#i just remember he dramatically walked put of the shadows and i was like WHO

[cinnabeat]

this is irrelevant but you know in the 2003 teen titans show there was that one episode i think where future robin showed up or whatever? i hated his future self so much i was like i do not perceive it this is not real to me this never happens

[solxamber]

Making Up After an Argument With: Vice Housewardens + Kalim

part 1 with overblot gang + rollo

more hurt/comfort for the soul!

Trey Clover:

It had been days since your argument with Trey. Days of agonizing silence. Days of avoiding each other in the hallways, sidestepping glances in the cafeteria, and pretending not to exist when you crossed paths in class. It was ridiculous.

You could barely even remember what you had argued about. Something about cake batter consistency? Or was it his relentless calmness in the face of your very valid cake-related frustration? Regardless, this had gone on long enough.

And you? Well, you were dramatic by nature, so if you were going to apologize to Trey, it needed to be big. Monumental. The stuff of legends.

So you did what any normal person would do: you put together an apology that could have come straight out of a Shakespearean tragedy.

The setting: Trey's dorm room.

The plan: Apologize with flair.

The execution? Well… here goes.

You kicked open the door to his room—literally, because who needs normalcy when you’re trying to make a grand entrance?

“TREYYYYY!!!” you wailed, throwing yourself to the floor dramatically as if you had just collapsed under the weight of your own misery. You didn’t even bother getting up—no, you stayed there, prone on the floor, arms stretched out in a cross shape like you were trying to summon a deity.

Trey looked up from his desk, eyes wide in utter disbelief at the absolute spectacle in front of him. His glasses slid down his nose slightly as he blinked, staring at you as if he couldn’t decide whether to laugh or be concerned.

“...what are you doing?” he asked, his voice slow, measured, and cautious. This was so much even for you.

You grabbed a pillow from his bed, clutching it to your chest as you rolled over dramatically, eyes squinted in faux despair. “I have wronged you, dear Trey,” you moaned, as though you were performing an award-winning monologue on stage. “I have been a FOOL, a BRAT, a mere shadow of the decent human I once was. I came here to THROW MYSELF at your FEET and beg for FORGIVENESS!”

Trey blinked again. He was so calm that it almost made you want to scream. This was serious! You were performing your soul out right now!

You pushed yourself up to your knees, crawling a little closer to him, throwing your arms up to the ceiling. “I have spent these past few days in agony,” you continued, voice now filled with the heavy weight of tragic longing. “My life without you has been like a cupcake without frosting! Like tea without sugar! Like—like… a world without your glasses to reflect the sunlight into my soul!”

Trey pressed his lips together, clearly fighting back a smile. You continued, undeterred.

“My heart is broken, shattered, like the eggs we once cracked together to make the finest sponge cake. And now… now, Trey Clover, I come to you, humble and pleading. I ask you to take pity on this poor wretch who was too blind to see the treasure before them. Forgive me, Trey. Please. Don’t let me die from this—this unbearable torment!”

There was a pause. A long one. Trey stared at you with that soft, almost amused expression, and then he sighed, shaking his head as he got up from his desk.

“You’re ridiculous, you know that?” he said, walking over to you. He crouched down beside you, his tone gentle despite the absurdity of the situation.

Still fully committed to your performance, you grabbed his hands and held them to your chest, staring up at him with wide, imploring eyes. “Ridiculous for you, Trey. Only for you.”

He finally broke, a chuckle escaping his lips as he looked at you, shaking his head. “Alright, alright. Get up. You don’t have to be so over the top.”

You hesitated, playing up the pause before you dramatically threw yourself onto him, burying your face into his stomach like a child seeking forgiveness. “I won’t get up until you forgive me!” you cried, muffled against his shirt.

Trey let out a sigh of fond exasperation, patting the top of your head like you were an unruly puppy. “You’re impossible.”

With a final chuckle, he pulled you up to your feet. “I forgive you. You don’t have to grovel,” he said, his voice warm, but there was something in his eyes that looked a little distant, a little… sad?

That’s when the theatrics faded. You could see it, plain as day, the little dip in his expression, the way his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. Something wasn’t right.

You tilted your head, watching him carefully. “Hey… is something wrong?”

Trey blinked, glancing away for a second before letting out a small sigh. “No, it’s… it’s nothing. Really.”

You stepped closer, lowering your voice as you rested a hand on his arm. “Trey, come on. I know you better than that.”

He hesitated, then ran a hand through his hair, glancing out the window before he finally spoke. “It’s just… I didn’t know if you’d come back.” His voice was quieter now, more vulnerable than you’d ever heard it. “I thought… I don’t know, maybe you’d decide that I’m not as interesting or… exciting as some of the other people around here. I’m just the guy who bakes and keeps everything running smoothly.”

You felt your heart twist at his words. Trey, always so calm and collected, always in the background, thinking he wasn’t enough? How wrong he was.

“Trey…” you said softly, stepping even closer now, so close that your forehead was practically brushing his chest. “You’re wrong. You’re everything I want. You’re more than enough.”

He looked down at you, surprised by the sincerity in your voice.

You reached up, cupping his face gently in your hands, making him look directly at you. “You don’t have to be flashy or dramatic or anything else. I don’t want that. I just want you. The Trey who cares, who listens, who’s always there when I need him, even when I’m being a total idiot.” You smiled softly. “You’re steady, and that’s what makes you special. Not everyone else.”

Trey’s eyes softened, and for a moment, he just stared at you, like he was trying to process your words. Then, with a small, almost shy smile, he pulled you into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around you as if he was afraid to let go.

“Thank you,” he murmured into your hair, his voice low and full of emotion.

You squeezed him back, your earlier theatrics now a distant memory as you felt the warmth of his embrace. “I mean it, Trey. You’re perfect the way you are.”

There was a moment of quiet, just the two of you standing there, holding onto each other. It wasn’t grand or dramatic—it was simple, and honest, and perfect.

And then, because you couldn’t help yourself, you whispered, “Plus, your cakes are way better than anyone else’s.”

He laughed softly, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “You really are something else, you know that?”

You grinned against his chest. “Only for you, Trey. Only for you.”

Ruggie Bucchi

The silent treatment between you and Ruggie had stretched on longer than either of you expected. And it was killing you. The worst part? Neither of you was budging. Stubborn as all get-out. But you weren’t just any regular person—you were extra. If you were going to break the silence, you’d do it in the most dramatic, over-the-top way possible.

And what was Ruggie’s greatest weakness?

Food.

So, here you were, standing at the doorstep of Ruggie’s dorm with a feast in your hands. You had collected everything from the cafeteria—pies, cakes, sandwiches, chips—anything edible that would appeal to his sense of taste, because this wasn’t just about an apology; this was an event.

And like any event, you were about to turn this into the most theatrical, food-based apology in the history of NRC.

You knocked on his door three times. The door creaked open slightly, and Ruggie peeked through the gap, eyes narrowing when he saw you standing there. “What do you want?”

He still sounded salty. But, of course, you had prepared for this.

“I come… bearing gifts,” you said, lifting the massive tray of food with all the grandeur of a royal presenting treasure to the king. “A peace offering! An apology! A banquet for the ages!”

Ruggie’s eyes widened as he took in the sheer amount of food. “What is all this?”

“Our reconciliation,” you declared, dramatically. “I come humbly, with my arms full of all that your stomach desires. For I have wronged you, Ruggie Bucchi, and I must beg for forgiveness in the only way I know how—with food.”

Ruggie stared at you, lips twitching as if he wasn’t sure whether to laugh or kick you out. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“I know,” you wailed, feigning anguish. “I’m a fool, Ruggie! A foolish, foolish person! But a fool who knows that you won’t stay mad when there’s a perfectly good tray of sandwiches right in front of you.”

He arched a brow. “You’re bribing me with food?”

“Absolutely.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, staring at you as if sizing you up. “What if I say no?”

Without missing a beat, you plopped yourself down on the floor, placing the tray on your lap. “Then I’ll just sit here and eat everything in front of your door until you feel so guilty, you’ll have to forgive me.”

There was a beat of silence before Ruggie snorted, unable to keep the smirk off his face. “You’re crazy.”

“And yet… you haven’t closed the door,” you shot back, giving him a sly smile.

Ruggie let out a long-suffering sigh but stepped aside, allowing you into his dorm room with all your extravagant offerings.

Once inside, you laid the food out on the table as if setting up for a feast. Plates and bowls and trays—everything perfectly arranged in the most ridiculous spread you could muster. You turned to him, arms open wide like a game show host revealing the grand prize.

“For you, my dear, a meal to rival kings!” you announced with a flourish. “And also my heartfelt apology.”

Ruggie eyed the spread, trying to keep his expression neutral, but you could see the gears turning. You knew him. He wasn’t one to say no to free food, no matter how petty he was being.

“I’m listening,” he said, finally, leaning against the table as if he wasn’t already plotting which dish to devour first.

You placed a hand on your heart, staring at him with as much sincerity as you could muster. “Ruggie, I’m sorry. I was being a brat. I didn’t mean to snap at you over something so small, and I definitely didn’t mean to let it drag out like this.” You paused, grabbing a sandwich and holding it out to him as if it were a peace token. “Please forgive me?”

He looked at the sandwich, then at you, and then, after a long moment of hesitation, he snatched it out of your hand. “Fine, fine. You’re lucky I can’t stay mad when there’s food involved.”

You grinned, relief washing over you. “You’re easy to bribe.”

“You’re easy to apologize to,” he shot back, taking a huge bite of the sandwich. “But yeah… I forgive you.”

You relaxed, plopping down into a chair across from him as you watched him devour the food with the same efficiency that he handled everything in life. But there was still something in his eyes—something that looked a little off, even though he was joking around now.

And then, almost as if reading your thoughts, Ruggie spoke.

“Hey,” he said, his voice quieter now, less playful. “I… I gotta admit something.”

You blinked, straightening up a little. “Yeah?”

Ruggie leaned back in his chair, staring down at the sandwich in his hands. “I know we fought over something stupid, but... I’ve been thinking. I was scared, y’know?” He let out a bitter laugh. “I thought maybe you were realizing you could do better than someone like me. I mean, look at me—I’m always hustling, always trying to scrape by. Penny-pinching, scheming… I’m not like all those rich, flashy guys you’re surrounded by.”

His words hung in the air, and your heart squeezed at the vulnerability in his voice.

“Ruggie,” you said softly, standing up and walking over to him. You placed your hands on his shoulders, making him look up at you. “What are you talking about? I don’t care about any of that. I care about you.”

He frowned, glancing away. “Yeah, but… it’s hard not to feel like I’m just some background guy, y’know? Like you’d get tired of me eventually.”

You shook your head, feeling a rush of affection for this boy who always acted like he had the world figured out but was still so worried about being left behind.

“You’re wrong,” you said firmly, cupping his face in your hands. “You’re not just ‘some background guy.’ You’re everything to me. I don’t care about money or schemes or any of that. You’re smart, you’re funny, you make me laugh every day, and you’re always looking out for me, even when I don’t deserve it.”

Ruggie’s eyes softened, his lips parting slightly like he didn’t know what to say.

You smiled, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to his forehead. “And besides,” you whispered, pulling back just enough to meet his gaze, “if you think I’m gonna find someone better than the guy who can steal a whole feast from the cafeteria without getting caught, you’re seriously underestimating how much I value your skills.”

That finally earned a chuckle from him, his shoulders relaxing as he let out a breath he’d been holding. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Only for you,” you teased, planting another kiss on his cheek, then another on the tip of his nose, and then—just because you could—one more on his lips.

Ruggie, now thoroughly kissed, wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you into his lap. “I guess I can’t stay mad at you, huh?” he murmured, his voice soft now, all the tension from earlier melting away.

You smiled, wrapping your arms around his neck as you rested your forehead against his. “Not when I’m this cute.”

He snorted, nuzzling into you. “Yeah, yeah. Just don’t make a habit out of fighting with me, or I’m gonna get spoiled from all these fancy apologies.”

You grinned. “Deal. As long as you promise to remember that you’re more than enough for me.”

Ruggie looked up at you, his usual mischievous grin returning, but there was something warmer in his eyes now, something softer. “Yeah. I’ll remember.”

And with that, you pulled him in for another kiss, sealing the apology and the promise with a little extra love.

Jade Leech:

The silent treatment between you and Jade Leech had been going on for far too long now. And, sure, you could be stubborn. You could match his pettiness tit-for-tat. But at some point, even the most ridiculous battles need a ceasefire. And this particular cold war was starting to wear you both down.

The tension had grown so thick it could probably be bottled and sold as premium-grade eelskin moisturizer. You weren't sure what had gotten you both so worked up in the first place—something about a miscommunication over a rare mushroom and your tendency to call out his cryptic grins. It snowballed from there.

But today, you were going to be the bigger person.

Which meant it was time to break the ice. And not with any ordinary apology—oh, no. Jade Leech wasn’t a man swayed by simple words and chocolates. You needed something grander, something that spoke to his peculiar interests and refined tastes.

And that's how you found yourself in the local black market—er, highly exclusive specialty shop—shelling out way too much money for some ultra-rare terrarium material. You didn’t know what it was, exactly. It was glowy, mossy, and something Jade would probably coo over like a proud parent. Perfect.

And you had a plan. Not just any apology plan—oh no, you were going to kill this with a one-two punch of heartfelt apology and a sweet gesture that no petty argument could stand up to.

That evening, you found yourself standing outside Mostro Lounge with your rare terrarium goods tucked under one arm and a small, handmade "I’m Sorry" cake under the other. Because if there’s one thing Jade Leech loves, it's weird, rare plant materials.

The Mostro Lounge was quiet, the perfect setup for your grand gesture. You pushed open the door and slipped inside, only to find Jade sitting at one of the tables, clearly deep in thought.

You cleared your throat loudly, and his eyes flicked up to meet yours, narrowing slightly. Oh, good, he was still feeling salty.

"Jade," you called out in a dramatic, over-the-top tone, walking toward him like you were making a royal entrance. "I come bearing gifts. The finest of gifts." You carefully set the rare terrarium material on the table before pulling the cake out of the box with a flourish.

Jade raised an eyebrow, his expression carefully neutral. “Ah, how… thoughtful. And what, pray tell, is this?” he asked, eyeing the mossy material as if it were an amusing trinket.

You straightened up, grinning. “A rare moss that only grows under the full moon in the volcanic pits of the Obsidian Islands. I fought off twelve merchants for it. I might have bruised a kidney in the process, but hey, it's worth it for you."

Jade blinked, but his lips twitched. "How charmingly excessive," he said, though his tone was still icy. “And the cake?”

You set the cake down with a proud smile. “Homemade. No eels were harmed in the making of it, I promise. Consider it a peace offering… because, you know… maybe we’ve been a little ridiculous?”

Jade’s eyes slid back to the terrarium material, then back to you, and you could see that familiar glint of amusement cracking through his carefully composed exterior. “A little ridiculous? Hmm, perhaps that’s one way to put it.”

You rolled your eyes. “Oh, c’mon, Jade. We’ve both been petty, and it’s getting us nowhere. You don’t want to be in this weird stalemate forever, do you?”

He tilted his head, regarding you with that infuriatingly polite smile. “I was under the impression that this was a competition to see who could hold out the longest. But perhaps I underestimated your resolve.”

You groaned, but before you could say anything snarky back, Jade’s gaze softened. He looked down at the cake, then at the terrarium material, and sighed—a sound so small and uncharacteristically vulnerable that it made your chest tighten.

"Truth be told,” he murmured, “I was beginning to think that this was the final straw. That I had ruined something good by being… well, myself." His voice dropped in volume, and for once, there wasn’t a hint of teasing or sarcasm in it.

You blinked. Wait—what?

Jade Leech thought you were going to leave him? You? Sure, you'd had fights before, but this one was different, wasn’t it? Still, the way he looked at you now—guard down, that polite mask starting to crumble—it hit you like a ton of bricks.

“Jade…” You set the cake aside and moved toward him, gently tugging him into a hug. “I’m not going anywhere. You don’t get rid of me that easily.”

For a moment, he was stiff, still clinging to his composure. But then, ever so slowly, his arms wrapped around you, and he buried his face into your shoulder.

“I didn’t realize how much this argument was bothering you,” you said softly, running your fingers through his hair. “I thought we were both being silly, but… I should have known better. I should’ve just apologized sooner.”

Jade was quiet for a few long moments, his arms tightening around you. When he finally spoke, his voice was softer than you’d ever heard it. “I wasn’t sure if you’d come back. I thought perhaps you’d realized you deserved better than… well, someone like me. Someone so focused on... mischief."

You leaned back just enough to cup his face, forcing him to meet your eyes. “Jade Leech, do you honestly think I’d walk away because you’re… what, a little mysterious? Please. I love that about you.” You smiled, brushing a thumb over his cheek. “You’re smart, and you make life interesting. You mean the world to me.”

Jade’s eyes widened slightly, and for once, he looked genuinely surprised. Then, slowly, a small smile crept onto his lips—soft, real, and free of his usual smugness.

“You have quite the way with words,” he murmured, leaning into your touch.

“I’ve been practicing,” you teased, before leaning in to press a gentle kiss to his lips.

Jade melted into the kiss, and when you finally pulled back, he looked more at ease than he had in days.

“Thank you,” he whispered, his forehead resting against yours.

You kissed him again, softer this time, before pulling him into another tight hug. “No more silent treatment, okay? Next time, let’s just talk things out before it gets ridiculous.”

Jade chuckled softly, nodding. “Agreed. Though I must say, your dramatic apology was quite entertaining.”

You grinned. “I aim to please.”

And with that, the two of you spent the rest of the evening laughing, eating cake, and—most importantly—making up. The argument was forgotten, and all that remained was the warmth of knowing that, no matter what, you and Jade would always find your way back to each other.

Kalim Al-Asim

It was completely out of character for you and Kalim to fight. Kalim Al-Asim—the boy with the heart as bright as a thousand suns—wasn’t exactly the type to harbor negativity. Arguments just didn’t happen between the two of you. He’d smile, laugh it off, and find some extravagant way to make peace, usually involving some form of spontaneous celebration or showering you with gifts.

But this time, something had gone awry. The fight had left a sour taste in your mouth, and, even more surprising, you had given him the silent treatment for days.

Days! As if that was even possible. Kalim had tried to make things right, sending you lavish gifts, offering up trips to the oasis, and practically begging with those big, shimmering eyes. But you had stood firm, giving him the cold shoulder. It wasn’t until now, while pacing your room, that you realized just how ridiculous it all was.

Kalim wasn’t a bad guy. He wasn’t even remotely deserving of being treated this way. Life was too short, and giving Kalim the silent treatment was like trying to dim the sun itself. It was painful, unnatural, and only left the world a little darker.

You had to apologize. But you couldn’t just say sorry. Not for Kalim. No, you had to do something that would reach deep into his soul, something that screamed, “I am sorry for being a fool and depriving you of my radiant presence!”—in true Kalim fashion.

The door to Scarabia swung open with a flourish, and you marched in, carrying your “apology” in the most dramatic, over-the-top way possible. In your arms was a golden tray, laden with every dessert known to man.

Sweets from the farthest reaches of the desert, cakes stacked like miniature mountains, and the crown jewel: a massive tower of Baklava, glistening with honey and topped with an edible diamond (you might have gone a little overboard).

Kalim was sitting by the fountain in the common room, looking forlorn. But when he saw you approaching with this ridiculous confectionary masterpiece, his face lit up like a firework display. "Wha—? What’s all this?!" he asked, scrambling to his feet.

You set the tray down with a flourish, sweeping an arm dramatically over the display. “Kalim Al-Asim! I come bearing a humble offering. It may not be enough to express the depths of my regret, but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me!”

Kalim’s face softened immediately, the ghost of a grin pulling at his lips. "Aww, you didn’t have to do all this! I was just about to apologize to you, I swear!"

You shook your head dramatically, pretending to wipe a tear. “No, Kalim! I’ve been a fool! Life without your smile is like the desert without water—a barren wasteland of misery! Please, let me make it up to you with this absurdly lavish, entirely unnecessary, but very tasty display of affection.”

He burst into laughter, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “Okay, okay, you’re forgiven! You didn’t have to go this far!” He gave you a playful nudge, already eyeing the tower of sweets with a twinkle in his eye.

Naturally, Kalim being Kalim, his first instinct was to throw a party. “This calls for a celebration!” he exclaimed. “Let’s invite everyone over, get the music going, and—"

But something was off. His words were as excited as ever, but his smile—his smile didn’t reach his eyes. Normally, Kalim's enthusiasm was infectious, a hurricane of joy sweeping everyone up in its path. But now, there was a dimness to it, like someone had put a filter over the sunshine that was Kalim Al-Asim.

You narrowed your eyes. “Wait a second.” You grabbed him by the arm, dragging him toward his room without explanation.

Kalim, too surprised to resist, blinked as you pulled him inside, shutting the door behind you. “What’s going on?” he asked, still trying to piece together what was happening.

“Sit,” you commanded, pointing to the bed. He sat, confusion still written all over his face, and you kneeled beside him, hands resting on his knees. “Alright, spill it.”

“Spill what?”

“You know what,” you said, voice softening now. “Your smile… it wasn’t right. That’s not your real smile. What’s wrong, Kalim?”

He hesitated, looking down at his hands for a moment before sighing. “It’s just…” He trailed off, fiddling with the fabric of his pants. “I don’t like it when we fight. And I keep thinking... maybe you deserve someone better. Someone who won’t make you mad in the first place. Someone who’s smarter, more… competent. I always mess up, don’t I? And you shouldn’t have to deal with that.”

Your heart clenched, and you felt a surge of both love and exasperation well up inside you. How could he think that? Him, of all people? You reached out, grabbing his face in both hands and squishing his cheeks together. “Kalim,” you said sternly, “You listen to me, and you listen good.”

His cheeks were smooshed, making him look utterly ridiculous, but he nodded as best as he could under your grip.

“I don’t want someone else. I don’t want someone more ‘competent’ or ‘smarter.’ I want you, Kalim Al-Asim. You, with your big heart, your endless optimism, and your ability to turn every day into a celebration. You mean everything to me, and no amount of silly arguments is going to change that.”

You released his cheeks, and he blinked at you, wide-eyed. “Really?” His voice was muffled and still slightly smooshed.

“Really,” you said, smiling warmly. “You’re my sunshine, Kalim. Life would be so boring without you.”

Before he could say anything, you leaned in and peppered his face with kisses—on his cheeks, his forehead, his nose, anywhere you could reach. He laughed, the sound bubbling up from deep within him, and you could finally see that brightness returning to his eyes. The real smile. The one that could light up an entire palace.

“Okay, okay! I believe you!” he managed to say between fits of laughter, his arms wrapping around you in a tight hug.

You buried your face in the crook of his neck, breathing in his familiar warmth. “I’m sorry for being petty,” you murmured. “I love you, Kalim.”

His grip tightened around you, and you could feel him smiling against your hair. “I love you too. And hey, no more fighting, okay?”

You nodded against his chest, feeling the weight of the past few days lift off your shoulders. “No more fighting. And no more throwing parties after apologies, okay? Let’s just… enjoy this.”

He chuckled softly. “Deal. But can we still eat the Baklava tower?”

You pulled back, grinning. “Obviously.”

With that, the two of you sat there for a while longer, tangled in each other’s arms, basking in the warmth of reconciliation. And for the first time in days, everything felt right again.

Rook Hunt

You had been giving Rook the silent treatment for far too long now. At first, it was easy to ignore his poetic attempts at reconciliation—his dramatic speeches and flowers left in odd places (your shoes, under your pillow, even in your lunch). You had to admit, the guy was persistent, but you were stubborn. Stubborn, and maybe a bit petty.

But you missed him.

Which is why, today, you’d decided it was time to apologize. And not just any apology. No, no, no. This was Rook Hunt, the king of extravagance, drama, and all things flamboyant. If you were going to apologize, it had to be big.

You strutted through the hallways with purpose, a plan in place. Rook wouldn’t know what hit him.

When you finally found him, he was in the courtyard, gazing wistfully into the distance like some sort of Renaissance painting brought to life. Of course. Typical Rook.

You cleared your throat loudly, enough to get his attention. When his head snapped toward you, his eyes widening, you saw the hopeful glimmer in them. But you didn’t let him speak—not yet.

“No need for words, Rook Hunt,” you announced dramatically, extending one arm out wide and placing a hand over your heart as if you were in a Shakespearean tragedy. “For today, I come to seek your forgiveness!”

Rook blinked, clearly confused but intrigued. That was your in.

“I have wronged you, my dearest huntsman,” you continued, falling to your knees in a sweeping motion, as if you were collapsing under the weight of your guilt. “I have ignored you, punished you with silence for far too long, and for this, I am truly repentant.”

By now, Rook was staring at you, utterly captivated by your performance, which only encouraged you to go bigger.

“I have been petty, unreasonable, and blind to your affections,” you said, throwing your hands to the sky as if appealing to the heavens themselves. “But today, I seek redemption! I beg of you, O Rook Hunt, forgive me, for I cannot live another day without hearing your flowery prose, without basking in your eccentric glory!”

Rook’s lips twitched, and he brought a hand to his mouth, clearly trying to hold back a laugh. But you weren’t finished.

“To prove my sincerity, I offer you a token,” you declared, reaching into your pocket and pulling out a single, crumpled daisy. You held it up to him with both hands as if it were a royal gift. “A humble flower, to represent the fragile beauty of our love. Please, accept it.”

Rook stared at the flower, then at you, before finally, he cracked. His laughter spilled out, echoing in the courtyard. He dropped to one knee in front of you, his shoulders shaking with amusement. “Mon trésor, only you could outdo even my own dramatics.”

You gave him a triumphant grin, still holding out the flower. “So… am I forgiven?”

Rook’s eyes softened as he reached out, taking the daisy from your hand as if it were the most precious thing in the world. “Forgiven? You were never truly condemned, mon amour.” He leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to your knuckles, his usual playfulness shining through.

“Good,” you said, relieved. “I was running out of material.”

But just as you were about to stand, Rook moved faster. In a blink, his arms wrapped around you, pulling you into the tightest hug you’d ever experienced. You were practically squished against him, and while you appreciated the affection, it was getting hard to breathe.

“Rook…?” you managed to mumble into his shoulder. “I can’t… breathe.”

But he didn’t let go. If anything, he hugged you tighter, burying his face into the crook of your neck. “I thought I had lost you,” he whispered, his voice low and shaky in a way that caught you off guard.

You paused, your heart sinking at the tone in his voice. Slowly, you pulled away, struggling a bit against his grip until you were able to meet his eyes. “Rook? What’s wrong?”

He sighed, finally loosening his hold just enough to let you move, but he didn’t let go entirely. His gaze flickered to the ground for a moment before he finally spoke. “I was afraid,” he admitted, his voice uncharacteristically small. “Afraid that my eccentricity… my quirks, my passion for the unusual—had finally driven you away.”

You blinked in surprise. Rook, of all people, thinking you would get tired of him? The man whose energy practically radiated confidence, who seemed unshakable?

“Rook…” You reached up, cupping his face in your hands and forcing him to look at you. “I love your quirks. I love how weird and dramatic and over-the-top you are. It’s what makes you you.” You leaned in, planting a kiss on his cheek. “And I wouldn’t change a single thing.”

His eyes widened, but you didn’t stop there. You kissed the other cheek, then his forehead, peppering his face with kisses until he started laughing softly under the onslaught.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered between kisses. “I was being petty, and I took it too far. I never wanted to hurt you like that.”

Rook shook his head slightly, but he didn’t pull away from your affection. “You have no need to apologize, mon cœur. I just… I couldn’t bear the thought of losing your light.”

You pressed a soft kiss to his lips, lingering just long enough to make your point clear. “You’ll never lose me,” you said firmly, your forehead resting against his. “Not for being who you are. I love you, Rook. Every part of you.”

A soft smile spread across his lips as he leaned into you, his arms wrapping around you once more—though much gentler this time. “Je t’aime,” he murmured, his voice full of warmth. “More than words can express.”

You grinned, pulling back just enough to kiss the tip of his nose. “I love you too, you dramatic dork.”

He chuckled, holding you close, and for a long moment, the two of you just stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, sharing quiet kisses and soft words.

It was, in its own way, the most perfect apology you could’ve ever given.

Lilia Vanrouge:

It had been days since the argument. Days! And you could practically feel your willpower disintegrating with every second that passed.

It was completely out of character for you and Lilia to fight. Normally, Lilia’s mischievous grin could melt away any tension between the two of you, but this time, something had gone awry. The disagreement wasn’t even over anything important, but you both had dug your heels in out of sheer stubbornness. Now, the silence stretched on like a never-ending opera that had lost its charm halfway through Act 2.

You were on the verge of cracking. If there was one thing you couldn’t handle, it was seeing Lilia go a whole day without teasing you or giving one of his random, nonsensical life lessons. And now? There was just silence. Deafening silence.

Even worse, Malleus had started giving you the look. You knew the one: his trademark “kicked puppy” expression, like you had personally thrown a thunderstorm over his parade. Every time you walked by, his wide, draconic eyes would lock onto yours, as if begging for you to fix things with Lilia.

The final straw came one evening, after Malleus lpoked at you like you had just told him all the gargoyles were being demolished.

That was it. You couldn't take it anymore.

Lilia was sitting in the Diasomnia common room, reading some old tome, looking as composed as ever. But you knew him better than that. His usual mischievous sparkle was missing, replaced by an uncharacteristic somberness.

You needed to apologize, but it couldn’t just be any apology. No, this was Lilia Vanrouge. You had to match his energy with something equally as ridiculous and dramatic.

So, you walked into the room, threw yourself onto the ground, and sprawled out like a dramatic character in an ancient tragedy, arms spread wide, face contorted in over-the-top despair. "LILIA!" you wailed, your voice echoing off the stone walls. "I cannot bear it any longer! The weight of my guilt crushes me like a boulder atop my fragile soul! Forgive me, or I shall wither away into nothingness, a mere shadow of the person I once was!"

Lilia looked up from his book, eyes widening slightly at the sheer spectacle of your apology. You threw an arm over your face, dramatically flopping onto your side, as though consumed by your own sorrow.

"If you cannot find it in your heart to forgive me," you continued, "then I shall simply expire here and now! Right here, in the common room! My ghost will haunt these halls forever, wailing tragically, and Malleus will be even sadder than before!"

Lilia finally broke into a grin, setting his book down and crossing his arms, clearly amused. "Oh, dearest, you really are laying it on thick, aren’t you?"

"I’m serious!" you declared, sitting up with dramatic flair. "Look at me—this is the face of someone who’s very sorry! And if I have to do more, then I will escalate! I will serenade you in the courtyard! Or... or bake you something!" You paused. "Actually, no. I wouldn't subject you to my cooking. But something dramatic will happen!"

Lilia let out a laugh, the tension that had hung between you two finally dissipating with his amusement. "Alright, alright. I believe you." He stood, walking over to where you were still sprawled out on the floor like some sort of tragedy-stricken poet. "You are forgiven."

You blinked up at him, suddenly feeling a rush of relief. You stood, brushing yourself off and giving him a lopsided grin. "Thanks, Lilia. I missed you."

But just as you were about to revert back to normal, Lilia's expression shifted—his amusement fading into something softer, something deeper. His hands, usually light and playful, gently gripped your arms as he looked at you with an intensity that made your heart ache.

“Though,” he began, his voice uncharacteristically quiet, “there’s something I need to say.”

You blinked, tilting your head as he continued. "Your recklessness... it scares me sometimes," he admitted, his playful tone gone, replaced with genuine vulnerability. "I’ve seen too much, lost too much over the years. And I worry. I worry that one day, you’ll be the one I lose. And I can’t... I can’t stand the thought of that.”

You opened your mouth to respond, but he kept going, his grip tightening slightly. “I’ve lived for so long, but you—you’re the brightness in this endless existence. I never thought I’d find someone like you. And now that I have, the thought of you being the one that got away—” He shook his head, his voice faltering. “It terrifies me. So I’m begging you… stay. Stay with me. Forever.”

Your heart clenched at his words. It was rare for Lilia to be this open, this raw. He always wore his playful mask, but right now, that mask had completely fallen away, leaving only the ancient fae who had seen too much and was so afraid of losing more.

Without thinking, you surged forward and wrapped your arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I’m not going anywhere, Lilia," you whispered into his shoulder, squeezing him as hard as you could. "I promise. As long as you’ll have me, I’m staying."

He clung to you, his small frame surprisingly strong as he hugged you back, as though afraid that if he let go, you might disappear. You could feel his breath hitch, and you pulled back just enough to look at him, your heart breaking at the sight of the unshed tears in his eyes.

Gently, you leaned in and began peppering his face with soft kisses—on his cheeks, his closed eyelids, his lips. “I love you more than words can express, Lilia Vanrouge,” you murmured between kisses. “I’m sorry for being petty, for making you worry. I’m staying. Forever.”

Lilia smiled through his tears, leaning into your affection, his fingers gently brushing your hair as he held you close. “You’re far too good to me,” he whispered, his voice a little shaky. “Thank you.”

You hugged him tightly again, resting your head against his shoulder, and for a long moment, the two of you simply stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms. The fight seemed so far away now, the pettiness and stubbornness replaced with a warmth that filled you both from the inside out.

After a while, Lilia pulled back just enough to look at you, his usual mischievous grin finally returning to his face. “Though, I have to admit, your dramatic apology was rather impressive. I might have to start a new trend of grandiose reconciliations.”

You laughed, feeling lighter than you had in days. “Don’t get any ideas. I don’t think I could top that performance.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Lilia teased, pulling you in for another kiss. “I’ll handle the dramatics from now on.”

And with that, you melted into his arms once again, the fight nothing but a distant memory as you basked in the warmth of each other’s love.

Masterlist

[lecl3rcw]

KEEPING UP WITH THE LECLERCS | leclerc brothers x reader

_______________________

part 1

“Y/N, it’s the middle of the fucking night in Monaco? You better have a good ass reason too wake me up” Arthur groaned at his twin as he groggily.

“You won’t believe it.” She says

“What?”

“THE BENGALS INVITED ME TO THEIR GAME” she says, a sudden burst of excitement ran through her

“Who are the bengals again?” He sighs

“….”

“Oh wait, it’s that one dude you like, what was his name again Joe Burrow?”

“YEAH AND GET THIS, I can bring up to 5 people, so you’re coming and so are Charles, Alex, Lorenzo and Maman” she says excitedly.

“Who says I’m going?” He says, earning himself a scowl.

“You don’t want to come?” She says, “well I mean not really”

“Ofcourse you don’t! I always show up for your events and you never show up for mine” she says, maliciousness lacing her tone.

“Y/N please, this isn’t your event, you’re not walking the runway or attending a premiere” he says, his tone now matching hers.

“Well even if I was, not like you’d show up anyways” she mutters.

“What are you yapping about? You’re being so dramatic, I mean not everything revolves around you okay? Some of us have actual problems” he says giving the final blow.

The girl takes a deep breath to collect her self. All her life she had spent living in the shadows of her siblings. She just wanted someone to show up for her, she remembers her first runway show, she had 4 seats reserved for her family yet when she walked out, all 4 of those chairs were empty, why? Because Charles had a last minute deals with a brand. They called and apologized and Ofcourse she put a brave face on, but only the walls of her room heard the way she cried herself to sleep that night.

“You know what? I’m going to let that slide, I don’t know what’s going on with you but I hope you make peace with yourself, and you don’t have to come, I’ll just ask Charles and Enzo. But anyways goodnight” she says

“Y/N-” Arthur tries to interrupt but she hangs up before he can say anything.

Had she overreacted? She felt a sudden rush of guilt overcome her. She couldn’t help but overthink. Her train of thoughts were interrupted by a FaceTime call from her brother's girlfriend.

"Hey babygirl" Alexandra says, "Hey bae, what's up?" she says propping her phone up on the table.

“Just checking in with you and your man situation” Alex says, her and Charles were in the Maldives, “oh it’s good, I got invited to the bengals game so” she replies, “WAIT THATS SO GOOD” Alex says excitedly, Y/N smiles.

“Do you and Charles want to come with me?” She asks hopeful, “well Charles will be preparing for his race but I can definitely come!! When is it?” She asks, “next week!”

“Oh yeah I can definitely make it!” She says,

“Ok we can fly together!! But I I’ll see you next week love ya!” She says hanging up.

The week came even before she could blink.

“So Y/N you excited?” Alexandra says, and Y/N nods.

When they arrive at the stadium, Y/N is immediately greeted by the bengals team.

“Thankyou so much for being our guest, I’m the head coach Zac Taylor” a man says reaching his hand to which she smiles and accepts.

“This is my friend Alexandra!” She says as Alex also shakes his hand, from the corner of her eye, Y/N could feel a certain pair of blue eyes stare at her, and her cheek flushed more.

She waves to the rest of the team, however the man with blue eyes seems to approach her first. “Hey, my name is Joe, I’m the quarterback” he says extending his hand, “I’m going to be honest, I have no idea what that it” Y/N chuckles shaking his hand which caused him to smile.

“Well if you umm give me your number maybe some time could teach you about football” he says very smoothly, which causes her to get flustered.

“Oh yeah, d-definitely! Here” she says giving him her number as he smiles, “you have such a beautiful smile” Joe says bringing up her hand to his lips before letting it go, “I’ll talk to you later” he says waving before going to get ready for his game. She just stands there in shock wondering what happened.

Alexandra squeals, “I saw that!! Y/N he so likes you” she says hugging the girl.

Y/N laughs and shakes her head, but the whole time she couldn’t take her eyes of him.

joeyb_9 started following you

y/n.leclerc

y/n.leclerc modeling for Dior has always been a dream of mine, so thankful to take this huge step into my career with the most amazing photographers, stylists, and makeup artists🫶🏻

liked by alexandrasaintmleux, joeyb_9, charles_leclerc, and 13,000,000 others

alexandrasaintmleux mami😍

^ y/n.leclerc kiss me rn😍

charles_leclerc alex has been staring at the phone for the past 15 minutes….

^ y/n.leclerc sounds like a you problem bud😪

fan1 NOT JOE BURROW LIKING?!!?!

^ fan2 IK HE NEVER LIKES

joeburrowswife idk I don’t see the hype

^ y/n2fine yet she’s pulling your “man”

rachelzegler welcome to the squad Y/N❤️

^ y/n.leclerc Thankyou rach💕🥹

bellahadid weird way to propose but yes😍

^ y/n.leclerc SHE SAID YES YALL💍👩🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👩🏻

[devilfic]

omg we need more of the honeymoon shot bruce and reader,, maybe a one bed trope if it’s not too much to ask no pressure obv!!<3

❝honeymoon❞

II. marriage bed.

parts: previously / next plot: the in-laws are in town. pairing: battinson!bruce wayne x gn!reader. cw: arranged marriage, friends to enemies to (fake) lovers, implied history between reader and bruce, only one bed trope. words: 1.6k.

"I'm sorry" feels numb to say at this point. You still say it, standing at the foot of what should have been your marriage bed. It's been a long night and you'd wrung your hands of dish soap until your family practically barked at you to get to bed, to get back to your husband.

You can still hear them, cackling downstairs in the living room while your nieces and nephews tumble through the hallway. It must feel alien to have your childhood home, long devoid of familial joy, be suddenly bursting full of it. And have none of it mean anything to you.

Bruce stands shoulder to shoulder with you for a few more beats. Then he walks to the door, and you watch him twist the lock with a firm click. Your heart picks up a bit.

His steps are muted on the carpet and you take in his shoulders, the rolling hills of muscles in his back, and the pants that cling to the divots of his hip bones. The black cashmere is a gift from your mother, something preferable to his "ratty" sweats. He didn't like these very much.

Since you'd started living here, you caught glimpses of him like this. A heavy shadow of a man skulking in the darkness, waiting for you to leave for work before revealing himself. Rarely would you find yourselves crossing paths in the kitchen or catching eyes in the living room. And with each fleeting glance, he would escape elsewhere, receding into the tower the way a frightened cat might hide from strangers. Intruders. Funnily enough, you found avoiding eye contact helped that.

But now there was nowhere to run. Your family was here for the holidays and they were in every room. Eyes everywhere.

"Do you need to work tonight?" You'd started calling it that: "work". It made sense around the family (not so much your mother), and it didn't put him on edge when you skirted around the "B" word. "I can help you get downstairs."

He's half-turned to you, waiting on his side of the bed, so you can see the way his face scrunches up at a thought, "Gordon... told me to take time off. For family."

You snort, "You told him the in-laws were in town?"

"Yes."

You blink, "Oh."

Bruce had told you that between you and Alfred, no one else knew who Batman was. The lieutenant, trusted friend and ally as he were, had yet to join the ranks of your prestigious little club. It felt wrong to be in it when he wasn't; you'd forced yourself into it, and Bruce didn't even trust you.

You round the bed opposite to Bruce, and staring across it at him felt like staring across an ocean—he was so far away. You wondered how many people had shared this bed with him. How many he trusted as little as you.

You understand that the Bruce you remember was still a boy, grieving much differently than he is now, and had liked you just a little bit more.

You're the first to draw back the covers.

Bruce watches you settle in before following suit, reluctant, as if he were still wondering about the cons of sleeping in his car tonight. The weight of the bed dramatically shifts and you glide against the silk to his side when he lays down, your hand going for his upper arm to steady yourself. He jolts at the contact, staring you down like a deer in headlights.

Your second sorry of the night spills from your lips, and you squirm away from the warmth of his side and back to the edge of the bed.

You both lay like that for a while, side by side, neither of you particularly comfortable.

"Why didn't you say no?"

His question rocks the stillness in the air. You almost jolt. You turn your head and ask, as casually as you are able, "Say no to what?"

"The marriage."

Ah. "You've met my mother. It's hard to say no to her. Isn't that why you're in this situation in the first place?"

He remains looking up at the ceiling, but you see his jaw constrict, "The you I knew had a backbone."

He means it to hurt. Reminders of your youth together had not softened with time, it seemed, even if he treated you like a distant memory. You don't muster up the courage to bite back at him. Instead, you tuck your tail and keep the mist from gathering in your eyes, "...Yeah."

He doesn't seem to have expected that response. He finally turns his head to look at you, visibly confused. For a few moments, the two of you just stare at each other. Him, analyzing. You... mourning. "Is this what you wanted?"

It's becoming harder to hold back tears, "Not this. Not with her pulling all the strings. Regardless of what you think about me, or my mother, or my family, I didn't want any of this. I don't... want to be your enemy, Bruce."

You want so badly for him to believe you. You've never wanted anything more than for him to see you honestly, transparently, except perhaps to see him the same. To not have to fight.

He's about to say something when the doorknob wriggles, followed by a tentative knock. The two of you sit up and listen for who could be at the door, until a small voice calls your name through the wood, "My niece." You say, rigid. "She must be lost." You go to stand but to your surprise, Bruce is already at the door letting her in.

She stands at just about his knee, blanket clutched in her chubby arms and mouth hidden by the purple fleece. She has to turn her head all the way up to look him in the eyes, "Uncle Bruce," she says through a lisp, "where's the bathroom?"

You can't fully see Bruce's reaction from the bed. From the side, you watch his shoulders sag and his cheek rise in what you think is... a smile.

Very slowly, he comes to a crouch in front of her, "The bathroom?" He asks. She nods an affirmative. "Why didn't you ask Grandpa Alfred? He knows where everything is."

Her eyes dart to the side, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, "...Grandpa Alfred is scary."

Bruce laughs, actually laughs. He hasn't laughed around you. Hasn't managed more than a smile today, and only to placate your mother. He's warmer too, more open. You watch him. Mesmerized. "He is a little scary, isn't he? But I promise, he's really nice if you get to know him." Your niece doesn't seem so convinced. A moment passes as Bruce thinks of what to say, "How about I come with you to go ask him?"

Her eyes light up, "Really?"

"Really."

Bruce holds out his arms to her, and though she's reluctant, you watch her tumble into them with arms thrown around his neck. He hops back to his feet with her perched on his hip like she weighs nothing—and she probably does, to him—and asks her in a hushed voice if she's holding on tight.

Her little head turns to look at you over his shoulder and he follows, his smile weakening some.

You almost ask if she'd like you to come with, but think better of it. In the time it would take Bruce to complete this task, you could try to fall asleep. Maybe then it'd be easier on him to share the bed with you, "Go with Uncle Bruce. Maybe Grandpa Alfred will show you the fancy swords if you're brave enough to ask."

Your niece beams, urging Bruce to take her to him this instant, and they disappear out of sight.

You're half conscious when Bruce returns and shuts the door, but there is no click of the lock to follow after.

With your back turned, all you have to tell you where he is in the room are his small sighs. He's on his side, closer than you expected him to be so quickly, and you curse the carpet that hides his footfalls. You keep your breaths measured, pretending you're fully asleep, and wait for him to climb in.

One knee presses into the mattress, then the other, and you quickly remember the problem with this bed.

He's just laid on his side when you go sliding backwards, feeling your body collide with his chest. You force your eyes to stay closed but you are chilled with mortification. Should you move? Give up the facade of sleep and scramble for the other side of the bed? Would he shove you away?

You wait for his heavy hand to fall on your back, but... nothing. Seconds crawl forward at a snail's pace. You can feel the heat of his hand hovering over your hip where your night shirt had ridden up, but he never touches you. You take slow, deep breaths. You wait for him to wake you, then, if he won't shove you.

But that also never comes. The tips of his fingers lightly brush the skin of your hip, and then disappear. You feel his arm wiggle between the both of you, feel him shift a bit on the mattress, but nothing more. He doesn't push you away. Doesn't call your name. Doesn't shake you until you're forced to crawl to the other side.

He gets comfortable. Stiff, but comfortable, and he doesn't move you. You wonder, as the heat of his chest makes you conscious of your heart beating quicker, if it's too late to crawl back on your own.

You wait for what feels like hours contemplating it. So long, it feels like he might've fallen asleep behind you. So long, that you melt into his side of the mattress. So long, that sleep comes and morning soon after before you could even make up your mind.

[togenabi]

the language of flowers

gojo satoru x reader (royalty au)

♡—All your life, you have been training for the role of Empress... But nothing could have prepared you to be Satoru's wife.

word count♡— 4.7k (I came back swinging y'all)

genre♡— fluff, royalty au

aged up characters♡— 18+

content notes♡— arranged marriage, romance, crown prince (maybe ooc) gojo, flowers, no use of y/n, afab!reader, ur a princess we're all princesses, minor chara oc's, mentions of my other au's, reader's father is a jerk, reader is tough but falls hard, not fully proofread

author's note♡— this took a while! september was ridiculously busy for me but I did my best with this to compensate! this is also very self indulgent, but I hope you enjoy it! xoxo, belle

As a child, you found out of your engagement to the Crown Prince by accident.

On a chilly winter's evening, you had been chasing the Royal Secretary's cat around the palace. Your father, the King, would frown upon you playing games at this hour. You should be writing essays, learning dance or banquet etiquette.

But all that can wait, you think. You've just spotted the end of a fluffy tail dart around the next corner.

When you catch up to it, the orange tabby is curiously peering into a room—whose grand double doors are slightly ajar. Eyes widening, you quicken your steps but make sure to minimize any sound. The last thing you needed was to be spotted skirting your duties right in front of the King's study.

You let out a huff of relief once you've gently picked up the cat, your arms hugging it to your chest.

Just as you're about to sneak away, however, you hear your name.

From the gap in the door, streams of golden light pour out; contrasting with the darkness of the hallway. The silhouettes of your father and his Secretary leave shadowed patterns on the floor.

You listen, as these silhouettes plan your future without you.

“Ha!” The King bellows. “My daughter. Empress. I never thought I'd see the day.”

Your heart stutters. What?

“When will you inform her, Your Majesty?”

The shadow on the painted tiles waves a hand dismissively as your father does.

“I'll leave that to you, Montgomery. Tell her that she should be honored.”

Heavy footsteps sound as he paces. “It was concerning to have a daughter as a firstborn. I knew she couldn't be made to rule what I've built, but I'll finally have a steady pawn in The Empire once she's sent away.”

Pain shoots into you. Your eyes begin to sting. You had always known your brother was the favorite despite all the hard work you've put in, but to be spoken of as a pawn... Could it be that you have not worked hard enough?

You suddenly remember where you are. Remember how slacking off brought you here. Heartbroken, you hug the cat tighter.

The words your father speak as you walk away deepens the dagger in your chest.

“Do not settle for anything less than perfect for her coursework. She's to be Empress, after all.”

On that chilly winter's evening, your heart froze over like the snow-covered branches looming outside.

...

Several years later.

The carriage goes over a bump in the road, but you do not show discomfort or act without grace. Your expression is controlled and your posture is correct as you balance yourself.

Across from you, Secretary Mont holds a newspaper up, the front page faces you as he reads. Large bold letters take up the entire upper half of the paper:

‘CITIZENS QUESTION IF EMPRESS-TO-BE IS WORTHY OF THE CROWN PRINCE’

You scoff. It makes Mont meet your gaze over the paper before flipping it; he frowns disapprovingly at the front-most article.

“Do not mind them, Your Highness.” He folds the paper and sets it aside—as if it would help prove his point. “The people are not used to your presence yet, but they will be. They will see how you are the perfect choice for Empress.”

The Princess is power hungry, someone who was interviewed had said. You wanted the Empire for yourself, apparently.

Jealous. Vain. Possessive. Dramatic.

Shifting your gaze to the window, you contemplate what you had done to garner such a negative image. Could you have done anything differently?

Your father's face appears in your mind's eye. That same ever-present scowl on his face as he says you should do better. You should be grateful. You should be nothing less than what you've been preparing all these years for. Everything must be perfect.

The Imperial Palace comes into view. It stands high and grand, shining under the bright midday sun. The cloudless blue sky above it makes the scene picturesque.

After the wedding in four months, it is to be your new home.

The Imperial Princess, your betrothed's younger sister, greets you when you arrive. You curtsy to each other, and she surprises you by reaching out to take your hands in hers. She gives them a firm yet friendly squeeze.

“I'm pleased to welcome you, my sister-to-be.” She beams, and you return the look with your own small, composed smile.

“I am honored to be here. Thank you for taking the time to receive me personally.” You gently lower your hands, letting her go.

She leads you inside, passing lines of palace staff as you enter.

“Congratulations on your own engagement, by the way.” You say honestly. After assessing her for a moment, you carefully remark, “I hear you and Prince Toge are quite happy.”

“We are.” She nods, smile glowing even more at the mention of her beloved. “Please allow me to say that I hope you and my brother find your own happiness, despite the ‘political arrangement’ of it all.”

“I thank you for your well-wishes.”

“Would you like an escort to your chambers?” The Princess offers once you reach a grand curving staircase.

“If you have other duties, I will not keep you.” You give her a bow, the ends of your dress brushing the polished marble flooring.

“Very well.” She nods. “A servant will inform you when dinner is ready.”

Gathering your skirt, you make your way up the steps to the east wing, where the guest chambers are.

Your eyes find the path to the west wing, where the royal families' rooms can be found. Soon enough, you would be heading there instead of east. Hopefully, the Prince will be amicable to live with.

The chambers reserved for you are exactly how you remember them. It's spotless and feels homey despite you only visiting a few times a year.

This is the only place you can be truly alone. Your father, try as he might, has no power here.

You step towards the balcony, opening the glass doors that lead outside. The wind caresses your skin like a soft kiss to your cheek, and you take a deep breath to savor it.

Four months.

That's all you have left. Four months of freedom here.

Another breeze passes. It carries with it a tiny dandelion wisp. Catching it almost feels like holding onto air, and yet it is there between your fingers. Small and weighing nothing, but there nonetheless.

For such a small thing, it strengthens your resolve.

You're not here for freedom. You're here to be Empress. And that's all that matters. You will not let anything get under your skin and interfere with your responsibilities.

...

So you said, only to find yourself in a very unexpected situation.

Dinner was uneventful, your only gripe was that your betrothed was not present. You had hoped to show everyone that you got along well... Even if you've only really spoken a handful of times.

However, once you returned to your chambers, you spot the balcony door open once more. Beyond it, looking out at the view of the city, was the Crown Prince himself.

You try not to let your unpreparedness get to you. Bowing respectfully, you greet him. “Good evening, Your Highness. May I ask what brings you here?”

The Prince turns to you, crossing one ankle over the other as he casually leans on the balcony.

“There you are.” Satoru says, his head tilting as he observes you.

You eye him warily, trying to decipher his intentions. If he wanted to see you, he could have simply shown up to dinner. “What are you doing?”

He steps forward. You step back. “Is it a crime to want time alone with my—”

Sighing, you should have expected him to want more time with the future—

“—wife?”

The word knocks the wind out of you.

Of all the names you have been called, ‘wife’ is a new addition to the list.

You are your parents' daughter, your country's princess, and are to be the Empire's most powerful woman.

And yet, to one person... to Satoru, you are to be his wife.

It's almost strange to think about. Your earliest memory of your betrothed is back when he was small and scrawny. It was difficult to take him seriously back then.

Now, something has changed in him. Or it could also be that he's always been like this, and this is a side to him he doesn't show to others that often.

Satoru watches you process the word, seeming to have something to say, but decides against it. You half expected him to tease you for being flabbergasted, but he patiently waits for you to speak first.

“Why are you here at this hour?”

He grins, eyes bringing shame to those distant stars hanging in the sky behind him.

“I didn't want our first meeting in ages to have so many spectators." Satoru explains. “If I had shown up earlier, the scribes would have taken note of how many times I blinked or how fast I chewed."

His jesting does not put you at ease at all. “I have a feeling you have something to say that should not be recorded or overheard.”

“That's true. However,” Satoru says pointedly, “The hour is far too late for all that I wish to say, so I will simply bid you goodnight with this...”

Out of nowhere, he pulls out a red flower with curling petals.

You keep your eyes on his as you reach for the flower's stem. Satoru watches you back, smiling softly. He's backing away before you can thank him, but he doesn't look like he minds. He seems to be happy you didn't reject it.

“Goodnight, my dear.” He bows, and makes his exit.

...Through the balcony. Again.

You step out and try to find where he disappeared to, but he's gone.

The moonlight out here allows you to get a better look at the flower. How curious. Usually, people in the Empire give roses, don't they?

The red carnation twirls between your fingers, and you think of how much more grand and tangible it is compared to the dandelion wisp that found you before dinner.

...

Carnations mean many different things, according to this book on the language of flowers you picked up. It all depends on the color.

Pink carnations symbolize fondness and remembrance. Some also consider it to mean not being able to forget someone.

White carnations mean purity, good luck, and new beginnings. It's a common way of wishing someone safe travels.

Yellow carnations have varying meanings. Sometimes, they are used for apologies. But most often they are given to express disdain, symbolizing a hopeless state of mind. You stare at the illustration next to the passage. The yellow watercolor is so bright and vibrant, it makes you wonder what it did to deserve such sad connotations.

Setting the book down for a moment, you rest your eyes by scanning the library. Countless shelves with even more countless books. A golden candlestick here. A priceless painting there. A stack of yesterday's newspaper lying a few tables away.

Something unpleasant settles in your chest. You ignore it and resume reading.

Naturally, as is the case for most red flowers, the red carnation means love. True, passionate love and affection.

You shut the book softly, tracing the embossed petals on the cover while thinking of the red carnation sitting on your bedside table.

Things could have gone worse, you suppose. At least Satoru didn't give you a striped carnation, which has no other meaning than rejection.

Secretary Mont enters the library before you could dwell more on that thought. He's arrived with several palace staff for additional wedding plans.

“Your Highness,” Only Mont greets you, but they all bow in unison.

You nod, and gesture to the table. “Be seated. Let's begin with the urgent concerns first.”

Apparently, the most urgent problem was that Satoru had not approved any of the table dressing color schemes. When you review the options, you think you can assume why. There can only be so many shades of white and cream and pearl.

“What shall we do, Your Highness?” One of the butlers ask.

“Give me a few samples, I'll talk to the Crown Prince myself.”

You almost regret saying that, because once you did, several staff began tripping over themselves, requesting you bring up other preparations with Satoru.

Secretary Mont asks if he should schedule an appointment with your betrothed, but you decline. Something tells you that he will show up again tonight.

And so, here you were after dinner in your chambers. A box of wedding planning materials rests next to you on the bed. You left the balcony doors open this time, and he shows up just as you predicted.

“Aw, were you expecting me?” He's smiling at you as he approaches, but it falters once he sees the box.

He lets out a loud breath before settling on your bed too, the box sits between you. “Alright, let's do this.”

“Start with these.” You hand him some fabric swatches, he looks at them in disdain.

“Pearl, then.” He says, barely even looking through all the options.

“Don't decide hastily.” You can't help but reprimand. “It's not just the color you have to consider, but the material as well.”

Satoru blinks, but presses his fingers to feel the texture of the fabric at your suggestion. “Is pearl not good then?”

“It's pretty, but it's too shiny.” You explain. “The sheen doesn't make it soft or comfortable to use.”

“Ah.” He breathes out, understanding what you mean.

You tell yourself your heart doesn't beat louder when he picks the one you had your eye on. Satoru holds the sample fabric up, the label attached reads ‘Snow’.

A clean, classic sort of white. Soft to the touch, almost fluffy. You don't have to tell him that you agree, he can already guess from the way you glance at him.

He doesn't need to know that your eyes strayed to his hair. Soft. Fluffy.

Clearing your throat, you change the subject by bringing out some tableware samples. “Shall we discuss these, next?”

An hour and thirty kinds of invitation cards later, a short break is due. You're writing down your decisions when Satoru calls your name.

You've moved to your desk by now, since your bed has become some sort of wedding moodboard. Something clinking together reaches your ears, and you turn to find that Satoru had tea brought up. He pours you a cup and carefully hands it to you.

“Thank you.” You respond gratefully, taking a sip before turning back to the lists in front of you.

“Aren't you tired?” Satoru asks, reading your writing over your shoulder.

“This is actually quite easy for me.” You admit. “Wedding planning is unexpectedly... Pleasant.”

Satoru laughs softly. “You're probably the only one in this palace who thinks it's pleasant to work with me.”

After a moment, he continues. “I suppose... That's a good thing, if we're to be wed.”

His words make you pause writing. You suddenly feel shy, warmth spreading on your cheeks. The kind you're sure isn't from the flame crackling in the fireplace.

How silly that you're becoming bashful after being engaged to him since you were children. The thundering of your heart can wait.

“I agree.” You respond, not turning to face him. You will not allow him to see you uncomposed like you did the previous night. “I wasn't sure what to expect from our marriage, but I would appreciate it if we were companionable.”

The rest of the evening proceeds smoothly, though you do notice Satoru becoming more silent as the night goes on.

The next day, you spot Satoru speaking to foreign delegates. Something is different in the way he carries himself in front of them. His posture is that of a proper Emperor, not a cheeky prince that sneaks into your room at night.

... It's probably best that no one finds out about that, lest a scandal breaks before you even get married.

When the delegates leave, you're about to approach and greet Satoru when he, unmistakably meets your eyes, then walks in the opposite direction.

You're left there, confused and perhaps even a little hurt. But you stone your expression and carry on as if nothing has happened. Your lessons taught you to be graceful, even in times you feel anything but.

By late afternoon, it's painfully obvious that Satoru is ignoring you. When he rushes through his lunch and gets up right when you take your seat, you try your best to look unaffected.

Hopefully, you're the only one who's noticed so far. If word reaches Secretary Mont, word will reach your father... That troubles you more than you can put to words.

Satoru doesn't show up for your scheduled wedding planning session with the rest of the staff. You're careful not to say that you'll speak with your betrothed, and thankfully no one mentions it even if it shows they wish you did. You're not even sure if he'll show up at your balcony tonight.

When the hour turns ten, the time he's usually here, he isn't. You sigh and can't help feeling a little disappointed.

Perhaps you said something wrong last night. Maybe you should apologize for something. Or he could just be busy, you tell yourself. You can't expect the Crown Prince to always have time to sneak away to you, can't you?

Something taps against the glass of the balcony doors. It breaks your train of thought, and causes your heart to leap just a bit.

But when you go to check, no one's there. You open the doors to find a single red carnation, just like the one he gave the first night.

You're only barely successful at hiding your relief. You reach for it and glance around once more, just to make sure if he left any other trace of him. There are none, but after you lock the doors and turn in for the night, two carnations in a glass vase calm you in a way you hadn't let yourself feel in a long time.

...

A maid knocks at your door a tad earlier than you're used to. When you ask about what's going on, she says she has to prepare you for the Crown Prince's departure.

“He's leaving?” You ask as you rise from bed, already headed for the bathroom to clean up.

“Yes, Your Highness.” She sifts through your wardrobe for your clothes. “He is to go on a business trip to settle trade agreements.”

“How long will he be gone for?”

“I cannot say for certain, Your Highness.”

Pausing in thought, you look to the balcony doors.

A rush of determination fills you as you ask the maid, “Could you prepare something for me?”

The head butler said that he could be gone for two or three weeks. Weeks before you see that face of his, which has a surprisingly forlorn expression on it.

“Thank you for seeing me off.” Satoru acknowledges you with a smile, but his eyes reveal how tired and troubled he truly is.

You say nothing at first, silently taking steps closer to him. You could practically feel the air freeze over as everyone watching holds their breath. This is the closest the two of you have appeared in public.

You reveal a white carnation held in the hand you hid behind you. The stem is cut short, just enough so that it fits into the pocket on his coat.

“I will take care of things here while you're gone.” You assure him, taking a step back to admire how the white flower suits him.

Satoru seems to be at a loss for words, but his eyes regain their usual spark when he addresses you again. “It seems I have nothing to worry about, then.”

You feel stares at your back as the carriage departs, but pay them no mind. You intend to keep your word and perform your duties while the prince is gone.

On your way to the library, you overhear the Imperial Princess and Sir Nanami speaking to each other.

They're in the next hallway, and you were just about to turn to it when you hear your name spoken. You press your back to the wall and listen.

“I'm glad Her Highness seems to have liked my brother.” The princess says. “And of course, I know Satoru would have been over the moon because of that flower.”

Sir Nanami hums. “His concerns were nothing to be worried about after all.”

The princess laughs. “Oh, what was it again that he said? That she friendzoned him?”

“It was that she companion-zoned him.”

You huff quietly. So that's why Satoru had been ignoring you yesterday.

“I look forward to their blooming relationship. I'm sure Her Highness will come around.” Is the last you hear of their conversation as they continue on their way, their footsteps fading further into the hall.

Come around? To what?

A grandfather clock chimes to signal the change of the hour, and you realize you've dilly-dallied for long enough. The rest of your way to the library has no people whispering about you and your betrothed or the flower you sent him off with.

But you would be lying if you said you'd forgotten about what the princess said.

...

Ever since Satoru left, he's been writing you letters. He said his sister gave him the idea.

You've given up on replying on every letter he sends. It seems as though he writes to you daily, and you simply can't keep up. He insists on writing no matter how busy he gets.

His fifth letter is so short that it should be called a note:

‘The flowers here are lovely. I had a bookmark made for you.’

That same bookmark, a dried pink carnation, sits between the pages of the novel you're currently reading. It makes you consider pressing the red carnations Satoru had given you so that they're not just left to wilt.

You write back once a week. But what you lack in quantity of letters you make up with the number of pages you write, and you tell Satoru as such. There are many things you want to report, so you don't hold back on anything.

Well, perhaps you don't quite tell him that you can't fall asleep until you spot the moon through the balcony glass. Or that you think of him whenever you're not distracted enough.

In Satoru's fifteenth letter, he brings the unfortunate news that his return will be delayed. He will have been gone for four weeks before he comes home, and the journey back will take three days at the latest.

Unable to express your disappointment outright, you instead imply that he should make haste for the wedding preparations. That he shouldn't miss the food tasting or the floral arrangements.

‘I trust my wife to make all the right decisions. Even if you don't, I'll consider them right anyway.’

There he goes again, calling you wife when you haven't married yet. It also dawns on you that Satoru has only ever called you by name, or addressed you as his wife. He's probably the only person who hasn't referred to you as Empress-to-be.

You're quickly learning that with Satoru, you're finding yourself again. It's rare for you to feel more than just a princess or Empress in training, but he makes it effortless with just a few words.

...

You begin counting down the days when Satoru writes that trade negotiations have finally concluded. He should be home in four days, and you can hardly wait to see his face again.

But of course, Satoru finds a way to bewilder you by arriving home early. In the middle of the night, no less. And naturally, through the balcony.

Wiping the sleep from your eyes, you try to decipher if his visage is a dream or a trick or the light. But when he laughs, and tells you he missed you dearly, you need no further proof.

Satoru clasps your hands with his, running his thumbs over your fingers and knuckles. Your eyes travel down to his boots, which are filthy with dirt and grass. His hair is ruffled and windswept.

“Did you,” The word settles on your tongue when you pause. “...Rush here on horseback?” You ask incredulously.

Satoru laughs again, and wraps his arms around you. “Are you complaining?”

You blink, and tentatively wrap your arms around his middle. “No. I'm glad you're home.”

Satoru is so warm compared to the night air that surrounds you. You almost complain when he pulls back, but the serious look in his eye makes you keep your mouth shut.

He clears his throat and rubs your shoulders before taking your hands again. You're completely shocked when he sinks to one knee.

“I know that we're already engaged.” Satoru begins. “I know that we've been preparing for this for years, but I just wanted to ask you properly. Because you deserve it.”

He pulls out a ring, a diamond shines at its center.

“Marry me, and I shall spend every moment of my life proving my love for you.”

“Yes. I will.” You respond, and he slips the ring onto your finger. How does he keep getting more and more lovely?

You place your hands on the sides of his face, pulling him up to you. You kiss him, and the air ignites like a spark brought to life.

It's tender, and careful, and carries all the things you wish to say to him. How you missed him. How you love the flowers he gives you. How excited you are to have him by your side for forever.

When you break apart, he seems surprised to find you reflecting his happiness back at him. He's about to speak, but not before he can resist the urge to kisses you again.

You smile into the kiss, but place a hand on his chest, pushing him to ask, “You were about to say?”

“...I've always known I would treat you right when we got engaged. That was always a given.” Satoru cradles your face gently, making you feel like the most precious in the world to him. “You were chosen because you're smart, and you worked harder than anyone else.”

“...But I saw you one day, when we were kids.” He speaks carefully. “You were trying your best to impress your father, but not at all happy...”

“From then on, I decided to make it my mission to make you smile.” To prove his point, he places his thumbs at the corners of your mouth to drag them up playfully. You laugh and swat his hands away.

“A real smile, just like that! None of those diplomatic half-smiles you always throw out to please people. That won't work on me.”

“Before you are the Empress, you are my wife. And I will love and treasure you as such.”

...

He says those same words at the wedding. You jest that he has no originality, but it brings you to tears just the same.

The wedding happens in the palace gardens, surrounded by countless beautiful flowers that dance and sway under the sun when the wind blows. Everything is, in every sense of the word, perfect.

For this moment, you are not the Empress. Not yet. The world can wait a day, you decide. Everything else can wait while you bask in the glowing warmth this man offers you.

As you leave the ceremony behind with your arms linked together, Satoru leans into your ear so you can hear him over the cheering crowd. “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing,” Petals shower you both on your way, and you can't help but smile. “Just that we're perfect together.”

Satoru laughs in agreement. “Damn right we are.”

Several staff are positioned at the exit of the gardens, ready to escort you both to the carriages that will take you through the Empire to greet your subjects... But something makes you pause at the end of the aisle.

You pluck a red carnation from one of the floral displays before turning to your husband. You tuck the flower into the chest pocket of his suit, snug in front of his pocket square.

When you glance up to see his reaction, he's already beaming at you, looking indescribably happy.

“I love you too.” He says, taking your hand and pressing the softest of kisses on top of your wedding ring.

When you sent him away back then, you remember thinking how the white carnation matched well with him. Looking at him now, however, the red flower over his heart seems to overflow with all the love and all the words that need not be spoken. You like this one much better.

He leans down to pluck another identical flower, and gently tucks it behind your ear.

Satisfied, he holds your hand tight, leading you to the rest of your lives with the assurance that he will never let go.

© togenabi 2023 | see here to be added or removed from my taglist

taglist♡— @flowerjun @mellozhi

[chaotic-mystery]

Pairing: dbf! Joel miller x f!reader

Summary: You and Joel go to your dads annual BBQ after that shitfest at White Pony. You felt something that night in your living room with him that you are unsure to pursue. He slowly starts to realize why you have such a rocky relationship with your dad as you spend more time together, but does he defend you or sit there and let you take it when they start grilling you and embarrassing you in front of him?

Content Warnings: daddy issues out the ASS, eventual smut so 18+ only MDNI! Family issues, swearing, lovers to enemies, dbf!joel, trauma/childhood trauma, drinking, smoking, arguing, verbally abusive parent, age gap but unspecified, no outbreak! Joel, meanish Joel!

Word Count: 4.9K

Your eyes open slowly to the curtains blowing in the morning wind, the nippy air sending goosebumps up your exposed arm. As your phone buzzes on the nightstand, you wipe the sleep from your eyes. A few messages from Joel decorated the lockscreen, some from a couple hours ago and some from just a few moments ago.

“Do you wanna ride with me to your dads later? I can fix your car later this weekend if you want.” 2 hrs ago

“You plan on wakin up anytime soon?” 1 hr ago

“Stop snorin so loud I can hear you in the garage!” 20 mins ago

You giggle softly and swipe away the message, sitting up to look out the window when your eyes find Joel outside in his front yard putting out new landscaping lights by the porch steps.

“I don’t snore that loud, asshole!” You flip him the bird as soon as he shields the sun from his eyes to look at you in the window.

“Like hell you don’t! Come down’ere and help me would ya?” He hollers back and nods down at the lights that haven’t been put in the ground yet.

You think about it for a second before you pull the screen back down on the window and throw on something more appropriate than your big t-shirt and panties combo. Cascading down the stairs outside to his front yard, he tries not to watch you walk up to him but he just can’t help himself. The way your bed head is still so noticeable he can’t help but chuckle to himself.

You cross your arms when you stop right in front of him, casting a shadow onto his direction manual from the box.

“Would ya mind steppin’ a little to the left please, darlin’?” Something about the way he calls you darlin’ makes your heart flutter a tad and the heat rises in your cheeks.

You sit on your knees next to him and start to put the lights together while Joel takes another look at you, watching your hands twist and turn to get the post in the correct way.

“So uh, not too sure if you read my messages, lord knows it took me forever to type them. So whaddya say? Carpool with me and I’ll fix your car tomorrow, how’s that sound?” He sounded nervous asking even though he had no reason to be. It was just carpooling.

“Uhh yeah, w-we can carpool to my dad’s together. Just remember- don’t tell him about White Pony, okay?” You glance at him and give a small smile and hand over the light so he can put it in the dirt.

“I know, I know. It’ll be okay. I’ve got shit in the house Sarah made to bring over before she left for her friends house so we’re squared away with that.” He grunts as he pushes another light into the dirt.

“Do you think we can go into town? I need somethin’ to wear and since my car doesn’t work…” Your eyes look up at his and his eyebrows drop, staring at you with a deadpan face.

“All those goddamn clothes in your closet and there’s nothing in there you can wear?” With a smile growing on your face and a laugh erupting from your lungs, Joel groans in frustration.

“No, Joel there’s nothing in there cute enough to wear! Cmon I’ll even give you gas money! Please?” You beg and plead, grabbing onto his arm and throwing yourself back and forth dramatically.

“It’s a fuckin’ family barbeque, who the hell are you dressin’ to impress at a family event?” Joel raises an eyebrow in your direction, glancing down at his arm that’s in your hands. You two just stare at each other and without blinking you give him an honest answer.

“You aren’t family.” A small grin appearing on your lips, Joel chuckling dryly.

“Didn’t answer my question, little girl.” A small tickle inside you starts forming and suddenly your hands get clammy.

“Myself, of course.” Was all you managed to get out before getting yourself to your feet and brushing your ass free of any dirt you may have sat in. Little girl. It kept replaying in your mind and egging on that tickling feeling. There was no denying everything felt different ever since the other night when he beat up those assholes. Michelle hasn’t been around much but you knew he still was with her considering the loud phone calls you could overhear through the open windows late at night.

Joel shook his head and grumbled as he stood up, his hands rubbing over his knees gently. “Well let’s go then, don’t got all damn day.” He starts walking to his truck and you run over to your place to grab your purse and keys, spraying some perfume on you before you close and lock the front door, Joel already backing out of his driveway slowly.

He stops just at the tail end and lets you climb inside on the seat, bouncing around to sit up straight and get your seatbelt on. “Try that little thrift store on fifth avenue, I heard it was good but I haven’t been there.” You adjust your jacket as he starts to take off down the road, pulling down the center console to lay on the middle seat for an arm rest. Joel nods and heads that way into town.

Since you left all those years ago to follow your mom, you didn’t realize the town had changed so much until you came back. The empty building where your favorite little grocery shop used to be was the first thing that caught your eye. Your dad would take you there all the time and get stuff for breakfast on Sundays. Waffles with whipped cream and apple pie filling on the top. The cashier would give you a sticker with a smiley face on it and your dad would hate it because you’d stick them everywhere in his truck. “Wait- slow down, Joel.” You sit up in the truck, grabbing onto the handle above your head and you look closely at the shell of the place you had some great memories from.

“What happened to the grocery store?” Joel glances out your window and looks at you like you’re joking.

“It burnt down all those years ago, remember? Thought you heard about it, I’m surprised your father didn’t tell ya.” You could feel the tears pricking your eyes and you blinked slowly, taking in the memories flooding back to you. It was a stupid fucking grocery store, that’s all it ever was. You couldn’t figure out why it was making you so fucking sad. Maybe because there was no way of ever going there one more time with your dad, him chasing you down the small isles with the cart trying to hit your feet and your giggles filling the shelves with life. You knew you were never going to be that little girl ever again.

Joel notices how quiet you’ve gotten and he dips his head down to see what you’re feeling, what you’re thinking.

“You okay, sweetheart?” His soft voice brings you back to the present time, snapping you out of the sappy memory lane you put yourself in.

“Hm? Yeah I’m fine. You don’t have to go in with me if you don’t wanna, I won’t be long.” You give Joel a fake smile but he can see right through it. Joel parks in front of the thrift store and turns off his truck, unclicking his seat belt.

“I’ve got nothin’ else better to do anyway. Let’s go.”

He’s out of the truck and walking to the door before you even have your seatbelt off and you chuckle softly, making your way next to him. Joel opens the front door for you and you’re hit with that smell of old clothes and an air freshener plugged in somewhere to mask the old smell. A woman greets you and you start running your hands all over the clothing racks, Joel following closely behind.

They had just a little bit of everything, most of it was old lady clothes. Joel never wandered away from you though, not even to go look at the mens clothing.

As you fished through the third rack of clothes, your eyes find a dress that you immediately want to try on. It was pink and had little white flowers all over it, knee length. With some quick alterations you could probably save it and make it look somewhat decent.

“I’ll be right back, gonna go try this on.” You mutter to Joel and disappear behind a curtained dressing room. Joel kept looking all over the room, scanning clothing racks that were piled full of shit no one wanted anymore.

He walked over to sit down in the chairs they had out for customers and tired husbands who were groaning about being there, and in your case: your dads best friend. You tugged the dress over your hips and stared at yourself in the mirror for what felt like ages. Nothing was looking good on you. A pile of stuff you previously tried on was becoming bigger on the floor but never once did you hear Joel complain. “Joel nothing is working out. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to waste your time.” You called out from behind the thin curtain and you groaned in frustration.

“Let me take a look, see if I can find ya somethin.’”

Joel’s callused hands start to flip through the hangers like a book with thousands of pages, not stopping until he found exactly what he was looking for. He was making it his mission to at least make your day a little better, even if it was a dress that you’d wear once and forget about it in the back of your closet.

As Joel moved onto the last rack along the wall, he spotted a dress hanging lower than everything else around it and he parted the clothes around it, observing the material. A floral cami mini dress with a small slit on the side. It wasn’t something Joel would want you to wear by any means but it wasn’t for him. He knew you’d like it, the way the lace lays over the satin material, just the right length for you. God was he aware you loved short dresses and skirts.

You watched the tall shadow get darker as he got closer to the curtain and suddenly there was fabric being held over the top of the dressing room rod holding up the only thing separating your half naked body and Joel.

“Try this, let me know whatcha think?” He grumbles and lets go of the hanger when he feels your hands and he steps back, clearing his throat before sitting down once more. Joel taps his fingers on his knee a few times as he glances around the place to take in everything on the walls.

You zip up the back and smooth down the fabric, loving the way it hugs you just right. Of course he picked one out with a slit on the side, why wouldn’t he. With your hair tucked behind your ears, you push open the curtains and step out to where Joel can see you and tell you how fucking amazing you look.

“So uh..how do I look?”

His head snaps up in your direction and you can see him freeze in his seat. His hand rubs over his scruffy beard in complete awe of what’s before him.

“Doesn’t matter what I think. You like it? Make ya feel pretty?” Joel watches you closely when you turn to look at yourself in the floor length mirror. The smile on your face is infectioness, he can feel one growing on his lips.

“Yeah, I like it.” Your eyes lock with him in the reflection and for a second everything goes silent. You suddenly can’t hear the music on the speakers above you, you can’t hear the hangers being scooted back and forth, gazed at over and over.

For a moment in this weird situation, Joel didn’t feel like someone you shouldn’t be longing after. He felt like someone you wanted to impress, to seek his approval from.

“Darlin’ c’mon we gotta get movin’ before we’re late.” His voice makes you aware of everything and you’re yanked out of your own world once more.

The curtain is drawn before you can slip out of the dress and into your clothes, trying to be as quick as possible so you can hurry home and get prepared for the circus about to happen tonight.

-

It was getting closer and closer to 5 o’clock when Joel said he’d be ready and for the first time in your life you were ready on time. With your hair all done and the dress on, you felt some butterflies in your stomach waiting for Joel to see you. A honk from outside signaled you to come on out, and you made your way down to his truck. Joel was thankful his windows were up so you couldn’t hear everything he muttered on your walk to him.

“Well c’mon know we don’t have all damn night, watch the potato salad with that thing!” He hollered as you tried to toss your purse on the seat and barely missed the container with foil over the top.

You poke your tongue out at him and buckle yourself in, turning on his radio to something more your style. Joel just shakes his head at you and starts driving to your dads house. With one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting against the side of your headrest, he looks over at you a couple of times and wonders if he should even ask this or not.

“So is there anything I should watch out for tonight at this thing? First one you’ve been to in years and I dunno what a lil firecracker like you is gonna say.”

Flashing Joel a devilish grin, you light a cigarette and hold it between your index and middle finger just outside the window, finding the words to say to ease his mind.

“Well, I could pick a fight with almost everyone there if I get enough tequila in my sy-”

“Absolutely no tequila- uh uh. Not happening.”

You roll your eyes and continue your answer.

“Anywayyy! Or I could sit pretty and let everyone rip me to shreds and hear from my dad about how a phone works both ways and I should’ve come to see him more. How I was the coward for leaving when I got into an argument with Janet and my dad followed me to the porch, he grabbed me and shook me around calling me a bitch while telling me not to talk to her that way. Ironic, isn’t it?”

Joel’s brows furrow and he glances at you a few more times before gripping the steering wheel tighter.

“T-that actually happened?” He sounds surprised as if he was never told about this. Crazy to think that considering your dad likes to tell everyone why you left.

“Mhm. I was sixteen when he did that. He came close to hitting me but he didn’t. I was scared of him back then, back when I didn’t have a voice. I never argued with him or raised my voice, contrary to what he says.” You take a drag of your cigarette and decide to keep going.

“That was the day I decided I couldn’t do this anymore. I stopped going to his house every other weekend, I stopped calling and texting him, I did that for a year. He swore my mom brainwashed me but it was never about her. He just didn’t want me to see the monster he truly fucking is. Anyway, there’s more horror stories I could share but honestly? I’ve forgotten a lot because of how fucked up it was. He always chose his girlfriends over my siblings and I thought that was never going to change and it still hasn’t. I’m just full of so much anger now, I think. I wanna watch him crumble to fucking pieces.”

You told him a couple more stories, only the ones you knew he could handle. It was clear Joel knew none of this, your dad painted you as the bad guy and he loved doing that. By the time you were done, your cigarette was finished and you were pulling into your dads street. Joel’s knuckles were white from gripping the wheel so hard.

“He did that to ya? What a fuckin’ asshole. Darlin’ I’m so sorry- I didn’t know-” He was searching for the right words to say to you, something other than sorry. There wasn’t though, there was nothing he could say to take the sting away from that wound.

The look of shock on your face was all Joel needed and his hand grabbed yours after he put the truck in park. His thumb rubbed your skin softly and he met your eyes.

“I’m sorry he did that. I have your back in there tonight, I promise.”

Your stomach felt the butterflies again and you took a sharp breath in before tripping over your words, “We should go. The faster we go the faster we can leave this shit show.”

You two make your way to the backyard, Joel carrying the potato salad. No one except your dads family showed up and Janet’s sons. Joel’s greeted with open arms and hellos, while you’re met with stares and scoffs about your outfit. Oh how things never change even with company present, you think to yourself.

“Well hello everyone, Dad.”

He stops patting Joel’s back and looks at you, not a word coming from his mouth for a moment.

“Well hi, sweetheart. How are you?” He didn’t really care, he just wanted to know if you were staying out of trouble.

“Fine, how are you?” He looks at Joel and Joel nods awkwardly.

“I’m fine honey. Say hi to Janet.”

“Not a chance in hell.” You laugh and light another cigarette, pouring yourself a whiskey. Joel never said anything against having whiskey.

Joel set down the potato salad on the glass patio table and grabbed a beer from the cooler as he watched you sip your drink, the gears in your mind turning while you thought about how you wanted this night to go.

Everyone sat down after making up their plates, Joel at one end of the table and your dad on the other end. You sat next to Joel, feeling a sense of comfort and safeness from him.

Janet cleared her throat as she poured more wine in her glass, a spiteful look shooting at you.

“So I heard you have a job now? What is it exactly?” Even her tone was like nails on a fucking chalkboard.

You take a bite of potato salad and brush your hair behind your shoulder. “I’m a waitress at a bar.”

She laughs sarcastically and takes a sip of her drink. Her claws are in you now and there is nowhere to go. Your dad just shovels food into his mouth and lets her start her shit with you, clearly not seeing her game.

“You mean the bar from the other night some guys got beat up at for no reason?” She squints at you and smirks. You can feel your face get hot with anger and Joel’s hand reaches under the table to rub your knee, calming you down.

Joel takes a drink of his beer and looks at Janet, his hands folding in front of his face as he thought carefully on how he wanted to dive into this topic.

“If i may..they weren’t beat up for no reason. They were grabbin’ on her the whole night and being assholes. I did what I thought was best, she deserved a better tip than what they left her so I tried the calm approach and they escalated it.” Joel’s stare was tight on Janet, who was turned to the side fully to give Joel her full attention. The wind started to blow softly against your hot face but something inside you told you this wasn’t even close to not being talked about anymore.

Everyone was silent. Not a scrape of plastic utensils on the paper plates, not a bottle of condiments being squeezed. Just the wind in your ears. As you dropped your head down towards your lap you could feel the flame still burning inside you, Joel still rubbing your knee to sooth you.

“But honey you can’t just chase after customers because they tip badly. Your service reflects your tip. I raised you better than that, now.” It was almost impossible not to visibly react to every word falling from his mouth. He didn’t raise you, he never did even when you were at his house for the weekend. He could sit at the end of the table all he wants and pretend like he had some credit for how you turned out but you knew the truth and that’s all that matters. Your dad was so deep in his lies he fully convinced himself he was a good father to you, to your siblings, and the reason you fucked up so bad and had to move back to Texas was because of how your mom raised you.

“You didn’t raise me.” You mutter quietly under your breath just before you swallow your words with whiskey. Thankfully he didn’t hear you as Janet was talking to him, probably talking about you under her breath.

“Alan, I just told you I was the one who went after them, not her. She was in the bathroom crying and Michelle and I felt bad, so I took care of it. No need to make her feel worse about shit she didn’t have any say in.” His tone was getting more and more agitated the more he was brought back to that moment, seeing the sadness wash over your face and the humiliation you felt having to pick up that three dollar tip. It was unclear though as to why Joel said Michelle felt bad for you too. She didn’t give a second look to you when you ran to the bathroom. Not once did she ask if you were okay, her man did. Joel. did.

Joel’s jaw clenched as took another sip of his beer, a small glance to you from the corner of his eye. He turned to look at you fully and mouthed softly, “ You okay?” A soft smile and nod was all you answered with and that was enough for Joel not to push you further.

Your dad groans at the opposite end of you and fiddles with the napkin on the table, smoothing it over with the fork a dozen times. “You don’t have to stick up for her, Joel. She’s a big girl. Think she’s had enough people clean up her shit for her and she’ll never be responsible if you keep bailing her out. Lord knows I did it too much and her mother certainly didn’t care to raise her right. Hell, she’s got no manners, she doesn’t greet my wife who I’ve been with since that girl next to ya was twelve years old, over some bullshit I can’t even remember. She’s gonna amount to nothin’ if she stays on this path. Insane she still has her job after that stunt.”

There it was. The real him. The real him he’s been hiding from Joel for all these years. This was the exact reason he never talked about you to his friends, you pissed him off so much for who you were and he hated how you could make him show his true colors just by speaking about you.

“Where did I go wrong, dad? Tell me! Tell me where I went wrong in my life for you to hate me!” You shot up out of your chair and threw your glass down, spilling whiskey everywhere and your chair flying back. “You tell me where I went wrong for you to despise me so much to let her sit there next to you and talk about your flesh and blood like that.” By this point the hot tears streaked down your face and Joel’s head was in his hands. “Baby girl..” Joel whispers only enough for you to hear it and he sighs, shaking his head.

Your brothers left the table and all that was left was the four of you, Janet with a smirk plastered on her face. “I haven’t done anything, this is all your mess. Your father has done nothing but take care of your sorry ass while you mooch off him and take his money, you fuckin’ gold digger.” The spitefulness dripping off her words didn’t even faze your dad. He didn’t move an inch. His arm was pushed against the table as he leaned back in his chair, those stupid fucking sunglasses on top of his head like he always wore them.

“He was my dad, you stupid bitch. That was his job, to take care of me.” You choked out and your stomach dropped, heart feeling that familiar hollowness you haven’t felt since you were a teenager.

“Don’t call her a bitch, you know better. Why did you have to do this shit tonight? Huh?!” Your dads voice booms against the trees and through your lungs.

There was no room in your body to hear anymore of this bullshit, so you grabbed the whiskey off the table and Joel’s keys from his belt loop, walking to his truck with mascara running all down your neck. Janet and your dad were shouting but it was muffled and it was probably for the best if you didn’t catch a single word, you wouldn’t survive in jail. You could barely get the passenger side door open before you collapsed over the seat, sobbing your eyes out onto the felt material. Finding all the strength in your body to get in the truck and wait there for Joel, you climbed up like you had wounds all over your body, sobbing and sniffling until you got upright.

Not even five minutes went by before you watched Joel trek across the tall grassy front yard, his jaw still clenched with the wind blowing against him, pushing his shirt against his body. He got inside silently, placed his hand on the back of your seat, and reversed out of the driveway. No one said a word on the way home, no one moved. The radio was playing softly like you had it earlier, now the songs sounding so boring.

Joel pulls into your driveway and shuts the truck off, keys still in the ignition. All that could be heard was the crickets coming out now that the sun was set and the keychain of the soccer ball Sarah got him as a christmas gift you guessed.

You wipe the back of your hand under your nose and sniffle loudly, Joel turning his entire body to you. His hands gently made their way through your hair to the back of your skull, and he lightly pressed a kiss to the top of your forehead. The gentle nature from Joel only made you cry again, this time from just missing that feeling. You missed someone being gentle with you, an older man being gentle with you and caring about you and how you feel.

“Baby…I’m so fuckin’ sorry that happened. No one should talk to their daughter like that and I’m sorry I didn’t see it before. I’m sorry you had to go through that. You did nothing wrong-” You start to sob and drop your head further into his hands. “Look at me, baby. Look at me.” He softly instructs, lifting your head up once more. Your blurry eyes meet his and you can see the pain he’s feeling. The anger.

“You did nothing to deserve that, okay?” He quickly pulls you against his chest as you start to sob again, your tears running off your cheeks and onto his shirt. Joel kissed the top of your head as he smoothed over your hair, just holding you until you felt like you didn’t want to cry anymore. You two stayed like that for a half hour, Joel humming soft songs in your ear as he held you and let you cry on him.

There was nothing Joel could do to fix your dad. Nothing could fix your dad. He was too set in his ways and nothing was ever going to happen. Part of you wanted to know what happened after you left, why you heard all the shouting.

“J-oel what happened after I left? I heard you guys shouting..” You whispered as you sat up slowly, looking at his face with puffy eyes.

A small smile is all he gives, “I’ll tell ya one day, but that’s not right now. Okay sweet girl? You’ve dealt with so much today and I’m so proud of you.” Joel leans in just a little and you close the space between you two, pressing your lips on his softly. He didn’t kiss you back immediately, but once he did, he didn’t want to take his lips away from yours. Not for a second.

[wzrd-wheezes]

Our Band. Part 1

Remus Lupin x Reader Band AU

AN - hello i've been absolutely itching to write this fic since I started thinking about it. I'm sorry if not a great deal happens in this part but I just wanted to set the characters up for the next parts. Pls let me know your thoughts and if you would like another part of this because I have lot of ideas.

1.7k words

Part 2

The rain pattered against the windows of the coffee shop; it had been storming outside for most of the day and the place had been rammed with people stowing inside to escape the weather. As the day dwindled away, so did most of the customers leaving the café almost empty as it neared midnight. Y/N was working a late shift and was currently busying herself wiping down the counter and listening to the radio that was humming lowly in the background. She snapped to attention as the bell above the door jingled as someone walked in. She recognised the man as one of her regulars who often came to the coffee shop late at night. His hair was plastered to his forehead from the rain, and he ran his hand through it, ruffling it up as he walked to the counter. 

“Hey. What can I get for you?” Y/N asked, tying her apron around her waist. The man looked up, a smile forming on his lips. 

“A black coffee, please.” his voice came out a bit husky and he coughed to clear his throat, “could you put some extra sugar in it? A lot?” Y/N nodded and turned around to make him his drink. She handed it to him and told him his total. He handed her a note and when she gave him his change, he quickly dropped it into the tip jar that sat on the counter. 

“What are you doing working so late, anyway?” he asked, leaning against the counter and taking a sip of his coffee.  

“I prefer doing the late shifts.” Y/N shrugged, wiping up some coffee that had spilled onto the side, “not many people like doing them but I love them.” 

“I understand completely. Can’t beat the peace at this time of night. Just you and the coffee machine – and all the drunk blokes that come in to get a coffee to sober up before they go home to their wives.” The man chuckled sarcastically. Y/N let out a laugh. 

“They’re harmless. What are you doing out this late then?”  

“That’s a great question.” he said, “I couldn’t sleep.” his voice was a bit raspy, and he ran a hand through his hair. 

“Ah, yes, coffee – the perfect remedy for someone struggling to sleep.” she joked, rolling her eyes playfully. 

“Mhm. A black coffee with four teaspoons of sugar at two in the morning seemed like an appropriate cure.” He deadpanned. 

“Seems like a solid choice to me. Absolutely normal in my opinion.” 

“Absolutely normal.” he confirmed, “What’s your name by the way? You never introduced yourself,” 

“It’s Y/N,” she pointed to her name badge that was pinned to her apron and laughed. 

“Well. It’s nice to meet you Y/N. I can’t believe that with all the times I’ve come in here I’ve never once asked for your name.” he took another sip of his coffee, “I’m Remus. I’m sure that you’ll remember me.” 

“You’ll forever be remembered as that bloke that came in at two in the morning and ordered a black coffee with four sugars.” Y/N joked, “Maybe I’ll ask my boss to name a drink after you on the menu.” She saw Remus’s eyes light up when she said that. 

“I’m obviously joking.” she quickly added. Remus’s clutched his chest dramatically, faking being hurt. He leaned further onto the counter, resting his chin on one hand and holding his coffee cup in the other. The neon lights overhead illuminated his face, the shadows from his eyelashes casting crescent moon shapes onto his cheeks. His soft brown eyes looked tired, and he had dark smudges under his eyes – remnants of many late nights. Remus swilled the last bit of coffee around in his cup before drinking it.  

“I know, I know, I’m irresistible. It’s hard not to remember me.” a smirk played on his lips. His eyes danced lightly, twinkling beneath the fluorescent lighting. 

“I genuinely cannot tell if you’re joking or if you’re really that full of yourself.” 

“Oh, it’s a bit of both. It’s called confidence, Y/N. I’m sure you’ve heard of it before.” he mocked. 

“And you seem to have bags of it.” 

“You seem to like it.” he shrugged, “You haven’t looked away since I entered, love.” 

“Yeah, only ‘cause you’ve been stood here bothering me,” she quipped, “Now, do you need anything else, or can I get on with my job?” 

“Another black coffee and then I’ll leave you alone.” he held his hands up defensively.  

He stayed true to his word, as soon as she handed him his coffee he retreated to a table in the corner of the room. He sank down into a chair, propping his boot clad feet on the chair opposite him, the battered leather resting against the plush material. He shrugged off his leather jacket that was still damp from the storm and draped it over the chair. His hair fell messily around his face, some pieces curling up slightly as they dried from the rain. Every now and then he took a sip from his coffee, humming a tune softly under his breath.  

Remus must have sat there for a while, staring at the raindrops that raced down the window, completely in his own world. He only looked up when a familiar voice called out his name and smacked him playfully on the back. 

“There you are, Moony!” a dark-haired man spoke, appearing suddenly behind him, breaking Remus out of his trance, “I told you that he would be here, James!” 

“Sirius, what the fuck are you doing here?” Remus asked, his head whipping around to look at his friends. Sirius and James plopped themselves down on the sofa next to the armchair that Remus was sat in, the girl that was with them, perched herself on James’s knee. All four of them looked tired. Sirius was eyeing up the coffee that Remus was sipping.  

“Hey, Moony. Can I?” Sirius pointed to the coffee cup, his fingers itching to grab it. Remus raised his eyebrow and his lips pulled into a slight grimace. 

“No.” he said firmly. 

“Why so sour?” Sirius asked, his eyes looking at Remus and then darting around the coffee shop for a clue as to why he was being grumpy. “Oh my god. Did the pretty barista girl turn you down?” 

James snickered and the girl slapped him on the arm to shut him up. 

“Oh, sod off.” Remus rolled his eyes, dragging his coffee cup away from Sirius’s outstretched fingers, “I didn’t even ask her out for starters.”  

“C’mon, mate. She’d definitely want you.” Sirius said in a teasing fashion, his voice a bit more hushed than before. 

“Oh my god, Remus.” that girl that was sat on James’s lap spoke, “what if you’re losing your charm!” 

“Shut up, Lily.” Remus snapped, shooting her a look. The red-haired girl was unphased and just let out a laugh at her friends' grumpy behaviour. Remus drummed his fingers against the arm of his chair. 

Y/N couldn’t hear their conversation from where she was working but she looked over when she heard the group laugh. Sirius’ face grew red when he caught Y/N looking at the group. 

“Shit. She’s staring at us, mate.” Sirius whispered.  

Remus smirked, “No, really? I never would have guessed that.” he mumbled sarcastically. He glanced up at Y/N who was now making her way over to their table. Remus raised his eyebrows, taking a sip of his drink as he watched her approach. 

“Can I get you guys anything?” Y/N asked. The boys fell quiet. Remus’s eyes were on her, his coffee cup halfway to his lips. It seemed like he wanted to say something, a small smile on his lips. Yet, he didn’t. As he glanced at his friends, his fingers gripped his cup, his knuckles whitening as he squeezed it. Sirius looked at James with a panicked expression on his face.  

“Yeah, I'll just get a latte, please. Seen as Remus is paying.” James grinned cheekily and looked at Remus who flipped him off. 

“I’ll get the same.” said Sirius. 

“And me.” added Lily. Y/N nodded and disappeared to get their drinks. She returned a short while later with their mugs and set them down on the table. Remus pressed a note into her hand and told her to keep the change.  

Y/N’s eyes travelled down to the faded black t-shirt that Remus was wearing. She hadn’t noticed it earlier when he had his jacket on. It was oversized on him, hanging off of his shoulders and skimming over his stomach.  

“The Marauders?” she read, her eyes glancing over the words that were written on the front of his shirt, “what is that?” 

“A band.” Remus answered. 

“Our band.” Sirius confirmed, gesturing at his friends. 

“You wear your own bands merch?” Y/N laughed a little, “And you said earlier that you weren’t full of yourself.” she looked over at Remus and smirked. James, Sirius and Lily all let out a loud laugh at Y/N’s response. 

“I like this girl.” Lily said, smiling at her, “she’s fiery.” 

“In case you hadn’t noticed, Remus is slightly narcissistic.” James said jokingly. 

“James, babe, you literally wear the merch all the time.” Lily said, “You can’t talk.” James rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around her. 

“Maybe I’ll check you guys out then.” Y/N said, “And then next time you come in you can bring me a t-shirt.”  

“And why would I do that?” Remus asked, his voice getting slightly flirty, “I can think of a few reasons.” Y/N raised her eyebrows at him, silently gesturing for him to elaborate.  

“Well, number one, I think you’d look really hot in it.” Remus said, “Number two, Sirius has been badgering me for a shirt for ages and it would really, really piss him off if I gave the one I’d been saving for him to you.” Sirius jabbed Remus in the ribs sharply. 

“Oi! You're saying that she would look better in it than I would?” Sirius asked, a shocked expression on his face.  

“Without a doubt, Pads.”  

[gallifreyanhotfive]

Random Doctor Who Facts You Might Not Know, Part 66

The Seventh Doctor was once frozen in ice in the Antarctic for over a million years after a skirmish involving Ice Warrior prisoners. Over time, his clothes had degraded dramatically, but he survived because he had put himself into a coma. He was accidentally awoken by an Antarctic expedition in 2012. Despite having memory loss, he brought up the names of his companions, such as Mel, Ace, and Hex, even referring to a woman on the expedition as "Ace" while he tried to remember everything. (Audio: Frozen Time)

A "monster," or "the Green Terror," had stowed away on the TARDIS when it had been caught on the First Doctor's jacket as a spawn. It eventually attacked the Fourth Doctor and K-9 when the TARDIS materialized inside solid rock. (Short story: Stowaway)

Thr Capricorn Killer was originally an office worker who had been suddenly turned to a vampire one night. Following his change and an altercation, he started killing and drinking people's blood. Eventually, he encountered the Fourth Doctor and Romana. The Fourth Doctor said, "I'm afraid someone brought you into our world. This is the only help I can give you. Now hold still. This won't hurt a bit." He then proceeded to stake the Capricorn Killer with a walking stick, something which hurt quite a bit and caused him to dissolve to ash. Then the Doctor went about his day like normal as though he had not just killed a man without second thought, asking Romana if she wanted to go for a steak at a restaurant. (Short story: I Was a Monster!!!)

Edgar Allan Poe took part in a seance with the First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and some others. During this seance, a young girl named Abigail was possessed by evil forces trying to come into this world, connected through a ram's skull carved with a pentagram. Poe knocked a candle onto the skull to stop this, causing it and Abigail to go up in flames. Poe later recounted this in his diary but commented that he felt as though he had opened another gateway to let the evil in by doing so. The very next day, Poe was found wandering the streets of Baltimore, disoriented, and he died not long afterwards. A "mysterious stranger" visited his grave and left him roses and a cognac bottle. (Short story: The True and Indisputable Facts in the Matter of the Ram's Skull)

Because of LaMort, or Death, the Seventh Doctor felt the same sharp, raw pain that he had felt when Susan had left him and when all of his other companions left. He described his companions leaving as "Little deaths as they'd left him. Sometimes bigger deaths. Real deaths." (Short story: Virgin Lands)

The Eighth Doctor has been known to wear eye shadow. (Short story: Growing Higher)

Jamie has been known to take the precaution of chopping up the Second Doctor's recorder, not that it ever stopped him from producing a different recorder from somewhere. (Short story: Twin Piques)

There was massive beef between K-9 Mark I and Mark II. They fought a lot in their missives to each other and only buried the hatchet when the Fourth Doctor regenerated. (Short story: Jealous, Possessive)

A copy of "The Diary of an Edwardian Adventuress" by Charlotte Elspeth Pollard is at the Library of Kar-Charrat, the same place the Seventh Doctor and Ace once visited (as Daleks were invading). (Short story: Apocrypha Bipedium)

The Master once became producer of a show called "Make a Star," where many singers competed to become famous. He wanted to release songs as of yet unwritten to unravel the timeline. The Master later teased the Doctor for not guessing that he was involved, given that "Make a Star" is an anagram for "aka Master." (Short story: Hidden Talent)

The day after Barbara and Ian left in the TARDIS, Barbara's mother, Joan Wright, reported them missing to the police. A year later, she had not given up hope of finding her, and she shared a dream with Barbara on board the TARDIS. Barbara told her mother that she would return. (Short story: A Long Night)

The Fourth Doctor was once attacked by an entity representing all of the people who have felt fear because of the Doctor's actions and who was attempting to make the Doctor also feel that same constant fear. The Doctor was not afraid when the entity put him in cave full of people missing limbs and a terrifying creature that bit off the Doctor's arm, when the entity made the Doctor an old man in a wheelchair being tended by nurses, or when the entity put him in a padded cell. The entity eventually sensed a thought from the Doctor - that he was afraid of losing his mind. (Short story: The Fear)

Chloe and Arthur owned a bed and breakfast that the Sixth Doctor once visited. In this bed and breakfast, Chloe and Arthur were killed by hundreds of other versions of themselves over and over every day. The next version would come knocking, and the current would go outside and meet their fate. Eventually, the Doctor came to stay and also joined the ritual of repeatedly dying. After dying enough times, the Doctor decided that none of them will answer when someone came knocking, thus breaking the cycle and freeing them. (Short story: The Death of Me)

Long before The Doctor's Wife, the TARDIS took on the form of a woman called Iraj. Iraj (who I will from now on refer to as the TARDIS) had encountered Romana I just before her regeneration and decided that she wanted to play a trick on the Doctor. The TARDIS took on the form of Princess Astra and was annoyed when the Doctor barely noticed her. The TARDIS proceeded to put on three other bodies, forcing Romana to stay put when she lost her temper. The TARDIS eventually put back on Astra's body, only this time wearing the Doctor's clothes. Romana was still frozen when the TARDIS eventually returned, telling her all about an adventure she had had with the Doctor with Davros and Daleks, but she was still annoyed that the Doctor had barely noticed her. After convincing the TARDIS that the Doctor does care for her, the TARDIS helped Romana regenerate, and to Romana's surprise, she took on the form of Princess Astra! (Short story: The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe)

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[certifiedlovergirlsstuff]

summer blush

pairing: steve harrington x gn!reader

wc: 1.9K

warnings: nothing, can't remember if there's cursing.

summary: pool days and future dates

A/N: WE DESERVED LIFEGUARD STEVE WHY DID BILLY GET THAT ROLE!!!!!!! but I know we got scoops steve, but still!!!!

masterlist / steve harrington

everyone was at hawkins community pool if they didn’t have one sitting in their backyard. the weather was in the high nineties with a slight breeze to cool you off if you were laying out tanning. the dozens of kids were splashing and squealing in glee, screaming as they played marco polo or sharks and minnows. many parents trusted the lifeguards to do their job so they indulged in their books or gossiping with friends.

the lounger reclined at an angle, one leg bent and the other straight. loose shirt and swim shorts as your attire accessorized with sunglasses and a baseball cap to shade your face from the harsh sunlight as you read your book.

a high-pitched yell of your name drew your attention. tilting the book towards your chest you saw your neighbor lucas rushing your way. his running was put to a stop when a lifeguard blew their whistle and yelled no running. you saw a few other kids a little behind, three boys and two girls. 

“going for a swim, sinclair?” eyes squinting behind your glasses.

he rolled his eyes and pointed towards his swim trunks, “duh. gonna spend the next few hours getting pruney. oh, also my mom wanted me to ask if you were free on the twelfth.”

one of the boys called his name and lucas told him he was coming before turning back to you. “uh, as of right now i’m an open book. does she need a babysitter?”

“yeah. my parents have a date planned so they need someone to watch us.”

you nodded your head, “well i’ll be happy to babysit. just have her call me when you get home. now go have some summer fun, your friends are getting antsy.” the tweens being all dramatic from their spots close by.

lucas waved goodbye before talking with his friends and then they all threw themselves into the chlorine-heavy pool. the two girls were a step behind with shrieks that carried until they were submerged.

you watched their playful fighting for a bit with a gentle smile on your lips. how lucas would dunk his friend with sopping curly hair underwater or the redhead would slap water at the byers kid. the other girl with shoulder-length hair was just walking around the shallow end with an enormous smile.

deciding to turn back to your book, your eyes took a sweep of the crowded pool and they managed to catch a lifeguard chair change. a girl in the uniform-issued red one-piece was climbing down from the high chair as a boy leaned a hand against the legs. the two chatted for a moment before the girl waved goodbye and the boy climbed the steps and settled into the seat.

and when he was in perfect view you were able to make out the person you were ogling. steve harrington. steve harrington, who was dressed in only red swim trunks as he watched over the community pool. now your book doesn't seem so interesting.

you held the book at a normal height and used the book and sunglasses as your undercover ruse as you observed (stared) at steve. how he seemed comfortable in the uncomfortable high chair, one hand fiddling with the whistle that was sitting on his chest as his head moved around to get a full view. his hair looked naturally fluffy and curled, oh man.

you and steve were in the same graduating class but only had a handful of classes together in the four years of high school, and in only two was there conversation. he was more outgoing and friendly with most of the school population, while you had one friend, robin buckley, who stuck to the shadows and books. and even though you hid in the shadows, that harrington charm always shined brightly no matter what. so yeah, you weren’t unaffected by him, you just made sure not to act like an idiot when he was around.

wishing you had the balls to walk up confidently and start an effortless conversation, you just groaned as you leaned your head back and laid the book on your sunscreen thighs. you don’t even know what he likes, not like you could chat about the weather for twenty minutes before it dies out. “so… this weather….” “yeah, pretty warm. brings everyone out of their houses.” that’s so stupid!

you know what, forget about it. push steve from your mind. push lovely steve harrington from your mind and focus back on your fantasy novel. you did set a goal of reading through the stacks of books you’ve bought over the months. you look through your bag and grab your wallet before pushing off the flimsy lounge chair and heading to the vending machine for a snack.

you look at the different selections of chips and press in c7, your second favorite chips dropping down. you pushed the flap open and managed to grab the goods without twisting your wrist. you looked to the concessions booth and debated if you wanted to pay three fifty for a slushy.

“hey.” you heard someone call but you didn’t think they were calling for you since it didn’t sound like any of the younger kids. head tilting side to side in a silent debate before it came again this time followed by your last name.

you felt like an idiot when you looked over your shoulders to find the source but couldn’t so you turned forward again, which caused the mystery person to say your name once again followed by, “it’s steve, dummy.”

that made you turn around real quick with your brows raised and hands sat on your hips, chip bag crinkling. “what’s with the nickname, mr. lifeguard? i’m a customer minding their business.” sarcasm hiding the curiosity of why steve was suddenly calling for you.

he was twisted in the high chair, one knee up and poking through the hole for the armrest with his arms folded on the top and his chin digging into his golden forearms. his sunglasses pushed to his hair showing his face off without obstruction, though his eyes were squinting against the beating sun. he had a smirk to his mouth and, oh your insides melted.

“i am so sorry to be disturbing,” the sarcasm twisted in his words, “but i was wondering if you’d be willing to buy me a cherry slushy. for a fellow mrs. fray senior english class student.”

lips parting in slight shock, “you…you remember me?” body language changing from defense to sheepish. you meant to say those words in your head only, not aloud where he could make fun of you.

his eyes unsquinted just a bit and you were able to see the smirk fall away and genuine confusion settle in. “why wouldn’t i? i sat next to you all year. and what a lovely view to get me through that boring class.” a flirtatious tone singing through the words. 

now you are standing frozen. was he…flirting? was steve flirting with you? when you felt sweaty and didn’t look put together, baggy shirt and hair pushed under a baseball cap. there was no way, right?

“well…i do remember you staring a lot. just thought i was blocking the window view.” trying to flirt, swing and a miss in your head.

steve chuckled. deep and boyish over the volume of the occupants. “nah, view outside wasn’t worth my time.” a cheeky smirk and, oh yeah. he was flirting.

“anyway. would you still be willing to buy that cherry slushy for me? kinda dying of thirst and heat over here.” his body that wasn’t shaded by the umbrella was highlighted bright with the sun. mind traversing to the knowledge he might develop more freckles over his skin and how you wished to chart them like constellations in the night sky.

you looked to the booth and back to steve, working yourself up to try a hand at flirting again. you took four steps closer to the white chair, head tilted up while steve stared down. “would i get anything back in exchange? since, you know, i’m paying with my own money.” hoping he doesn’t say something that billy hargrove wolf whistles at.

steve smiled with his teeth biting into his bottom lip. his head moved just a bit to the side and his eyes squinting a bit harder, you were glad to see his whole face, but you wished to just slide his black sunglasses over his honey-brown eyes. he looked to be debating something for a moment and then he shifted around to climb to the hot cement floor. he stopped just in front of you, right side of his body leaning into the chip painted wood. he was messing around with his red whistle and your skin produced goosebumps from the way his eyes roamed over your face and trailed down your body then back up.

“well, a slushy is only three fifty, so what i’m gonna suggest is overpriced. but if you're willing to spare some change, i would be happy to take you…” he stopped for a moment, almost seeming nervous before he got his confidence back. “…to take you on a date. movie and dinner, all on me.”

you almost dropped your chips and wallet due to the words that left his mouth. “you’re…this is a joke right? some prank?” self-conscious defense going up.

steve pushed himself into an upright position, hands shaking in front of him with urgency on his face and in his words. “what? no, no! i- i genuinely want to- i’ve wanted to ask you for a while!” words rushed and grumbled.

you were shocked for the third time today. steve harrington wanted to take you on a date. and for a while. “really?” the voice is almost meek.

steve rubbed the back of his neck and you weren’t sure if that was sunburn or blush on his cheeks. “yeah…i know i seem…good at getting dates. but when it comes to someone i like…i can get tongue-tied.” fingers messing around with the back of his hair.

you couldn’t help the teasing smile, “oh…steve harrington gets flustered by his crushes? didn’t realize we reverted to middle school.”

he rolled his eyes, but he smiled anyway. “yeah, yeah. now for the third time, can you buy me a slushy? and would you like to go on a date with me? saturday at seven?”

there was a whistle and the call for steve to get back in his chair. he didn’t turn around or anything, he stayed trained on you with pleading eyes and a nervous smile. you didn’t bother keeping the boy waiting any longer, butterflies fluttering in your belly.

“i’ll get you that slushy. and then i’ll tell you my decision. so, best you get back to your job before you get fired.” taking steps backward then turning on the balls of your feet.

you felt his eye on your back the whole time as you ordered and waited for the drinks. with the two in hand along with your chips, you walked to steve already having your mind made up. you held his cherry slushy up high and he grabbed it with a “thank you.” his fingers brushing your knuckles.

“so, yes or no? hurts to keep a guy waiting.” a fake pout to his lips. you took a sip of your icy beverage and then counted to five. “what movie?”

“the goonies. heard from a birdie you’ve been waiting to see that one.” that just solidified your answer. “food before or after? and where?”

steve took his sip and then answered, “whichever and wherever you prefer.” 

you tapped your flip-flop foot and took a few more sips. “seven works. benny’s before and then goonies. maybe milkshakes after. sounds good?”

he smiled down at you, teeth shining in the light and lips turning a bit red. “sounds perfect. can i have your address?”

you began to walk back to your lounge chair, calling over your shoulder, “use the phone book, harrington! very useful information.”

-

[astoldbyaja]

Fire on Fire -Ch.2 -AU JJK-

Normal POV

Yaga sipped his tea silently as he sat across from Yoshinobu Gakuganji.

“She’s agreed to talk to us and let us study her, eh?” Gakuganji confirmed and Yaga nodded.

“Yes. As you know if she becomes uncomfortable for any reason then it all stops here.” he replied.

“She won’t have to worry about a thing. I just wonder how you can put so much faith in her. When Geto defected, he disappeared without a trace. We can’t allow someone like Hawthorne to slip away again. We should have agreed to their terms when she was here the last time.”

“She’s much older now more mature… We couldn’t put that much faith in her younger form” he said.

“Her cursed technique is that she can weaponize oxygen, meaning she can wipe out all curse users if she wanted. The fact she’s allowing us to study her makes me even more distrustful of her.” the elder replied.

“She is aware of your apprehension and that’s why she’s agreeing to let us study her. It’s better we do this now than back in 2006. She knows what will happen if she steps out of line.” Yaga told.

“You really think a sorcerer like Satoru Gojo can stop her. He’s the strongest sorcerer we have with his techniques. But if he knew exactly the kind of power she held… he’s more likely to work with her against us then destroy her for us.” Gakuganji told. Yaga was quiet.

“She believes in protecting non-sorcerer lives. The non-sorcerers who raised her, raised her with love and kindness. Let’s just focus on her being here now… I’d like to offer her a position as a teacher so she has something to do and can learn from us as well.”

“I think that can be arranged.” Gakuganji told.

Delilah’s POV

By the next morning, I was walking to the gates of the school. However, I was met with a white-haired man pointing dramatically at me.

“YOU!” he yelled out. I grinned as I walked casually toward him. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this! You and I have a score to settle!”

He positioned his fingers as if prepared to use a domain on me. I continued my gentle walk, approaching him calmly. His body was tight, eyes still covered by a black sash. I merely approached and when I was side by side, my face feigned confusion.

“I’m sorry… do I know you?” I asked innocently as I walked past him. His body fell over.

“WHAT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN DO YOU KNOW ME! HOW COULD YOU FORGET ABOUT ME ALREADY!” he whined immediately. I continued to stroll inside the school hearing his feet as he followed me. “Seriously, I remember you Delilah Hawthorn, born January 3, Capricorn, raised by Kylee and Liam Hawthorne, blood type AB positive!”

Oh I really got under his skin years ago if he went as far as to look into me like that.

“Sorry I don’t remember.” I replied and now he stopped right in front of me.

“Satoru Gojo!” he said. I just blinked.

“Hm, first I’m ever hearing about you. Anyways, Gojo is it, could you direct me to Yaga’s office.” I replied.

“There you are.” I see Yaga approaching, and I smile.

“Nice to see you again Yaga.” I replied earning me a small smile from the older man.

“Whaat you remember him!” Gojo blurted.

“Nice to see you again as well Delilah… Gojo don’t you have students to look after?” he asked. Gojo pouted and mumbled.

“Yeah yeah, they’re around here somewhere.” he said. I smiled at Yaga who led me to his office.

“Nice to finally have you back in Japan. I’ve spoken with the higher ups and we have decided that during your stay we’d like to offer you a teaching position here so you can study us and have a bit of freedom here as well.” he said. I shook my head immediately.

“I don’t know a thing about teaching. I’d much rather sit in the side lines and maybe study one of your teachers.” I replied as he opened the door to his office.

“I’m glad you think so because I have the perfect teacher for you to shadow.” he said. As we stepped in my eyes fell on none other than Kento Nanmi. My eyes fluttered as the man leaned up and looked at me through his glasses. He placed his newspaper down and stood up with a smile. “Delilah you remember Kento Nanami.”

I wasn’t expecting to see him here so soon, let alone be a teacher. Kento let a warm smile come over his face.

“Surprise.” he said, and I grinned and approached.

The three of us sat down and Yaga explained my position and that I would be shadowing Kento for most of my time here. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if they partnered us together as a means for him to watch me. If that was the case, I’m surprised they didn’t pair me with Gojo then. No Gojo would just ruin my experience here with his annoyance.

Kento just nodded as Yaga spoke and it felt like we were in some kind of big professional board meeting or something.

Now Kento and I were walking calmly down the hall, his professional stare gone and replaced with a warm gaze.

“I feel this was fate… us meeting again and being paired together for such an assignment.” he said. I smiled warmly up at him noticing the warmth in his eyes was still there just like when we were teenagers. I nodded.

“I agree. You know I often thought of you after we separated that day.” I said. His eyes locked on me, a look of surprise on his face.

“Really?” he asked, a slight shade of pink tinting his face. I nodded keeping my eyes forward.

“Yes. You never did tell me what brought you over for a visit that day.” I replied as he opened the door for me for us to exit the building. He stumbled over his words some.

“Yes well I…” was he really still this flustered after all this time.

I could see the familiar fountain in the distance and smiled as I moved over towards, eyeing the clear clean water that sprouted from the middle. I turned and looked at Kento to see him watching me with an obvious gaze. The same stone bench was there and so I had a playful idea.

“You said this was fate right. Maybe we were meant to be right back at this spot.” I sat down now on the marble stone, his eyes yet again eyeing my curls, my silver anklet that was still around my foot. I smiled warmly up at him.

“You told Gojo you weren’t hitting on me and if I remember correctly, I said that was sad for me… So, tell me Kento, what is it you wanted to say?” I asked.

The blush on his cheeks grew dark and he looked down clearing his throat some before slowly moving to play with his tie.

“I remember all too well what I wanted to say… I wanted to say that when I first saw you in the hallway, I thought you were the most beautiful girl I had ever seen in my life. I- I wanted to ask you if you’d do me the honors of letting me take you out on a date. But unfortunately, there were too many distractions, and you had to leave that same day before I could ask.” he explained a hint of disappointment laced in his tone toward the last sentence. I could feel my face brightened at his words.

I would have never expected for anyone here to see me in that way. He wanted to ask me on a date? Even now knowing his intentions made me smile.

“Well, if you had asked me, I would have said yes. Like I said yesterday, I thought you were a very handsome boy.” I replied with a warm smile. Now his face was so pink he looked away immediately pushing his glasses to his face as if to hide his eyes.

“Thank you… if I’m not being too forward maybe tonight, I could take you out… on a date.” he said. I was happily stunned at his words.

“You’d still like to after all this time?” I asked. He looked at me now with a smile and nod.

“Yes. I still play that memory over and over in my head and even now I still think you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met, and I would be the luckiest man on this planet to be able to take you out… if that’s okay with you.” He said and I let out a gentle yet happy sigh.

“I would love to Kento.”

That night, I was in a black dress with my hair pinned up. My make up was very light and I only wore a gold bracelet. I had messaged Kento the address to the apartment was staying at and this time, I decided to leave my sunglasses off, my purple eyes shimmering some. There was a knock at the door, and I took a few even breaths and moved to open the door. Standing there in a nice cream suit was Kento Nanami. He too wasn’t wearing his glasses, and his breath seemed to hitch at the sight of me.

“Good evening.” I said with a warm smile, and he just looked me over and then up at my face.

“Good evening… you look absolutely stunning.” he said. I giggled some.

“Thank you, you look quite handsome yourself.” I replied moving to step out of my hotel. When I turned to face him, he held his arm up for me to wrap my own around him. I smiled and did so. Together we moved down the hallway.

“This is a very luxurious hotel. It seems the higher ups really want you to be comfortable during your stay here.” he said. I nodded.

“It would appear so. Did Yaga inform you of how long I would be staying here?” I asked. He nodded.

“Six months, but they’re willing to extend it if everything goes well with you here.” he said. I nodded watching as we moved out into the moon light. The valet brought his car around and I noticed it was a very nice and expense looking car. He approached the passenger’s side and opened the door for me with a warm smile. I smiled my thanks and got in wondering how this night between us would go.

[eee-isat-au-blog]

Encore Et Encore: Act 1, Chapter 2: Hour Time Together

Full Game Spoilers for In Stars And Time, Including Twohats! (technically not in this episode but it's in episode one so you should read that first)

It took a while for Siffrin to remember who and where he was, but that was normal for suddenly waking up.

…why did he wake up again?

He had a really weird dream. He was standing there with 2 other figures…

The dream slipped through his mental hands like sand. He closed his eyes again.

♢: "--frin! Siffrin!"

A shadow covered the sunlight that was previously piercing his eyelids.

♢: "… Siffrin…?"

Judging by the voice, that was Mira here to wake him up. Or maybe Isa was doing a really really good impression. He snickered at the thought.

♢: "Siffrin, are you making puns even in your dreams? What am I saying, of course you would be…"

♢: "Anyway, good morning! Or, good afternoon rather… sleep well?"

☆: “mmbl.. grmbl…” was all he could say in response

♢: "… You’re still half asleep, huh..”

With all the strength he could muster, he lightly nodded in response.

♢: "Well, I'll let you rest a little longer, gotta be ready for tomorrow and all! Make sure to come to town soon though!"

He sighed, lightly blowing the hair in his face up, before it fell right back down.

☆: “…” Wake up Siffrin, you have a country to save.

He stood up after a moment and stretched, stretched, stretched, his body was really feeling the whiplash of the sudden wake. After a bit he began wandering to the town of Dormont, where a statue of the Change God stood proud and tall in the center, visible even from this distance.

He watched as two birds sang to each other in the woods, one was light, the other was dark. He envied them a bit, and chuckled. At least they weren't aware of the potential end of the world.

Eventually he met up with Mira.

♢: "Well that didn't take long, haha! How did you sleep by the way? Scale of 1 to 10?”

☆: “Hm… 3, a weird dream, and a certain someone woke me up.” He sticks out his tongue playfully at her.

♢: “Noooo I’m sorry! It’s just we have a lot to do, prepping for the King and-”

☆: “How dare you Mirabelle, punishment for a millenia.” He holds his hand out dramatically, as if cursing her. She puts on a big, obviously fake frown.

♢: “Noooo, not punishment for a millenia!!!”

They both laugh.

♢: “OH!! BY! THE! WAY! I wanted to talk to you about something! Um… I had a nice idea for how we can make the night before the final fight special, how about a nice sleepover? Eat food with friends, tell stories, all that stuff!”

Siffrin took a second to wonder how that was different from what they normally do.

☆: “Uh… How is that different from what we normally do?”

♢: “Oh crab… you’re right.. It was a dumb idea, just forget about it…” She lightly facepalms her face.

Siffrin immediately panicked. He made Mira upset. This is the worst thing probably ever.

☆: “N-no no! It’s a good idea! We should do it! And make the best of all the times we did it ever!”

♢: “You think so?”

☆: “Of course!” He smiled reassuringly.

♢: “Heh, thank you Siffrin.. Oh, if we’re doing it you should probably go tell everyone! I wrote down a crafted note and everything! Isabeau is at the Favor Tree, Madame is at the shops, and Bonnie is at the fields! Tell them to meet at the Clock Tower, okay? You should also check out the Change God Statue for good luck!” She hands him the note.

That’s a lot of things. Siffrin waves as Mira leaves, looking at the note. He decides to head to Odile first, since the shop was just over there.

He opened the door, the shopkeep jolting up slightly, clearly they were dozing off a bit. He walked to the end of the shop and found Odile inspecting various things on the shelf.

♤: “Hmm.. Oh, Siffrin, you look well rested, I take it you slept well?” She looked at the stuff on the shelf as she spoke, before turning to give full attention.

☆: “Well enough at least, Mira woke me up.” He fake-pouted.

♤: “Heh, probably for the best, don’t want you sleeping on the day before the possible end of the world. Anyway, how can I help you?”

☆: “Right, Mira wanted me to tell everyone about a sleepover at the Clock Tower.” Odile lightly scoffs.

♤: “A sleepover? Gems alive, you really are kids.”

☆: “Yea, but it’ll be fun to forget about things for a bit.”

♤: “Yeah, yeah, I’ll be there, poor Boniface likely needs it. Maybe we all do. Nevertheless, the Clock Tower has 3 beds, no? I’ll have you know I plan on having a bed to myself.”

☆: “Yeah, Mira and Bonnie will be sharing, probably”

♤: “So who’s sleeping on the floor, you or Isabeau?”

☆: “We’ll probably share as well”

♤: “…Mhm. Anyway, I’ll be there.”

Siffrin waved goodbye and left, checking Odile off the list, albeit mentally, since he had nothing to write with. Next up was Bonnie, so he headed east, saying hi to the townsfolk as he passed, eventually finding Bonnie staring at vegetables.

☆: “Hey, Bonnie!”

♧: “…heyfrin.”

☆: “We’re going to do a sleepover at the Clock Tower tonight.”

♧: “A sleepover? That’s dumb, I’m not a kid, Frin. Was it your idea?” Siffrin sighed lightly.

☆: “Mira’s idea, actually.”

♧: “Oh, then it's a great idea, sucks you stole it from Belle.” The small one snickered and pointed teasingly at him. He sighed again.

The two leaned on the fence, staring out to the vegetable field. Most of it was frozen. The squash was out of seconds, the mushrooms were out of minutes, and the onions were out of hours. Siffrin would keep this thought rolling if he hadn't noticed Bonnie was nervously glancing at him.

♧: “D-Don’t you got somewhere to be, Stupidfrin?”

☆: “Wow, I can’t enjoy a moment staring at veggies?”

Bonnie took a moment, did they hurt Frin’s feelings?

♧: “S-sorry I just- want some time alone!!”

☆: “No it’s fine, Bonnie. I don’t carrot-all” He smirked down at them, as they frowned in return.

♧: “Get out of here!! Stupidfrin!” Siffrin leaves without another quipping word, checking Bonnie off the mental list as well.

One left. Siffrin headed for the Favor Tree to talk to Isabeau. The tree was very big, paired with the Change God statue in the center and the Clock Tower to the east, it made the town of Dormont very symmetrical, even, nice.

They approached the Favor Tree’s designated area, with Isabeau leaning on a nearby, non-favorable tree.

☆: “Isa!!” They grinned.

♡: “Sif!!!” He held out his arms wide as Sif approached.

☆: “Isaaaaaa!!!!”

♡: “Sif!!!!!!”

☆: “ISAAAAAAAA!!!!” They continued playing it up. Isa chuckled.

♡: “Ok that’s enough, we don’t wanna be here all day, do we?”

☆: “Booooo…” They stuck out their tongue playfully.

♡: “So, how’s it going? Here to wish at the Favor Tree? It’s crazy how big the thing is!”

☆: “Hm… Yeah, It’s a…” They got that look on their face, that both them and Isa knew well.

♡: “Mhm??” Isabeau waited in anticipation.

☆: “..A real TREE-at.” Their smirk was so sharp it could kill a sadness.

♡: “HA! HAHAHA! YES!!” He raises a hand to their shoulder as he laughs, but stops just short and brings it to his side as he wipes his damp eyes.

♡: “Ha… that was good.”

☆: “Anyway, Mira wanted me to tell everyone we’re meeting at the Clock Tower for a sleep over tonight.”

♡: “Sleepover? Crab yeah, now I’m excited. Though, the Clock Tower only has 3 beds if I remember correctly… and M’dame will absolutely demand a bed to herself- more power to her- so I suppose we’re sharing again?” He said that less like an actual question, and more like a confirmation, because he was pretty confident in his conclusion, but wanted to make sure with his bunkmate.

☆: “Yea, that sounds about right.”

♡: “Alright! I’ll be there!” He gives a big thumbs up

♡: “I’ll let you do your Favor Tree thing now! I'll be up north if you wanna talk again! Cya, Sif!” They both waved as he walked away.

Siffrin approached the Favor Tree. It was towering, to the point they were a bit nervous to make a wish. Like asking a teacher to use the bathroom back in school. Or at least that's what Mira and Isa said. He never went to school.

Think… What would be a good wish to ask… Talking with their party was nice… Traveling with them was the happiest you remember being, though your memory always was spotty… but if something was better than this, it probably wasn’t good enough to remember. They shake off the conflicting nature of that sentence and think.

Mira.. Isa.. Odile.. Bonnie… He loved them all so much. He knew his wish. He took a leaf and held it to his mouth, whispering to it.

☆: “I wish to stay with those I care about, when all is said and done.”

He folded it up and sent it to ride the wind. The breeze brushing the tree made a strange sound, like a group sighing. Vaugarde is so weird. Welp, should probably make it over to the Clock Tower.

As he made his way over, he noticed the Change God statue again. Stars, he knew he was forgetting something. He needed to make a prayer for good luck. Though, doing that right after making a wish on the Favor Tree felt… greedy. But he said he would, so do it he shall. He approached the statue’s stature.

Mira and Isa told him that Change prayers were manifested by simply believing strongly, for nothing concrete, the Change God is a lazy deity after all. Seemed a bit off. A god taking a backseat to its domain? Though he supposed the inverse was also a problem. Whatever, he wasn't here to critique the culture. He was here to save the world.

He believed strongly…. For understanding.

And with that, he bowed slightly to the statue and made his way to the Clock Tower as the sky darkened from the curse. If they won or lost tomorrow, at least today still happened.

[iminloveweveryone]

Cold

Grumpy simon smut

Here you go since I’m bad at writing smut without plot like gr anyway I think this is cute he’s kinda jealous a bit grumpy

Also if you have requests send them in! I’m always looking for ideas.

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“So? Are you in?”

“…”

“Yes.”

“Good, you leave tomorrow. 6 am.”

…

That’s how I found myself on a helicopter in the early morning, being transferred to the base where task force 141 resides.

I stared out the window quietly, since I’d run out of things to talk about with the pilot. I see a large building come into view as we slowly start to descend.

The heli lands and I grab onto my large duffel bag, swinging it over my shoulder. I look over our surroundings and see four men standing in the distance. I recognize only one, captain price.

I step out and walk over towards the group, a smile on my face.

“Hi, I’m Alessandra.” I say as I look between them. “John price, I’ve heard about you, laswell

Says your one hell of a shot.” He smiles at me and I only nod along.

“Soap, you can call me John if ya like lass.” He says with a grin spread across his face, I can’t help but notice his hair, which is cut into a Mohawk. I smile at the friendly man and shake his hand.

“I’m Kyle, team calls me Gaz though.” He nods at me before crossing his arms.

I look over to the last man who stays silent before Soap speaks up. “This here is si-“

“Ghost.” He says cutting off soap. I nod and give him a small smile.

The walk me through the base and what missions may come up soon, before dropping me off at my room and letting me settle in.

I place the few items I have around the rooms before smiling to myself and exiting. I wander down the hallway to where I remember the kitchen was.

It smells good?

I walk in and see price in the kitchen, storing something in a pot. “Ooh what are you makin?” I ask curiously as I take a seat at the kitchen counter.

“Chilli, perfect for winter, no?” He glances at me and I nod. I turn my head as soap walks into the kitchen “he says it’s world famous” he grins “honestly he probably stole the recipe from some old woman” he says making me laugh.

Price serves us a bowl of chilli and a piece of bread on the side. I begin eating when I look around and notice Ghost is absent from the table.

Gaz must have noticed me looking around as he speaks up. “Doesn’t like to eat around new people” he shrugs “don’t take it personal” he says with a friendly smile.

We all finished our food and have moved onto to board games, which I have to say i am the best at by far.

We’re playing charades, which Ghost has decided to not show up for either.

I was partnered with soap, and we were winning by a lot.

“Okay three words.” Gaz nods at the captain “first word.” He starts waving his arms around like a distressed seagull.

“Uh..windmill” He shakes his head and starts doing the motion again. “Damn, uh..” the timer goes off and soap and I cheer.

“It was flying a kite! I was trying to do a flying motion like a chicken” he puts his head in his hands dramatically.

“Chickens are horrible at flying idiot!” Price shouts before we all burst out into laughter, soap practically falling to the floor.

We play a few more rounds before calling it a night and everyone starts to head off to bed.

I’m waking down the hallway as I hear price call out to me, I turn to look at him.

“So you know, you’ll be shadowing Ghost tomorrow. Just to get a feel of things round here.” He says before patting my shoulder and heading off somewhere.

I head off to bed, practically falling asleep as soon as my face hits the pillow.

…

I’ve been looking for a Ghost for a while now, since I was supposed to shadow him. But he really lives up to his name since he is nowhere to be found.

I reach a shooting range which seems to be empty until I spot him at the very last lane. I walk inside and stand a few feet away.

He puts his gun down and turns to face me, somehow sending I was there..

He gives me a blank look probably wondering what I was doing but not saying anything.

“Price said I would shadow you today, to get a feel for things I guess?” I say as he only sighs and starts to put his gun away.

“So where are we going? Do you have to do much around here or is it more like waiting for the next mission?” I wonder out loud as he stays silent which urges me to talk more.

“And about the mission, how do you guys plan them? Or is it price who does most of it and then you guys kinda just follow the plan.” I say not even facing him anymore as I ramble on.

“Jesus..” I hear him mumble under his breath as he starts to walk out of the room. “Hey! Where are you going lieutenant?” I ask as I trail behind him.

He walks down a long hallway, a few soldiers passing by us and giving him a nod. I look around curiously, not having yet explored this part of the base.

I follow him into a room at the end of the hall, which starts to look more like a office the more I glance around.

As soon as I fully step inside he’s slamming me against the door and locking it. “Don’t know how to be quiet, huh?” He asks as he pins my arms above my head.

I can only sit there and stare at him, fully at a loss for words.

“Acting all friendly with everyone, don’t you know when to shut up? Don’t you notice all the people eyeing you.” He says in a cold tone as his face is inches away from mine.

“Need someone to teach ya?” He stares me dead in the eyes. I nod my head at him slowly.

“Words sweetheart, words.” He mumbles as he looks down at me. “Yes..”

“Yes what?” He asks teasingly “yes..please.” I swear a see a smirk under that mask.

“That’s better.” He mutters before slowly lowering his head and lifting his mask just enough to show his lips. He kisses along my neck sloppily, leaving hickeys all over the place.

I let out small whimpers, trying to stay quiet in case anyone decides to walk by here. His hands roam down to my waist and gives it a little squeeze before he’s picking me up and putting me back down on his desk.

He slowly reaches down to my pants, harshly pulling them down without any warning. His hands find the hem of my panties and he tugs on them before looking up to me, seemingly for permission. I nod at him eagerly as he drops the to the floor, letting them fall in some unknown corner.

I hear heavy breathing and the sound of his belt clanging as he moves to undo it. His pants drop along with his boxers.

I look down and damn.

He moves closer, holding onto my thighs with his large hands. He lines it up with my entrance and slowly starts to push in, giving me a few seconds to adjust.

I let out whimpers and moans at the feeling of him inside, which only seems to feed his ego and make him more eager.

He starts to move, his pace slow at first. “Fuck, so tight..” he mumbles into my neck as he thrusts faster. “Doing so good f’me”

His hips rocks into me, pounding harder until I can practically feel his tip in my stomach. I let out loud moans at the feeling.

“Gotta stay quiet sweetheart, yeah?” I bite down onto my lip, trying to keep any sounds inside. He moves relentlessly, practically feral.

“Gho..” my voice is hoarse as I speak.

“Hm?” He says breathlessly. “M’ so close..gonna cum..” I whine into his shoulder. “Fuck, fuck..gonna cum for me? For your lieutenant?” He grunts into my ear as I only nod at him eagerly.

He holds onto my thighs harshly as I feel the waves of my orgasm hit me, hard. My legs shake a little but he holds them down, as he cums right after me.

“Think ya can give me one more?” He says cockily before he starts pounding into me again. I let out whines as he only goes harder this time.

“S’too much..” I moan out “you can do it, you’re doing so good.” He encourages as his hands find my waist and he clamps down on it.

“Fuck, gonna leave marks all over your body.” He grumbles “everyone will know who you belong to then.”

I stay silent, too lost in the pleasure he’s giving me to respond. I feel myself once again reaching a high and my hands find his back, probably leaving marks all over.

“You close?” He asks and I nod eagerly. I open my mouth a little as the feeling in my stomach rises. “You wanna cum?” He asks “yes!” I practically shout. “say your mine then.” He says coldly.

“I’m..yours, please..” I pant out as his grip on my waist tightens “good girl, so good f’me.” He says as I come undone on his cock.

Heavy breathing fills the room as he holds onto me tightly. Letting me relax in his arms before pulling out.

“Tired?” He ask softly and I nod against him. He picks me up and dresses me before leading me to my room and letting me fall asleep on his chest.

↢↣↢↣↢↣↢↣↢↣↢↣↢↣↢↣↢↣↢↣↢↣↢↣↢↣↢↣↢↣↢↣↢↣↢



[mackjlee9]

songfic idea of Leon

this is a song in spanish but it basically talks about a guy who's in a relationship with somebody and his partner is putting way too much distance in between eachother so the guy wonders if his partner actually loves him.

I don't want the angsty requests to be too repetitive bc angst with leon in my head with this type of prompts always involve ada 😭 i lack creativity but i try my best.

maybe the guy who wonders if his partner loves him is the reader and the partner is leon. maybe leon has been emotionally away, reader tries to get his attention but nothing works, in missions leon won't talk, reader is absolutely breaking inside. i can't really think of a reason of why leon would act this way so i'l leave that part to you 😭 though if u need ideas too i could think of something, i'm just very dramatic and love hurt lmao. this is just a little prompt so if i think of something i'll tell you bye bye!

Aveces hasta me olvido que sé español :p

Leon Kennedy x Male!Reader [Angst]

Please, let me keep the sad ending T_T I don't like happy endings

Masterlist.

Resident Evil

(M/n) pretended like he didn't see the signals, the way too obvious signs of their love falling apart. He just didn't want to acknowledge that what he had with Leon was already gone- that it was never there, to begin with.

He can clearly remember the first time it happened, it came to him one night.

Both he and Leon had come back from a difficult mission, and without much argument, Leon had let him shower first, claiming he had to make a call. (M/n) didn't question it since they usually had to do that anyway, plus he was tired and gross so he was really needing to take that shower and head to bed as soon as he could.

Already in their room, (M/n) plopped face down on the made bed, hearing Leon's footsteps down the hall as he headed to the bathroom, "You're gonna get sick," he called out on his way past the slightly opened door, making (M/n) grunt as he got off the bed and pulled the covers back, getting in properly this time.

Even if he was dead tired, he couldn't sleep unless he knew Leon was next to him, especially after this mission they had, he just wanted to hold Leon close and never let him go, so he waited for him to come in the room.

He heard the water from the shower stop, and a few minutes later, the bathroom light was turned off, followed by quiet steps approaching the door. (M/n) fixed his spot on the bed and patiently waited for Leon to come into the room.

But nothing.

In the quiet of their house, (M/n) heard the couch creaking under Leon's weight, and the clicking sounds of his keyboard. Maybe he had some leftover work to do, maybe Hunnigan asked him to do it now instead of in the morning. He figured it wouldn't take him more than an hour, so he waited.

And waited.

And kept waiting.

And now the clock read 3am. He sighed and kicked the sheets off his legs, standing up and walking to the opened door of the room, his steps quietly hitting the floor. He opened the door and walked out, stepping into the living room.

Leon was sleeping on the couch, the warm glow of the lamp on the table next to the couch cast a glow on him, making shadows around him. (M/n) sighed and smiled, walking closer to him, he probably fell asleep while working on stuff so he didn't blame Leon for not going to bed.

Out of the corner of his eye, (M/n) noticed a blinking light coming from his side, and he realized it was Leon's laptop. The screen was dark, but it was still on. He moved it toward him slightly, touching the pad and soon the screen lit up.

Many png files were opened, shining on the screen with an almost mocking glow, he felt his chest tight when he recognized the woman in the pictures. Ada.

He took a deep breath, not wanting to assume anything yet, if Leon was cheating on him, he'll tell him, right? So maybe he was investigating her because of a mission or something, (M/n) tried to convince himself that's all it was. He closed the laptop, turned the lamp off, and took a deep breath, blinking away the tears that started gathering in his eyes because of his anxiety.

He turned around and stumbled his way back to the room, falling on the bed and staring at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep that night.

///////

The next morning, (M/n) got up from the bed and decided to make breakfast, he kept telling himself that it was nothing and maybe Leon was gonna tell him about it, maybe he just fell asleep working on her file, so he managed to calm down just a bit.

And there he was.

"Good morning," (M/n) said while handing Leon his coffee mug when he watched him heading to the coffee maker. Leon grabbed it with a hum, and (M/n) leaned closer to kiss him, but Leon frowned and backed away.

"What are you doing?" His harsh tone of voice was almost enough to bring tears to his eyes, but he just let out a dry chuckle, mumbling a weak 'sorry' as he walked out of the kitchen, ditching his freshly baked breakfast.

It's okay, he's just in a bad mood, nothing unusual, I'm sure... I'm sure he'll be okay by night... Right?

When nighttime arrived, (M/n) lay in bed and waited for Leon, see what he was gonna do. His mind was overworking itself with all the overthinking he had been doing in less than 24hrs, he was willing to forget this day even happened if Leon goes back to being the caring and sweet boyfriend he has been for years.

And his hope warmed his chest when he saw Leon walking into the room and silently laying in bed beside him. But something was off.

He frowned and turned on his side, the light outside coming through the window, keeping the room illuminated enough. He fixed the sheets up to his shoulder and reached his arm to wrap around Leon's waist, cuddling against his back. Or he tried to.

Leon groaned and pushed his arm away from him, muttering something about being too hot. In a 10-degree Celsius weather.

(M/n) just remained silent and slowly turned around, facing away from Leon. A few minutes went by when he heard Leon's phone vibrating on the bedside table.

"Finally," (M/n) heard him mumble, and then the mattress moved when he left the bed, making (M/n) glance behind him, lifting his upper body with his elbow.

"Where are you going?" He asked quietly when he saw him putting on his jeans, followed by his jacket.

"Out," was all he said while putting on his boots. (M/n) pushed the sheets off his body and sat on the bed.

"Let me go with you-"

"No," his words were cut off by Leon, his voice serious and dry, as if he was mad about something.

"Why not?" (M/n) stood up from the bed, about to walk closer to Leon, when he opened their bedroom door, staring at him with a frown.

"Because it's none of your business, (M/n)," he felt his heart breaking at his words, at the meaning behind him, after all the things they went through... They promised they would always be there for each other, and would never keep secrets because things like this could happen.

(M/n) had a hard time swallowing due to the knot in his throat, nodding as the tears blurred his vision, sitting back down on the bed, "Sorry, Lee, I didn't mean to upset you-"

The door slamming shut cut him off after Leon had walked out, followed by the clicking sound of his keys, and then, the front door opening and closing in less than ten seconds.

(M/n) cried that night, staying up for hours wondering. Asking himself what had he done to cause this behavior in Leon. He couldn't stop himself from questioning their love, he knew he was in love with Leon, but... Does he still- did Leon ever even love him?

//////

A few days later, (M/n) was done with Leon's behavior, he was tired of this recurring pattern, and now he was in the living room, standing in front of Leon with his arms crossed as he waited for the blond to look up at him.

When Leon looked up at him, he saw him trying to hide the exasperation on his expression, but it was obvious he couldn't, "What do you want?"

"An explanation," (M/n) held his tongue back when he heard and saw Leon's scoff.

"What do you want me to explain?" (M/n) frowned and clenched his fists, trying to hide his annoyance.

"Your behavior, what's going on with you?" Leon simply rolled his eyes and went back to typing on his laptop, checking the files scattered around on the coffee table.

"I have nothing to tell you, now leave me alone," (M/n) pressed his lips together, took a deep and took a few seconds to calm down, he tried, he really did try to fix things, but... It didn't seem like anything wanted to be fixed.

He walked around the coffee table and knelt on the ground next to Leon's legs, soon making eye contact with blue eyes that looked at him with indifference, "Lee, can we please talk about this? About us?"

Leon stayed silent, and he slowly started leaning down to (M/n)'s face, only a few inches separating them, their warm breaths mixing.

"There's no us here, if that's what you wanted to hear."

And just like that, like he hasn't just broken (M/n) heart after all these years dating, he went back to his laptop, working in complete silence, like he has been doing the past week. (M/n) nodded, having heard more than enough, he definitely got the information that mattered out of this conversation.

"Sorry I bothered you," he whispered and proceeded to stand up, turning around and wiping the few tears that managed to run down his face, "I'll leave you alone," he wouldn't have gotten a reply even if he waited so he simply walked back to their shared room and closed the door behind him.

With trembling hands and blurry sight, he calls Hunnigan, walking to the closet and taking out a few bags, hurrying to put all his clothes and things inside them, hearing Hunnigan picking up.

"Hey, Ingrid I uh- sorry I called you so late but I-" he spoke frantically, not leaving the woman chance to mutter a small greeting, she heard (M/n)'s sobs and sniffing but she didn't comment on it, even if she was wondering what might've happened to him, "I need you to find me a new place to stay."

And that answered the most important question in her mind, she hummed slightly, "On it," she grabbed her laptop, clicked a few times, and sent him a few locations nearby and a few others almost outside the city. She didn't know what he needed right now, but she tried her best, "I'm not gonna intrude but... I'm here for anything you need, (M/n)."

He smiled a bit and took in a shaky breath, swallowing past the knot in his throat, "Thank you, Ingrid, you're truly the best."

As they hung up, (M/n) finished packing the few things he had left, he only had to empty his bedside drawer. He sighed and dried his face before sitting on the bed and sliding the drawer open. He took out anything he needed and left all the things that were useless to him now, like little notes he had written through the years...

His movements halted when he saw it. That box he was so nervous and giddy about, thinking about what was inside it always made him worried yet happy, because back then, last month, he was sure of Leon's love. But now... It was such a bitter memory.

(M/n) grabbed it and opened it, the ring shining under the light of the room, reflecting it and hitting the walls. New hot tears start dripping down his face and he released a choked sob, standing up and closing the box, throwing it on the bed.

He couldn't help it, it was too painful. His cries and sobs echoed in the room, seeping through the thin walls, reaching Leon's ears.

For a moment, he thought about checking up on him, but with gritted teeth, he focuses back on his laptop screen.

The notification sound of his phone catches his attention, and the thought of hitting something crossed his mind, but that wasn't gonna fix anything now. Nothing could.

He stood up and glared at the box, as if it had physically hurt him, and saw the post-it notes on Leon's side. He took a deep breath, and wrote down on the paper, taking it and folding the sticky part on itself, placing the note on the bed and the box on top of it. He grabbed his bags and looked at the room for the last time, nothing much changed without his stuff around. Leon wouldn't care, so why should he?

He walked out of the room and to the front door, he never spared a glance at Leon, not even once, he didn't want to see the man he loves, that same man that broke his heart without a second thought.

Extended ending.

"Please, don't think our love was a coincidence, something senseless. A love that goes into oblivion, something that doesn't matter. I truly love you, Leon, but maybe I was an idiot."

Leon crumbled the paper in his hand, throwing it back on the bed, his fingers wrapped tightly against the velvet box, observing the ring kept inside it. He clenched his jaw, and closed it again, placing it on his desk.

All night long, he couldn't stop looking at that little box. Wondering how something so small could mean the world to some people?

(M/n) was one of those people. He saw a happy future with him... But he could never give him what he wanted- what he needed. Unconditional love.

[iamcautiouslyoptimistic]

Coffee and Communism ~ Aleks and Eileen

{Author's Note} A little gift for @alypink, who has been so incredibly supportive these last few weeks and I'm immensely thankful to her for it❤️ sorry this took longer to finish than I planned but I hope you enjoy it🫶🏻 Also, I don't know if the members of MACV-SOG slept in the safe house during the events of the game or if they stayed at a hotel and then drove to the safe house every day. I've seen both interpretations and tried to keep it rather vague in this story lol

Aleks belongs to @alypink

Eileen belongs to me!

~ ~ ~

The morning was crisp and clear, with mist still clinging to the shadowy parts of the landscape. Aleks always made time to watch the sun peek over the horizon, fascinated by the way the light burned away the night's dampness. It was a slow yet beautiful process and helped her prepare for the day ahead.

Eileen approached with a pair of coffee mugs, steam drifting from the tops of both. She handed one to Aleks, who took it eagerly and wrapped her hands around the ceramic to take advantage of its warmth.

"I've enjoyed Berlin more than I thought I would," Eileen murmured, blowing at the coffee in her hand in an attempt to cool it. "Makes me wish we were here for better reasons."

Aleks hummed her agreement. "Maybe one day, when all this is over, we can come back, though Russ doesn't seem thrilled with that idea."

"It'll never be over," Eileen said with a sigh. "Our work is never-ending."

Aleks didn't answer, her thoughts drifting to Adler. This whole thing with Bell had put him on edge as he tried to control every little detail that could go wrong. It was exactly his area of expertise and she was thankful he was in charge.

"Adler is calmer around you," Eileen noted suddenly, her gaze remaining fixed on the distant horizon. "I haven't seen him like that before."

Aleks felt her cheeks warm. "Really?"

The older woman turned to face her, features appearing softer in the warm light of the sunrise. "Really. It's a good change, one I didn't expect to see in him. Based on my previous evaluations, I wouldn't have predicted such a shift in behavior."

That statement made Aleks' heart flutter in her chest. "He's got goodness in him, he just buries it," she said. "He needs a bit of coaxing sometimes."

Eileen smiled. "Well, I'm glad you can do that for him. It's nice to see him more... normal."

"Now you're just being dramatic," Aleks said with a chuckle. "Thanks for the coffee, by the way."

Eileen took another sip and hummed contentedly. "Well, you know what they say: a coffee a day keeps the Communists away."

Aleks barked a laugh. "They most certainly do not! How did you come up with something like that?"

Eileen chortled, hiding her grin behind her mug. Aleks then rolled her eyes playfully and slipped through the back door after hearing the familiar rumble of Adler's car. She was preparing another cup of coffee for him just as he walked in.

"Mornin'," he muttered, his voice still thick with sleep as he joined her side. His sunglasses hid the shadows beneath his eyes, though he'd never admit just how exhausted he was, even to Aleks. He had gotten good at masking it.

"Morning, Russ," Aleks greeted and handed him his coffee with a gentle smile. "How'd you sleep?"

The man shrugged, more focused on how the drink warmed his insides and brought clarity to his fogged mind than anything else. He sighed and cracked the barest hint of a smile.

"Thanks, sweetheart." He pressed a kiss to her temple before meandering toward the evidence board, the set of his features hardening as he prepared for work.

"Bell's starting to remember," Adler said suddenly. Aleks snapped her head up at his words, knowing the significance they held in such a delicate situation as theirs.

"Does she remember Perseus?" she asked worriedly.

Adler shook his head. "No, but it's only a matter of time. If we can just finish this before she remembers who she was, we won't have a problem. All we need is for her to tell us what Perseus' plan is. We're so close."

Aleks set her hand between his shoulder blades. He didn't like when they showed affection at work but with no one else around, she took the chance.

"She'll tell us. I know she will."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because... she wants to do the right thing."

Adler scoffed at that. "She was Perseus' most loyal hound. The right thing to her would be turning traitor and taking all that she's learned back to him."

"That was before. You've made her something different. I only wish it had been through less horrific methods."

Adler merely grunted, unsure if he agreed or not. But there was truth to her words and he just hoped she was right.

[saturnalmoss]

ARM-WRESTLER

Chapter Five

Old Friends Dead Ends

Master Post

The detectives didn’t have a chance to ask Leon more about the odd encounter when they met again that evening. Leon came home only just in time to head back out again. Piri pulled Grendan along playfully. 

“You look too boring in the clothes Granny gave you. You’re coming with us, right?”

Grendan laughed, following along after her. “To this fortune teller, right? Yeah! We all want to come!” Piri squinted at Rosé and York, then huffed. 

“Piri, be nice.” Leon said. “You’re all welcome to join.” They looked over at their eldest. “Are you sure you don’t want to, Jyuri?”

Jyuri stared at her Narri with an expression so complicated and pained that only a teenager embroiled in her own personal drama could have made it. 

“I’m fine.” She said. 

“Uh-huh.” Leon said. They looked at Piri, who shrugged.  “If you’re sure...” She nodded, eyes glittering. Granny Skully gave her a hearty thump on the shoulder. 

“Never you mind this. I’ll take care of her.” She grinned toothily, and Leon smiled back. 

The fortune teller’s building was a little hole in the wall. There was a banner hung over the door advertising the grand opening, dated almost three weeks ago. Piri was vibrating as they approached the door. “Ahhhhh...!!”

She flung open the door. “Hello!!”

“Madam Arrow...?” Leon called after her. 

“Welcome, welcome.” A voice called out from the dimly lit interior. Rosé perked up, and glanced back at York, eyes wide, and Grendan, with a big disbelieving smile.

The group walked carefully into the smokey candle lit room. A short woman sat at the far end of the table. She was wearing, as far as they could tell, a hat shaped like an ominous tower, complete with lightning bolt. 

“Ohh, I get it.” Grenda muttered.

“Terry!” York said. 

“Or, Sharron..?” Rosé tried. “It’s Sharron for real, right.”

Sharron Lutz blinked at them. “Oh, I know you.” She said. “Who do I know you?”

“We’re Eugene’s parents!” Rosé said excitedly. “He’s our precious baby boy.”

“Oh, you're those ones, huh.” Sharron said. 

“Did you miss us?” Grendan asked. 

“Sure, sure.” Leon looked between them, bewildered. Piri didn’t seem deterred at all and waited with a hunter’s patience at the table. 

“We missed you.” York said. The three of them sat too. After a moment of hesitation, Leon followed suit. 

“We’ll catch up later,” Rosé said sweetly. “This young lady has been so excited to meet you.”

“Aw, well, that’s nice.” Sharron said. She put her hands on the the table and it rumbled gently.

Sharron leaned back, eyes to the ceiling. “Ah... let me summon the spirits to converse...” She said. "Do you wanna speeeeak... speak with your passed mother?” 

Leon lurched in their seat. Panicked, they shook their head as violently and subtly as they could.

“Nah,” Piri said. “Show me the fake stuff.”

The table stopped shaking. Sharron looked down. “The... fake stuff?”

“I love this kid.” Rosé whispered.

“Yeah. I’m not interested in the real spirit summoning. I want the tricks! Please show me your best tricks!”

Sharron looked perplexed. She looked at Leon, then the drawtectives, who were all looking at Piri. “Well, it looks like you run the show around here. Alright, hold on. I wasn’t prepared for the fake stuff.” 

She shuffled into a room nearly invisible in the shadows. Leon leaned back into their seat, calming their racing heart. 

When she came back she offered a deck of cards with black and white geometric designs on the back. “Draawwww a card...” Sharron told her. 

Piri delicately plucked a card from the top of the pile and turned it over. Sharron stood, free hand dramatically in front of her face. “I see..eeee..ee... you’ve drawn DEATH!” She droned. 

“Oooh! I did!” Piri said.

“What?!” Leon looked alarmed between them. Piri gave an annoyed sigh. 

“Narri, it’s fake, remember?” She said pityingly. 

“Also, death’s more of a metaphor.” Sharron added. “But it makes for some juicy drama. Good card for a reaction.” Leon deflated.

 “Haa. Yes. I forgot. Immediately.” They rubbed their temple. “I’m. Going to get a little air, alright, Piri?”

“Yup! I’ll stay right here. I’m gonna figure out how Madam Arrow knew it was Death.” She waved after Leon and loudly sniffed the card. “Hmm.”

Rosé leaned over to Grendan and York. “Should one of us go after them? Maybe they remembered something important?” 

“Good idea! York, do you want to go? Their whole family is orcs, maybe they would be more comfortable with you?” York thought seriously about this.

“No. That’s why I should stay here. I’ll keep Piri safe.” 

“From Sharron?” Rosé asked incredulously. York shrugged. 

“Probably not.”

“I’ll go, then.” Grendan said and slipped away from the table. 

Rosé and York turned back to the table. “So it’s not smell?” Piri was asking.

“That’s be hard.” Sharron said. “All the smells would get on each other.”

“I guess... Are the backs subtly different?” Piri asked. 

“Can’t see the backs or the fronts with my hand in my face.” 

Piri chewed her lip lightly with a tusk. “Ahh... How’s she do it..”

“Maybe it’s my psychic powers.” Sharron said. Piri grinned. 

“You had the card in your sleeve and slipped it to me!”

“Surely you would’ve noticed that?”

“You subtly pushed the death card to the front and made me pick it!”

“Nah.”

“The whole deck is death??”

“Oh, you got me.” Sharron said. “Keep it to yourselves, would ya?” Piri looked pleased and nodded. 

“What else you got?” Sharron tapped her cheek with a nail. 

“You’re an odd kid, huh?”

“Hey, Piri,” Rosé said. “You really enjoy these sort of things, huh?” Piri wiggled a little in her seat. 

“Yes! I’m gonna learn magic and grow up to be like Narri!” She thought a moment. “I’ll get a cooler job, though. I dunno. Street magician or master thief or something.”

“Master thief?” said Rosé.

“Master thief?” said Sharron, with a touch more concern. Piri shrugged. 

“I’m still undecided. The cards aren’t your only fake trick are they?”

“Well, I don’t really have a need for the fake stuff when I can do the real stuff.” Sharron considered a moment. “How about a seance?”

“A fake one?”

“A fake one.” Sharron held her hands out to the side. In one she took Piri’s hand and in her other she took York’s. At her insistence, Piri and York took Rosé’s hands in theirs. 

“Oooh, spirits.” Sharron said. The table rumbled. “Oooooh, listen...!” She huffed and the candles went out. “Tell us.... Secrets!” The crystal ball glowed gently in the center of the table. 

Sharron turned to Piri. “Ask... the spirits! Ask ‘em your question!”

“Just like, anything?”

“Yeah, like anything. Works best if it’s something you’re a bit invested in.”

“Sure. Uh. My sister’s acting weird lately. Can you ask the spirits, did she like steal Narri’s arm as a prank and she’s too embarrassed to own up?” Sharron looked at her. 

“No.” She said.

“No.” York said.

Outside, earlier, Grendan stepped into the low evening light after Leon. They looked back at him. 

“Ah. Hello, Grenda.” They looked back through the doorway behind Grenda. “Just you?”

“York and Rosé are staying with Piri.” They said. “But I was worried about you. You wanna talk about it?”

Leon sighed. “I’m grateful to them. You three... How do I explain?” They leaned back against the wall and looked up at the purples and reds of the evening sky. “I feel very sure that you would protect them. Piri and Jyuri.”

“Of course! I think you’re more in danger right now, though, don’t you?”

“Well...” they said. “I still don’t know that it was more than a one off thing.”

“Pretty mean spirited! If someone hit me and took my arm? I think I’d feel pretty targeted!” Leon said nothing. “You seemed pretty shaken up by Te- Sh... Madam Arrow.”

“It was foolish of me. I mean, it’s fake tarot. Deliberately fake tarot.”

“Maybe you were feeling tense in general?” Grenda suggested. “They whole mugging, and the seance before?”

Leon glanced down at them. “You’re a pretty astute bunch, aren’t you?” Grenda smiled. “... I didn’t expect Madam Arrow to bring up the kids’ - My wife.”

“Didn’t talk to her about it before hand, huh?”

“I mean, why would I! I certainly didn’t want her to bring up Piri’s late mother?!” Grenda nodded, understanding. They leaned back as well, and tried to study Leon from under the brim of their hat.

“Of course, of course. I meant, to warn her not to! Like, boundaries and stuff.” Leon thought a moment.

“Grenda. I’m afraid to say it has only just occurred to me that she may have some supernatural power.” They rubbed their temple. “I just thought she was going to cold read the kid and Piri would get a kick out of it.” Grenda laughed lightly. 

“She’s not too good at that actually! So, it’s like a fun thing you two are doing? Finding scammers and street magicians and stuff?” Leon smiled and nodded. 

“She’s got quick fingers and a sharp tongue. I am hoping she’ll find something... above board that keeps her interest.”

“Oh, definitely. There’s lots of stuff. I mean, Rosé’s super above board and she’s got all those quick fingers. The fastest. And you!” Leon’s eyes flicked away and back. 

“Myself?”

“Of course. You’re in logistics. I mean, until you quit I guess. I don’t know what you’ll do after that.” Leon was quiet for a moment. They seemed to be genuinely thinking about it. They quit without another job lined up? Grenda thought. They must have decided very recently, indeed. 

“Leon, can I ask you, what we saw earlier... Did you think that your boss has something to do with your attack?” They heard Leon groan. 

“Ugh. Of course not. Quitting has nothing to do with this. It really was something I was planning for a while.” They tapped their foot impatiently. Grenda was sure there something else here... something with their boss or their wife, they weren’t sure. 

“Sure, sure.” They said kindly. “I’ll stop bothering you about him.” Leon laughed softly. “Can I ask you something else? Case related, of course.”

“Of course.”

“I wanted to ask... and I sorry if this is sensitive, but were you reminded of anything when Madam Arrow mentioned your late wife?” Leon frowned at them. 

“I don’t see how this is related to a recent mugging.”

“It’s just, I get that you’d be worried about Piri getting upset about talking to her mother... I definitely wouldn’t know how to handle that! But I don’t really see how it would, let’s say, prime the mind to worry that Piri is in danger?”

Leon was quiet for a long moment. 

“It didn’t, of course. It’s perhaps a fault of mine but I’m rather overprotective of my kids. I’m told it’s rather unbecoming for a parent of orcs.” They pushed off the wall. The sun had set and left long shadows on the ground. Leon’s face was hard to distinguish. “The seance... It only put into my head that what she does could be real.”

Grenda patted their arm. “I understand. Thank you for telling me. Let’s go in! It’s getting pretty chilly, huh?”

They both slipped quietly back inside and through the back. They heard Piri talking loudly.

“Eh? That was too fast! You didn’t even check with the spirits! Er, pretend to check, I mean.”

“Oooh, spirits...” Sharron said.

“She’s a good orcish kid.” York said over her. “She woulda crowed ‘bout winning the fight.” Piri looked peeved. 

“No, she’s not all orc. We’re half sea-elf.” she said. “I can even swim. Can you swim?”

“Sure.” York said. “It’s just punching and kicking water.” Piri only looked more irritated. 

“She’s a dumb cry baby elf and I’m a sneaky clever elf!” York nodded. 

“But she an’ you are also good honest orcs. I see it on you. If you beat someone up, they’ll know who did it.” 

“What’s going on?” Leon ducked their head around the curtain. “Piri, don’t yell, love. You’re a guest.”

“Nothing’s going on.” Piri said, suddenly sullen. She looked away. Rosé waggled her eyebrows at Grenda subtly. Grenda gestured back that there was much to discuss. 

Sharron looked skywards. “Oohh... ” she said. Leon looked over.

“Ah, I think we should head out, actually.” They told her with regret. 

“I see... A large shadow... a large shadow...” she droned. There was a tension in the room. Piri looked up at Leon, who walked to her side. Rosé leaned over and laid a gentle hand on Sharron’s shoulder.  

“Sharron...?”

“You think this is a real one?”

Sharron blinked suddenly. “Whoops.” She shook her head. “That wasn’t what you paid for at all.”

“Um.” Said Leon. “We were going to head out? Are you okay?” 

“Oh, yeah, yeah. Don’t worry your head. Comes with being in the psychic field of research.” Leon nodded slowly. 

“What did you see?” York asked.

“A large shadow!” Grenda said. Sharron thought a moment and nodded.

“That it?” York said.

“Hmm. It was standing behind you.” She said, and pointed to Leon.

[nosesitter]

Boss!Joel Miller pt 2

2.3k words

It’s Monday and it’s time to be bent over a desk.

a/n: after 4 months being off birth control I’ve finally gotten my period. Feeling like death but the ideas are pouring out. Next thing I post is more than likely going to be very dubcon, dumb innocent reader and evil Joel and Tommy Miller I need both of them ASAP and idc who judges me

⚠️: boss!joel, mean!joel, spanking, oral m,f receiving, breath play, throat fucking, BRIEF mention of ass play, fingering, spiting, tongue fucking, p in v, no condom pull out and pray 😀, squirting, cream pie, mmm maybe slight voyeurism, office/public sex.

Sitting in the parking garage of your office building there’s been a bubbling feeling in you since you opened your eyes this morning. You look over at the pair of heels sitting in their box that you bought brand new this weekend. Thinking about how Joel was acting that night when you had dressed slutty made you rethink your wardrobe. A black pencil skirt, buying it did make you skeptical but when you put it on it honesty hugged your lower figure nicely. White blouse, the first couple buttons undone for dramatic effect, so it won’t show underneath you’re also wearing a white lace bra.

Taking a deep breath you turn off your car and open the door before stepping out you slip on the pointy black heels, wondering what Joel would think. You walk to the elevator and have to remember that you’re not at your old office anymore and press the button for Joel’s floor, now half yours. Before the door could close an arm slips right through opening back up.

“Glad I caught ya!” It’s Tommy he’s looking very good this morning. Hair slicked back still wet from a shower. His cologne so strong and good it fills the whole elevator.

“How’s your grandma?” He asks as the elevator begins to go up.

“She’s doing better, she was happy to see me. We hung out had dinner, really nice night.” You feel as if Tommy believed none of that as he just gives you a ‘mmm’ and continues to stand there smiling like he knows a secret. You decide not to play into it and just stay silent. It’s Joel’s younger brother of course he told him you think to yourself but can’t help but feel a little hurt that he couldn’t just shut up.

The elevator dings and then opens. Tommy lets you walk out first and then parts ways to Joel’s office. Behind the white stained glass you can see Joel’s shadow standing at his window while the sun shines right through. You look over to your office and just head over there not wanting to be the elephant in the room. Opening the door to your office you see a bouquet of roses sitting right on your desk. It honesty catches you off guard. Rounding your desk you grab the note right from the top and open it up.

Can’t wait to put my mouth to work on you later! xx JM

The smile on your face is stupid and goofy but it makes you want to twirl around. You remain calm and just focus on the feeling of your clit pulsing in your panties. Suddenly taken from your thoughts and back into your office comes Tommy and Joel. Taking the note in your hand and crumbling it immediately and tossing it into the first drawer you open.

“Well well well, who are these from?” Tommy asks as he comes over to sniff the roses from his brother. You shrug your shoulders and make eye contact with Joel who’s been looking at you since he walked in. Excitement fills your body as he sneaks a wink at you then his face goes stoic as Tommy turns back to him.

“The sourpuss and I just wanted to come over and welcome you to the top floor, also if you’re not doing anything for lun-“ Joel’s quick to interject he had hoped to have you spread open on his desk, your panties wrapped around his cock and his face buried deep in between your legs.

“I won’t be joining I have a big meeting.” That’s all he says and Tommy just sits there, eyes squinted at him. Tommy’s his supervisor if Joel had a big meeting he’d know.

“Right, well if you change your mind it could just be us two.” Tommy sends a wink your way and you can feel your cheeks heat up at the attention. Joel notices this. He just continues to sit there even after Tommy’s left just looking at you situate your stuff on your new desk.

“Take your panties off.” You look up at him from your laptop and feel that pulse in your clit come back. You knew you’d get eaten out but didn’t think it would happen this early. Standing from your desk you come around and stand right in-front of Joel. He’s sitting there in your leather chair man spreading obviously. Your hands go for the zipper on the side of your skirt, not wanting to break eye contact with Joel he licks his lips as you let the skirt fall and bunch around your heels.

Anyone could walk into your office the door isn’t locked at all. The rush, the excitement, the loud pulse in your clit it’s all so much. Joel’s eyes glare down to your white lace thong that barely covers your pussy. He inhales through his nose and leans forward to pull you closer to him by your hips. Stepping out your skirt you move forward as he just sets his head on your lower abdomen. His fingers begin to pull down the band of your panties. Your hands going for his shoulders to steady yourself as he slips the lace past your calves and around your ankles.

“There’s already a wet spot in here slut.” Joel holds your panties up to you to show you your arousal that he caused. It almost feels like he’s rubbing your face in it. Like you couldn’t not think about him and his cock for a few minutes. Joel’s hand goes straight for your neck as he pulls you down to his level.

“Over my lap now.” You haven’t bothered speaking. You know anything you have to say Joel won’t care he does as he pleases and doesn’t care because who’s going to stop him? Looking over to the door once again and thinking about the various voices passing by, the work phones ringing, and Tommy who could come back at any moment looking for his brother.

You place a hand on the chair and feel your body involuntarily move over his thighs. You couldn’t stop even if you tried you want this and he knows you want this. You ass is completely out and laying over him. The air causing goosebumps to rise all across your skin Joel notices and begins to rub his warm big hand over your ass.

You try to brace for the moment he slaps you but he just keeps rubbing your skin. After a few seconds of him doing this your guard goes down and within a split second Joel makes his move. His right hand going up and his left hand that holds you panties going over your mouth to muffle your screams. His hand comes down and a twack echos the walls of the room. He rubs it again and then gives you another spank. This time he whispers into your ear.

“You like the attention Tommy gives you?” You shake your head no while tears begin to fill the corners of your eyes. “He’s just a spoiled younger child who wants what I have.” His hand comes down a third and final time with a lot more force than the first two causing you to squirm around. Without a doubt there’s a wetness spreading around like honey between both of your thighs. Joel’s anger is turning you on beyond belief. Fighting over you like you’re a toy. This is the Joel you know the mean dick everyones scared of, but you don’t mind the sweet Joel who sends you flowers talking about eating you out.

Joel presses a kiss to your head then helps you stand. “I don’t think I’m going to be sitting for a bit.” He just chuckles as he stands and rearranges his hard on into the band of his belt. You hold your hand out for your thong but Joel just pockets it and begins to walk out.

“I’m having lunch in my office so be there.” He sends you a wink and instead of your cheeks blushing your clench around nothing thinking about your time later.

———

You’ve been watching the seconds pass by extra slow since your interaction with Joel and the planning of your exciting lunch date. Sitting in your chair finally ass kinda sore and your wetness seeping into your skirt. By the time 1 rolls around you can’t even think about eating anything when you’ve been promised an orgasm. You stand from your desk and head over to Joel’s office feeling the wetness drip down your thighs.

You knock lightly and then let yourself inside. There he is behind his desk on the phone. He gives you a sly smile and then scoots his rolling chair out. You just stand there looking at him as he’s so focused, you know he wanted to eat you out but you can’t help but tease him right now. Gathering your hair on one side you begin to fall to your knees. Still talking on the phone he tries to shake his head no to you but you’re not going to listen. You grab at his belt and begin to unbuckle it. Putting your hand inside of his underwear band you pull his cock out that’s beginning to harden in your hand.

He holds his hand over the phone. “Please, just want to taste you- nothing Paul just talking to Tommy.” You giggle as you begin to kitten lick his tip tasting the tangy precum gathering at the top. He lets out a sigh as you wrap your lips around the head and swirl your tongue around him.

“Let me call you back with those results Paul, I’ll see you at the golf course this Saturday!” He says sounding pretty excited to end the phone call. The phone slams on the receiver and Joel’s lets out a loud groan and then as your whole mouth is over his dick he grabs your nose and the back of your head and begins to fuck your mouth roughly.

“Why can’t ya’ fucking listen, damn slut.” As tears begin to spill out your eyes you try to close them to focus on not gagging on Joel’s thick cock stretching your throat.

“Uh uh baby open those eyes, lemme see ‘em.” Your hands pushing on his thighs, his fingers closing your nose. It’s scary that you can’t breathe but absolutely erotic that he has that control. He lets go and stops trusting into your throat causing you to lean back onto your thighs trying to catch your breath, wiping away the stings of spit falling from your mouth.

“Get that skirt off and lean over the desk, fucking slut.” He pulls you up roughly by your arm and stands with you, untucking his shirt from his pants and loosening the black tie around his neck. Once again your hands are reaching for the zipper and letting the skirt bunch around your ankles the wetness between your thighs hitting the air and sending a chill through your body. You can hear Joel’s chair squeak as he sits back into it and rolls toward your welcoming cunt. His lips pressing a kiss to your wet entrance. Taking a deep breath there’s a knot in your stomach that can’t wait to unravel right here on Joel’s desk. His tongue curving up to lick from clit to your other puckered hole causing you to bend back up but Joel’s quick to push you back down with one hand.

“Maybe one day I can give this other hole some love, maybe put a plug in ya’.” He gives it another kiss then brings his fingers to your clit.

“Look at that you’re drippin’ doll. All smeared in your thighs you’ve been thinking about this, huh?” Soft whimpers are coming from your mouth as Joel slowly traces his fingers around your entrance he’s expecting an answer from you but you’re too horny right now to think.

His pointer and middle fingers push right into you and curve up your mouth falling open as you’re immediately feeling full from his two fingers. You might be soaking wet but that doesn’t stop Joel from spitting right at his fingers gushing into your cunt. The noises you hear make you moan in ecstasy as the burn disappears and his tongue begins to lick and soak up your upcoming orgasm. A hard slap comes down on you ass jump starting your brain to answer your boss.

“I’ve been thinking about this all weekend, sir.” You can never lie to Joel especially when he’s tongue fucking you. His beard scratching the back of your thighs as his big nose is pressing onto you his tongue rapidly swirling inside of you.

“Oh fuck I need to fuck you again.” His mouth separates from you as he stands and then immediately slides himself inside of you giving you no time to get used to his thick cock. He bottoms out quickly you can feel all that spit and cum just press against the both of y’all. Your hands begin pushing little things off. A cup holding pens, his stapler, a picture of him and Tommy. Grasping the front of the desk you brace for each thrust Joel gives you.

“C’mon baby make some noise, everyone’s gone for lunch it’s just us, please I wanna hear you scream my name.” Joel gets wrapped up in your cunt and he’s singing sweet symphonies in your ear. Begging so sweetly that you give in to what he wants. Your legs are spread and shaking, your heels clicking against the ground below you. Joel’s hand comes around your leg and right to your clit as he begins to rub it between his pointer and middle finger.

You can’t last much longer and Joel must know this because your knees buckle but he’s quick to push your whole body onto the desk. His papers sticking to your lower body. The desk screeching slowly forward with each of his rough thrusts. You manage to push yourself up a little and look back at him. Sweat and the feel of humid sex has flattened his hair that’s getting stuck to his forehead. His white shirt is unbuttoned and his softened stomach is peeking out. Black and white chest hair and a happy trail leading straight to the ruly patch of pubic hair above his cock.

“Joel please, I’m gonna explode!” You can’t hold it anymore that bubbling sensation you woke up with has snowballed into a giant ball of electrocuted feelings. The hair on your arms standing up, your legs going numb, and the feeling like you’re gonna pee all over the floor.

“Cum on my cock baby, fuck-uh!” Joel’s thrusts are pressing your gushing orgasms right back at you. So intense that you’ve managed to squirt all over him. You can fucking hear it drip onto the floor. Screams are coming from your mouth, tears coming from your eyes and the feeling of Joel painting your cervix with his cum is so amazing. His thrusts are slow now you can feel the inside of his thighs quake against you as he drains his balls inside of you. He couldn’t come again today even if he tried, the both of y’all a panting and breathless mess. Joel’s chair creeks again as he sits back in it. His hand goes for yours that’s pushing yourself up slowly.

“Relax honey, sit.” He pulls you into his lap and begins acting soft. Asking you how you feel and beaming about how proud he is that you had such an intense orgasm. Wiping the sweat for your brow and your hair out of your face you take a look at the damage around the room. His stuff is everywhere the desk is slightly moved and it reeks of sex. You can hear the sound of people coming back from lunch as work sounds like it’s beginning slowly again. Joel pulls your panties from his pocket and hands them back to you.

“Guess we should get outta here and clean up?” It sounds like Joel’s inviting you to his place and you can’t say no as he looks at you with those big brown eyes, he just gave you the most insane orgasm of your life you can’t say no to him, not now at least. As you regain feeling in your legs and cool down you start to redress so you can leave. Joel’s gathering his things together, and moving the desk back when there’s a knock at the door. The both of y’all turning to look at each other.

“Don’t fucking open that door!” Joel shouts out from the other side of the white stained glass you can see a small employee run away from the door. There’s the Joel you know.

————🌹💻🗄️

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