…” She stared at him silently a few moments. “You’re a werewolf.”
“…Yes. So are you?”
“You said I was your mate.”
He blushed at that, avoiding eye contact. “Sorry. I know that was awkward. I was surprised. I’ve been looking for years since I reached adulthood.”
“You’re an alpha?”
“Yes.” Straightening his spine, he forced a cocky looking grin. “A strong alpha of a great pack.”
“So now you know why you’re tied up.”
“…pardon?”
Alyssa rolled her eyes. “I’ve done enough research to know when an alpha finds his mate, it tends to get physical… and non-consensual… real quick.”
He still seemed confused. “Research?”
She set down her tea and blanket and dragged over the enormous roller suitcase. Opening it, she displayed hundreds of paperback romance books. She pulled one out, showing off the cover, which showed a half-naked muscular man holding a woman tightly as she half-heartedly pushed him away.
The bound man looked at the picture. “The Reluctant Mate of an Alpha? What is this?”
“There are 983 books on werewolves in my possession.” She pulled out her notebook, quickly flipping to the “alpha” section. “88% of them feature an alpha werewolf as the male lead… and 92% of those characters force their mate to engage in physical intimacy… mostly hugging and kissing… within the first few minutes of meeting them.”
“You… you’re getting your information from romance books?” He looked horrified. “Where’s your pack?”
“No pack. Abandoned as a baby. I grew up in the foster system.”
A low angry growl sounded from his chest. “What pack abandons a child?!”
“The kind of pack that I’m probably better off being abandoned than raised by.” She tapped the book again. “Back to the fact that I’m apparently the mate to an alpha wolf.”
“Not apparently!” He looked distressed still. “You ARE! Can’t you sense it?”
She ignored him, putting the book back carefully. “You know that alpha wolves aren’t even a natural thing… only happens with wolves in captivity. Wolves in the wild tend to form family units. “
“…But we aren’t normal wolves? We wouldn’t have the exact same pack structure.”
“Exactly. Thus I can’t use my wolf encyclopedia to gain information.” She frowned. “That would have been preferable, honestly. I don’t really like the alphas in these stories.”
If you’re not going to mate with him… can we eat him?
“Stop asking to eat people. You know the answer.”
Lewis’s eyes grew wide. “Did you say ‘eat PEOPLE?”
“Don’t worry. There’s a strict ‘no eating people’ rule. It’s just a phase she’s gone through since I let her watch 80s horror werewolf flicks. She thinks its funny, but its not. “ She threw her hands up helplessly. “This is WHY we are on a horror movie ban!”
This is unfair!
“It’s perfectly fair! Even if you ignore the moral implications, you wouldn’t even like the taste of human flesh!”
What about hot sauce? Didn’t you say hot sauce makes every thing taste better?
“Yes… hot sauce does make everything taste better.”
“Wait… are you going to EAT me?” Lewis questioned with a panicked tone, scooting backwards closer to the door.
“No. I told you, there’s a firm ‘no eating people’ rule in place. We’re done discussing that.”
“But…”
“We’re discussing whether or not hot sauce would make your flesh taste better if we ate you… hypothetically.”
“Oh.” He thought it over. “I do like hot sauce. But I don’t think wolves do.”
“No. It would give them diarrhea, probably.” Alyssa nodded. “See. Even hot sauce wouldn’t help.”
Then if we aren’t going to eat him, can we please just MATE with him?
“No eating. No mating.”
“Wait, can we not put a strict no mating rule in place just yet? At least not a permanent one?” He paused. “Also, if I promise not to engage in any alpha behaviors like you see in your ‘research’, can I please be untied?”
“…” She studied him warily. “I suppose.”
“Great!” He held out his wrists, smiling with relief as she started to untie him.
“I have plenty of tranquilizer anyways.” She muttered.
“…pardon?”
The bonds slipped free. The man rubbed his wrists, careful to not make any sudden movements. Relieved by his apparent honesty in not trying anything, Alyssa headed back to her chair and wrapped herself back in her blanket.
Grabbing her tea, she took a sip of the lukewarm liquid and smiled. “So what brought the great alpha into my place of work today? Were you looking for me?”
________________________
Lewis was unsure how to answer his mate. Panicking, he said the first thing he thought of.
“Actually I was going to go buy milk.”
She raised an eyebrow. “In the bookstore?”
“Yes! I mean, no!” He covered in his face. “I was on my way to the supermarket, when my wolf… sensed you.”
She tilted her head, seeming more interested. “Your wolf? What’s he like?”
TELL HER I AM VERY STRONG!
“Umm… he’s strong…”
TELL HER I CAN MAKE HER FAT!!
No!
How else will she know I can provide food for her and our children?!
No. I’m not saying we’ll make her fat!
ITS IMPORTANT! TELL HER HOW FAT WE CAN MAKE HER!
“Are you okay?”
“WE’LL MAKE YOU REALLY FAT!” Lewis blurted out… and then stared at the ground in embarrassed horror.
“…” There was a long silence.
“My wolf says that’s very attractive.” She shook her head. “She wants you to know that we have several pounds of hamburger in our freezer and that we are happy to contribute food to you and your family.”
She’s smart and stores plenty of meat in her freezer! Please convince her to stay as our mate!
“So would you like to come visit our pack? He asked, wincing as she pulled what appeared to be a miniature Taser out of thin air. “Just visiting! No mating!” He relaxed as she hid the Taser away again “…Where were you even keeping that?”
“Secret pocket in the sleeve…. It’s not my only one, so don’t think I’ve given you any advantage.”
Lewis tried to think of something that would appeal to her. “I know you don’t have a pack… it would be a chance to get to know others like you… “
“… I would be able to refine my research…” She muttered, staring down at her notebook. “Plus my wolf really wants to…”
SHE’S GOING TO SAY YES!
Shush!
“Sure. Why not?” She shrugged, holding out her hand. “I guess we should officially meet if we’re going back to your pack together. I’m Alyssa.”
Alyssa! Her name is pretty!
“Nice to meet you Alyssa.” Lewis smiled brightly. “I’m Lewis.” He shook her hand, trying to stay calm at the shocking feeling of touching her. It was almost painful, as if every cell in his body were screaming at him that he’s met his soulmate. Overwhelmed, confused, he glanced over at his mate, only to see her calm expression.
Does she not feel this? Are we just delusional?
She’s our mate! Of course she feels it!
She’s not acting like it. Maybe we’re wrong? Lewis felt a stabbing pain in his chest at the thought. She was his mate. He had waited his whole life to meet her. He belonged to her.
What if she doesn’t want us?
… His wolf didn’t have an answer to that.
Maybe she can sense our weakness… our failure.
No… we’re not weak! We’re alpha of a strong pack!
That’s fallen apart because most of them felt I wasn’t the best one for the job.
We have to be strong. We can’t fail our pack or our mate. Don’t show weakness!
I’ll try.
Lewis forced a calm smile as he looked at Alyssa. “Should we head over and meet the pack?”
“Hmm… Aren’t you forgetting something?” She angled her head, studying him.
“What?”
“Didn’t you say you were on your way to pick up milk when you met me?”
“OH SHOOT!” He jumped to his feet. “I’m glad you said something! You saved my life!”
“By remembering milk?”
“You don’t realize how horrible my death would be at my mom’s hands if I had forgotten it.”
“…” She raised an eyebrow, a slight smile at the corner of her mouth. “You’re welcome, then.”
I like her smile! Let’s help make her smile more!
Agree.
Lewis ran to pick up some milk while she packed a bag for the trip. When he returned, he was shocked by the number of suitcases she had brought with her.
“Are all these clothes?”
“Don’t be silly.” She looked at him like he was an idiot. “It’s my research.”
He was almost afraid to ask, but felt he had to. “… They’re all filled with werewolf romance books… aren’t they?
“Not just books… “ Alyssa seemed a little defensive. “There’s some weapons. And a few changes of clothes.”
“If you’re staying a few days at least, do you need to take off work?”
She shook her head. “No need.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. “
“…Okay.” He didn’t want to pry. At least not yet. Maybe one day she’ll trust us enough to tell us more.
He packed her bags into the car, glad for his superhuman strength as he lifted the suitcases filled to the brim with books. Alyssa sat in the passenger seat, clutching a notebook and a small messenger bag, which also appeared to be filled with books. As they headed outside of town, an awkward silence fell between them.
Say something witty! His wolf finally lost patience with Something that will make her think we’re smart!
Open to any suggestions, Buddy. I’m having trouble thinking straight with our mate so close, much less think of something smart to say!
Aren’t you supposed to be the more intelligent half? I’m supposed to be the stronger one.
You’re the one always saying that wolves are super intelligent creatures and I should listen to you more!
Now we’re being silent for too long! What if she thinks we’re an idiot?!
You’re not helping…
“So how do werewolves mate?” Alyssa asked calmly, the question almost causing Lewis to swerve off the road in shock.
“…”
“Sorry, I don’t think I heard you. Could you repeat the question?”
“How do werewolves mate?”
… I think I preferred the awkward silence.
No! This is good! She’s showing an interest in mating!
“Umm… Not differently than humans… you learned about that in health class, right?” He desperately hoped he would not have to have a “birds and bees” talk with his mate right after meeting her.
“Oh.” She sounded slightly disappointed. “So we don’t mate in wolf form?”
I’m game.
SHUT UP.
“Typically no… I mean I guess it’s possible…” He felt himself turn bright red, feeling super uncomfortable. “But usually its in human form… at least from my understanding of what mated couples say.”
“Hmm..” She seemed to be listening to something. “No, I don’t think his wolf is impotent. I think it’s a cultural thing.”
HER WOLF THINKS I’M IMPOTENT, WE’RE SHIFTING NOW!
We are currently driving down a highway! We are not shifting any time soon! Besides, what on earth do you think you’re going to do in wolf form that’s going to convince her otherwise?
I’ll show her my genitals, to reassure her.
THAT DOES NOT REASSURE WOMEN! ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US TASED?!
“So I bet that means that werewolf pregnancy follows human rules then. “ She sighed, frowning while pulling out her notebook and writing a few things down. “There was only 3% of books that presented mating and pregnancy while in wolf form, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“… I see.”
“How long does pregnancy last? 19% of the books depict a shorter pregnancy cycle, but I wasn’t sure if it was just to get the plot to move faster.”
“Normal 9 months.”
“Number of children per pregnancy?”
“One… unless you have twins.”
She groaned, leaning back in her chair. “So no advantages at all? So disappointing.”
SHE’S DISAPOINTED! TELL HER TWINS RUN IN OUR FAMILY! WE’LL GIVE HER SO MANY CHILDREN!
“Twins run in our family!” Lewis nearly shouted.
“Really?” Alyssa studied him, looking slightly interested. “Do you have a twin?”
Great. I really had to bring HIM up.
“I do… but he left the pack.”
“Does that happen often?”
“No.”
“I see…” She made a few more notes. “Obviously the villain.”
“…” I mean, she’s not wrong. “Any other questions?” Please be something easy.
“Will mating with another werewolf change my menstrual cycle?”
“…”
Do you know?
Nope. Nothing in the instincts about this. Do you?
Nope.
He cleared his throat. “Sorry, I don’t know the answer to that question. One of the pack might be able to answer it. Maybe Bridget? She seems pretty knowledgeable.”
“Bridget? Your sister?”
“No… she’s just one of the warriors in the pack..”
“Hmm…” Alyssa thought that over. “Is she pretty?”
Lewis shrugged. “Seems pretty normal.”
“Do you two get along?”
“She follows orders, so I guess?”
“I see.” He could hear her pen scratching against paper again. “The female side character who will try to chase we away, maybe? How exciting.”
“…” Lewis decided he didn’t want to ask anything about it. For the sake of his sanity if nothing else.
They spent the rest of the car ride in silence.
________________________
Alyssa felt increasingly nervous the closer they got to pack territory.
I think we’re almost there. This area smells different.
“Different how?”
It smells like our mate! I like it!
“Hmm… Do you think he pees on trees to mark his territory?”
Isn’t that normal?
“It’s normal for wolves… do you think he does it in human form too?”
“I DON’T MARK TERRITORY AS A HUMAN!” Lewis spoke out frantically. “Can you stop talking about me like I’m not here?!”
She turned to him, curious by his reaction. “Don’t you talk to your wolf?”
“All the time, but I do it SILENTLY!” He paused. “Do you not know how to?”
“Oh I know how to, I just think it’s really rude to leave her out of the general conversation. She’s here too you know.”
“That makes sense… I guess…” He sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair. “Well, I assume you know since you were commenting on the scent markings, but yes, we’re in pack territory. “
Alyssa nodded, her heart rate increasing slightly. She didn’t like this. Going to unfamiliar places. Meeting new people. Especially people who may have a culture or rules that she didn’t understand. They might not like her.
How could they not love us? We’re a strong, beautiful female… at least when we’re in wolf form.
“Hey!”
We’ll be just fine.
“I hope so.” She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves.
A warm hand hesitantly grasped her own. She felt an electric shock traveling up her fingers from the touch, but kept her face expressionless. “Are you okay?” Lewis’s voice was quiet, a comforting sound.
I like his voice. His touch his very warm!
“If you’re worried… I know that you might not believe me, but the pack is very friendly. You’ll feel very welcome.”
“In 42% of the books the pack is welcoming to a stranger… usually because she’s the alpha’s mate. In the rest they are either wary of the unknown person, or distrustful or unfriendly. “ She thought it over. “I guess it’s not bad odds.”
The car came to a stop. Lewis squeezed her hand one last time, and then stepped out, getting her suitcases from the trunk and back seat. Alyssa stared down at her now empty hand, feeling frustrated.
I trust him.
“You trust everyone. It’s my job to keep us safe.” She got out of the car, staring around at the area. There were several nice houses, all scattered far from each other. The place was quiet, peaceful, surrounded by woods. She liked it.
He won’t hurt us. He can’t. It would be like hurting himself.
“You’d be surprised how low people can sink if they want.”
No I wouldn’t. I lived through all the same experiences with you. But wolves do better with a family. We’ll do better with a pack.
“I haven’t agreed to that yet.”
We’ll see.
Lewis carried her many bags without seeming stressed by the weight. “I’ll bring these into the main house. Do you want to come along? Or you can wait here, I can show you around.”
She glanced around at the forest around her. “I’ll wait here.”
“Ok. I’ll be right back.” He looked slightly worried about separating from her, but after a brief hesitation, he walked away.
Alyssa strolled around the clearing by the car, feeling calmer as she took in the fresh air.
I like it here. We should live here.
“We’ll see.”
Also mate Lewis before another female gets him.
“I don’t think that’s how it works. In 82% of the books, being mates meant soul mates. Only small exceptions made for if mates rejected each other and such… for the drama, I suppose. “
Don’t take chances. Even with an impotent wolf we should claim him sooner rather than later. He has fatty steaks in his house. I can smell them.
“That’s what’s important to you? And I told you, I don’t think his wolf is impotent…”
“WHO ARE YOU?” A strident voice called out.
Alyssa turned to see a beautiful young woman walking towards her with a suspicious expression. She had shorter, curly blond hair and bright green eyes, towering over her in height. Alyssa sighed slightly as she realized she would probably be the shortest werewolf here by a good amount.
We’re short but feisty! Don’t underestimate us!
“I’m Alyssa.” She waved cheerfully. “Who are you?”
“…” The young woman seemed confused. “Bridget.”
The bitch side character! Maybe she’ll shout at us to “stay away from her man!”
“You don’t know that. Maybe she’s nice. She’s pretty.”
She is pretty… but it would be more fun if she were hysterical and tried to scare us off.
“…Who are you talking to?”
“My wolf.” Alyssa grinned at her. “She’s wondering if you are going to scream at us and tell us to stay away from Lewis.”
The woman seemed stunned. “Why would I do that?”
“All the books have it.” She pulled out her notebook and spread out the books from her messenger bag. Holding up one where a woman in a ripped dress stood next to a large wolf titled “The Alpha’s Runaway Love”, she pointed to a smaller, angry looking woman in the background of the cover. “See… in 79% of these stories there’s a strong female side character who is desperately in love with the alpha despite him being mated to the main character and tries to drive her away.”
“… Are those… romance novels….?”
“But I really hope you aren’t that character type. I think you seem like an awesome older sister type.” She stepped closer, which highlighted the height difference between them. “We’ve always wanted a cool, pretty older sister like you. “
“…” Bridget seemed genuinely overwhelmed. “Umm… first of all… I don’t want to scare you away from Lewis… I grew up with the guy. He wet the bed once when I slept over when we were five… ruined my favorite princess sheets…”
Alyssa started taking notes.
“I was just curious about who you were…” She rested a hand on Alyssa’s head, almost seemingly despite herself. “Are you Lewis’ mate?”
“Yep! He found me in a bookstore.” She paused. “Do you know if mating with a werewolf changes your menstrual cycle? I asked Lewis, but he seemed like he was having a seizure and said he didn’t know.”
“…” Bridgett’s face spasmed at that, she seemed to be holding back a laugh.
“Also… I brought hamburger meat… do you want some? “
“So…” Bridget’s voice trailed off.
“So?” Alyssa tilted her head, confused.
“SO CUTE!!!” Alyssa was pulled into an enormous bear hug, squeezed almost uncomfortably tight as Bridget continued to yell. “YOU’RE ADOPTED!”
“What are you doing with my mate?” Lewis’s strained voice made Alyssa want to look over, but she was still trapped in the hug.
“She’s my little sister now, Alpha.” Bridget’s voice was calm, but stern. “If anything happens to her, I will destroy you.”
Alyssa smiled at her as the tall woman set her down. “Really?”
“Really.” Bridget grinned back. “I’ve always wanted a sister too.”
“Awesome!”
As the two girls began chatting excitedly, Lewis cleared his throat. “Guys? I hate to break up the love here, but the pack is gathering to meet Alyssa.”
He walked over towards Alyssa, stopping in his tracks as Bridget grabbed her first and tugged her in the correct direction. “Come on, let’s hurry up! I can’t wait to introduce you to them!”
“She’s MY mate! I want to introduce her!”
“Too bad, so sad, bedwetter! If you weren’t so slow maybe you could have grabbed her first.” She laughed.
“Hey, you promised never to mention that again! What if you scare my mate away?!”
“Even better, she’ll just live with me and my family.”
As they moved, Alyssa tapped her arm, leaning close. “Is this really okay?”
“Is what okay?”
“I mean… he’s your alpha… is it okay to be like this with him?”
Bridget smiled. “Don’t worry. He’s a good alpha… a strong fighter, a capable leader… but he’s very kind. He prefers his pack feel comfortable enough to joke around with him. Says if they can trust him enough to make fun of him that it means they’ll trust him enough to have the uncomfortable conversations as well.”
He’s a good leader.
“Maybe…”
Let’s mate him!
Alyssa groaned at the expected response from her wolf, shaking her head slowly.
They arrived in a clearing in the woods, where twenty or thirty people had gathered. Everyone looked very different, with skin tones, eye and hair color varying widely from person to person. People of all ages chatted excitedly, watching their approach. They did have one thing in common though:
They were all tall.
We’re… tall… too.
“We’re short.” Feeling uncomfortable, she hid behind Bridget, who growled at the crowd.
“Don’t you guys make my sister uncomfortable! Sit down, you’re scaring her.”
The crowd looked very confused at that, but sat down on the grass anyways. Besides the three of them, only one man remained standing. He was enormous, a head taller than even Lewis, who Alyssa already considered very tall. He was broad as well as tall, his muscles nearly bursting out of the flannel shirt he was wearing. His face was covered in a bushy beard, his dark hair cropped close.
Overall Alyssa thought he looked very intimidating. She watched as he approached, a hand grasping her hidden Taser in her sleeve.
“This is my Beta Gary.” Lewis’s calm voice was reassuring, but she refused to relax her vigilance as the large man bent down to look her in the eye. “Gary, this is my mate, Alyssa.”
“Hey there, Alyssa.” The hair-covered face broke into a friendly smile. “We’ve been hoping Lewis would find a nice mate for a while now. Glad you’re here. If anyone gives you trouble you let me know, I’ll knock a few heads in.”
Alyssa grinned back at him. “Nice to meet you, Gary. You’re really large.”
Ask him if we can sit on his shoulder! I want to be tall!
“It would be rude to ask to sit on his shoulder right after meeting him. We’ll ask him later.”
But…
Before her wolf could complain too much, Gary reached out and picked her up easily, placing her on one broad shoulder and steadying her with a single hand. “How’s this?”
Alyssa looked around. “This is GREAT!” She laughed.
Bow before us mortals! WE ARE TALL!
“My wolf is very happy right now. She was sad that we were so much shorter than everyone.”
HEY! You were sad too!
“Well you can ride on my shoulder anytime you want.” Gary laughed. “My mate Berta and I always wanted kids, but…” his voice trailed off slightly. “Well, anyways, feel free to come to us if you ever need help.”
“OR ME!” Bridget burst out. “I’ve already claimed her as my little sister!”
Lewis stared at the three of them, looking slightly tired. “Do I get any time with her as her mate?”
Gary and Bridget glanced at each other. “… We’ll see.”
Putting Alyssa down in front of the pack, Gary winked at her as if to reassure her before taking his place standing behind the Alpha. Lewis stepped forward, his manner becoming stronger, more confident as he addressed the crowd.
“Everyone, this is my mate Alyssa. She’s one of us, but she doesn’t have a pack. So I expect you all to make her feel safe and welcome.” He looked around, smiling as everyone nodded obediently.
“Welcome!”
“We’re glad you’re here!”
“Maybe Lewis will stop moping so much now!”
The cheerful voices of the pack made Alyssa feel calmer. She waved at them, speaking up. “Hey everyone! Like Lewis said, I’m Alyssa. I don’t know much about werewolves… I’ve only grown up around humans, but I’m excited to learn more.”
They seem nice.
Her wolf was happy about the packs’ reactions. No one seemed thrown off by her introduction. No one was glaring at her or even seeming suspicious of her.
It’s a good thing, right?
Before she could respond, Lewis spoke up, distracting her. “Let’s take you back to meet my mom.”
________________________
Lewis was relieved that the pack introduction went so well. Not that he was overly surprised; most of the more disagreeable pack members had left in the split with his brother. Who was left were either the ones too reasonable to be sucked into his rhetoric, or the very loyal ones to himself or his father.
Either way, I guess it’s a good thing.
He led his mate towards his house, breathing a small sigh of relief when Bridget and Gary didn’t insist on following. He liked them both a lot, but they could be a lot. Especially since they seemed to have instantly bonded with Alyssa.
Just admit it. We’re jealous. We want to bond with Alyssa too.
We don’t know what all she’s been through. She was abandoned by her pack as an infant. Her only knowledge of us doesn’t paint Alpha’s in a good light… or at least they don’t seem to. Lewis resolved to get his hands on some of those books and read through this. It might help us understand how she views us… and how to reassure her.
I like her. His wolf’s voice was filled with a patient care. Even if she doesn’t like us just yet, I hope she’s happy and feels safe here.
I do too. Lewis desperately wanted to reassure his mate. He could feel her anxiety through the bond. Even when she was smiling she didn’t feel safe. But he didn’t know how to help just yet.
They reached the house, and as they were about to enter, the door swung open and Lewis’s mother rushed out. Making a beeline for Alyssa, she hugged her tightly, grinning.
“I’M SO HAPPY YOU’RE HERE!”
Alyssa seemed shocked at the sudden appearance of his mother. Lewis tried to step in. “Mom, don’t scare her…”
“Finally someone normal sized!” Alyssa burst out, hugging his mother back.
“I know, right? They’re all way too tall!” Lewis’s mother stepped back, patting her head fondly. “I forgive them since they’re all such good people, but still, I’m happy to have someone I don’t have to strain my neck to look at.”
“Mom, this is Alyssa, my mate.”
“I figured as much dear. You’ve never paid so much attention and care to a single person before. “ She grabbed Alyssa’s hand. “Come in, I made food.”
Our mother understands! She’ll show our mate how much food we can provide!
Alyssa glanced at him. “My wolf wants to make sure that the hamburger meat we brought got put in the fridge.”
“I took care of it.” Lewis puffed out his chest, feeling accomplished.
His mother just shook her head. “Boys. Why don’t you take her bags up to the room next to mine while I get her something to pad her stomach?”
“Yes, Ma’am.” He grabbed the suitcases full of books, weapons and clothes and rushed up the stairs. Her room was on the opposite end of the house from him, right next to his mother’s rooms.
Why is she staying so far away from us? His wolf whined in his head. What if something happens? How will we protect her?
She already doesn’t trust us. Hopefully the living arrangements will make her less nervous. If she doesn’t like it, she might go stay with Bridget instead. Do you want that?
No. Stupid Bridgett. She brought up the bedwetting incident. Our childhood shame bared in front of our mate! What if she doesn’t like us now?
We were young. I can’t imagine she would hold it against us… although yes, it is very embarrassing.
As he neared the kitchen once more, he overheard Alyssa and his mother talking. About to announce his arrival, his mouth slammed shut as he heard his mate’s question.
“So Lewis’ brother is a villain, right?”
“…” His mother sighed. “How much has he told you?”
“Just that he has a twin, and he’s not with the pack.”
“Well, I guess you haven’t known each other long… you’ll hear it anyways, might as well be from me, since he’s my son.” She sat down at the counter, rubbing her forehead tiredly.
“I had three children, actually. Twins boys and a younger girl. My husband was the Alpha of the Western pack, and although it’s not set in stone, usually one of the children of the Alpha will inherit the position.”
Lewis could hear Alyssa’s pen moving as she frantically took notes. He silently laughed, even as his chest hurt at the sound of his mother’s disappointed tone, leaning against the wall to hear how she would describe their situation.
“Now, I’m not a werewolf, you know. I’m a human who happened to be mates with a werewolf. So maybe I didn’t instill the idea of pack values as strongly as I could have.” She sighed. “Lewis seemed to get it naturally. He got hurt when he was ten… the first time he transformed, just to protect an elderly pack member who was being attacked. He’s got a large scar on his left elbow from a hunter’s arrow. Werewolves heal well… but the scars remain.”
My other son… Benjamin… he wasn’t nearly as concerned about the pack’s well being. Just obsessed with being strong. Being in charge. My daughter Emily seemed to feel very similar.”
“Seems pretty Alpha-like… at least how the books describe them.”
“But that’s the thing. Alphas SHOULD be strong. My mate was very strong, in fact. But their strength exists to protect and feed the pack. Strength and power for its own sake has no purpose… and often leads down a dangerous pack.”
“…”
“My mate died.” His mother whispered, the pain in her voice breaking Lewis’s heart. “Lung cancer. Even werewolves can die from disease. They heal… but not fast enough for more aggressive wounds or diseases. They’re not immortal.”
“I’m sorry.” Alyssa seemed genuinely concerned. “How did you survive losing your mate?”
“It helps that I’m human.” Her voice was still quiet. “The pain is still there…it’s like a piece of your soul missing. But I had family, pack … people who needed me to keep waking up each morning. And I’m glad I have.”
“So what happened next?”
“My mate’s will left the pack to Lewis.” His mother shrugged, turning back to stir the contents of a pot on the stove. “It was an obvious choice to us. He is strong, careful… puts the pack first.”
“But Benjamin didn’t agree?”
“He rebelled. Said Lewis was weak. Tried to fight him, but was pushed back by the loyal members of the pack. In the end he took almost half the pack with him to start a new one… including my daughter who also thought Lewis was too weak to lead.”
“…” Alyssa was silent. Lewis leaned against the wall, desperately trying to sense his mate’s emotions. Was she disappointed in him? Did she think he was a failure.
“He goes by Nightfang now… his group is our pack’s greatest threat.”
“…” Suddenly in the silent kitchen, Alyssa chuckled. “Seriously? Nightfang? Did he think that was a cool name?”
Lewis’s mother laughed too. “I know, right. I mean, it’s a serious situation and all, but seriously… he sounds like a villain in a Saturday morning cartoon.” She looked over, and chuckled again. “Alright, Lewis. Stop hiding around the corner and come join the conversation.”
Shamefully, Lewis ducked his head and entered the kitchen. He noticed Alyssa didn’t seem surprised by his presence.
She probably can sense when we’re nearby. It means our bond is slightly stronger!
It also means she knows we were eavesdropping like a creep!
Well we were… not like it’s much better if she doesn’t know.
“So…” He spoke up, trying to appear less awkward. “Can I help with dinner at all, Mom?”
She smiled, reaching up high to pat his head as well. “I’m pretty much done. How about after we eat you show her around the territory?”
Alyssa seemed a little more relaxed, to Lewis’s relief. “I’d like that.”
WE GET TO SPEND TIME WITH HER! THIS IS GREAT!
Play it cool! She already knows that half the pack left because we’re too weak to convince them we’re a good Alpha. If we look like an idiot too…
OH SHUT UP! His wolf snapped at it. Don’t pretend you’re not super excited. We’re the same person!
…Stupid wolf.
Silly human.
... Lewis was excited. So excited he could hardly breathe. His mate was right here, in front of him. She was smart, beautiful, friendly… at least to everyone else… more than he could have ever dared to dream of.
I just want her to like us… any ideas?
I still vote for bringing her food or showing her our genitals. .
… Never mind… I’ll think of something.
________________________
A few weeks passed.
Alyssa sat on the cool grass, watching Lewis in wolf form teaching some of the younger pack members how to fight.
“Watch out for each other.” His voice resounded her mind. “You can’t be so focused on the enemy that you lose track of what’s behind you.”
Having never spent any time prior to this visit around other werewolves, she was interested to find that although she did understand some of wolf language – a combination of scents, sounds and body language – the majority of the time werewolves simply spoke through mental communication.
Lewis batted one of the young wolves aside, snapping at another’s flank and using his weight to push a third to the ground, baring his teeth. The fallen wolf whimpered slightly, more with frustration than pain.
“Alpha, I thought we had to focus all of our attention on the attack, and not stop until the enemy was dead?” The youngest of the three, a male wolf named Teddy, finally spoke up, his tail between his legs. “How are we supposed to do that AND watch our backs?”
“Who told you that?” Lewis seemed shocked. “You are nothing without your pack! Only by working together and looking out for each other will you be at your strongest.”
“It was Uncle Ben…mmph” Teddy’s voice was muffled as the other two wolves tackled him.
“Sorry Alpha, he’s a little dumb.” Teddy’s sister Lara apologized, grinding her brother’s muzzle into the dirt with a paw. “Of course we aren’t going to follow what the traitor Nightfang taught us.”
“But LARA…”
“SHUT UP and let me get us out of this, idiot!”
Lewis stared at them for a few minutes, and then laughed silently in our heads. “It’s okay. I know he was in charge of teaching fighting for years. It’s a different strategy, but give my idea a shot before you dismiss it, okay?”
“YES ALPHA!” The three younger wolves shouted in unison.
“…” Alyssa studied Lewis with a thoughtful expression. He was kind enough to the pups, even when they challenged him and brought up his brother’s name. He didn’t lash out, just calmly guiding them forward. If she didn’t know better, she would think the mention of his brother didn’t bother him at all.
But she could feel it.
Behind his kind words, there was a deep agony. Fear, hurt, betrayal. He resented that his brother left the pack, that he split the pack with his leaving. He regretted that he had let his brother teach the pups… that he taught the pups to be killers rather than to defend and protect the pack. Feared being compared to his brother at every turn.
But mostly… he blamed himself. Hated that he wasn’t a strong enough Alpha to force the pack to stay together. He wished desperately that he could be a better leader… more like his father.
Alyssa rubbed her chest idly, feeling a pain in her heart that wasn’t physical but still wishing to ease it. She could sense his self-doubt, his feelings of helplessness, but was unsure what to do with the knowledge.
Over the last few weeks, they had spent a lot of time together. She had come to recognize that he was as kind as he first seemed, very different than what her book research had led her to expect. He was strong… she could see that in every move her made, especially in his wolf form… but he didn’t seem to place his importance on that strength.
His mother had described him well. He was strong, careful… and he put his pack first.
The closer they got, the more she learned about him, the more she could feel through their bond. His emotions, his mental state. She couldn’t hear his thoughts, not unless he was mentally communicating in wolf form. The information she was getting, however, was almost more than she could bear.
It made her terrified to guess what he could sense about her.
That’s how bonding goes. He is our soul mate. We can’t hide from him.
“…” Alyssa ignored her wolf, mad that she was telling the truth.
“Are you okay?” Alyssa looked up at Lewis’s mental question, startled to see his wolf’s face right in front of her own. “Did something upset you?”
“… What would you do if something did?”
“Help you. No matter what.” His mental voice was firm… reassuring.
“What if it was you that upset me?” Alyssa was curious how he would answer that.
“… If I did something, please let me know… I don’t want to hurt you, even by accident.” He paused. “If you don’t feel comfortable telling me… then my mom or Bridget would be happy to listen. And of course beat me up for whatever I did…”
SORRY WE UPSET YOU MATE! WOULD YOU LIKE MEAT?! Startled, Alyssa realized she could hear Lewis’s wolf directly. He sounded a lot like Lewis, but slightly more… straightforward.
TELL HIM WE LIKE MEAT! Alyssa’s wolf shouted with frustration. OR SHIFT SO I CAN TELL HIM MYSELF!
“How can I hear your wolf? I thought that could only happen after mating?”
Lewis shook his head, the motion strange appearing when performed by a wolf. “I’m not sure… I’ve never been mated before… but I think as our bond deepens we’ll hear more. I can’t hear your wolf now… if she’s speaking…”
I AM SPEAKING! TELL HIM I WANT THE STEAK HE HAS IN THE FREEZER!
“…But if you were in wolf form I might. Their control is a little stronger in that form. One day we might be able to hear each other’s wolves even when in human form.”
“…”
We like you, Mate! We think you are smart and pretty and smell nice! We spend a lot of time arguing over what would make you like us! Lewis’s wolf chimed in.
“Shush…” Lewis tried to interrupt, but the wolf kept talking.
I wanted to bring you meat and expose our genitals to reassure you of our virility, but he insisted that would make you mad.
His wolf is smart. Alyssa’s wolf approved. That would have made me happy.
“…Your wolf and my wolf are on the same page. I have no desire to see genitals, though.”
“No worries, there’s a firm ‘no flashing’ rule in place. “
Her stomach rumbled. “Wouldn’t say no to a steak though!”
Hooray! We’ll bring you the tastiest of the steaks!
See, he loves us enough to bring us the best steak! We should mate him now!
Lewis ran behind a tree and shifted, quickly changing into loose fitting shorts and t-shirt. Alyssa had learned the hard way that the pack had very little sense of modesty.
After numbing her brain to the sight of naked people who had transformed back from wolf form multiple times, she had come to somewhat accept it as normal.
She was still glad that Lewis tried to not be naked in front of her. Although she was now realizing that this might have more to do with avoiding his wolf’s desire to show off genitals then anything else.
“Let’s go.” He smiled, the expression causing her heart to skip a quick beat, and held out his hand. After a short hesitation, she took it, feeling as always the thrill that came from touching him.
They walked together in silence.
As they neared the house, Lewis spoke up. “You know everyone likes you here.”
Alyssa tensed up. “But…?”
“No buts. They just like you.” He let out a quiet sigh. “You don’t have to try this hard.”
“…”
“You look relaxed when you’re talking with the pack. You’re smiling and joking around… you’ve even got half of them addicted to those werewolf romance novels… I mean your research…” He chuckled, squeezing her hand with his own. “But I can feel it, Lyss. I can feel how stressed out you are… how hard you’re trying to make them like you.”
“I…” Alyssa started to talk but then fell silent.
I told you he knows us.
“I’m not judging.” He smiled bitterly. “I wish I had met you much earlier. I don’t know what your life has been like leading up to now. I just want you to know that people like you for the weird, lovely person you are. You can try to relax a little.”
Alyssa thought his words over. “Growing up… being liked… it was safer. Especially if you were the weird kid who had a wolf voice in her head. I learned early how to read people, and act the way they wanted. I’ve grown out of it some… it does get very tiring. But I don’t know if I could completely stop, even if I wanted to.”
“That’s okay.” He grinned. “Just know that I care about you... honestly maybe more than that, although it’s just been a few weeks. You never have to try to get on my good side.”
“I don’t think we ever tried to do that.”
We tried to scare him off. And instead he treated us better than anyone else.
He grinned. “Good. Then I guess I got to see a closer side to you than most… even if it was not meant as a compliment.”
Alyssa felt scared by this. His care. His acceptance of her. Even worse by the fact she could feel through the bond that it was completely genuine.
“Don’t let it worry you too much. Let’s just take it a day at a time for now.”
She sighed with relief at his words. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” He thought it over for a moment. “Wait? What about your job at the bookstore? You’ve been here two weeks without notice? Do you still have a job?”
“You don’t need to worry about it.”
You’ll have to tell him eventually.
“If you say so.” His expression and mental state were a little sad, but she ignored it.
She would take it one step at a time, just like Lewis suggested.
________________________
Lewis was going a little crazy.
It had been a month. He spent every day at his mate’s side. Every day talking with Alyssa, laughing with her, getting to know her more and more. As they grew closer, he couldn’t help but wish for more.
They had just returned from a run through the forest in their wolf forms. He loved spending time with her wolf as well. She was much smaller than him, with silver fur and grey eyes that saw right through him. Her wolf self was much more open and playful, often pulling him to play or run through the forest. His wolf was enamored with her, yelling out offers to feed her or provide her with pups… or both. Her wolf was in hearty agreement, only to be silenced by Alyssa, who still seemed somewhat uncomfortable about the whole situation.
Lewis was happy. He hoped she would continue to stay with the pack… stay with him. He just wasn’t sure how long that would last. Fortunately she seemed completely unconcerned about how much time she took off the bookstore.
He shifted back behind a tree, changing into his clothes stuffed nearby and staring down at the ground until he heard she was done doing the same. Stepping out of his hiding spot he grinned and offered his hand.
“Should we get something to eat?”
Alyssa took his hand without hesitation. “Sure. What should we make?” Lewis felt his heartbeat speed up at her casual use of “we”.
STEAK!
STEAK PLEASE!
Their wolves chimed in, making them both shake their heads.
“How about pasta?” He asked. Feeling the wolves’ disappointment he added “We can have meat in the sauce.
YES!
Our mate is the best!
Lewis couldn’t help but chuckle at that. Her wolf likes me at least.
“ALPHA!” Gary’s panicked voice caused him to turn, seeing the large man running towards them fully naked.
Seeing Alyssa look towards the ground, Lewis couldn’t help but growl with annoyance. “Can’t you put pants on?”
“No time.” He skidded to a halt, trying to catch his breath. “It’s your brother…”
His heart stopped.
Benjamin. Nightfang. His brother. His enemy.
“What has he done?”
Gary’s face was grim. “He’s invaded. The South Segment.”
Lewis pulled off his clothes, shifting to his wolf form.
“Are there any of our pack patrolling in the area?”
“I let Teddy and Lara take that segment… it was supposed to be our safest area…” Gary rubbed his face looking horrified. “I thought it would be okay.”
“Stay here. Protect the pack. I’ll get the young wolves.”
His silent voice projected across the entire territory.
“Everyone. We are under attack. Go to your designated areas. The Nightfang pack has definitely invaded the South Segment, but it could be a distraction. DO NOT LET DOWN YOUR GUARD! Watch each others’ backs. I’m going after Teddy and Lara who were last seen in the attacked area. Listen to the Beta while I’m gone."
He hesitated mentally, continuing to run as fast as possible to the south segment, and then reached out privately to Alyssa.
“Please keep yourself safe. If you want to fight I won’t stop you, stay near Gary. If you want to stay out of the fight, go hide in the house with my mom. The pack is instructed to guard it. “
“I… “ He trailed off, unsure of how to finish the sentence.
TELL OUR MATE YOU LOVE HER!
He wanted to. He wanted to express the thoughts, the emotions that had slowly sprouted within him in the time they had spent together. To say everything he had wanted to say when he was by her side.
But he couldn’t.
We’re not strong. We can barely protect our pack. She won’t want us. She doesn’t trust us yet.
He reached out for what he hoped wouldn’t be the last time to his beloved mate.
“Stay safe.”
With that, he continued towards the south sector.
Calling out for Teddy and Lara as he neared the attacked area, Lewis wasn’t getting any answers. He tried not to think too hard about what that could mean.
They might just be unconscious… they might not be… His wolf trailed off, hesitating.
I don’t know what Ben… what Nightfang is capable of. He might kill them. But if there is a chance they are still alive… we have to try.
He slowed down, his paws silently stepping on the soft earth. He stayed on high alert, listening for any possible signs of the intruders.
Don’t let your guard down. Someone is close. His wolf could feel the intrusion on the Packs’ territory, it bothered him.
There, in the clearing! Lewis spotted two small wolf forms laying still on the ground. Praying they were just knocked out, he crouched down and inched closer.
They were breathing.
He let out a silent sigh of relief. Scouting around, there were at least two from the NightFang pack in the clearing with the pups.
Only two.
Where’s the rest of that bastard’s pack?! Where’s Ben? His wolf snarled within him.
It’s a distraction.He had known there was a possibility. But he couldn’t leave the two young wolves for dead. He couldn’t.
And Nightfang knew that.
Let’s save them quickly and head straight back. Hopefully Gary will keep things together until we return.
I miss our mate. I hope she’s okay.
… Me too.
Lewis attacked from the shadows. Normally he would owe them a noise, some sort of warning of his approach. He should give them the chance to surrender. To run away.
He didn’t warn them. They had invaded his pack’s territory. Kidnapped and attacked their young wolves. They knew the consequences.
One wolf screamed in pain and fear as his hamstring was shredded between Lewis’ teeth. He shifted in his confusion and shock, the bloody mess even worse in human form. Lewis had already turned to the next one.
He snapped at the enemy’s flank, and as the wolf dodged to avoid his teeth, used his much heavier muscle mass to push him to the ground. He grabbed his throat, resting his canines against the carotid pulse. The wolf grew still, not wanting to push him into ending his life.
“SPEAK! What is that traitor’s plan?”
The wolf whined at his mental command, but stayed silent. Lewis began closing his jaw. We don’t have time for this. The pack is in danger. Our mate is in danger.
“He’s attacking from the West!” Sensing death close by, the wolf began to mindspeak. “He wants to wipe out your pack while you’re distracted.”
Lewis opened his jaw slightly, considering his options. If I let him go he could warn the others.
Kill him.
He surrendered.
The pack must be protected.
Let me knock him out.
“Weakling.” A snarl came behind him, and he realized it was the man whose hamstring he had torn out. Swinging a metal bar at his head. At the same time, the wolf he had pinned bucked with teeth bared, trying to throw him off and attack.
Lewis dodged, clamping down his teeth as he moved, tearing the carotid and jugular with the sharp points of his teeth. He let go, tasting blood, knowing that the wolf beneath him was dead.
One left.
Before the attacker could say anything, Lewis jumped, fangs bared, and tore his throat out as well.
We did it.
He nudged Lara, the older of the two wolves, relieved when she woke up right away.
“Grab your brother and go to the main house.” His tone didn’t allow room for argument. She nodded silently, shaking awake her brother, and the two ran into the forest.
Lewis couldn’t help but chastise himself as he watched them move away. I hesitated.
You’re our kind half. I am the viciousness we hold, the killer instinct.
I’m weak.
We have to have both, or we’ll either be a tyrant killer or a ineffective Alpha. Now stop having a personal crisis and go SAVE OUR MATE.
Lewis nodded grimly, padding off into the forest towards where he could sense the pack.
It’s time to end this.
He ran into more enemy wolves as he neared the center of his territory. This time he sighed, giving up control to his wolf. His wolf seemed relieved at taking over, fighting both enemies to severe injury or death before moving forward.
Mate. He picked up the pace.
________________________
Alyssa had never been in a fight before. At least not with other wolves.
Don’t worry, I got this. Her wolf took over and leapt at the nearest attacker. Gary and Bridget were to either side of her, their much larger wolves defending her flank.
“There’s a lot of them, but I think we’ve got control.” Gary communicated calmly, his frantic attacks never slowing.
“They seem disorganized. “ Bridgett’s silent voice conveyed her disapproval. “Did they come here just to die?”
As her wolf continued to fight, leaping nimbly in between the snarling wolves, Alyssa studied her surroundings.
This is too easy. They’re injured… starving… what have they been doing in their territory?
Her wolf had no sympathy. Bad alphas make bad packs.
She looked around in the chaos. Everywhere she looked wolves were snapping at each other. Blood stained the cold ground, trampled into the dirt churning it into mud. Howls and whines of pain filled the air.
“I don’t see him.” She communicated to the other pack members.
“Who”? Gary trampled his enemy into the mud, his jaw locking on the throat of the other wolf. “Lewis?”
“No. Benjamin. I don’t sense an alpha in this group. Shouldn’t he be larger or stronger than the rest? Where is he?”
“Maybe the Southern Sector? An alpha fight?”
“No.” Alyssa’s mind was racing. “He doesn’t seem like the type to respect Lewis enough to fight him head on. 64% of the stories show the villain attempting some sort of sneak attack. The South Sector was a distraction… and so is this. They sent their weaker, injured members to fight us.”
That means….
She took off for the main house.
Alyssa! Bridgett called out. Where are you going?
To where the real fight is.
She crashed into the house, skidding to a halt at the sight of Lewis and his mother.
No… it’s not Lewis.Their faces were very similar, but everything else was wrong: his scent, his expression, his posture.
He smells dangerous… aggressive… Her wolf complained. He’s everything our mate isn’t.
I don’t like him.
Me either… he’s scary.
We should be careful.
She kept a defensive posture, her hackles raised, her teeth bared.
Benjamin looked down at her with a mocking smile. “Ah. The princess is here.”
His mother glared at him, holding a gun in her hand. To Alyssa’s shock there were already two large wolf bodies on the floor, cooling blood spilling from multiple bullet wounds. “Don’t you look at her, Ben! You came here for me.”
“It’s Nightfang now, Mother.” Ben laughed. “And you can’t tell me what to do. Not anymore. You lost that right when you betrayed me to side with my weak brother.”
Alyssa advanced closer.
“Oh don’t give her that crap, Benjamin. You might pretend to be mysterious and evil but you’re just pathetic. You aren’t Nightfang, or Eveningclaw or even Morning-freaking-wood. You are Ben. A bitter little boy who is mad at his mommy and daddy for giving the pack to your brother.” She kept her gaze on his, and his green eyes had trouble continuing to look into her own. “Never understanding why they made the choice, even though it’s obvious to anyone else.”
“Oh really?”
“I’ve only known you for a single minute and I wouldn’t trust you to be in charge of a self-cleaning litter box, much less actual people’s lives. “
“Well, well, Princess. That’s just needlessly cruel. Trying to rile me up? Distract me?” He shook his head sadly. “That only works in stories. It’s true that I’m very disappointed in my parents’ choice. They thought I was too violent to lead. That I didn’t care enough about the pack. But I did. I’m the only one who does.”
“Sure.” She circled around, spotting one of her bags close to the wall.
“Be careful, Alyssa.” Lewis’s Mom called out, still pointing her gun at her own son. “He’s dangerous.”
“You used up all your shots in the initial attack, Mom. Don’t embarrass yourself by pretending it’s still a threat.” Benjamin reached out and took the gun from her. “I forgive you for killing my men. But you should some respect when addressing her.”
“What are you…?” She looked over at Alyssa, who stayed silent.
“You didn’t tell them? ...Interesting.” He rubbed his face, a mocking grin starting to form. “Maybe you don’t even know?”
“Shut up. “ Alyssa leapt forward, reaching for his throat. Throwing himself backwards, Benjamin shifted as he moved. At the change she miscalculated, slamming into the much larger wolf, her teeth closing on only the fur around his neck.
“You want to fight? I’ll fight.” His wolf charged, snapping at her flank while she twisted desperately to avoid him. He was larger, stronger… but she was definitely more agile.
This isn’t a winning strategy. We can’t face him head on. Her wolf was directing the movements, keeping them alive from moment to moment as Benjamin pressed the attack.
I know that… Circle around towards the back of the room. I have an idea.
They growled, running in and taking a small chunk out of his foreleg before darting in the direction Alyssa had spotted earlier. Benjamin howled in pain, slamming her with his weight, throwing her smaller form enough to slam her against the wall. At the impact she shifted, turning into her more vulnerable form.
I don’t like this. We’re easier to kill this way.
“Not excited about being naked either, but it’s necessary.” She muttered, her hands working quickly.
“He should have protected you better than this.” Benjamin laughed silently in her head. “He didn’t even realize what a treasure he had.”
SLAM!
A grey form jumped through the air, landing on Benjamin and knocking him to the ground. As they straightened up Alyssa recognized her mate with a sense of terror and relief. Relief that he was here. Terror that he was now in danger.
The two alpha wolves circled each other.
“You should have just found your own territory.” Lewis silent voice was grim, full of his authority as Alpha. “Even with your treachery, I was willing to let you go.”
“That’s because you’re weak. This is MY territory. MY pack. You are the one who has to die. And as for your lovely mate who you know so little about… how about I take her too?”
He sighed at his brother’s words. “You’re forcing me to kill you.”
“Lewis, push him my way!” Alyssa called out silently through their connection.
“That’ll put you in danger!”
“Trust me!”
Lewis ducked his head, the almost submissive posture throwing his brother into confusion. As Benjamin hesitated, Lewis charged forward, aiming not for his throat or other vulnerable points, but at his feet. Throwing all his weight behind it, Lewis tripped him up, pushing him back- straight towards Alyssa.
“Here you go! Be careful!”
“Thanks!”
“You just put your mate in harm’s way! She’s defenseless!” He snarled, turning his attention to Alyssa’s vulnerable state. “Fool!”
BZZZT
His form seized for a brief moment and collapsed to the ground,
“Nope!” Alyssa grinned and held up her Taser. “He just trusts his mate!”
“…”
“…”
There was a brief stunned silence.
“I’m so glad you’re okay!” Lewis’ mother leaned against the counter, looking relieved.
“Just one more thing.” Alyssa held up a finger. Reaching down, she grabbed her overly loaded suitcase filled with her research books.
BAM! And raised it over her head, slamming it down on top of Benjamin.
“Oof.” Both Lewis and his mother winced, but made no move to stop her.
“That’s for attacking me. Not to mention what you’ve done to Lewis!” She then reached down and pulled an ampule out of one of the pockets, stabbing Benjamin in the arm with it.
“What is that?”
“Tranquilizer.” She answered, making sure the drug injected okay.
“It’s very effective.” Lewis laughed silently in their heads, and then slowly shifting back to his human form. His green eyes met her own, and neither looked away for a long a moment.
“Are you okay?”
“Are you alright?”
They asked at the same time. Alyssa smelled his blood and panicking, ran over to look at him closely. “Where are you hurt?”
She grabbed his arm, finding a small cut there, and continued to look at his limbs.
Lewis froze. “Umm… Could we do this with clothing on?”
“…” Alyssa stepped back, rubbing her forehead as she realized that they were both naked and she had been feeling him over. “…Sure.”
“…Well” Lewis’s mother broke the silence with an awkward cough. “I’m going to go see to the pack. You two… talk.” She gave them a thumbs up and slipped out.
THIS IS A PERFECT CHANCE TO DISPLAY YOUR GENITALS! WHY DID YOU RUIN IT!Lewis’ wolf spoke up, frustrated.
“That’s not even a wolf mating ritual.” Lewis hissed. “Will you leave it alone?!”
Don’t worry! Her wolf chimed in. We don’t think you’re impotent anymore!
“See…”
So we should just get straight to the mating!
AGREE!
Lewis and Alyssa sighed slightly at their wolves’ excitement, and looked down at Benjamin, still unconscious on the floor.
“What do we do to him?” She asked, feeling tired.
“Do you still have some of those chains?” Taking the object she handed to him, Lewis bound the now human form of his brother, sneaking in a single kick in the process. “We’ll send him to the Council. He’s broken every law that I know of.”
“… You know in all the stories where he’s not killed the villain escapes and causes trouble again.”
Lewis sighed at that. “I know it would be safer to kill him. But… I…” He trailed off, looking conflicted.
“It’s okay.” She patted his arm, avoiding the injury she found before. “If you were able to kill him so easily you wouldn’t be you.”
“I worry sometimes that I’m too weak to be an Alpha.”
“I know. And I’m sure there’s probably some perfect balance of strength and mercy… but you don’t have to have everything figured out right away.”
“…thanks.”
She shrugged. “Besides, isn’t your sister still out there? Maybe the council can use Benjamin to figure out where she is.”
After handing Benjamin off to Gary and Bridgett to guard (And having them both fuss over Alyssa to make sure she was okay) the two went back to their rooms to change. Alyssa stared at the wall of her temporary bedroom, feeling conflicted.
He’s our mate. He’ll understand.
“I know. And that’s what scares me.”
Finishing her brief hesitation, she walked over to Lewis’ room, knocking on the door.
“Come in.”
“We need to talk.”
________________________
Lewis was extremely nervous as he waved his mate to sit down on the bed. He took the chair on the other side of the room.
What if she doesn’t want to stay?
She’s our mate! His wolf answered his nervous thoughts. She won’t abandon us!
“I don’t know what you told him, but your wolf is right.” Alyssa spoke up. “We won’t abandon you. Not over something silly like your evil twin brother trying to invade and kill us all.”
Lewis let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “That’s a relief.” He leaned back in his chair. “So what do you want to talk to me about?”
She stared at the ground a few moments before painfully continuing. “So I told you I grew up in the foster system, right?”
“Right.”
“So the part I didn’t tell you… is that a few years back, around the time I turned 18… a weird guy came and found me.”
Lewis growled. “Did he try to hurt you?”
“No. Quite the opposite. He said he was a friend of my family. He wasn’t one of us… definitely human.” She ran her fingers through her hair, obviously unhappy. “He wouldn’t tell me who they were, or why they abandoned me. He just said they had no choice.”
“That’s crap. I don’t know their situation but their only option was to abandon a baby?” HE shook his head. “Something’s off.”
“I thought so too. I told him to get lost.” She hesitated. “And he gave me a million dollars.”
“What…?
“He said it was a small gift from my parents. I don’t know who my family is, or what they were involved in, but it’s probably big… and definitely not good.”
Lewis processed this for a few moments. “So your job at the bookstore?”
“I actually own it. But I have a manager run it. I stop by occasionally and shelve books while I look for new research.”
“So…” He grinned. “Does this mean you can stay longer and not worry about losing your job?”
“…”
“… Is that what you’re thinking about?” Alyssa demanded, her hands twisting in the fabric of her t-shirt. “You’re not worried about unknown schemes, powerful families… who knows what nonsense could happen! I swear, haven’t you ever read one of these novels?!”
Lewis picked up the book on the table nearby. “I started reading through a few at your suggestion.
“The Seductive Alpha’s bride?” She raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“It’s research! I’m trying to learn how to be a better mate!”
He’s hoping to learn how to make himself more attractive! His wolf added.
We already think you’re both attractive!
Great! Let’s mate then!
Agree!
“Not yet!” Alyssa stepped in as their wolves got carried away once more. “Although she’s right… we do think you’re attractive…”
“Really?”
“But how about we go slow… like a date, first?”
“A date!” Lewis jumped up, his mind racing. “Yes! Let me grab my car…”
“We were just attacked… remember?”
He stopped at her gentle reminder. “Oh. Right. How about after we get things sorted out?”
She smiled, the expression causing his heart to race.
“I’d like that.”
They fell into a comfortable silence.
“So how accurate has your research been so far?” He asked after a while, curious.
“The books?” She thought it over. “You know, considering the Alphas and the relationships I’ve read about?” She looked him over again. “I’d say I was a little surprised.”
“In a good way?” His tone was hopeful, he couldn’t help it.
“Yes. As for the future though?” She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “The majority of these stories have a happy ending. But we’ll just have to see.”
Lewis touched the spot that had been kissed, smiling. “A happy ending, huh? I’d like that.”
244 notes · View notes
solarwonux · 3 years ago
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Sangyeon x f!reader
W.C: 6.2k
Warnings: alcohol consumption, suggestive themes, arguing, mentions of cheating
For the 12 Months I Loved You Collab by: @sunlightwoo
Note: um...better late than never right?? This was supposed to go up in February but things happen. It’s one of my favorite ones that I’ve written, but I feel like I say that for every single thing I write lmao. I hope you like it plsssss let me know your thoughts. Thank you.xx
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A long exasperated sigh left your lips at the sight of Sangyeon in the corner of the reception hall, chatting up a pretty redhead. His arm draped around their waist, clutching their body close to his, their faces close enough to smell the expensive champagne lingering in their breaths. A palm was placed on his chest as he leaned down to whisper something in their ear. Earning a flirtatious giggle from them, along with a sultry nod.
Their delicate fingers wrapped around his black tie as they pulled him close to whisper something against his plump lips. It was your cue to look away, but something inside of you—maybe the five flutes of champagne you had indulged in when the night was still young, prevented you from looking away.
Gripping the body of your sixth flute you prepared for what was to come, though when he smirked and unraveled their fingers from his tie, you let out a sigh of relief. Sangyeon still hasn’t broken rule number three of your friends with benefits arrangement.
As common courtesy for the other party, under absolutely no circumstance you are to hook up with other people.
Though when he ran his fingers down the side of their arm teasingly making them shiver at the feather-like feeling. One you had relished in for many nights on end, you knew he would not only be breaking rule number three but rule number four as well.
As common courtesy for the other party, under absolutely no circumstances you are to hook up with other people, especially when the other party is in the same room.
The anger flourished inside of you like an unwelcome weed. And you knew green was definitely not your color, but you couldn’t help but feel the jealousy take over, running along your veins like bitter poison. Your grip on your champagne flute got tighter. So much so that if you were destined with superhuman strength you would’ve shattered it into pieces, especially when his knowing eyes met yours. A glint of something sinister sparking behind them while his fingers laced with those of the red head.
He turned away before giving them a shy whisper and then tugged them gently towards the door of the reception hall. Leaving you behind in the middle of his best friend’s wedding reception, on your sixth flute of champagne, while you broke rule number six.
Don’t catch feelings for the other party involved.
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To be fair when you and Sangyeon had agreed to the terms and conditions of your new no strings attached relationship. You were positive, even overly confident that you weren’t going to be the one to fall for your brother's asshole friend.
You had known him for years, grew up with him. He always made it his mission to make your life a living hell. Whether it was purple food coloring in your hair conditioner back in middle school (you had an odd mixture of purple and red that had somehow turned a nasty shade of burgundy in your hair for almost a year as you grew it out enough to cut off the damage,) or calling you ugly while simultaneously including all the the synonyms. He had made your life a living hell, he had been the reason for your tears whenever your insecurities took over. And he had been the reason for your newfound jealousy now as you sat on your couch a week after your brother's wedding still replaying the scene back in your head like a bad old timely movie.
It had started when two of you got drunk on Christmas Eve, laughing boisterously at your nonexistent love life’s.
“Who knew the reason we would be bonding is because we haven’t gotten laid in months.” He said, throwing his head back, gulping the remnants of his beer.
”For your information, I got laid last week. But I’m not bringing my one night stand to meet my family.” You rolled your eyes, bumping your shoulder against his.
He sets the beer bottle to his side, before leaning his elbows on his knees and gazing over at you. “How many people asked you where your date was tonight?”
“Too many.” You sigh, running your finger along the condensation of your own beer bottle. The memories of yours and Sangyeon’s family coming up to you asking you the million dollar question still prevalent in your mind. “You?”
“Not as many as I expected but still a lot. I just wish maybe they can back off.” He leaned back, placing his elbows behind him. He tore his eyes from your form and focused them on the night sky. “Maybe I should’ve hired a date or something.” He comments.
Your family's holiday party was still bustling behind the front door of your childhood home. Yet, the thought of ever going back in, earning judgmental looks from your single aunts was keeping you away.
He was right, maybe you should’ve hired someone as a date for the night.
Sangyeon bumped his knee against yours gently, “Want to date for the holiday’s?” The question came off as a joke, his sweet and gentle laugh following it. But as you sat there contemplating the idea, you realized that it wasn’t as bad. He was practically family. Your parents and his parents had been trying for years to set the two of you up. If you were to show up on New Year’s with your arm looped in his, no one would bat an eyelash. In fact you were willing to bet money that your mom and his would start crying pure tears of joy.
“Why not?” You shrug, “Our parents have been planning our wedding since we were kids, and as much as we don’t like each other. In some twisted sense of the word I do trust you.” Sangyeon did a double take, sitting up straighter and leaning in just enough to be in your line of sight.
“Are you sure?” Concern washed over his features. His bottom lip found its way in between his teeth as he waited for your response. “Like, you want to date me for the holiday’s?” He asked pleading for reassurance. Despite the relationship between the two of you not making sense to anyone outside your friendship circle, the level of trust and respect for each other’s boundaries was evident. You two pushed each other, got under each other’s skin, but you also knew when to stop. Which is why this plan was perfect. Foolproof.
“Yes.”
And somehow the two of you agreed that from then until further notice you would be each other’s dates for every holiday in the near future. Yet, if you had known the outcome of it you wouldn’t have agreed, especially not when the thin threshold had been crossed on your birthday.
He had showed up with a cheap bottle of vodka, all the romantic comedies he could find at the gas station and a boyish smile. His lips were on yours after five shots of the drinking game you had invented and you were naked underneath him after seven.
“I’m just saying, adding sex into the mix wouldn’t be such a bad idea.” He proposed with a shrug during a very awkward hang over filled coffee talk at the rundown cafe the next day. “We can even add some rules so it wouldn’t be so weird.”
“Adding rules is the weird part, Sangyeon.” You rolled your eyes before taking a sip of your herbal green tea and then cringing at the taste. “But they would help...you know to keep things from getting messy.”
“Then it’s settled.” He smiled widely grabbing the kids menu you had ordered from and a red crayon, scribbling down messily in his almost indescifrable handwriting:
Holi-date No Strings Attached Rule Book
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Can I come over tonight.xx
Your eyes roll to the back of your head in annoyance, upon reading the text from Sangyeon. Of course, he hadn’t contacted you for over a week and the only time he decides to do so is when he’s in need of a good fuck. You throw your phone down on the table, resting your forehead against it. An annoyed sound falling out of your lips.
“Hello there negative nancy,” Kevin says, slipping into the seat in front of you. “I got you your favorite.” He sings, placing the iced matcha green tea latte in front of you and flicking the top of your head to get your attention.
You whine, lifting your head up a pout evident on your lips as you break the seal of the plastic lid with your paper straw. A poor attempt to reduce the consumption of plastic. Changing the straw wouldn’t do anything for the Earth when your whole cup is made out of non-biodegradable plastic. Maybe it’s the effort and the thought that counts, either way you take a sip from your drink, savoring the taste as it coats your tastebuds. Letting the false promise of a full six hour surge of energy run down your throat.
“Thank you for buying today.” You nod.
“It’s the least I can do for helping me with the web design project.” He smiles an award winning smile before bringing his hot mug of black coffee up to his lips. Hissing from the heat and cringing at the taste. Just like how he couldn't phantom how you liked the vibrant green liquid, you couldn’t understand how he drank five cups of black coffee daily. Indeed, he was not human, you concluded that a couple years ago.
You shrug, wrapping your fingers around the cup, “I had time to spare, but don’t get too comfortable with my help. It’s rare that I finish my work early.” You point an accusatory finger at him, furrowing your eyebrows before breaking into a wide smile.
“Ehh,” Kevin shrugs, “we’ll see about that when you’re begging me to buy you one of those nasty vomit colored drinks in a week.” He finishes sending you a wink that usually has all the girls and guys weak in the knees. You on the other hand have been so accustomed to his flirty ways after years of working side by side that it did nothing to you but annoy you slightly, yet in some odd way it comforted you.
Since day one everything between you and Kevin was comfortable and easy. He sat next to you in your digital marketing class Sophomore year of college and the two of you had been inseparable ever since. For a while you harbored a fat silent crush on him, his flirting being a point of confusion for you back then. It wasn’t until you experienced first hand what dating Kevin would be like that your crush dissipated into nothing but a platonic kind of love.
It was awful, the two of you had only gone on two dates. Two very disastrous and nightmare inducing dates, that sent shivers up both of your spines when just the mere thought of it entered the front lobe of your brains. It was then, while attempting to wash out a red wine stain out of your white dress in his and Jacob’s kitchen that you both agreed to just being friends. Eventually leading up to being coworkers as well.
It was a shame, you could always see yourself possibly loving Kevin and it would be easy too. And as much as you’d like to imagine it sometimes, he wouldn’t be able to give you what you wanted and vice versa.
“How’s the boyfriend, trouble in paradise yet?” He raises his eyebrow at you, hitting your calf lightly with the tip of his dress shoe.
You groan, running a hand through your hair, “Sangyeon is not my boyfriend, we just hang out sometimes.”
You quirks an eyebrow, smirking, “That’s what I said about Jacob and I, and look at us now.” He raises his left hand wiggling his ring ringer, letting the gold band catch the light of the setting sun. “Till death do us apart or something like that.” He shrugs, taking another sip from his coffee.
“Yeah but you two are perfect for each other, Sangyeon and I are like water and oil we don’t mix unless, well...you know.”
“Unless the two of you are fucking? Yes I am aware, the horror of me walking in on the two of you last month still keeps me up at night.” He shudders, pushing his half empty mug away from him. A disgusted look on his face.
“Ugh,” you put your head in your hands in utter despair, “I thought we agreed to forget about that and move on.”
“Fine I won’t bring it up again,” He rolls his eyes and sits back, crossing his arms in front of him. “But I know there’s trouble in paradise, does it have to do with what happened at the reception?”
You stare at him with wide eyes. It wasn’t just the events that took place at the reception. It was everything before the reception, during the reception and after the reception. You swore to yourself and him the morning after the two of you first accidentally slept together that you would never fall for him. But as it turns out, you had fallen for him long before that, a moment lost in time. A moment you couldn’t pinpoint but you just knew that what you felt for him was more than platonic. It sucked.
“Maybe,” you shrug, stirring the contents of your drink with your paper straw, distracting you and avoiding Kevin’s look of concern. “Honestly, I’m not sure. He’s just so frustrating. We agreed to have rules to make this whole fucked up situation less of a mess, but he broke two of those rules that night, purposely. I could tell that he was enjoying it.” You let out a defeated sigh and push your drink out of the way, bringing your arms to rest on top of the table, crossing them and hiding your face in them. You couldn’t pinpoint the exact emotion you were feeling, but you just knew it was bad from the way your throat closed up and the tears that were brimming in the corner of your eyes.
Kevin hummed and leaned forward onto the table, ruffling your hair in the process. “And what rule have you broken?” He whispers.
“The one in which I wasn’t supposed to fall for him.” You lift your head, digging your palms into your eyes forcefully. “I didn’t want to, I still don’t want to, but I can’t stop. It’s like he’s casted some kind of love spell on me. Maybe it’s part of his evil plan to destroy me once and for all.” You sigh, grabbing your phone and turning it over. The text sitting there unread, haunting you.
“Don’t answer it.” Kevin covers your screen with his hand. The sadness he held for you is evident behind his soft eyes. “I know you want to but don’t answer it. It’s only going to make you feel worse and frankly I still hate seeing you cry.”
He’s right. Answering him would only make you feel smaller than you already do. You didn’t want to see him, but you longed to have him hold you even if it meant nothing to him. You push Kevin’s hand away, swiping your thumb over the text, hitting reply. You know you should listen to your best friend, but there’s a reason why the two of you would’ve never made it far in a romantic relationship.
You were stubborn and never listened.
8pm, don’t be late. I have to wake up early tomorrow.
Kevin sighs, shaking his head in disappointment, falling back in his chair, scoffing. “Last time, tonight will be the last time and then we break it off.” You say, avoiding his eyes.
“That’s exactly what I said and I ended up having a shotgun wedding.”
Can’t wait, miss you.xx
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“My job’s having an event for Valentine’s Day.” Sangyeon broke the silence, his chest still rising rapidly, matching yours. As you came down from your highs.
The second he had walked in through your front door he was pinning you against your poor excuse of a dining room table, without a proper greeting. He barely gave you a second to think before he was peeling your clothes off in a haste and carrying you off to your room.
“And you want me to go with you?” You turn your head to face him. He was laying down on his side, his head resting on his arm, watching you cautiously.
“Mhm,” He puts his arm around your waist and pulls you close. “I need a plus one, I have this annoying coworker that doesn’t leave me alone. I figured if I brought you along they would back off.”
“So I’m not just your date, but also your cockblock?” You tilt your head to the side, raising your eyebrow. “What happens when they find out we aren’t actually dating?” You poke his chest with your index finger. It was smooth and muscular and decorated with the beautiful marks you left behind a few minutes ago.
“They won’t.” He smiled leaving a light kiss against your neck, trailing his lips up and sucking on the spot he knew would have you moaning in seconds. “What do you say?” He bites your earlobe, pulling it before sitting up again.
You sigh and bring your sheets up to your body, sitting up. “I can't, I have plans already.” You lie hugging your knees up to your chest. You wanted to go, pretend once more that you and Sangyeon were more than holiday dates and fuck buddies. But you couldn’t put yourself through that anymore. You were getting used to being by his side, living out a fantasy in your head. When all he wanted was a quick fuck and an easy pass.
“I have a date, Kevin and Jacob’s friend.” You shrug, closing your eyes, mentally apologizing to the couple for dragging them into your problem’s once again. “We’re going out to dinner.” You finish, opening your eyes and looking over at Sangyeon who laid there, messy hair decorating his pillows, stunned. You knew what he was thinking and you were just waiting for him to say it. To get it over with so he’d leave as fast he came in.
He chewed on his bottom lip and then scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. “Oh, what about rule number seven or whatever.” He quickly got up from your bed, letting the sheets covering his lower half fall down to your carpeted floor.
As common courtesy for the other party, under absolutely no circumstances you are to date other people, until officially calling the deal off.
“Well, I don’t know. I like him. We’ve been talking for a while now and he’s sweet. He likes me.” You shrug, watching as he walks around your room looking for his discarded clothes. “And I haven’t broken the rule, yet. I was hoping we could talk about it and just call this whole thing off once and for all.”
“No but you broke rule number one or something.” He puts on his boxers fast and digs through your scattered clothes on your floor for the rest of his clothes.
You sat there silently watching him, running through your memory files as you recalled the rules and what rule number one consisted of which had nothing to do with what you had done. Or lied about doing.
As common courtesy for the other party, always use protection.
“That’s not what rule number one is, it’s -”
“Whatever, you broke a rule before calling it quits, you were basically cheating on me.” He yells, leaving his white washed jeans unbuttoned as he runs a frustrated hand through his hair. You were floored, witnessing an angry Sangyeon wasn’t rare for you. In fact, growing up you had been the product of many of his angry outbursts while inducing your revenge, but it was never serious. This was different. This felt different. This was serious, he was accusing you of something you didn’t do. He was accusing you of doing the one thing you saw him do at your brother’s wedding reception. It made your blood boil.
“That’s fucking rich coming from you, when you cheated on me first, but I never brought it up because although you fucking did break a rule. We are not together so who am I to get angry at you?” You threw your hands up in the hair, before pointing an accusatory finger at him. “Who are you to get angry with me?”
“And they were a good fucking lay, much better than you in every single aspect.” He spits out, angrily putting on his shirt. His words hurt. He was hitting you where it hurts the most and he wasn’t even aware of it. You held his gaze, refusing to break down in front of him.
“Why not ask them instead, why didn’t you go to them tonight instead of coming here?”
He shrugs, looking around your room, focusing on the polaroid pictures you kept on your mirror. Anything was better than looking at you, and the tears pooling in yours in which he undoubtedly was the cause of. But he was hurt too, you let him come over, you let him in and he had given you everything. Poured out his unwarranted feelings into every kiss he left on your body and every pattern he painted onto your skin with his delicate fingertips, just like he always did whenever the two of you got together. He knew he had broken rule number six a long time ago. Back when the two of you were still in high school, when the rules didn’t exist and his crush on you was nothing compared to what he felt for you now. But he was scared of telling you, and it had gotten him nowhere.
His heart still broke just like he feared, and even worse he had broken yours too.
“Maybe I should, this was a mistake. Being with you in the first place was a mistake and I knew it was going to bite me in the ass one day.”
“Get out, I never want to see you again.”
“With pleasure.” Sangyeon turns around and walks out the door. It wasn’t until you heard your front door slam shut that you finally let yourself cry.
You should’ve listened to Kevin.
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“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” Jacob pulls his scarf around his neck. Though, it was February it had snowed last night. The winter clothes that you had slowly started putting away, swiftly made their comeback when you woke up shivering that morning.
You shake your head, stuffing the heart shaped cake you had made for both him and Kevin the day before. Be mine inscribed in sparkly purple store bought icing as per request from Jacob, “It’s Valentine’s Day, you should spend it alone together.” You raise your eyebrows suggestively at the two men in front of you.
Kevin leans forward, one hand on his waist while the other one moves up and flicks your forehead, “get that pretty head of yours out of the gutter, Jacob and I are gonna romantically eat our weight in this beautiful cake you’ve made us, while watching the Bring it On series.”
“I’m trying to get him to realize why the third one is the best.” Jacob says pointedly, bumping his shoulder against his husbands. “Solange Knowles steals the show, but he doesn’t want to admit it.”
Kevin scoffs and turns to face him, “I love you and I love your love for the Knowles family but face it babe the best Bring it On movie is the first one, it sets the precedent for all the other movies.” He finishes painting the picture out with his hands in the air before kissing the others cheek.
You shake your head, silently giving Jacob a knowing look. Of course the third Bring it On was the best one, but you won’t ever say that out loud. At least not with Kevin present, he won’t ever let you live it down. Will go on and on about how both you and Jacob were wrong until he was repeating himself.
“It sounds tempting but I’m going to pass, I have my own date with my couch and heart shaped pizza and -”
“Your vibrator.” Kevin interrupts, raising his eyebrows, smiling smugly at you. The embarrassment taking over your body and rising out of your ears. Jacob rolled his eyes, hitting his husband’s upside the head, and a warning look. Kevin pouted, “What? I’m not wrong, that's what she does every Valentine’s day, I’m just stating the truth.” He complains rubbing the back of his head.
“We’re going to go now.” Jacob places both of his arms on top of Kevin’s shoulders, mouthing a sorry in the process. You brush him off, “the offer still stands, if you get bored you can join us.” He opens the door and pushes his husband through the door frame.
“I’m good, have fun and no Kevin you can’t sleep on my couch after Jacob’s kicked you out again.”
“Wasn’t planning on it, last time, I walked in on you and San -”
Jacob covers his mouth with wide eyes as he continues to push him out of your front door, Kevin shrinks at the realization that he almost slipped. It had been three weeks since you last met him, since he last reached out to you. The only thing you knew of him was that your mom had called you to tell you that he had finally gotten the promotion he had been desiring for almost a year. Doting over him like she always did. It had gotten worse when the two of you showed up hand in hand at New Year’s last year. You were proud of him. You wanted to hug him and celebrate his achievement in every which way you could. But you meant it when you told him that you didn’t want to see him again. You couldn’t trust yourself or your heart when it came to him.
“We love you, call us if you need anything.” Jacob said, sending you a kiss and shutting your front door. You smiled, listening to their bickering out in the hallway, standing there until they were far away and you couldn’t hear them anymore. They were characters, the two of them and even worse when they were together. It was why they were so perfect for one another, they completed one another in every sense of the word and it made you insanely happy, but also sad.
Sometimes you wished, whenever you were alone at night and staring up at your popcorn ceiling that you could have what they had with someone that loved you to the point in which they couldn’t live without you.
It will come, at least that what you told yourself whenever the tears stopped. You just had to be patient.
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You were halfway through an episode of the Vampire Diaries, and your fourth slice of pizza when the knocking on your front door sounded. You rolled your eyes, quickly pausing your show and setting down your half eaten pizza slice in the box, before standing up. You obviously weren’t expecting anyone but you figured it was Kevin after getting kicked out again. It was never serious, this game both he and Jacob played. It was some form of twisted foreplay thing they did to keep things interesting. They had explained it to you once when you shared your concern for their relationship. Sometimes you wished you hadn’t asked. You could’ve gone living your life peacefully without knowing the details of their sex life.
“I’m going!” The knocking became more desperate the closer you got to the door, and it confused you. Maybe this wasn’t part of their roleplay fantasies and something had actually happened. It worried you. You could feel it all over your body as you grabbed hold of your doorknob. “Kevin is something wro-” You stopped mid sentence when you swung your door wide open revealing a very drunk and disheveled Sangyeon.
You brought your hand up to your chest, holding onto the necklace his family had given you back in highschool as a graduation present. You never took it off, it brought a sense of comfort whenever you were caught in situations that had your anxiety spiraling out of control. Situations similar to this one.
“What are you doing here?” You step aside to give him room to enter, inviting him in without a shadow of a doubt. You shouldn’t have done that, but the part of you that will always care for him was stronger than the part of you that wanted nothing to do with him.
“We agreed to be together every single holiday season and it’s Valentine’s Day.” He say, his voice slurring slightly at the end, evident that he had consumed more alcohol than what he could handle. “I can’t leave you alone on Valentine’s Day.” He finishes, his voice turning small at the end. He ran a shaking hand through his hair causing it to stand up in different directions as he paced through your living room.
You pressed your hands up to your cheeks, letting the coldness of your palms relieve the heat that had suddenly overtaken your body. “B-But we broke things off, we don’t have to do this anymore.” You drop your hands down and point at him and then at yourself, swallowing the lump that was forming in the back of your throat. “Don’t you have an event at work? What are you doing here?”
Sangyeon looks down, taking his lips in between his teeth, “I didn’t go.” He whispers before raising his head, his eyes welling up with tears as he stuffed his trembling hands into the pocket of his white washed jeans. You swore he didn’t own another pair. “I couldn’t go without you. I-I want to spend Valentine’s Day with you and the rest of upcoming holidays...But I also want to take you out on dates and binge watch shows with you and make love to you and hold you while you sleep. I want to wake up with you in my arms, and kiss you while you’re complaining about morning breath and make you breakfast.” He takes a shuddering deep breath before sitting down on the armrest of your couch, digging his thumb into the palm of his hands. “I just want to be with you forever.” He says, clearing his throat before letting the few tears he had been keeping fall.
“Sangyeon I-” You looked around your living room frantically. Your heart was beating out of your chest. The words that had fallen out of Sanyeon’s lips with ease were the last thing you had expected to ever hear him say. It was everything you had longed to hear him say for almost a year now and you didn’t know how to react. Should you tell him to leave to give you some space to take everything in? Or should you run up to him and kiss with all the love and passion you harbored for him? You were caught at the crossroads. was overwhelming.
Sangyeon scoffed, shaking his head before raising it again, turning his head to focus on your tv, avoiding your eyes. “You don’t have to say anything. I know you don’t feel the same way, I just couldn’t keep it in anymore. I’ve been in love with you since we were kids and I don’t know when you told me that you were seeing someone. I was so angry at myself for never being able to just confess and hurt that I had been too late.”
The air in your lungs caught itself in the back of your throat. You walked towards him quickly crouching down in front of him, taking his hands in yours. “Sangyeon look at me.” You swallowed, placing two of your fingers underneath his chin and guiding his head to face you, finally locking eyes with you. You felt so weak and full of energy, ready to kiss him until the two of you died from lack of air and you wanted to laugh. “We’re so stupid Sangyeon. This entire time I thought you only wanted me for sex while I slowly fell for you and now you’re telling me that you had the hots for me since we were kids...wow.” You smile, swiping your thumb underneath his eyelids wiping away his falling tears. “I’ve loved for a long time. I don’t know when I started to love you. Just that when I realized it I couldn’t stop.”
“‘I’m sorry.” He hiccups, his fingers wrapping around your wrist. “I’m sorry for what I did at your brother’s reception, but I swear on my grave that nothing happened between us. They were drunk so I called them an uber and walked them to their ride when it arrived.” He confesses, leaning down and circling his arms around your waist, guiding you to stand up.
He rests his forehead against your stomach sighing. “There’s never been anyone else for me other than you. You make me feel so stupid and frustrated sometimes. I know I shouldn’t have said the things I did that night, like you said I had no right to bud into your love life and being angry is no excuse but I was scared of losing you.” He looks up, his bright eyes pleading. “I’m still scared of losing you.”
You sniffle, bringing your hand up to his head, letting your fingers thread through his already messy hair, “I’m sorry too for lying. Clearly I had no plans.” You laugh lightly, pointing around your living room. “I had somehow convinced myself that lying about seeing someone else would be an easier way to end things, but it hurt so much seeing you leave knowing that there was a possibility I would never see you again.”
Sangyeon laughs, his shoulders shaking gently before he leaves a chaste kiss against your clothed stomach. “Honestly, that would be impossible, we’ve been practically married since the minute we entered this world.” He stands up, towering a couple inches over you, “If I hadn’t come tonight our moms would have forced us to talk sooner or later, I just got a little too drunk and beat them to it.” He presses a kiss against your head before pulling you into a tight hug, sighing happily. “I never want to be without you.”
You nod against his chest, “Will you remember this tomorrow?” It was a thought that had been running through your mind since his confession hit you full force knocking the wind out of your body. Though the few times you had a drunk Sangyeon in your presence he remembered every single tiny detail the next day. This was just your fear taking full charge at the thought of him waking up next to you confused, and walking out again.
He hummed, smoothing his hands down your back. “I’ll write everything that happened down and in detail. I’ll even describe the look on your face when I told you that I loved you. Which by the way have I told you that I love you...a lot.” He teased, leaning back and wiggling his brows.
You leave a light kiss on his chin before pulling away, unraveling his arms from your body. “I love you too.” You walked around him and sat on the couch picking up the remote. “Want to join me?” You tilt your head, your thumb hovering over the play button.
Sangyeon pouts slightly, copying your movements and sitting down next to you. “I haven’t asked you to be my official girlfriend yet.”
“Ask me in the morning, I want you to ask me when you’re sober.” You smile, kissing his lips lightly and wrapping your arm around his waist, leaning your head against his chest.
He makes a sound of approval, placing his arm around your shoulder, “Okay but I have another confession before you press play.”
“What is it?” You press your cheek against his chest before looking up at him confused.
“I already watched this episode, Elena and Damon get into a fight.”
“Don’t they always.”
“Yeah but I don’t want to watch it again.”
You shrug and press play, “Unfortunately, you have infiltrated my Valentine’s Day plans so you’re stuck watching.”
“I did it in the name of love.” He groans, shifting and pulling one of your legs over his lap, holding you closer, as the snarky remarks between the two characters start, sounding loudly through the speakers he had helped install when you first moved into your place three years ago. He almost told you he loved you that day, but then you had put an ice cube down his back and his mind instantly started thinking of ways to get his revenge. His confession hiding away again.
But now it was out in the open and finally he could love you the way he knew he could. The way you deserved.
“And I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
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punkrockmads · 3 years ago
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Found Family
Abby x F! Reader Mini Series
Warnings: Mentions of rape, extreme fluff, brief hints at "mommy kink" and sexual notions
Chapter Five; Big Brother
*FOUR MONTHS PREGNANT*
A sweet, relaxing song plays from the record player. Honeybee by Steam Powered Giraffe. My absolute favorite. I sing along with the lyrics, swaying side to side slowly as I fold laundry. Abby's downstairs washing dishes, the two of us working on our early morning chores while Lev sleeps in. It's nice that the three of us get weekends off. It gives us a break and time to spend with each other.
My stomach has grown quite a bit, making my pregnancy harder to hide and my clothes harder to fit into. I've stolen many of Abby's shirts these past couple of months. Abby and I plan on telling Lev about the baby when he wakes up, especially since tomorrow is the day we finally get to know the gender of the baby.
'You didn't have to smile at me
Your grin's the sweetest
That I've ever seen
But you did
Yes you did'
As I sing along, lost in thought, I don't even notice Abby sneak into the bedroom, tip toeing up behind me.
"Gotcha!" She yells, grabbing my waist. I scream, nearly jumping out of my skin as I drop the shirt I was folding. Abby laughs, tickling my sides.
"Asshole!" I laugh, putting my hands over hers. "You coulda given me a heart attack!"
"Oh, well we wouldn't want that, huh?" Abby teases, peppering my neck and jaw with kisses. "Didn't know you could sing." She mumbles against my cheek, swaying side to side with me.
"Eh." I shrug. "I'm not great at it."
"Well I think you have the voice of an angel." Abby says, turning me around to face her. I drape my arms over her shoulders, the laundry long forgotten as I get lost in Abby's smile.
"Sap." I smile.
She laughs, kissing me softly. "You ready to tell Lev?"
"Mhm." I nod, turning back around to finish folding the laundry. That's when the baby shifts around a little in my stomach. "Woah!" I put my hand on my stomach, rubbing circles to try to calm the baby. It's always so active in the morning. I wish Abby could feel it but the doctor said only a couple more months and she'll be able to feel it kicking.
"You okay?" Abby asks, standing next to me and looking at me with worried eyes.
"Oh, yeah." I smile. "Our baby just decided now's the time to do a little boogie."
Abby chuckles, kneeling in between me and the bed and holding my stomach. She lifts my shirt a little, sliding her hands underneath. "Hey, you little goober." She says to the little being. She kisses right above my navel. "It's too early to be squirmin' around in there, you're distracting mommy!"
I smile at the new title. "Mommy, huh?" I run my fingers through Abby's hair, messing up her braid a little. She looks up at me with a smile.
"C'mon." She chuckles. "We both know I'm gonna be momma." I pretend to think it over, putting a finger to my chin.
"Hmm. I could get used to that." I laugh, gently cupping Abby's face and guiding her back up. She hums, kissing my lips. "But say it again just in case." I mumble against her lips.
"What- which one?" Abby laughs. I laugh with her, reaching back and grabbing her ass. I pull her closer to me, our bodies pressed against each other.
"Both of them." I laugh. She puts her hands on my hips, fingers pressing into the skin gently.
"Well..." Abby pauses, a hint of excitement in her eyes. I have no doubt mine look the same. "You would be..." She pauses again, kissing me. "Mommy." I laugh a little as she beams down at me. "And I..." Another kiss. "would be..." I hum into the third kiss. "Momma." Her grip on my waist has tightened a little.
"Oh yeah." I laugh. "I can get used to this."
Abby grins, a fire growing in her hazel eyes. "Good." She chuckles.
A loud thud from across the hall tears us out of our thoughts. Lev's room! The two of us immediately run into his room, seeing him sitting on the floor rubbing the back of his head. "Ouch." He groans.
"Lev, are you okay?" I ask, a hand over my frantically beating heart.
"Yeah. Sorry." Lev says, standing up. "Fell out of bed." He sighs. Abby and I look at each other, holding back laughs. "Don't you dare laugh!" Lev points at us, holding back his own laughter.
"We're not laughing!" Abby snorts. "Just... it's a little funny." She bites her lip, a wide grin on her face.
"Shut up." Lev says, trying unsuccessfully to hide his smile. I decide it's finally time we tell him about the baby.
"Hey, Lev?" I pause as he looks at me. "Come on downstairs and eat breakfast. Abby and I gotta tell you somethin'." I make it seem as casual as possible, trying to pass it off as some kind of patrol orders or something.
"Okay." Lev nods. "I'll be down in a second." Abby and I head downstairs, a little worried about how Lev will react. The two of us sit in the living room, watching some random movie while we wait for Lev. After a few minutes, he walks in with a bowl of cereal, sitting next to me on the couch, putting me in between two of my three favorite people. "So, what did you wanna tell me?" Lev asks, taking a bite of his cereal.
I take a deep breath, picking at my nails as I will myself to tell Lev what I should've told him months ago. "Lev, I'm pregnant." It comes out clear and calm, my voice hiding how nervous I am. Lev puts his spoon down, looking between Abby and I with a confused frown.
"But..." He pauses. "I thought girls can't get each other pregnant unless one of them has a-"
"They can't." Abby cuts him off, speaking gently. She gets up, moving to kneel in front of him. "Lev, do you remember when I told you that the Rattlers hurt Y/N really bad?" Lev nods. "They did... inappropriate things to her without her consent." Abby tenses up, looking at me for approval to keep going. I place a hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly to let her know it's okay. "Do you remember what that's called?" Lev nods, scared to say the actual word in front of me. I don't blame him, I'm scared to use the word myself.
"Lev, honey." He looks at me with the most sincere and pitiful eyes. "What happened to me was... it was awful. But this baby... it's not. Abby and I wanna keep it and we... we want you to be it's big brother. If you want to, of course."
Lev's eyes light up with joy. "You mean I get a little sister?!" Abby and I laugh at his enthusiasm.
"We don't know if it's a girl or boy yet, goober." Abby stands up, ruffling Lev's hair before sitting back down beside me. "But yes, in a few months, you'll have a little sibling. Y/N's already four months along now."
"Holy shit." Lev whispers. "Can... can I see?" He asks, referring to my stomach. I nod, lifting my (Abby's) shirt past my stomach to let him see the bump that was getting harder and harder to conceal. "There's a baby in there?!" Lev asks, looking up at me in amazement. I nod, smiling at him.
Lev reaches to put a hand on my stomach, hesitating for a moment. "Go ahead." I say. "It's okay." He puts his hand on my stomach, moving it along the curve.
"Woah!" Lev laughs. "Wait... is this why I haven't been allowed in the guest room?" He glares up at Abby and she smiles.
"Yeah." Abby shrugs. "We've been turning it into the baby's room. Wanted it to be a surprise." The baby moves, causing me to flinch a little out of shock.
"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" Lev asks, taking his hand off my stomach.
"Nono it's okay." I assure him, guiding his hand back to the bump. "The baby's moving around in there."
"Really?!" Lev moves to press his ear to my stomach.
"Yeah." I chuckle. "I think it can sense your touch. It's saying 'Hi, big brother!'" Lev laughs, trying to see if he can hear the baby moving.
"In about a month, we'll be able to feel it kick." Abby says. "And we might even be able to see it moving." She remembers the last bit from one of the dozens of pregnancy books and articles she's started bringing home. She's read each one at least twice in order to know everything she can about the baby and pregnancy. It's cute that she's trying to be so prepared. As Abby starts listing off a few more facts she read, the baby shifts in a way that almost feels like it's doing a backflip in my stomach, causing me to let out an involuntary gasp. "Y/N?!" Abby puts a hand on my back, her and Lev looking at me cautiously.
"Jesus." I let out a breathy laugh. "Little bean's groovin' in there." Abby and Lev laugh at my description of the baby moving. It moves again. "Is it trying to do the Cupid Shuffle?!" The three of us laugh harder.
"I think it's saying 'Mommy, you need to eat! We're starving!'" Abby grins, rubbing my back.
"Alriiight." I sigh. "Guess I do need to eat." Abby, Lev and I spend the rest of the day cuddled up on the couch, watching movies and talking about the baby as well as telling stories from our adventures. Lev tells me about the time Abby tried to teach him Backgammon and Abby tells me about her encounter with the Rat King. I rest my head on Abby's shoulder, feeling perfectly content sitting beside my family.
The next morning, the three of us head to the infirmary to find out the gender of the baby. After another ultrasound, the doctor comes in with a clipboard. "The baby's in perfect health, Mrs. Anderson!" He says. At first, I think he's talking to Abby, but he's looking directly at me. I glance at Abby and she winks with a playful smile. Ah, of course. She's the one who put 'Y/N Anderson' in my file. Honestly... I can't complain. It fits perfectly; shows that Abby and I are together. I'm hers, she's mine. "It looks like you're about nineteen and a half weeks along. The baby is right where it should be in the development stages."
"And the gender?" I ask, grabbing Lev and Abby's hands.
"Mrs. and Mrs. Anderson..." He pauses for dramatic effect, smiling at us. I feel my breath hitch in my throat, so extremely excited. "In just a few months, you will be bringing a beautiful baby girl into the world!" Abby immediately pulls me into a hug, squeezing me carefully as I hug back. The two of us cry, absolutely overjoyed.
Lev stands up on his chair, raising his fists in the air. "I knew it! I fucking knew it!"
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risukadarlin · 3 years ago
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[piofiore no banshou] vol. 2: gilbert - track two
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2;  thank you for having discovered me
masterpost
                                                                               ✿
The library, huh?
You do love reading.
It’s not like I didn’t think you’d want to come here.
But you don’t need to use the library…
If there was a book you wanted to read, I’d buy it for you in an instant.
That is true.
You can’t find a lot of these books in a bookshop.
So?
What are you looking for?
That should be on one of the shelves over there…
Ah, but reading something like that in English might be a bit too difficult.
Maybe I should ask them to get some Italian books…
No, you only need to ask me or Oliver for that.
What about a children’s novel?
They’re over here.
This takes me back.
I came here a lot when I was a kid.
My mother could read.
She taught me all the basics of reading and writing.
But I was too busy shining shoes and carrying luggage and selling papers.
We didn’t have the money to buy books, either.
So, on the rare occasion I had free time, I’d come here.
I loved learning new things.
And I did know the best way to get out of a place like this - to make money - was to learn things.
But I did regret it sometimes.
I used the time I could have spent making money on something I wasn’t even sure would be useful.
Now I think about it, she would never have gotten angry at me if I’d told her the truth.
But kids are unusually sensitive to that kind of thing.
This should be the right shelf.
If you’re using it to study English, you should pick something you know the story of.
It’ll be much easier to read it if you know the outline.
What about this?
Little Women.
You’ve read it, right?
Yes, I finished it once too.
It’s a surprisingly difficult story, isn’t it?
Maybe it’s because all the sisters follow completely different paths.
It asks really important questions about charity and education and how women should act.
How do I explain it…?
I felt a kind of… repression.
Women still didn’t have the right to vote when this was first published.
A story about a time like that, where not everything goes well… It was a lot to read as a kid.
I prefer stories with happy, fairy-tale endings.
I know people think that’s dull or unrealistic but real life is hard.
I think things should at least be allowed to end happily in stories.
And the part where the third sister dies…
That was sad.
I couldn’t sleep after I read it because I was so desperate to do something to help them.
I knew I couldn’t, though.
Oh, what about this one instead?
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
There are more than 10 sequels?!
It went on for that long, huh?
I only read the first two or three.
I’m sure the author lived in Chicago.
There’s a movie too but I think the musical is more famous.
I think it was first performed in Chicago.
It went to Broadway after that.
Yes, I think you should borrow this one.
It’s much more full of hope.
The librarian should be over there.
Where do you want to go after we check this out?
The observatory? 
Nice idea!
It’s famous but we haven’t been yet.
It’s quite far away. 
Let’s eat before we go.
I’ll arrange a car before we finish.
                                                                               ✿
I’ve never been up this hill before either.
I heard they have the refracting telescope that was displayed at the World's Columbian Exposition here.
It’s supposed to be the biggest one in the world.
And it has some of the most up-to-date facilities for scientific research.
I’ve seen a picture of it in a newspaper before.
It almost looks like a palace.
The garden around it looked fancy too.
It’s facing a different lake to Michigan and is completely surrounded by nature.
I think it was designed by the same person who designed New York’s Central Park.
Urban development happened so quickly on this continent.
So they needed a professional to help evenly blend the cityscape and nature.
I think they call the job a “landscape architect”.
Apparently they’re going to build an aquarium near here soon as well.
They’ve collected over 3 million dollars in donations.
It’s going to be big.
It’ll take two or three years to complete, but we’ll come and see it together when it’s done.
Oh? Is that a cape?
We’re not quite at the observatory yet, but…
Let’s go check it out.
                                                                               ✿
The sun’s setting.
The view is beautiful but no one’s here.
It looks like we found quite the hole in the wall.
We get to keep this view all to ourselves.
The sky went from purple to deep blue.
Look, over there past the lake.
You can see the neon lights illuminating the city.
It’s beautiful.
A real treasure I found with you.
Oops.
Are you okay?
It’s a slope.
It must be hard to walk.
Hang on to me.
If you don’t mind…
Can we stay here a bit longer and watch the scenery?
Hey, Signorina.
I told you before, didn’t I?
I used to look up at the sky a lot.
I used to watch the summer stars with my mother.
And I used to look for shooting stars all alone in the misty winter.
Maybe I was just desperate to look anywhere but the earth I was living on when I was younger.
When he was in a bad mood, my mother would send me outside.
I didn’t have anything to do but look at stars then.
I’d wait for dawn and look desperately for hope to cling to.
So… It’s not all because of that, but…
I thought there was no real need to care about making a family or getting married.
No, that’s wrong. I…
I was scared, I think.
They must have loved each other at first.
But they married and that feeling turned into nothing but shackles.
They stole each other’s freedom and hurt each other.
They made each other unhappy.
My mother… I know she loved me.
But I also know I was a burden to her.
If I hadn’t been born, she could have left that man much faster.
But men and women aren’t that simple.
It’s something outsiders will never be able to understand.
Maybe she just loved him too much to divorce him.
Even that pisses me off.
I… wonder if I look like him.
I know my hair and eyes are the same color as my mom’s…
But what about the rest?
Sometimes looking in the mirror makes me sick.
If I started a family…
…would I make my partner unhappy like him?
I was scared.
I was scared that one day I might turn into someone who doesn’t care if you get hurt, no matter how much I want to treasure you now.
You trust me, don’t you?
You’re always like that.
You always know exactly what to say when I complain.
You did the same thing last year.
Not just us, but all the families in Burlone were thrown into a life or death situation.
I lost control of myself, terrified of the past I’d tried to escape.
I completely lost my cool in front of you. How unlike me.
And yet…
My precious signorina, you never left my side.
When I’m with you, I feel more and more confident about the uncertain future that lies ahead.
No matter how much time passes…
No matter what name we call our relationship by…
I know I will always want to treasure you and make you happy.
I’ve watched the stars with you so many times.
But… I’m surprised every single time.
The sky is so beautiful.
Especially tonight. The weather is great.
In this city, it doesn’t matter whether it’s spring or summer; the stars are always hiding behind the clouds.
I’ve longed for this since I was a child.
I’ve wanted this more than any treasure.
I’ve always dreamed of seeing such a wonderful view with the person I love.
The stars tonight are more beautiful than any I’ve ever seen before.
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honeyabyss · 4 years ago
Text
Sleepover
Lucifer:
Okay so you want to have a sleepover with Luce, it probably happend a lot already, but not under those circumstances, it’s rather falling asleep in his study and waking up in his bed, questioning if something else happend last night
you propose the sleepover and at first Luce is confused like “but you already sleep in my room? wait a sleepover isn’t about sleeping? why would it be called a sleepover then?”
so you explain him, that it’s about spending some fun time with friends and that it leads to staying over night...and Luce agrees to your propsal of a sleep over
at the day of the sleepover you enter his room to find him organizing documents and other work related stuff
...? Wow that sounds like a lot of fun...
Well excuse you for Lucifer being a responsible righthand man, who still has to do some work!!!
you watch him work while listening to a few of his old records and sipping some demonus, all in all just like any other day you decide to visit him in his study, just the location changed
you’re bored out of your mind and your sighs annoy Luce so he asks you to stop..let’s be honest you probably going to answer his request with another sigh
“Is this not what you had hoped for today?” asks Lucifer the obvious
after some explanation he finally gets that you wanted to relax together and not do the usual stuff
“I apoogize, I simply assumed ‘fun time together’ meant the same to you as to me. I enjoy all the time spent with you” smooth talks his way out of his mistake
he actually puts his work down and asks you if you’d like to take a late night walk through the garden instead
when your walk ends, it is already very late, even for Luces terms, so you decide to go to sleep
“What are you doing? You’re sleeping on the bed! What kind of host would I be to let you sleep on a flimsy matress on the floor?”
climbs into the bed after you “the bed is big enough, stop complaining”
you can’t escape his death grip
Mammon:
has probably claimed your bed as his already, given how often he sleeps over at yours
you want to change it up and sleep in his room this time, Mammon gets very bashful talking about how you can’t cause his room isn’t cleaned up, yeah no shit Mcs room isn’t clean either due to certain demons hogging their room and leaving their crap everywhere
anyway, you two make yourselves comfortable on the two sofas in his room, a sofa for each to have more space for yourselves and also because Mammon is embarrassed, not that he would admit...
you watch some movies, probably of the genre action, and eat some delivery pizza, Mammon even pays!
you fall asleep on your sofa midway through the 4th movie, you wanted to go to sleep, but Mammon roped you in for another one, cause he thought you two could last a little longer...yeah neither of you could...
anyway after some time Mammon wakes up, his back hurts from sleeping on the sofa and he is about to start complaining, when he notices you’re still asleep on the other sofa, so he decides to just shift into a more comfortable position
he ends up watching some more TV, sadly for him the only things that get sended this late are horror movies, scared from just watching about half an hour, he turns the TV off and shifts in his seat restlessly
the great Mammon isn’t scared and he isn’t seeking your comfort, neither is he worried about his the human, but he ends up laying you down in his bed anyway, with him half sitting on the floor and half laying on the bed to give you some space, his hand holds yours while he falls asleep again, more at ease being close to you, he forgets about the horror movie he just saw
Leviathan:
sleepover? Did you mean your regular all nighter with games and anime? Yeah it's nothing new for this pair, that doesn't mean that Levi is  n’tvery happy about you suggesting it this time
he actually plans out the whole night, "finish this game until then, so we have enough time for these new anime episodes coming out this night, OH! And we can't forget this game... Hmm maybe if we put it here?”
Has a very tight schedule, because he wants to make the best out of his time with you
" Arrhhg!!! No you can't do that Mc! If you keep playing this bad we'll never finish this game in time!" he complains but ends up feeling really bad right afterwards and apologizes repeatedly
you suggest to just play for fun and forget the schedule after all this isn't the last night you two can spend together
Levi.exe has stopped responding
 you want to spend more time with him even though all he did today was complain? Are you an angel Mc? Or just mentally insane?
you keep playing late into the morning actually having a lot of fun, laughing a bit too loud and getting scolded by Satan who just wants to read his book in silence so SHUT THE FUCK UP, thank you.
"ah Mc! Watch out! Someone's attacking from behind you... Oh? Did you fall asleep? It's already late for you huh? What a normie falling asleep at 6 am..."
he is a bit overwhelmed by the situation and doesn't really know what to do with you now, you fell asleep in a beanbag in his room but it probably isn't comfortable enough to sleep on for long, but to get you into his bed bathtub he has to either carry you or wake you up, keeps mumbling to himself for a while gathering courage and lastly carrys you into his surprisingly very comfortable tub as it is big and layed out with blankets and pillows, he is a blushing mess by the time he is finished
he isn't tired yet so he goes back to playing, but he turns down the volume as to not wake you
Satan:
you probably spend a lot of time in each other's rooms already, mostly in his due to his brother's constantly appearing in your room, so when you ask to have a sleep over the only thing that changes is that you actually plan to sleep there this time and not just accidentally fall asleep
Satan texts you the whole day asking you about things you want to do or not want to do, so he can get the right things, considers you equally involved in the preparations as him, so your opinion isvery important to him
you end up deciding on a few books you'd like to read and make yourself comfortable together
Satan isn't used to much physical attention but he pulls you next to him on his bed nonetheless, it is easier to read like that
you take turns in loudly reading a passage of the current book
the atmosphere is very relaxed, you laying comfortably in bed, some tea (or cold bevarage of your choosing) and some dimmed lights only there so you can see the letters on the pages
as much Satan enjoys this reading session with you, the situation also relaxes him so much that he falls asleep midway through your reading part, all you notice is that his head suddenly drops on your shoulder leaving him in an uncomfortable looking position
you put a marker in the book and put it away for later, before carefully lowering Satan and yourself in a comfortable sleeping position and pulling the blanket over the two of you
content you fall asleep next to him, in his sleep Satan pulls you closer, carefully holding you
when he wakes up a bit later that night he is embarrassed about being so close and swiftly pulls away accidentally waking you up, you're still half asleep not entirely grasping the situation and just pull him back closer seeking warmth and fall asleep again, leaving Satan a blushing mess that slowly calms down and falls asleep again
Asmodeus:
a sleep over? Did you mean sex and sleep cuddles? No? Oh well, but tell him if you change your mind
what do you mean staying awake for long? Do you think his beauty is natural? I mean yeah it is, but he also has to take care of himself
agrees to let you spend some time with him before going to bed, because how could he deny you his beauty?
he insists on doing his normal skin care routine and if you want or not he's going to do the same to you “stop running away from me, I can't see much with this face mask on! But you will catch me if I fall while chasing after you, right?"
"How could you betray me? I fell on my perfect booty because of you" he actually starts crying after having fallen over some clothes
stressed Mc noises while crouching down next to him, apologizing and trying to calm him down
it's a trap
he pulls you into a hug letting himself fall onto the floor, caging you in with his limbs, there is no escape, he might look lithe but he's still a demon and with that very strong
"fine. I'll leave you alone, but don't complain later if your skin isn't as smooth as mine... Oh? But I won't let you free from my embrace, because this is the payment for making me fall and not catching me"
true to his words he doesn't let you go, he carrys you to his bed, takes his mask off with one hand, and makes himself comfortable in bed, laying down half on you to keep you from running away and because Asmo just wants your love and affection so your better cuddle back
Beelzebub:
sleepover? Can we order food? Already dials the number of all restaurants that have delivery
it's actually a very spontaneous sleep over, you just haven't been able to see each other much lately due to school related things and because Beel had a lot of training for his upcoming Fangol match, so you missed him and asked if you two could have a sleep over, Beel was overjoyed and instantly bear hugged you
just chilling on his bed eating food and talking about the day
don't worry Beel the vacuum will take care of any crumbs that fall onto the bed and might be uncomfortable to sleep on
after finishing a year worth of food, you clean up the packages and dishes and bring out the garbage
"you can take the bed, I don't mind sleeping on the sofa" Beel is an adorable gentleman who just wants to keep you comfortable all the time, even though he would love to cuddle you
if you insist he will sleep in the bed with you, but will be a bit nervous, so he keeps a small distance between you two, if you want cuddles then the best option will be to just take the lead and bring him in a position of your choice, it's not like he doesn't want to cuddle he just doesn't want to hurt you
once he falls asleep he will hold you contently and share all his warmth with you
a heads up: maybe take a shower in the morning, I bet Beel will dream of food and might drool on you
Belphegor:
ah yes sure we can have a sleep over
you expect him to stay awake? Really? The Avatar of Sloth himself is supposed to be awake? You're asking a lot human....
after some back and forth with a few breaks, because Belphie fell asleep midway through the discussion, you end up deciding on doing something you both might enjoy... Though Belphie thought it is a bit childish at first
so you end up stealing all Blankets and pillows you can find, Beel gives his volunteeringly away for his friend and his brothers enjoyment... While others ,cough Lucifer cough, have to be a dick about it and not give you his blanket even though he never sleeps anyway
you build a blanket fort in the planetarium, Belphie tries to help here and there, but 1. he is sleepy and 2. he never build one before so he needs your help
after you finish building your very comfortable night shelter, Belphie almost instantly falls down on the pillows and spreads himself out
you join and cuddle up to him, making him grumble a bit as he now has to adjust his position again
the view from the planetarium is the second reason to why you chose this place, Belphie lazily points out to some stars and tells you about their names and meaning
after some time you fall asleep, "you make me stay awake, but fall asleep yourself?", Belphie obviously can't have his title of avatar of Sloth be stolen, so he accidentally wakes you up by nudging your side with his elbow "oh sorry, did I wake you? I'm really sorry, I just wanted to find a more comfortable position..."
like the little shit he is, he pulls you close and falls asleep before you even realize what just happend
Solomon:
oh? A sleep over with him? He didn't do that in ages... Actually I don't think he ever done it, at least not in the "hey you're my friend and I just want to spend some time with you" sense
anyway don't accept any of Solomons ideas! “We can cook-” NO “Oh okay take out it is, more time for the fun part I guess... So wanna do some magic pranks? I have some new spells I still have to test-” NO “Oh... Well your right it might be a bit dangerous. How about we visit some old friends of mine? I'm sure I'll get them to make a pact with me this time-” Solomon... NO!
I'm very sorry Solomon, but I'm sure Mc doesn't want to die just yet
so you meet at Purgatory hall, because there is no way the brothers will leave you two alone... For a "sleep over" uh huh sure they'd be watching you the whole time, no fun wouldn't recommend, so Purgatory hall it is, Simeon will agree to check in on you to calm Lucifer down
Solomons room is probably as much of a mess  as Satan's so the only place to sit will be his bed, "make yourself at home, just don't sit down on that book it's cursed... Oh and don't spill this potion... You're better off not knowing why..."
he will tease the hell out of you. Period. He has spend too much time with Asmo "visiting a man at this time in is room.. That's very dangerous... Someone less of a gentleman than me might take advantage of that, unless that is what you had planned wink wonk”
just hit him with a pillow
but he will hit back
pillow fight it is, but it wouldn't be Sol if it didn't contain magic, he plays unfair making a magic pillow wall around himself while throwing pillows at your defenseless self, when you surrender he will let down his wall and fall onto you laughing loudly and freely, which attracts Simon's attention who looks into the room and smiles gently at the two of you enjoying each others company
Solomon has a lot of fun with you and actually feels comfortable enough to laugh, which gives you an immense boost of pride making you want to keep him laughing, so you start telling him bad puns and jokes until both of you are wheezing and panting for air having laughed too much
as you calm down the exhaustion hits and you both agree to rest for today, Solomon slides under his blanket and holds the blanket up for you, you slide into his awaiting embrace and cuddle into him
he might use the new position to tickle you a bit, but not much as he doesn't want you to slip out of his embrace, you fall asleep tangled together
Simeon snaps a picture of you two, but don't worry it's really blurry cause it's technology and Simeon just can't handle it
Simeon:
a sleep over? That sounds nice, he definitely wants to spend some more calming time with you
seeks permission for you from Lucifer instantly, so you don't have to go through it
even goes as far as to pick you up from the house of lemantation and carry your bag, cause he is nice
will drop of your stuff and take you out grocery shopping then, how to better spend your time then with your favorite hobby? Simeon likes to cook so that is what you'll do
don't worry he will help you with everything you don't know, don't know how to cut this? Let me show you, cut to a cliché scene of him standing way to close behind you guiding your hand to correctly cut this.. Shadow bellpepper? I dunno
anyway you two end up having lots of fun while cooking and Simeon might take any chance to tease you, damn this closet sadist angel with way too tempting shoulders
the whole family enjoys your cooking, grandpa Solomon, mom Mc, Dad Simeon and dog child Luke
when you retire to bed, he tucks you (oh god this got autocorrected to fuck and I'm so glad I saw that before posting it) into bed and gives you a kiss on the forehead for good dreams, will then settle himself on the sofa, "are you trying to tempt an angel? As much as I'd like to cuddle... I don't think we should..."
will reluctantly join you in bed but turn his back to you and keep space between you, will tense up if you put your arms around his waist and  cuddle into his back... But will enjoy it after getting used to it, will tangle his fingers with yours and hold your arm around his waist
Luke:
he is the one to ask for a sleep over, because Simeon said he is only allowed to stay awake longer on special occasions and he is a big boi and wants to stay awake longer and spend more time with the adults, “so can you please come over? I'll even bake you a cake...”
so you bake a cake together.
it's really nice and you have fun, Luke is really confident and takes the lead, telling you what to do next
 Oh and occasionally you have to bring grandpa Solomon out of the kitchen, cause he is trying to help, but... Yeah, no.
you have to help Luke put the cake in and out of the stove, cause he almost burns himself and you just want to help, but Luke sulks a bit, don't give him headpats he's not a dog, just hug him and tell him you care about his well-being
the cake turns out great and you have it as a dessert after dinner with everyone, grandpa is sulking, cause he wasn't allowed to help but whatever he'll get over it
it's about the time where Luke normally goes to bed where he starts to get a bit drowsy, his answers in your conversation about everyday things, are getting shorter and he needs longer to find the right words, so you suggest going to bed, but Luke wants to stay up late...
He falls asleep 10 minutes later and you tuck him into bed, you try to leave but he keeps holding your hand, guess you'll have to stay
Simeon finds you two cuddled together later that evening, as he wanted to check in on you before going to sleep himself
Barbatos:
it's the very rare occasion of Diavolo leaving the castle for a business in the human world, and Barb has been left behind at the castle to upkeep the work there, luckily there is not much to do so Barb decides to invite you over for some rare alone time... Also because he feels a bit lonely after spending almost each day with a man-child
when you arrive at the castle, Barb is already waiting for you at the front gates with a basket "I hope you don't mind if we have our dinner outside? The weather is so nice today I thought we could eat in the castle garden"
night picnic with Barb.... Actually now that I think about it... Isn't it night all the time in Devildom?... Anyway night picnic
Barb has literally made a feast for you two, he is so used to cook in big portions you'll have 'some' rest food to bring back to Beel tomorrow
just relaxing in the garden on a fluffy blanket surrounded by magically glowing flowers and eating nice food with Barb while talking about anything that comes to mind
his inner butler kicks in after you're sated and he instantly stands up to clean, but you pull him back down to relax, he is a bit flustered as he finds himself on his back with his head resting in your lap, your hand softly stroking through his hair, but the embarrassment soon gets replaced by pure contentment as Barb calms down and let's you play with his hair
he falls asleep in your lap, but you don't mind and let him take a small nap
when he wakes up again about an hour later, he bashfully apologizes for falling asleep... "it has gotten a bit chilly, shall we go in now?"
butler Barb is a British gentleman and that's why I like him, so after he put all the food and plates back into the basket he shakes out the blanket and drapes it around your shoulders to keep you warm, you better be grateful and take him with you under the blanket!
he brings you to a room which is right next to his so you can find him quickly in case you need something
"you want to sleep in one room? Is that truly wise? I'm still a demon and there is only one bed in my room... You don't mind?.... Oh well if you insist..." he is not used to being close to people of any race, laying down his butler demeanor and being his casual self is still a bit hard to him, but you're patient and so he tries to relax with you
he keeps distance in bed, and asks you multiple times for your confirmation that this is really to your liking
you fall asleep quickly and Barb, not in a creepy way, watches you a bit trying to find any sign of discomfort, as he doesn't find any he takes a big breath and takes your hand again looking for discomfort, but he relaxes with a content smile as your grip tightens around his hand as well
 he falls asleep feeling very happy and as if he has achieved a big next step of getting closer to you
Diavolo:
slaps 'youthful fun 101' on your desk in rad "how do you do, fellow kid? Ready for some neat sleep over at my castle this weekend?"
...
yeah... Let's fucking go!
Sorry Barb
he wants to try everything you can do at a sleep over... He never had someone to do that with, so just be nice and make the best out of it
you start out easy, you need to have a base to return too and later rest so the dining room gets redecorated to a giant blanket fort, eveything is covered in blankets and pillows
with the base set it's time for some fun, Dia suggests to play some games so here you go playing... I dunno party games... Even roping Barb into a round of Poker.. Barb wins due to his pokerface....
after some games to set the mood, Dia is up for some rather surprising things, braiding each others hair, doing face masks even a manicure, this man wants it all and he is having so much fun don't ruin this for him
much to Barbs dismay Dia wants traditional sleep over food so pizza it is, Barb was at least able to convince him to make the pizza themselves so it is less unhealthy, so here you three are in the kitchen baking a messy pizza with all sorts of toppings, because Dia can't decide on just a few
Barb is starting to regret having bought this youth trends book for Dia
after eating a delicious pizza it is movie time with an excessive amount of snacks to choose from as if you're not already full from the pizza, so you two cuddle up in your blanket fort and watch some movies on a laptop, until late into the night, Barb has already retired to his room but only sleeps with one eye closed always ready to jump for the fire extinguisher
Dia has too much energy
how about hide and seek  at night, in the castle, in hell, with no one else knowing about it, you hide in the kitchen almost scaring Barb to death when he enters to get a glass of water, he drags you out of the kitchen and exclaims the kitchen to be a restricted area
stop scaring Barb he almost kicked you, cause he thought you're a rat
what’s better at 3 am then having a 2-man full out blown karaoke party, waking everyone in the castle up
only positive thing for Barb: you sing until your voices are hoarse so you can't scream at him anymore
with the last energy you two have, you decide to top this very successful and entertaining sleep over with a pillow fight, messing up your blanket fortress
you fall asleep cuddled together under a half collapsing blanket fort, but don't worry Dia is shielding your body so nothing is going to suffocate you
Barb wants to retire... But he's also happy for his lord that he had such a great time
285 notes · View notes
fbfh · 4 years ago
Text
dear baby; strawberry milkshakes - leo x reader parents au
words: 1.8k
summary: You and Leo are getting used to adulting together, when Chiron asks for your help. Next thing you know, there’s a little demigod for you two to take care of - and you’re not going to let her down.
warnings: almost boning but getting interrupted, shit is said twice, one use of fucking I think, mentions of orphanages and the foster care system, mentions of CPS, being at a CPS building, adopting a child, leo has trauma, leo and reader take in a child when you’re both 19, technically teen parents but not really, the kid has some trauma too, everyone has trauma but literally what’s new
au: sort of college + parents au
song recs: raining in new york mix - the bootleg boy (tw for some sort of sad dialogue samples), falling in love with love - bernadette peters in cinderella (1997)
a/n:  I saw a kids book called Sophia Valdez Future Prez and I know nothing about it but immediately knew I had to do a parents au where you and Leo have a daughter named sophia???????? also I accidentally gave myself baby fever whoopsie
also I was barely able to proof read this and had no brain while writing half of it so if the beginning feels rushed at all that’s why teehee
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Straddling his lap, you start to take off Leo’s shirt. He tilts his head to the side as you nip at the skin gently. He moans softly, then tenses. 
"Shit!" He hisses, sitting up and pulling your shorts back up. You look at him bewildered, and he nods his head to the side, and you see a shimmery cloud that says that you have an incoming iris message from Chiron.  
"Oh shit," you echo, moving to a reasonable distance away from him, a thick throw blanket tossed gracefully across your legs and pulled up to cover your chest, and you're grateful your shirt hadn't been thrown across the room already. 
He pulls his shirt down and you toss him a throw pillow to cover his very obvious excitement. You give each other a ready as we'll ever be look and accept the call. 
"Hey Chiron… what's up?" Leo asks nonchalantly. 
"You must pardon my intrusion, dear children, I hope I'm not - er - interrupting anything.” “No, no, not at all,” you answer, hoping what you had been doing wasn’t too obvious in spite of how both of you are looking particularly flushed and deschevled, “we were just watching a movie.” 
Leo nods in agreement, and you list two different movies at the exact same time, the dark knight rises and moonstruck.
A beat passes, and you continue, “Double feature. Just finished Batman and we’re about to start Moonstruck.” 
Leo agrees. You can’t tell if Chiron is buying it, but he seems to move on relatively quickly. 
“Right. I’m afraid I must ask for your help with a rather time sensitive situation.” your brows furrow in unicen as he continues. 
He tells you about a young demigod a satyr found, not even four years old yet, but they haven’t been able to get her to camp. Apparently there were some complications, and CPS was called, now they’re looking for her parents to see if she’s going to a foster home or orphanage. If they can’t get to her before the CPS finishes processing her, she’ll be lost in the system. He’s asking older demigods and demigod families in New York, since processing time will go the fastest if the family or guardians are in-state. 
“I know it’s a lot to ask, but please consider taking her in, at least temporarily.” You and Leo share a look, hearts already hurting that life has gotten to this kid so soon. 
“I’ll give you some time to discuss this, please call me back as soon as you have an answer.” 
You agree, and the shimmery image of Chiron dissipates.
“... Oh my god,” you breathe. 
You turn to each other again, the same thing mirrored in each other's eyes. An immediate, unspoken conformation that there’s no way you can’t help this kid out passes between you. You know Leo, especially, will do whatever needs to be done to keep another orphaned demigod out of the foster system. The scope of the impact you could have on this kid’s life starts to dawn on you, and you lock eyes with Leo again, his face set in determination. 
“Estrella,” he starts, and you know what he’s going to say. 
“I know,” you confirm in agreement.
His leg is bouncing, and you lean over, grabbing a notepad and pen from the coffee table. Your mind is already racing, and you begin scribbling down a list of everything you’d need to do; get her a bed and clothes, research where she is in her developmental stages, put together a meal plan or at least some foods she’ll like - what do toddlers even eat? He starts pacing around the coffee table. 
“We gotta help this kid, we-” he cuts himself off, overwhelmed with determination. 
“We will.” you confirm, equally determined. You grab your laptop and start copying your list digitally so you can get everything organized. You stare at your reflection in the black screen while you wait for your computer to boot up. Once again, the reality of your situation hits you.
“We’re 19…” you state, in disbelief. Your mind is racing with doubts. What if you somehow make everything worse, what if you can’t handle it? He crouches next to you, placing his hand on your cheek.
“And we have a lot of love to give.” The smile in your eyes tells him that you know he’s right. You transcribe your writing, surprised that you’re okay with how fast this is all moving, and you let out another breathy laugh of disbelief. 
You go through your hastily made checklist, switching between tabs about child psychology, parenting advice, and kid’s furniture and clothes websites, strategizing with Leo on how you can pull this off, and a plan gradually comes together.
“I mean, this is a two bedroom,” he says as you look through pages of bed frames and mattresses, “we can clear out our studio and turn it into her room.” 
“And…” you add, checking yet another tab, “there’s a building nearby that rents out studio spaces and workshop areas. Ooh, and free parking.” you read on the website. It’s already late, but you send them an email anyway. Hopefully they’ll get back to you tomorrow. But for now… 
“We can get a bed tonight, but we’d have to hurry. We can probably get some pjs and maybe a stuffed animal while we’re there- toothbrush!” You exclaim, adding it to your list, “I knew I was forgetting something…”
 Leo stops pacing, and looks at you. “So… we’re doing this?” You can’t fight the smile on your face, and he already has his answer. 
“We’d better call Chiron back,” you say, excitedly bubbling out. You both enter the bathroom, and iris message chiron with mist from the shower. He answers almost immediately.
“We thought it over and…” you trail off, letting him finish.
“We want to help.” 
After changing into some presentable clothes and swinging by the store for a car seat and some other essentials (you almost forgot tooth paste this time), you’re driving with Leo to meet Chiron at the CPS office where they had Sophia - the girl Chiron told you about. You call the Ikea store not too far from your apartment, thankful you’re able to reach them before they close. You arrange to have them deliver a toddler bed to the spare bedroom in your apartment, your neighbor agreeing to let them in. Luckily, you had the presence of mind to get most of your and Leo’s stuff out of there, the corner of the living room now holding your desk and his drafting table. 
You’re still a little blurry on the details of how you’re going to get custody of this kid when you’re barely legal and have no ties to her or her family, but Chiron said he could work everything out. You assume the Mist will come in very handy. You and Leo discuss this on the way over. 
You can tell he’s worried. Knowing the horrors he went through in the foster system would be bad enough without all the demigod bullshit on top of everything. You take another deep breath. 
“This is what’s best for her,” he says matter of factly, “she needs to be with people who understand her.” You agree, and he continues, very fired up.
“She needs to be in an environment where she’s not going to be ignored and ostracized; she needs to be part of a family, not a fucking meal ticket.” 
You squeeze his leg supportively, and he takes another breath. 
“You’re right. And she’s going to get all of that.” He scoffs in agreement.
“There’s not a better place for someone like her than-”
“With someone like her.” you finish. He pulls into the parking lot and you enter, meeting Chiron in the building. Your hand holds Leo’s tightly, unsure of who’s shaking more. Chiron explains that he already had a discussion (wink wink) with the social worker, and knows that he has the perfect couple to take little Sophia in, and all you have to do is meet with her and sign some papers. 
So that brings you here, waiting outside the office door, holding each other’s trembling hands before finally entering. She doesn’t look up at you at first, until the social worker introduces you. Leo squeezes your hand, and she finally looks up, her eyes speaking a language you and Leo know. You know there is absolutely no going back from here, and you both sit down across from her. 
“Hi, you’re Sophia, right?” She looks away, clearly and understandably overwhelmed. 
“Don’t be rude, Sophia-” the social worker starts, but you cut her off. 
 “It’s okay, she didn’t do anything wrong.” you turn back to her, “You know, me and Leo have an extra bedroom at our apartment, and a kitten that I think would really like you. Do you want to come stay with us?” 
She doesn’t look back up right away, but she turns her head towards you. 
“Is it a boy or a girl?” she asks softly. How is she so precious already?
“A girl,” you reply, “named Jackhammer, because she purrs so loud.” 
She giggles, and you and Leo squeeze each other’s hands in unison.
“Really?” she asks. 
“Oh yeah,” you reply, “I’m sure she’d love to play catch the mouse with you.” She considers for a moment, then looks over at the social worker, who gives her an encouraging nod. After a moment of consideration, she replies quietly, “...Okay.” 
She hops down from her chair, and you both follow suit. The social worker hands you some papers, and you both sign. You guide her to the lobby, let Chiron know it went well and promise to update him soon, and bring her to the car. You pull out of the parking lot. 
Not long after leaving, you see a fast food place. 
“Are you guys hungry?” you ask, nudging Leo gently. 
“Yeah, I could definitely go for some fries. How bout you Sophia?” 
She nods, then asks quietly, “Can I get a milkshake?” 
Her expression is hesitant, and you get the sense she’s expecting a no. 
“Of course kiddo,” you say.
“What flavor do you want?” Leo finishes, turning to look at her. Her eyes are bright with hesitant excitement. 
“Strawberry, please.” 
After leaving the drive through, you have Leo search through your phone for any kid friendly music, and discover the only thing you have saved that’s appropriate for present company is the soundtrack to the Cinderella musical from 1997.
That’s how your little family started; driving late at night, singing along to Bernadette Peters, and drinking strawberry milkshakes.
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aworldinsideaperson · 4 years ago
Text
Accidental Marriage
Word Count: 2,467
Warnings: None that I can think of???
Summary: a spell brings feelings to light.
A/n: This is my first time writing an imagine in a WHILE sooooo… yeah let's see how it goes.
Here ya go @izzytheninja​!
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It really had been an accident. Well, sorta. Mostly it was an accident at least on Y/N’s part; and George’s. Fred said it was an accident but as he stared at the two of them he let a devious smirk cross his face, that was until he read the bold print on top of the page and his eyes widened and his smile fell.  “Oh no.” Fred whispered as his head whipped up to look at his brother.
“What is it?” Y/N asked. When she had come to the twins apartment that evening she’d been planning on having dinner and a few laughs with her friends when Fred had suggested trying a spell he’d read about earlier in the week. ‘A binding charm’ he had called it. She’d figured her and George would have their hands stuck together for a few hours but when Fred turned the book around to show them, her heart stopped.
Wizard’s Marriage Spell
“Fred,” George spoke slowly. “Are you saying that you’ve just…”
“Presided over your wedding?” Fred finished, a nervous smile on his lips. “I think so.”
The room was silent, the three of them looking at each other in desperation. Finally Y/N spoke again, “What are we gonna do?” She asked softly, tears beginning to pool in her eyes and George felt his chest ache. Fred handed Y/N the book and the twins watched as she flipped the page back and forth looking for some kind of answer until she read at the very bottom of the page in tiny print
Irreversible magic. Spell only broken by death or similar means.
She handed the book to George and threw her head back against the chair’s backing. Silently George shoved the book at Fred with a glare. Fred looked at the page and gently closed the book. “I take it I won’t be invited to the reception.” Fred gives a smirk then looks at the newly married couple before him. “Sorry,” He mutters. “Just trying to diffuse the tension.”
“We’re twenty!” George and Y/N yell in unison. “I’m not ready to be married yet.” George continues, now flinging his head back on his chair. 
“I wanted to marry for love! Not because of some idiot who chooses not to read!”
“Hey now no need for name calling!” Fred exclaimed, “You agreed to test out some spells.”
“Yeah, when I thought we’d have our hands stuck together not married!” At this Y/N began to tear up as she grew more overwhelmed. George turned to her and felt his heart ache again. Yes it was a shock and he felt it deep into his bones but George had still yearned for her lips to be pressed to his own every night since the firewhiskey induced exchange six months prior. He still thought about the electricity he’d felt shoot through his chest as her fingers had tangled themselves in his hair, the way his fingertips had tingled when they had touched the skin of her hips. A moment over far too soon never to be spoken of again. He hadn’t even told Fred that her smile would make his world stop and her tears made it all come crumbling down. And now here she sat, his now wife, crying because she was married to him, not someone she loved. 
“Clearly, there are a lot of emotions and thoughts going on for everyone right now,” George began slowly, his eyes never drifting from her form in the chair beside him. He watched her shoulders shake as he fought the urge to reach over and take her into his arms. “Why don’t we cool down?” He proposed. “We’ll take a little while, process what happened tonight and then proceed later on with clearer heads.” Y/N nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes then stood quickly. She walked briskly to the door and then out of it before anyone could say another word. George had stood to walk her to the door but once it slammed a deep frown fell upon his lips and he fell back into his chair and slumped. Fred opened his mouth to say something before thinking better of it and slowly making his way into his own bedroom for the rest of the night.
It was three months before the topic was brought up again. George and Y/N had seen each other but only in group settings. They were never in a room with less than three other people and avoided the topic of relationships like the plague. But now, as she stood in the shop waiting for the twins to close up so they could meet some friends out for drinks the tension between the three was palettable. With her back turned Fred looked to his brother and nudged him before scurrying off to the back room. With the encouragement from his brother, George straightened his back and slowly approached Y/N who’s fingers ran across the shelves. He cleared his throat and she looked up at him with wide eyes and a soft half smile. “So I was thinking,” George began, “I know we haven’t talked about it but since we are, for better or for worse, married.” He took a deep breath. “That maybe we should try to make the best of it.” He finished quickly, averting his eyes to the floor
“And what did you have in mind, for ‘making the best of it’?” 
George looked into her eyes and smiled. “I was thinking we could go on a date, who knows maybe we’re perfect for each other and don’t even know it.”
Silence filled the room as she looked away from George and to the shelf on her right. Though all of George’s muscles relaxed when she looked back to him with a smile and nodded. “How’s tomorrow after the shop closes?” 
“Perfect.” He replied with a bright smile.
The next night George had raced through closing up the shop, and he was out the door only 5 minutes after they’d locked up. But after dinner with Y/N, and a long stroll back to her apartment, which had been far on the other side of town, George could hardly contain himself from the joy. Thus, one date to into two, two turned into 4, and 4 turned into every Thursday night, George leaving the shop a half hour early for a dinner date and leaving saturday nights for outings to the muggle movie theater that sometimes left him quietly creeping back into the apartment in the wee hours of the morning. They weren’t intimate, in fact they hadn’t even kissed but they enjoyed each other’s company. It was 3 months since the first date when Y/N came into the shop, just before closing, with a sour expression on her face.
“What’s wrong?” Fred asked, “Georgie here forgot a date?”
“No.” She said, frowning deeper. “My landlord is selling the building and everyone who’s lease is up was told we have until the end of next month to leave.” She laid her head down on the counter with a dramatic huff.
“Why don’t you just do a new lease?” George asked, his eyes still on the till he was counting.
“Because they’re renovating the vacant apartments.” She replied, the voice muffled by her arms that had now come to rest under her head.
“Well do you have a place to go?” Fred questioned, leaning onto the counter.
“Not yet,” She started, lifting her head to look at the twins. “Most of the places within a decent distance of the alley are fully occupied or outrageous. I mean one hundred and sixty-six galleon for a one bedroom? Price gouging!”
“Well I know a place, great location, decent pricing, neighbor is a bit loud but nothing too dramatic.” Fred began with a sly smirk.
“Where?” 
“Upstairs.”
“I don’t know Fred, it’s two bedrooms and they both seem to be occupied unless you two are up for sharing.” She gave a light laugh.
“Actually,” Fred’s smirk grew.  “It’s about to have a vacant room.”
“What?” Y/N and George exclaimed in unison.
“Man that is weird. But yeah Ang and I have been together a while, we get on real well and we thought it’d be beneficial for our relationship if we lived a bit closer, like in the same place. Sorry Georgie I was gonna tell you but slipped my mind.”
“When do you move out?” George asked.
“3 weeks time, beginning of next month. And you’re welcome to move in at the same time if ya like.” 
“Wow Fred, that’s perfect! Thank you.”
“No no you’re doing Georgie here a favor, if you didn’t move in he’d have to find another roommate and knowing his luck Percy would try to move in.” The three of them laughed and agreed on the move dates. George was thrilled at the prospect of living with his wife.
A month later the last of Y/N’s things were moved into the apartment and, though in separate rooms, she and George were living together 7 months post marriage. 
Six weeks later Y/N jolted awake in the middle of the night. Her mind had been filled with death and destruction and walls crumbling onto those she loved. Her eyes were filled with tears as she rose from the bed and padded her way to George’s room. She cracked the door open slowly and crossed to his bed.
“George.” She whispered soft, gently shaking his shoulder. He stirred and looked up at her.
“Yes dear?” He mumbled, closing his eyes again.
“I had a nightmare, can I sleep with you?” Her voice was timid but George nodded and moved back, holding the blanket up for her to snuggle in. With her face snuggled into George’s chest, she drifted off into a safe and peaceful sleep. 
The next night, she went straight to George’s bed.
Slowly their lives began to meld together. The two become more affectionate, good morning kisses, and nightly snuggles on the couch. George learned how she took her morning beverages and Y/N made his lunch before he ran off to work. They began to hold hands as they walked down the street and talk about kids in the quiet of their room at night. Before they knew it two years had passed since that accidental spell. 
Fred and his fiance had come over for dinner, the four of them now sitting around the table chatting. George had pulled Y/N into his lap when she stood up to do the dishes and now she sat on his knee as they all laughed at a joke Fred had made. 
“You know Fred,” George began. “We really have a lot to thank you for.”
“Why’s that?” Fred asked, draping his arm over Angelina.  
Y/N smiled, looking down at her handsome husband. “Well if you hadn’t done that spell we probably never would have gotten to this point.”
Angelina gave them a questioning look, her eyes looking back and forth between her fiance and the couple before them. “What spell?” 
“The marriage spell.” George stated simply.
Angelina’s eyes widened. “The marriage spell?” 
“Yeah like two years ago Fred did the marriage spell on up by mistake.” Y/N answered, unsure as to why Fred had never told his partner about that fateful night.
At this point Fred was unable to keep a straight face and he burst into a fit of laughter.
“What?” George asked, growing irritated at his brother’s behavior. 
“Mate, I didn’t marry you two.” He exclaimed. 
Y/N’s face fell. “You… you didn’t?”
Fred’s laughter continued. “No, I just knew George fancied you after that cheeky kiss you had, I thought maybe a little prank would make you do… this.” He said, gesturing to the two of them. “Don’t tell me you’ve thought you were married this whole time.”
Y/N jumped from George’s lap and with a horrified look at Fred stopped off into the bedroom.
George glared across the table. “Fred. You’re a horrible brother.”
“You got the girl didn’t you?” He said with a smile but shortly after George escorted the two of them to the door alone, his partner still holed up in their bedroom.
That night George and Y/N went to bed beside each other as they did every night even if they barely whispered more than a good night to each other. The next morning George’s side of the bed was empty. 
Y/N padded out into the kitchen to find a full breakfast filling the table and George smiling at her when she entered the room.
“I was just about to come wake you, sit down. I've made all the favorites.” He pulled the chair out for her and pushed it back in as she sat.
“Did you cook or…” She began, placing a bit of toast on her plate.
“I used magic but I did set the table myself.” He smiled,  taking the seat beside her. The two ate in a comfortable silence and as she stood to clear the plates George grasped her wrist gently. Looking over she saw George slip from his chair and onto one knee, her whole face softened.
“Y/N,” He began. “Two and a half years ago I kissed you for the very first time outside that pub in downtown London after a few too many fire whiskeys and I remember thinking ‘How did I wait this long to kiss her?’ All I wanted to do every single day after that was press my lips to yours but we didn’t talk about it again and I figured that you weren’t as interested in me as that night had led me to believe. Then the unthinkable happened, my stupid brother got even stupider, and married us, or at least we’ve spent the last two years thinking that he did.” The two of them chuckled at this point. “But it turned out to be the greatest stupid thing my twin has ever done because these last two years having you as my almost wife have been some of my best. I thought that we had skipped over this part but it looks like I need to turn our anniversary present into something a little bit more so, I’m asking you if you will become my wife by choice and not by accident.” George pulled a dainty ring from his pocket and held it up to her. A wide smile spread across her face and she nodded. George smiled back and slipped the ring onto her finger, jumping up to take her in his arms. 
She pulled away slightly to look up at her fiance then grinning she said, “Let’s splurge on a real officiant this time.”
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praphit · 3 years ago
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Shang-Chi! and the Rings of Daddy Murder Death!
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When the trailer for this movie first came out, I was hyped! From the cast, to the bad ass bus scene, to Wong vs The Abomination,
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 I was sold! 
Of course you had the people who came out saying "This is Marvel trying to be woke again. Hate crimes against Asian people on the rise, and here comes Marvel with Shang-Chi" We know this to be crazy, because Marvel already had this in the works, but certain people still reacted that way. But, even if that notion were true, would that be so bad?
It wouldn't absolve the ignorance, hatred, violence, and toxicity. But, if someone in Hollywood said "We've screwed over Asian people in films for like... ever. What if this time we choose a popular Asian character to base a movie on, and we DON'T do that?"
Now, (being that this movie supposedly leans on Chinese culture, with Shang-Chi being Chinese) China might argue that they still did them wrong (valid racist historical ptsd, cultural splicing, the whole martial arts thing, plus the main character is actually Canadian). It's not my place to weigh-in. But, I will say that making Shang-Chi Canadian, NOT a martial artist, but instead a hockey player, who loves Drake, and co-starring another Canadian, like Micheal Cera or someone 
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probably wouldn't have worked as well for the MCU. Then, maybe Canada would have a problem with Marvel. I don’t envy movie-makers in this context. 
When I was a kid I was big into Black Belt Theater, Bruce Lee movies, 
Bruce Leroy, 
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and within my love for martial arts and fighting entertainment was 
Shang-Frickin-Chi. 
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I liked it, though I remember it being a lil racist. It's weird going back in time to see your fav childhood shows and books that wouldn't fly today:
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I mean we've certainly been a lot more sensitive these days:
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Regardless, Shang-Chi is here! (played by Canada's main man Simu Liu) He goes by the name of Shaun! 
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Don't let that name fool you. Shaun will whup that ass! He says "Bleep all those super powers, and serums, a suits, and magic, and the rubber bones of Widow! That's some ol bullshit! All I need is my Wu-Tang style!" A style fueled by his daddy issues. And he's got some serious daddy issues. To be fair, his dad is the villain of the story. If your father was the active villain of your story, you'd also have issues.
Awkwafina is his sidekick
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(much better than Michael Cera would be), she plays as Katy. That's fun. Every Katy I've ever known has been fun... and a heavy drinker:) This Katy is here to drive fast and crack jokes.
Ladies and Gentlemen, your new Marvel duo!
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It's not just daddy issues for Shang-Chi, but mommy issues (she dead), avoidance issues, his sister kicks him in the balls. He didn't even seem shocked. I mean, his balls were shocked, for sure, but it seemed like she just did that all of the time. I'm imagining Christmas when they were kids. "Here's your gift, bro. KNEE TO THE NUTS Merry Christmas" What kind of relationship is that? And why?! - well, he did abandon her for like 10 years, but... you know, that's plenty of time for her to get over it, right?? So, we'll say sister issues, his daddy training him to be an assassin issues, and his friends have issues with him! - AND KATY! They don't respect Marvel's new duo. They think Shaun and Katy should be doing more with their lives.
They are both valets during the day, and at night they rock drunken karaoke. That seems like the perfect life to me.
But, Daddy and his power rings couldn't allow them to keep living the dream. I haven't mentioned the ten rings yet. 
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They give him super-duper-magical martial arts powers, and make him eternal. AND made him an asshole.
To be fair, he was probably already an asshole before the powers. He's been killing a lot of people. You figure he's been around for 1000+ years. His wife is dead, and he has no hobbies. It's not like he kills a few people and then goes home to read a book, or play video games, or make TikTok videos. It's sunrise to sunset killing all day, every day for generations. Then, he forms an evil terrorist group called "Ten Rings" to amplify his killing.
"Murder Death Rings" are what they should be called.
"Daddy Death Punchy Time"
""Dead Doomy Rangs of Killer Dad"
"The Legendary Killer Rings of Deadly Death Death Murder Pops"
"The... " sorry, I've been drankin a lil bit while I write... I lost my place.
I like "Daddy Death" Where was I?
Right! He can't have Shaun being happy! We've gotta get this plot going, so he sends the only white dude he can find in this movie to start some trouble for them. I guess, there might have been a couple of more white people in the film, but they all got the snot beat out of them in that bus scene. This white dude's name is "Razor Fist", yep... "Razor Fist!". 
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At least they didn't stick to the original design. 
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Ridiculous. How does he use the bathroom?
He's played by Florian Munteanu, who is a former heavy weight boxer. Yeah! Was also in "Creed" his nickname is "The Big Nasty". Isn't that a drink? A bartender once offered me to sample a drink called "The Big Nasty". I chose to go with a drink that doesn't have "nasty" in its title. ... I think he was offering me a drink.
???
"Daddy Murder Death" and "Sharp Fisty Man" spark this thang. And Shaun becomes Shang-Chi, beater of ass!
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The visuals in this movie are the best Marvel has done to date. The action is so good. I just got finished raving about the action in "Black Widow"; this surpasses that. I dug the cast. I know some people don't like Awkwafina, but... get over it. She was great in this; everybody was!
I loved the soundtrack! I'm not normally the "I loved the soundtrack guy" , but it was perfect. It begs to be mentioned.
No issues with the story. And the emotions that they're stirring in you. Whew!
One moment I'm enjoying the beater of ass, then Katy is making me laugh, then the slew of issues got me in my feelings, then the visuals wow me, then more swelling issues, back to ass beating - all the way through.
And the ending! True, Marvel has a formula (and this sticks to it), but if it ain't broken, why bleep with it?? The ending was Game of Thrones-ish, but with light so a brotha can see, and all the colors of the rainbow - like a Skittles commercial with martial arts.  Fun! - so not like GOT at all, I guess. The only fun they had was when there was torture or prostitution going on.
I don't have anything bad to say about the movie. They could have shaved 5-10 mins off, but I won't take off for that; there's just too much to love about this!
Grade: A+
Fun for the whole family! I can see the fam working through some issues after the watch.
Daughter: "You know, Dad. That asshole dad of Shang-Chi kinda reminds me of you."
Mom: "Daughter! You do NOT talk to your father that way!"
Daughter: “Just sayin...”
Dad: "That's interesting, cuz his ungrateful, bitch of a daughter reminds me of YOU!"
Mother and Daughter: *gasp
Son: *laughs
Dad: "All I want you to do is take your school work seriously and maybe date a guy who doesn't smell like weed!"
Daughter: "I'll have you know that's his natural smell! And maybe I'd focus more on school, if I didn't have to focus on YOU being such a BLEEPING ASSHOLE, DAD!"
See, that's healthy dialogue, right there. Maybe the family that watches this movie buys mommy a bunch of guns for protection, so she doesn't end up dead like the mommy in this movie. Like a ridiculous amount of guns!
And I could see brother and sister kicking each other in the crotch to resolve their differences. BUT, if they're close-by, fighting each other, then there's no time to abandon one another.
Marvel does it again!
Whichever of the Marvel films is your favorite, this one will probably be up there as well.
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gloomyhearts · 4 years ago
Text
That's life || Steve Harrington
Chapter five
November 6, 1983
Y/N POV's:
My brother just called and told me that he's arriving in half an hour. He slept the whole weekend at Mikes so I got the house for myself.
I did homework and chilled the weekend; Nancy came over and we talked.
Of course I hide my letter I wrote to Steve; I don't want to cause any trouble with Nancy I mean she's a nice girl and her little brother is a friend of mine so I can't break that.
Meanwhile I was making the diner Dustin and I will eat. Mom isn't home yet; dad and her are in New York for another week.
I heard music and sang along the lyric until the doorbell rang.
I opened the door and a very familiar face was in front of me.
"Steve?! What the hell are you doing here?"
"I just thought Nancy would be here she told me she'll stays the weekend at yours and I wanted to drive her home but seemingly she isn't here anymore."
"Yeah cause she left yesterday."
"Oh okay. I'm sorry that I disturbed you. See you around Y/N" with that he left and drove in his bmw away.
Asshole. But the asshole I love..
"So you guys played the whole weekend?" Dustin nodded while he puts some more noodles in his mouth. "That's insane. You guys are crazy."
"Yeah..we know" he talked with all the noodles still in his mouth.
"Dustin. Don't talking while eating" our mother always taught us.
"And the others are home? Safe?"
"Yeah they are. I'm finished can I leave?"
"Just put your plate into the sink. And clean your room please that's hell boy"
"I will. Mm Y/N."
"Yes Dusti?"
"Thank you. Love you" He was on his way to his room but came back and gave me a light kiss on the cheek.
"Love you too dipshit"
I cleaned the dishes and went upstairs into my room. I laid on the bed while I was reading a book; more the book Carrie.
After a while there were knocks on my door as soon as I said, "yeah come in" Dustin stood in my room.
"What would you say if we repeat our movie night?"
"I would love to but tomorrow is school again and mom will kill me if she finds out."
"One movieeeeee pleeassseeeee" he said with puppy eyes to convince me but oh duh that doesn't works.
"No Dusti. And now go and get ready." He left my room and mumbled something to himself. He's stupid.
In the morning I woke Dustin up after I made the breakfast.
"Do I have to drive you to school?"
"No. I'll drive with the bike I'll meet.." He gets disturbed through the ringing phone.
"Wait" I stand up and walked over to it.
"Henderson's?" I heard an agitated Joyce Byers.
"Will? No he isn't here. Was he not home yesterday? That's strange. Yeah maybe." I turned around to eye Dustin.
"Do you know if Will wanted to be at school earlier?" He just shakes his head and eats again.
"No Dustin doesn't know. Maybe he is. Yeah anytime. Bye" with that the call was ended and I sat down again.
"So you really don't know?"
"No Y/N. We drove until the corner like always and then I was home"
"okay Dusti if he's really at school then it's good but when he isn't go to the secretary and let her call Joyce and tell her. That's serious ok?!" He nodded. "Okay good. Should I make you lunch packet?"
"If you're asking like that, yeah please."
When I arrived at school the students walked into the buildings. Next to me a girl parked and when I turned to see her I saw Barb.
At the same time we exited the car and said our greetings.
"How was the weekend?" She asked as she arrived at my car.
"I did homework and then Steve stood in front of my door"
"he what?" She was shocked.
"Yeah he wanted to take Nancy home but she wasn't there anymore"
"Nancy was at yours? And I wasn't invited?"
"You told me you have plans that weekend when I asked you guys weeks ago" I laughed lightly.
"I thought we wanted to do a Pyjama party but obviously not. I had time Saturday"
"I'm sorry Barb we'll make it this weekend" I hugged her and throw my backpack on my shoulders.
We walked into the building as well and met Jonathan who was seeming in fear.
"Jonathan hey" we arrived at his locker and he was frightened.
"Where's Nanc?"
"With her boyfriend? I don't know. And I don't care" his voice was full of anger.
"what's wrong Jonathan" Barb asked surprised by his bad mood.
"Nothing okay? It's nothing!" He had thrown his locker closed and walked faster away from us.
"Do you know what's wrong?"
"He's a boy who's in love with someone who's in a relationship and if they make out in front of him" I pointed over to Nancy and Steve who were leaning against her locker. "I would be like that too"
"but you're" I laid my hand over her mouth.
"Don't say it okay? Only the four of us know and that it's way too much okay?" She nodded and I took my hand down.
"Good. Let's go"
I'm kind of a badass; that's what my brother always tells. Some would says I'm egotistical but I'm not I care for a few people and that's enough. I'm honest sometimes too honest if you ask me but okay.
First period was math a good way to start the week; I'm not even sarcastic. Every other girl in my math class except Barb and Nancy hate this subject but I don't know why. The four of us sat down in the middle of the class we always talked to each other or helped at some questions.
After maths I've got biology an other class i like but now my friends wouldn't be with me sadly.. I'm a bit relieved that I haven't all my subjects with them. Until the lunch I won't see them.
On the way over to the biology room I run into Steve but we didn't talked; we didn't even looked at each other.
At lunch Nancy would usually sits with us but since three months -three months ago Nancy and Steve started to date- she sits next Steve.
But this break was different.
"Dustin what are you doing here?" My brother stood in front of me with a worried expression on his face.
"It's about Will" he whispered.
"excuse me." With those words I left my friends in suspicion.
"So what's going on?"
"Will. He isn't in school"
"did you called.." our conversation was disturbed because of the speakers... more the voice in those.
"What is Hopper doing here?" Dustin and I looked at each other in confusion.
Dustin Henderson, Mike Wheeler and Lucas Sinclair please come to the office of the director.
As soon as his voice appeared so it was gone.
"What have you done Dustin?"
"I.. I don't even know myself. But I have to go. See you at home okay?" I nodded and he ran to the office.
As I walked back to the table my friends were everyone watched me.
"What's going on why does your brother have to go to the director?"
"I don't know but hopefully he'll tell me later what's wrong" Barb nodded. Jonathan wasn't there anymore. He had left when I talked to Dustin outside the cafeteria.
Back at home Dustin told me everything
"okay. Joyce went to Hopper this morning and now Will is called missed. So Hopper wanted to talk what we did and if Will seriously wants to run away and that we could have seen signs for that and all those stupid things. They have to search Will not to talk to anybody they have to go out there and search them. Jesus" Dustin began to grow upset some tears formed in his eyes;
I mean Will is one of his best friends and I'd feel the same if I'd be in this situation.
"Dustin. Hey, hey. Everything's okay. They'll find him" I gave him a long hug and I felt that the tears are rolling down his cheek.
"But what if not. What if Will died out there. It's all my fault."
"Why would that be you fault Dusti?"
"Because he asked if you would take me home and if you could drive him too. I should had called you to drive us. I'm so sorry"
"no Dustin. It's not your fault trust me" I gave him a kiss in the forehead.
"Do you wanna sleep in my room?" He nodded and we went upstairs.
After getting ready we laid in my bed and cuddled up.
"Dustin"
"Yeah?"
"Don't think it's your fault okay. They'll find Will. I'll help you and the other boys. If something's wrong tell me okay. I'm here, always"
"thank you so much. I'm so happy to have you as my sister."
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hadtochangemyurlquick · 3 years ago
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can u write more leachel please
no but i can fuck ur bitch
Leah’s first public reading was not packed. Of course, the seven of them all filed into front row seats and of course her parents, grandparents, Ian, and most of her teachers were scattered throughout the audience. Even Emily, her friend from middle school who she hadn’t really talked to since she went to private school, showed up. It was a sweet gesture but beyond the people who knew Leah personally, only around fifty or so were actual fans. It was fine and Leah did an amazing talk and afterwards Rachel slapped her hand against her thigh, wishing she could actually clap.
Leah’s tenth public reading was standing room only.
The National book festival was held once a year in DC and while there were two panels Leah was put on, they also asked her to do her own talk because she had a new book coming out. It’d been called by the New York Times book review “the most anticipated book of the year!” And Rachel had only been allowed to read the first draft of the first chapter, which was slightly killing her. But her girlfriend had a process, even if that process was to solely talk to Nora about it. Nora and sometimes Toni.
When Leah walked onto the slightly raised platform the entire room erupted into applause. It was a standing ovation and Leah looked beautiful and also incredibly embarrassed. Her eyes found Rachel’s immediately and they were so fucking intense, Rachel just wanted her to keep looking at her forever. Forever and a half.
“Wow,” Leah began when she reached her microphone. “I haven’t even said anything yet.” There was laughter, more cheers, gradually people sat down. “Thank you all for coming, I know there’s some pretty amazing panels going on right now. There’s still time to go to Roxanne Gay’s talk, it’s a few rooms down.”
More laughter, more cheers, a “We love you Leah Rilke!”
Rachel shook her head, smiling. Leah could pretend all she wanted, but Rachel saw what was happening. The entire world was slowly coming to life under her touch. The English language was being shaped to fit Leah Rilke.
Every think piece, ever op-ed, every review, mentioned the words Leah Rilke somewhere in there. Every teenage girl was talking about her like they’d talk about the Bible. TV studios and movie execs sat in rooms and discussed about how they could capture her writing style. Publishing houses wanted to find their very own Leah Rilke. Tattoo artists were adding to their pre drawn collections symbols from her books.
It was happening slowly, a little at a time, but time happened all at once. And history textbooks were being printed in Texas for the year 2032 that had an entire chapter about Leah Rilke.
The world was changing, and for the next half-century it’d be one where Leah Rilke was alive. And after, it’d be one where everyone was looking for the next Leah Rilke, however futile.
Leah didn’t see it, but Rachel could. And Nora. They talked about it sometimes, when a Dolly Parton song came on or Tolkien happened to come up in conversation.
“I’m not really afraid of public speaking,” Leah continued. “But can you all look somewhere else for a minute? I just need a break, I feel like you all are staring.”
There was more laughter and Rachel felt her phone buzz. Her eyebrow furrowed and she ignored it, instead focusing on the woman wearing her engagement ring.
It’d taken her a minute to propose, insecurities thriving with Leah off giving talks or going to conventions like this one. In a big empty house it wasn’t hard to feel less than, especially with one hand.
It’d been Dot who talked sense into her. Dot surprisingly sensible when she herself had eloped with Fatin, annulled it, and eloped again.
“Okay,” Dot said. “Maybe she’s too good for you. So what? She doesn’t know that.”
“Exactly,” Rachel said. “That’s my fucking point. She’s gonna find someone better and realize that I’m just… me.”
“Yeah,” Dot nodded.
Rachel glared at her. “You aren’t making me feel better.”
“I’m not Fatin, or Shelby, or Martha.”
“I know that,” Rachel said.
“It sounds like you wanna marry her,” Dot said. “So fuckin’ marry her. Then she won’t be able to fuck off with someone else.”
“But I want her to be happy,” Rachel said.
“So fuckin’ make her happy,” Dot said. “I don’t get what the fuckin’ problem is.”
So she proposed. Leah said yes immediately, not even a moment of hesitation, and they were planning a small wedding with a rabbi they both knew and a Huppa but not a Ketubah. Some sort of halfway for the both of them.
Rachel’s phone buzzed again and she turned it off, slipping it in her backpack to focus on Leah.
“This is probably the hardest book I’ve ever written. Not because its deeply personal or anything, just because I had to do so much research for it,” Leah said. “I even had to dedicate it to my sister in law because she spent hours with me looking at flight patterns and chess strategies. Do you guys know how many different kind of tulips there are? I can’t say I don’t understand the dutch a little better now.”
Nora squeezed her wrist and she looked over at her. Shelby caught her eye from beside Nora and passed her a phone, the notes app open.
Jeffs here.
Rachel frowned. Jeff Greene? The book review guy? Or maybe Jeffery Wilson, the Sony guy. Didn’t they have a neighbor named Jeff who liked to complain about their noise level to the police?
“Jeff?” She mouthed back.
Shelby was stone faced when she nodded and something sunk in Rachel’s gut.
Fuck. Jeff.
Leah was still talking but Rachel couldn’t hear her.
Where?
Shelby took the phone back.
The back.
Rachel clenched her jaw and Nora squeezed her wrist again, eyes wide.
Has Leah seen him?
Shelby shook her head and Rachel let out a breath of relief.
She got to her feet, and cast a quick smile back at Leah who’s brow furrowed at her. She kept talking though, stumbling a little on her speech. Behind her, Fatin, Martha, and Shelby followed.
Jeff wasn’t hard to spot. He was the washed-up has been, with the fraying hair and dark circles under his eyes.
“You need to leave,” Rachel spat.
“I’m just here to apologize,” Jeff said. “I don’t even—”
“You’re leaving,” Shelby cut off. “Now. Or I’ll call security.”
“Take this outside,” Someone hissed and Fatin dragged him out, shoving him roughly through the open door. Several more people waiting outside slipped inside, entirely grateful.
“Listen, I know I fucked up, I want to apologize,” Jeff said.
“She was a child,” Fatin said. “You’re a fucking predator.”
Jeff paled.
“Wait,” Martha said. “Are you here to apologize for dumping her, or for raping her?”
“I didn’t—”
Maybe it was Shelby that threw the first punch, or maybe Rachel. Maybe they both came at him at once. But Martha didn’t hold Rachel back like she normally would’ve, and Fatin snapped at some people to put their phones away.
Leah said it was ironic later, that Fatin was telling people to put their phones away, while Martha urged on a fight.
But it wasn’t a fight, it was a beat down.
Shelby had taken Toni to enough kickboxing lessons over the years to know how to throw a punch, and Rachel had been picturing this moment with Jeff for too long.
No one intervened once Martha pushed a couple people away explaining he was a pedophile who prayed on teenage girls. One person said, “Isn’t that Jeff Galanis?”
And Martha said: “Yes.”
Jeff Galanis hasn’t published a book in five years at that point, he wouldn’t publish one again. Leah wasn’t happy Rachel broke her only hand, and Toni started going to kickboxing lessons alone.
“It was stupid,” Leah told her, when she met her outside after they’d all been thrown out. “I don’t give a shit about him anymore. I just wanted you there.”
“I know,” Rachel said. “But it wasn’t stupid to me. I wanted you to know you wouldn’t have to see him again.”
“Rach,” Leah sighed. “You remember how when we were driving here a Smith’s song came on?” Rachel nodded. “I realized then I literally couldn’t remember his last name.”
“Really?”
“Really,” Leah said. “We’re getting married in a few months, my new book is coming out, your starting your new job. We’ll probably be aunts as soon as Toni and Shelby finish those foster parent classes. Jeff is like—probably the least important person in the universe right now.”
“Sorry I missed the talk,” Rachel said.
Leah kissed her, soft and easy like they’d never once been.
“It’s okay,” she promised. “There’ll be others.”
There were.
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quickspinner · 4 years ago
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Month of Miracles - Dressing Up 1
Okay, well, obviously this month didn't go anything like I planned, but I'm at least gonna finish the Hallmark AU! It's mostly written, I'm just finalizing it and taking care of all the boring stuff I always skip when I write the first draft! So never fear, we'll finish it before February. I think we have...three, maybe four pieces left to go (famous last words).
This is actually part 1 of 2--partly because I realized that what I had planned for this prompt worked better as two separate scenes and partly because I haven't quite finished part 2 yet anyway, so might as well split it so I can publish this part!
This was partly inspired by The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Find the prompt list here!
Hallmark Movie AU Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 (end) | Read Month of Miracles on AO3
Marinette was sure she would never get used to this small town thing where people popped by without warning. She gave a slightly mournful glance at the pot of coffee that had just finished brewing, and went to get the door with a sigh.
Luka Couffaine stood on the other side, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a bouquet of multicolored flowers. He had that same look of longsuffering he’d worn when he’d come with his mother, but it softened into a smile as he saw her. 
“Um, hi,” Marinette said, suddenly breathless. Why was she nervous? It was just Luka. She just...hadn’t expected to see him again so soon, after she’d cried all over him. She felt both embarrassed and oddly shy. 
“Hi.” Luka gave her a lopsided smile and offered her the flowers. “Rose made me buy them and told me not to come home until you’d forgiven me for upsetting you last night.” 
Marinette’s mouth dropped open as she took the flowers automatically. “But you didn’t do anything wrong,” she protested weakly, looking up at him. 
Luka shrugged. “It was easier not to argue.” 
Marinette giggled a little at that, and Luka’s smile widened for an instant before he looked down. “To be honest,” he began, shoulders curling inward slightly, “I wanted to see you anyway. Make sure you were okay, after all that. It got pretty intense and...I didn’t mean to put that on you.” He straightened and met her eyes again. “I am genuinely sorry about that. I wasn’t intending to upset you so badly.” 
“You didn’t,” Marinette told him, laying a hand on his arm. “Really, Luka. It wasn’t you. And I appreciate that you showed me something so…” she hesitated. 
“Raw?” Luka supplied, with a half smile, and Marinette hunched her shoulders a little in embarrassed acknowledgement. “Sorry if it was too much.”
Marinette shook her head, looking down to play with the stems of the bouquet. “I understand why you did it, and I feel...maybe flattered isn’t the right word, but it’s as close as I can get. I appreciate that you showed me that even though it was hard for you. I do feel like I understand you better now, and…” she shrugged. ”It was worth it.”
Luka glanced away, but he was smiling. “It wasn’t as hard as you might think. Not when it was you.”
Marinette blushed, not at all sure how to respond to that, and there was a moment of awkward silence before Luka cleared his throat. 
“So, um…” he winced. “Rose kind of needs a favor, and so after I groveled at your feet,” he grinned, and Marinette huffed a quick giggle, “I was supposed to ask if you’d be willing to come over to the library and take a look at what she needs. I can take you now, or you can swing by later, whatever works for you.” 
“Oh,” Marinette blinked. “Uh...sure, now’s good I guess. Just—let me put these in some water and get my coffee in a travel mug?” 
“Yeah, sure, no rush,” Luka said, backing up a step. “I’ll get the truck warmed up.” 
He retreated with quick steps, and then climbed into his truck and started it up, holding a hand over the air vent. It had gotten most of the way warmed up on the trip over, but the air blowing from the vents was still a bit chilly. 
What am I doing? he asked himself, and then sighed. He really didn’t know. He just...he felt his expression soften as he glanced up, watching Marinette come out of Gina’s door. He hopped out to open the other door for her. It was a big step up for her into the truck, and when he took her coffee and held her arm to steady her, she turned a warm smile on him that he felt all the way down to his toes.
Okay, he definitely didn’t know what he was doing, but he knew he had to do something. These feelings weren’t going anywhere, and he was starting to feel like a liar, hanging out with her as friends without telling her he was beginning to have deeper feelings for her. 
Way past beginning, if he was honest. 
Well, he thought as he handed back her coffee and closed her door, I was always good at winging it.  
“So what is it that Rose needs?” Marinette asked, as he got up into the driver’s seat and closed the door. 
“Well,” Luka said, flashing Marinette a quick grin, “it seems that there was a mishap in the storage of last year’s pageant costumes, and Rose is hoping you can bail her out.” 
Mishap, he called it. Marinette stared in horror at the costumes Rose had laid out. They were moldy, and stained, and moth-eaten—no, that couldn’t have been moths, did they have rats? Ugh. Marinette’s skin crawled just looking at them.
“Do you think you can save them?” Rose asked, hands folded together in a pleading pose, huge blue eyes staring at Marinette over them. 
Marinette winced. “Rose...I don’t think there’s any salvaging these. I don’t know what got to them but…” She looked back at the tattered cloth and shuddered. “I think you’d better burn them.”  
Rose’s eyes widened and filled with tears. “Oh no!” she whispered, both hands covering her mouth. 
“But I can try to make you some new ones,” Marinette blurted, and then winced. Oh no, why did I say that??  
“Really?” Rose squealed, bouncing several feet in the air. “Oh, Marinette, you’re the best!”
“Hold on,” Marinette cautioned, even as Rose threw herself into Marinette’s arms. “Rose,” she tried again, patting Rose’s back reflexively. “I said I’d try, but…”
Rose ignored her, seizing her hand and dragging her over to a small crowd of children and teenagers sprawled in, on, and even under some of the library tables.
“This is our cast,” Rose said, throwing out her hands with a proud grin. “So you can get whatever measurements you need right now!”
“I don’t—” Marinette began, but fell silent as Rose kept talking, making one-sided introductions that Marinette was absolutely not going to remember. Still, it made her look at the children and... 
Marinette had to admit, she could see both why these children had not been picked for the traditional pageant and why Rose was offended about it. The two tallest wore black and slouched their shoulders, hands shoved in the pockets of long coats as they peeked at her through the hair falling in their faces. A shorter girl had pads on her knees and elbows and a sideshave with pink tips on the long side, and was listening with a slightly bored expression to a bubbly redhead who had piercings all up the shell of one ear. A boy sitting next to them, reading a book with his feet propped up on another chair, had pierced ears, killer eyeliner, and a multicolored ombre manicure that made Marinette envious.
The whole crowd was like that, and some of them looked more...mainstream, than others, but they all had something that stood out about them that didn’t exactly say ‘host of angels greeting the holy family’ in the strictly traditional sense. 
“Normally nobody really cares about appearances, but they get stubborn about Christmas and the Christmas pageant,” Rose said with a shrug. “Nobody says it outright, but it’s no coincidence that the traditional kids get picked every year, you know?” 
Looking at the little crowd of kids, Marinette saw a disparate set of personalities, both clinging to stereotypes in an effort to find an identity that worked for them, and breaking out of those stereotypes in new and interesting ways, and she would have loved to follow them each around for a day just for the ideas they sparked in her. 
This wasn’t the time for that, though. 
“I’ll need some materials,” Marinette said doubtfully. She’d already been to the only fabric store in town and it was closed, the owner having gone on vacation somewhere warm and sunny for the month. 
Rose frowned as well, and opened her mouth, but was interrupted. 
“I can help with that.”
Marinette jumped and turned, looking up as Luka gave her a smile. “Hi,” he said, amused, and Marinette blushed. She’d forgotten he was there. 
“I have racks of clothes from my shows in the attic.” Luka shrugged, as if he didn’t notice her discomfort. “Jagged always has a clause in his contract about getting to keep his tour clothes, so it ended up in mine too. You’re welcome to scavenge it for anything you can find.” 
“O-oh,” Marinette blinked. “Well...it’s a start, right? If you’re sure.” She frowned. “That’s probably some really expensive clothes though.” 
Luka shrugged, indicating the hoodie and jeans he wore. “I’m not exactly using it. Might as well go to a good cause.” His gaze softened a little as he looked over her head at the kids. 
Marinette smiled, and looked back as well. “Okay, Rose. Let’s go over what you need and who’s going to be using what, and I’ll get whatever measurements I need.”
“Great!” Rose chirped, bouncing as she clapped her hands. 
The next little while was a bit of a blur, as Marinette tried to take notes on Rose’s chatter while meeting the kids a few at a time. They all looked a little hesitant at first, so Marinette put on her best, most reassuring smile, the one she used with inexperienced models who were nervous about their first big fashion show, and asked them cheerful questions as she took their measurements. She kept the topics light, asking them about their pins or patches or hair color, and most of them had mostly relaxed by the time she was finished. She surprised one or two with her knowledge of video games and laughed when one of them challenged her to a mech strike duel. She wrote her handle on a slip of paper and gave it to him with a wink, and managed not to laugh in the poor boy’s face when he blushed. 
“I think that’s everybody,” Marinette said, waving to the last one, and turned around, blinking. “Where’d Rose go?”
“Hmm?” Luka had been sitting nearby at a table, chin in hand. He blinked like he was coming back to earth, and Marinette felt a twinge of guilt. No surprise he was zoned out, he must have been so bored just watching all of this. She should have let him know he could leave. Surely he had work to do and she could have walked back or gotten a ride with Rose. 
“Oh, I bet I know where they are,” Luka said, rolling his eyes as he got up.
“They?” Marinette echoed, following him. 
“Juleka showed up a little while ago,” he told her. “You were busy at the time.” 
He led her around a bookshelf into a little reading alcove, and Marinette stopped dead, hands flying to suddenly red cheeks. Luka knocked on the bookshelf next to him with an amused, slightly exasperated smile. “Hand check, ladies.” 
Juleka was standing there curled over Rose, her long hair partially hiding the shorter girl from view, but it was plenty clear what they were doing. The sprig of mistletoe in the middle of the decoration hanging over them removed any doubt. 
“What?” Juleka said, annoyed, as she raised her head from a very kiss-bruised and blushing blonde. 
“I’m, um, finished,” Marinette said, embarrassed, waving vaguely back the way they’d come. “You can get on with rehearsal now.” 
“Oh, yay!” Rose perked up. “Thanks Marinette, you’re the best.”
“You have lipstick on your face,” Luka said helpfully, holding back a laugh. Juleka flipped him off, but Rose just linked her arm through Juleka’s and sniffed. 
“Hmph. You’re just jealous because you wish you could kiss Marinette under the mistletoe. Come on, Juleka.” She dragged her smirking girlfriend off and around the shelves (though she did wipe most of the lavender lipstick off her mouth as she did so).
“Sisters,” Luka muttered. “Just my luck I’m gonna get stuck with another one.” He looked at Marinette’s blushing face and grinned. “You okay?” 
She began to splutter, and Luka couldn’t help laughing. “I’m gonna take that as a no,” he teased.
“How can she say something like that!” Marinette groaned, ducking her head and covering her red cheeks with her hands. 
“Well.” Luka licked his lips, and debated for maybe half a second before he went on. “It’s not like she’s wrong.” 
Marinette’s insides froze. Her head snapped up to look at him. Luka gazed back at her, looking calm though there was a tint of pink in his cheeks that hadn’t been there before. He glanced up, and with a crooked smile, took her hands, pulling them gently from her face. 
“I really would like to kiss you,” he admitted. He stepped back, tugging her lightly along with him until he paused and looked up. Still stunned, Marinette followed his gaze, up to the mistletoe decoration hanging from the ceiling. Oh. 
Butterflies took sudden flight in her stomach. She dropped her wide-eyed gaze back to Luka, only to find he was watching her.
“Only if you want to kiss me, though,” he said, with a slight shrug. He threaded his fingers through hers and tugged her a little closer. 
He held her gaze as he bent purposefully towards her. Luka bent until his nose was just brushing hers, head tilted just so, waiting, still watching her through half-lidded eyes. Heart hammering, senses suddenly full of him, of his rough hands in her and the evergreen scent that hung about him, his face filling her vision with those eyes so soft and yet so intense— 
Impulsively Marinette raised her face just enough to let their lips brush together. He didn’t move away, and Marinette did it again, pressing in a little more this time, and then Luka leaned into her and they were really kissing...lightly, but fully. 
It was...electrifying. Their hands untangled as they moved closer together, and he was so solid and strong and warm where she leaned on him. Her hands found his shoulders as his slid up her back, and it felt so good to be held, to feel wanted by anyone, let alone someone who was sweet and kind and down to earth while also being so... exceptional. But...even as his lips moved over hers she couldn’t push aside the fact that she was leaving. She had barely a week left, and then her whole family would descend on the town for Christmas dinner at Gina’s house and then...then she would be gone, and what...what would she do then? What was he expecting her to do? She had commitments and a career and he didn’t want that kind of life anymore, and— 
Luka pulled back with a soft click, his eyes staying closed just a moment longer than hers, before he opened them and smiled softly at her. “You’re thinking awfully hard for someone who’s being kissed,” he murmured. 
“It’s a terrible habit,” she said shakily. “I wish I didn’t.” 
“Then don’t,” he said, his hand coming up to cup her cheek. His thumb caressed her gently. “It doesn’t have to be about anything but the here and now, Marinette. Just let the moment be what it is.”
“That’s all well and good,” Marinette sighed, “until the future is the now and you have to deal with the consequences. Luka, I’m leaving.” Unconsciously her fingers played nervously with the fine hairs at the nape of his neck. 
“I know,” he said thickly, and cleared his throat. “Maybe I’m just not as efficient as you,” Luka grinned. “But personally, if the outcome is the same either way, I’ll take being deliriously happy for a week over moping around crying in my cheerios until you leave.” 
Marinette burst out laughing at that, and Luka chuckled along. “I’m not trying to pressure you,” he told her, leaning back and lifting a hand to cradle her face, rubbing his thumb over her cheek. “I’m just saying...I’ve come to care about you a lot, Marinette. More than just friendship. I hear you. I know where you stand. I’m okay with whatever you’re willing to give me, whether that’s just this and nothing more, or a couple of dates, or...whatever. You don’t have to worry about leading me on or giving me false expectations. I just want to be with you while I can.”
Marinette sighed. “How can that be enough for you, though? If you really—I mean—”
“I do,” Luka told her softly, tilting her face up to look at him. “I really do, Marinette. Please don’t doubt that. And it’s really not enough,” he admitted, with a sigh to match hers. “If more than that were on offer, I’d gladly take it, but…” He shrugged. “What do we have to lose?”  
Marinette looked at him, caught between conflicting realities. She liked him—she hadn’t even realized until now how much she liked him, but—what was he even asking her for? A week long fling? She...she didn’t do that kind of thing, she wasn’t sure she could, and...she didn’t know if she wanted to take on the pain of losing him, and wasn’t it better to just...just be friends for the time they had left? Could they even be friends after this?
Luka, watching her again, stepped back and dropped his hands back down to hers. He squeezed her hands gently, bringing her focus back to him. “Listen, we’re still friends. If you decide you’re okay with being more than that for the time you have left, you let me know.” He sighed, but cut it off and smiled. “Come on, if you’re done here, I’ll take you home.” 
He dropped one hand, but kept a gentle hold on the other, squeezing it lightly before he dropped it so she could pack up her things. Marinette packed her kit mechanically, glancing at him. Luka appeared perfectly at ease, chatting with one of the kids, and he didn’t so much as look at her. Trying to make things easy, she supposed, as he always did. Giving her some space, maybe, to absorb the sudden shift in her reality.
The reality where Luka—who was also Luke Stone the rock star and that was definitely too much for her to think about right now—liked her, as more than a friend, and told her so, and kissed her, and oh my I kissed Luke Stone, Alya would freak —
She knocked a coiled up tape measure off the table and it bounced and exploded into a tangle on the floor. One of the kids scrambled over to pick it up for her, and she managed to thank her with a smile, and just stuffed the whole jumbled thing into her usually-immaculate kit.
Her hands were shaking as she snapped it closed and looked for Luka. He smiled at her, and made his farewells to the boy he’d been talking to. He walked beside Marinette to the door with his hands in his pockets, and opened it for her. It was a stupid thing to blush about but Marinette did anyway. 
She still accepted his steadying hand to get up into the truck, and the smile he sent her was reassuring. She relaxed a little. He didn’t seem angry or hurt, and her nerves eased a little bit as he climbed up in his seat and started up the truck. 
Neither of them said much on the way home, and Marinette was grateful, because she was sure she would start to babble if she opened her mouth at all. Luka turned on some music, and Marinette smiled slightly as she realized it was Jagged’s latest album. She ventured to ask a question about one song in particular that she had always wondered about, and Luka answered her easily with a tale about the night on tour when Jagged had been inspired to write the thing. Marinette felt a little better by the time Luka dropped her off at home. Maybe this was okay after all. Maybe he was right and they could still be friends from here. 
“You can come look at the clothes whenever you’re ready,” Luka told her as he held her kit while she jumped down from the seat. “The farm’s effectively closed for the season since pretty much everybody has their tree now. Just come on over once you’ve got an idea what you need.” 
“Okay,” Marinette tried to smile. “Thank you, Luka.” 
Luka chucked her gently under the chin. “Don’t make me something else you’re worrying about, okay? You don’t have to tell me what’s going on but I can see you’ve got some things weighing you down, and I don’t want to be one of them. I’m just...I’m here for you. However you want me to be.”
Marinette’s smile was maybe still a little wobbly, but much more sincere. “Thanks, Luka.” 
“Sure.” He let her take her kit back, and watched her until she was inside. Then he turned and climbed back up in the truck.
Luka was very, very good at keeping it all together. He didn’t freak out, he didn’t panic, and he didn’t get upset—on the outside. His hands shook a little bit right before he gripped the steering wheel, but otherwise he was completely normal, right up until he shut the door in his own room at home.
Even then, all he did was bury his hands in his hair, slide down the door to sit on the floor, and sigh heavily. It was done, after all. He’d made his move and now he had to live with it. Luka didn’t regret it, exactly, but...he wished things were different. He really did. Maybe he should have talked to her instead of going straight to kissing, but...
He let go of his hair and thumped his head back against the door. He needed something to do. 
Well, the attic was probably a disaster. Might as well go up there and see if he couldn’t make it less of one before Marinette came over.
Fiction Master Post | Month of Miracles
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duhragonball · 3 years ago
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The Completist
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This tweet is making the rounds, which is really just a transparent attempt to promote this article by Rupert Hawksley, which I couldn’t read on mobile, but it seems to work okay on my laptop.  The main point of the article is that sometimes reading is a slog, but it can be worthwhile to stick with a book even if you don’t enjoy it right off the bat.  
From what I’ve seen, “Lit Twitter” is mostly arguing with Hawksley’s title, pointing out that they’re under no obligations to start or finish any book, and the author’s feelings are irrelevant.   I feel that misses the article’s point, but that’s on Hawksley for burying his message under an outrage-inducing headline.   Or maybe he did that on purpose to prove his point.   Anyone wringing their hands over the “insult to the author” statement is admitting that they never bothered to read any further.   I did, but I’m responding to the article on tumblr, so I’m not sure that helps his metrics.
We’ll start with the idea that quitting a book is an insult to the author.   That’s dumb, because the author probably doesn’t know whether you finished it or not.  I see a bunch of dopes on Twitter patting themselves on the back for figuring that out, like it’s some grand revelation.   “It’s okay, everybody!  The Independent got it all wrong, you don’t have to read books all the way through!  It’s just like walking out of a movie theater!   Plus a lot of writers are dead, so Ernest Hemingway probably won’t even find out!”  Thanks, guy on Twitter, I don’t know what I’d do without you.
One Twitter response suggested that, if readers are under an obligation to finish every book they start, then they would feel obligated to only try out books that they know for certain that they would enjoy, which would severely limit their ability to try new things.  That’s a fair point.   On the flip side, I saw a guy say that the author deserves to be insulted, because any book he didn’t finish sucks.   I could take that to the logical extreme and say that this means any book you haven’t read must suck by default.    I mean, you can’t finish the ones you don’t start, right?
I think the entire conversation is distracted from the real topic: Sometimes reading is a pain in the ass, and you gotta force yourself to do it.   Sometimes it’s just not worth the trouble, and other times it is worth it, and everyone has to make that call.   I think what Rupert Hawksley was trying to say was that you’re better off seeing books through, because the decision to start one is something of a commitment in itself.    Not for the sake of the author’s feelings, despite what he put in the title of his article, but for your own enrichment.
I don’t read as much as I probably should.   I write a lot, so that probably has something to do with it, and I’m very picky about choosing reading material, and I also don’t like having a big backlog of books to read.   I bought a book on chess a few years ago, and I’m only halfway through it, and yet I bought a second book on chess recently.   I try to avoid doing this sort of thing, because I don’t want to buy a bunch of books and never read them.   But sometimes I succumb to the “retail therapy” temptation.   I do plan to finish both of these chess books, but I don’t want to get bogged down in anything else in the meantime.   So I try to look at reading like this limited resource, because I can only devote so much focus to it at a time.   Each new book is a commitment.   “Am I really going to read this?” is the question I always ask myself, and usually the honest answer is no.  
So when the answer is yes, I feel like I have an obligation to see that through.  I had to leave a lot of other books at the store, so the one I chose needs to be duly considered.  If it’s bad, I could throw it in the trash, sure, but I don’t like loose ends.  I don’t like wondering what might have happened if I had seen it through.  
I’ve never walked out of a movie before.    I considered it a few times, but my morbid curiosity keeps my butt in the seat.   One of the worst movies I’ve ever seen was The Proposal, starring Ryan Renyolds and Sandra Bullock.   It is fucking awful, and I couldn’t look away from it because (a) I was on a date, and (b) it just kept getting worse, like a trainwreck colliding with a second trainwreck.   I had to know what depths the movie would stoop to.   Maybe I’m sick in the head that way, but at least I have an amusing anecdote to show for it.   Let’s face it, the only positive experience from watching The Proposal is getting to tell people how shitty it was, and I’d rather be able to say I watched the whole thing instead of just half of it.   “I chickened out after the scene where the eagle stole her phone.”   That’s weak.
On the other side of the coin, I was trying to learn more about Film Noir last month, so I came up with some movies to watch for research, and they all started out dreadfully slow.   I don’t know if that’s just a feature of the genre, like to build tension, or the filmmakers just expected their audiences to have longer attention spans.   I just know that I kept pausing and restarting each movie, checking the timestamp to measure my progress, and so on.   Because I’m not in a theater for these, I’m just watching them at home, on my computer.    And I only stuck with them because I wanted to learn something, but it was a real chore to get through the whole thing.   And yet, those movies were mostly pretty good.    In particular, Double Indemnity is very good.   It just takes a while to really get going, but it does reward you for the time you invested.
I guess reading is a lot like watching a movie on YouTube, because you’re alone, and you can start and stop at any time, so it takes some mental discipline to get through it and ignore distractions.   It’s fine to say that a book should grab your attention in the first 20 pages, but what if you get bored on page 19?  7?   1?  In my experience, most of my reading experiences feel like a thermodynamic diagram.  
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Lots of processes resemble the energy plot on this chart.   Imagine you’re rolling a big stone over a hill shaped like this red line.    It takes a lot of effort to roll it up the hill, and then once it gets over the summit, it rolls down easily.   A lot of chemical reactions operate on a similar principle.   Fire, for example.   You need a decent amount of energy to get a fire started--picture rubbing two sticks together--and once they’re hot enough to ignite, the fire can become self-sustaining.   Not every reaction works this way, with an energy hump that you have to clear, but a lot of them do, and a lot of my reading experiences have a similar “interest hump” that I have to clear.   Once I’m far enough in, it’s easier to commit to the rest.   The trick is to get far enough in to clear that hump. 
I think that’s what Rupert Hawksley was trying to communicate, but he muddied the waters by talking about “insults”.  If I rub two sticks together and quit before they ignite, that’s not an insult to combustion.    And some sticks just aren’t worth rubbing together, and sometimes you don’t want to start a fire in the first place.  But if you went to the trouble to gather sticks for the sake of starting a fire, then you’ve probably settled on a course of action, and you need to be realistic about whether to see it through.  
For my part, I tend to look for big things that I can sink my teeth into.   Currently, I’m reading through a large selection of Fantastic Four comics.  A few years ago, I got into JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.  I watched the first couple of episodes and stopped for a while, because they didn’t grab my interest that firmly, at least not enough for me to put off finishing the last season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  But I didn’t start a big long thing like JJBA just to abandon it on Episode 3.   That’s ridiculous.  I wanted to know what the deal was with the hat guy.  So I got back on the horse and I just finished reading Part 8 a while back.  
Sometimes there’s more to reading or watching a show than pure entertainment.  Sometimes it’s about exploring a phenomenon, or learning something new.   And when it’s like that, you have to be willing to push yourself through an experience so that you can, well, experience it.   It’s not always worth the trouble, but you have to be willing to risk wasting some time on things that aren’t worth it, because otherwise you’ll miss out on a lot of cool things that are worthwhile.   
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