#i hope that you have some luck with the pics though!!

[flufflecat]

could you give us more pictures/close ups of the pyramid on the silas page? i wanna try and edit the contrast of it!

no problem!

here are two different pics, in case my camera manages to pick up color variation in the ink better at a different zoom. phone pics are all ive got unfortunately, so im not sure if i can manage to get a sensitive enough pic to see anything ���

[takumiraine]

Once Upon A Time chapter 5

<first> <prev> <next>

Jason Todd knew it was only a matter of time until his bubble burst and one of his brothers found out what he was getting up to. He was just hoping he could pull it off for a little longer. Even though the pit still reacted at the strangest times, he felt calmer, more normal, than he had in years. He wanted to hold it close and make sure nobody could take it from him.

From Replacement: you went back to college? Does B know?

Fuck.

—

Danny had been wary at first. Rich boy Jason Todd-Wayne in his college classes. The man was older than Jazz, though not by much, and a freshman with him. Either the guy was a bad influence or Danny just had really shitty luck.

He and the universe both knew the answer to than one really. But 60 bucks a week to reteach the guy basic math and Jason always gave him dinner in the deal? Danny wasn’t going to look that particular gift horse in the mouth. If there was one thing Danny had forgotten during the past almost two years it was how hungry his human side got. Not having money and being on the run meant opportunities to eat were few and far between.

What Danny didn’t expect was how sarcastic and assholish the rich guy could be. He loved trading snark. Danny assumed that it came from them both having older siblings. But between that and the half formed core that was slowly shoring up, Danny found himself growing attached. He had missed having friends. Getting to talk to Sam, Tucker and rarely Jazz through a conspiracy message board wasn’t enough. Most of the time it was just a way to make sure that nobody had been captured by the GIW. They had a way to pass longer messages but to do that too often would be suspicious.

“So I don’t get it,” Danny said, gesturing at Jason with some fries almost a month into tutoring, “What do people actually do at Galas? The tabloid pics just show a bunch of people in uncomfortable looking suits standing around with champagne.”

“….thats really it. It’s boring as shit.” Jason kicked his chair back on two legs, leaning against the wall. “If I liked you less I’d invite you.”

“If you liked me less?”

“Oh yeah. Because then you’d have to meet my brothers, the assorted not quite adopteds, my dad and scarier yet, our butler.” Danny choked on his laugh.

“Your butler is the scary one in that situation?”

“Alfred is like a ghost. Always there when you turn around.” Jason put on the accent “Master Jason, you really must come home more. Nobody quite enjoys my cooking like you.” He let the chair legs settle on the floor. “Now imagine that from behind you in a dark kitchen at two am while you’re half drunk and trying to make a sandwich.”

“Okay, yeah, I could see it being that scary. My sister was….” Shit he hadn’t meant to mention Jazz. “She was the only one who cared sometimes.” May as well rip that bandaid off.

“Yeah?” Jason asked, taking a drink from his coffee cup. “Didn’t know you had a sister.”

“My family and I don’t see each other anymore. It’s for the best.” He hoped Jason wouldn’t ask more questions, because ‘my parents sold me out to the government that only knew where I was because of the Justice League which is why I hate them and by association your dad, and now my sister is in hiding in a different state with a new identity’ was way too difficult to explain. “I left before they could kick me out.”

Danny watched Jason’s face twist into a frown. “Bigots suck. Sorry man.”

“Yeah…. Well…” Danny busied himself with finishing his burger. Then, once he chewed and swallowed. “Wait. Is your dad the one that fell into the champagne tower last year?”

Jason groaned, “he’s not always like that I promise.”

“No I get it. A weird ‘Family Friend’ invited us to his fancy party so he could hit on my mom once. I accidentally on purpose took out the entire buffet table including a cheese fountain so we had to go home.”

“Cheese fountain?”

“You know those chocolate fountains?” Danny asked. Jason nodded. “Like that, but with fondue cheese instead. And before you ask why, all I can say is it was in Wisconsin.”

Jason watched him with an unreadable expression for a moment, and Danny assumed he was processing it, because when the expression broke, Jason was laughing.

He looked so much younger when he laughed like that, and Danny remembered that they had both had, in their own ways, a rough life. “Yeah. I know. I was finding cheese in the weirdest places for weeks.”

“Did you get invited back?” Danny’s heart ached with the fact that a month or so later, Everything Fell Apart.

“No… I…” he cut himself off, remembering the horrified looks his parents gave him as their weapons, the ones he fixed, were turned against the ‘beast’ that ‘possessed’ their son. The looks mimicking the ones they gave him when the party screeched to a halt as he did his best impression of a Scooby Doo villain being unmasked. The screams of shock turning into ones of horror. The -

“-anny? Danny?” He blinked and shook his head.

“What? Oh, sorry.” He took another drink from the coffee, emptying the cup. “No. I never was asked back. You done?” He looked at their empty plates and grabbed the tray. “We should get to the library. Though I’m sure someone as good looking as you has plenty, these x-es won’t find themselves.” He was overcompensating for zoning out now, words coming out faster than normal.

“Yeah… are… you okay?” Jason asked, as Danny bussed their tray and grabbed his backpack, a backpack bought by his tutoring money. A tutoring gig he desperately did not want to fuck up with his own bullshit.

“Me? Fine. More than. I just zone out sometimes. Come on.” Danny’s words were still coming out too fast. He took a few breaths during the couple seconds Jason took getting his things, trying to ground himself as much as possible. He was going to be normal. He was going to be normal if it killed him. Again.

The walk to the library was quiet and Danny was thankful for that. He needed to get his head on straight if he was going to be any help to Jason and he still had his own homework to do after. As they walked in, both Danny and Jason instinctively looked towards the desk where Barbara usually worked, but she wasn’t there, some other guy was checking in books with quiet beeps.

Danny had learned over the last month that while Dick, Tim and Damian were Jason’s official siblings, Barbara was an unofficial one and he liked her the most.

It made sense, since she didn’t seem to pry into Jason’s life the way Jazz would have if she was here. Not that he would have minded her prying for how much he missed her, but four years ago he would have hated it.

—

Jason knew the haunted and hunted look that had settled into Danny’s eyes. The way he trailed off into something vacant. How his breathing seemed to get stuck in his chest. Which is why he tried to interrupt the cycle before he could spiral. Something big happened to him, and Jason knew he wouldn’t want to break down in a cafe in front of people.

Thankfully he seemed to snap out of it quickly, instead overcompensating into energetic. The message was clear. ‘Don’t ask about what just happened.’ Carefully, Jason let Danny lead him into the library, aware of his positioning and making sure not to follow too far behind or loom too much. Considering he had at least six inches on Danny, that last part was hard, but he tried.

He could feel the pit spiraling in him, circling and coiling like a dragon deep in his chest. Itching to do…. Something. It wasn’t punch or claw or fight. This was new. He didn’t like it in the slightest.

He looked over to where Babs usually was, then remembered she had a class, criminal justice degree, how apt, as he and Danny went towards what was now their spot. Jason found he had the sudden impulse to pull Danny’s chair out for him, and shoved that particular useless idea back down into the abyss it belonged in.

—

Danny looked over at Jason who stood at the edge of the table looking…. Angry? Confused? and pulled out his own books. “I promise, my zoning out isn’t contagious.” He said, looking up at Jason and kicking the chair across from him out from under the table for Jason to sit. He gave a wry smile, “if it was, I don’t think anyone in my high school would have made it.”

Jason snorted a laugh, snapping out of whatever thoughts he had been thinking. Jason pulled the chair out further and sat, sitting more comfortably than he used to. More of the true Jason, Danny was realizing, less of the person he was supposed to be. In another lifetime…. But no. He couldn’t… not while he was being hunted. It wouldn’t be fair to Jason to have to hide such a huge part of himself and his past.

Not to mention he hadn’t ever come out to Jazz and his friends. Well he had…. But more in the ‘hey I’m dead but not really’ way and less in the ‘so I like guys’ way.

But in spite of those barriers, this tentative friendship with Jason was enough to keep him happy.

Which made the next kick in the teeth from the universe completely expected.

All he had wanted was to walk home in peace. Sure it was almost midnight, in Gotham, but still. He made it most of the way, and was slinking through the Bowery when it happened.

Guys with dark clothes and weapons were suddenly in front of him. He turned only to see more at his back. There had to be five in total? Or was it six? Danny didn’t have time to count.

“Hey guys.” He hedged, muscles tensing as he raised his hands to show he wasn’t a threat. “Don’t mind me, I’m just trying to get home. Long walk and all that. If I could just…. Scooch past you?” Danny took a step to do just that and the lead goon swung at him with a baton.

He hopped back slightly, dodging the hit when it came. “Not a chance. Boss needs some…. Help with his latest ideas. You’re coming with us.”

Danny ran through his options in his head. Option 1: get kidnapped. Option 2: get the shit kicked out of him. Option 3: beat the shit out of them and get labeled as a possible bat to be or possible rogue to be. Option 4: go fully ghost and either escape unscathed but wind up more firmly on the GIW’s radar.

Option two or three would wind up happening, because he wasn’t going to put himself at the mercy of the Bat-ass again, and he wasn’t going to offer himself up on a silver platter to the GIW.

The moment one tried to grab him, Danny dodged out of the way, and that seemed to bring the goons on him en masse. They seemed well practiced, but considering it was Gotham, there wasn’t a big surprise there. The next few minutes were a flurry of elbows and knees, punches and kicks, batons and clubs.

Danny would dodge and counter, disarm one and fling their weapon across the street. He would have sore ribs and bruises from his elbows to his knuckles come morning but he was slowly winnowing them down. He had a brief thought about the conservation of ninjutsu, as the fewer goons there were the stronger they seemed to get. The realistic answer was they were less concerned with hurting each other when there were fewer of them, he knew that. But everything was more fun with ninjas.

When there were three left, one threw a punch that connected with his nose. There was a pop and crunch and a hot rush of blood down his face even before the pain set in. He spat out the blood that collected in his mouth from the way his head snapped back when he was punched. Another one came at him, and his own years of training caught the guy’s arm, judo throwing them into another look and sending them both careening into a wall. The move was trickier with gravity, but he made it work.

Danny looked up at the last remaining goon. He grinned, teeth too sharp and stained with his own blood, eyes glowing just the faintest green. “Run.”

They did.

Unfortunately for the goon, they ran smack into the chest of one Batman.

[hyomaslut]

──★ ˙🍆 ̟ !! casual conversation between friends. 18+!

☆⌒(ゝ。∂).ᐟ ᴀsᴋɪɴɢ ʙʟʟᴋ ʙᴏʏs ғᴏʀ ɴᴜᴅᴇs ᴘᴛ. 𝟷

✿ ─ characters: isagi yoichi, itoshi rin, chigiri hyoma, reo mikage ✿ ─ cw: smau!, extremely suggestive/borderline smut, aged-up!characters, college!AU, gn!reader, no pronouns, unestablished relationships/mutual pining, use of foul language, descriptions of genitalia, suggestive themes, you and chigiri are talking about npc college drama, proofread??? ✿ ─ notes: honestly the smau aspect was so hard cuz im a perfectionist and wanted read reciets and everything. all the apps for them suck. i managed :))) and i rlly hope you guys like it :)) feedback appreciated. i put chigiri's at the end cuz its so long. part 2 is here!!!!

ISAGI YOICHI...

your fingers fly across the keyboard to tell him that yes, you were very serious. isagi literally jumps out of bed to go shower and everything. he has been crushing on you since forever and god knows he’s not blowing this chance you’ve given him by sending a shitty picture. you get an image attachment 20 minutes later, yoichi standing in front of his foggy bathroom mirror, the phone in his hand covering half of his face. he’s barely out of the shower, hair dripping wet and towel hanging extremely loose around his hips. his other hand sits at the base of his dick, acting as both a size comparison and a way to draw your attention to it. it’s obviously of decent length as far as you could tell, but the girth. you cant even pretend your mouth doesn’t start watering at the sight.

ITOSHI RIN...

you don’t have time to feel all that bummed about it though, because within a few minutes you’re shocked to get a picture from rin, the camera facing downwards towards his legs. nothing would be all that out of the ordinary if it weren’t the obvious tent in his shorts. the fabric around his crotch looks stretched by his hard dick fighting against the confines of his soccer uniform. it’s not exactly what you asked for, but you can’t find it in you to complain, because it’s way more than you actually expected to get. your mind starts racing. he’s hard from just a few suggestive texts? that means one of two things. either he really is a virgin like you thought he’d be, and the littlest of acts gets him riled up. or he’s just that into you. both of those possibilities sounded like fun. and the idea of those possibilities made you greedy. enough to push your luck.

MIKAGE REO...

two pictures come in quickly and you laugh at the idea of him rushing to take these for you. he sends the first one, taken standing in front of the full length mirror in his boxers, dragging down the waist band of them so you can see the first few inches of his shaft, phone in front of his face. he’s perfectly clean shaven, zooming in closer, maybe he waxes it? you can’t help but be impressed by his attention to detail. it’s so reo that it makes you smile. second one is sitting down in some fancy looking suede armchair, underwear gone, cock in one hand while the other splays over the bottom half of his face, poorly covering the wide self-satisfied smirk. you assumed he set up his phone with a timer considering he wasn’t holding it. as you stare at it, the initial evaluating that everyone does when they receive a dick pic fades away, and you feel heat creep up your face. reo was really hot, and just this once you figured it wouldn’t hurt to tell him you thought so.

CHIGIRI HYOMA...

you get through the stressful minutes waiting for his response by chewing on your nails. maybe you really just fucked it all up. but then, to your surprise, a photo loads in. its hyoma sitting on his bed in front of his mirror, his fingers buried in his hair to push it out of his face in possibly the sexiest way you’ve ever seen. his other hand holds his phone, his pretty face in full view with his gaze locked on the screen. your eyes can’t help but travel down to the only part of your crush you haven’t seen. and boy was it worth the wait. his dick curves up towards his abs and its a lot bigger than you expected. long and a perfectly pink tip. you bite your lip at the thought of it stretching you out, and then feel slightly guilty for thinking of him that way, as if you haven’t done it plenty of times during your so-called dry spell. if the whole soccer thing doesn’t work out, you’re sure he could be a pin up model. or maybe a greek god.

hyoma's got long again ;-; mb,,, but can you blame me??? i want to do a part two with at least nagi and bachira, but idk who else i want to include. open to suggestions ♡

© 2023 hyomaslut. please do not copy, translate, or repost any of my content onto any other sites.

[yannasuniverse]

Body pics

Paring: Paige Bueckers x reader

Summary: Paige loves and hates away games she miss being away from you but loves them because you always send her a picture just to help her when she miss you

Warnings: None!

From yanna: third post of the day am so proud of myself😋 Not proofread!

Paige sat in her seat on the bus they were on the way to their game, she miss you a lot even though she was a couple hours away from you.

But she couldn’t wait for her text that she receives every away game, she knew she shouldn’t be this excited over a picture but the way your tight crop top fit your body hugging your curves don’t even get her started with your jeans.

“Paige what got you all space out?” ice asked her teammates who usually talks the whole bus ride, “Nothing just getting lock in”.

kk looks over her seat to look at Paige “girl you know your waiting for your girl to send you a spicy picture like she does every away game, don’t lie” Paige face becomes red but has the biggest smile on her face “Ok and so what about it?” just as she says that her phone ding.

Quickly grabbing her phone open y’all messages to see not one but to pictures with a text: Hope you have a good game and a extra one for good luck😘. you had on Paige favorite purple lace bra on with the matching underwear the other picture you were in the mirror in a spaghetti strap shirt on with volleyball shorts.

Paige could feel her body heat up as she continued to stare at the picture “Paige stop staring at the pictures and come on we here” Azzi says tapping Paige head a bit “ok am coming” Paige close her phone oh she couldn’t wait to get home.

The Next Day!

Paige opened your apartment door happy to finally be able to see you, putting her stuff on the floor made her way to your bedroom.

she opens the door to see you on your phone. she makes her way towards you sliding into the bed wrapping her arms around you “Hi baby I miss you” you say turning to face your girlfriend “Hi I loved the pics you sent me” a smirk comes on your face “did you now?” Paige crushed her lips onto yours “yeah now lets make some pictures”

[mountsmase]

a/n: hi!! it’s been a little while but I’m back! (I think?) I’ve had the worst writers block ever and I didn’t think I’d have anything to post anytime soon but this is a very little, very unedited something that I wrote yesterday after we got this pic 🤭 like I said it’s unedited and I’m posting it before I have a chance to talk myself out of it so please excuse any mistakes, this definitely isn’t amazing but I’m still really happy with it so I hope you enjoy 🫶🏻💖

word count: 2k

genre: fluff and smut without actually being smut

———————

Summer Loving - MM7

Laughter, chatter, and the sound of the waves crashing are the only things that can be heard as you sit on a rather large boat in the middle of the greek ocean.

You’re 3 days in to your holiday with Mason and his family, and it’s safe to say that you’re having the time of your life. When you first met Mason a couple of years ago, they immediately welcomed you and took you in as though you were one of their own, and you’ll forever be grateful that they continue to invite you on these amazing holidays with them.

The trip this year has been a little busier than the last couple you have done together, with his eldest sister and her family flying in to join you from Australia. All fifteen of you are staying in one big villa together and you’ve been having the time of your lives, playing in the pool all day before dressing up and going out for meals in the evening, but today has been a little different.

You all decided to rent out a boat for the day, wanting a change of scenery. The plan being to do some snorkelling and sail to different spots around the coast to give you a different view of the island, so that’s where you are now, up on the top deck of the yacht you’ve rented and sat around the large table after enjoying some lunch and a bit of time out of the sun.

You’ve been making some friendship bracelets with Summer and Poppy for the last hour or so, giving them your full attention and listening to their instructions as they show you all of their favourite beads and tell you how to use each one.

You hadn’t been paying much attention to anything else that was going on around you, which is why it takes you a few moments to realise that Mason is missing from the group after you finish tying the final knot on your last bracelet, placing it to the side for safe keeping.

“Has anyone seen Mase?” You ask, looking around again to make sure he’s not just hiding in plain sight.

The group answer with collective no’s, Lewis letting you know that he disappeared about 5 mins ago but he just assumed he was going to use the loo, so you give it another couple of minuets, waiting to see if he comes back before deciding to go and look for him.

You excuse your self from the table, heading downstairs to look inside first before making your way to the back decking when you have no luck. It takes you a few more moments to spot him, but your heart warms when you do.

He’s sitting at the back of the boat, on the lowest deck with his legs dangling in the water, his back facing you as he looks out into the distance. His tanned skin glows under the sun, decorated with his tattoos which are just begging to be touched and your skin heats at the sight of his toned arms and back, a result of the extra gym sessions he’s been fitting in.

You gravitate towards him, careful not to make too much noise as you don’t want to startle him, but as you get closer you open the camera app on your phone, wanting to take a photo of him so that you can remember the sight forever.

It’s the camera sound affect that grabs his attention, giving away your presence as he turns around to find your bikini clad body stood on the deck above him, his smile growing as he motions for you to join him.

“I was hoping you’d come and find me” he speaks, voice soft as you take the few steps down to the lower deck and walk the short distance to where he’s sitting, your phone now discarded on the side as you sit your self down behind him.

You wrap your legs around him, arms circling his waist and you both know that it’s a little too hot to be this close, but you can’t bring yourselves to care as he leans back into you, his back pressed to your front as he rests most of his weight onto you.

“What are you doing over here all alone?” You wonder, peaking at him over his shoulder.

His cheeks are flushed, and you know it’s not because of the sun when he drops his head as if he’s trying to hide from you.

“Go on, tell me” you encourage, pressing your lips to his shoulder to coax the answer from him, wondering what’s gotten him so shy all of a sudden.

“Just wanted some time alone with you, and I know it sounds bad but I knew that sneaking away would be the only way I’d get it”

He wants time alone with you and he knew you’d come looking for him.

The usual butterflies that you get around him are released from their cage as his words sink in, your own cheeks now heating up as you rest one against his shoulder blade, feeling the need to be even closer.

“All you had to do was ask me to come with you, bubs. I’m sure no one would mind”

“I know, but I didn’t want to pull you away from your bracelet making. It looked like pretty intense stuff” He laughs, remembering back to an hour ago when Summer was giving you strict instructions on how to make your bracelets and telling you what beads to use.

“Well, I’m here now.” You sit up a little straighter, hands moving to his shoulders and massaging into skin. He tilts his head, placing a kiss to the back of your hand in acknowledgment before allowing himself to relax into you again.

You sit in a comfortable silence for a while, enjoying the view and each others company as you continue your touches, running your hands up and over his shoulder blades, down his back, and over every other inch of his skin that you can reach. Your lips follow their path and you revel in the soft hums that leave his lips every so often, his relaxed sighs letting you know that he’s enjoying himself so you can’t find it in you to stop.

His hands rest against your legs that are still wrapped around his waist, sitting just below your knees and tracing patterns into your skin until he decides that he wants you even closer.

“C’mere” he mumbles, patting the decking beside him and you shuffle around so that you’re sat at his side, legs now dangling into the water next to his and his arm wraps around you, holding you to him.

His other hand lands on your thigh as you lean into him and rest your head against his shoulder, his once innocent touches now growing a little more risky and you can feel his mood shift as they become more deliberate. His expression remains innocent, but the gentle circles he was once tracing become firmer as he creeps his way higher up, getting dangerously close to the hem on your bikini bottoms and you struggle to ignore the wave of heat that rushes to your centre as he tickles along the inside of your thigh.

“Mason” you warn, though you don’t put up much of a fight as his hand moves and instead finds its way up to your waist, tugging you closer towards him until your legs are thrown over his and your body suddenly craves for more.

“They can’t see us down here, Y/N. We’re hidden” he mumbles, and you feel the sensible part of your brain slowly giving into him as he checks once more for any hesitation, connecting his lips to yours when he doesn’t find any.

He keeps one hand against your waist, tightening his grip and digging his fingertips into your skin as his other finds its way to the back of your head, tangling his fingers into your hair and tilting your head slightly to give himself more control over the kiss. He tugs gently on your locks, your quiet gasp allowing him to slip his tongue between your lips.

You moan into his mouth, tasting the fruity cocktail that he’s been drinking on his tongue and feeling intoxicated as he steals every last breath from your lungs. You suddenly can’t get any closer to him, your hands everywhere as you scoot further into his lap and wrap your arms around his shoulders, digging your fingers into the firm muscles and lightly scratching your nails over his skin.

A deep sigh slips between his lips at the feeling of your hands against him, separating his lips from yours so that you can take a breath but your touch only encourages him to continue.

His hand drifts down your side, fingertips teasing over your hip and fiddling with the bows that hold your bikini bottoms together, threatening to dip under the fabric as he trails his kisses down your neck and to your shoulder, his beard scratching against your delicate skin and causing goosebumps to follow in his path.

“Mase,” you breath, getting lost in the feeling of his lips against your skin as he scatters a line of kisses alongside the strap of your top, but you’re quickly brought back to reality at the sound of giggling coming from the deck above you.

The realisation that one of his family members could come and find you at any given moment snaps you out of your Mason induced daze, and you rush to move away from him but don’t get far as he tightens his hold on your hip, not letting you go anywhere. You glance around, relieved to find that no one has followed you to this area of the boat yet, but that’s not to say that someone won’t eventually come looking for you.

“We shouldn’t” You tell Mason, bringing a hand to the back of his neck and gently trying to pry him away from you, but he doesn’t go down without a fight, groaning in protest and placing a few more kisses to your skin before eventually giving in and sitting back to look at you.

“This sucks” he pouts, resembling a child that just had their favourite toy taken away from them as he leans back against the decking, making sure to not break any physical contact as he moves his hand to instead rest against your thigh again.

You understand why he’s frustrated. The last few days that you’ve been away haven’t necessarily been easy, having to watch each other walk around in minimal clothing all day, and not being able to spend any alone time together besides the quick shower fuck yesterday morning, which definitely scratched the itch but has only left you both craving more.

“I know, Masey. But just think about next week” You hold his gaze, watching as he instantly perks up at the mention of your next trip together.

As much as you’re loving your time away with his family, you can’t help but look forward to your next getaway. After arriving back home from Mykonos in a few days time, you’ll be in Manchester for not even 48 hours before jetting back off to Portugal for another week in the sun. But you’ll be alone that time, a week of each others undisturbed company before you’re both thrown back into busy work and training schedules. And it’s safe to say that it can’t come soon enough, the both of you in desperate need of some long anticipated time alone.

“Can’t fucking wait” Leaning forward, he presses his lips to yours once, twice, and a third time just for good measure.

“C’mon” he mumbles, standing up and reaching out to take your hand, tricking you into thinking that you’re just heading back to the top deck to join his family again but you’re caught of guard when he suddenly pulls you into the water with him.

The water is a refreshing surprise as it surrounds you and you can only laugh as your head pokes back up above the surface, one of your hands still securely held by Mason’s but you’re sure to use the other to splash him as he resurfaces next to you. Your sudden playful mood attracts the attention of his nieces and nephew, all of them coming around to your side of the boat and jumping in to join you, the rest of his family following soon after.

You spend the last few hours of the afternoon making the most of your remaining time on the boat, soaking up the sun and enjoying your time with his family, all while looking forward everything that awaits you in Portugal.

———————

a/n: thank you so much for reading! feedback is appreciated as always 💖

[canirove]

Pedri Imagine | two

Author's note: This is something kind of short I got inspired to write after seeing the pic of Pedri and Eric I'm using in the header, though in my head it was with someone else instead of a girl, and that version of this imagine will be going up later today 👀 Hope you like it, and thank you for reading! 💜

Little summary: Pedri and you have had a crush on each other for a while, but neither of you have been brave enough to ask the other out until…

Masterlist

“Look at her, bro. Isn't she like the most beautiful woman you've ever seen?”

“I guess.”

“You guess? C'mon, Pedri. Look at her. Look at that smile.”

“Eric, did you just sigh?” Pedri chuckles.

“How not to” he sighs again, his eyes fixed on Flick’s translator. 

She had only been working for the club for a few months, but basically everyone in the team had a crush on her. Pedri included. Though unlike everyone else, who had already tried to make a move on her, he had done nothing because he was too shy even if he felt there was some kind of connection between them. 

For example, every time she has caught him looking at her, instead of rolling her eyes and telling him to mind his business or focus on training like she does with the others, she smiles at him, making him feel funny things in his stomach. One time she even winked at him, catching him so by surprise that he tripped with the ball he was playing with and ended up on the floor, his teammates teasing him about his fall for a week. And while with them she gets all serious when they try to joke with her during training, usually telling them that she is there to work, with him it is completely different. Pretty often it is her the one joking with him or teasing him about something, both of them laughing together and having what he would call, a moment. 

So there definitely is something between, but what? He doesn't know.

“Do you think she would say yes to going out with me?”

“What?” Pedri says, trying to stop looking at the way she's biting her lip while reading some papers. He has noticed that she does it when she is focused on something, and he can't help but find it extremely sexy. More than once he's imagined how it would be to bite her lip while kissing her, which is something he should not be thinking about a coworker, but…

“If I ask her to go out on a date with me, do you think she will say yes?”

“She's made it very clear she isn't interested in any player, Eric. That she's here to work, nothing else.”

“I know. But just because she's said no to the others doesn't mean she will say it to me too, you know? Besides, what if she's just playing hard to catch?”

“Doesn't look like something she would do, to be honest.”

“And how do you know, uh? Are you bffs with her now?” Eric says with a teasing smile.

“No” Pedri replies, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Are you sure? Because I've seen you talking and laughing together, and you seem to get along quite well. Are you hiding something from us, Pedri?”

“Something like what?” he says, trying to act normal while praying for his cheeks to not turn bright red.

“I don't know. Maybe she ignores us all because she's interested in you. Because you two are seeing each other in secret.”

“Don't be stupid, Eric” Pedri laughs. “I don't like her and she doesn't like me. We are just friendly because we work together, and the relationship I have with her is the same I have with everyone from the staff.”

“If you say so…”

“Yes, I do. So stop imagining things.”

“Ok, ok…” he says. “But if there isn't anything going on between you two, then you won't mind if I go and ask her out, will you?”

“No, I won't” Pedri says. Though he does mind. Because if for some reason she says yes, they go out and things work out between them, seeing one of his best friends dating the girl he likes won't be easy. At all. 

“Then I'm gonna go shoot my shot. Wish me luck, bro” Eric says, getting up from the cooler where they both were sitting.

“Good luck” Pedri mutters while hating himself. Why can't he be as brave as Eric and be the one asking her out? Why does he have to be such a coward? Why… “Urgh” he groans, picking a ball to have something to focus on that isn't Eric and what he is about to do.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Is Flick's handwriting that bad?” 

“Uh?” I say, looking up from the papers I was reading.

“That” Eric says, pointing at them. “Did the gaffer write it?”

“I did.”

“Wait, you did? You can't understand your own writing?” he says, trying his best to not laugh.

“I can't, no” I sigh.

“Wow.”

“Yeah, well. Can I help you with something?”

“You definitely can” Eric smiles. “Are you free tomorrow?”

“I… yes. Why?”

“Well, a friend of mine just opened a new restaurant and he has been asking me to go pay him a visit, so I was wondering if you would like to come check it with me.”

“Eric, are you asking me to go on a date with you?” I say, arching an eyebrow.

“I am, yes.”

“Oh, wow” I laugh. “That was a very confident answer, you know? I've liked it. The others usually start mumbling when I ask them.”

“The others aren't me” he shrugs. “So, would you like to accompany me to my friend’s restaurant? We can first have a drink and then have dinner.”

“I…” I say, looking past him at where Pedri is. If only he was the one asking me out… 

Since I started working for Barcelona, basically everyone in the team has tried to make a move with me. Everyone but him, the one I have a connection with. The one I like and that sometimes makes me feel and especially behave like a teenager around her crush. Like when I tease him just to have his attention and make him laugh or smile. 

Because he's cute and hot all at the same time, nice, funny, hearing him talk with that Canarian accent of his makes me swoon, we get along quite well, are comfortable with and around each other… Though maybe not as comfortable as I think since he doesn't seem to care about Eric asking me out, something he definitely knows is happening because I saw them talking together and looking my way before he came. So maybe I should stop wasting my time waiting for him and just say yes to one of the other boys since he doesn't seem to care. Or be the one asking him out. We are in the 21st century, I don't have to wait for a man to do it. I can do it myself. I…

“You…” Eric says, bringing me back to the real world.

“Ok.”

“What?”

“I'll go on a date with you” I say, not quite believing the words that are leaving my mouth.

“Wait, really?”

“Yes, really. We can meet tomorrow after training, first go have that drink and then dinner. Though you are driving, your car is nicer than mine.”

“Yes, of course! Great” he smiles. “Great! Tomorrow after training, then?”

“Tomorrow after training” I repeat, more to myself than him.

“Cool. Ok” Eric says, his smile even wider as he walks back to join the others. To join Pedri, who quickly looks away when he notices I am looking at him. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“God, Eric. Do you really need to wear so much perfume?”

“Of course I do. I must look my best for my date” he smiles.

“Smelling as if you've showered in perfume isn't looking your best.”

“If you are jealous just say it, Pedro” he smirks.

“I'm not jealous” Pedri replies, focusing on tying up his shoes. But he is. Of course he is jealous. 

To his surprise and everyone's in the changing room, she had said yes to going out with Eric. And judging by what he had been implying while telling the others about his date, he was planning on also ending the night with her. So if she had already said yes to going out with him, who says she would not also say yes to… to… 

“Enjoy your night” Pedri says, picking up his things to stop thinking about her and Eric together. “And don't be a dick. She doesn't deserve it.”

“I will behave, bro. I promise you” he says while putting on even more perfume, making Pedri roll his eyes before leaving the changing room. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Oh, shit!” I say after bumping into someone. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, don't worry. I… Hi.”

“Hi.”

“You look beautiful” Pedri says.

“Thank you” I reply, focusing on adjusting my dress to not look at him and at the way he is checking me out. Why did I have to cross paths with him on my way to meet with Eric? Why couldn't it be someone else? 

“Does wearing perfume give you a headache?”

“What?” I say, the oddity of his question making me look at him. Since it is Friday and they don't play until Sunday, he hasn't shaved yet and… God. He looks so good. Someone should keep all the razors away from him.

“I just left Eric back in the changing room showering himself in perfume. I'm pretty sure I can smell it on myself too” he chuckles. “So if it is something that bothers you…”

“I think I'll survive.”

“Oh. Ok. Then I… Umm…” he says, running a hand through his hair. “Enjoy your date. He's a great guy.”

“Thank you.”

“Yeah… umm… Bye” he says, walking past me. 

“Pedri, wait.”

“Yes?” he says behind me.

“Eric… Eric is a great guy even if he showers himself in perfume, you are right. But he… he isn't you.”

“He… what?”

“I wish it was you the one taking me on a date tonight” I blurt out, still giving my back to him.

“What?”

“That I…” I say, taking a deep breath before turning around to look at him. “I wish it was you, Pedri. I wish I was going out on a date with you, not Eric. Because I…” like you. Those are the words I would have said if he hadn't suddenly closed the space between us and was kissing me, his hands cupping my face. Because he is kissing me. Pedri is kissing me and… “Did you just bite my lip?” 

“I… sorry” he says as his cheeks turn bright red and I try my best to not smile at the sight of them. Blushed Pedri, either during games or because of his shyness, is one of my favourite things in the world. “I just… I got carried away, I… I'm very sorry.”

“No, no, it's ok. But now I'm gonna have to bite you back” I smirk. “I've been thinking about doing it since the day I met you.”

“What?”

“You have very kissable and biteable lips, Pedri.”

“Oh… ummm… Glad to know we have something in common” he says, the tiniest of smirks showing on his face. “Because your lips also are very kissable and biteable, you know?”

“Kind of guessed it since you just kissed me and bite me” I chuckle. “But I think we have more things than that in common, you know?”

“We do?”

“Yep” I nod. “Fancy finding out about them all while having dinner?”

“Having dinner… as in a date?”

“Yes. A date. Another thing I have been wanting to do for a long time.”

“And another thing we have in common” he chuckles. “Though I haven't been as brave as you.”

“It doesn't matter who asked who. What matters is that it is happening. Shall we?” I say, putting some space between us and offering him my hand. 

“Let's go” Pedri smiles as he takes it. “But wait. What about Eric and your date with him?”

“I'll text him telling him that I'm not feeling well and I have to cancel, don't worry.”

“Ok… I just hope he doesn't get mad at me when he finds out the truth. He's one of my best friends.”

“I'm sure he won't" I say. "Because don't ask why... but I have the feeling everything is going to be alright.” 

And the thing is… that I wasn't wrong. Because as we would find out months later when we make it official that we are dating, there had been someone watching everything that had happened between me and Pedri on that corridor. Someone who had only asked me to go on a date with him hoping it would make Pedri and I stop being cowards and finally make a move. Someone who was smiling from ear to ear as he watched us hold hands and leave to go on our first date. 

Someone, who wasn't other than Eric.

[thisismeracing]

The one | CS55

― Pairing: Carlos Sainz x fem!reader (she/her) ― Warnings: mentions of break up and food; typos. ― Summary: Yn is doing well a few months after her break up with Carlos, and so is he. Everyone thinks that this paragraph of their lives is over, but as it happens they may be a chapter to each other, and Yn makes sure everyone knows he was her great love, the one - through her new song. ― A/n: None of the pictures used are mine, they are all from Pinterest and other apps, but the work is, and I do not allow it to be published on a different platform. I would appreciate it if those things could be taken into consideration 💛

▸ my masterlist | my taglist | patreon guide ▸ support my writing by reblogging, leaving a comment (don’t forget to follow me if you like the piece), or buying me a coffee

February, 2023

February, 2024

realyn

liked by charles_leclerc, sza, and others

realyn "The One" has just come out on all streaming platforms. I hope this piece of my heart reaches yours. Tune in and dive into the feels 💐🤍

view all comments

saintsainz "for old time's sake" HELLO?????

ynsummer omg another bop!!! I wish I could write songs when I'm sad, the few breakups I had I could only cry and try not to choke on my own phlegm

⤷ fan2000 ewwww LOL

hammert1m3 charles on the likes 👀

leclowns1655 in my head they're not over yet

⤷ mercmickey you need therapy, bestie

lewishamilton great music as usual 💜

francisca.cgomes 😍😍

szadirection I love how the grid's still here supporting here even a year after she and carlos broke up 🥺

popyn WE WERE SOMETHING DON'T YOU THINK SOOO ROSÉ FLOWING WITH YOUR CHOSEN FAMILY 🎤🎤🎤🎤

ferraristrangers I have so many theories for the lyrics and the cover and kksjksdj aaaaaaaa

Old posts

March, 2018

realyn

liked by lewishamilton, ynfan, and others

realyn eat pasta, run fasta, they said 😋😂

view all comments

bieberf1 they my new fav couple now 💋

raintyresainz thank you for feeding us that last carlos pic

hurricaneyn welp now I wanna eat pasta but its like the middle of the night

⤷ alonsochamp eat pasta, sleep fasta 😙😂

carlossainz55 ❤️❤️

amarelorenault her glasses are so cool!!!!! her style is always on point

carlossainz55

liked by yourfriend, fernandoalo_oficial, and others

carlossainz55 we tried homemade, it worked 😋

view all comments

realyn we didn't run fasta this time though :(

⤷ carlossainz55 there wasn't any race this Sunday, cariño

⤷ realyn shhhh, let me be funny

harrystylistee I want what they have!

April, 2018

realyn

liked by hulkhulkenberg, renaultf1team, and others

realyn enjoyed April with my fav spaniard, wrote a few songs for you guys - new album dropping soon!!!!! 🥳

view all comments

aussiegrid howd you like Australia, Yn?

⤷ realyn I loved it, def gonna come back soon 🥰

ynfan 💙💙💙💙💙💙

carlosfullname1 where’s your jacket from?

⤷ realyn website.com 😘

fab2000 can’t wait for the new song and espec the new album!!!!!

July, 2018

carlossainz55

liked by pierregasly, realyn, and others

carlossainz55 Yn's new album "I used to know her" is out now and you guys should run to listen to it 💙💙 she did an amazing job as usual. I'm very proud of you, cariño @ realyn

view all comments

lewishamilton congrats, Yn!

hulkhulkenberg everyone here loved the new album, well done, Yn!

renaultf1team its our garage soundtrack 😎💛

March, 2019

realyn

liked by landonorris, mclaren, and others

realyn the past few months wearing papaya have been amazing! 🧡 and yes, last concert clothes were orange bc of the team

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landonorris looks like the concert clothes gave us some luck, make sure to wear orange again next time!

⤷ realyn I love you guys but I can't be wearing orange all the time

⤷ yourmanager yes, you can

⤷ realyn shut up, I'm gonna fire your ass

⤷ yourmanager no, you won't

⤷ carlossainz55 jajajaja

tifosinha I love how lando looks like their kid 😂

spaincarlos_ not yn and carlos adopting lando lol

ynfan4 her music taste is *chef kiss* 🤌🏾

ynandsainz yn, your album still on repeat on my apple music!

mclaren 🧡🧡

December, 2019

carlossainz55

liked by charles_leclerc, hulkhulkenberg, and others

carlossainz55 ¡Feliz Navidad! 🎄❤️

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saturnracer FELIZ NAVIDAD TAN TAN TAN PROSPERO AÑO Y FELICIDAD 🎤

szalover 😭😍 its the way she loves pasta

⤷ cowboyvettel @ realyn pasta or carlos? choose one

⤷ realyn carlos cooking pasta 😙😋😜

July, 2020

realyn

liked by lewishamilton, fernandoalo_oficial, and others

realyn compilation of some of the flowers Carlos gave me and pics he took 💖 Te amo, cariño 💐🌷🌹🌸🌺🌼🌻

view all comments

fonedirection God I see what youve done for others

carlossainz55 you’re my favorite flower, love 🌸💖

⤷ fernandoalo_official you guys know how to be sicklengly cute huh 🙄

piastripastry see? carlos gets flowers regularly to yn and yall out there crying over an ugly ass man who gives you the bare minimum 🫵

March, 2021

realyn

liked by carlossainz, scuderiaferrari, and others

realyn new character unlocked hehe ❤️💛🏎️

view all comments

ynfrance We want a new album, queen!!! save us!

swiftverstappen the way they went through everything togerher 🤧

⤷ russellsainz I want what they have

monegasque16 another day another yn post to make me cry in single and alone

carlossainz55 thank you for the endless support, cariño 💛 you’re my everything

tifosisunshine you’re 😭 my 😭 everything 😭

August, 2022

carlossainz55

liked by landonorris, pierregasly, and others

carlossainz55 my kind of free-weekends 🩵

view all comments

sunnyyn yn looks so good 😍😍

yourbestie ❤️ aweee

realyn te amo! 😘

January, 2023

realyn

liked by lewishamilton, francisca.cgomes, and others

realyn happy new year 🙃

view all comments

charlsmonaco where's carlos? 😟

mylightyn I don't like this vibe…

ynwardrobe what is she reading?

lewishamilton 💙

⤷ mclatinha lew do you happen to know something we don’t?

carlossainz55

liked by landonorris, fernandoalo_oficial, and others

carlossainz55 ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! 🎉

view all comments

brocedes2010 where's Yn??????

schumini_ at least they seem to be on the same place 🙏🏾🙏🏾

redsainz he looks so good it hurts

back to 2024 💬📩

────── ⋆🪩 VOICEMAIL: Hi! I hope you guys liked this piece! I'm set on publishing my drafts but I need time to work on them, this one was saved for a while now, and it's finally here heheh let me know your thoughts!

If you liked this piece and want early access to new ones and exclusive access to others, subscribe to my patreon!💘

▸ check my main masterlist | patreon guide and my taglist.

taglist: @sachaa-ff @mickslover @mishaandthebrits @fdl305 @iloveyou3000morgan @crimeshowjunkie @saintslewis @carojasmin2204 @chaoticevilbakugo @wondergirl101ks @smiithys @shhhchriss @f1kota @lunnnix @karmabyfernando @crashingwavesofeuphoria @schumacheer @callsign-scully @dearxcherry @elliegrey2803 @peachiicherries @he6rtshaker @therealcap @mehrmonga @the-depressed-fellow @cixrosie @darleneslane @buckybarnessweetheart @nichmeddar @fastcarsandshit @goldenalbon @balekanemohafe @jamie2305 @nzygftoji @leclercsluv @bbreezybitch @graciewrote @alessioayla @littlesatanicassholebitch @barcelonaloverf1life @noncannonships @fanboyluvr @is-just-a @love4lando @woozarts @namgification @formulaal @v1naco @skepvids

©thisismeracing ― do not copy, steal, or translate my work; do not repost on a different media platform.

[remxedmoon]

do you think you could explain how you do your shading/rendering :o? i'm so curious (specifically with the binary brush, if it makes any difference in how you do it)

hey hey! thankyou for the question!!! i’ll admit i’m not very good at explaining things (like. at all) but! tried my best 👍 (also super sorry anon this ask is from months ago. if i didn’t respond to your ask it’s probably just been sitting in my drafts taunting me for months)

^ this is what i do most of the time when drawing characters! generally i use rounder shapes while blocking out shadows, and you can do as many layers of this as you want! i generally don’t do highlights unless im shading darker colors (like the party’s black hair or isabeau’s sweater). i also usually shade the top half of the face! because it looks nice to me :3

^ aaaa idk how well i’m explaining this?? this is just something i Do, i didn’t really pick it up from anywhere (i mean. i didn’t pick up the hatching from anywhere either but yknow). with things like mirabelle’s hair, i do this process, but block in the highlights instead of the shadows. if you want a better example, here’s some of the rare process pics i have from a drawing i finished recently

also! going to answer an ask from. october. that’s somewhat related to this? just because i know i’ll never get to it otherwise

so i’ve genuinely been spending months trying to figure out how to answer this and the short answer is: yes absolutely you are allowed to take inspiration from my art style oh my god thank you so much and also: i can’t give tips here i’m so sorry.

i don’t really. know?? what my thought process is?? i’ve been drawing for so long that i rely more on muscle memory and what “feels right” to me. i didn’t really choose my art style, i just stumbled on it by accident. i wish you luck though, thankyou so much again!!!

(ALSO IM SO SORRY IT TOOK ME 3 MONTHS TO RESPOND TO THIS ANON)

thankyou for all the compliments, hope this helps a little!!!

[blue-solstice]

Holy god thank you thank you thank you— Thank you all for this amazing support. Every time I thought “Meh this design isn’t gonna do great” y’all humbled me so hard (in the best possible way)

Very soon I’ll be posting a group pic of everyone together, as well as a little surprise I put together to say thank you (again) for the new followers and all the kind feedback. I hope Abigail was worth the wait, and I really hope you’ve all enjoyed the series so far 💝 I mentioned a few weeks ago, but I will be doing a bridegroom (groomal—?) catalogue eventually, however I’m gonna need a little while to put it all together. I do have some ideas already, though so hopefully it won’t take me another bloody year 🙃 (wish me luck)

Tl;dr you’re all incredible. Thank you, seriously.

[paige1722]

An Offering | Ch. 3 |

Pairing: Sleep Token x Reader

Summary: Cryptid, inhuman beings have spent their whole lives in Eden serving their deity, Sleep. What happens when one day you show up and no one can figure out why Sleep has delivered you to them? Should you stay with them or will you do whatever it takes to find your way back home?

Warnings: brief mentions of death. Slow-burn. implied past abuse. religious trauma, self deprecating thoughts, thoughts of suicide (Please, let me know if I missed any.)

Word Count: 7.4k

masterlist | ch. 1 | ch. 2 | ch.4 | ch.5 |

pic from Pinterest

Chapter Three:

The winding stone path seems like it is never-ending, you feel as if you’ve been walking for hours now towards a destination that isn’t getting closer. Your stomach growling more frequently now. The noise constantly reminds you, that it has been over 24 hours since you last had something to eat. 

Although for all you know it could be even longer since you still can’t exactly remember everything that happened to you before you woke up here, but something tells you it probably wasn’t anything good. 

Since departing from the hot springs, silence has enveloped the small group you find yourself in,  leaving you with an uneasy sensation. The sounds of the occasional wildlife, leaves rustling in the breeze, and the strange rhythmic tapping that seems to be coming from above forces your mind to wander into places you aren’t sure you want it to be. 

Instead, you force yourself to observe the scenery around you, still as captivating as ever. Even though the moon was exceptionally bright, it could only do so much with all the trees and foliage. You secretly began to wish that you had a flashlight or something with you, being in the dark made you a bit skittish especially when you think about what happened the last time it was nighttime. Lighting bugs gradually emerge all around tonight, giving you some reprieve. 

Their flickering lights remind you of childhood memories, happier times when it felt as if nothing could ever go wrong and you had no worries. Though now it seems as if such a time never even existed like false memories have been planted inside your head. How could you have ever been so happy and carefree? How could such a time exist, when you aren’t even sure if you know what those emotions or thoughts feel like anymore? 

Subtle movement from the two men walking in front of you catches your attention, iii and iv share a look, seemingly as if they were speaking to each other without ever opening their mouths. With how little you actually know about them, they very well could be communicating through some hive-mind link for all you know. 

In the middle of their internal conversation, you watch as their hands brush against each other, leisurely intertwining their fingers like pieces of a puzzle sliding perfectly into place. iv squeezes his partner’s hand rubbing his thumb over the back of iii’s red-stained skin.

At the sight of their hands perfectly molding together, your own palms flexing in response. A lump forming in your throat, iii squeezes iv’s hand back, returning the affection before they both let go. 

A gap opens up between them, as they steadily slow their pace allowing you to be in the center of them. Your body grows stiff at the new formation, trying your best to keep your arms tucked in close by your side in hopes of deterring any accidental contact occurring. 

iii and iv silently walk by your side, occasionally peering at you from the corner of their eyes. As your steps grow more and more sluggish the farther you trudge along this forsaken path, mentally cursing them out the longer you walk. 

At this point, you wouldn’t be surprised if one of them turned to tell you that you’ve all been walking in circles for the past hour. The plants begin to look more and more appetizing with every passing second, but knowing your luck you would pick the wrong one and end up in agonizing pain or seeing the euclid hatman. 

The only thing keeping you going at this moment was the fact that iii told you that Vessel would have food for you to eat at his home, so you just have to tough it out until then. Thinking about this Vessel person has made you curious once again, it couldn’t hurt to ask some more questions.

 Actually, you could all benefit from it as this will help to pass the time. Hopefully iii or even iv can answer some of your questions without just telling you to wait until you get to Vessel because, to be honest, if you hear that answer one more time you might go insane. 

Motioning to your face and hands, you ask, “Why do you wear masks and the paint?” A question that has been lurking in your mind for a while now, too nervous to ask in fear of somehow offending them but the silence was beginning to gnaw at you. 

At the sound of your voice, iii and iv turn their heads to look at you, you watch iv tilt his head to the side his eyebrows raised from behind his mask. He brings his hands up in front of his chest, clasping them together in a sort of praying motion. 

“To pray?” you ask, confusion evident in your voice, trying to determine the correlation between wearing masks and paint equals praying. 

iii huffs out a breathless laugh, reaching a hand behind you to clasp it on iv shoulder before letting it drop back down by his side. His side brushed against you at the sudden movement, sending tingles down your spine at the contact. 

“Worship. Our actions and purposes are more important than who we are, we were made to appease Sleep. Everything we do is for Sleep and their message, it has to be. The masks and the paint are ways for us to show our devotion allowing us to feel a greater connection to them and each other.”

 A strange edge can be heard in iii’s voice when he speaks of Sleep, something you certainly would have remembered hearing earlier when he spoke of them, though you weren’t exactly in the best condition then.

Even as iii explains the reasoning behind covering their faces and painting their skin, you still can’t help but feel a sense of doubt. You have tried religion in the past begging and praying for salvation that will never come.

 Hearing people say if you just try harder, and devote yourself more, good things will come your way, constantly telling you that are never given more than you can handle. But where did it leave you in the end? In nothing but pain and misery, you didn’t deserve that, to be treated as you were. 

iii and iv seem so sure though, that their god is real and they have a connection with them, whether it’s a good or bad one is still uncertain. Maybe this is just some big elaborate hoax meant to make you look foolish and to make you once again try to look for mercy and salvation, things you aren't even sure you deserve anymore. 

Hopefully, this Vessel person will actually have all the answers you were promised he will have and everything will finally make sense for you when you meet him. 

Vessel, iii, and iv, three members, a small cult you think to yourself, though is that all their members, or is this place secretly filled with devoted followers lurking in the darkness waiting to make a move to try to indoctrinate you?

Silence has fallen over your small group once again, the two men sensing you deep in thought, though they probably wouldn’t be too keen to know you currently were questioning their god and purposes, so instead you look up from the stone path and ask curiously, “How many of you are there out here?”

iii perks up instantly, loving when he is able to share more of his companions with you, “Well, you know me and iv.” iii says pointing to one another before adding, “There’s also Vessel, and ii, you’ll meet them both soon enough.”

As iii finishes speaking, you see iv point up to the trees that stand tall blocking the night sky from your view all of the branches intertwining with each other creating a canopy over the path.

Curious you look up trying to see if you can spot anything that he might be referring to, instead you see nothing but leaves swaying in the gentle breeze and the occasional twinkling of the lighting bugs. 

iii shrugs his shoulders in response, talking more so to iv than you, “I think he is just nervous, you know how he is about anything new.” 

The tapping was back again, resembling a woodpecker drumming against tree trunks though this is much more rhythmic and methodical. If someone or something has been following you all this whole time your two companions don’t seem worried about it in the slightest, therefore it must be nothing for you to worry about then. 

Frankly, you aren’t sure how much more you can take going wrong anyway, so the thought of being followed by some animal or something was the least of your worries at the moment. 

iv lifts up his right hand putting his fist on his chest before moving it to iii, then he curls his index finger up as he moves his hand towards you. 

iii throws his arm around your shoulder, pulling your body into his side his warmth seeping into you making you realize how cold the night has slowly become. “You’re right iv. I think it is time for us to ask them some questions. Hmm?” 

An exasperated look covers your face, “What! Half the time you don’t even answer my questions fully! You tell me to wait until I meet Vessel,” you exclaim throwing your hands up in the air in frustration. 

iii’s thumb begins to rub your shoulder, the feeling making goose-bumps to appear down your arm. 

“How about this then, we take turns asking each other questions until we reach Vessel’s home?” iii throws up his left hand beside his head his palm facing you, allowing you to see a question mark drawn in the center of his hand that you did not notice before. 

“And I promise all questions will be answered to the best of my ability unless it is something that has to wait for Vessel to answer.” He continues holding his hand up as if he were making an oath, “Better decide quickly or we will arrive there first.” 

You look into his eyes seeing nothing but honesty turning to look at iv seeing him already looking at you awaiting your answer to their little proposal. The way these two could communicate so easily with one another was strange it was as if they were truly one being. Maybe this is what iii meant when he said their devotion helped them feel a better connection to each other. 

You let out a sigh, at least you’ll finally be able to get some answers to the questions that keep bouncing around your head, and talking was better than silence, even if you were a little scared to know what questions they had for you. 

“Okay, fine.”

iii removes his arm from around you clapping them together excitedly, the loss of his warmth making you shiver wrapping your arms around your middle to help preserve heat and comfort yourself. 

“We get to ask you a question first, it’s only fair since you’ve asked so many already.” iii brings his finger up to the chin of his mask, tapping the hard plastic in thought. 

iv waves his hand excitedly, pointing at himself then at iii before bringing his hand up to his chin with his middle finger bent forward tapping his chin a few times, before looking at you expectantly. 

You hear iii mischievously chuckle from behind you, “Who is your favorite? Me or him? It’s obviously me right, I did save you when you first got here.” iii exclaims puffing out his chest at the last part.

The question completely caught you off guard, making you let out a small giggle at the shock of it out of everything he could have asked you, you didn’t expect that. Thinking about it, you don’t believe you can actually pick between the two of them. iii did rescue you from drowning and iv took care of you while you were sick, both of them going out of their way numerous times to help you. 

Even though, you are certain that iv means this question as more of a joke, something to make you feel more comfortable around them, the more you thought about it the more you were certain you couldn’t pick between the two of them. 

Even in the incredibly short amount of time you have spent with them, they have somehow managed to worm their way into your heart and you aren’t sure you like that at all. 

How weak and lonely are you that two men, who you barely even know have managed to do this to you in such a short amount of time by just being nice to you? Perhaps the walls you built weren’t as high as you originally thought, or it’s this place that really is messing with your head like you originally thought making you go crazy and delusional the longer you’re here. Yeah, that’s got to be it, that is the only logical explanation after all. 

Looking into iv eyes, who awaits patiently for your answer unaware of the internal battle waging inside your mind. Well, it won’t do you any good to stress over this silly question and it couldn’t hurt to have a little fun you think to yourself.

 You smile cheekily lifting your hand up and resting it gently on iv’s masked cheek, teasingly you say “iv, of course. Who else would it be?” 

At your answer, iv looks over to iii raising his middle finger up and shoving it in the taller man’s face, clearly very pleased with your answer.  iii smacks iv’s hand from out of his face, letting out a small huff and rolling his eyes at iv’s antics. 

“Whatever, it’s your turn now.” a pout clear in his voice.

You laugh at the exchange between the two men, both of which visibly brighten at the sound wanting nothing more than to hear it again, unbeknownst to you already lost in thought. What should you ask? 

This is a good chance for you to learn more about them and their abilities, not wanting to get caught off guard whenever you finally do meet Vessel and possibly ii. So it is probably best to learn all you can about them now. 

Deciding on your question you nod your head in determination, “So, you’re a siren and you’re a banshee. But what about the others, what are they? Why make you all different and not the same?” 

iii lets out a quick breathy chuckle, “That is more than one question. But I’ll bite.” 

iii pauses for a moment in thought, he supposes there is no harm in telling you this information, you will eventually find out when you meet the others regardless, he doesn’t have to tell you everything just yet anyway just enough to tie your curiosity. Besides, the small white ribbons Vessel keeps tied to the trees near his home are coming into view signaling they are close.  

“Vessel as you can probably guess was the first and by far the most powerful creation, maybe even more powerful than Sl…” a grunt from iv stops iii from finishing him sentence. A look of warning flashes through iv’s eyes staring deep into iii’s begging him to rethink what he was about to say. 

iii clears his throat before continuing, “Right, anyway, He is kind of what you could call a fae, I suppose. Controls plants, and vines, and has strange mystical powers.” at the mention of powers, he turns holding up his fingers and wiggling them similar to someone trying to cast a spell. 

You thought learning about everyone’s abilities and what they are capable of would make you feel better and possibly more prepared to meet them but now you have to admit you're a little more apprehensive. 

You have heard of fae’s in children’s stories but they always turned out to be dangerous creatures trying to trick others into staying with them forever never being allowed to return home. You just hope Vessel is as kind and caring as they have made him out to be. 

Unaware of your cautious thoughts iii continues, “ii is a little different, you could say. His corporeal form is like ours, but when he changes into his… other form he becomes a shadowy dark void. I’m not sure what the word for it is in your world though.” he hums in thought.

A shadowy dark void, you can only really think of one mythical creature that fits that description, “a wraith?” you ask.

iii shrugs his shoulders, “not sure to be honest maybe you can tell us when you see him. Well whenever he decides to show himself.” the last part of his sentence getting louder, like he was trying to make sure some unseen person heard him. 

The tapping could be heard again from above you, almost as if whatever it is that has been making that noise is definitely following you, there is no doubt about it now. You subtly look up trying to see if you can spot the source of the sound, but you can’t find anything in the darkness of the night. 

Before you can ask or say anything iii starts talking again, “Even though you asked two questions instead of one, I will still answer it just to prove I am a nice guy and deserve to be your favorite,” iii glares down at iv, who ignores the sly comment. 

“I’m not sure why we were all created to be different and not the same. Though some of us have our theories, maybe it’s so we could worship Sleep better and in our own ways, maybe Sleep just wanted to see how many different creations he could make,” iii voice takes on a dark tone surprising you at the sudden change, “or maybe Sleep wants us to suffer and be lonely by making us all different.” 

Every time you heard of Sleep so far, you were under the assumption that they were a kind and giving god but maybe you were wrong, maybe they are a malevolent god. But if that is the case, why are you here? Are you being punished by being here or maybe they are? 

You are so lost in thought that you don’t notice the abundance of white ribbons that now cover the trees that line the path. Not a single branch at this point was left untouched, at the sight of this iv began to get excited a slight pep in his step at the prospect of seeing Vessel again.

The sound of distance singing catches your attention, the song appearing as if it was flowing into your very soul. With every note, a shiver runs down your spine, you know you have never heard something so hauntingly beautiful before in your entire life.

 Along the lines of a knee-jerk reaction tears fill your eyes, and an overwhelming sadness fills your very core, unlike anything you have ever felt before. Your chest feels heavy, your heart feels as if it might tear right through your skin, making it hard for you to breathe.

 You feel like you're choking similar to someone's hand wrapped tight around your throat preventing any oxygen from entering your lungs. You claw at your throat trying to pry the nonexistent hands away to no avail, you fall to your knees, panicking wanting whoever it is that is singing to stop, you can’t take it anymore, this overwhelming longing and sorrow. 

As soon as your knees make contact with the ground, iii and iv finally take notice of your distressed state. They understand immediately, having themselves gone through similar visceral reactions the first time they heard Vessel’s poignant songs. 

iv drops down to your level, pulling you into his chest trying to get you to match his breathing, as iii takes off running calling for help following Vessel’s voice trying to reach him. 

Your face is pressed firmly against iv chest, you can feel his erratic heartbeat against your cheek. Amongst your frantic state, you can swear that you hear a gentle voice whispering in your ear, “Breathe with me. Everything is going to be ok.”

 You try your best to match his slow and steady breaths, though yours are coming out in strangled gasps instead, sounding more like wheezing than anything. The way iv arms hold you close, blocks out everything around you, allowing you to focus solely on him and his calming presence.

 His earthy scent invading your nostrils, the soft leather from his jacket rubbing against your face, his warm breath coming from underneath his mask hitting the top of your head, the soothing tempo of his heart beating deep within his chest. 

The singing has stopped, the melancholy song no longer traveling through the air. Once you calm down, you pull away from iv sniffling a soft, ‘thanks’ under your breath.

 Embarrassment courses through you at your body’s volatile reaction to someone singing, if you didn’t know any better you honestly would have thought there was another siren lurking about this place.

 iv tilts his head, his eyes soft, searching your tear-stained face, though for what exactly, you’re not sure. He reaches out slowly so as to not startle you, cupping your face in his hands and wiping away your tears with his thumbs. 

The warmth from his hands seeps into your skin, comforting you far more than you care to admit to yourself. You look into his eyes seeing something in them that you have never seen anyone look at you with. You don’t like the look in his eye, it’s scaring you because you aren’t sure what it means and why you of all people are at the receiving end of it. 

The heavy sounds of boots hitting the stone path cause you to pull yourself away from iv and out of his gentle hold. As you stand, looking towards the source of the footsteps, you miss the sight of iv shoulders deflating at the loss of contact wanting to keep you in his arms and within his reach. 

iii’s frame fills your vision, you can see him assessing you looking for any signs of distress or injury. 

Feeling embarrassed at all the fuss at your nervous breakdown, you shyly say, “I’m ok. I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me.” 

A voice you have not heard before replies from behind iii, “Seems like you were in good hands. Don’t worry about it these things happen here.” 

You peek from around iii to see a man similar in height to iii though only slightly shorter. Wearing a dark-green robe pulled open exposing his painted black chest, with golden chains hanging from around his neck. On his left shoulder, sat an intricate piece of what looks like armor, black feathers peeking from his back, eerily reminding you of the black flamingo you saw the previous night. 

He also wore a mask, though instead of his face being completely covered as iii and iv’s, his painted nose and mouth were visible. His mask is white with gold accents around the edge, in the middle is the same symbol but this one is green, with six eye holes carved in the center.

Vessel watches as your scrutinizing stare scans over him, seeing uncertainty in your eyes he steps out from behind iii, now standing between iii and iv though a half-step back not wanting to invade your space before introducing himself. 

“I am Vessel,” he says lifting his hand to the center of his chest, a warm smile on his face. 

The timbre of his voice washing over you, making you feel safe the complete opposite of how you felt mere moments ago from his melancholy melody. You mutter your name in reply, suddenly feeling exposed standing underneath his watchful gaze. Your every thought and emotion suddenly seems as if this man can easily read them all. 

Akin to if your soul was laid out in front of you, open and bleeding before him waiting for him to do as he pleased and you are almost certain you would let him. Wherever this man led you or to you to go, without a shadow of a doubt you would follow. Now you understand how so many people could easily fall victim to cults, especially if they were all like this man standing in front of you.

Vessel puts each of his hands on iv and iii’s shoulders, the warm smile ever present on his face, “Let us return, I have a feast awaiting everyone’s arrival.” 

He turns and begins walking back down the stone path not looking behind to see if you’re following, trusting that you will. iii immediately followed not having to be told twice as you stood still, letting out a deep breath, the moment Vessel’s stare left you the power of his mere presence was suffocating in the best way possible. iv grabs at your sleeve tugging softly for you to follow.  

Your steps are slow and tentative before something Vessel said pops into your mind causing you to pick up your pace calling out, “Wait, awaiting our arrival? How did you know we were coming?” 

However, if he is surprised by your question he doesn’t show it but instead quickly looks over his shoulder giving you a sly smirk, “The garden, of course.” 

oh, of course, you think snarkily to yourself, the most obvious answer out there, how silly of you to not think of that, to begin with. All of these cryptic messages and beings are really starting to piss you off, and maybe it is just the hunger talking but you are one more minor inconvenience away from losing your mind. Huffing you cross your arms over your chest dragging your feet identical to a child throwing a tantrum. 

The view in front of you quickly snaps you out of your sulking. Moss and vines cling to the sizeable white stone cathedral that stands before you. The red and pink flowers that you’ve seen everywhere else in Eden seem to dull in comparison to the ones that grow here, looking more vibrant and full of life than ever swaying in the breeze seemingly as if the plants themselves were breathing. 

Hanging around the entrance are dried herbs and small twisted sticks tied together to create runes and sigils, what they were warding against or for you were unsure. 

The closer you walk towards the cathedral, the more you can smell the most delicious scent of food coming from inside causing your stomach to growl in anticipation as to what awaits beyond the opened doors. With newfound vigor, you happily follow behind Vessel and the others as they lead the way inside.

You ascend the white steps, warmth cascading over you as you enter the cathedral that is filled to the brim with huge golden candelabras lighting the room in a soft flickering glow. If you thought the outside was beautiful, the inside caused it to pale in comparison. Everything on the inside is ethereal and otherworldly. 

The stone pillars holding up the roof are wrapped in the same vines that covered the outside but something was different about these, and you couldn’t quite place what it was. The same stone table that has been present in all the places you have been to sit in the back of the room covered in small offerings of herbs, and what looked to be pieces of paper with writing that seemed oddly similar to lyrics and music notes. 

On the two opposite walls facing each other led two dimly lit hallways, but before you could investigate any further the sight of the huge round table covered in food quickly pulled your focus. 

You pause stopping yourself from making a bee-line directly to the table, trying to regain some of your dignity, even though you doubt you had much left. Vessel already stands next to the circular table looking very pleased with himself at your reaction, he pulls a chair out gesturing for you to sit. 

“Please sit, this feast has been prepared for your sustenance.” 

Tentatively, you make your way to the seat pulled out for you, sitting down allowing Vessel to push your chair in for you. Vessel takes the seat across from you, while iii and iv sit in the open seats on either side of you, you’ve noticed they seem to like to be near you. An empty seat was left untouched in between iii and Vessel, probably for the mysterious ii, you recently learned about, you wondered briefly if he would make an appearance.

The table was covered in a large array of fruits, vegetables, cheeses, bread, and meat -the whole thing looked like a very big and elaborate charcuterie board. Not sure where to start first, you begin to pile up a rather hefty amount of everything that catches your eye on the small golden plate in front of you. As you start to eat, you aren’t sure whether it is because of how hungry you are or if this was actually the best food you have ever had in your life but you weren’t about to question anything. 

You were so preoccupied that you didn’t even notice that you were the only one eating until you peeked around at everyone’s empty plates. 

Suspicion enters your mind, clouding your judgment you pause chewing trying to remember iii’s words, something about Vessel being the most powerful of them all, your eyebrows crease together in concentration until you remember exactly what type of creature Vessel is.

 Your eyes open wide in realization, that you are currently eating food given to you by a fae. Alarm bells ringing in your head, what can you do now? You know what this means, eating their food binds you to their realm and even worse gives them power over you.

 What this the plan all along? To give you false hope that Vessel would be able to provide you with answers, and possibly even help you get back home. When in reality they all planned to forcefully bind you here with them never being allowed to leave? 

Vessel rests his chin on his hand a sympathetic smile gracing his features, “You worry too much. No harm will come to you by one of us.” 

You aren’t sure why you are so inclined to believe him, to believe all of them. You still don’t even really know them but the little voice in the back of your mind in back again telling you, that no one here would ever willingly lie to you, maybe you’re just gullible wanting to place all your hope into these magical and mystical beings trusting them and their words. 

Although you don’t really have a choice, you have already taken a bite of the food, and the damage has been done. So you will have to put your faith in them, that they do want to help you and mean you no harm. 

Slowly you begin eating again, swallowing the food inside your mouth before asking, “Then why is no one else eating?” 

From the corner of your eye, you see movement from iv making you turn your head to look at him as he brings his hand up to his face taping his mask. 

“Oh,” the little fact did slip your mind in your panic-induced assumptions and theories. 

Nonetheless, the awkward feeling of people watching you eat is quickly making you lose your appetite. Sensing this iii started idle conversation at the table asking Vessel about his plants and other mundane questions. 

The chatter rapidly becomes background noise to you, allowing you to somewhat eat in peace knowing the attention is no longer focused solely on you.

 As you continue eating, you watch Vessel from your peripherals, you can easily see how he has managed to gain so much respect and admiration from everyone else. His mere presence alone is enough to convince you to follow him to the ends of the earth.

 The way he speaks and holds himself is something you have never experienced from anyone else before, everything he does is utterly captivating. 

Even though his eyes are obscured behind the mask, you are more certain than you ever have been about anything else that there is nothing but love and compassion in his gaze especially as he looks at his fellow companions. But the way he was singing earlier so full of hurt and pain confused you, how could anyone or anything dare to hurt him so much? 

The sound of your name calls your attention, you look up at Vessel seeing the smile no longer on his face but in its place was a small frown. 

“When you finish eating and you feel ready. Sleep would like to speak with you.” something akin to pity can be heard in his voice. 

As soon as the words leave Vessel’s lips, iv slams his fist down on the table rattling the plates and cutlery making you jump in your seat at the sudden outburst. iv hands moving wildly in front of him too fast for you to even guess at what he is trying to say but whatever it is you are certain it’s nothing nice.

Vessel shakes his head solemnly, “I understand your concerns iv. This is not up to me, this is their decision.” he turns his attention to you, “Do you wish to confer with Sleep?” 

iv lets out a disgruntled whine beside you clearly not liking the idea of you speaking directly with Sleep, iii continues to stay unusually quiet during this whole conversation. You look over at him, but iii is looking everywhere but you nervously fiddling with the tablecloth. Even though the thought of speaking with a supposed god scared you, you needed answers and maybe they could help you get home. 

You look back at Vessel, determination on your face, “I want to speak with Sleep.” 

iv throws his hands against the edge of the table pushing his seat back before storming out into the dimly lit hallway on the left leading deeper into the cathedral with iii following behind quickly shouting for him to wait.

Even amongst the outburst Vessel's eyes never once left your face, searching for something, the sneaking suspicion that he can read your thoughts is back. 

“Very well, follow me.” 

You rise to your feet, pushing your chair back into the table, and walk to where Vessel patiently waits for you in the hallway on the right ominously starting down the darkened hallway lacking in candles, unlike the main room. Giving you the impression that you really aren’t supposed to venture down here. 

Following behind Vessel you notice how different the atmosphere surrounding him seems now like he is scared or worried but why would he be? He is quite literally a devotee of this god and a vessel for them, therefore he has more than likely spoken with this deity countless times. 

With every step, you reach the large intricately carved stone door at the end of the hall, the type of door that just screams bad news, if you were watching a horror movie you would be actively screaming at the screen for the main character to run away and to not open the door. Two long twisted candle sticks stand tall on either side of the door creating eerie shadows along the designs of the door, doing nothing to quell your anxiety. 

Vessel reaches the door first but doesn’t make a move to open it, he instead moves to the side peering down at you. You really wished that smile that wouldn’t seem to leave his face earlier would come back, even a fake one would be better than the pitying look you just know is staring down at you right now. 

“I cannot go in with you, this is something you have to do alone.” his voice hesitates, hoping that you will change your mind and go back with him to the others. You don’t have to do this, he can help you find out why you’re here, answer all your questions, and even help you get back home if that still remains to be your wish. 

“Ok,” you nod adding on more for yourself than to Vessel, “I can do this.” 

Placing both hands against the cold stone, you use your body weight to open the heavy door as it slowly creaks open a soft rumbling and scraping echoing down the long corridor behind you. Once the door is cracked open a sizeable amount for you to be able to pass through a hand wraps around your arm, you turn to look at Vessel a silent question on the tip of your tongue as to why he is stopping you. 

The warmth of his hand seeping through your sleeve contrasting heavily with the cold air emitting from the crack in the door. He shakes his head, his shoulders dropping in defeat.

 “Be careful.” His voice is serious, a warning thinly veiled in his words.

As quick as he stopped you, he let go of your arm, briskly turning around and walking back down the hallway, his dark green cloak flowing behind him. Knowing he would not be able to stomach watching you walk into the room, knowing full well what awaits those who Sleep wishes to talk to.

This is such a bad idea you think disparagingly to yourself, as you enter the cold room, all warmth and comfort sucked out of your body the second you stepped over the threshold. It’s a lot smaller in here than you thought it would be, it’s about the size of a small storage closet.

 Complex golden tile lined the ground twisting around the room creating a labyrinth leading to the center of the barren room, where a single large basin sat filled with a mysterious viscous black liquid. 

Looking down into the water, you half-expected to see someone or something staring back at you but instead, your tired face gazed back at you, the ripple of the liquid distorting your face. 

Timidly you reach your hand out, a voice sounding unlike your own whispering for you to touch the liquid that now moves as if something was swimming underneath the surface unseen by you. 

As soon as your index finger makes the slightest contact pain erupts behind your eyes, making you fall back landing on the ground with a grunt. You scramble backward trying desperately to put as much distance as you can between you and the basin hoping the distance will help lessen the pain forming in your head to no avail. 

With every passing second the pain grows worse, like someone was crawling around inside your head digging through all of your thoughts and memories tearing them open and bending them to their will.

 This is the complete opposite feeling you get in the presence of Vessel, whereas everything about him is inviting and caring, whatever this is it is torturous and sadistic.

You cry out in pain holding your head in your hands trying anything to make it stop, wanting nothing more than to leave and go back out to Vessel but you’re rooted firmly in place. Something is talking to you, but the voice isn’t in the room it’s in your head, every word spoken amplifying the pain.

 It makes sense now, Vessel and the others weren’t scared because they thought Sleep would help you, they were scared because they didn’t want you to feel the pain that their god inflicted upon them, reminding them of their place beneath Sleep.

Even though the voice is speaking in a language you can’t understand, you know exactly what it is that they are saying to you and it scares you because you don’t know or understand what is happening inside your mind.

“They have begun to venture from the path given unto them. You will bring them back to me.” reverberates around in your skull. 

Distorted images swarm behind your eyes, a vision of five masked figures in excruciating pain begging for release and forgiveness that will not come. While the same voice that speaks to you now laughs manically at them, reveling in their agony and daring them to disobey again.

 You don’t know for certain whether what you are seeing is the past or the future playing out before you, but you do know that if that is what’s in store for everyone if they fully return to Sleep, you will do anything to stop it. You just want to go home, and they don’t deserve to be punished or treated like that.

At your thoughts of rebellion, a sharp pain explodes across your body, electricity coursing through your veins causing your muscles to briefly spasm out of control.

 Full of anger the voice speaks again, “You are so certain that you want to return.” 

Cruel laughter rings in your head as more memories from your past, flash through your mind. A family that turned their back on you at the first sign of hardship, a lover who tore you apart with endless cruelty. 

As your life flashes before your eyes, you’re bombarded with the harshest words, over and over: that you deserve this, that you're never enough, that you never were, and you never will be.

“You are not wanted there, nor anywhere. At least here your worthless life might have meaning after all.” 

All the pain and agony you felt your entire life squashes every happy thought and memory you have ever had, opening up the dam letting all the dark thoughts you have tried so hard to get rid of come flooding back.

 You are nothing, no one cares about you, not even the people here, they only treated you with kindness because they didn’t want to be punished by Sleep for rejecting his supposed gift. 

Little did they know, Sleep brought you here to use you and once they find that out they will all surely toss you aside to be forgotten. Nevertheless, you won’t hurt them, you refuse to be the cause of their pain, they don’t deserve that.

Iv, iii, and Vessel’s covered faces appear in the reveries of your mind breaking you out of the painful memories, just long enough for you to stand, stumbling into the door.

 As fast as you can before you lose the sudden burst of adrenaline, you use all your might to rip the door open running out of the room, the angry screams dissipating from your mind the farther you run away from the room, from the cathedral, from everyone.

 You’re not stopping, you can’t stop you have to go away. The warmth of the sun caresses your skin, but you are too numb to feel it, to feel anything other than despair.

Eden is too beautiful, Sleep is right you don’t belong here or anywhere. Everything here works together in harmony, the love these people all share for one another is obvious anyone can see it. 

The way they all speak of one another makes you long for that kind of trust and affection from someone, anyone even though you know that you will never be worthy of such things. This place gives you hope that maybe you can find it, that all of that and more is out there for you. 

You hate this place for it, for the false hope that fills you every time you look at one of them, when they casually brush against you, your skin burning in response, you have to get out of here, or else this place will just keep taking and taking until there’s nothing left. 

You will become a shell of a person longing for something and someone you will never have because that is not what is meant for you and you have accepted that a long time ago.

You don’t know where you’re running to but anywhere is better than here where you will be used by Sleep to hurt the others. At least back home you might have been a hallowed out shell of a person but you weren’t hurting anyone. A plan forms in your mind, you don’t know how or why you didn’t think of it before. 

Maybe you can leave the same way you got here, through the water. The solution staring you in the face, either it works and you're back home or you cease to exist, either outcome is better than being used to hurt them. 

With newfound determination, you run blindly through the garden in what you hope is the correct direction, unaware of the smokey figure quickly gaining on you from above.

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Thank you for the likes, reblogs, and comments! I am so happy that people are actually enjoying this silly little idea that I had. Sorry that this chapter was a lot of dialogue and lore dumping, but I hope you all still enjoyed it! The next chapter should be a little bit happier. :)

[tastesousweet]

⭒ the girl with the tattoo (ii) - pt 1 here!!

matt sturniolo x fem!oc / reader

summary : matt is still a grumpy ass but y/n can't seem to get him off of her mind.

warnings : idk uhhh matt’s rude but in a love hate kinda way 😋! also alcohol/drinking (i headcannon everyone 21+!)

mickey speaks : shes finally hereeeee and shes kinda long. im hoping to post more consistently!! luv u guys enjoy <3 ignore the fact that the pic above has a yt girl in it this story is for everyone i promise !!!! i just liked the little green vibe ok? ok.

THIS IS PART TWO GO READ PART ONE FIRST DUH!!!!

AND of course you see matt again.

only a month ago, you were introduced and forced to spend an hour of your time in close proximity to him, no matter his disinterest. yet, also, only a month ago, were you gifted with the cutest tiny tattoo that continues to surprise you a little whenever you lift your shirt before a warm shower.

it hasn’t bothered you nearly as much as you'd assumed - only disrupting your life with the caution you now take to avoid irritating the skin at your lower stomach. though some nights you grow lazy, you’ve maintained a very disciplined attitude of incorporating time in your morning and nightly rituals to ensure the tiny hello kitty inked on you is properly cared for.

contrary, your interactions with matt bothered you far more than you assumed. your sub-concious must've held onto your attempts to break past his careless attitude (that greatly opposed your own people-pleasing nature) just to pettily haunt you. but you've you forced yourself to get over it at this point. you just had to after one night, the week following your tattoo appointment (and after a long day of rude professors and pretentious customers blaming you for their own mistakes), you broke down to andrea:

you sniffle before your voice breaks again, "everyone's just mean. and- and i was so fucking annoying last saturday. it keeps playing over in my head. i'm so embarrassed and i just know he hated me, but i dont know why?! i thought i was nice enough. he could've just smiled or maybe just- i-"

andrea pauses from petting your head, "honey, you're not still talking about the guy who tatted you, right?" you look up at her from your head's soft spot in her lap with glossy eyes and a quivering lip.

"dre-" you choke.

"oh my god! no! y/n, you can't take shit like that personal. not everyone enjoys talking or happiness for that matter, you can't hold on to something like that. i promise he's not too hung up on it himself." she wipes away one of your pitiful tears.

and here he is, standing across the room from you at a party.

you definitely did not expect to see matt (who’s mild attitude was clearly fueled by socializing) in this scene but you guess that la parties are just like that. as long as you know someone who knows someone you’re easily in, that's how you tend to get into these events at least. though an insta stalk would tell you matt has enough clout to get himself in, he and his brothers have built quite the brand for themselves among la socialites.

once your eyes spot him over the shoulder of some guy who just introduced himself to you, they can’t seem to move. you watch as matt smiles for a photo with a few others. matt. smiles. okay, so maybe it was a you problem. he doesn’t hate everyone maybe just you.

though, your thoughts are denied as quickly as his face drops. he doesn’t even care to look at how the image may have turned out like the rest of the group. instead, his eyes opt to watching the people around him as he sips his weak drink.

great, now you’ve become the weirdo watching him watch other people.

until his eyes catch your cautious yet curious stare from across the room. your cheeks heat and you’re immediately shifting your eyes back to the man in front of you.

matt almost smirks at his luck. no fucking way the scared sweetheart he’d tattooed just a few weeks ago is here. he looks away when someone lays a hand on his shoulder to bring him back into the conversation. you're surprised that he continues to look back over to you after adding his input.

the guy finally acknowledges your disengagement with the story about his new motorcycle and turns to see what exactly you’re staring at. he sees matt and turns back to you, “you know him?”

“yeah. well not like know-know we only met once, he gave me a tattoo.”

“oh, cool,” he looks back over to matt and turns back to you once again, “is he bothering you?”

your face scrunches initially, “no, it’s fine.” you smile at him, not wanting to give him the impression that matt did anything but exist (which apparently is enough to capture your attention).

“good. wanna go grab another drink and tell me more about this tattoo?” a charming smile morphs on face and you nod your head easily, taking his hand and leading him towards the bar outside of this large home. and away from matt.

“two-” you look over to the man beside you, “wait is this an open bar?” you ask him genuinely and he laughs a little at your aloofness.

“yeah,” he nods.

“perfect, we’ll take two kamikaze shots pretty please!” you smile at the bartender who seems to be enjoying her night quite a bit and squeeze his hand when you realize it’s still in your own. he looks down at your attached hands then back to you.

you turn your body to face him more directly and lean up to his ear, cupping your hand and whispering, “i’m so sorry, i think i forgot your name.” you were starting to feel bad and just had to confess.

you lean back and bite your lip to hide an awkward smile, and he somehow smiles harder than he already was, “it’s-”

“ashton!” you hear a voice yell hurriedly and now some dark haired guy is pulling him away from you and repeatedly saying “code red!” in his face. and suddenly, without any indication he’d enjoyed your short lived time together, he’s gone.

you try not to sulk but he was an attractive guy with easy conversation, so you at least hoped to get his number by the end of the night.

instead, you’re left leaning against the bar hoping those shots come around soon. you decide to update your friends on your night:

Y/N

cute guy lefttttt :(

REMI

noooooo he was so cute 😫

Y/N

don’t remind me

ANDREA

where r you now???

Y/N

outside bar, im waiting on shots

Y/N

come find me💔💔

your head shoots up from your phone when three guys practically ram themselves into the bar near you, a few people around them laughing obnoxiously.

"god damnit, chris! we said we were going slowly!"

"shhhh. you are so loud, matt!"

“excuse me, can we get some water? none of the sparkles or bubbles and shit, just water, please.”

“next time i'm speaking for myself! what if i wanted the bubbles?”

you lean your head a little to get a full view of the three recognizable faces. chris, with his arms dangled over his two brothers’ shoulders clearly obliterated and slurring his words (but excited to be there nonetheless). a blonde one, you haven’t gotten the chance to meet yet, with two nose piercings and a commanding voice. and matt, with his signature pout, even poutier now that chris’ weight is causing him to hunch over slightly. you guess you were bound to run into them.

you wonder if andrea was right in saying matt hadn’t held onto your exchange. you wonder if when he saw you earlier he remembered you for your friendly smile rather than your annoying nagging. or did he even remember you at all? did he only look at you because you were staring him down first? okay, where the fuck are those shots?!

“no way!" you hear chris’ voice screech upon recognizing you from across the bar, "y/n!?”

you look over and see him shockingly excited to see your face again. you smile in an attempt to not allow your nerves about matt get to you. you are never one to deny a conversation after all.

“oh my god! hi!” you reply as chris unwraps himself from his brothers and moves closer to you.

“how’s your tat treatin’ you?” his eyes express so much excitement he reminds you of a little kid. you’re very flattered to see someone feel so much emotion due to your mere presence.

“oh, it’s still so cute, no regrets so far. i love it.” you smile and he nods while you’re speaking.

he turns around and sees his brothers and a few friends remaining in the other side of the bar talking amongst themselves. “yo, get the fuck over here! why are you guys so far?” he encourages them with a hand wave.

you wave as well, trying not to be a total stranger- even if you are.

the blonde guy leads them over and hands chris a glass of water that must’ve been waiting on him.

“cheers,” chris smirks and takes a sip before a disgusted look takes over his face, “gross. my god! why do they make this shit so bland?”

the blonde boy rolls his eyes in amusement, mumbling, "just drink it," before approaching you kindly. "hey, i’m nick by the way."

“y/n, nice to meet you! i met chris and matt when i got my tattoo done at your shop a while ago.” you explain kindly.

before nick can get another word in a female voice is squealing, “you’re y/n?! hi, i’m asha, i don't know if your remember but we talked on the phone that one time!” a tanned girl with soft cheeks and dark loose curls moves herself in front of the boys.

“of course i remember, how could i forget that insane frog story? it's so nice seeing you in person finally!” you gush.

suddenly chris is beaming, “aww wait guys this is so cute! i’m feeling like we should all hug!” he nods to his brothers who are quick to shake their heads no.

“i don’t think..” nick starts.

“nooo! let’s hug!” chris argues and opens his arms wide gesturing for everyone to hug him.

౨ৎ

after sharing a very drunk and messy group hug you all continue to talk until chris finally blurts, "i gotta go pee so bad guys, " he laughs, "but i need people with me because if i walk in on someone puking, then what? i'll die from my severe" (its not severe at all) "emetophobia and no one will ever know?"

you and asha (who you've found is actually so similar to you) both laugh at his crisis.

matt just breathes a laugh.

"chris, there’s no reason to go further with the fear factor when no one said they wouldn't come with you. i’m coming, so you're not gonna die, let's go." nick shakes his head.

“you don’t understand, nick i would be dead and covered in- i can’t even say it, dude,” chris’ voice fades as they walk away.

"wait, i'll walk with you guys inside! 'm... getting cold out here!" asha suddenly says removing herself from your side and waving goodbye with a drunk smile.

"it's not cold at all, she's trippin'" matt speaks watching her run and practically jump onto nick, causing the three laugh while leaving the crowded yard.

you just shrug and lean onto the bar again, making eye contact with the bartender who looks as if she only just remembered your existence but also seems to mentally question where the other guy went and how you managed to replace him that quickly.

"are you always so nice about everything?" matt questions, leaning his forearms on the bar, still looking at you.

"what?" you look over to him now, feeling almost sick at his proximity.

he mocks you with a high tone in his voice, "'it's soooo nice to meet you! it's soooo nice seeing you!' it sounds exhausting, to be honest."

"didn't realize having manners got you jail time," you breathe.

"and i never said it did."

"well, i don't have to be nice to you if it bothers you so much," you shrug.

"aw, sunshine, you'd do that for me? you're too sweet." he almost laughs at his own sarcastic comment.

you lick your bottom lip out of habit, "why are you still here? don't you have friends you should be ignoring?" you hope he can't tell just how frustrated he's making you.

“you must think you know me.”

“i know you don’t like me.”

“wrong, again.” he smiles and points his finger at you.

“oh, you just don’t like anyone then?”

he glances away before responding, “what's the fun in telling you?”

you huff in defeat, wanting nothing more than those shots right now. though your subconcious hopes the bartender continues to prioritize her flirting customers over you just so you can continue this addicting back and forth with matt.

"you know, that’s the thing with people like you. you think everyone owes you everything." he shakes his head.

"people like me?” you scoff under your breath, “matt, why are you still here?"

he can pick out the offense in your tone, "oh shit, that was true? i was fucking with you, sunny!"

"you don't know anything about me," you laugh and shake your head.

"alright there are those kamikaze shots for you! so sorry about that major delay, honey!" the bartender sets the shots in front of the both of you and smiles at you apologetically.

"don't worry about it, thank you!" you hand her a spare five dollar bill from your back pocket.

when she's gone you finally notice matt's widened eyes.

"what's up with your face, now?"

"you gave her a tip for pouring you some rankydank, fuckin' low level shots after you've waited long enough for her to apologize?" he seems genuinely shocked.

"she only makes money off of tips," you roll your eyes, picking the shot up and gesturing towards the second shot for him to take.

"that's all you," he raises his hands towards his chest.

"oh my god, do it, matt."

he shakes his head and points to you, "you take your shot, sweetheart."

"i knew you wouldn't, pussy," you say under your breath before smirking as you down the alcohol you've been craving since you first saw his face.

upon your insult matt is immediately taking the shot along side you. and just as both of your faces adjust to the taste, matt's phone begins to vibrate.

he grabs it and you attempt to hide your own curiosity by asking the bartender for a lime to suck on (not daring to ask for alcohol again because you simply don't want to be hung up at this bar for any longer).

"yeah, yeah still here," matt plays with his bottom lip and looks down at you with your mouth full of lime. he thinks you look pretty adorable, especially under the blush pink fairy lights hanging above the bar. "'kay, i'll be quick. alright, nick. i will. bye."

he puts his phone away and wipes his mouth, "that shit was fucking vile, by the way."

"okay, drama queen."

"mhm," his face falters back into his usual pout, "well i gotta go, but, um, nick wanted me to invite you to this get together thing we host at the warehouse, it's in like a month but, you know, come if you want." he shrugs.

"tell him of course i will, but only because he asked." you smile sarcastically.

౨ৎ

ANDREA - 12:39 AM

y/n where are you we are both so confused rn help

ANDREA - 12:45 AM

hellooo????

ANDREA - 12:47 AM

GIRL WE'RE OUTSIDE AND WE DONT SEE YOU TF

Y/N - 1:06 AM

WHERE ARE U GUYS RN I JSUT SAW TATTOO GUY AGASSN IM LOSUNG MY MIND JUST A LUTTLE BIT

Y/N - 1:06 AM

I WAS AT THE OTHER OITSIDE BAR IN THE FRONT(?) YARD!!!!! but its ok im gonba find u guys

౨ৎ

a few days later matt comes across your instagram story, forgetting he had followed you in the first place. it was a picture of you and your friends from the same night he had seen you again. it's a simple mirror photo where you're all smiling but besides your soft skin and cute outfit, matt's attention focuses on frank ocean's pyramids playing over the story.

you see the notification later that day when you finally get time on your phone:

matthew.sturniolo liked your story

꩜⋆ ˚｡⋆🎱˚

[blue-jisungs]

Hii ⭐

Txt with an idol s/o

Can u write this? 😸

you’re an idol ♡

a/n. hello anon! sorry you had to wait for so long, i hope u like it though!! i kind of wanted to write it as well but you gave me the perfect opportunity hehe

you can also find enha version here!! :D

┆彡 YEONJUN [ 연준 ]

oh boy

first of all (and everyone saw it coming)… he absolutely devours your group’s choreos

like okay you’re his gf blah blah but he still will outshine you in the tiktoks you’re making because of your comebacks 😔

and also?? he’s always the first person ever to film a tiktok challenge w u and vice versa…. like your song could be out for only one hour and there’s already a tiktok of u two dancing (nooo not suspicious at all wdym)

other than that he’s such a sweetheart :(

he knows when you’re recording in the studio and will always make sure to drop by and bring you snacks/drinks, even if your company is on the other side of the town

or when he can’t get there in person he’ll send an uber to you with some food with cute sticky notes attached (“fighting! <3”)

and oh boy dating him means that you have access to his closet *-*

so while your fans call you an fashion icon, yeonjun is rolling his eyes at the fact that those are literally his clothes (“i styled them though!” “but y/n–?!”)

takes u on cute lil days usually in the evening and you’re the one who takes his candid pics to post on instagram username yawnzzn 😄😄😄😄😄

and if you have private insta you post pics that he took of you as well ^_^ but if you have an official acc you just wait a bit with posting so the fans won’t be able to connect the dots too quickly

and and :( he’s so cute like!! “yeah there was (your fav group) comeback right?? and they were on inkigayo, right??” *casually whips out a signed album* “oh and also i got (your bias)’s phone number and i gave them yours, they told me they’ll call you!!! i said you’d love to meet up and maybe film a challenge?”

fainting rn

will get jealous tho if u keep blabbing abt your bias so please cover him in kisses n cuddle w him :)

┆彡 SOOBIN [ 수빈 ]

papa bunny is treating you like one of his members

he can be sweet sometimes too 🙄

but most of the time he’ll scold u if you’re not sleeping/eating/resting enough… and also if you’re skipping practices

he’ll snitch to your leader?? or manager??

like tf.

but he’s so so cute :(

if you happen to have comebacks in similar time, you always end up opening each other’s albums!!

or even if it’s for example you, you’ll watch him open all the versions of the albums

bc he’s a fanboy. and you know it he’ll be your fanboy too <3

however filming tiktoks w him when you have a challenge… yeah good luck.

but it only takes one “oh okay i’ll go ask yeonjun then–“ and he’s there shaking his ass

he’ll be grumpy later tho 🙄

(“how could u even think of asking him when i’m your boyfriend!!!!!”)

fans think you’re really really close friends (esp if you’re under hybe too) so they’re like

“oh look!! y/n attended txt’s concert!! their friendship is so so cute!!”

and then you’re making out backstage… yeah cute friendship indeed :)

also expect him to tear up if you’re tearing up on a stage or at home bc you’re so overwhelmed by your fans support :( he just can’t help it + he’s super proud of u

┆彡 BEOMGYU [ 범규 ]

cutie patootie on the highest levels :”)

just like soobin – he’s iu fanboy so ofc he’ll be yours too!!! will attend your concerts, have your light stick and pc collection

obv he’s acting like he doesn’t

in private you often sing each other’s songs

and he’d cover some of them on guitar ^_^

he’s constantly singing your songs underneath his breath

will even dance randomly, sometimes during to x do and the boys r like —.—

takes care of you….. you’re constantly on his mind, he’s so thoughtful

he’ll see one (1) bruise and right away inspect if you’re not going too hard on yourself <\\3

also gossips abt you with your band members 😑

and they send him pics of you when you’re not looking 😑😑

you both are trying your best to be careful abt your relationship but the fans are a little suspicious after you quite often… reference him or his lines

and he’s,,, well, himself and doesn’t really care

so sooner or later fans figure out lol!

but it’s not that bad actually <\\3

┆彡 TAEHYUN [ 태현 ]

realistically speaking he’ll be the smartest with your relationship like no way in hell people would figure out

but he’s so cute help i love him sm :(

he carries a key chain of your representative animal near his keys and just!!! <\\3

he’ll take such good care of you too like 🥹

he knows it all abt taking care of your vocals and body esp when you’re working hard

so he’s pops in to your studio with warm water with honey and straight on acts like it just? fell from the sky?

“idk what do you mean i did not prepare this and carry just for you?? you’re so delusional sometimes i just found it on the street 😑 but drink it all”

yeah sure 🥰

and kind of bullies you intro working out but in the end working out with him is fun so you don’t mind :D

not only your fans are falling in love w u more and more hehehe but also tae also takes care of you after a harsh work out session so…. <3

and he’ll never admit but he loves your songs!! often uses some of them as a warm up or just hums then when he’s alone

will know a lot of choreos of yours as well but he’d rather die than say it out loud

but when he’s with guys tho

(he thinks it’s not that noticeable but it so is)

also if your company sucks ass he will not hesitate to do something about it – whether i’m person, email them or even hire someone to act on it 😳

mans got money, okay? and balls too. and also huge huge love for you 😌 so he’ll do whatever it takes if your comfort is being threatened

┆彡 HUENING KAI [ 휴닝카이 ]

dispatch announced u as a couple and honestly this is the best outcome bc kai would have spilled it anyways

and needless to say you are like everyone’s fav :(

let’s be real, you two are cuties patooties so i’m not even surprised ^_^

fans set matching pfps of your pics :(

and kai is such a sweetheart he started collecting plushies of your representative animal and if you have a plushie (like bt21, skzoo) of you then he’ll just buy every single one that comes out + clothes :(

sleeps w them too :( esp when one of you is on a tour <\\3

oh and also on tours :( you’ll play on nintendos, animal crossing or something and leave notes for each other

or face time while you play and kai zones out sometimes bc he keeps staring at u and thinking how much he misses u instead of playing ☹️

you have the access card to each others companies (if you’re not in hybe) and the staff there is just 🧍‍♀️

loves you to death but is jealous how often you text and hang out with his sisters

esp if you film a tiktok with them first?? and then him?? offended (at least 20 kisses are needed to make him happy again)

carries your pcs everywhere!! wallet, phone case, attached to his bag in those cute little holders

supports u on the FULLEST ?!

sends trucks w coffees or snacks at your filming locations, attends your concerts, goes to events w you and promotes your songs on weverse :”)

[ masterlist <3 ]

taglist. @geniejunn ,, @luvhyun3 ,, @starlostseungmin ,, @elviransworld ,, @jnks6r ,, @sieunsgf ,, @ethereallino ,, @laylasbunbunny ,, @duolingofanaccount ,, @slytherinshua ,, @stxrseungs ,, @ka-ni-ma ,, @iliveforlixie ,, @ameliesaysshoo ,, @dazzlingligth ,, @mark-geolli ,, @l3visbby ,, @w3bqrl ,, @ddeonudepressions ,, @yourfavoritefreakyhan ,, @cinnamoroxie ,, @kazmura ,, @primoppang

[biancasaidstfu]

Hi. I'm actually bringing you an ask that refers to L/N. Is it possible that there is picture proof that they are actually together, as in a relationship and Deuxmoi has it, but since it doesn't fit her lying ways, she's not going to reveal it? She still wants to push the wrong stories, it seems. But do you think actual proof of Luke and Nicola exist? After all this time, we still don't have any pics or anything? I find that hard to believe. To quote The X Files, " the truth is out there" but who has that truth? Or are they just that good at hiding it?

Someone, somewhere, has something and they're sitting on it.

Now, we can't say this for certain but if the theory that Luke has been back with Nicola since he got home from Sorrento, that's over three months ago, then there's pictures out there. That's a LONG time to be able to sneak around and not get recognized anywhere.

Does DM have anything? I've thought about this quite a lot. Would DM continue their bullshit narrative if they are in possession of evidence of the two of them together?

I think a lot of people would say no but I think deals were made, money exchanged hands and someone really has it out for Nic. That's what it feels like anyway because who does DM mostly talk about in this situation?

It's certainly not Luke and Antonia and the six month old papgate pics she still throws out like it's not a joke at this point.

But if they don't have anything? If no one has anything?

NINJAS.

I think if DM has anything they're keeping it under wraps so they can play out their shitty little narrative. They definitely know more than they let on. But she makes mistakes, too. Big ones. Errors that some people aren't able to look past.

So all that to say, yes. I think there is proof out there. I hope it's not with DM though and it's a fan who is respecting their privacy.

Let's hope luck is on their side with that one.

[pandora-writes-one-piece]

Memento Amoris Aeterni

Source for Pic

Word Count: 7155

Tags: Fem!Reader, NSFW - Oral - you receiving, reader is VERY inexperienced (it's medieval times and you're a princess. You know nothing), Angst without happy ending (!), some fluff, Protective Ace, Caring Ace, some gore, blood, cutting of limbs, medieval times AU. MDNI!!! 🔞

Special Warning: English is not my first language, I apologise for any possible spelling or grammar mistakes.

Summary: You are a princess, the sole heir to the kingdom and a prized possession for your father, until he can sell you to the highest bidder. Because of your value, you have a personal guard, Sir Portgas, who seems bored to death with the task of watching over you. However, you realise that he's just hiding his feelings behind a mask. Yet perhaps now it is too late?

Notes: So I saw this post, and I just had to... I was going to do something very short, I swear, but it escalated! Hope you enjoy!

The meadow looks beautiful this time of year. The vibrant reds from the poppies, the purples from the lavenders, the whites from the daisies, and scattered here and there, some yellows from the sweet buttercups and blues from cornflowers. 

It feels like pure freedom. 

Your dainty fingers caress the grass as you run, hoisting your long dress over one arm, ignoring the way your white stockings are showing and laughing nervously at the way you almost lose a slipper. 

Freedom. 

Except not quite. The very ground shakes beneath the thunderous hooves of the galloping horse and you curse beneath your breath, running a little faster, with much more carelessness. Almost there, you almost made it across the meadow this time! 

Your hastened breaths leave your parted lips in short puffs while you overexert your tired lungs. You already know freedom is not ahead of you, but you'll be damned if you're going to give him the satisfaction of your surrender. 

Two more strides are all you get before an armoured arm circles your waist and effortlessly pulls you on top of the brown steed. You are now trapped between two arms while your legs dangle on the side of the horse. Still fighting to catch your breath, you grunt, curse and frown while clenching your hands into tight fists. 

“Curses upon you Sir Portgas!” Akin to a child in the midst of a fiery tantrum, you cross your arms over your chest and point your nose to the clear sky. “I was almost out!”

The horse steadies its pace into a trot while a deep chuckle graces your ears. “You were nowhere near ‘out’, Princess.” He tsks and you can almost feel his dark gaze upon your face. “Of all the jobs in the guard, I had to draw the short stick and land this one…”

Another grunt emerges from your gritted teeth. “Some knights would die for the honour of guarding the princess!”

“Those knights are idiots.”

“At least they're not insufferable!”

Another rumble of laughter is all you get and just as well because you are not willing to give anything more. 

You are the sole heir of the Kingdom and the most prized possession your father holds. As an heiress and a princess, he will get to pick and choose of any noble to be your husband. And he will pick either the wealthiest or the one who can bring him more advantages, be they military, political or financial. You are sure that whoever he picks, will either be hideous, decrepit or disgusting. 

With your luck, all three combined. 

As you are of utter importance, the King has assigned a permanent guard to you, Sir Portgas D. Ace. The best knight of the Guard, known to possess some mystical fire abilities, though you are sure that is just mere hearsay, and a known heartbreaker. Of that, you don't doubt. 

He is as handsome as he is unbearable. And that is saying a lot. 

“Your father the king will be utterly displeased at, yet another attempt to escape.” He says dryly. 

You grunt in response, busy plucking tiny burdocks from the hem of your dress and throwing them at Sir Portgas’s cape, unbeknownst to him. “Then don't tell him.”

“When I took this job, I thought I would be fighting brigands, thieves or assassins.” He scoffs. “Instead, I'm stuck as a milk nanny of a brat.”

“The job suits you. Takes a brat to recognize another one.” You mumble and hiss, a particularly nasty spike from the burdock protruding from your bleeding thumb. 

“Oh, heavens. The Princess is bleeding. Call the priest.” He guffaws and you scowl, your eyes turning into slits. 

“Amusing jest. Perhaps you should try your fortune as a court jester? Mayhaps you wouldn't be so bored?” Using your nails, you try to pick the spike, but it just breaks with the force and you curse, stifling a low whine. 

Sir Portgas removes his steel glove, settling it on his lap, and grabs your delicate hand with his. Your hiss this time has nothing to do with the pain, but with the electric feeling that courses through your body, leaving a tingling sensation on your extremities. 

His dark gaze bores into yours as he presses your thumb into his mouth and sucks. The day is not even hot, yet you feel as if your skin has set ablaze. He uses his tongue on your digit, procuring the spike and, once he finds it, he nibbles and sucks again. 

If you thought his hand on yours had caused a tingling feeling, his tongue has somehow made that tingling seem insignificant. You are aching and burning in places you shouldn't be. 

Your teeth clamp hard against your lower lip to stifle some weird sound that means to get out, yet your breath comes out in heaves through your nose and your peculiar mind says you must look like a tired horse: nostrils flaring, sweat dampening your mane and hot, flushed skin. 

Sir Portgas removes your thumb from his mouth after what resembles an eternity, and he spits towards the ground, gracing you with a smug smile. “There. No more vile thorn can harm you, my lady. I took care of your foe, as I was hired to do.”

Yet, for once, you are speechless. 

There is no counter jest, there is no witty remark. You cradle your hand against your lap and remain silent the rest of the way to the castle, your eyes never leaving the safety of the horse’s head. 

If Sir Portgas finds it peculiar, he does not say so. 

-*-

“I do not understand this need to escape, child! Do you not have all you wish for here in the castle? I give you all the gowns you desire, the pretty jewels, the fancy shoes! If you get bored I send for jesters, for animals, for dancers or plays! If you wish to meet new people, I host tournaments and gatherings! What is it you wish for that I cannot grant you? Pray, tell!”

You face the floor, your hands clasped in the front of your ruined and tattered gown. Your shoes look as if they had been through war and your hair has never been in a more dishevelled state.

Sir Portgas stands at attention behind you, to your right. His gaze facing forward, his gloved hand on the hilt of his sword. He doesn’t even flinch. You know he didn’t tell your father anything, he was with you the whole time. It was the guards by the gate that relayed that information. 

Now you are being scolded for yet another botched escape attempt. You had already lost count of how many there were. You had nineteen springs to your name, now. And your time must be near.

“I do not hear your words! Speak up! What do you want that I have not given you?”

A single tear escapes your eye and runs freely down your cheek. 

“Freedom.”

You catch a slight movement from Sir Portgas from the corner of your eye. His gaze meets yours, even if only for a second, as his jawline tightens and clenches. An almost soundless clank from the armour as his hand grips the handle harder.

“Preposterous. You will never be free. You belong to me now, child, and soon you will belong to your husband. That is the way of things. Begone!”

You hold your head high and your shoulders square as you exit the throne room and pass through an entire contingent of guards. Yet, as soon as the door closes behind you, your hands lift your skirts once more and you flee to your room as fast as your tired feet can take you. It does not matter that you are half-blinded by tears as you know the way around the castle as if it were the back of your hand.

You do not hear Sir Portgas following you, yet, he will find you. He always does.

Curse him.

-*-

The rain hits the carriage roof with extreme intensity. There’s mud on the road and the horses are dragging the vehicle to the best of their abilities, but the rain is cold and harsh and you can see smoke emerging from their flared nostrils from where you’re standing. 

You’re returning from a visit to a cousin, in the next kingdom. You have been away for three weeks and nothing has changed. Your life is dull and you are still trapped in it like a hare in a string trap, just waiting for the hit on the head so you’re fed to the hunter. 

Sighing you let out a loud huff. Your handmaiden keeps staring out the window with dreamy eyes and she ahhs and ohhs as if she has an affliction. You have half a mind to ask her if she’s constipated or in pain when you realise she’s staring at Sir Portgas, who rides next to the carriage.

He has removed his helmet because of the rain and his dark locks cling to his face and forehead with the heavy rain. His eyes are steely and dart from one side to the other, ever alert to any danger. Handsome as ever.

You roll your eyes at yet another insufferable sigh from the woman across from you. “Enough!” You bite. “I cannot stand another moan from your mouth. What is so interesting?”

“He is, my lady.” She giggles like a little girl and you feel your chest clench and contract as  anger boils within you. What is this feeling?

“Are you jesting?”

“I would never! He is so gallant and valiant. And his freckles? His smile? The way he fights?” Another sigh. You have had enough.

You’re about to order the carriage to stop because you wish to feel the rain on your face at the back of a horse. Instead, you hear dry thuds followed by screams and then, the tip of a spear protruding the carriage door and opening your maid’s skull with a sickening sound.

Your scream gets trapped in your throat, but your lips tremble incessantly. There are tears running from your eyes and you start to pant fast as your eyes never leave the gory image in front of you.

She still has her eyes open, her mouth shaped like an ‘o’ as blood and grey matter are splattered around her. Did the blood get on you as well? You dare not look. She was just laughing and now she’s so still.

You’re trembling. The screams and shouts outside increase in volume and proximity and the carriage halts to a full stop as you hear a pained neigh of a horse. The thuds of your heart grow louder and louder, as if it's beating right in your ears and your pants come in shortened gasps as your head gets lighter. 

The plush of the seat you are on gives in as your fingernails dig and scratch to ground yourself. There is so much blood. 

So much screaming.

Suddenly the door to the carriage jolts open and you turn in terror, barely having time to scream, and even if you meant to scream, you wouldn’t be able to. A wet, clammy hand finds its way to your mouth to keep you quiet and you’re inundated with the nauseating smell of metal.

Blood.

Another hand grabs you by the arm and yanks hard to pull you out of the carriage. You’re sure it will bruise. Yet, you couldn’t care less. As soon as you’re out of the carriage and you clumsily find your footing, before the man - whose appearance you are yet to perceive - manages to take you away, you bite his fingers with all the strength you possess.

Blood. Again. 

This time it fills your mouth and you spit it on the floor as soon as the man drops you, with surprise. Your knees scrape against the rocks and mud below you and you claw your way forward until you find the strength to be on your feet, preparing to run.

All around you men clash swords. There’s agonised screams and blood everywhere. You need to go!

Yet you barely get one step in before a bloody hand clasps around your neck and squeezes. “Going somewhere, you little princess whore.” The man lifts you easily off the ground and your throat aches and your lungs burn. You try to gasp for air but nothing but wheezes leave your parted lips.

Your fingernails scratch relentlessly against his hand but he does not relent. Around you the sounds of battle seem to fade into the distance. Legs dangling, your feet try to kick the man holding you, but strength fails you and you are sure this is the way you die. “Just pass out, little whore.” He whispers in your ear as his wet tongue swipes your neck and ear.

You can’t squirm away. You can’t fight back. You’re useless. 

You feel your eyelids drooping as your chest trembles and your arms fall limply beside you. But just as you’re about to dive into sweet oblivion, a sword swings and cuts right through the man’s arm, making you fall and stumble forward, right into the arms of your knight. Your guard, your protector.

Sir Portgas.

He holds you against him effortlessly as you gasp for air and cough. A pressure on your throat that burns and hurts. But you’re safe.

“Breathe, Princess. I won’t let anything happen to you.” The man that was holding you mutters incoherently. Begging for his life, pleading for mercy, asking for aid from the gods. Yet you know that all is in vain. Your knight was made to protect you. He will kill anyone or anything that attempts to take your life.

Still holding you he moves his blade effortlessly and you hear a blood-curdling scream. Trying to normalise your breath, you turn your face to look back, but Ace holds your head against him with a gloved hand. “It’s best if you don’t look.” You nod against him, feeling your legs faint from fear.

“We are going to run. Close your eyes and hold my hand. I will guide you. Do you trust me?” You lift your head to look into his eyes and there is tenderness, determination, courage and something else you can’t quite place, as he looks down at you.

“With my life.” Your whisper comes in shaky gasps and he nods, holding your hand in his.

“Run.” He orders and you do. Your eyes clenched shut as you still hear screams and the sound of colliding blades. 

Something whooshes past you and you hear a roar of sorts, at the same time as Sir Portgas mutters something under his breath. There is another scream - close, too close! - and the stench of burning flesh. 

“I’m going to pick you up. Keep your eyes closed, Princess.” He doesn’t need to tell you twice. And as he hoists you over his shoulder by the waist, you clamp your hands against your ears to keep the sounds away.

But the screaming doesn’t stop.

It never stops.

-*-

You feel yourself being set down on the ground but it’s as if the shock has left you in a rigid state. Your hands remain on your ears and your eyes shut tightly. There’s someone calling your name and shaking you but you have retreated so far into your mind that you can’t come back easily.

“..ss… Princess!”

Your eyes snap open as you gasp and a loud sob leaves your parted lips. Tears flood down and you try to release yourself from the firm hands that are holding you down. 

“It’s me, it’s me! Ace! Everything is fine! Princess, calm down!” He whispers your name. “Please calm down. Look at me.”

Still panting and gasping for air, your nails digging into his bloodied armour, you lock eyes with his dark gaze. He looks worried and pained, and you focus on his freckles instead, counting them to ground yourself.

One, two…

“It’s over, we escaped, we are fine.”

Three, four…

“I’m not sure anyone else survived. We have no horses, no food, no clothes or shelter.”

Five, six…

“The rain has given us some truce for the time being, but it won’t let up the whole night. We will rest for a bit, and then we have to go.”

Seven, eight…

“Princess, are you with me?” You don’t know when he took the gloves off, but his warm hand makes contact with your cheek and you gasp, your eyes focusing back on his. “There is nothing to fear. I won’t let anyone or anything harm you. You have my promise.”

You nod and gulp. Another tear escapes your eyes and he wipes it with his thumb.

“It could have been me.” You whisper and your voice is rasp. Your throat is sore and raw and you realise you are quite thirsty. “The spear… it just… her head… she was… she…”

He nods and mumbles some soothing words. “You’re alive. You’re fine. Try not to think of what you saw. I’ll take you home.”

You nod as your hand scratches your throat. Sir Portgas reaches and hands you a leather pouch. “Drink. It’s water.”

He sits on the floor for a moment as he sheds his steel armour. 

“Should you be taking that off? What if there are more enemies?” You ask, concerned. 

“I am faster without it, anyway. And all the noise will just give our location away to those listening.”

Makes sense. 

He gives you another moment to rest and then extends his hand to help you up. Your eyes fall on your dress and you frown. It is splattered with blood, mud and all kinds of stains. Not to mention that it is soaked through. 

“Come, we need to find shelter. It’s almost nightfall.”

You are surrounded by forest, you have no idea what kind of shelter he means to find, but you trust him completely. He was assigned to you two years ago, when you were presented to society and your father started entertaining nobles who wanted a claim on your hand. 

Luckily, none suited his fancy enough to tempt him. 

Sir Portgas has never left your side once. He sleeps when you sleep, eats when you eat, gets up when you get up. His duty to you is never-ending. He knows all there is to know about you. And you only know what he wanted to share with you. Next to nothing, because he always found the job boring.

As both of you walk through the woods, feeling the gentle pitter-patter of the slow rain, you feel as if you have calmed down enough. There is still adrenaline rushing through your veins, and you release it by holding a long, thick stick and swiping leaves with it, as if it were a sword.

“Who attacked us?”

He keeps his eyes ahead, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword so tight, his knuckles are white. 

“I’m not sure. There were no banners.”

“Brigands, you think? They saw the coach and decided we might have treasures to steal?”

“Most likely.” He grunts.

“But you don’t think that was the case?”

He stops and you bump into his hard back, as you were staring at your stick. You mumble an apology and feel your cheeks warm up. Never had you noticed how taut and defined he was, beneath the steel armour.

Looking at you, his eyes now permanently creased with concern, he sighs. “They were too organised to be simple brigands or thieves. They had military precision so they had to belong to an army. An enemy army, perhaps. I need to take you back home.”

He tugs at your arms and starts walking again. 

“No.”

“What?”

“I don’t want to go back home.” You whisper, but you keep walking alongside him. He divides his attention with your surroundings and your face.

“I can understand that, but it is far too dangerous. We need to know if the King received some sort of ransom note or-...”

“I don’t care! You can leave me wherever and go back to my father saying they killed me! I cannot return home to be sold like cattle to the highest bidder!”

You refuse to let tears leave your eyes this time. He stops again and stares at you. You can’t read him. 

At all.

“There.” He points behind you and you turn. It’s a small cave. “It will have to do. Come.” And just like that he decides the argument is over and drags you to the entrance, collecting some random sticks along the way. It is actually a rather large cave and Sir Portgas takes the wood from your hand, rips a piece of his tunic and ties it to the end of the wood. 

Muttering a few words, a flame shoots out of his fingers and he lights the cloth easily. You look at him, flabbergasted and awestruck. So it is true. He has fire powers.

“Fascinating.” You can’t help but exclaim under your breath.

“Thank you, Princess.” He replies with a smirk and tells you to follow him as he delves into the bowels of the cave. 

Deeming you far enough not to be spotted, he drops the sticks he collected in a neat pile, adds some more wood that’s scattered inside the cave, and lights it with the flame he’s already holding.

“Undress, Princess, you don’t want to catch a cold.”

“Pardon?” You should really stop blushing. It is embarrassing.

He is already removing his tunic and breeches, leaving only his undergarments on for some modesty and you look away. 

“If you worry about modesty today, you will be dead of pneumonia tomorrow. Undress your gown and set it to dry.” He says as he drapes his clothes on a large rock near the place he built the fire. “I promise I won’t bite.”

You take a moment to consider, but you know he’s right. You’re already feeling tremors for staying out in the rain for so long. So you do know you will get sick if you don’t get out of the wet clothes.

With a heavy sigh you try to remove the ribbons that hold your dress together, but you can’t reach them. 

“Sir Portgas…” You start, your voice a mere whisper.

“It’s Ace.”

“Ace.” The name rolls off your tongue like something sinful and you lower your gaze. “I require your assistance, please.” 

As he raises his head towards you, he immediately understands your predicament. He gets up and approaches your back with slow steps. Catching your breath, you lower your neck a bit.

His fingers are soft against the bare skin of your neck as he moves your hair from your nape to the side, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind. The shiver that crawls up your spine has nothing to do with the cold.

His face draws near as he untangles the ribbons and you can feel his breath against your neck and upper back. The tingling sensations return to your body, leaving you breathless and panting. There is a need deep within you that you don’t quite understand or know how to fulfil. 

Yet, you have an inkling that Ace could very well fulfil it. And he would certainly know how.

He removes the last ribbon and steps back a pace. “There.” Ace's voice sounds deeper than before and, when you turn, his eyes are all pupil as he stares at you. Your heartbeat accelerates as you lock eyes with him, silently begging him not to look away as your fingers gently tug at the gown, undressing. 

Your chest heaves and you see his eyes fall to your chemise-covered bosom as the muscle in his jaw twitches.

The need for something intensifies and you reach forward, touching him through the fabric of his linen shirt, feeling the firmness of his chest. 

“Princess…” He whispers. 

“Ace…”

You take a step forward and hold his hand. It's big and calloused from the swords but it's so warm. 

“Touch me.” You plead. You could order him, though you're not sure he would follow that order. 

“I…” He seems torn. You know he's a loyal knight. He serves valiantly and believes in the kingdom he protects. Touching you would be treasonous and could lead to execution.

You decide to be honest. “I feel… I don't quite know how to explain it, but when you touch me, like when you did with the thorn I had on my finger, or when you lift me up to place me in your horse there's…” You exhale deeply. “A warmth, a fire within me that I don't know how to handle.” Lowering your gaze and swallowing a lump in your throat, you make a final plea. “Teach me how to handle it, Ace.”

He groans but doesn't take his hand away from yours. So you brazenly place it above your chest. Watching him closely, you see his eyes darken as his hand twitches and he grits his teeth. 

“Princess, I…” 

“I have been told that men lie with women to procreate. I wasn’t informed of all the details, but I've heard the maids whisper about things that can be done that do not get a woman with child.” Could you be burning up more? Are you seriously asking this of Ace? 

He remains frozen in place, his hand still on your chest and you feel like a fool. 

Sighing you swat his hand away and turn. “Forget I said anything.” Yet his strong arm envelops your waist and he pulls your body against his, burying his face in the crook of your neck and inhaling. 

“Gods above and below…” He mutters against your skin and you tremble. “Is this really happening?” You feel something hard against your lower back and flush. You know what it is. But you've never seen one. You don't know what to expect. “Princess… You are correct, there are things we can do that do not get you with child and assure you remain intact until your wedding night.” His voice seems pained. “Are you certain that-...”

“Yes!” You moan, No longer able to contain the need inside you. Not when his hot breath is fanning against your neck, not when his hand is squeezing your waist nor when his hardness presses against your back. Your need is him! You're sure of it. 

“I have dreamed of this for so long…” He whispers. You want to ask what he means by that, but then his tongue draws circles on your neck and around your earlobe and you gasp, all thoughts dissolving into nothingness. His hands fall on your shoulders and he hooks his fingers on the sleeves of your chemise. “Princess…”

“Take it off.” You command. 

He tugs at the fabric and the garment crumples on the floor, leaving you with nothing but your white stockings. You blink as you focus your eyes on your body. You're not cold, yet your nipples are erect and there are goosebumps all over your skin. It's a reaction to his touch. 

You turn slowly, cheeks ablaze as you seek his eyes. Ace gulps as he takes you in. “Can I kiss you?” He starts but then shakes his head and groans. “No, forget it, that should be reserved for your husband.”

Yet you don't care about a possible husband in a future you can’t yet forsee. You want Ace's lips. And you want them now. 

So you grab his face and pull him down, clumsily pressing your lips to his and bumping your teeth together. After a moment he chuckles into your mouth and you flush and pull back, embarrassed. 

“Don't get mad at me, Princess.” He says, a glimmer in his eyes and a softness you’ve never seen before. His hand grips your hip as he pulls you towards him. A thumb gently stroking the bone of your hip, sending a warm wave of heat towards your centre. Lowering his head, he gently pulls your face to him by putting a hand on your nape. This time, when your lips collide, it's with softness. He moves them and you moan involuntarily. His sinful tongue licks and teases and you open your mouth, gasping as he takes your tongue in his and swirls. 

The sensation is divine. 

You had no idea a kiss could be like this. None of the books mentioned it! It’s making your heart flutter against your chest and causing an ache and a burn between your legs. You still don’t know how to handle it.

But Ace does. 

His hand finds its way to your breast and he slowly teases the nipple, flicking it softly with his thumb. You pull away from the kiss and gasp again. “Oh, my!”

“Did that feel good?” You nod vigorously. “That's good, Princess. I'm going to make you feel even better.”

He lowers you down so you sit on top of your dress. “If you don't like something, tell me.” You nod. 

“Can you take this off?” You grab his shirt and he smirks, pulling the linen garment over his head. His muscles are very defined and you take your time pressing your fingers against his chest and abs. There is a dark trail of hair that leads to the inside of his underwear but as your fingers trace it, he grasps your hand in his and kisses your fingers. 

“Let us take care of that warmth you feel first, shall we?” You nod and lie back, nervous. 

He starts slowly, his gentle fingers tracing patterns on your skin, lingering on the nipples, watching the rise and fall of your breasts as he finds what feels particularly good. And then he devours you. 

His eager mouth latches onto one of your nipples, sucking and teasing with his tongue. 

“What?” You arch your back against his touch and the fire keeps spreading. Fiery tendrils climbing all over you. He's just building the fire higher and higher. When does it stop? 

And do you want it to stop? Because this feeling burns marvellously. 

His tongue licks towards your belly button and then your mound. “Wait!” You gasp and he raises his head. 

“I can stop if you want, but I promise you it will feel good.” 

You don't know if he's telling the truth, but you trust him completely. So you nod. “Don't stop.”

He uses his hands to raise your legs and place them over his shoulders and when he stares, you feel yourself shrinking with embarrassment. 

“So beautiful…” You hear him murmur before he leans in and you feel his tongue swiping a hot streak across your folds.

“Oh!” Throwing your head back, you immediately arch your back against his touch. “Oh, my!”

He stops for a moment and meets your gaze. “Do you want me to stop?”

“No!” You almost plead. 

“Make all the sounds you want, Princess. Please.”

You're not quite sure what he means by that but you still agree. And then his tongue repeats the same movement and you smile. Dear Gods, this can't be true. His hand disappears beneath you and you feel his finger inside you touching a spot that makes you want to scream with pleasure. So you do. 

He mumbles against you and the vibration of his lips on your sensitive nub makes you roll your eyes. 

“Oh, Gods! Ace!”

Your hips buckle against his face involuntarily and you want to feel ashamed but you can't because it feels too good! His tongue is hot and slippery and he laps at you with such vigour that it makes you writhe beneath him. His fingers - yes, more than one - move inside and out with ease continually touching a spot that feels so, so good. 

“Oh, my! Oh, my!” You can't stop a string of curses from escaping your lips. The warmth builds up, spreading to your legs and toes, and to your belly, until suddenly it snaps! 

You see bright lights as your head falls back, moaning loudly and incessantly while you pant and scream his name. It feels good, it feels so good! 

Ace continues lapping at your core and it feels like it's very sensitive now, so you whine and he stops. “You did so well, Princess. You taste so good.” His lips are glistening and he looks dazed. You are smiling as you pant but you pull him to you, eager to taste what you’ve left on his lips. He gives you exactly what you want - lips, tongue, taste - and you mewl against him, lost in pleasure and dizziness from your previous orgasm. 

As you break apart you lock eyes with Ace, an exhilarating feeling coursing through you. “That was…” You laugh. 

“I know.” He says cheekily as he caresses your cheek. “You're so beautiful.”

You feel yourself flush again, he’s never spoken to you like this. He was always arrogant and insufferable. Acting as if watching over you was the most boring task he’d ever had to do. Yet, now it seems he’s ready to write you love poems. 

“What else can we do?” You touch him again, where his hair starts to disappear below his underwear. He clenches his jaw as your hand traces the shape of his cock. “Does that go… inside me?” You ask, biting your lip. It seems big. Will it fit? 

“It does. But that's for the wedding night, Princess.” He says, his tone sad. 

“What if I don't want to get married?” You frown. “I told you I don't want to go back. I shouldn’t have to marry some old lord I don't care about.” You hold his hand, entwining your fingers with his. “Maybe we can be together.”

He looks downcast as his forehead meets yours and lets out a deep sigh. “Don't tempt me, Princess.” He says, placing a chaste kiss on your forehead. “I've been in love with you since we met. The constant fear of losing you to another man keeps me awake most nights. I cannot bear the thought of never being able to have you. So don't tempt me, please.” His fervour leaves you breathless. 

Love? 

You thought he abhorred you! You believed he only put up with you because it was his job. Nothing more. Love? 

Cupping his face in your hands, you stare deeply into his eyes. “Let's run away. You and me. Away from my father's kingdom, from duties, from everything. He will think we're dead, anyway!”

“No, Princess. I have a duty to my king and my kingdom. I cannot do it.” He says as your eyes fill with tears. “And you have a duty to your father as well. Don’t forget that.”

“Ace… Please…”

“No. I can't.” His eyes squeeze shut as he presses his forehead against yours once more. “Don't ask me this. Please.”

Torn between love and duty. And you wish he would simply choose love. You pull away from him, covering  your face as you shed more tears. 

Ace sighs and picks up your chemise, gently helping you dress even though you don’t look at him. Then he pulls you against his chest as he settles against a rock. “Sleep, Princess. I will keep watch.”

And you do. 

By morning, even the air feels bleaker. There is no more rain, but dark clouds hover above the sky. You can’t change his mind. He’s set to bring you back to the castle.

Back to your prison.

“My father will marry me off…” You whisper, feeling your face crackle with dried tears. Your clothes are stiff from caked mud and blood and you’re pretty sure your heart stayed behind in that dark cave. 

Ace’s eyes remain fixed on the road ahead, but you notice him swallowing a lump before he speaks. 

“It is your duty, Princess. You have yours, I have mine.” He sighs. “I never meant to burden you with my feelings. A knight is not worthy of a princess’s love.”

“Clearly you have not read the same novels as I have.” You scoff and your response elicits a small chuckle from him, your easy banter slowly returning to normal. 

Ace continues his slow walk and you follow, feeling as if you’re walking towards the gallows and every step brings your demise a bit closer. “Ace, please…” You beg once more. “Please…!”

Yet he does not stop.

You see him struggle as his face hardens and his eyes grow blurry, but he does not stop. And the noose tightens around your neck. 

-*-

You’re received with cheers and ovations. A joyous celebration for you and for your valiant knight. Ace is offered a promotion. Finally a way for him to leave your side, to stop nannying you as he always complained.

He does not accept it.

Your heart warms for a moment, though you find it very hard to fall back into a routine of entrapment when you were free, albeit for a few hours. 

Yet doom envelops you and the noose tightens and elevates you once your father makes the announcement. He has found you a husband. You’re to be married in a fortnight. 

Breath catches in your throat and it’s hard to seek air. But your eyes search and find his. A reflection of your own, you’re sure, for they seem pained and drained of life. Yet the moment passes and your father keeps telling you all about how delightfully rich and important your future husband is. 

And how you have a duty to him and to your kingdom, as their princess. It all comes down to duty. 

That awful word.

-*-

The guests are arriving and the groom has been presented to you just in the morning. He is not old or decrepit. In fact, he seems quite polite and is rather handsome. 

But he is not Ace.

And you realised that the warmth he made you feel, and the anger you felt when your late maid spoke of him with desire, were all because of one thing alone: love. You love him back. And he needs to know it before you leave.

Because you will not bring him with you. You cannot forget him, nor allow him to forget you if he is to remain forever by your side.

-*-

The day of the wedding dawns cold and grey, a reflection of your own thoughts. An array of maids dresses you in the best finery you possess and you are a beacon of elegance and beauty. Though the veil you wear over your face might as well be a shroud.

Ace stands in the shadows, his face masked and sombre. You have not spoken more than two words to each other since you returned. But you have to let him know how you feel before it’s too late.

“Everyone out, now.” Your voice is cold and commanding and the servants scurry and hurry out of your chambers. Ace is last, but you stop him. “Not you.”

He closes the door with a soft thud and turns towards you. Hands folded behind his back and eyes fixed somewhere behind you. As you approach, however, you notice him blinking and clenching his jaw and it takes nothing more than one touch of your soft fingers on his cheek for him to let his knightly countenance crumble into pieces. 

Holding your fingers to his lips, he kisses them with fervour. “Princess…”

“Ace…” Your whisper brings sorrow and despair, and he feels it. “I need to tell you something before the wedding, though it changes nothing. You were right. This is my duty, and you have yours, escaping it was nothing but a fleeting dream.”

A sigh parts your lips and he uses his knuckles to caress your cheek. 

“I love you.” Your eyes bore into his and your lips curl into a tight smile when a flicker of surprise crosses his eyes. “I didn’t know it was love and it took me a while to realise. But it’s true.” You take both his hands in yours and tears start to stream down your face because you can’t contain them any longer. 

“This is breaking me apart, but it is for the best. You will stay in the castle and accept the promotion you were offered upon our return.” Ignoring his protests you continue. “I will leave to fulfil my duty and live my new life.”

His head falls forward, shoulders slumping and a string of curses leaves his pursed lips. Though it pains you more than he can ever imagine, you force a smile, using your hand to lift his face so he can look at you. “You’ll always be in my heart. That will never change.”

Ace’s voice is barely a whisper, strained with emotion and effort to keep his tears at bay. “You’re asking me to stand and watch as you walk away? To stay here and live a life without your presence?”

“Yes.” You sob back.

“How can I do that?!” A heave rocks his shoulders as he leans his forehead against yours. “It’s like asking me to live without a beating heart.”

“I pray you forget me soon, Ace, because if you were to come with me, we would never be able to move on. And we would be miserable.”

“I am already miserable.”

Tears stream down both your faces, and you stand on your toes to kiss his tears away. Cupping your face with tenderness, Ace’s thumb crosses your lower lip and you nod, giving him all the permission he needs to lower his head to yours and take your warm lips with his.

This time, the kiss you share is desperate. He claims your mouth with his tongue, his arms embracing you and pulling you against him. You return the gesture with equal devotion, your tongue begging for more as you embrace and melt into each other, knowing you’ll have no other chance to do so. 

A rapid knock on the door breaks you apart. “Princess! It is time!”

Panting and wiping away tears, you answer with a shaky voice. “I’m almost ready.” Ace helps you fix your dress and veil, his eyes cast downward, sorrow filling them with shadows. 

With trembling hands you remove a ring from your finger. A ring your mother gave you on her deathbed. Setting it in his palm, you close his fingers around it and kiss them tenderly. “A memento to remember me by, my love.”

He doesn’t want to let you go and you don’t want to leave him. It would have been so much simpler if you had run away in that forest. No one would know. And you would have been happy.

Perhaps…

You drop his hands, take a deep breath and square your shoulders, opening the door and leaving your childhood home and your one true love. 

Ready to face a new life, an old duty, and an eternity of sorrow.

[mt-oe]

Idol!Mizu AU where Mizu is in a girl group 🫡 she's known for being the "handsome" girl of the group but also her and reader having constant romantic tension with each other on stage

Fans speculating whether or not Mizu and Reader's interactions are just for fan service or more genuine

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

Hey dear!

I hope you're still there! I wanted to look for girl groups with a similar trope (or at least what fans make it out to be) to better visualize the idea. Though I think I made this more dramatic than the idea.

Honestly, I really have to thank you because your idea introduced me to C-Pop and it's been great so far! Thank you so much <3

Hope you enjoy! Mwa mwa :*

warning/s: not proofread, short, she/her for mizu, implied afab reader

note: Yes, I used oshi no ko for the pic, but I do not condone incest. That's fucking disgusting. It was the only idol manga I knew with the panel vibes I was aiming for ;;

It was 6:57pm at Tokyo Dome. The venue usually filled only by the brightest and most talented idols was now filled with fans clutching their light sticks and banners excitedly. Admins from both official and unofficial fan pages handed out fan made photo cards to anticipating hands as they sang along to the music video playing as they waited and practiced their chants.

Outside, those who got out-lucked by others during the ticket selling or just couldn't afford the tickets, waited, hoping for even a glimpse of their bias by some lucky chance. Some were even hoping that a scalper would come pass by, try not minding how overpriced it would be. Double, triple, or even quadruple the price. It didn't matter. Any price would be worth it just to watch the biggest and hottest idol group in the world.

The talk of the town—the world rather.

Four members recruited as trainees at the same time, each scout claiming that they were a once-in-a-lifetime find, now formed under one group. They were charming, addicting, and they knew how to get everyone hooked.

Akemi, the group leader and princess. Born and raised in Kyoto. Undeniably pretty, soft, alluring, yet at the same time, fierce, well-spoken, and confident. "I want to be great," she said during the interview. And indeed, great she is. Rumors had it that she was the daughter of a famous businessman, but due to the lack of evidence, the rumor stayed a rumor. Ise. She may be the oldest in the group, but her charms never faltered with age. Always the face in sexy and mature concepts. Brands aiming for a more elegant and stronger appeal would come rushing at every given chance. Faced a lot of backlash at the start of her trainee days for being scouted along the streets of Kabukicho. However, after a long struggle and proving her talents, the information was finally forgotten, drowned in the sea of praises. Mizu, the lady killer. Homegrown from Kohama. The talent manager almost put her in a boy group due to her androgynous-borderline-masculine look. Usually stoic and aloof. Everyone would kill for her to smile at them. She rarely posts on social media. Her managers have to beg her for a crumb of an update. Fortunately, the company somehow found a social media manager for her. Now fans await her gym pictures, drooling over her abs, and her livestreams where she basically just does the most normal things. Everyone eats it up though. You. Everyone considered you as the doll of the group. An all-rounder, handling singing, dancing, and the most active when it came to fan interactions. You definitely had the most fan meeting fan cams. Able to handle every concept equally, whether it be the typical cute idol concept or a more mature sexier concept. The face card never declines.

Anyone who didn't know them had to be living under a rock or something.

Several news reporters struggled amongst each other to get the latest news about the on-going concert. Some fans even got interviewed about their sentiments, ranting on live television about how excited they were. Traffic reports had to be monitored constantly with how large the traffic jam was.

Finally, the clock struck 7.

It was go time.

The lights dimmed and the general announcements were given. Though it wasn't like anyone cared. They were too busy scrambling back to their seats, making sure their light sticks were on the correct settings. Excitement rushed through them as they watched the back-up dancers get into position on stage.

Cheers erupted from the crowd as the music started. The stage filled with smoke and colorful lights, adding to the hyped up feeling. Fans stood up as they saw the silhouettes of their idols, screaming their lungs out.

"Tokyo! Did you miss us?" the familiar voice of Akemi could be heard as the platform was raised, causing a massive wave of screams and cheers from the crowd. You suppressed the urge to gasp as you finally got the opportunity to see how big of an audience your group had amassed. You knew your group was famous, but to see what Tokyo Dome looked like sold out?

It was like a dream.

A sea of lights glimmering in the dark, like stars littering the vastness of the sky. Each a different color to represent their bias, some blinking multiple colors to represent their equal love for each member. If you had to envision what a fantasy world would look like, it was definitely this.

Your eyes looked over the tarps hung over the railings, all welcoming your group back in Tokyo, expressing their love. Each banner causing your smile to brighten as you sang through the mic, a bounce in your step while you roamed through the stage, wanting to interact with everyone equally.

Enjoyment ran through your body as you performed. An intense want to bring your fans the same joy that they brought you motivated you to do your best. You could feel your heart swelling with affection for your fans. The blood in your veins running faster as the lights shone brighter and brighter but never outshining you.

What can you say? The stage was your playing field.

Everything was going great. The song was going well, no technical difficulties, and none of you were getting tired yet. Your skirt fluttering animatedly as you continued to roam around, waving and reaching your hand to those in the VIP standing area. As the song reached it's final chorus, you were about to stand up straight when your foot suddenly slipped, causing you to fall forward.

A gasp made it's way off of your lips as you closed your eyes. All your thoughts going blank as you waited for the pain to hit you. However, seconds passed and...nothing.

Oddly enough, it feels like the stage became a bit more quiet. Slowly, you opened your eyes, expecting to see the floor and a bit of blood. Instead, your eyes met the surprised—and maybe even swooning—eyes of your fans.

Confused, you looked back to see Mizu's hand gripping your arm tightly, preventing you from falling. A stern yet concerned expression on her face. She looked back at you, eyes narrowing as she pulled you up into her arms effortlessly. Her lips tugged into a small smile, hands wrapping around your waist as you giggled and gave her a nod to thank her silently. Ah, damn it. You could see the amount of Tiktok edits made later.

Fans squealed at the interaction, whispering and fawning over how romantic it was. The constant romantic tension between the two of you was no secret within the community. It started as a joke during the group debut with how many times the two of you interacted behind the scenes, but now everyone's wondering whether there was something more to it.

Song after song, your group performed tirelessly, starting with songs from the cute concept albums. Eyes were on you and Akemi mostly, having fit the concept the most. However, you couldn't help but feel a particular set of eyes on you, even when it wasn't your part yet.

You looked around, before your gaze landed on Mizu's, who immediately looked away. A small amused huff leaving you as you walked over to her, bumping her lightly with your hip, making her eyes widen slightly.

The lights soon dimmed as the group finally finished with the first half. The other members leaving the stage to give way for each other's solo songs.

Wiping the sweat off of your forehead, a cold sensation suddenly pressed against your shoulder, making you jump. It was Mizu. In her hand was a water bottle. She chuckled and handed it to you, amused at the residual rush you felt. "You're doing an awful lot, aren't you?" she chuckled, sitting down next to you, her pants already changed for her solo.

"Well it's Tokyo Dome after all," you sighed dreamily, taking a huge gulp of water before smiling sheepishly at your makeup artist who looked pissed at you for ruining the lipstick she just retouched. "Who knew we'd reach this far?"

Despite spending your trainee days together, the blue-eyed idol was still an enigma to you. Someone you felt a strange sense of longing and comfort, but at the same time, someone you couldn't quite grasp.

Mizu smiled fondly at you, patting your head. "I always knew you could do it," she mumbled, eyes studying your form. The amount of stamina you had for performing never ceased to amaze her. Unbeknownst to you, she shared the same sentiments. You were incredible to her.

"Hey! No touching the hair!" you huffed, swatting her hand off playfully. "And you're here with me too, aren't you?"

She raised an eyebrow and gave a small nod, smile never leaving her lips. "I am, but you.." her voice trailed off into a fond whisper as she stood up again. Cerulean eyes squinted as she laughed softly, her voice hinted with something else. Admiration? Attraction? Love? "I never doubted you. You're more of an idol than anyone in our group."

You were about to question her about it, a small tightening feeling in your chest. You knew about the fan allegations and you knew Mizu knew about it too, but sometimes she made you feel like they were true; that your fans had noticed something you didn't.

As you opened your mouth to ask, her wardrobe manager rushed into the room and immediately scolded her for wandering off when it was almost her solo. She flashed you a small smile and a little wave before her face rested back into her usual stoic expression.

A sigh left your lips as you stared at where she previously sat. 'I'm going crazy, aren't I? She's probably just doing this to make the act more believable..' you thought, standing up as well to talk over to your makeup artist.

Your heart hurt slightly at the thought. What will happen once all of this was over? When the audience no longer cared about the small smiles and touches she gave you? You wished you could stay here forever, to be by her side through the ups and downs of this idol life. Maybe even after, in a more peaceful one. But realistically...

Mizu would forget about you then, wouldn't she?

The inner turmoil boiled up in your chest, making you sigh. 'I need to stop. We're in the middle of a concert,' you thought to yourself. Your eyes traveled to the small TV they had set up backstage, watching as the love of your life you bandmate performed her song.

The twinkle in your eyes brightening as you watched her. Each lyric, each dance move, each fan service, making your heart clench with a strange sense of longing. "She's going all out, isn't she?" your makeup artist said softly, attaching the gems to your face. You quickly snapped out of your love-dazed trance and huffed. "A bit," you replied. "But she's not going to outdo me."

It was frustrating. How both of you tiptoed around your feelings but never taking a step forward.

No.

You couldn't take the step forward. A step forward meant the end of your career. Her career. You couldn't do that. Not when she was shining so brightly.

After a bit of preparation, it was finally your turn to be on stage, performing your solo. Undeniably, your performance was impeccable. Choreography practiced to perfection, each note hit, and every pose timed to give the most impact. However, despite how seemingly well you were performing, your thoughts were plagued by the uncertainty you felt.

After all this, it would be over anyway. When the lights of your idol career stops shining, so will her small reassuring gestures, so will the butterflies she gave you.

As the song transitioned to the next album, you were pulled out of your thoughts by a hand on your waist, giving you a small pat. Ocean eyes squinting as she smiled at you reassuringly. "Keep your mind on the stage," she whispered against your ear before turning her mic on.

She's right. You were getting distracted.

"Oh who do you think I am," you jokingly whispered back, covering your mic before joining Ise and Akemi walk around the stage. A chuckle escaped her lips as she watched you move, eyes filled with admiration unbeknownst to you. The interaction making her fans swoon as the romantic scene fueled their fantasies. She soon joined the rest as everyone did their best to give the performance Tokyo deserved.

Confetti flew around as the performance finally ended. You were now accepting gifts from your fans, catching stuffed toys thrown onto the stage. The turmoil in you continuing to brew, the stage really brought you a strange kind of happiness. Would you choose to stay here? Or would you take the dive forward into love?

Like a prince charming, here to save you from your thoughts, Mizu gave you a small pat. A hug hidden by the smoke covering the stage as the platform lowered. Oh why the hell were you thinking so much?

Maybe someday, the both of you would finally brave it out and confess. Maybe someday, the world will accept two idols falling in love. But today was just another job well done.

[soelstress]

It May Have Started As An Act

Pairing: Lee Bodecker x female!reader

Summary: When you suggest a fake relationship to benefit you and a local deputy, little do you know how real it will become.

Word count: 7.3k

Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI , non / con , minor language , minor violence , Lee Bodecker being an absolute sweetheart

A/N 1 - This is my submission for @gremlin-girly’s 20 questions challenge

A/N 2 - Prompts

Quote - “Do you ever shut the fuck up?”

Character - Lee Bodecker

Trope - Fake dating

A/N 3 - Do not Steal, Copy or Plagiarize any part of my work - I created the banner on Canva and the pics were sourced either from Pinterest or Google - credit to original creators - divider by the talented @firefly-graphics

A/N 4 - Please let me know if I've missed a warning, knowing me it's more than likely. Hope you all enjoy ☺️

“Knockemstiff is a Podunk backwater town where greed and corruption are fueled by political influence and powerful people looking to benefit.” Not once in your life had you ever doubted your parents' wisdom. Until now. It was your disbelief that led to your current situation with a sapphire stare burning into your soul.

Your mother was born and raised in Knockemstiff and said that nothing had changed from the time she was born to the day she left after becoming engaged to your father. They moved to Columbus while your grandmother stayed in Knockemstiff. Over the years your grandmother would visit for a brief escape and relish in the progressive city where your mother thrived in the updated fashions and attitudes while teaching you to speak and act as a lady should but never to let anyone mistreat you.

Twenty years that had been filled with laughter, lessons and love. Your mother taught you how to be true to yourself but also how to be a good wife to a loving husband, which was something your father exemplified. He in turn taught you to stand up for yourself and how a true husband and father should act. One day you hoped to find a husband with whom you could have a marriage like your parents.

It was something you held on to when you lost both of them in a car accident. A drunk teen had been drag racing and crashed into their car. Only days after their funerals a lawyer called to advise that your mother’s will stated that you had inherited your grandmother's house since she had passed when you were a teenager. With no other family to consult, it fell to you to decide what to do with the house which your mother had rented out. Though you weren’t sure if you wanted to stay in Columbus, you were reluctant to move permanently to Knockemstiff and decided that the best choice would be to rent out your parents‘ house for a few months while you spent time in Knockemstiff to consider your choices. The earnings you made from working part-time and the money that your parents had saved would allow you time to do this. After notifying your employer who bid you good luck and finding a tenant for your parents house you made the journey to Knockemstiff.

Almost a month had passed since your arrival. Almost every word of the warnings your mother gave was accurate. What she hadn’t warned you about was the difference in treatment you’d receive. There were a few of the elders who remembered your family were one of their own and treated you with kindness. Because you were from a big city where the fashion and attitudes were more advanced than the local ideals the women either treated you with condescension or with concealed fear as if you were a seductive temptress who would steal their men and corrupt their youth. To the men you were a challenge. Several of them had attempted to ask you on a date with some being more persistent than others.

One such man was the Sheriff’s son. Johnny Morton relished in his father’s position of authority knowing any misdemeanours would be overlooked. His confidence in his situation was so powerful that it carried over to the rest of his life. It was no secret that women were disposable to him though some foolishly hoped he’d look their way again. But instead his focus was now on you. Like today when he’d ambushed you working at the local library.

“Aw c’mon doll. Let me take you for a ride in my new wheels. I promise to give you a good time.”

Morton’s tone made your skin crawl followed by his lecherous gaze raking over your body. It took all your self control to hold in the shiver he created as you didn’t want him to know he inspired ANY kind of reaction within you. Unfortunately because he was the Sheriff’s son it also required every ounce of civility and propriety to address him.

“Unfortunately I have plans.”

His dismissive laugh just continued to rile you and that last thread of civility was barely hanging on to your last shred of patience.

“Toots I haven’t even said a day. We could go to a passion pit and play back seat bingo.”

Either he was really oblivious or just didn’t know when to quit. But either way you’d had enough. You’d spent weeks turning him down and still he was determined to change your mind. Or more accurately make you his latest conquest.

“I believe the lady said she’s busy.” The smooth drawl relaxed you instantly, knowing that you’d be able to escape this uncomfortable encounter with a witness.

Though his smirk wavered, Morton's eyes never left you. “This don’t concern you Bodecker so go bug someone else. Maybe you can bug someone to dance with you at the Fourth of July party?”

“I’m already goin’ with someone but that doesn’t change the answer.”

A muscle twitched in Morton’s jaw. “And what’s she busy doing?”

His arrogant attitude pushed you over the edge. “She is washing her hair.”

A snort disguised as a cough made your lips twitch though you saw a flash of teeth over Morton’s shoulder. Before he could answer you cut him off. “I also have a date to the party. Now if you’ll excuse me I have somewhere to be.”

You were glad for another presence as you suspected Morton would linger if you were alone but instead he grunted and stalked off. You turned to face your saviour. “Thank you Deputy Bodecker though I’m sorry you had to get involved.”

His blue eyes followed Morton as he turned out of sight. “Some men don’t understand the word ‘no’. Especially those with situations like him.” The scowl on his face melted as he faced you with a small smile. “I suspect you could’ve handled him just fine on your own. But after all the bellyachin’ he’s done and bragging about how he’d wear you down eventually… Couldn’t help myself Miss.”

Bile rose in your throat as the lack of consideration and arrogance of Johnny Morton. You had no intention of exchanging anything but polite words when required. But this just reaffirmed your parents' warnings. You shook your head before offering a smile in return.

“So who’s the lucky girl attending on the arm of the most gallant man in Knockemstiff?”

Deputy Bodecker blinked in surprise before rubbing the back of his neck. “Not so sure I deserve that title Miss. And there’s no dame. I said that to get him off my back. The Fourth of July party is in a few weeks and all the other deputies already have dates.”

You cocked your head in confusion. “And there’s nobody who wants you to take them? Beggin’ your pardon Deputy but that sounds unlikely.”

A shrug answered you. “There’s some ladies who want me to ask. But they just wanna be seen with potential Sheriff candidate Deputy Bodecker. I wanna ask someone who wants to know Lee Bodecker.”

Sympathy and pity flooded you. The Deputy seemed a good man, wasted in this cesspit of a town. “Forgive me if I seem forward Deputy but I’d like to know what Mr Bodecker likes to drink so I can thank him for fending off unwanted advances.”

Red coloured the deputy’s face and he ducked his head shyly. “Cola or lemonade would be swell. But I couldn’t allow you to pay Miss. My momma would skin me alive God rest her soul.”

Feeling brave you winked at him and giggled as his blush deepened. “What if the locals were the ones who paid?” You walked into the back of the library to open the icebox and pulled out two bottles of cola.

“Thank you Miss.” He held out his hand to pop the bottle cap before handing it back to you and doing the same with his own. You watched as he took a hearty swig and gasped in delight. “That’s so good.” He licked his lips and tilted his head at you. “Didn’t you say you needed to be somewhere?

Warmth filled you as you realised he had actually listened to you. “That was so Morton would make like a banana and split. But I should lock up.” The deputy made to stand. “Don’t rush on my account, Deputy. Please finish your drink. I’ll be a few minutes yet.”

As you walked around completing the last minute tasks you could feel his gaze on you but not once did it feel uncomfortable. If anything it felt reassuring. As you closed and secured the doors you turned to find the Deputy waiting on you and took a moment to look at him. Dark hair was closely cropped to his head which only seemed to emphasise the cherubic cheeks you made blush. His eyes had turned arctic when Morton was around but now those baby blues shone softly in the sun. Pink pouty lips tugged into a soft smile. He wasn’t slight like some of the men in town who looked like manicured bodybuilders. Broad shoulders and muscular arms lead to a belly that looked firm with just a hint of pudge continued down to thick thighs.

The man before you was a good looking gallant gentleman. He deserved to go to the party with someone who appreciated that. Suddenly your brain sparked with an idea. It was risky but could benefit both of you. “Deputy… would you mind walking with me for a bit please?”

“Beggin’ your pardon Miss. You want to do what?” The Deputy’s brows shot up so fast they almost flew off his face while his blue orbs now resembled owl eyes with how wide they’d grown.

“Pretend to be a couple for the next few weeks until the results of the election. First, I think it would help with the election if you were seen to be an upstanding citizen and traditional man with a sweetheart.” Your logic couldn’t be refuted. “Second it gets Morton to leave us both alone.” Another valid point.

His brows had lowered and were now furrowed as Deputy Bodecker tilted his head. “I guess that might work. But why would you want to be seen with a slob like me?”

You couldn’t help the feeling of pity that filled you at his question. Was this really how he saw himself or had Morton and his ilk somehow influenced him? “You said you’d like someone to look past the potential Sheriff. I’d like to know more about the man who’s shown me the first bit of kindness since I arrived.”

Lee shuffled his weight nervously. “And after the election? We can’t keep this up forever.”

You stepped closer and looked up to meet his eyes. “Deputy, I’ll be here until a realtor sells my house which I was told would take a month at least. But I’d make sure the blame wouldn’t fall on you. I’d say I was missing home or something.” Lee nodded in understanding. “One condition, Deputy. If I hear so much as a whisper you’ve been seen with one of those streetcorner girls-”

“No Miss, no chance of that. I’m all in.”

Over the next few weeks you and Lee played the part of a new couple. First you both went to a diner in the next county so you could talk freely away from prying eyes and find out about each other. Armed with basic information that one would be expected to know about their sweetheart so began the first step of your plan.

It started small with Lee bringing you a single flower every time he came to visit you at the library to which you reciprocated by offering a cola or another drink so he would have an excuse to stop and talk for a few minutes. Soon he’d offer to take you on walks in your lunch break and treat you to an ice cream if it was a warm day. Your momma had taught you that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach so you soon brought him food to the station if his shift differed to yours. He had been blown away with the tasty treats you brought him which varied from sweet to savoury and snarled at anyone who dared to try and sneak a bite for themselves.

It had become apparent very quickly that “Miss” or “Deputy” weren’t appropriate sentiments for a loving couple. But you hadn’t felt comfortable calling him Lee unless you were with other people. It felt wrong to use his name in such an intimate manner when it was just a ruse. Lee had readily agreed. Since you enjoyed making him blush you changed his pet name constantly to see which ones he’d react to so fiercely. When you called him “Hotshot” Lee’s reaction had you worried for a moment. He seemed to choke on thin air and his face turned white from lack of oxygen instead of the pinkish hue you’d come to expect from teasing. After a brief panic, Lee couldn’t seem to take his eyes off you and kept you close by for the rest of the day. He in turn called you ‘Pixy’ after you introduced him to your favourite candy.

During this time Lee had been nothing but a perfect gentleman. Not that you expected any less. His gallantry knew no bounds. Holding open doors, opening and closing his cruiser door for you, always offering his arm and being respectful with his carefully placed cheek kisses.

Though being in the public eye was the main intention of your arrangement it was unspoken how both of you seemed to enjoy each other's company and wanted time together without having to pretend. It was during these times that you told Lee about your parents and how you wanted so badly to have a marriage like theirs. Lee’s face had flickered slightly when you first told him that you had never wanted to settle in Knockemstiff but his face then transformed with slight envy as he heard the happy tales of your childhood.

Lee then told you that his father had walked out upon finding out his mother was expecting his younger sister Sandy but his mother had raised and instilled good values in them both. Even after their mother died Lee continued to look out for Sandy and followed her to Knockemstiff after she had a shotgun wedding to local boy Carl Henderson. But life had changed when both were killed in a home invasion gone wrong. He’d joined the police force in the hope of maybe being able to catch his sister’s killers but also to try and make a difference. Your heart bled hearing this. Lee had been dealt a terrible hand but remained a good man despite it all.

Though you knew that Knockemstiff was not where you wanted to spend your future, your stomach and heart sank at the thought of leaving behind the man who had completely changed your visit and so you spent every possible moment with him wanting to create lasting memories. But it was more than that. There were moments when you felt truly safe and cherished with Lee. The crinkle of his eyes when he saw you. The little strokes over your knuckles with his thumb if he held your hand. The way his drawl would become a soft whisper when he spoke to you.

Two days before the party you returned to the diner for a third meal. During the meal you learned that the Sheriff from an adjourning county would be attending the party to meet the hopeful candidates but also to try and build a good working relationship between the two counties. Supposedly it would be him and two deputies. Knowing it was vital for Lee to make a good impression you both discussed and reviewed any potential scenarios that may arise. From the Sheriff questioning him to the local ladies approaching him or Morton approaching you. Everything had gone well so far and you were determined to support Lee as much as possible.

After dinner Lee walked you to his cruiser to open your door and frowned when you didn’t get in. “Pixy, you ok?”

Nerves suddenly enveloped you and you ducked your head before nodding shyly. Quietly you reached into your bag and held out your hands. You heard rather than saw him approach and gently take your offering. There was a moment's silence.

“Pixy… why’d you do this?”

You gulped softly. In his hands Lee held two tickets to a horror movie he’d been talking about wanting to see. After the way he’d treated you and refused to take a cent for any dates you knew you had to do something for him. “I wanted to do something nice for you. Something that was for you alone.”

Lee smiled and offered you his hand which you took before squeaking when he pulled you into a brief but firm hug with respectfully placed hands. For a split second you were dazed by the calmness that Lee's touch left you with. All too soon he pulled back with a big smile and gently ushered you into the cruiser before heading to the drive in. At first when the movie played you were fine until tension built and you found yourself inching closer to Lee. When the monster appeared screams echoed throughout the lot but you were pressed against Lee’s side, face hidden in his neck with one hand gripping his leg while the other had a white knuckle grip on his shirt.

“Is it over?”

When the screams resumed you burrowed further into him. Once the screams stopped for a few minutes your breathing resumed normally and the scent of Lee’s cologne filled your nostrils. For another long moment you let his essence fill your head, heart and lungs before freezing. You weren’t sure what was more terrifying - facing Lee or watching the movie. But when you slowly tilted your head back you found Lee looking right at you, his eyes crinkled from the grin he was wearing.

“You’re safe Pixy. I got you.” One of his hands unwound yours that gripped his leg and entwined your fingers with his while the other squeezed the one that clutched his shirt. “You sure you wanna stay?” When you nodded slowly he turned back to face the screen. Every time you flinched or jumped he would stroke your knuckles or squeeze your hand. Butterflies erupted thick and fast in your belly and continued to flutter even after he drove you home and bid you goodnight.

The feeling lasted through the next two days up to when you were getting ready for the party. Lee had let himself in after knocking as instructed by you.

“Just a moment, Stud!”

All at once the butterflies were joined by shaky hands and a dry throat. Why were you so nervous? It was Lee for goodness sake. You figured the nerves were due to knowing so many people would be watching you and Lee tonight.

As you walked into the living room Lee turned around and your breath caught in your throat. He wore a gray suit with a white shirt and blue tie that hinted to how broad and strong he was while the colour made his eyes pop. His hair had grown during the last few weeks so the ends were starting to curl slightly and your fingers itched to stroke them.

Your heart skipped a beat in surprise. Had you really just thought that? It wasn’t till Lee cleared his throat that you realised you had been distracted by your musings.

“You polish up nicely, Deputy Bodecker. Heads will be turning tonight.”

“You’re correct there Pixy but those heads will be turnin’ for you.” Lee gulped softly. “I think every man will fight for a dance with you.”

Warmth flooded your face and heart while the butterflies calmed considerably.

“Can I count on you to protect me from those hoodlums?” You teased breathlessly.

Lee held out his hand which you took and gasped when he brushed a kiss over your knuckles. “Always Pixy.”

Once you picked your jaw up and collected the food you had made for the party Lee then escorted you to the cruiser and drove to the where the party was being held. When both of you entered the noise level dipped slightly before whispers broke out like hissing snakes. Hairs rose on the back of your neck when you felt dozens of glares aimed your way. Though you weren’t sure if it was because you ‘stole’ someone else’s chance to attend with Lee or because your dress, though modest and conservative by Columbus standards, was more revealing and form fitting than those worn in Knockemstiff.

Your grip on Lee’s arm tightened slightly and he smiled at you with reassurance before spotting a few unfamiliar people standing with Sheriff Morton. Since Knockemstiff wasn’t a big town you figured this was the party from the neighbouring county.

“Deputy Bodecker, good to see you. This is Sheriff Wallace from Pickaway.”

Sheriff Wallace shook Lee’s hand and nodded politely at you with a smile. “Pleased to meet y’all.” You watched as he introduced his deputies before a woman wearing a dress similar to yours stepped out from behind them. “This is Genevieve who works at our station.”

Genevieve giggled softly. “I couldn’t pass up the chance to visit our neighbouring county especially when there’s a dance.”

Lee tilted his head and introduced you to the strangers. This was a chance for Lee to impress the party so you decided to step away. “Honey, I’m going to find the food table. Can I get you anything?”

Lee winked. “You know what I like.” Surprised by his response you blushed and ducked your head as the men chuckled softly. Perfect. It was vital they believed in your charade. You walked over to the food table and placed your offering on the table.

“Oh honey you cooked these yourself? How brave.”

You recognised the voice belonged to Dolores. She was a backstabbing busybody with a holier-than-thou attitude that affirmed her position as the town gossip. Only a slight twitch of your brow betrayed the fact her very existence repulsed you as you set the food you’d prepared on the table.

Dolores’ sweet words were laced with venom. “Oh, little chicken pot pies. That’s… memorable.”

Instead of immediately responding you prepared a plate for Lee which contained your chicken pot pie before looking at her. “My recipes are tried and tested by my Momma who taught me everything. She and Daddy were together twenty-five years before they died and he never ate from any plate that she didn’t make for him.”

Dolores gave a simpering smile. “And just what did your dearly beloved Momma teach you?”

“That the way to keep a man was to fill his belly and empty his balls.”

You watched in satisfaction as Dolores choked on a sip of water and spluttered as her face burned red. For her to try to put you down was one thing but to insult your parents? Ire flicked through you at her audacity. When a small giggle sounded further down the table you saw Genevieve who had followed you quietly.

“Everything ok here?” Lee and the Pickaway men had arrived when they heard the commotion.

As you looked at Lee you couldn’t help the grin spreading across your face. “Yes sweetheart. Dolores here just bit off more than she could chew.” Lee’s brow raised but you saw his mouth twitch slightly.

“If it was this chicken pot pie I can't blame her.” Dolores triumphant smirk faltered when Sheriff Wallace started loading his plate with more. “This is incredible! What angel made this?”

Lee’s arm wound around you tightly. “That’s my girl's recipe.”

Even if it was an act you couldn’t help the pride that flooded you at Lee’s declaration. As you nuzzled into his side you couldn’t help feeling envious of the woman who would one day be lucky enough to take his last name after this ended and you left town. She certainly would be blessed with a kind devoted man like him.

Sheriff Wallace tipped his hat to you. As you blushed slightly Genevieve approached and smiled warmly at you and Lee. “Do you dance, Deputy?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“This is my favourite song. Would you mind?”

Lee glanced at you nervously. This was a situation neither of you had prepared for. On spotting a ring on her third finger he relaxed slightly but was still uncertain. “As much as I hate to disappoint a lady, I’d hate to offend her husband more.”

Genevieve giggled, a sentiment that was echoed by her party. “She’s been married a few years and her husband is a level headed fellow. I promise as long as you’re a gentleman you’ll have no qualms with him, Deputy.” Sheriff Wallace winked at her fondly.

Lee glanced at you again. You knew that the point of this whole thing was for Lee to make an impression but you were reluctant to share him with another woman regardless if she was married. With all eyes on you there was nothing you could do but smile and let him go. You watched as he offered his hand and led Genevieve to the dance floor before placing his free hand with careful deliberation on her hip before slowly gliding around. There was a swooping sensation in your stomach followed by a horrible twisting. Why on earth were you feeling this way?

“Seeing as your Deputy has done his duty I should do mine. Miss?”

Sheriff Wallace offered his hand. Though it was the last thing you wanted to do you politely accepted and allowed him to guide you first to the dance floor then around with graceful movement. Your gaze flickered around until you saw Lee smiling at Genevieve who was speaking softly to him.

“Deputy Bodecker seems like a good man.”

A blush stained your cheeks. Of course your mother had taught you dancing etiquette and that your focus should be on your dance partner, single or not. Though you didn’t think her teachings quite covered this scenario.

“I beg your pardon, Sheriff Wallace. That was rude of me.” You braved a peek and saw what appeared to be an understanding expression on his face. “But yes, Lee is a good man. Though it might be a bit prejudicial to ask the woman he’s seeing. Especially when I’m new to the area. You might be better asking the local folk.”

Sheriff Wallace shook his head as he twirled you gently. “Miss I’ve been a Sheriff for three years and an officer of the law for nearly three times that. I find that I learn more about a man in a position of power by how he treats his inferiors rather than his equals. From what I’ve observed Deputy Bodecker is polite and courteous to most, barring those who don’t deserve it and I cannot say they are undeserving.” Something crossed the Sheriff’s face. “I think he would make a fine Sheriff especially with someone like you supporting him.”

Your face heated as your heart twisted at the kind words. This was a means to an end. But it was promising that Lee was being recognised.

“I think I’ve kept you from him long enough.”

You glanced up in surprise and squeaked when he suddenly turned so you were next to Lee and Genevieve.

“Your sweetheart is a good dancer” she smiled at you. “But I think it’s time I returned Romeo to his Juliet.” They somehow moved effortlessly so you were now dancing with Lee as they swayed next to you.

“Miss me Pixy?”

Glancing up you saw the polite smile for Genevieve evolve as Lee’s face lit up as you started dancing with him. Instead of answering you hid in the crook of his neck. Lee kept swaying but one arm moved across your back to rest his hand on your waist while the other secured your free hand over his heart. As you felt the gentle thud of his heart you melted against him and inhaled the mixture of his cologne and the soap he used. As the song's final notes played you leaned back slightly to see Lee very close to you, his lips a mere breath away.

“Pardon me, would you mind coming with me to powder my nose?”

Despite the fact there were several officers in attendance you could have quite happily committed murder for having your moment interrupted. Lee looked slightly lost but smiled and grazed his lips across your knuckles before turning to face Sheriff Wallace. Cursing inwardly you smiled at Genevieve and followed her towards the restrooms.

“Sorry for interrupting your moment but I really wanted to talk to you.”

Any response was cut off with a growl when you saw the swarm of women descending on the two Sheriffs. They might have been cooing like pigeons but all you could see were a bunch of vultures. When you saw Dolores rubbing Lee’s arm you were seriously considering strangling her.

“I wouldn’t worry about those harpies, honey.” You blinked with surprise at Genevieve’s words. “That man is head over heels for you. Looked like someone had kicked his dog when he saw you dancing with Sheriff Wallace.”

She laughed and guided you towards the restroom. “I wanted to ask you two things. First, I can have that chicken pot pie recipe because it was divine. And second I liked what you said to that witch about how to keep a man.”

Blood rushed to your face. “Oh. I um-”

She laughed as she applied her lipstick. “It’s true though. I’ve been married three years and it’s how I’ve kept my man. He’s never had an appetite for anything another woman has ever offered. My Momma also taught me that.” She flashed a grin at you and winked with approval.

Suddenly a hand wrapped around your throat as you left the restroom and forced you outside. Despite your best efforts no amount of wriggling and fighting lessened the iron hold on your neck. Once at the edge of the property you realised it was Morton holding you captive and glanced over at Genevieve who was also struggling with one of his corrupt friends.

“Let her go Morton.” When his hand tightened around your throat you gasped “She’s with the Pickaway police. You hurt her and I bet they’ll raise hell for your daddy.”

There was a pause before Genevieve was released. When she glanced your way you smiled in reassurance and she took off before you looked at Morton. “What the hell do you want?”

He chuckled mirthlessly. “Heard what you gals were saying about how to keep a man. Wanted to see how well your Momma taught you.”

“Why don’t you take a long walk on a short pier?”

Suddenly your cheek stung viciously and you slumped to the ground from the force of his slap. Tears sprung to your eyes from the stinging but above that rose anger. Your parents had never laid a hand on you. Who the hell did this parasite think he was?

“Listen honey, the moment you arrived I called dibs. I tried being all sweet on ya, offering to take you for rides and I got the royal shaft. Now I hear that you’re easy for that wet rag Bodecker? Nu-uh. Not in my town.”

“Do you ever shut the fuck up?”

Morton stood with a twisted smirk on his face and his hands resting on his belt as his friend roughly lifted you to stand before Morton.

“Stop with the bit. Now you’re gonna show me just what your momma taught you honey. Do a good job and my friend here will go easy on ya. He loves leftovers.”

You shuddered slightly at the sound of slurping lips but stared Morton down. “Sit on it Morton.”

His face twisted with anger. But before he could raise a hand a grey blur blew past you and tackled Morton into the shadows. From the slivers of moonlight you could barely see but then a growl rose from the dark.

“Don’t. You. Fuckin’. Touch. Her.”

With each word Lee punched Morton who tried to escape but it wasn’t until his friend stepped in that you launched forward to help Lee by kicking and scratching where possible.

“Woah woah woah! Wuss goin’ on here?!”

The loud voice cut through the chaos and you all separated though Lee quickly shielded you behind him. One of his arms was thrown out towards you as if warning you to stay back so you gripped his wrist and squeezed it to reassure him.

“Hey! I asked what’s going on here?!”

It was the person you knew was least likely to help. Sheriff Morton. He glanced around as if expecting an answer but when he saw you behind Lee he hummed softly.

“I see. Well I think that’s enough fun for one night so you oughta head home.” He turned to Johnny. “Son, why doncha-”

“No.”

It took you a moment to realise that Lee was defying his boss. For you. And the elder Morton didn’t look happy with it.

“Cool it Bodecker. Johnny here can run her home while we talk about that scuffle.”

Indignant that Sheriff Morton seemed to imply Lee was at fault you spoke up. “He’s the one who started it because he couldn’t deal with bein’ clutched!”

Lee shifted closer to you as Sheriff Morton took a step forward. “Now you listen here-”

”Trouble in the ranks, Sheriff?” A quick glance revealed one of the Pickaway deputies walking forward.

Sheriff Morton eyeballed you before waving towards the deputy. “Just a lil misunderstanding son. I’ll handle it.”

”Well I’m sure it’s nothing a lady needs to see.” You detected an edge to his words but you were too busy watching the Mortons. When the younger didn’t meet his father’s eyes the Sheriff nodded reluctantly. “Miss, why don’t you come with me?”

When you didn’t react Lee tried to tug his wrist free but you held on. “Go with ‘im Pixy.” Lee didn’t face you and instead kept watching the Knockemstiff men. Your grip moved to squeeze his outstretched hand and relaxed slightly when he squeezed back. “Go on.”

The deputy escorted you to a car where Genevieve was waiting. “C’mon Miss. We’re gonna take you home.”

You shook your head in confusion. “No, I can’t leave him. He-”

“Wallace knows” she murmured softly, catching your hands. “We’re all too aware of how things work here in Knockemstiff. I promise he’s gonna help your Deputy. But we don’t know how long that’s gonna take and you don’t need those harpies judging you. We’ll take you home and you can wait for him there.”

Silently you knew that it made sense and allowed them to take you home. On arrival you began to pace back and forth with uncertainty whether to try and find Lee but you didn’t want to risk crossing paths with the Mortons. As the name crossed your mind you cursed them, Everything had been going so well before the younger interfered. What would happen to Lee now, especially as he had refused a direct order from his boss for you and fought the Sheriff’s son?

You heard a soft tread on the steps and held your breath. Three gentle raps. You knew that knock. Bolting to the door you yanked it open and gasped. Lee had a split lip and the shadow of a bruise forming on his face. Guiding him inside you quietly sat him on the couch before getting a chilled bottle to place on the bruise and gently dabbed at his lip. He hissed slightly but didn’t move apart from his eyes which swept over you a few times.

“Are you alright Pixy?”

Blinking you stared at him before letting out a laugh of surprise. “Me? Have you seen yourself Deputy? What happened?”

“Morton got in a few licks before his daddy arrived.” Lee’s eyes darkened. “They thought they’d get to keep goin’ once you’d gone…”

Lee never once turned as he heard you walk away, his glare at the three men before him never lessening as they watched your progress. Only when their eyes landed back on him did he concentrate on his own current predicament.

“Startin’ a brawl over a girl Bodecker? I expected more of you.”

“He’s whipped. Little hussy has him on his knees. Or maybe she’s the one on her knees for him.”

“You’re cruisin for a bruisin, Morton” Lee snarled, his fists flexing restlessly.

“And you’re done Bodecker. You can kiss the badge and your job goodbye.” Sheriff Morton smirked at him. ”Might wanna take care with those public displays you have with your little sweetheart. Could get you both into some trouble.”

Over the derisive laughter and taunting threats from the other two, Lee felt a thud of panic. Not for him. But you. How could he protect you from his former boss and his sleaze of a son without his job?

“I think you’ll find that you’re the one in trouble, Sheriff Morton.” Lee turned to find Sheriff Wallace with his remaining Deputy standing close by. Both wore identical grins.

Sheriff Morton straightened as his eyes narrowed. “All due respect but this ain’t your concern nor your county.”

Sheriff Wallace chuckled though there was no humour in the sound. “I think you’ll find that it is my concern. Who owns the maroon ‘49 Mercury?”

“It’s actually Midland Maroon. That’d be my ride.” Johnny’s chest puffed out, not noticing the warning glare his father shot. “Ain’t she a beauty?”

Wallace grinned and tilted his head. “Sure is. You wouldn’t forget that in a hurry. Especially when the passengers are engaged in repeated acts of public indecency. Unfortunately it always seemed to vanish by the time the police arrived.” His grin widened when he saw Johnny freeze with realisation lighting his face. “So I asked all Sheriffs in the surrounding counties if they knew about this vehicle. And most tell me they have the same issue. Except you, Sheriff Morton. You said you’d never seen it before. I wonder how well you can do your job if you can’t see what’s right in front of you?”

It was abundantly clear that Wallace’s words held heavier meaning and belied his knowledge of the true corruption in Knockemstiff.

“We’re gonna take your boy to our station. He’s in a lot of trouble.”

His deputy walked up and cuffed the younger Morton who was threatening about what the elder Morton would do. But Sheriff Morton’s face just paled. This was a man whose palm he had never greased and from the sound of things would never even have the chance to try.

Wallace’s eyes softened when they landed on Lee. “Walk with me Mr Bodecker. We need to talk about what happened with your lady.”

“I don’t know what lies that little hussy told you but she’s been leadin’ on my boy since she arrived here!”

Wallace’s brow raised. “Which hussy do you mean? Mr Bodecker’s girl who’s been a delight compared to the scum I’ve seen, or my wife who told me that this lowlife here manhandled her out of the bathroom for his own pleasure? Only the fact that she’s from Pickaway saw her being released. My other deputy heard the threat about leftovers.”

Wallace then slapped a pair of cuffs on Johnny’s lackey. “You best get these boys a good lawyer, Sheriff.”

Lee fell into step as they headed towards a cruiser with a Pickaway sign. Once the two were settled in the back, Wallace turned to Lee. “You ok son?”

Lee nodded, unable to believe what had just transpired. But suddenly it was like a fog lifted from his face. “Sir, my-”

“She’s safe. Gen and my other deputy took her home. I trust him with my life and Gen’s. I promise no harm would’ve come to her.”

Sheriff Wallace smiled at the man before him who didn’t seem to know which way was up.

“You got caught in a brawl and lost your job yet your first concern is for your girl. That’s commendable. That’s what I’d like to see in a fellow Sheriff.” Lee ducked his head from the praise, unused to hearing such a glowing review. “Mr Bodecker, I know you were set on becoming Sheriff here. How would you feel about becoming joint Sheriff for Pickaway county?”

Lee’s head snapped up. “Sir?”

“My deputies are happy in their roles. None of them want the job, not that I blame them. But I’ve been wanting to step back for a while and try for a family with Gen. I wanna be able to take days off and see my kids be born and grow up.”

Sheriff Wallace placed his hands on his hips. “I reckon come our next election you could be wearin’ a Sheriff’s badge. Whaddya say?”

”I need to think about it.”

“WHAT?!” Poor Lee looked startled by your raised voice but you couldn’t believe what he’d said. “Please tell me you didn’t say that. You’re wasted in this town! Why on Earth would you stay?” You frowned as a smile began to grow on Lee’s face and banished the dark look he’d arrived with.

Lee chuckled softly. “Sheriff Wallace asked me the same thing.”

You were baffled. “And what could you possibly have said in return? Lee, I swear-” When his pearly whites flashed your exasperation grew. “Why are you smiling like that?”

Lee shifted closer to you. “That’s the first time you’ve said my name when we’re alone.” His blue eyes sparkled as he murmured. “I said that I couldn’t leave without knowing you were safe. But it’s more than that. I want you to come with me.”

You opened your mouth but he took your hand and hushed you gently. “Pixy… This may have started as an act… but I fell for you. And I think you fell for me too.”

He nodded towards a box that sat on the coffee table. A box where you’d stored keepsakes of your time with Lee - the ticket from the drive in, every flower he’d given you carefully pressed and lovingly preserved.

“I want that future with you, the one that your parents inspired. And I don’t care if it’s Pickaway or Columbus or even the moon… but I want to be with you.”

As his free hand cupped your cheek his eyes darted between your eyes and mouth as he leaned in and kissed you softly. Surprised by his confession you froze momentarily. Mistaking your lack of response Lee almost pulled back before your free hand gripped his shirt and held him still before pressing your lips against his.

In your little bubble your senses were all centred around Lee - his cologne, the faintest metallic tang from the cut on his lip, blue orbs gleaming as he slowly pulled back and the reverence of your name leaving his lips as he brushed his nose along yours.

When Lee’s thumb brushed over the apple of your cheek you squeezed his hand affectionately. As you let him pull you into his hold and press a kiss to your forehead you giggled quietly.

“What’s so funny Pixy?”

You tilted your head back and found Lee’s sapphire gaze piercing you and filling every inch of you with warmth. “I wasn’t looking for love but I found it in the place I least expected.”