#i knew when i started that I wouldn't be able to make myself stop reading once I caught up with the show

[wuxian-vs-wangji]

THIS EPISODE WRECKED ME. I NEED THE SPECIAL EPISODE NOW

My read of Love Sea progressed quicker than I expected thanks to some work stuff that I had to kill time for

So I actually finished the book about a day after I said I was going to read it XD Nothing that happened in this episode was a surprise in any way, beyond Mahasamut getting the tattoo on his neck instead of his chest.

IDK if Mame will base the bonus episode off the special chapters or not (since she didn't for LITA), but I really hope we get the Mutrak sex scene from that in all its glory because

[grugruel]

Not sure if this is where we can send in requests but you write so beautifully I truly cannot get over it.

Would it be possible to request a smut fic with Viktor from Arcane? Either way cannot wait to read your next fics 🩵

You really found the way to my heart with your kind words because I immediately had to write something for you🥹 I intended for it to be shorter, but it got away from me. I hope you like it!

Keeping Him Company

Pairings: Viktor x f!reader

MDNI/NSFW

Masterlist

Summary: Viktor is still getting used to solitude after Jayce started down the public road.

So when you offer to keep him company, he gladly takes you up on it.

Wordcount: 3k

Warnings: fluff, angst ish, friends to lovers, pinv sex, cowgirl, oral sex (f receiving), feelings, plot with porn.

AN: Viktor is not a shy man, and I will die on that hill😭

"Dont you wish to be up there with him?"

Light spilled through a gap in the tall curtains, partly illuminating a man in hiding.

"It is not my within my talent," he said and slanted his lips, a thick accent curving his pronunciation.

The girl approached him, walking along the shadows edge. She was clad in a red and white ensamble, mirroring his own. "Everything is within your talent."

Casting a wistful glance at his leg, he doubted her words. "A simple misscalculation, im afraid. He shines, I do not . . ."

Booming from mighty speakers was the man of progress, holding a speech in front of thousands of people. The brief breaks to collect his breath allowed for them to hear the audience's reaction, and the collective whispers of expectant folk rolled through the crowd in waves.

She stopped next to him, hands clasped infront of her. "You're uninterested in the attention." She pitched her voice at the end, framing the statement as a question. Suspecting she already knew the answer.

"I do not enjoy it," he shrugged. "I prefer the practical part of our work."

"The solitude?"

He looked up at her, having had to sit down at some point during their conversation. The promise of dark circles had begun taking form beneath his eyes, painting a tired look onto his face.

"Hmm . . . The quiet if anything, I think. I've found myself in solitude more often than not since Jayce started handling the . . . public aspects," he explained and gestured broadly with one hand, encompassing the local. The entirety Piltover too, she imagined.

"You're happy with that?"

Bobbing his head from side to side, he could not agree nor disagree. "I like quiet, but I prefer the company. Jayce makes good company."

"Well," she began and reached out to him, pinching a piece of wild hair between her fingertips and arranged it back into shape with the rest of his dark waves. "If you find yourself in unwanted solitude, you can always send for me, Viktor. If nothing else, I might be able to help in the lab," she smiled. It was her specialty, after all.

They'd been friends since they enrolled in the academy, but learning under Heimerdinger rarely allowed them time to see eachother.

Straightening his cane, he heaved himself back on his feet.

She would offer him help, but knew it wouldn't be too appreciated.

Leaning on the support, the stream of light escaping the stage colored his face and set it aglow with warmth. "Thank you, . . ." he called her name and smiled. "I might do that."

He was a strong mind in a blighted body. The brightest often were.

-

It was late the next day when she'd gotten a message from Viktor.

Pushing the tall door open, the setting sun painted the spacious workroom in a dim golden light. On first inspection, one could've thought it abandoned. Books were strewn on every available surface, opened or stacked. Dust had already managed to settle on a few, and she guessed that they'd been deemed irrelevant to the two men's work at some point, then simply forgotten to time and unpaced space. "Viktor?" She called out.

"Over here," a thick accent answered. Venturing further inside, she found him by the colossal windows that held a view Piltover. To the side was a blackboard with rows upon rows of calculations. "Please, take a seat." He smiled and gestured toward one of the few chairs that were free of piling notes. "I'd like to show you what I have been working on."

-

And so the evening spilled into dusk, and dusk poured into night. There was nothing now but the dark sky and starlight illuminating the two of them.

"It is not correct," he tapped the chalk against the board and sighed, highlighting a specific problem to her eyes. He'd asked for her thoughts at some point, and ever since the two had been going back and forth trying to solve one particularly stubborn equation.

Settling down on the chair that she had long abandoned, Viktor wrapped his hands over the cane's handle and rested his chin on top. Exhausted eyes studied the same scribbles he'd gone over and over a hundred times before.

In unisome, they sighed.

Knowing glances were thrown each other's way, luring a chuckle from the both of them and gratefully releasing some of their tension. "Thank you, for lending me your mind this evening."

Pursing her lips, she moved in front of him and settled against the worktable. He was still facing the board, pondering the solution, and allowing her to look at him unabashedly. The strong jaw and sharp cheekbones, that pretty little mole above his lip and his perfectly half-wild hair. "I had a good time," she shrugged. "I should be the one thanking you." Unable to help herself, she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on that angled cheekbone of his. "So, thank you, Viktor," she murmured.

Pushing herself to her feet, she reached out to grab her things, then moved to leave.

But a hand grabbed her wrist before she had the chance. "Thank you for keeping me company, . . ." Viktor said, voice sliding lower with each word until her name spilled from his lips in a whisper.

Her eyes switched between his, attempting to determine if there was an ulterior meaning his words. Looking down at their hands, she noticed his thumb stroking the thin skin at her wrist. Clearing her throat, she swallowed. "You didn't invite me here just to theorise, did you, Viktor?"

He followed her gaze and inspected the hand he held in his. "I like the quiet," he said, gently toying with her fingers. Running along their length, he absentmindedly bent and straightened them as he carefully thought about the next words to leave his lips. "But it seems, I prefer you." His fingers slid between her own, lacing them together.

Stepping closer to him, she cupped the sharp angles of his cheek. Giving him no other choice then to look up at her with those big, rounded eyes. "Are you telling me I'm loud?" She teased.

"No," Viktor smirked and let his cane slip to the floor, prioritising holding her hips. "But I would like to find out." He put pressure behind his hands, pushing her back onto the tabletop behind her. "Take those off, please." He nodded his chin at her suitpants, then leaned back in his chair.

Smiling, she did as asked and a little bit more, leaving her in nothing but her undergarments.

His eyes trailed over her body, along the curves of her breasts and lace covered mound. Without a word, he moved the chair to face her, hands sliding up her calfs until they hooked beneath her knees and pulled her to the edge of the table.

"Viktor, you don't have to-" she began, rather putting in work for both of them so he could avoid further strain on his body.

But desperate to be of use, to do it himself, he insisted. "I want to," he assured, wrapping a hand around the back of her thigh and squeezed. "Please . . . Let me."

Hesitantly, she nodded her head in compact motions. Willing to please him, but needing him to please her more.

Placing one hand behind her, she braced her weight against the table while her other hand brushed stray strands from his eyes. Combing it back, she burried her fingers in his thick waves. "Okay," she whispered.

What followed was a satisfied smirk and an eager lips trailing kisses along her inner thigh. He made quick work of her panties, then paused. Looking up, brown irises locked with her own as he hovered an inch from her heat. Then suddenly burried his face between her thighs before she'd gotten a second to breathe.

"Fuck-" she moaned, head falling back in bliss as Viktor worked his glorious wonders. An experienced tongue thrust into her core and lapped at her wetness, closing his eyes and humming throughout as if tasting heaven itself. "You taste very sweet, darling," he murmured against her, damp breath fanning against her core and sending shivers up her spine, doing nothing but further spurr her arousal on.

Sinking his teeth into the flesh of her inner thigh, he looked up at her, finding the entire city at her back, framing her exalted form. Behind her quivering shoulders ran the horizon, the night sky painting her into a saint as it formed like a halo around her head. Watching her heaving chest and panthing mouth was enough to make a man believe in powers greater than science.

And he wouldnt relent, when seeing the reaction his mere tongue could cause. He couldn't give her mercy, and he could not give her another second to collect herself lest her climax strayed too far away.

Without warning, he slid his tongue up her folds, collecting her arousal only to swallow with groan. Before she could gasp, he'd already slipped back between her thighs. Aternating between soft kisses and gentle nipping, he turned her into a whimpering mess. In a final act, he latched onto her clit, sucking and circling with fervour. Tears of pleasure rolled down her cheeks as her fingers curled into a fist, pulling on his hair as she held on for dear life.

But all he did was whine from her taste and the pressure on his scalp, whine from the growing unpleasantry in his pants as he devoured his dinner and licked his plate clean. "Pretty," he murmued, and she opened her eyes to look at him.

One quivering body- and an arched back later, she laid back against the tabletop, fighting hard to catch her breath.

Looking back, she glimpsed Piltover. She saw thousands of lights illuminating homes, she saw the sky and the glimmering stars. But she couldn't be sure if it was reality or hallucinations of eyes recovering from a tumultuous orgasm.

Moving up, she braced on her forearms, surveying Viktor's own state. He'd circled his arms around her calves and laid his head in the valley between her thighs, kissing and whispering sweet nothings against her skin. Thumbs stroked soothing circles into her plush flesh whenever his mind reminded him. "Thank you," he whispered and kissed her. "Thank you," he repeated over and over again.

"Thank me when we're done," she exhaled, adoring the way his reaction to making her come was gratitude, for letting him bring her to completion. "Chair or bed?" She asked, already planning their next endeavour. "I want to please you too."

Blinking, he considered. An uncertain smile twitching in the corner of his lips. "Our rooms are far," he murmured, glancing down at his leg. Self-consciousness was never something he displayed, never did he complain or bring it up. In his mind, he wanted to prove that there was nothing wrong with him, that he could withstand and surpass.

Although she understood, although she empathized with him, she did not see the need. A dent in a machine did not change its capability, but it could bump the risk of deterioration. "We all need help sometimes, Viktor," she combed through his hair, scratching and brushing his scalp in turns. Sliding a finger down his face, she placed it beneath his chin, tilting his face to meet hers. "Some hardships are more visible than others, but that should not affect the view people have of you. It certainly won't affect mine," she whispered and brushed her thumb along his upper lip, fingertip gently dotting the mole above, and then followed his cheekbone up to his temble. "But, it's your decision, whatever you're comfortable with," she assured, rubbing circles into his temple.

Burrying his face in her thigh, he sighed and nodded, untamed hair scratching her skin pleasantly. "Yes." Viktor sat back and reached for her hands, clasping them in his own. "My room it is," he smiled and kissed up her knuckles, palm and wrist.

-

She'd never been sure if the professor's assistant got a fancier room then the other students. But standing inside it, she could confirm it was bigger at the very least.

"We were outside of the workshop when miss Medarda found us," Viktor explained as he closed the door behind them.

"No! What did she say?" She snickered, eager to hear the following as shd vetured into his room, examining some of the knicks and knacks he had laying around.

Leaning on his cane, he scrathed his chin. "I do not remember," he said, and then a blush rose to his cheeks, staining them a pretty, pale red. "I believe I paniced and told the councillor that I had gotten the rooms wrong."

Raising an eyebrow, she sauntered back to him, already questioning how the story would end. "And which room was that?" She asked, toying with his collar.

Viktor cleared his throat. "Jayce's," he chuckled, thumb rubbing the handle of his cane. "Miss Medarda had little trust in my excuse."

Her lips pulled into a thin line as she met his eyes, making a worthy attempt at with-holding her laughter. "At least it turned out well in the end," she managed, fingers working to unlace his west as she backed toward the bed, pulling him with her.

"Yes," he said and re-removed her shirt, getting the satisfaction of pulling it over her head this time. "I would like to think so."

Sliding his west down his shoulders, she began unbuttoning the red fabric beneath, where she found another piece of his engineering. She traced the clever contraption with wonder. Softly admiring the skill and ingenuity he'd put into it.

Looking up to ask him about it, she found his expression close to discomfort. He looked vulnerable, like it was a piece of himself he rarely showed anyone else unless he had to.

Smiling softly, she met his gaze with a slanted head. "It's crafted brilliantly," she recognized his hard work while studying the detailing. "It's a-"

"Brace." There was note of resignation in his tone. "My back, it is . . ." He trailed off, looking away.

She sighed silently, hating that he couldn't see his own beauty the way she did. "It's beautiful, Viktor. Truly. It suits you." She ran a finger along the strap over his shoulder. "We can keep the shirt if you'd prefer it."

"No," he said and began taking the shirt off, struggling as he only had one available hand. Sensing irritation, she cupped his jaw, gathering his attention. She watched his face soften, honoured by his trust in her. Then brushed her hands down his throat and shoulders, tracing his collarbone before sliding over his shoulders and beanth the fabric, helping it fall to the floor. Viktor turned them around and moved onto to bed without another word.

She smiled to herself, instantly shy by his sudden confidence. Crawling after him, she straddled his lap, careful not to put too much weight on his leg.

"I am not ready, to . . . Remove the other, yet," he murmured, no longer as resigned when talking about his condition. "I am afraid the pants must stay on, for the moment."

"Thats okay," she nodded softly, connecting their foreheads. "I don't mind." She placed her hands on his chest, feeling his skin beneath her palms. She brushed them down his arms until she found his hands and laced them together with her own, and her lips inched closer to his.

For a while, they settled in this new position. Simply enjoying the moment of newfound feelings and fragility, inhaling one another's scent and sharing the air between them.

Viktor tilted his head to the side, moving closer until their mouths were ghosts upon the other. With parted lips, he crept ever closer, patiently testing the waters. Then, softly, they closed around her bottom lip. With a unified exhale, she kissed him back. She could very faintly taste herself on him.

Together, they could focus on nothing but the softness of the other and the frequency of their breaths. When their lust filled lungs could no longer expell air through their mouths, their noses had to take up the slack. Somehow, adding on to the intimacy between them. In this second in time, they were two souls with lungs filling of emotion, ramping up the speed in which they needed to act.

With no other way for the feelings to go, the eagerness in their lips had to carry them out.

Laced together, she moved his hands to her body, giving him free range to wander while her own traveled downward and found the buttons of his pants. "Is this still alright?" She murmured in-between kisses.

"Yes, please," he answered, his own hands undoing her bra. Then there suddenly was the sound of skin on skin as he slid his hands back around her ribs and cupped her breasts.

With a gasp from his touch, she got the buttons open. Reaching down, she pulled his member out.

He'd been fully hard since they'd left the workshop, and intending to finally put him out of his misery, she spread the pre-cum leaking from his tip and circled it gently. Earning her a soft whimper.

Placing one hand on his chest, she lined him up with the other. Pushing him back against the bed and quickly followed suit herself, wetting the tip in her core.

"Please," he begged, hands moving to cup her face, pulling her back for another kiss. "Please." He introduced their tongues and let them explore each other's mouths. Finally, she carefully slid down his length. Resulting in a shprt break from their kiss through the unisome gasp.

As she began to move, to rut her her hips into his. The kiss became needier and needier until their teeth were clashing and breathing rapid.

She angled her hips so her clit could be stimulated against his mound. She released a breathless whimper at the sensation, but earned a twitch from the member inside her and a grin from the man beneath her. "Glorious woman," he moaned, moving to kiss her jaw and neck. His hands slipping from her face to her hips and ass, squeezing and encouraging her ruts with help from his wrists.

From the several points of pleasure he made for her, she was already closing in on her second orgasm. Straightening up, she put both hands on his chest and used him as support to move in longer bounds around his inches. "That alright?" She asked, imagining nothing worse than to cause him

"Yes, y-yes. Mmh . . . M' close," he managed. Observing her on top of him did nothing to ease the matter, and he hissed from what his thoughts of her alone could muster.

Grinding down harder, jolts of electricity shot through her body. Their combined sounds of pleasure along with the sensations they caused had them both close to their limit.

Closing her eyes, the night sky began forming beneath her eyeslids. Her entire body felt much the same, static sizzled in every nerve as the pressure came close to releasing.

"Look at me," Viktor said with a breathless voice. Fingers clawing at her back and waist with a non existent sharpness.

Taking a deep breath she closed the distance between them once again, and opened her eyes.

This time, she could see the stars reflected in his eyes. His hand wrapped around the back of her neck, bringing her head against his, and allowed their lips to meet one last time before they spilled over the edge. Viktor quite literally, as he filled her up with his seed.

With no strength left in her body, she collapsed. Yet, still taking care to place her weight on her side rather than his torso, along with her legs settling between his rather than on top.

"Thank you," he whispered, lips finding her temple as she rested next to him. "For keeping me company."

"It was my pleasure, Viktor," she chuckled. "I hope we can do it again."

"Yes, I would like that," he nodded. "I really care for you, . . ." He whispered her name. "I think, perhaps-"

"I care for you too," she stopped him. "Let's let things happen in their own time, okay?"

"Okey," he smiled, scratching her nape.

As their euphoria began wearing of and sleep caught up, her mind could not settle. "Viktor," she murmured.

"Mmh?" He answered, already drowsing of.

"I maybe think so, too."

[vanesycho]

I’m not sure if this was a request you wanted so feel free not write it! telling nct dream you aren't wearing panties (reaction)

welcome to the nct dream reaction！[when they realized you weren't wearing underwear] | m.list | warning:nsfw content wc:1,5k

a/n:I hope you are all well, I don't think it's that good but honestly I'm proud of myself for even being able to write this lol.

enjoy reading！

Mark 마크 | You were sitting in a simple but warm restaurant and watching Mark with your small smile as he frowned at the menu. The fact that he was unaware of what was going to happen was making you even more excited. "Can't choose?" He looked up at you and smiled. "Yeah, what's on your mind baby?" You took a look at the menu and picked up your phone to send him a message. Trying to hide your smile, you went back to the menu. The moment Mark saw the message, he had a coughing fit and looked at you with confused eyes. "Are you kidding me?" You bit your lower lip. He didn't think you were serious until he dropped his fork on purpose and went under the table. "Fuck..." he mumbled under his breath and swallowed hard. He didn't know how long you had been like this and it made him even more nervous. "We're leaving." He took off his jacket and came over to you. "But we just came?" you asked innocently, he laughed angrily at how you acted like you didn't do anything and leaned into your ear "Tie that fucking jacket around your waist and walk to the car. I don't know who gave you the courage but I'll make sure you don't do it again."

Renjun 런쥔 | You knew that what you did would definitely piss him off, but you took the risk anyway. What made it worse was that Renjun's friends were there too. You were sitting next to each other on the couch listening to them, Renjun had covered you with his jacket because of the shortness of your skirt, but you knew that wouldn't stop you. You were about to stand up when his voice stopped you "Where are you going?" you turned to him and put on an innocent smile "I need to drink water." you stood up and he could see that you weren't wearing any underwear, even though there was a small gap in the back of your skirt. Renjun frowned and, ignoring the others, he walked behind you and grabbed your arm roughly, pulling you into the kitchen. He closed the door behind him and put you between him and the door "Do you think you're funny or are you testing my patience?" you pressed your lips together, you could definitely see that he was angry and seeing that you were amused by the situation made him laugh hysterically. “Ah..Of course you like it. You’re curious about showing your ass to the others huh?” he removed his hand from your arm and stepped back, you looked at him in disbelief, you needed him and he was doing the exact opposite. “Keep going then. I wonder if you’ll dare to get up again when all your wetness is soaking Jaemin’s seat.”

Jeno 제노 | You were so excited that you couldn’t sit still in the car you got in. Jeno occasionally glanced at you and laughed. “I didn’t know you were so eager to see my friends.” You didn’t really care, they had ruined everything by arranging a random meeting on the day you needed him the most and even though you told him you didn’t want him to go, you were here now. You were excited because there was only one thing left to change his mind. When he stopped in front of the house, you opened the door but as you were about to get up, he noticed your bare pussy under your skirt. Jeno grabbed your wrist and made you sit back in the seat. “Tell me you didn’t do this on purpose.” His voice tone made your skin crawl. “I told you not to go but you didn’t listen, I should have at least gotten your attention somehow.” he laughed angrily as he heard your answer and started the car again, you put on a smile on your face knowing you were going home and it didn’t take long for him to realize it “Oh yeah keep smiling, if you think I’m going to give you what you want after all that sluttiness you’ve done, you’re wrong. The redness that will make you cover your ass will make sure you don’t do it again.”

Haechan 해찬 | It didn’t take long for Haechan to realize this. He moved up your leg that he was caressing under the covers while having a movie night with the others and laughed to himself when he reached your bare pussy. You didn’t stop him, he knew you wouldn’t, if you were teasing him he would do it twice as much to you. Until you regretted it. You held back a moan as his finger slid easily into your already wet pussy, his eyes on the movie as if nothing had happened while his finger slowly caressed you. You approached him and tried to whisper in his ear between your rapid breaths “Please..We need to go to the bathroom, I don’t know how long I can last like this.” He looked at you, leaning in to your lips but not kissing them, slowly inserting his second finger inside you. "What? Aren't you having fun? You better think twice before teasing me from now on. Otherwise, I won't hesitate to show you what the outcome will be."

Jaemin 재민 | You were walking towards the cafe you were going to with Jaemin. Knowing that he had underwear in his jacket pocket, you took his arm and entered. "Baby, I have to go to the bathroom, you can order for me, right?" He nodded and got in line. You were washing your hands, waiting for his reaction. But looked up when you heard the door open behind you and caught Jaemin's eyes in the mirror. He slowly walked towards you with the underwear in his hand, stopped when he was behind you and brought his hand under your skirt and towards your pussy, realized you weren't bluffing and you weren't really wearing underwear, he licked his lips "So you want to play like this huh?" He led you to one of the empty toilets, before you had a chance to say anything, he grabbed your chin and made you look at him "Let's see if you can enjoy this game when everyone in the cafe hears your screams."

Chenle 천러 | He didn't know why you specifically wanted him to come for the shopping, but the last thing he wanted to do was upset you, so he was waiting for you while you were trying on your skirt in the cabin and was on his phone on the other side. After you put on your skirt, you took off your underwear and took one last breath before opening the door and walked out of the cabin to show him the skirt. He looked up from his phone and looked you up and down, you saw his frown and pursed your lips. "Don't you like it?" You tilted your head slightly to the side, his eyes fixated on your skirt. "No- you're so beautiful baby. I'm just not sure you'd be comfortable with that." He approached and grabbed the ends of your skirt, as he was about to gently pull it down, he saw your bare ass in the mirror inside the cabin through the open door. You turned around to look at where he was looking and met his angry gaze in the mirror. Then turned to him but soon found yourself inside the changing room, he walked in and locked the door. "Are you that keen on being a slut? If you enjoy annoying me so much, you better not beg me to stop after that." he continued as he unbuckled the belt of his pants. "Now on your knees. I'll make sure you never have the courage to do it again when I finish this without letting you have a single drop of pleasure."

Jisung 지성 | Innocent Jisung just wanted to take a nice photo of you by the beach. He smiled and held up the camera, waiting for you to change your pose, but the wind that came ruined everything. His expression changed when he looked at your skirt that was flying, and after checking if there was anyone around, he quickly came to you. His hand went to the front of your skirt and stopped it from flying, “Baby- did you forget to put on your underwear?” When he saw you laughing at him, he realized that you did it on purpose and shame washed over him, he took off his jacket and tied it around your waist. “Please don’t do that again, do you want me to lose my mind?” You placed your hands on his cheeks and kissed his lips. “I want you, Jisung…” your needy tone made him swallow hard. “Next time, instead of resorting to such methods, tell me that. One day, you’re going to drive me crazy and it won’t be good for you."

[bkgexe]

if all else fails, i was myself

bakugou x reader ✾ 4.6k

info! no smut sorry gang ✾ tw! trust issues that manifest as issues w physical intimacy/contact, dubcon in its vaguest definition (NOT bkg & reader) ✾ notes! ive been in perpetual writers block for months. is this trite idk. i miss my baby but anytime i write for him im like oops this is gonna be 60k words!!! so here is. a drabble lmao. also big lmao moment this is titled after count me out by kendrick lamar ldskfjdlkjf which was on repeat while writing so uh sorry mr. lamar abt the mha fanfic

katsuki has always known that part of him is wrong.

he’s never liked being touched. every kiss he’s experienced has made him tense as an elevator cable poised to snap. any attempt to go further than that has made him a little ill, made his gut feel like a stack of loose papers being torn to shreds, slow and loud.

it doesn’t help that he’s only ever had three kisses in his life: eijirou at a new year’s party (too many teeth), eijirou again at another new year’s party nearly a decade later (too much tongue), and then his fourth date with kyoka (when he tried to convince himself he just had to push through the discomfort to become normal).

things went further than that. it was a mistake. they both knew it right after it happened—kyoka first, and then katsuki after his head stopped pounding with what if i'm doing this wrong what if she's pitying me for fucking this up what if i don't know how to touch another person correctly what if i was supposed to learn at some point and i missed it how could i fucking miss it will it always be like this because i can't do this again i can't i don't—

“kat," she said after. she looked at him with something only a few degrees removed from pity, and poorly removed at that.

he attempted a halting non-apology. he attempted a real apology. failed at both.

"it's okay, you know," she said. "to not like it."

he scoffed even though he wasn’t entirely clear on what she meant by it, because there was so much he didn’t like. “i like it just fine.”

“if that was liking it, I’m honestly worried about your capacity for enjoying life in general.” it wasn’t a joke. her bluntness was something that'd made katsuki think he could push his boundaries with her. all of her thoughts were laid out plain for him to read, an open-source journal. “i'm just saying you don't have to like it. and you don’t have to force yourself to do things you don’t want to do. don't fuck yourself over for someone else's happiness.”

kyoka still texts him often, checks in, invites him to drinks with their friends. she’s kind. she’s normal. she doesn’t have this weird, shredded thing inside her that makes her balk at the idea of someone’s hand on her skin. that makes her think she's doing something wrong, even if she's not the one that initiated the touch.

when you started your job at the front desk of katsuki’s agency, he never thought that he'd be here, wishing above everything that he could just be normal. just for one fucking day, so he could laugh at your shitty jokes and maybe brush his knuckles across the back of your hand in passing and take you on a date where he could kiss you in his car after driving you home and the thought wouldn’t make his skin crawl, wouldn't tear up his insides to pulp.

because he fucked everything up. he's standing in his empty office where you'd been spending time with him and he fucked it up and hurt you and he's not sure how to unfuck it.

the thing is, he could grin and bear it. he could deal with the odd thing inside him that hates the contact and white-knuckle it through every kiss, every caress. but he’s never been a great actor. he wouldn’t be able to hide that from you.

(kyoka told him, years later, that it’s not that the sex itself wasn’t fine—what made it nearly unbearable for her was the fact that she could tell, only after it was too late, that being physically vulnerable with her pained him far more than he was willing to reveal.)

no one wants to feel like the person they’re with is grinning and bearing it. that they’re white-knuckling it through. katsuki knows this. he knows he’s basically a fucking virgin all but in title at thirty and that he’s got the personality of a dried-out fig you find in your fridge weeks after its last edible moments. he doesn't have much to offer.

but he walked into work one day and nodded at you, curt, a grimace on his face—and you smiled at him so kindly that his stomach twisted.

with you, it wasn't the feeling of something being torn apart. it was different, lighter. leaves wrenched into the sky by a strong breeze. still a kind of tearing, but different—less destructive.

he was wearing a deep carmine sweater his mom sent him in one of her bi-monthly care packages (as if he’s not an adult, and a pro-hero on top of that), and you said, “that’s such a nice color on you. is it new?”

there was that breeze inside his chest, strong, pulling at his bones. “yeah,” he grunted. then slowly, as if remembering how: “thanks.”

it was the attention, he thought at first, that piqued his interest. he wasn't used to it. people always watched him from afar, and he had fans online that were borderline obsessive, but people didn’t approach him. they didn’t say that’s such a nice color on you. they didn’t smile the way you smile.

he’s always had a shallow streak. it’s not like he doesn’t know this. it’s become a little muted over time, a little discouraged by the visible scarring on his face and body from his time in the field, but it’s never fully been eradicated. so it was simple, he thought. you paid him attention and stroked his ego, and he preened like a self-obsessed bird of paradise.

and then you started making these little origami whale sharks.

fucking stupid. it bothered him an annoying amount. you had a bunch at your desk, all different colors and sizes, some taped to your desktop monitor, some hung up with little pieces of string under the desk's storage overhang. you drew dots on the back of each one, a distinct spotted pattern that was unique for each shark. and you made them for everyone but him. eijirou bought you a pack of high quality origami paper and you made him his own fucking school, all with little faces, winking or surprised or angry, their wide paper mouths gaping and empty, the lines of their bodies pressed careful and sure.

he hated it. it was annoying and a waste of company time and he usually didn’t ever use dumb corporate slogans like “a waste of company time” but you were really pushing his fucking limits.

it was definitely just the attention he liked, he told himself, because surely someone doing something as dumb as this would annoy him to no fucking end if he spoke to them.

and then he spoke to you and he was wrong.

he asked why you made the damn things in the first place and you told him, “i like whale sharks. but to be totally honest, i just run out of things to do."

and he saw that as a challenge. you were running out of things to do? rest assured he could find more shit for you to take care of. so he did. tasks that he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy, they were so dull and time-consuming. and you were so achingly competent that it drove him up a fucking wall. you completed everything he asked of you in half the time it would take someone else, and you always reported back with a smile, and you always did good work, and he could see himself having a conversation with you about something other than work but he didn't want to try because he was worried he'd begin to like you as a person.

you're pretty. really fucking pretty. he can see that now, and he sure as fuck saw it then. you're hardworking. you're just likeable, and that's something katsuki had never been. it (reluctantly) impressed him. worse than that, it turned his feelings for you into a sort of interest.

but he knows he's not normal when it comes to things like this.

he tried to distance himself from you because of it, but it turns out that asking someone to do work for you means you do have to speak to them sometimes. and sometimes turned into a lot of times.

sometimes turned into bringing him coffee in the morning, not because he asked you to, but because you're sweet like that. sometimes turned into being the person he bounced ideas off of when he had a board meeting coming up or something otherwise boring and meticulous. sometimes turned into you laughing at his prickly comments rather than going quiet because of them. turned into you saying suck it up, dynamight, this is what it means to be the boss when he complained about doing paperwork.

sometimes turned into staying late with him at the office, getting take out for the two of you to share while you finished filing claims and damage reports and other stuff he hated taking care of by himself. sometimes turned into him asking you to stay late just because he wanted you there. because even when he was quiet, you'd tell him about your day, about things that happened in the office, about how much you like the book you'd both been reading. he loved listening to you talk. felt comfortable enough to tell you things about himself when he'd never felt comfortable doing that before.

sometimes turned into you holding out a piece of fried tofu from your take-out container for him to eat while he was approving time-off forms that he should have looked at much earlier that week, and you being so close that he could notice how good you smelled, and the warmth of your body basically radiated towards him, like all your energy was focused on him, and your smile was small but somehow even more lovely than usual, a secret for him to tuck away and keep, and when you finished feeding him and he had a little sauce on the corner of his mouth and you reached forward to wipe it off for him and your hand lingered there for a moment and your eyes fell to his lips and what if you try to kiss me and i'm wrong and you hate me for it and what if i can't give you what you want and what if i'm not actually what you want what if i've disappointed you already what if—

it was too much.

so he fucked it up. your thumb was so soft against his skin. he reeled backwards in his chair, rolling it whole feet clear of you, and he felt the tearing again, the bad kind, like paper unevenly shredded by clumsy hands, and he had to leave. he had to leave. he needed to leave so badly that it felt like pulling his skin off would be preferable to being in that office with you.

hiding in the bathroom was fucking pitiful. he remembered his breathing exercises. he remembered to ground himself. and when he came back to his office, you were gone.

if he was normal—and he wants to be normal, god fucking damn—he could have stomached your proximity. he could have eaten out of your fucking hand. he could have touched you back like a normal person probably would have and he wouldn't be here, alone, looking at a little purple sticky note you left him that says i finished organizing the pto forms. i hope you feel better!

he doesn't know whose pride you're trying to save with that. as if you didn't leave because he made things so fucking awkward by running away from you when you touched him. when you—maybe, if he was reading the room correctly—were about to kiss him.

and you don't speak to him for days. he doesn't want to push so he doesn't—just watches you out of the corner of his eye whenever you're both in the same room, which is arguably worse. he's not sure. he's just itching to fucking talk to you because he misses it.

he misses you. in a more-than-friends way.

it takes a while for him to realize this. when he does, it hits him like a metal rod up the side of the head. it's fucked up of him to miss you the way he does when he doesn't feel like he can provide you with the things a normal person could. and though he's worked on his patience over the years—worked on understanding that he can't have everything he wants—it doesn't stop him from being selfish and finally pulling you aside to talk.

and baffling as fucking ever, the first thing you say is sorry. "i know i should've talked to you about it earlier. i just—i shouldn't have done that. and i know it. i shouldn't have assumed that—i don't know. that you..."

you look helpless. it's one of the very few times that katsuki has ever felt the compulsion to touch someone. not because he wants the touch, per se, but because he wants to be able to provide comfort. he never figured out how to do that with words. he's so focused on his inability to comfort you that he barely has any idea of what you're actually talking about. instead of doing anything at all, he just stands there like a fuckwad.

"i just want you to know that i would never—like never—have touched you, or tried to... if i didn't think there was like, a vibe?" you shake your head, exasperated with yourself. "god, even that sounds so bad. i'm sorry, i just—"

"wait, what are—?" and then it clicks, because he's been slow on the uptake figuring out his shit when he should have been focusing way more on yours. "there was..." katsuki says, and he fucking hates that he can't find better words for what you were both feeling in his office, "a vibe."

the way your face changes when you're flustered is one of katsuki's favorite things, but it's not as enjoyable when he feels just as flustered as you look. "i—oh? so... so you—?"

his ears feel like they're being attacked by two heated straightening irons and he knows they're red as hell right now. he's gonna have to say this plainly even though he'd rather get his teeth pulled out one by one with a pair of pliers. "it's not you."

your expression loses any sort of hope it once held. you press your lips together and sigh, maybe a little exasperated. he's doing his best here but he knows his best is shit. "i can handle a non-cliché rejection," you tell him. "honestly, i'd prefer a non-cliché rejection—"

"i'm not trying to reject you," he says, and it's selfish of him. because he's really not. he isn't comfortable with the things you'd want from him, but he still wants you in some capacity. "i just don't—do shit like that."

"kissing?"

somehow knowing for sure that you did want to kiss him in his office makes him want you more. he likes that you're bold. he likes that you're not ashamed of that. he wants to be different than he is. "any... of it," he struggles to admit.

"at all?"

he nods.

"just—like touching, and stuff?"

it sounds so juvenile that he can't help but laugh through his nose, roll his eyes. "yeah. touching and stuff."

"oh."

you're disappointed. of course you are. it's not like he expected anything different, but—sometimes he fucking hates his life. hates that he can't be the thing people need him to be. hates that trying is so difficult, that it flings his stomach into space, like a throwing stone skipping across a still lake.

"so you don't go on dates, or anything."

"haven't tried."

"do you not want to?" you ask, and he can tell it's more of a genuine question than anything. you're curious about him, like you always are. it's more than he deserves, for all he can offer.

"doesn't make sense to."

"that's not what i asked."

it's not. and so katsuki listens as you ask your question again, and he really takes a moment to think.

considering the answer to your question leads him to his first date with you. and his second, and his third—his fourth, and he's keenly aware that his last fourth date ended with what he expects all dates are supposed to end with.

he takes you to the aquarium. because of all the fucking origami whale sharks. you still haven't given him one and it sticks in his craw like a bone. in front of the backlit tank that holds sharks of all types, shapes and sizes and teeth he's never pictured possible of a living creature before, he asks, "why sharks?"

you look at him, brow raised. "i don't know. they probably needed the biggest tank in the aquarium. and this looks like the biggest tank."

"no, dumbass—your sharks. the ones all over the fuckin' office."

"what, you don't like them?" you ask, but you're smiling, sly.

he shrugs. he thinks they're dumb as hell. he wants one to hang up at work, like the ones you've got hung up at your desk. "they're whatever. they clutter the fuck out of ei's office. and he's already got issues organizing." you've just made eijirou so many at his point, and it's getting ridiculous. "but what—are they easy to make, or something?"

you laugh a little. "no. not at all, actually." a whale shark swims by, its spotted hide shimmering in the tank's eerie blue lighting, and you watch it intently. "but it'd be boring if it was too easy."

this date ends with him walking you home from the aquarium a few blocks from your apartment and you smiling at him and telling him that you had a really great time, and he feels like a fucking freak because you don't even expect more. you don't wait for a kiss. don't look disappointed that he doesn't try to give you one. the way you look at him holds so much affection that he doesn't deserve and he has no idea how to reciprocate it to you, and somehow he lands on, "make me one."

"one what?" you ask, but he thinks you already know what he's asking. you like to play coy. he likes it when you play coy. when you're enjoying yourself.

"one of your little fuckin' paper things," he mutters, because admitting that he wants one of those dumbass sharks feels somehow demeaning. he doesn't want you to know how much he's wanted one. "ei's got a million of 'em."

your hand was on your door handle, but it falls to your side. he's keenly aware of its proximity to him. he doesn't feel that terrible ripping in his gut and its absence is almost frightening to him. your fingers tighten into a fist. it's cold out. "ah, and you're jealous?"

"no," he says, knee-jerk. "i just don't get why everyone gets one but me."

you smile when he says this and he could live in this image of you, delicate and small and made for him. he goes home and thinks about it until he falls asleep. thinks about it even beyond then, feels that strong breeze inside him tearing every leaf from its grounded perch.

here's the thing—nothing against jirou, but unlike his other fourth date, this one was enjoyable. more than. he loved watching you be amazed by the size of the whale sharks, and he loved watching you put a bunch of coins into the penny press and cranking the machine until one was squeezed out into the pattern you wanted, and he loved watching you lay your hand against the glass where the rubbery wings of a flood of stingrays battled for your attention, and—

he loved watching you. that's weird, right? he sounds like a fucking lunatic thinking that.

but he does. he hadn't realized until now how difficult it had been not only to touch people, but to look at them. maintaining eye contact, watching someone do a simple task out of interest instead of staring them down in an attempt to intimidate them. he's so much more fucked up than he thought but what makes it bearable is that he can do it with you. he can watch the way you enjoy things and feel like he's not intruding on something he shouldn't. without even trying, you make him feel welcome—wanted.

that's it. you make him feel wanted.

the realization affects him in a way he doesn't understand. at work the next day, when you smile at him over the top of the front desk, he feels something incredibly strong—something like instinct—that tells him to touch you. small. a thumb brushed across your cheek. his fingers grazing yours. he wants it in a way that can't be right because he's never wanted to touch someone like this.

he doesn't do it, but he thinks about it all day. your little smiles when you notice him watching you on your dates, the way your fingers graze your lips when you cover your laugh, the softness in the way you regard him. you're quiet, reserved, but when you laugh you laugh hard. he wants your soft, your quiet and your loud, he wants the feeling of your fingers on his lips, he wants your smallest smiles, all things he wishes he could fold up and keep and later display somewhere he can always see them. a school of paper fish, gaping mouths and drawn-on spots and such carefully pressed lines.

so on the eleventh date—(he knows it's ridiculous to count, but he's never spent this much time with one person before, not like this)—he reaches for your hand when you're walking alongside the bay, the air turning cold in the wake of the sunset that the two of you had just witnessed. that's romantic, you'd teased when he asked you to watch it with him. he'd rolled his eyes, shrugged you off.

but maybe he wanted it to be romantic. maybe he wanted to make this as normal as possible for you because nothing has been normal between the two of you so far.

you pull back when he reaches for you, as if on instinct. look up at him, confused, when he reaches out again. "katsuki..." you say, and it sounds as if he's done something wrong.

he tries not to let his brain spiral but thoughts drip inwards. water meeting a dented hull. what has he done this time? what else has he fucked up by being fundamentally wrong?

"you know..." you start, and you lose your words.

he thinks of kyoka, years ago. it's okay, you know. to not like it. he wonders if you'll still text him like she does.

your lips pull into a frown before you speak and katsuki can't breathe. "i was never gonna ask on my own because i know you don't like talking about things like this if you don't bring it up. but—um. katsuki—do you think i expect something from you?"

"huh?" he asks, dumb. breathing is still something he fails to do.

"i know that this is—different. i know you have some things going on that make the physical part hard for you." you look up at him so earnestly, and he loves looking at you. he loves looking at you and doesn't want to have to stop and he's worried that this is it. the moment he'll have to stop. you try to smile and it's small and he wants it all for himself. careful. delicate. secret, for him. "i'm not gonna lie to you. i don't know what a relationship without that kind of stuff looks like. but that doesn't mean i'm not willing to find out. it's—i don't need you to try to do something you think i want you to do."

"i'm not."

"it makes me feel a little sick, kat. honestly. it makes me feel like, i don't know—like i'm taking advantage of you, or something—"

"you're not."

"you don't have to do things like that to keep me around." you look flustered, eyes darting from his face to the skyline. "if you want me, i'm—you know."

it's okay, you know. "i don't know."

"i'm yours," you say, and cringe immediately at your words. "or like—i could be, you know, kind of whatever you wanted, if you—if that's what you want. would want."

katsuki can only remember a few times when his head was this quiet in the presence of someone else. when he trusted someone enough to let his mind go blank, to let himself act on instinct. "can i kiss you?"

you sigh. "this is what i was saying. i don't want you to—"

"no," he says, quiet, and he's closer to you than he's ever been. he likes the way you smell. he's not gonna apologize if that's weird. "i just want—god, i feel pathetic asking again. can i just—?"

just, just, just. just a touch, just a kiss, just a moment of your fucking time—it's all he wants. and he's never wanted like this. he's never trusted like this. his head has never quieted entirely because he's so sure that he's not going to disappoint you, or be something you don't actually want, or be wrong.

you've shown him that he can't be wrong with you, regardless of whether or not something within him is broken.

your lips are warm, a little chapped from the dry air, and he tries to remember what kissing chastely is but it's like something breaks in him further the second the two of you touch. his hands are cradling your face, his tongue is gliding against your tongue, his teeth are clacking against your teeth, and he knows the kiss is bad and wrong and messy but he suddenly needs it. he needs to feel you.

you make a noise against him and worry slices into his stomach before he realizes it's a quiet, breathy moan, and maybe you've been okay without the touch but that doesn't mean you don't enjoy it when you receive it. he can tell he hasn't made his boundaries clear enough—your hands circle his wrists, too cautious to go further, too hesitant to grip him like he thinks you want to. like he wants you to want to.

his teeth hit yours again and you laugh, and he pulls back, stomach tight. there's a hope in him that's ready to be torn.

you see it in his face—the fear. "i love kissing you," you blurt out, as if it's the only reassurance you can think of in the moment. "i mean—you're just." you laugh again, and he realizes it's nerves. you're just as nervous as he is. "can i—can we go somewhere warm? and maybe do this more? or—if this was enough—"

he's pulling you towards his apartment before you can get another word out.

kissing you is easy because you make him feel like it's relatively new for you as well. maybe that's how it feels for everyone every time, but he wouldn't know. he just feels comfortable with you. like you're not so much better than him, like you're not waiting to laugh at him when he fucks up, like you're touching him because you really want to.

so he takes you to his apartment and puts you on his couch and kisses you until your back is against the armrest and he's looming over you and you feel comfortable enough that your hands stray from his wrists to his shoulders to his hair and he didn't even know touching someone could feel like this.

put aside the fact that he's nearly finished in his fucking jeans three times just from your fingers running across his back, from the way you cup his cheek when he pulls back for air because he keeps forgetting to breathe—just having you close is intoxicating. he wants to bury his face in the curve of your shoulder, he wants to bite marks into your skin that'll stay vibrant for weeks, he wants to etch himself into you so deeply that he doesn't have to leave. these wants aren't even sexual—it's something about having you be his. i'm yours, you'd told him, and he hadn't even known that it would be exactly what he needed to hear.

he's in love with you, which isn't shocking to him, but he knows he shouldn't be in love with you yet because people that aren't fucked up in the head don't feel shit like this so quickly. he's not gonna tell you this for a very long time, but he knows—so completely and confidently—that he will reach a point when he can tell you.

"you sure you want this?" he asks, breathy, between kisses.

you stop kissing him, brows raised in surprise. "katsuki, we don't... this is a lot for one night. we can take it slow, still."

"that's—i'm not talking about that." he gives in, then—lets himself bury his face in the crook of your neck, lets himself breathe in deep, lets himself find your hands and intertwine your fingers, and you can probably feel that he's hard as fucking metal for you but that's not what's important right now. it sure as hell makes it awkward to try to have a serious conversation, though. "you sure you wanna deal with all... you know. my stuff."

"are you sure you wanna deal with all of my stuff?" you counter, and he pulls back to look at you. kissed rotten and smiling. "of course i want to deal with it. i like you."

and he likes you too. god, he likes you so fucking much.

the next morning, long after you've left for home, he finds a little orange whale shark hidden behind the alarm clock on his bedside table, stars in the place of eyes, and the trace of you is enough to make him feel warm. to hope that over time his apartment becomes full of the little paper creatures until his home is its own aquarium, until everywhere he looks is a memory of all you've brought him—pieces of you, perfectly arranged and delicately folded by your careful hands, much too gentle to tear.

[the-greatest-8]

Obi-wan has had visions before, even when he was in the creche. It was a simple fact by now. Master Yoda had even offered comfort before, after a particularly difficult one. Obi-wan was well aware the risk of reading too far into them- because that simply wasn't how they worked. 'Always in motion, the future is.' Obi-wan knew this.

However- Obi-wan had one vision, one, that he hoped so desperately would become true. It always started the same, he would feel so light, so free- It was a comfort he has clung to in his darkest moments. He would be in bed, warm, and content. He would hear the sound of rustling next to him, before arms would wrap around him. Obi-wan always remembers how he sinks into, how he'd fall back asleep. That's how the vision always ends. It was never enough- not enough information.

Obi-wan wanted so deeply to know how to make that vision real. He knew it wasn't proper; He was just a man though, he tried so hard to follow all the rules- but oh, how he wanted. That feeling never left, even during the war he was in now. If anything, it made him wish even more, for a warmth to keep him grounded around all the deaths. Around all the sorrow after battle, Obi-wan just wanted to feel safe, like in the vision.

It wasn't often, he wouldn't mope, not when he was needed at his best. It was moments like this, however, when the desires in him felt suffocating. The last mission him and his men went on was successful, very successful. Morale was high, and so a stop into town to celebrate was made.

Obi-wan had been corralled into joining, as had Cody. It was enjoyable, even, he drank plenty with his men as they all laughed and told stories. Obi-wan was even sporting a buzz, he was happy, he had realized. Here, with his men, next to his loyal Commander. It made him pause for a second, surprised. Cody, vigilant as ever, took notice and sent him a look, feeling questioning in the force.

Obi-wan smiled at Cody, "I'm fine, Commander, I simply was surprised at something." Obi-wan said exasperatedly. Cody hummed, "If you don't mind me asking General, what was it?" He asked, and sipped his drink. Obi-wan huffed, "I just realized I'm enjoying myself, that's all my dear." He says. Cody smiled then, a soft expression that momentarily made Obi-wans heart flutter.

"I'm glad, sir, we've all noticed you've been tense." Cody said, his worry in the Force being replaced with a soothed, content feeling- and the gentle flames of fondness. Obi-wan almost stuttered, his face flushing slightly. Obi-wan felt warm, his heart raced while he worked on keeping his face straight.

The Force was entirely unhelpful, almost mockingly it made him more aware of how soothing Cody feels to him. Obi-wan decided then he was far to sober for this, and ordered another drink. He doesn't remember a single thing after.

Obi-wan awoke feeling warm, and content, surprisingly without a hangover too. He must have filtered his blood through the force before bed, he thinks distantly. He was sleepy, not entirely certain what woke him, so he just let himself feel. He was floating in soft feelings, he felt light and free, his troubles seemed all the more distant. Obi-wan doesn't remember feeling like this, not in a long while at least. Obi-wan hears rustling next to him, and before he can panic about another person in his bed, strong arms wrap around him and pull him close. "Go back to sleep, General.." a half asleep Cody mutters, before he fully succumbs to his rest once more. Obi-wan pauses, his heart thudding in his chest, and face ablaze.

Obi-wan decides this is a dilemma for future Obi-wan, and sinks into the embrace. He fleetingly thinks about his vision, but is unable to put more thought into it as he drifts off once more. A smile on his lips.

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

Authors note-

Honestly I'm not sure I'm happy with this one. Maybe I'll try again later, but I had to write my idea down or I wouldn't be able to to remember it lol. Hope you like it 😊.

[sunny44]

Marriage (Pt. 2)

Pairing: Max Verstappen x ex fiancée!reader Mason Mount x Fiancée!reader

Warnings: past talk, anger

Summary: Max leaves his fiancée y/n at the altar on their wedding day but after years of regretting what he did, by a miracle of fate (or Lando) she appears in his life again.

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

The next day, after a restless night of reflection and regret, I decided that I needed to do something to make up for what I had done to Y/N years ago.

I couldn't just leave things the way they were.

I called Lando and asked if I could talk to him in person. He agreed and we met at a nearby café.

As soon as we sat down, I poured out my story and remorse to him, admitting all my faults and fears on that fateful day.

Lando listened in silence, with a serious look on his face.

"So that's why she reacted like that when you offered to pay,." he finally said. "My God, Max, how could you do such a thing? She's an amazing person and you had the chance to marry that woman and you ran out of the church like a scared puppy."

"I know, I screwed up and I really regret it, that's why I'm trying to get you to give me her number for me or I don't know maybe I’ll write a letter and you deliver it." He sighs. "Please, I'm begging you.”

"You know how much it must hurt her, right?" I shook my head, feeling the weight of guilt once again.

"I know, and I really want to make things right, Lando. If you can help me talk to her, I owe her a decent apology and an explanation of why I did what I did."Lando looked at me for a moment and then nodded.

"I'll talk to her, Max. But I can't guarantee that she'll want to see you again."

I thanked Lando and he promised to do his best to arrange a meeting between us.

While I was waiting, I started writing a letter to Y/N, expressing all my feelings and regrets honestly. I knew that a letter wouldn't solve everything, but I also didn't know if I'd be able to express all my feelings to her, I've never been good at expressing myself and I know that when it comes to talking to her I'll get in the way and won't be able to say everything.

A few days later, Lando called to tell me that Y/N had agreed to meet me at a local café. My heart was racing as I headed there.

When I walked in, I saw Y/N sitting at a table at the back.

She looked tense and nervous, but also determined. I sat down opposite her and took a deep breath.

"Lando said you wanted to talk to me so I'm hoping you'll say something instead of just staring at me like a idiot."

"I owe you a lot more than an apology and I also know that nothing I do or say will fix what I did, let alone ease the pain I caused you, but I'm not the same person anymore, I'm not the same stupid 21-year-old boy who left you at the altar." I took a breath and continued speaking. "I'd do everything differently if I could and I know you're probably thinking that it's too late to change the past and I know that but I can make it up to you in the future and prove to you that I'm a better person."

"I don't need you to prove anything to me."

"I know that, but I want you to know that the person who hurt you no longer exists." I took the letter out of my pocket and handed it to her. "The only thing that hasn't changed about me in all this time is the fact that I'm terrible at showing my feelings, but you already know that. I don't expect this to fix everything, Y/N, but it's a start."

She took the letter and laughed wryly as I got up to leave.

"Do you really think a letter can fix something, Max?"

"No, I don't think so, Y/N. But it's a start for me to express how sorry I am and how much you mean to me. I was wrong, I was afraid, but that doesn't justify what I did."

She took the letter and started to open it, but I put my hand over hers to stop her.

"I don't want you to read it now, I don't want you to read it in anger or out of obligation. I want you to go home and read it when you feel ready and not because I asked you to." I took my car key out of my pocket. "I'm really sorry and I hope you can forgive me someday."

I paid for our coffees and left with my heart a little lighter knowing that she had a part of my feelings in her hands.

Taglist: @ironmaiden1313 @dudenhaaa27 @christianpulisic10 @gaslysainz @fanboyluvr @urgirlceci @justdreamersdream @aundercover @newlifeforus @depressedriches @topguncultleader @123beautifulgirl123 @luvrrish

[mingismoralloyalty]

The sweetest scent

pairing: Idol! Mingi x succubus! reader (species implies that the reader is fem bodied)

genre: smut

au: fantasy au, demon au

trope: magical invocation

word count: 3.6k

rating: 18+, Minors do not interact!

summary: Mingi is down bad for way to long now. Good thing his daydreams leading him into your open arms, when you not so randomly appear on the other side of the road, driven by a spell and the delicious smell of his despair...

warnings: smut, pwp, cnc somnophilia, cum eating, unprotected sex (don't!), nicknames (honey, sweetheart, baby, pretty boy, princess, baby boy), soft dom!reader, subby Mingi, demon fucking, praise kink, nipple kink, breast play, cumming inside, kinda getting caught, did I forget something?

authors note: Heyy, this is my first fanfic in a long long while and I've never written something like this in english, so please bear with me. If you find mistakes, let me know, so I can improve myself 🩷 I'm so glad this is now out here. Please let me know what you think. Critique is welcome. And yes, I had to edit some things, I hope you like this version too. Okay that's it for now ✨

songs: BM - bad intentions

~😈🖤😈~

It was a warm friday evening in Seoul, the streets were full of people enjoying their free time, visiting bars with their friends or going out on dates with their partners. This city was full of couples much to the distress of a certain young man. Mingi was sick of this sight. It wasn't like he was envious, but he was just so done that he wasn't able to date, let alone have a one night stand. Dating would even be the safest option for him to blow off some steam, even though that wouldn't be the only reason a girlfriend would be great. Don't get him wrong, he's not an ass, but sometimes there was just something missing in his life.

Having one night stands had the potential to ruin his reputation in just a few days, so this was off the table. But to be honest he had no time to date. He had tried it and it went awful. A week long relationship wasn't even a relationship, it was just something. In the end he even had to be scared that his "ex girlfriend" - or whatever she was - would use pictures of them together as leverage against him.

Sometimes he dreamt of living a normal live, moving freely in public and having a girlfriend. But then again he loved his life like it was right now and he wouldn't trade it for anything else. Just a little adventure here or there would just be a nice addition.

That's why he decided to make the step and - even if it sounds crazy - summon a succubus.

But let's start at the beginning. It all started when he had stumbled across this link to an online forum a few days ago, where people were sharing stories about their encounters with magical beings. Guardian angels, demons, doppelgangers... you name it.

Mingi himself was sure he had seen a fairy in his parents garden multiple times when he was a little kid. He would never forget these images, this extraordinary experience. It would always live inside his head. The magical world was there, he was sure.

It was so interesting to read all of these encounters people had with these other worldly beings, that he couldn't stop reading.

Today at work it was no exception, because these thoughts of being lonely at night reminded him, that he hadn't finished one specific story he had found on that site, where a guy was writing about meeting a succubus. Well, he claimed to have summoned her. What an exciting story! Mingi read and read. Maybe this was a solution he could try for himself? The ritual for the invocation seemed easy enough to do in his little studio. He just needed four black candles (surely it didn't matter if they were scented) and a spell. So he did it.

And now he walked home, full of anticipation. Hopefully he did everything right and it would work tonight. He knew a succubus would only appear when he fell asleep (well, he thought so). How would it feel to be touched in his sleep? Probably pretty hot, he imagined. And hopefully he would wake up? Would it make sense to set an alarm? Surely he would wake up anyways.

As he was walking away from the masses of people to a more quiet area of the city, where the dorm was located, he was dwelling on this thought not paying much attention to his surrounding.

And that's where you came into play. Already from afar you could smell this man's need and desperation. Musky and sweet. Oh so sweet. He smelled like a dessert to you and you would make sure to eat him like one tonight. It was so intense, that you didn't have to look for too long for him. Feeding on humans energy could be tough sometimes, but today seemed an easy feast. But before that, you always loved to take a closer look at your prey and play a little with their mind.

It was a simple tactic but efficient, just looking cute and seemingly absemindedly walking in his way. Him playing into your cards by not looking where he went himself was downright nice of him and... boom! You felt his toned chest muscles on your bare upper arm as you dramatically stumbled sideways, letting out a soft "Oh!" and dropping your handbag to the floor.

"Ah! I'm sorry!", he blurted out instantly grabbing your shoulder so you wouldn't fall aswell. "Oh no, it was my bad, I wasn't looking myself.", you exclaimed, looking up to him with doe eyes. For a second time stood still. He froze, looking at you mesmerised, his mouth slightly agape. He smelled even better up close, like seasalt and sage. This was his cologne, not only his pheromones but the combination smelled even better. You too, were struck for a moment, before he quickly blinked and let go of you. "Sorry. ", he mumbled, before hastily grabbing your bag from the concrete to offer it to you.

"Here... uh, your bandhag...I - I mean handbag!", you grabbed the bag with a sweet smile and he awkwardly laughed while scratching the back of his head. "Thank you and thanks for catching me.", you said softly and put the strap of your bag over your shoulder.

"Sorry again, and sorry I have to go. Have a good evening.", he kind of cutely waved you goodbye and went in the direction of the dorm a bit faster and focused this time.

Your eyes follow him with a bemused face. He would be so fun to play with.

Mingi went home in a hurry, trying not to crash into another person or thing until he was able to close the door of his safe home behind him, before he could cringe in peace.

"Fuck, that was so awkward!", he grunted pulling his sneakers from his feet.

"Hm?", a curious face appeared in his sight when he came back up to step into the appartment. Typical nosey San looked expectantly with raised eyebrows at his flatmate. Mingi sighed. "There was this cute girl I ran into. Nearly knocked her over.", he explained and San snickered. "Daydreaming again, man? What's up with you these days?", he asked, but Mingi just waved it off. "What's for dinner?", he asked instead before he paused in his movement. Was his hand smelling funny? He held it up to his nose to smell it and indeed it smelled fruity, flowery and insanely feminine. It almost made him a little dizzy...

That night Mingi was almost too excited to sleep, hadn't he been so exhausted from work that he fell asleep sooner than he thought.

He had a great sleep. Forgotton was his awkward behaviour and he was only thinking about your beautiful eyes, that somehow found a way into his dream...

You giggled quietly doing a little happy dance on your tip toes, when you materialized in a dark corner of his Bedroom. It was just so easy, but you loved these games every time, before visiting.

Full of anticipation you looked over to Mingi. Black filled your eyes, instantly reflecting some of the moonlight that shined through the window, while also your beautiful black horns came twisting up through your shiny Hair. Unlike on the street today you were now wearing some black lingerie which honestly left nearly nothing to the imagination. Easy excess was important for you so this seemed appropriate.

There he layed on his bed all sprawled out, stripped of his heavy blanked in this hot weather softly snoring. He was deep in his slumber with a raging hard on visibly poking up in his pyjama shorts. You really left an imprint on that poor boy that evening.

Slowly you made your way to his bed eyeing his sleepy form up and down. He looked so cute and peaceful and you were sure the expression of pure bliss on his face would look even cuter... or maybe desperation when you would deny him of his orgasm?

"Hmm, we will see...", you mumbled to yourself, before climbing over your yet clueless prey to straddle him.

Carefully you grabbed his pants on each side and slowly pulled it down. With a little flop his not so little dick slapped against his toned torso creating a small puddle of precum below his bellybutton. A reliefed sound escaped his soft lips, when you freed his boner in the act, which made you smile widely. "My god, he's so big!", you whispered with wide eyes.

The cum looked delicious on his skin dripping from his tip and you wanted to taste it so badly. So you wasted no time and dipped your index finger into the clear fluid and brought it between your lips. Kind of sweet you'd say. Surprisingly. Sadly this wasn't often the case. But this cutie was a special one, you could feel it. You two would definitely have a lot of fun tonight.

With quick motions you opened his pyjama shirt and exposed his bare chest. Now it was your turn to release a content sigh when you viewed his seemingly flawless figure, your gaze cought by his beautiful pink nipples. You loved nipples! Another part of the human body that made so many people squirm when you touched them the right way. They looked so delicate and vulnerable, it was wonderful. Biting your lower lip you softly touched the rosy buds and earned another pleased sound of this strikingly handsome young man under you.

Mesmerised by your view your hands started to wander downwards on his body, still nibbling on your own soft lips you started to stroke his thick cock up and down where his precum smeared tip was subtly glistening in the moonlight. It felt so heavy in your comparibly small hand and you loved it. Apparently he loved your touch too, because he quietly started to moan. You looked at his face to see the slightly scrunched eyebrows. He was really a sight to see.

His whole appearance made you throb for more and you wondered who was the demon here. Even in his sleep it seemed like he actively tried to seduce you. You were dripping for him. You needed him inside desperately. His sexual energy would last a long time for you to feist on, you were sure.

Still on your knees you propped yourself up on one hand to hover over the sleeping man to rub your wet folds angainst the underside of his shaft. His body felt so hot it send a tingling sensation through your whole body as your core touched it. Your slick arousal gathering on his dick more and more before you finally pushed it inside your hole with a high pitched moan leaving your lungs while earning a surprised but undeniably aroused gasp by your sleeping cutie.

He stretched you out so good that you held still for a moment to adjust your body to his before starting to grind against his hips. Moving in circular motions while rubbing your clit on his pubic area created an appatizing sound to you not to mention a wonderfully energising feeling. And in the magic of the moment you needed to taste his lips. His oh so full and pink lips. So you did and they tasted immaculate. It seemed that there was nothing he couldn't offer you. Maybe you had to come back a few times you thought to yourself, absentmindedly stroking one of his nipples with the thumb of your free hand, never loosing your sensual rhythm.

And you knew the most interesting part would begin now, because all of this different stimulations were waking the deepest sleeper. So you curiously hovered over his face after the kiss and you saw how he struggled to lift his heavy eyelids, his body fighting against the deep sleep.

"Wakey, wakey.", you giggled, still letting you hips circle over his. "Honey, you feel heavenly, you know that?", you sighed and continued to toy with his pretty perky nipples.

"What?", he responded confused and drowsy still trying to get his body awake.

Deep sleep was so heavy on him after such a long day and it took him a little while to get conscious, but finally he opend his eyes and realised that this was not his dream anymore, even though there was the same person in front of him, just slightly different looking.

"What the fuck?!", he gasped and crossed his arms in front of his face.

"Already forgot that you called for me, sweetheart?", you smiled. You were right. Mingi rubbed his eyes and blinked at you.

He swallowed down the initial shock your demonic appearance had caused him and lowered his arms next to him.

"No, I... I just wasn't expecting...", he tried to finish his sentence, but it ended miserably in a guttural moan, when you moved your hips again. You nodded. "That's it, baby. Give in to me.", you said lowly, before you slowed down your movements and took his hand in yours, guiding it to your horns.

"Didn't expect me to look like this, hm?", you asked with a cheeky grin.

Mingi's hand shrugged away for a second when he felt the rough texture of the horn.

"I summoned you.", he simply stated, recalling his memories from the day, his mind now much clearer.

"You did, pretty boy.", you confirmed enthusiastically.

"It really worked.", he whispered fascinated.

"And you know there is only one reason why why you would do that, right?", you asked, trying to get him out of his shell now.

"Yeah.", he nodded, a slight red tint creeping on to his cheeks, before his eyes suddenly got bigger.

"It's you! We- we met on the streets today."

You laughed.

"Yes, we did, sweetheart. And when I found you today ...", you started painting invisible patterns on his chest with your fingers, "you where smelling so delicious with all your pheromones and your nearly dripping desperation. I smelled you from miles away. Haven't smelled this intensity in a while I must say.", thinking about this you put a finger on your chin, pursing your lips.

"You... You could smell my...", Mingi's cheeks changed into an even deeper red now.

"All of your desire and despair, yes.", you, smiled and stroked his cheek with your thumb.

"I knew I had to taste you, pretty boy.", you batted your eyelashes at him.

"I'm sure you're having a rough time, where you can't make room for sex. I couldn't imagine.", you pouted like you genuinely felt sorry for him and you did a bit, just because he was so extra cute.

Slowly you found it was enough of all the talking. You wanted to start the action again and you were sure Mingi agreed.

"So... how about we just fuck now, princess?", you asked him massaging his shoulders a little and you suddenly felt him twitch inside of you.

"Oh, you like that, huh?", a triumphant expression was creeping on your face.

Mingi's body felt hot. This was all he was hoping for. He looked you up and down. From your dark eyes and your horns to your sensual lips, your bare tits, just in reach for him, down to your core where he still was nestled inside of you. This insanely hot woman was already on top of him, calling him by his favourite nickname, when he was now down bad for months. Finally!

"Sure, let's continue.", he smiled back at you and let his hands glide up your thighs to grip your hips.

"Alright, baby boy, show me what you got.", you said with a wicked smile and let your hands wander from his shoulders to his upper arms where you held tight.

Mingi now began to actively push upwards to meet your hips. Oh, how he missed this feeling! It just felt so good. Oh, sooo good. After such a long time, he really needed it. Your pussy felt so hot and tight around him and you were already so wet for him. The slick sounds between you both accompanied an animalistic series of grunts he let out wich made you victoriously puff your chest. Of course this motion didn't go unnoticed by the attractive man underneath you, who took his chance to grab a handful of one of your boobs, squishing and massaging it in his big palm, making you moan appreciatively.

"Ah, fuck me good, pretty boy!", you panted as his movements got faster. You leaned down to get another taste of his plump lips, that felt so soft against yours, you could have done this all night long, but Mingi wanted more. His tongue darted out to catch yours, so you opened your mouth and welcomed him with some soft licks to it, before sucking on it a little. All the while his fingers were playing with your nipples and his hot breath echoed inside your open mouth when you release his tongue again. He made you feel so good, it was incredible.

Finally you grabbed his right hand from your tit to move it down further between your bodies and let his fingers touch your clit. He instantly understood the assignment and started rubbing rough circles on it. You were a mess by now, you really didn't have this much fun in a long time. "Fuck you're so good at this, sweetheart.", you praised him while Mingi gave you half a smirk, already broken asweat. This was extatic. You felt your high coming closer and closer to the point where it was just seconds away. "Oh, I'm coming~!", you whimpered, rutting against Mingi's movements that where going at a rapid pace now. You had completely blown his mind away. He was panting and grunting, pulling your body against his with so much force it made you tip over the edge and come so hard like you haven't in a long while. A stretched downright pornographic moan left your open mouth, everything inside your body contracted hard in waves, your pussy pulsing around Mingi's dick and this incredibly energising and relieving feeling spreading through your veins. Hungryly you looked down at Mingi, eager to see his orgasm face.

His eyes where scrunched up in pleasure, brows knitted, his mouth shaped like an O. He was so close. "Come for me, princess.", you whispered against his lips whilst contracting and relieving your pelvic muscles a few times on purpose. This was it. All this built-up frustration that couldn't be satisfied with his own hands released in one go. A moan left him so heartbreaking you weren't sure if he would literally fall apart under you. You lived for this extasy. All these big feelings releasing from one moment to another.

You could feel the amount of cum getting pumped inside your heat and it was truly the cherry on top for you. This whole act was the essence of your life and you wouldn't have it any other way.

"Fuck, I feel so good.", you sighed, every part of your body tingling while you layed your head on Mingi's shoulder.

"Oh, shit!", he laughed, bringing his hands to his face. "This was crazy.", he mumbled and you snickered. "I can't deny it: I really needed this.", he carefully put an arm on your back, looking at you from the corner of his eyes. In this moment it was absolutely weired to see and he didn't know if he could trust his senses, but your eyes turned back to the color he saw this evening and your horns retrieved back between your silky locks.

"What is happening?", he asked confused, looking deep in your eyes. "This is my human form.", you simply stated, "I only have to let it go when I charche my energy.", you shrugged your shoulders and smiled.

"Oh, so you can normally walk around like this.", he nodded. "Right, I-...", rumbling was heard outside his room. Muffled voices. "Mingi?", it was Seonghwa.

"Everything okay with you?", San's voice following.

Panic widened in Mingi's eyes.

"Uh, yeah... Everything's s all right! Don't come in!", quickly he pushed himself up on his elbows. Normally there were no visitors in the dorm and if that was the case, they swore that they would tell each other.

"What happened?", San asked and Seonghwa instantly commented: "You really wanna know, if he says 'don't come in' after those sounds leaving his room?"

"Oh, shush!", San said annoyed.

"You're shushing me?!", Seonghwa retorted and the bickering began outside the door.

"Who are they?!", you giggled, sitting up again. Mingi taking the chance to lift his upper body with you, but also pressing a hand over your mouth in a hurry with a pleading look on his face.

Silence.

"Is there a woman with you?", San's voice sounded confused.

"Uh, no...", great, he sounded way to unsure.

"Can't you just vanish, like you came in here? Or how did even you come in here anyways?", Mingi hissed at you.

"Oh no, this is too much fun.", you laughed when his fingers left your lips.

"Come on in guys!", you chimed happily, you were so curious to see who was living with your little cutie.

Silence again.

Slowly the door handle dipped, the door opened and revealed two very handsome young men.

Hastily Mingi tried to cover your still connected bodies with his blanket. This was even more embarrassing than the incident on the streets with you today.

"Oh my god!", San exclaimed, trying to hide his and Seonghwa's eyes at the same time.

"Mingi what the fuck, why is there a stranger in here? ", Seonghwa tried to say while San's hand accidentally hit his face.

"It's not what you think!", Mingi whined, unsure how to solve this situation without looking like a complete maniac. So you took it in your hands to say something.

You smiled at the two guys who pointedly tried to cover their eyes and exclaimed with glee: "Oh, I didn't know there were more handsome treats living in this household!"

~😈🖤😈~

© mingismoralloyalty

This is my own work of fiction. Do not copy, translate, feed to ai or report.

[thisismeracing]

King of my heart | extras | Yn tells Lewis she's dating Mick

― Summary: Yn and Mick finally broke the friendship barrier and started something else. It's time Yn tells her brother what's going on between her and his teammate. ― Word count: 1k ― A/n: This can be read as a stand-alone, but it’s better when you’ve read the series. ― Warnings: curse words; mention of anxiety; typos - not proofread.

⁕ see my masterlist | my taglist | KOMH Masterlist ⁕ you can support my writing by reblogging, and leaving a comment

There was a knock at Lewis' hotel door and he rushed to open it, confusion written on his face since nobody told him someone would show up. The second he opened the big wooden door he smiled, though it only lasted for the blink of an eye because he quickly gathered how Yn seemed apprehensive.

His sister was wearing one of his Merc white shirts paired with sweatpants and slippers. Her curls were up in her head messily gathered together by a colorful hair tie.

"Hey, bitsy, what's up?" he asked while opening the door wider for her to get inside. Yn did exactly that, running to one of the big armchairs in the room and folding herself there like a cat would.

"How would you feel if I told you I'm dating someone?" She asked before Lewis could say anything else. That was his sister, she would rush through things when nervous, too many expectations would make her feel sick and Yn hated feeling sick, so it was normal for her to just blurt her questions or confessions whenever something important was on the line, just like she was doing at the moment.

Lewis arched his brows, "Ok, I guess, as long as you're happy. But do you think you're ready for a new relationship?" he asked genuinely interested in her answer.

"I don't know, but I really like him, Lew. And I always wanna be around him, it's just...I- mhm I've never felt like this before." She confessed, eyes cast down. It wasn't that Yn was afraid of Lewis judging her because he would never, but he was her older brother and she held his opinion on the highest space. She was just afraid to let him down.

"I'm happy for you guys, then. Is Mick going to tell me too or-"

"Wait! How'd you know it's Mick?" Yn eyed Lewis up and down and he gave her one of his signature laughs.

"You think you're folling people? Be for real, Yn. Everyone knows or suspects. And even if you weren't obvious, I'm your older brother, I know you. I knew you were interested in him from day one didn't I?"

Yn huffed, rolled her eyes, got up, and then crashed on the oldest Hamilton hugging him.

"Thank you. I was a bit taken aback, afraid you were gonna be mad because I kind of promised to stay away."

"I knew if you truly liked him you wouldn't be able to stay away, bitsy."

She breathed in his scent and took a step back. Lewis caught a single tear on her cheek and held her face with both of his hands.

"You're safe with me. Spill it," his gentle tone made yet another tear roll down, and Yn chuckled holding back a sob.

"I'm afraid." Her voice was a weak whisper, but the British heard her perfectly. "I think things may be happening too fast, and I want them to go like this, but I'm also scared of all the attention we're getting. I mean, everyone is talking about us, and we haven't even started dating officially. I'm scared of how this can go and I don't want you to be caught in the crossfire, Lew. The media is always looking for things to point out when you're the subject and I-"

"Hey, breathe." Lewis held her face tighter as if by doing so he was holding her together too. Yn closed her eyes, breathed in and out following his lead, and then they sat on the edge of the bed. "Don't worry about me. I'm the oldest. I can take care of myself." There was a hint of humor in his comment and Yn chuckled.

"I know, but-"

"No, Bitsy. No buts. Stop worrying about me. I'm happy you're with Mick. If I had to choose a guy from the Grid it would most likely be him. I've seen the way he treats you and how careful he is with you. He's a good guy. Please, don't let your anxiety get in the way. People will talk about us it doesn't matter if we do things right or wrong, at the end of the day, you do what you gotta do to be happy, you hear me?"

Yn nodded, tears flowing down her face again. "Thank you, Lew."

"You don't have to thank me, Yn. I always going to have your back. Now, where's your phone, I wanna talk to your boyfriend."

She rolled her eyes chuckling, "he's not my boyfriend...we haven't discussed titles yet."

"You two are so oblivious," Lewis rolled his eyes exaggeratedly and unlocked Yn's phone, "if you change your password to his birthday instead of mine, I will be hurt," he tried to lighten the mood again, already searching through her contacts for the Schumacher's name.

"Hey, Mick...Can you come to my room real quick? I gotta talk to you...Yeah, my sister is crying here, and...yeah...yeah...I'm waiting."

"What the heck, Lewis?!" Yn screeched and Lewis just laughed.

It was barely a minute after and there were frantic knocks at the door. Lewis got up to answer and Yn buried her face in her hands, embarrassed by whatever prank her brother wanted to throw.

When Mick got inside he had his cheeks flushed from using the stairs and eyes wide, "what happened?" he asked and Lewis crossed his arms trying to hold back his laughter.

"Nothing, Mick. I told him about us and he wanted to prank you or embarrass us together, I dunno," Yn got up from the bed and she smiled at his reluctant face. His eyes were traveling between the siblings, but his body was turned in Yn's direction.

"Well, there goes my older brother's fun," the Hamilton sighed, and Yn rolled her eyes yet again that night, walking to Mick and hugging him. "Welcome to the family, Schumacher," Lewis smiled at the blonde.

"I'm sorry to inform you that it can get crazier than this." Yn adverted.

"I won't mind it if it means I got you," he whispered and she smiled.

― ⋆🪩 VOICEMAIL: It's been forever since I last updated it, but I'm gonna start working on it, I promiseeee <3 we're having this series finished in no time! I hope you guys liked this extra, let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment/ask and reblogging *mwah*.

Taglist: @sachaa-ff @ferrariloverr @mellowpizzapuppy @mickslover @dalsuwaha @formulakay3 @mishaandthebrits @non-stop-imagines @iloveyou3000morgan @crimeshowjunkie @saintlewis @fdl305 @carojasmin2204 @chaoticevilbakugo @wondergirl101ks @smiithys @shhhchriss @f1kota @lunnnix @leclercsluv @baby-is-crying @balekane_mohafe @uuuseeerrr12 @karmabyfernando @crashingwavesofeuphoria @81astri @pinksstrawberry @callsign-scully @moonyschocolate3 @v1naco @dearxcherry @p8dris (let me know if your tag was supposed to be only for my other works and you don’t wanna be tagged on the series! <3)

[from-izzy]

[teaser] love me unconditionally | the boyz kim sunwoo

pairing » the boyz kim sunwoo x fem!reader​

trope/au » ​friends to lovers, non-idol au!, school au!

genre (teaser only) » fluffy fluff fluff, very much hurt and comfort, angst, sunwoo is so patient and loving with the reader, a snippet of an amusement park 'date', sunwoo is whipped for the reader because i love making the idol whipped for the reader (hehe), lots of hand holding because i find that so cute, kim sunwoo who only has eyes for you

word count; estimated reading time » 2438; ~9 mins

warnings (lmk if i missed anything!) » reader is insecure about her ability to keep friendships (this will be more evident in the full story!!), proofread once with slight jetlag

navi/masterlist!! 🤍 part of 'especially to you...'

honestly...this is the start of a part of me that not a lot of people (even those in real life) don't know about. this story is so hard to write and i wanted to fully finish this for dbn's love letter event but the nature of the topic in which this story comes from is heavy to write about and it does take a lot of my energy. i decided to post a little bit first to encourage myself that i can do it and in a way, congratulate myself in doing this because this story is the main reason why i started writing from the very beginning. i told myself that i wouldn't stop writing until at least i post this one and i guess that day is slowly coming.

i'm sorry if this short part is unclear and leaves you a lot of questions because as much as i have the whole plot idea, i haven't written some scenes. even this one may change (oh, and the banner as well) but i hope it's somewhat understandable.

i don't want to necessarily say when i'll get the full one out but i will try my very best for those who choose to stick around. and if you do, with all my heart, thank you so much 🫂

The mirror reflects your choice of outfit for the adventure-filled day. In the past, you remember always going after school, paying for the half-day ticket instead of a full one and the drop in price would be the reason that Sunwoo willingly tagged along with you; or at least that’s what he always told you because if you looked behind, you would see Sunwoo looking at the back of your head with sweetness dripping from his eyes. Even with the drop in price, you knew that it could be a somewhat regular trip but you didn’t want to make it too regular or else it would rid you of the fun of the whole amusement park concept. That’s why the consensus was once a month, sometimes more but never less. The food would be the same as the street food but would be different enough to the point that you could taste the difference between inside the park and outside.

You twirled in front of the mirror one last time, checking the back of your outfit. To your eyes, it’s simple but to someone else’s eyes, anything you wear would make his heart melt. It’s unfortunate that you’re unable to feel the same way that other people who love you would, and that’s why love is special but scary at the same time. With a final flick on your room’s light switch and the bag that rested on the curve of your shoulder, you greet your mum and walk towards the meetup place in the amusement park. 

Your choice of outfit elicited a raised eyebrow from your mum, the elder nodding and eyeing your outfit up and down. When asked for thoughts, you found that it was the approval nod that you’re thankful for as you did spend some time ruminating about as you’re used to the old, everyday, boring school uniform. In addition, when your mum heard that you’re out with Sunwoo, she made sure to know that you treat him well. It’s heartwarming to see Sunwoo receiving much love from your mum and with a final ‘have fun’ wish, you’re off for the rest of the day.

Sunwoo sent a text as soon as you stepped out and locked the front door, apologising once more for not being able to pick you up from your house and you couldn't help but stare at the message. On the other side, the ‘read’ notification only made him nervous and his next message of a bunch of crying emojis depicts his apologetic nature. The wind blew your cheeks to cool the heating temperature at his playful nature and you quickly texted reassurance to him.

You couldn't believe that holding a hand out to stop the bus would be so exciting. You couldn't believe that seating on the rarely washed seats could be comfortable. You couldn't believe that you were seeing the familiar pathway to a place you used to visit a dozen times a year and that you remembered the way you let your body sway to the turns of the bus. 

The closer the bus heads towards your destination, the more it gets crowded with differing ages filling the small space. The weekend is bustling and so will the park but at least you have a full day. You didn't need to be the one to indicate the driver to stop at the designated stop as a pair of smaller hands did it for you. You're seated at the front of the bus but you sit patiently and wait for others to board first, not forgetting to thank the driver when you do.

The moment your two feet step out of the bus, you're greeted by your company for the rest of the day. He stood not too far away, occupied by his phone and unoccupied with the wind thrashing his hair strands all messily. Sunwoo is unbothered by the whispers of those who throw compliments at him and bows politely when asked for his number. A comfortable set of denim jacket, black jeans and white shirt is his attire and he chose to wear his black-framed glasses that you remember picking out with him.

As much as Sunwoo has been receiving attention for the past hour, he knows the difference between the attention he wants and the attention that he doesn’t. His gut feeling is never wrong when it comes to looking up to meet your eyes staring back at him. The phone in his hand is pocketed in his pants and he jogs his way to you, fluffy bangs hitting his forehead in excitement at the sight of you.

“You’re here,” he says as he takes a final step in front of you. You didn’t even get a chance to nod or speak anything because he took a hand of yours in his, wrapping his fingers around yours. Your stutter didn’t falter his train of thoughts, “I got the tickets! Let’s go!”

“W-Wait, what?” Eyebrows knitted at the change of routine, “What do you mean you got tickets?” His free hand fishes in his other pocket and he pulls out two official entries to the park, a grin on his face when you stare at the unexpected papers in his hand.

“My turn,” Sunwoo says, knowing what you're about to say next. Because going to the park has always been something that you enjoyed, you've always paid the entry tickets but not this time. “I wanted to be here today.”

“Sunwoo–”

“You can pay next time,” hopeful for your answer. He searches for any signs of happiness in your eyes but yours is still filled with doubt and that made his lower lips droop, “Please let me?” Gulping his nerves down, “Please don’t let this be the last time. I hope this can become routine again.” Sunwoo’s eyebrows form a little mountain-like shape and his pouts stretch into a soft, small smile. 

Before you know it, your neck cranes down and back up, nodding in defeat and taking a mental note to pay for everything else for the day. You didn't expect Sunwoo to be so radiant at your answer for he punches the air with hollers of excitement and hops of joy. You're reminded of how his smile lights up your world and his actions are more than capable of lighting up the world. With the hold of his hand on yours, he leads you to take the tickets to be officially used.

The park changed minimally, with the biggest change being the merch being displayed at the store near the entrance. The lingering buttered popcorn and the spice seasoning of churros stayed the same and you hoped that the recipe was the same as you kept your eyes on it even when your legs moved further in the park. Turning your head to the other side is more merch and cotton candy swirled into animal shapes.

“I want one!” Sunwoo dragging you along to the fluffy sugar. Without hesitation, he chose the bear one contrary to your expectations against the raccoon one, “Bear hugs,” he says once again after reading your mind, “You give me the best bear hugs.”

“Oh…” dazed at the simple but fluttering emotions behind his words.

Sunwoo nods enthusiastically and takes a big chunk of the piece. You failed to hold your laugh when it smeared all over his lower face. 

“It's because I don't have any free hands!” Lifting your joined hands to prove his point, “And I don't want to let go of you.”

When did he learn to sweet talk like this? When did he become so confident and bubbly like this? When did he learn to make your heart beat so fast despite looking like a bit of a mess? When did he become so loving through his actions and words that it's hard for you to let go of his hand even if you wanted to?

Sunwoo pokes his tongue out to retrieve the blue cloud on his nose and you choose to give him an audience about it, chuckling behind your small scarf at his attempts. “Here,” you lightly brush past his skin with your fingers, “All gone.”

Like a deer caught in the headlights and an animated character with his cheeks full of food, Sunwoo tries to register the irregular and fast pace of his beating heart. The sugar in his mouth dissolves quicker than he has been consuming it with how he stuffs his mouth with the fine grains of sugar whenever his mouth is empty. You couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at how he looked at you with boba-like wide and glossy eyes while you also found it hard to even look away. Sunwoo takes the opportunity of having extended eye contact with you by ducking his head closer to you.

Unconsciously, his throat became dry and his ability to swallow became harder. His eyes trailed from your eyes, following the slope of your nose and Cupid’s bow to the gap between your lips. At first, you were slightly slow to follow but when you copied the path of his eyes with your own with Sunwoo’s face, your heartbeat could no longer be controlled. 

No one registered the minimising gap between your two faces, and consequently bodies. Your body froze, not in a bad way because it’s Kim Sunwoo, but in a way where you just don’t want to. If Sunwoo wanted to come closer, you wouldn’t oppose him. The safety that he provided you with is reassured by the way your fingers wrapped his hand tighter. Sunwoo became so close that the overgrown front strands of his hair tickled the tip of your nose with the wind. 

You only watch his lips while he watches yours. His bottom lip is trapped between the rows of his teeth and unconsciously you copy him out of nervousness.

“Come on,” he whispers, still unable to take his eyes off your lips, “Let’s go somewhere first.”

It was hard to pull away first, especially when he knows exactly what he feels for you but for him, your comfortability with him will always come first. He just gained precious time with you, rebuilding your friendship once more and as much as Sunwoo wants to take it a step further, he’s aware of how everything is different to the past. He longs for the same type of relationship once more, but things change and so does time; but never his feelings for you.

The back of Sunwoo’s head became harder to view after that, your mind racing with thoughts as he took you to wherever he said he would take you first. You watch as the ground turns from the beige-bricked floors to the wooden-like installed tiles. Only then did you realise that the light is no longer natural and the outline of your shadow becomes clearer. The familiar scent of the air freshener finally made you look up and you’re faced with a variety of character hand bands arranged on the spinning shelf.

“What about this?” His index points to the raccoon headband on his hair. Your eyes grew wide for the opinion he was asking for and you gave a stuttering nod. Sunwoo pouted, worried about his past actions. His thumb brushes against the back of your hand soothingly, “I’m sorry.”

“What…are you talking about?” Why is he apologising? What for–

Sunwoo lets go of your hand, pocketing his to keep the warmth that you once gave him. Your eyes grew wide, hands still in the position he left you. Looking up from your hand, the boy gives a nervous chuckle.

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” he tries his best to nonchalantly shrug but you can tell from the way his eyes didn’t even bother to look your way, that it’s weighing on him a lot.

Your fingers curl towards your palm and your lips pinches itself into your mouth. You shake your head, hoping that he’ll be able to see it from his peripheral and you try to refute through voice but nothing is coming out.

“Just…tell me if I’m being too mu–”

You stop him this time by lifting both your palms to cup his cheeks, turning his face away from the mirror to you instead. One shake, two shakes and three from your head, “Never you,” you breathe out softly, “I’m just…nervous…not in a bad way though.”

“Oh…” Sunwoo is glad to hear this insight from you, “Me too. You make me nervous like crazy.” he admitted with a gaze full of affection, “In a good way though,” he quickly added.

“All those years before as well?”

“Yeah,” he nods his head to further prove his point. Both his hand comes up to take your hands away from his face. Sunwoo puts them both between you and he continues his actions from before, gliding his thumbs on the back of your hand. “We never held hands back in the past,” and he stopped for a while, wondering if it was the right time to say this. He shuts his eyes tight and blurts out, “But I wish that we did.”

And you just couldn’t ignore this. You just had to ask with every bit you had in you, “Why…?”

Sunwoo shakes his head again and this time you’re beyond confused about what he’s trying to convey. You’ve never seen him so hesitant about his words before and this new sight made it hard for you to possibly string his thoughts into words, not wanting to say the wrong words and assume wrong assumptions of his feelings. You join as you watch the way Sunwoo smooths the pad of his thumb over you, the corner of your lips rising as you focus on the weighted-like blanket of him.

“When you left, the only thing that could keep my hands warm was my other hand or by stuffing them inside some fabric. Even then, it would never be as comfortable as what you would provide me,” and how badly you wanted to agree with him without words, “And you always said that,” finally his hands stopped moving against yours, “When life gets too much,” stepping next to you so that he could hold your hand better, “That you would always hold my hand,” his grip is more secure now, “And tell me that I don’t have to carry anything alone,” he lifts the alternating view of his fingers with yours, “So just like you’ve done that for me all those times,” bringing the back of your hand to his lips, “Lean on me and let me carry some of yours."

navi/masterlist!! 🤍 'especially to you...'

tags (send a dm/ask if you would like to be here or removed!): @deoboyznet 📢❤️ @k-labels 💙🤍 @k-films 🤎🎞️ @kflixnet 📺🍿 @whipped-kpop-creators 📝💛 @blankjournal 💭✒️ @sanaxo-o

[storiesbyjes2g]

3.128 Fired

We arrived at home late that night loaded down with more gifts than the nursery could hold. If we received one more thing, we'd have to start a warehouse in the empty bedroom. We got so much stuff, we could probably support six more babies, heh. Baby girl could use a different towel every day of the week for the rest of her childhood. We had enough shampoo and lotion to last the rest of her life, it seemed like. If one day she entered a nobody loves me phase, I'll be sure to remind her of this scene.

Sophia had never been a busybody and always took a more relaxed approach to life, but I was glad to see her following the doctor's orders. She spent a lot of time on our balcony, rocking in the chair early morning, thinking about whatever expecting mothers think about. Sometimes I'd catch her reading on the couch. Seeing her take the warning seriously made me feel good about leaving her alone for a few hours to visit Maira. I thought about it in the shower, and visiting her before the baby was born was the move. Who knew when I'd be able to spend quality time with her after that.

Like I always, I began our conversation with an apology, but she didn't fault me, of course. She said it wouldn't have been right for me to neglect all my guests to hang with her all afternoon. That was true, but I still didn't like that she was alone all day. She assured me that she was okay, so I asked about her brother.

"He died in a fire," she said.

"Oh, gosh! I'm so sorry, Maira."

I never liked him, but he didn't deserve to die like that.

"Knowing he's not here anymore is its own challenge, but what makes it worse is when I think about the fire, I often think about us."

I swallowed a few times because I knew exactly where she was going, and it made me nervous.

"I think about how you held me when you realized I was okay and what we both felt."

I couldn't move or even blink and sat there, holding my breath, hoping she wasn't about to pull a Yasmine on me. Finding good friends had been a long journey, and I felt like I had a nice inner circle now. I didn't want to lose Maira because of her feelings for me. I also didn't need her digging things back up because I had worked hard to let that go.

"Sometimes I think about that moment and I wish I would have given in," she continued. "We could have tried to see if we would work. I imagine myself married to you and pregnant with your baby. My parents would finally be proud of me."

I wanted to stop her from talking so she wouldn't say something that would ruin our friendship, but I was frozen. This was a mistake. I wanted to be a better friend, but we couldn't be alone together anymore.

"All of that is nice to think about," she continued, "but I would be miserable. And you would get fed up with me. We wouldn't be friends anymore. Life turned out exactly how it was supposed to, and I wouldn't change a thing. I like how we are, and I like my life. It's just lonely sometimes, and I wonder if I'm missing out on something."

I exhaled the breath I held and blinked, finally. I could keep my friend. As uncomfortable as that was to hear, I loved that we were able to be that honest with each other. That's true friendship right there.

"Everyone has their own opinions about what you should be doing with your life, so I don't think there's a right or wrong answer for that," I said. "I think as long as you're happy with your life, no one else's opinion matters."

"Yeah. You're right. That's what I say to myself. But you know how it is."

"Yeah. It's a battlefield up there."

"Seriously."

"So...there's no one you're interested in right now?" I asked, trying to pivot the conversation...and maybe be a tiny bit nosy.

"No, and it's all your fault. You ruined me!"

"Me? How??"

"You set the bar way too high! No one else can measure up!"

"Oh please. I'm sure there's plenty of guys out there who are way better catches than me."

"I assure you, there aren't."

"I don't believe that for a second. Ooh, I should set you up with my friend Justin."

"That guy who comes to all your parties? He's kinda cute. What's up with him?"

"He's a landscaper and lives in San Myshuno. He comes from a big family just like you and is a good man...a bit older than us, but at least he won't bother you about children."

"Oh-my-Watcher you're trying to set me up with an OLD man??"

"He's not that old...I think."

"You are officially fired from matchmaking, thank you!"

I missed our banter. It felt good to laugh with her again. Hopefully, she would let someone into her life soon. She didn't need a man, but it was obvious she wanted some kind of companionship, and I was not the man for the job. Besides, she deserved to be loved and cherished, and I wanted to see her happy for once.

"The baby will be here in a couple of days, huh?" she asked.

"Sure will. I can't wait to meet her."

"So, is this the first of many, or..."

I sighed, realizing this would be the first time I admitted this out loud.

"She might be it for us. At least if we want more, we'll have to adopt."

"Whaaat?"

"Yeah. We went through a lot to get her. Sophia says she doesn't want to do it again."

"Are you cool with adoption?"

"Oh yeah, totally. You know Sophia's adopted, right?"

"Really? I don't think I knew that. It's funny...I've known her almost my whole life, but I've never really known her until now."

Was it bad that I often forgot she and Rashidah were sisters? They rarely spoke of each other, and Sophia and Rashidah seemed closer than the sisters.

"Yeah, she is," I said. "And she's got quite a story. But yeah... We're both open to it, but actually doing it is another story."

"Well, whatever happens, I'm glad you two are finally getting your family. I can't wait to meet your kid!"

"Oh yeah? I thought you didn't like children."

"I never said that! I don't want my own children; I love the auntie life! I think my first order of business will be teaching her forbidden words!"

"Oh Watcher. Here we go."

[kat-thepoet]

Invisible string

CHAPTER FOUR

A/N: Enjoy!

Previous chapters: CHAPTERS

Word count: 4435

The day had gone by in a blur of lessons, introductions, and getting to know the younger students. By the time I returned to my room, I felt both energized and exhausted, the mix of emotions swirling in my mind. I was finally beginning to feel like I belonged here, like I had found my place. But just as I began to unwind, a knock at my door startled me from my thoughts.

I opened the door to find Storm standing there, her calm and commanding presence filling the hallway. She gave me a small smile, through her eyes carried a sense of purpose. "It's time for training," she said simply.

I blinked, caught off guard for a second. "Training? Already?"

She nodded, her gaze steady. "Now that classes are over, it's time for you to join the rest of us. Charles wants you to start training today."

I hesitated, glancing back at my room. "Right... training. But, uh—" I looked down at my jeans and white shirt, definitely not made for any kind of physical activity. "What do I even wear for this?"

Storm's smile widened slightly, amused by my confusion. "Something comfortable. Most of us wear workout clothes or something flexible. You'll want to be able to move easily."

"Right," I said, feeling a bit out of my depth. "I'll figure it out. Give me a minute."

Storm nodded, stepping back to give me space. "Take your time. I'll wait for you."

I quickly closed the door, my mind racing. Training. I knew it was coming, but it still felt surreal. I rummaged through my closet, trying to find something that wouldn't make me look completely out of place. I pulled out a pair of black leggings and a loose-fitting top, hoping it would be suitable for whatever training involved.

After changing, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, wondering what I was about to get into. Sure, I could turn invisible and move things with my mind, but actual combat or training? That was a whole other challenge. I took a deep breath, reminding myself that this was part of the deal, part of learning how to fit into this world.

When I stepped back into the hallway, Storm gave me an approving nod. "That'll work," she said, her voice calm but firm. "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied, though a part of me was still bracing for whatever was coming.

Storm led the way, her confidence radiating as she walked through the halls. I followed closely behind, my nerves bubbling beneath the surface. Training with the others—people who had been doing this for years—felt like stepping into the deep end of a pool I hadn't swum in before.

"You'll be fine," Storm said, as if reading my thoughts. "We're not throwing you into anything extreme today. Just an introduction to see where you are."

I nodded, though my nerves didn't ease.

As we walked through the halls toward the training facility, Storm's calm footsteps echoed in the quiet space. I was still mentally preparing myself for whatever this training session would involve, but just as I started to feel a little more grounded, Storm spoke up.

"There's one thing I need to mention before we go in," she said, her tone a little more serious now. I glanced at her, sensing that whatever she was about to say wasn't just a casual reminder.

"What's that?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

"Well, we usually train in pairs," Storm explained, her gaze steady as she looked at me. "And since you're new, we've already assigned your partner."

I blinked, already having an idea of where this was going. "Okay... so who's my partner?"

Storm gave me a small, almost apologetic smile. "It's Erik."

I nearly stopped in my tracks. "Erik?" I repeated, my voice rising slightly in surprise. Out of all the people here, it had to be him?

Storm nodded. "Hank doesn't train since he's usually the one controlling the plane, and that leaves Erik as the only available partner for you."

Of course. Out of everyone, Erik was the one I'd be paired with. I sighed, trying not to let my frustration show too much. "Right. Erik."

Storm placed a hand on my shoulder, her voice softening. "I know he can be difficult, but trust me—he's one of the best at what he does. If anyone can push you to your limits and help you grow, it's him."

I wasn't sure if that was supposed to make me feel better, but all I could think about was how Erik and I barely exchanged civil words, let alone trained together. "Well, this should be... interesting," I muttered.

Storm gave a quiet chuckle. "That's one way to put it. Just don't let him get under your skin. You'll be fine."

I forced a smile, though my stomach was already tightening with nerves. "I'll try."

When we entered the training facility, the others were already gathered in the center of the room, focused and ready. My eyes couldn't help but flicker toward Erik, who was still leaning casually against the wall, his arms crossed as if this whole thing was just another routine for him.

He caught my eye for a brief second, but his expression didn't change—cold, indifferent, as usual.

"Flora, over here," Storm said, guiding me toward the group. "We'll do a basic warm-up to get started, and then you'll pair up with Erik for the actual training."

I nodded, but my nerves were already buzzing at the thought of working with him. I had no idea how this was going to go, but I knew one thing—I wasn't going to let Erik push me around, even if he was one of the best.

After we finished the warm-up—which left me breathless, considering I hadn't done cardio in a while—Storm motioned for us to get with our partners.

The room seemed to shrink as the others paired off and spread out, leaving just me and Erik standing in the middle of the training area. The air between us was thick with tension, the kind that felt like it could snap at any second. I'd known this moment was coming, but now that it was here, the weight of his gaze was harder to ignore than I'd expected.

Erik didn't say anything at first—he didn't need to. The way he stood, arms crossed and eyes narrowed, said enough. He was sizing me up, and I could feel it. I'd dealt with judgment before, but something about his quiet scrutiny got under my skin more than I wanted to admit.

"Are we going to start, or...?" I asked, keeping my voice steady, trying to cut through the silence.

His eyes flicked over me, and finally, he spoke. "You ever done anything like this before?"

His tone was neutral, but I could hear the underlying message: Are you going to waste my time?

"I can handle myself," I said simply, refusing to rise to the bait. I'd spent years learning how to control my powers to some extent, but I wasn't completely useless without them.

Erik gave a small shrug, as if it didn't matter either way. "Alright, then. Let's see."

But then he smirked, just for a second, leaving me confused. "No powers."

Shit. Lucas and I never even got that far when we fooled around with our abilities. Combat wasn't exactly my specialty.

Before I could react, Erik moved—fast, punching me in the stomach.

I didn't expect that. The air rushed out of my lungs, leaving me doubled over on the mat, gasping.

"What the hell!" I glared up at him, still trying to catch my breath.

Erik stood there, arms casually crossed, watching me with that infuriatingly calm expression. "I said no powers," he replied, his voice calm, almost mocking. "You need to learn how to defend yourself without them."

I pushed myself back up, still glaring. "A little warning would've been nice."

"That was your warning," he said, smirking just enough to get under my skin. "You need to be ready for anything. I'm not going to hold your hand through this."

I straightened up, my ribs aching, but I wasn't about to back down. Erik might think he could push me around, but I wasn't going to let him have the satisfaction.

"I don't need you to hold my hand," I shot back, my voice sharper than I intended. "But if you're going to knock the wind out of me, at least have the decency to teach me something instead of just... punching me."

Erik's smirk faded slightly, and he took a step forward, his eyes cold but focused. "Lesson one: never expect your opponent to play fair. Out there, no one's going to wait for you to get ready, and they won't care if you're new at this."

I clenched my fists, my frustration growing. He wasn't wrong, but his attitude made it hard to listen. "Alright, fine. You've made your point. Now what?"

Erik didn't hesitate. "Now, you learn how to block."

Before I could brace myself, he threw a punch toward me again, but this time I was ready—at least, I tried to be. I raised my arms, deflecting the hit, though the force still made me stumble back a few steps.

"Better," he said, though it sounded like grudging approval. "But don't just react—anticipate. Know where the hit's coming from before it lands."

I gritted my teeth, repositioning myself. "Easier said than done."

He shrugged. "It's not supposed to be easy."

Without another word, he moved in again, faster this time. I barely had time to think before his fist came at me, and I dodged, feeling the rush of air as his punch missed me by inches. But before I could feel any sense of victory, he swept my legs out from under me, and I hit the mat with a hard thud.

"Damn it!" I muttered, trying to push myself back up, my pride stinging more than the fall.

Erik loomed over me, his expression unreadable. "You have to be faster. And stop waiting for me to show mercy—I won't."

"I got that the first time," I snapped, rubbing my sore shoulder.

He offered me a hand, and I hesitated for a second before taking it, letting him pull me up. His grip was firm but surprisingly steady.

"This isn't a game," Erik said, his tone serious now, all traces of mockery gone. "If you're going to survive, you have to be ready for anything. That's what I'm trying to teach you."

I met his gaze, and for the first time, I saw something other than disdain in his eyes—determination, maybe even respect. But just as quickly, it was gone, replaced by his usual coldness.

"Again," he ordered, stepping back to give me room to recover.

I sighed, steeling myself for another round. I wasn't sure if I hated him more for pushing me so hard or if I was starting to understand why he did it. Either way, I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me quit.

We went at it again. And again. Each time, I managed to block a little better, dodge a little quicker. But Erik never let up, never gave me an inch. By the end of the session, my body ached, and I was covered in sweat, but at least I wasn't lying on the mat anymore. That felt like a small victory.

As we finished, Erik finally stepped back, breathing just as hard as I was, though he hid it better. "Not bad," he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "You might actually have some potential."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised at the backhanded compliment. "Is that your way of saying 'good job'?"

Erik's lips twitched into a smirk again, but he didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed his towel and turned toward the door, leaving me standing there, exhausted but oddly proud of myself.

As he walked out, I couldn't help but wonder if this was Erik's version of warming up to someone—grudging respect buried under layers of indifference and tough lessons.

Maybe he wasn't as impossible as I thought. But he was still a jerk.

I woke up to the sound of frantic banging on my door. Groggy, I glanced at the clock—1 a.m. "Who the hell is awake at this time?" I muttered, dragging myself out of bed.

I opened the door to find Jean standing there, fully dressed and looking serious.

"Flora, come down to the training area," she said urgently. "We're heading out on a mission, and Charles wants you to come with us so you can see what we do."

I blinked, still half-asleep, but Jean's tone told me this was no casual invitation. My heart started to race as I nodded, quickly pulling myself together. "Okay, give me a minute."

I threw on my training clothes, still feeling the aches from my session with Erik, but this felt different—bigger. I hurried down the hall to the training room, my mind buzzing with a mix of excitement and nerves.

When I got there, the others were already gathering, gearing up and checking equipment. The atmosphere was tense but focused. Storm spotted me and walked over, handing me a black vest. "Here, put this on," she said, her voice calm but firm. "It's a protective vest. You'll need it."

I slipped it on, the weight of it settling over me, adding to the tension in my chest. I wasn't part of this team—at least, not yet—but tonight I'd be observing, and the thought of being in the middle of an actual mission made my stomach flip.

Just as I finished adjusting the vest, the doors to the training room burst open, and in walked Erik, his expression as cold and irritated as ever. His eyes landed on me immediately, and I could see the disbelief flash across his face.

"What the hell is she doing here?" he asked, his voice sharp, cutting through the room like a blade.

Before I could even respond, Charles wheeled in behind him, his calm presence immediately grounding the tension in the air. "Flora will be coming with you tonight," Charles said smoothly, his eyes meeting Erik's. "She's here to observe. Nothing more."

Erik turned to Charles, his posture stiff with barely restrained frustration. "Observe?" he repeated, his tone incredulous. "She'll just get in the way. This isn't some training exercise—this is a real mission. We don't have time to babysit."

I felt a flush of anger rising in my chest, but before I could speak, Charles stepped in. "She's more capable than you give her credit for, Erik. And she's here to learn, just as you once were. This is how she'll grow into her role."

Erik's jaw clenched, and I could see the battle playing out behind his eyes. He didn't want me there, but Charles's word was final. After a long, tense pause, Erik turned away, muttering under his breath. "Fine. But keep her out of my way."

I bit back the urge to snap at him, reminding myself this wasn't the time or place to pick a fight. Instead, I adjusted the vest, trying to focus on what I needed to do—watch, learn, and not let Erik's attitude rattle me.

Storm gave me a reassuring nod, sensing the tension, and I took a deep breath. I could handle this. I wasn't here to be anyone's burden, and I sure as hell wasn't going to let Erik make me feel like I didn't belong.

As the team finished gearing up, Charles spoke again, his voice steady. "You'll be heading to a warehouse where mutants are being held. We need to get in, secure them, and get out without drawing too much attention."

He turned to me, his gaze softening slightly. "Flora, your job tonight is to observe and understand how the team operates in the field. You're not expected to engage, but if things go wrong... do what you must to stay safe."

I nodded, feeling the weight of his words sink in. This was real. This was the world I was stepping into.

With that, the team moved out, and I followed, my heart pounding in my chest as we made our way to the jet, ready to face whatever was waiting for us.

We boarded the sleek, black jet, its interior glowing with a dim, cool light. I made sure to sit as far from Erik as possible, determined not to let his attitude get under my skin. I couldn't afford to be distracted by him—I had to stay focused. This was my chance to prove I could handle myself, to show everyone that I wasn't just some extra baggage on this mission.

Hank was already in the pilot's seat, his large hands expertly navigating the controls. Storm sat beside him, ready to assist, her calm, confident presence always a comfort. The rest of us sat in the back, the quiet hum of the jet filling the space as we prepared for what lay ahead.

I stole a glance at Erik from across the cabin. His face was hard, his posture rigid as he leaned back in his seat, eyes fixed straight ahead. He didn't so much as acknowledge my presence, and I was more than happy to return the favor. If he wanted to act like I wasn't there, that was fine by me. I had enough on my mind without worrying about what Erik Lehnsherr thought of me.

The jet took off smoothly, the acceleration pressing me back into my seat as we climbed higher into the night sky. I stared out the window, the lights of the city below shrinking as we rose into the clouds. My stomach fluttered with a mix of nerves and anticipation. I'd never been on a mission like this, and though I wasn't expected to do much more than observe, the stakes felt impossibly high.

"Everyone clear on the plan?" Storm's voice came over the comms, steady and sure as she glanced back from the cockpit.

There were murmurs of agreement from the rest of the team. I stayed silent, knowing my role was simple—stay out of the way, stay observant, and stay ready.

My mind raced with possibilities, a thousand different outcomes flashing through my head. I wasn't used to this kind of high-stakes environment. Back at the orphanage, my problems were smaller, more manageable. Now, I was being thrust into a world where life-and-death decisions were made in an instant. I tried to steady my breathing, focusing on the rhythm of the jet's engines.

Erik hadn't said a word since we took off, and I kept my focus anywhere but on him. This was my first step into the world of the X-Men, and I wasn't about to let his disdain pull me off track.

We landed smoothly, the jet’s ramp lowering into a snow-covered landscape. The facility loomed ahead of us, barely visible through the falling snow. The cold air hit my face the moment I stepped off the jet, sharp and biting, but I focused on keeping my nerves in check.

Storm handed each of us an earpiece as we gathered outside the jet, her voice calm but commanding. "These will keep us connected. Stay in communication at all times. We don't know what we'll find in there, so be prepared."

I nodded, slipping the earpiece in place, adjusting my vest as I glanced around. The others were already gearing up, and Erik, as usual, was off to the side, ready for anything. I caught his eye for a brief moment, but he quickly looked away, as if to remind me he still didn’t think I belonged here.

Storm continued giving instructions, pairing us up. "Flora, you're with Raven. Hank will stay back in the jet, monitoring everything and ready for extraction if necessary."

I gave a quick nod to Raven, who shot me a confident smile. "Stick with me, and you'll be fine," she said, her voice light but serious. I appreciated her reassurance, even though my stomach was still doing flips.

The snow crunched under our boots as we moved toward the facility, Raven leading the way while I kept close behind her. The cold was relentless, but the adrenaline rushing through my veins kept me moving. This was it—the moment I'd been waiting for. My first real mission. Even if I was just here to observe, I couldn't help but feel the weight of the situation. People’s lives were at stake, and I had to stay sharp.

Through the comms, Storm’s voice echoed in my ear. "Everyone, stay alert. Keep your eyes open."

As we reached the entrance, Raven motioned for me to stay low. She transformed into her blue form, her keen eyes scanning the surroundings. "No guards," she whispered, her breath visible in the cold air. "But that doesn't mean it’s clear inside."

I nodded, staying close to her as we carefully made our way inside the facility. The cold steel of the building felt oppressive, the quiet even more unsettling than the storm raging outside. My senses were on high alert, every creak and gust of wind making me jumpy.

We moved through the dimly lit halls in silence, the only sound our soft footsteps and the occasional static over the comms as the others checked in. Raven led the way with confidence, her movements fluid and precise, while I did my best to keep up and not get in the way. My heart pounded in my chest, the adrenaline spiking with each corner we turned.

Suddenly, Storm’s voice crackled through the earpiece again. "Any sign of the targets?"

Raven paused, glancing at me before responding. "Nothing yet. We're moving deeper into the facility."

As we continued through the eerie corridors, the weight of the mission settled even heavier on my shoulders. The further we went, the more real it felt—this wasn't some exercise. Lives were at stake, and we were here to make a difference.

Raven gave me a look, her eyes narrowing as we reached a door at the end of the hallway. "Stay behind me," she whispered, her voice tense. "This might be where things get messy."

I took a deep breath, nodding, and prepared for whatever lay beyond.

..

The gunfire had erupted so suddenly, the chaos catching me completely off guard. Raven and the others were locked in combat with the guards, and I knew I was out of my depth. My instincts screamed at me to find cover, so I ducked into an open room down the hall, my heart pounding in my chest as I slammed the door behind me.

The room was dimly lit, the hum of machinery filling the silence. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed the massive metal box sitting in the center of the room, its surface scratched and dented as if it had seen years of wear. It wasn't a cage meant for animals-it was far more ominous, the kind of containment meant for something or someone dangerous.

I should have stayed put. I should have radioed the others or called for help. But something in me-some unexplainable instinct-told me to move closer. My heart raced as I stepped toward the box, my hand trembling slightly as I reached out with my telekinesis. I knew it wasn't a good idea, but I couldn't stop myself.

The heavy door of the box creaked open slowly, and the moment the seal broke, alarms blared through the facility. Flashing yellow lights flickered wildly, bathing the room in a harsh, chaotic glow. The alarm rang loud in my ears, but all I could focus on was what-or who-was inside.

As the door fully opened, a man stepped out. He was only wearing black shorts, his body covered in scars and muscle. But it was the headgear that caught my attention-an odd contraption strapped tightly around his skull, looking uncomfortable, even painful. His eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, neither of us moved.

Then three guards burst into the room, guns drawn, shouting commands. The man reacted instantly, launching himself at them with a speed I hadn't expected. His fists shot out, and to my shock, long metal claws extended from his knuckles. He drove them into the guards with brutal efficiency, their bodies crumpling as bullets ricocheted off his body, seemingly doing nothing to slow him down.

I stood there, frozen in place, my mind racing to catch up with what I was seeing. The man turned back to me, his eyes still filled with pain and confusion. I didn't know what to do, but I sensed that despite his violence, he was suffering. I could feel what he was feeling, pain, confusion and sadness.

I stepped closer, my heart hammering in my chest. "It's okay," I whispered, more to myself than to him. "Let me help you."

He hesitated, his breathing ragged, but he didn't attack. Slowly, I reached up, my hands trembling as I touched the metal contraption on his head. His eyes flicked toward me, confused and wary, and for a second, I thought he might lash out.

But then, with a grunt of pain, he let go of my wrists.

I gently pried the headgear off, feeling the tension release from his body as it fell to the floor with a heavy clang. He began tearing off the wires and holter monitor stickers stuck to his chest, tossing them aside like they were nothing.

Just as I was about to speak again, the door burst open, and Raven and Scott rushed in. The man spun, claws ready to attack, but before he could make a move, I reached out and grabbed his arm, channeling my power.

"Sleep," I whispered softly, pushing calm into him with everything I had.

He wavered, his body sagging under my touch, and then, with a heavy thud, he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

Raven's voice snapped through the haze. "Why didn't you answer?!" she shouted, her eyes wide with a mix of anger and concern.

I blinked, my mind still reeling from everything that had just happened. I hadn't even realized I'd ignored the earpiece, too focused on the man in front of me, too wrapped up in the chaos. "I... I didn't hear it," I muttered, shaking my head as I tried to catch my breath.

Scott looked down at the unconscious man, his expression grim. "What the hell is this place?"

"I don't know," I whispered, my eyes still locked on the man I had just subdued. "But whatever they were doing to him... it was wrong."

Raven gave me a hard look, her tone softer but still tense. "You shouldn't have opened that cage, Flora."

"I know," I admitted quietly, guilt creeping into my voice. "But... he was in pain. I couldn't just leave him like that."

The sound of boots echoing down the hall signaled the others' approach, and we knew we had to move. Storm's voice crackled through the earpiece. "We need to get out of here-now. Extraction in two minutes."

I glanced at Raven, who gave me a nod. "Help us carry him. We can't leave him behind."

With that, we moved quickly, lifting the unconscious man and preparing to make our escape.

🏷️ @nizem8 @maximumchilddreamland @mostlymarvelgirl

Chapter: FIVE

[yuujiheart]

I didn't like how the new chapter was not dedicated entirely to sukuna and yuji and instead rushed and forced shounen trio and some random plot about Yuta being in danger (sorry I can't stand Yuta, to me Yuki IS the mc and I'm tired of Yuji being denied)

I want to think Yuji ate sukuna offscreen (remember his grandpa said to help people even if they don't say thanks), thats why the abrupt ending and not showing sukuna 100% evaporate

I hope the last chapter ends with Yuji AND sukuna. Make them reincarnate together or something. The others subplots I don't care about (unless it's yuji family)

It's alright anon don't be sorry. I think it was inevitable since gege has to wrap up things and solve important plot points before it ends. I knew this would happen when jjk ending was announced. I didn't expect the whole chap because we already saw a lot of them in 265 but i do feel a proper conclusion was missing..but only from sukuna's side.. That person is hiding too much in his heart, it was a shame we never got to see how he really felt about all these things.. I feel that was the moment where I wanted to hear what sukuna had to say. Doesn't matter what he does after that... Not reading between lines or speculations from readers..

Tbh, I have disconnected myself from it completely since I don't really have any hope and it's not because there aren't any clues, it's because of gege.. I feel like he already provided us what he really intended to. But I will still share with you what I think could have happened....since not caring anymore does not mean my brain has stopped working...

I think I will start with the finger thing.. Most obvious cope..that finger is sukuna's part of soul which means his consciousness does reside in it so yuji can actually eat it although Gumi said it wouldn't have enough pull to connect his soul but i think suku's soul link with yuji can compensate for that. Helping suku to reincarnate.

We were told many times how yuji is linked to sukuna and shoko said yuji has become like his finger so u can add that too.. So if resonance actually works because of their soul link so i would believe sukuna soul is still there since it's connected to yuji.

Since his last finger is still here, his soul is incomplete and wouldn't be able to reincarnate like a regular soul. so that means he is still in the limbo/ cursed realm (remember once uro said it's like coming back from hell) maybe pondering over what yuji said to him..just like how he was before yuji ate finger for first time

Like you said there's a good chance that yuji has eaten him since yuji really wanted him to live a normal life.. He was really sad that suku rejected his offer. so wouldn't be surprised of he did that.

The conclusion itself gives hope. Since it was abrupt. That there is more to their story... Although it didn't to me...

About other subplots, I think yuji already knows about kenny ig. That's why he referred both him and sukuna as being born with a curse. Maybe with the help of gojo considering he's telling every first year about their parents.. . I don't have any expectations left anymore . Will just accept whatever gege gives to us... I can't really care about anything atp. Like he can bring back gojo and I would be fine with it...

Although I would love that gege proves me wrong ..

[popodoki]

*rings bell* Come get your Catwin NSFW besties x

CONTENT WARNING DIRECTLY UNDER READ MORE

Edwin wants, and is fucked by the hilt of a rapier in this.

Boy has a strength and danger kink, and the Cat King swinging a rapier around with ease is doing things to him, mostly to his dick lbr.

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

The whole mess was an embarrassment, one that he had never intended to share with anyone, let alone the Cat King, his lover. There was nothing strange about a young man getting, well, excited during fencing matches, the heat of a brawl. It was a simple bodily reaction. Years spent in an all-boys school tempered much more of such kinds of shame than one might think. 

But Edwin knew better, now. Knew himself better, more specifically, though it was still far too startling to realize that all it took was the threat of violence, a proper show of strength, to leave him gasping with desire.  

He was working to control himself though, trying to at least delay his reaction to a reasonable time, not right in the middle of watching his lover take on imaginary opponents with real ease. Heart pounding, he watches that rapier flash and twirl in his lover’s firm grip, the raw power of the Cat King on display with every flex of those muscles. The glistening stretch of skin on display, toned arms, shoulders, abs. Edwin can’t imagine anyone could have resisted, could resist watching, not when it was Thomas. 

But not everyone would be hard as steel, just from watching. If Edwin had just stayed where he sat, if he hadn't drifted closer, book slipping from his hands in favour of a much more compelling sight, if he hadn’t been watching at just the right time to catch the Cat King pulling off a truly athletic spin, rapier swinging through the air in such a dramatic arc Edwin could almost viscerally imagine the scene, a terrific beast, slain by the brave strong knight. Hells. If Edwin’s hand hadn’t been down the front of his pants by the time Thomas finished his move, turning on his feet so deftly he ended in the perfect position to spot his little voyeur, they both might have been able to ignore the entire debacle. Edwin wouldn't have learned his lesson, but they wouldn't have needed to talk about his little... kink. 

Instead, Thomas now loomed over him, the tip of his rapier digging into Edwin's spread thighs as he babbled away all his deepest secret desires. 

"You really like this," Thomas drawls, dragging the tip of his silver rapier along the soft flesh of Edwin’s inner thigh. 

"Did you think I was lying? Just weaving a tale, to humiliate myself in-" Edwin cut off abruptly, as the sharp point dug in, threatening to break skin. 

"I only thought you were confused. Adrenaline can do many things to a man, not the least that." His lover looks pointedly at Edwin's cock, twitching red, hard enough that it was starting to weep lightly against his stomach. Edwin flushes, heat spreading under the skin of his cheeks, doesn't respond. There was nothing he could really say. 

"Is this what you want? Why you stay silent during practice sometimes..." He didn't finish the sentence, but Edwin knew what he was implying. His lover was always indulgent, and he could understand why Thomas might think Edwin was just looking to get a specific itch scratched. It was a kinder interpretation, than pure hedonism. 

"Not, not just this. Not just the rapier. You. You make me so reckless, I can't even stop to think- moving like you were born to dance, not just fight. I want the danger, but more than anything I want you. " 

"And my rapier." Edwin gasps as the blade rotated against his skin, twisting on its point. 

"The rapier is, um, nice, too. But you could be swinging about a dull kitchen knife, and I'd still..." Edwin gestured helplessly. Finding the words shouldn't be so difficult, but now that he had spilled the shameful part, the words just seemed to dry up in his throat. "It's never been the only thing I want. Danger is just a mindset. And not one I often indulge. Consciously, at least." He finished with a flush. He wouldn't pretend that certain memories weren't shaded a little differently, now that he understood himself better.  

But that had no bearing now. "If- if you want, we can forget all this. There's no need- If you wouldn't enjoy-" 

"No." 

"No?" 

Thomas drops the rapier into the grass, crouching down between Edwin's legs, warm, rough leather scraped hands coming down to press Edwin’s thighs down when they hitch, in response to his smirk. "No. Do you know how many times I've stroked myself, fed only by memories of your pleasure? Thinking of you, with your layers undone, your mouth hanging open, dripping with spit, as you gasped out your pleasure, at my hands, my actions?" 

"Yes, Edwin. Yes." Thomas nods at him, persuading, smooths both his hands down creamy thighs, over the faint red scratches left by the silver rapier. "I can't forget this, even if I wanted to, Ghostie. I know it now. Your desires, your wants." The way he whispers it, makes Edwin feel like a meal, one that Thomas had full intentions of devouring. He licks his lips, clenches his hands, nervously. Thomas looks over his body, assessing, calculating, and Edwin knows he’s not found wanting. 

A warm calloused hand travels down, down. Edwin groans along with the Cat King when a thumb probes behind his balls, presses a stripe down his taint and slips between his ass cheeks. "Edwin. You're already wet? Is this what you did, when I told you I was going outside, going to work out? Did you plan on losing control, filling yourself with your fingers, thinking of my stretches, thinking of fencing practice?" 

"N-no, I just thought, ah-" Edwin wiggles, "If I was... satisfied, I might be able to control myself." 

Thomas smirks so wide at that, it stretches his cheeks. "How wrong you were," he murmurs, pushing his thumb more firmly against Edwin's hole, sliding easily inside with the layer of slick, “to think mere fingers were going to satisfy you. To think that I, your lover, your king, would leave you unsatisfied.” If Edwin had known all it would take was a smidge of embarrassment, he might have revealed his little problem a lot sooner, as it is, his hands clutch and tear handfuls of grass, as his lover summons a little jar of lubricant in his one hand, and reaches for the rapier lying close with the other. Seeing the glinting hilt in his lover’s hand made it all much more real, intense in a way Edwin had never experienced before. His lover has barely touched him, already Edwin feels like he's wavering right on the edge. Unbidden, he lifts his legs, bends his knees and presses them close to his chest, the motion bringing his throbbing cock into slapping contact with his stomach, dribbling more precum with each little jerk as his breathing needlessly picks up. From between his trembling thighs, he watches as Thomas drizzles the lubricant over the rapier’s hilt, until it’s dripping, excess splashing onto the grass.  

Edwin nearly chokes on his groan, clenching down almost in anger at the intrusion of fingers instead of the hard unyielding pressure of the rapier. His lover tuts and coos at him in equal measure. “If we’re doing this, we’re doing this properly, Ghostie. I’m not hurting you, I’m giving you everything you want, need, and more, okay?” Edwin grunts, bears down on the fingers as they move and spread him, slowly opening him just that bit further. His lover waits until his moans turn sharp, and Edwin near sobs in a mix of relief and anticipation when the Cat King’s fingers leave, and are replaced by steel. 

His teeth nearly draw blood, as Thomas presses relentlessly forward, just how he needs. The hilt so much, all at once, that for a moment all Edwin can feel is the harshness of the burn, his legs starting to tense, pull taut. But he knows he can take it, welcomes the hint of pain, as a promise for the pleasure to come. It stretches him like nothing else Edwin has taken before. Thomas handles the rapier just as well as he always does, angling it just right to push past any lingering resistance from Edwin's body, until the wide round length of steel was seated all the way inside him. 

"Good?" 

Edwin squeezes his legs tighter to his chest, clenching his fists in tandem to their trembles, knowing that if he relaxed for even an instant, he could hurt himself even on this side of the rapier. The thought just made his cock throb harder, tip smearing precum across his stomach, sending sparks through his veins. The danger of the weapon now splitting him, made the feeling hit twice as hard. 

"Edwin. Feeling good, doing okay?" 

"Good! I'm good, promise! More, please, I-" Edwin cuts off with a punched-out moan. At his begging, Thomas shoved the hilt the rest of the way inside, in one smooth motion. Edwin's back arches off the ground, his vision whiting out as he took it all. He nearly comes right there. It's so deep inside him, he swears he can taste steel in the back of his throat. 

His lover waits patiently for Edwin to relax again, watching intently, as the blade of the rapier jerks, moved by Edwin’s body clenching rhythmically around the hilt. If he could spare the focus through the onslaught of sensations, Edwin might even feel the cool steel of the guard nestled in between his cheeks, in contrast to the blazing hot handle now deep inside him, warm from Thomas's hand. He sucks in another deep breath, his knuckles almost white, where his grass-stained fingers dig into the dirt. 

By the time Edwin could feasibly speak again, if he tried, if he had anything else to offer aside from pleas, his lover’s already moving, sliding the hilt in and out of him, in powerful thrusts. The ridges of the handle drag against his rim, catching just enough to twinge. Edwin moans and whines, helpless to do anything else, as Thomas's sharp movements, the power in those toned muscles he so admired earlier, make him skid across the ground. 

Every time his lover adjusts his grip, slowing down for just a moment, checking, changing the angle just enough, he still manages to hit that perfect spot deep inside. Edwin sees stars, an entire universe dancing behind his eyelids, behind his closed eyes. At any moment, Thomas could miscalculate, fumble, his slick hands slipping on the handle, wrist cramping from the repetitive movement. Just an instant was all it would take, to injure Edwin, but his lover was perfect. Thomas gave him everything he needed. The threat, the weapon, and the inhuman strength and skill to pull it off. Such a strong, noble knight. A King. Fucking him with a rapier cause Edwin got hard at the sight of his abs. Edwin's laugh catches in his throat as Thomas rolls his wrist, the hilt dragging against his walls. Hells, he was going to combust before he came, from the intensity of it all. 

It's building, rapidly, below his stomach, his cock keeps twitching across his skin, smearing slick everywhere. Edwin reaches down, wipes his hand absently on his rumpled shirt, to try to grip his cock in a semi-clean palm. Thomas veritably hisses at him, slamming the hilt into him, hard enough to knock the breath out of his chest, making his point, without a single word. 

That display is all Edwin needs. He keens, his legs jerking in the air as he comes. The intensity makes his head spin, disorienting and euphoric at the same time, everything crashing down around him. His balls tighten, thick white spurts paint his stomach. Edwin's mouth hangs open, as he pants, his hair stuck to his forehead with the slick of his sweat. 

Vaguely, Edwin registers his lover carefully working the hilt free, amid the last weak clenches of his ass, as he recovers from his violent orgasm. Edwin moans softly, exhausted, as the wide hilt twinges one last time at his rim, sprawling out his legs and limbs as soon as it’s safe to do so. When he feels like he could actually sit up without getting dizzy, Edwin does so, reaches for his lover’s hips, eager to return the favour in whatever way he can. A slick palm catches his, preventing Edwin from touching the tantalizing stretch of bare skin that can still tempt an interested twitch from his soft cock. Edwin whines in the back of his throat. That can't be right. 

"But don't you want-" 

Thomas rolls his eyes, pointedly, the moment Edwin’s pleading eyes search and find his, not releasing Edwin’s hand. "For such a brilliant detective, you’re a bit of an idiot some times, Ghostie." he says, with a little reproachful growl. And a generous dusting of pink across his cheeks, Edwin can’t help but note, as his hand is tugged, pulled firmly to his lover’s crotch.  

Oh. 

Edwin looks up at Thomas, with wide eyes, registering a real red blush now across the Cat King’s face. Thomas had enjoyed himself. Immensely. The wet spot beneath his palm is unmistakable. Edwin himself hadn't come untouched since he was a teenager, more hormones than blood running through his veins. And now Edwin had- had provoked it, just by giving in to his own desires.  

"Well," he says, trying and failing not to let a grin break across his face. "Seems like this has made for some good memories, for the both of us." 

[d1xonss]

Desert Rose

Chapter 25 ~ The Herd

✧ Paring : Daryl Dixon x Rose

✧ Era : Season 2

✧ Word Count : 5.2k

In this chapter ~ The hour grew late as the search for the man continued, splitting up into different groups to cover more ground. Though something seemed off about the whole thing, not only leading to the sudden realization of what truly happened, but the unexpected herd of walkers making their way right for the farm. Leaving the others little to no time to escape.

"I saw him head up through the trees that way before I blacked out. Not sure for how long." Shane informed, raising his hand up to gesture in the direction.

It had felt like we had been walking for hours, or at least to me that's how it felt because we were hardly getting anywhere at all. Shane was very brief when he told the story of how that asshole got out, obvious holes in the plot and missing information. He kept stuttering over his sentences, not daring to turn and look any of us in the eye as he went on and on.

But my mouth stayed shut and my eyes stayed down as we looked for tracks in the mud. Though every once in a while I found myself glancing back up at the other two men that stood on either side of me, seeing if they were buying this or if they had an actual steady head on their shoulders.

"Couldn't have gotten far." Rick tried to convince, "He's hobbled, exhausted-"

"And armed." Glenn quietly reminded.

Rick turned to look at us, "Well, so are we." he said as he pointed to the obvious weapons in our hands, "Can you two track him?" he suddenly asked Daryl and I.

Daryl shook his head almost immediately, "Nah I don't see nothin. You?" he asked me.

All I could do was wordlessly shake my head, even though I never glanced up to look them in the eye, just in case of the slight chance we missed something. But there was truly nothing, not in this area at least. It almost seemed like Shane was leading us in the complete opposite direction with how little I was able to make out through the leaves.

"Hey there ain't no use for tracking, okay?" Shane said as he clapped his hands together to get our attention. "He went that way. We pair up, we spread out, we take him down, that's it."

There was something about his tone, the shakiness of his voice, it brought my attention back towards him along with Daryl who was now looking towards the man with narrowed eyes. If anyone would back me up on his weird ass behavior, I knew it would be him because of how well he could read people, reassuring me almost that I wasn't reading too much into it.

"The kid only weighs bout a buck twenty-five soakin wet...yer really tellin us he had the jump on you?" Daryl asked.

He only scoffed dismissively, "I say a rock pretty much evens those odds, wouldn't you?" he asked.

"No, I believe it." I spoke up, "Wouldn't be the first time someone's knocked you in the head." I said, a smirk slowly growing on my lips.

His head snapped to me as soon as it clicked in his head what I had meant, beginning to walk up to me with a raised finger in my face. But he barely got the chance before Daryl slightly stepped in front of me and Rick placed a hand on the man's chest, stopping him from moving further as he lightly pushed him back a few steps.

"Alright, hey, knock it off." Rick snapped before turning towards me, "Rose, take Daryl and Glenn and start heading up that way. We'll take this side."

I looked at him cautiously and a bit in shock that he trusted Shane that much, stepping away from Daryl to really look at him, "You sure?" I asked with concern lacing my voice.

He stopped momentarily to look down at me, visibly hesitating on a question that should've been simple for him to answer. Biting the inside of his cheek subtly, he finally gave me a nod, "Yeah." was all he said before placing a hand on my shoulder and squeezing it lightly.

He then turned around quickly and walked off with Shane in the opposite direction, leading the way further from us as Shane followed slowly behind him, nearly dragging his feet. I watched them walk away for a few seconds longer than I meant to, the nervous feeling I had only seeming to grow. I wanted to call out to him. To tell him that I would go with Shane instead, or the three of us could go together, anything to prevent him and Shane going somewhere alone. But I didn't. Just because I had a bad feeling about this didn't mean he was going to stop if that meant tracking Randall down.

Just please don't die Rick, seriously.

After that whole interaction, and the three of us turning around to hesitantly make our way further into the woods, no one said a thing. It was completely silent between us, but it didn't surprise me considering the situation we seemed to find ourselves in. The only way it somehow got worse, was the sun setting and leaving us completely in the dark.

Though we had a bit of luck on our side as we finally seemed to find some tracks to follow. They were messy and faint, but still it was something. And it was a chance I was willing to take considering none of us could see five feet in front of us, nothing but the dim moonlight shining down on the path we found. Silence continued to fill the air as we focused, too worried about the things we might find along with what we couldn't control.

But occasionally I found my eyes continuously landing on Glenn a few different times, knowing that I hadn't spoken to him all day. Subconsciously, I just wanted to give him some space so he could process Dale's death, but I also wanted to remind him that I was here for him like always. Now probably wasn't the best time to do that, but the guilt of not speaking to him since yesterday was getting harder for me to ignore.

"Hey...how're you doing?" I asked quietly, nudging my arm with his.

He looked up from the ground shrugged, "Oh you know, just peachy. Trying to find a potential psychopath is just a casual Sunday for me."

My eyes slightly widened in response as I kept my lips sealed. He didn't yell at me, but he certainly wasn't happy judging by the sharp and sarcastic tone he used. So I just didn't respond, only keeping my eyes down as we followed the narrow tracks.

But he then sighed and stopped, pulling my arm to stop with him. "I- I'm sorry. It's just that a lot has happened in the last few hours and I guess... I guess I'm just overwhelmed. I didn't mean to...snap at you."

I gave him a small smile, "It's okay hon, you don't have to apologize, I get it. I just wanted to give you your space today since... you know."

"Yeah I know, thanks. It actually helped to be alone for a little while." he replied.

"Good." I said simply.

He smiled small at me in obvious appreciation, before we turned to walk faster and catch up to Daryl who continued to make his way down the path. Though when we finally spotted his figure again through the darkness, he had completely stopped, staring down at the ground in clear confusion. My brows furrowed as I stepped up to stand by his side, his eyes immediately looking towards me as he gestured to the ground.

"You seein this?" he asked.

I tried squinting through the darkness as I looked down, seeing we seemed to have come across two sets of tracks now instead of one. I only nodded my head in response to him, watching as they only got messier as they went on through the leaves.

"Wait what? What is it?" Glenn asked, confused.

"There's two sets of tracks, so that means Shane followed him a lot longer than he said he did." I answered.

Daryl nodded before looking up towards the nearest tree, stepping up and around the roots poking through the dirt to get a better look at the odd mark he had somehow spotted on the trunk.

"Fresh blood on this tree." he stated, "M' thinkin somethin went down." Daryl spoke again as he looked at the tracks.

Glenn let out a breath of air as he scanned our surroundings nervously, "This is getting weird."

I shook my head with a scoff, "It's been weird ever since Shane told us what happened."

Daryl then stopped to look at me, "Ya don't believe him?"

"Hell no. He's been acting so different and...unhinged lately. It's hard to believe all the bullshit that comes out of his mouth." I replied.

His lips pressed together as he nodded, agreeing with me like I knew he would since the beginning. He wasn't stupid, and hell neither was Rick, both of them knowing damn well that his lies were starting to not make any sense, his story not blending together well. But with knowing all that, I still didn't understand why Rick willingly went off alone with him. Perhaps he had some kind of plan.

Or maybe he was just trying to convince himself that he was the crazy one, but the truth was he was far from it.

But the three of us suddenly froze, the faint sounds of branches snapping nearby was enough to send our hearts jumping. In an instant we all split off as quietly as we could, hiding behind some nearby trees to get away from the thing that caused the loud noise to rip through the night. My back was placed up against the bark of a tree as I held my breath, noticing quickly how far we were scattered away from each other.

I couldn't make out their figures in the darkness, they had to have been too far away for that, though I still tried to peer around at my surroundings without making any noise. But it was so dark I couldn't see shit, I could only hear what was happening around me, the snapping noises only growing louder as the culprit made itself more known.

But I then took a chance, peeking around the tree once more hesitantly enough to spot a lone walker stumbling its way through the woods loudly. I let out a breath of air as I placed my back up against the tree once more, shielding myself from the creature before it could see me as I quickly pulled out a knife from my hip. I was prepared to throw it at its head but when I looked back, it was gone. My eyes widened as I fully stepped out, looking around frantically before my stomach dropped.

There was screaming.

I quickly sprinted in the direction without hesitating, and I saw the walker had Daryl pinned up against a tree, while Glenn was frantically looking for his weapon that had somehow gotten lost in the pile of leaves. I then rushed forward towards the walker, stabbing it in the back of the head as its body fell limp not even a second later. The moment it was dead I felt like I could actually breathe, stepping over the body as Daryl shoved it off of him. My hands instinctively went up and landed on either sides of his face gently as my eyes scanned him frantically for any type of injuries.

"Are you okay? Are you bit?" I asked worriedly.

He just stared at me and placed one of his hands on top of mine before saying, "M' okay." and gave me a reassuring smile.

I sighed in relief and almost brought him in to kiss him, but then I remembered Glenn was about three feet away, probably watching this whole interaction with confusion written all over his face. The realization slowly set in as I cleared my throat, awkwardly pulling my hands away and stepping back over towards the walker to pull my knife out of its head.

Though I paused. I recognized the clothes, the hair on top of his head, only seeing the man a handful of times yet I had a sudden funny feeling. So, I pulled my weapon back out before hesitantly flipping the walker over onto its back, getting a good look at its face only for my mouth to drop seconds later. I was right. It was Randall.

I felt the two of them come over to see what I was staring so intently at, both of them freezing at the same time upon seeing who it was. After a few seconds, Daryl leaned closer to the body and began to lift up the fabric of his clothes, inspecting him for any bites when he suddenly realized something.

"Got his neck broke." he muttered.

He then flipped him back over on his stomach and lifted his shirt and pants. "He doesn't have any bites." I voiced out loud as my eyes scanned the body too.

"Yeah, none that you can see." Glenn said.

"Nah she's right...he died from this." Daryl responded.

Glenn's eyebrows then pulled together in worry, "How is that even possible?" he asked.

But neither of us had an answer for him. Neither one of us had a good enough reason as to why this man somehow came back to life when he wasn't attacked. Not by anything dead anyway. But clearly something terrible happened to him, something that we could all silently assume had something to do with Shane.

We all just quietly turned around and walked back towards the house, knowing know that the threat was eliminated. Daryl was walking a little closer to me then he usually would in front of someone else, but I didn't mind at all. I knew subconsciously he was still worried that there was somehow something else out there, waiting for the moment to pounce. The feeling was completely normal and valid, especially when we're walking in the woods when it's pitch black outside. But hell, I felt it too.

It seemed as though right as I had that thought, a sudden gunshot was fired from our right, a good distance away yet still so close to where we were. We all practically jumped out of our skin upon hearing the loud noise, pausing our movements as we waited, listening for something else. I looked towards the direction of the shot but didn't see anything from where I was, the many trees still blocking my view. Daryl was the first one to make a move after only a few seconds, his hand landing on my lower back as he gently pushed me towards the house again so he could just get the fuck inside.

The house slowly began to come into view, the three of us only picking up our pace once we saw how close we were getting. We stomped up the porch steps quickly and swung open the screen door, only to see the remainder of the group sitting anxiously in the living room as they waited for all of us.

As soon as they heard us come in their heads whipped around to face us, an immediate weight clearly being lifted off of their chests as Beth made a beeline towards me the second she saw me. She wrapped me in a tight hug, almost causing me to fall back at the impact, hearing the sigh of relief leaving her lungs.

"You're okay?" she whispered.

I nodded and squeezed her back, "I'm okay." I said before pulling away, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as I did a scan of the room, "Rick and Shane aren't back?" I asked.

Lori quickly shook her head, "No, we thought they'd be with you."

"We spit up to cover more ground." Daryl stated, "Y'all hear that shot too?" he asked.

The rest nodded, "Maybe they found Randall." Lori guessed.

"No...we found him. He was a walker." I said.

"Did you find the walker that bit him?" Hershel asked.

"The thing is he wasn't bit, his neck was broken." Glenn stated, moving over towards Maggie to take a seat next to her.

"So he fought back." Andrea assumed.

"Thing is, Shane and Randall's tracks were right on top of each other, and Shane ain't no tracker so he didn't come up behind him. Nah, they were together." Daryl informed the group.

Lori's face only contorted with more worry, before suddenly getting up from the wall she was leaning against, walking up towards Daryl to speak quieter to him, "Will you please go back out there and find Rick and Shane, and figure out what on earth is going on?"

"You got it." he replied with a nod of his head.

"Thank you." she muttered gratefully before turning back towards the others.

He instantly headed towards the front door to head back out into the darkness, but I was quick to follow as I gently let go of Beth. I watched as he was just about to push the screen door open before my voice suddenly stopped his movements.

"You're not going alone." I stated.

He turned around to face me, nodding at me once, "Never been able to say no to ya before." he winked.

My eyes narrowed at him as I lightly nudged his shoulder with mine, gently pushing past him to head out the screen door and onto the porch. His footsteps followed behind me, but I stopped dead in my tracks, not even making it past the first steps before something in the distance caught my eye. A huge herd of walkers were scattered everywhere across the fields, heading right towards us from the other side of the woods. My eyes widened as I glanced over at Daryl's face, only finding him standing there with his mouth slightly parted at the sight just beyond the trees.

"Guys!" I yelled as quietly as I could so they could somewhat hear me, without drawing more attention from the walkers.

The group made their way out the door hesitantly seconds later, staring at the sight in front of them in awe. Nobody knew what to do, a big herd like this would rip us apart instantly and I could feel the fear radiating off of every single person.

"Patricia, kill the lights." Hershel demanded quietly.

"I'll get the guns." Andrea said, pushing past everyone to get back inside.

I moved around the white pillar to try and get a better look at how many there really were, hearing Glenn say, "They could just pass like the herd on the highway, should we just go inside?"

"Not unless there's a tunnel downstairs that I don't know bout," Daryl said, "Herd that size will tear the house down."

Suddenly Lori came back outside in a rush with widened eyes, "Carl's gone." she breathed barely above a whisper.

I whipped my head around, "What?" I asked.

"He was just upstairs; I can't find him anymore. He's supposed to be upstairs. I'm not leaving without my boy." she said, tears building in her eyes.

"We're not, we're going to look again and we're going to find him." Carol reassured her as she gently pushed her back inside the house to search again.

Andrea then came back outside quickly with the bag of remaining guns we still had, throwing them on the floor up for grabs. I instantly picked up a handgun, checking the chamber before putting it behind my back and digging to find a shotgun, loading it as well as everyone else.

"I got the number, it's no use." Daryl informed the others after a few moments of silence.

"You can go if you want." Hershel suddenly spoke.

"You're gonna take them all on?" I asked the man.

He began to shove as many bullets in his pockets as he could, "We have guns, we have cars." he told me, keeping his eyes down on the task.

Andrea loaded her gun, "We'll kill as many as we can, and we'll use the cars to lead the rest of them off the farm."

"You serious?" Daryl asked Hershel.

"This is my farm, I'll die here." he said with a nod before walking off around the backside of the house.

"Alright," Daryl huffed, "As good a night as any." he said before hopping over the railing.

I wordlessly followed the others as we all made our way towards the many vehicles still lined up on the side of the house near the grass. We would try to kill off as many as we could before they could make it too close to the house, but if worse came to worse, the others still left inside would make a fast getaway if they had to. I hoped it wouldn't have to come down to that, losing the only place that we had left that was safe, but just glancing at the number of walkers, we hardly had enough bullets to make a dent. But we had to try.

I walked right up to the light blue truck and swung the door open, tossing the shotgun in my hands onto the passenger seat inside before attempting to climb in right along with it, but someone caught my arm from behind me. I turned around swiftly to see Daryl looking at me seriously, trying not to show the obvious panic he felt in the pit of his stomach.

He cleared his throat a bit before looking down at his hand that still tugged loosely on my arm, swaying a bit nervously from side to side, "Be careful...ya hear me?" he asked.

I nodded at him, "I will. You be careful too."

He stared at me with unsure eyes and didn't remove his hand. I could tell he was struggling to let me go and I was only finding it harder to do the same exact thing. Too much could happen out there, but I didn't want to think about that. For both of our sakes I wouldn't let myself do that, I couldn't. I only pushed some of the hair out of his face before leaning in a bit closer to speak again.

"I will see you again." I said quietly, whispering it in the air like it was a promise.

He didn't say another word, biting at his bottom lip slightly before quickly bringing me in for a bone crushing hug. My eyes fluttered closed as I sighed, hugging him back tightly because if I'm being honest, I didn't even believe my own words. I wanted to, but it didn't guarantee the possibility that I would see him after all of this.

T-Dog frantically rushed over to the other side of the truck, opening the driver's side, "Rose, you riding with me?" he asked breathlessly.

I finally pulled fully away from Daryl and nodded my head back at him. He hopped in upon seeing my confirmation, starting the truck as I gave one last long look at Daryl before I jumped in right behind him. He slowly shut the door for me the moment I was inside, beginning to walk away slowly towards his bike, but not without looking back in my direction a few times. Though when he finally made it, he quickly started it up and revved the engine a few times, driving off towards the barn to lead the way for the rest of us.

T-Dog dove fast following the man, swerving through the grass as we booked it across the fields, seeing Glenn and Maggie following in a car right behind us. Once we were close enough, I rolled down the window and aimed the shotgun shakily in my hands, firing at the closest walkers. T-Dog eventually pulled to a stop when we made it up to the fence, putting the truck in park so he could get out and start shooting too.

The old wooden barn was flooding with flames, lighting up part of the night sky as it only grew higher and higher, black smoke filling the air. Some of the walkers were drawn to the orange flame, but that didn't stop the rest of us from firing one shot after another to those who paid it no mind.

I kept shooting and reloading, watching the ones I had hit go down hard like rocks until my shotgun suddenly clicked, signaling it was out of ammo. I tossed it down carelessly towards my feet, pulling out the handgun behind my back to keep shooting as much as I could, though it was hardly making a difference. Many more of them were still emerging from the trees, only being drawn in further to all the noise we were making.

But something seemed to pull my attention away from all the monsters, their hanging jaws and dead eyes, more movement from up above caught my eye. Though my mouth fell open in shock when I noticed it was Rick and Carl at the top of the barn, slowly inching their way across the thin piece of wood that was just above the walkers clawing at their feet. The barn was slowly crumbling, slowly losing its strength to stay upright the longer they were up there with no way of getting down.

I shut my eyes tightly and cursed quietly under my breath before not wasting anymore time, instinctively hopping out of the truck without a second thought. I ran as fast as I could towards the barn, slipping past the lingering walkers and ignoring the calls of my name behind me. They needed help, and I wasn't going to let anyone else die.

As I got closer, the two of them were attempting to make it down another level so the jump wouldn't be as intense. The fall would've surely left them with a few broken bones, and that was best case scenario. I rushed up to the side just in time to see Rick sitting down, slowly inching off the side to land on his feet on the dirt below.

His ankles buckled the second they hit the ground however, him slightly groaning in pain at the impact it caused before he stood back up to his full height once more. Although the moment his gaze caught mine from a few feet away, he instantly did a double take upon seeing me there with them.

"Rose, what the hell-"

"Get him down, I'll cover you." I interrupted him before turning around and shooting the walker that was right about to grab me.

"Carl jump!" I heard him yell from behind me, only hearing him grunt again at the impact of Carl falling directly into his arms.

The walkers approaching us were falling to the ground, one after another, until the gun in my hands clicked just like the other. I sighed heavily in annoyance before shouting at them that we needed to move, pulling them along to follow me back to the vehicles. I began to take a knife in each hand, stabbing a single walker in the head while turning around to get another that was getting too close to Carl. Not slowing down or stopping as I tried desperately to lead them back to safety.

Rick knocked a few of them in the head with the butt of his gun, signaling that he was out of ammo too, just trying to stun them long enough so we could rush right out of their cold reach. He kept Carl close behind him the entire time, following my movements as we inched closer and closer towards the fence that was still just somehow out of reach.

But then somehow it happened. Walkers began to take more notice to us quickly, ignoring the ongoing fire that they had lit and were now slowly surrounding us. I fought with everything I had, trying to keep them as far away from Carl as possible, but I couldn't. We didn't have enough time or weapons to fight them all off. And I wasn't losing anyone else.

My eyes quickly scanned around the small herd of walkers beginning to corner us, before I spotted a small opening to where they could easily make it out. But it had to be now.

Without another thought, I shoved them towards the space, stabbing the walker just about to reach them as I backed up, "Go! Get out of here!" I yelled at them.

"No Rose!" Carl yelled back, reaching for me desperately from just behind his father's back.

"Rose-" Rick started to say but I interrupted him.

"There's no time to argue, I'll cover you! Just get to the others I'll be right behind you!" I shouted and shoved them further back.

Rick shook his head in protest, his lips parted to speak, but didn't have time to think as more were coming closer. I watched him shake his head more aggressively before quickly turning around, taking Carl's arm and started running towards the house. The kid fought back with everything he had, screaming my name and trying to pry his father's grip off of his arm as he tried to make it back to me, but Rick wasn't budging. He just kept moving, not looking back for the main fact that he couldn't bring himself to.

I pushed down my emotions upon hearing Carl's screams, and just fought as many walkers as I could, dodging under their arms every chance I got. There were a lot of them though, and I was starting to run out of options. But I began to run further from the house to lead them away back towards the trees, that way I could take a few at a time instead of all of them at once. I avoided them as I sprinted through the woods, drawing the rest of them as far away as I could before even thinking about turning around.

I began to fight with every ounce of energy I had left, stabbing each and every one of them in the head as the bodies seemed to pile up around me. Everything hurt and was sore to the touch, blood and guts beginning to coat my clothes with how many were left. But I still didn't stop. Not until the last one coming at me was dead and laying on the dirt with the others.

It felt like hours had passed once I stabbed the final walker's head that was coming towards me, my hands falling on my knees as I hunched over, catching my breath like I had been running a marathon. I slowly looked back up once I had calmed my racing heart, noticing how far away from the house I truly was now and cursed under my breath. And I swear I saw in the distance, cars beginning to leave the farm behind, leaving me behind right along with it.

I wasn't angry, because I would've done the same thing. They didn't know if I was alive or dead and they had to protect the others, I understood that. The only thing clouding my mind now was finding them somehow, seeing them all alive and breathing. I was utterly exhausted, everything aching as I still slowly made my way back up towards the house to try and track them. That is until I realized there were still a shit ton of walkers still surrounding the place in the fields, watching the burning barn fall finally and collapse on itself.

I didn't have time to process the loss of the farm as I decided to take my chances in the woods, avoiding the small herd that still lingered near. I only thought about one thing as I ran further from the remaining chaos. Where the hell the rest would be if we ever got separated like this? But then a sudden idea popped into my head. The highway. We all knew the way, we all knew right where it was so it just made sense.

A new sense of determination came over me as I suddenly didn't feel that tired anymore. I had to find them.

~ Thanks for reading!

[tikus-library]

"On the Edge"

Avengers AU - Chapter 3

Previous

Characters: Brock Rumlow x reader, oc!daughter Addy

Posted: March 28th

WARNINGS:

Like, Comments, & Reblogs are always appreciated and loved.

**Please Do Not Repost or 'Fix' My Work**

Read on Ao3

“You're not very smooth ya know?”

You squeaked and skipped a step, coming to a teetering stop at the edge of the staircase. You could feel yourself begin to teeter more forwards than back onto your heels when a large warm hand wrapped around your midsection and you were directed back to safety. You looked over your shoulder and glared at him before childishly turning away and stepping down once and then twice, more confident in your steps than necessary.

“I'm sorry.”

You paused, keeping your lips sealed but not turning back around. You wouldn't be nice to him, he didn't deserve it. He didn't want to be friends after all. Of course you knew that was childish thinking but, but your feelings were hurt.

“I–” Brock swallowed, you hadn't kept going, so that was something, right? “I'm not good with people. Addy is all I got.”

“You work don't you?”

Brock grinned, even if you sounded a little short at least you had waited and now talked back to him. “The people I work with aren't the friendliest. I don't know how to be nice.”

You bit your lip. Fidgeted with your purse, you wouldn't give in… but it was polite to accept an apology right? “Well an apology is a start.”

“Addy said so,” he nodded even though you hadn't turned to look at him. He hadn't been able to get your face out of his mind, angry and tearful all at once as you shouted at him before slamming the door in his face. He realized it must have taken everything in you to do it. Brock thought it was cute. Somehow he figured you were not the kind to do something like that, and after thinking about it all night, he knew you weren't the kind to bring men like that asshole home. Hell, he hadn't even been sure he'd had a neighbor before that night you were so quiet.

You looked over your shoulder at him with a small smile. “She sure is smart, where she gets it from I'm not too sure.”

Brock flashed his teeth, shrugging as he moved to lean against the railing just above you, “not so sure myself, but she does go to school so, I'm thinking her teacher is nice.” He didn't miss the way your eyes were rimmed in red and you hadn't put on make-up. No way that was because of him? “Look,” he started, rubbing the back of his neck, “I'm making dinner tonight. You should come over.” He waited, a little nervous, there was no way you were still crying cause of him? That would be too egotistical even for him.

You hesitated, he was rough looking but he leaned against the railing of the stairs and looked… soft. As soft as a man with those arms could look. “Only if I can bring dessert?”

Brock grinned, “Addy likes strawberry everything”

You smiled, “what about you?”

Brock blinked, straightening and drawing a blank, “honestly? I just eat whatever Addy likes…”

You snorted and covered your face, looking away, “you're such a dad!” You turned and held out your hand, “phone?”

Brock pulled it out of his back pocket confused but opened it and handed it to you.

“Last name?”

He scowled, “Rumlow”

You poked around it and smiled when there was a chime before handing his phone back, pulling your own from your purse and he stared down at the text he received, a response to the one above it that was simply his name. He realized it was your name.

“If you think of something you like that's sweet, just text me. Pretty sure I can pick something up in the next four hours if I can't make it.”

Brock nodded jerkily and watched as you hurried down the steps. He was pretty sure he had succeeded in whatever this was. He dragged a hand down his face, slightly exhausted and then realized– he had to cook dinner.

You had errands to get done and a few bills to pay, and your last stop was for a few groceries. Your favorite bakery was next door a few stops down and you had just asked for the petit strawberry cake that fed four when your phone chimed.

Neighbor Brock Rumlow: blackberry, if it's not too late?

Why did that make you smile? “Do you have anything with blackberries?”

“Oh! We have a great selection!”

[armpirate]

Soundleasure | Choi San || CH. 14

Pairings: Soft!San x fem!reader || Strangers to lovers, fake dating

Genre: smut, angst, fluff, online sex, ghosting

Warnings: inexperienced!San, fem!reader, masturbation, online sex, camboy, first times.

Summary: You can do whatever you please and be whoever you want on the Internet. And San knew that a little bit too well.

After finally following all the signs the universe was throwing at him, he started living a double life that no one was aware of. Everyone in his daily life knew him as Choi San, the reserved and quiet boy who wouldn't raise his voice, and would barely communicate with anyone outside of his comfort group. But only a few knew him as Soundleasure, the man with a sexy voice and a filthy mind that had their toes curling just with his narrations.

He never thought of the possibility of those two lives ever meeting, he had always tried for them to follow a parallel route and had always played safe to keep his friends from ever suspecting that side even existed. But his plans will start to crumble when he gets a little too close with one of his subscribers and she invades his real-self and altergo's universes without being able to stop it.

Y/n will not only help him to keep his secret from his circle, but will also show him there's more of Soundleasure in him than he'd like to admit. 

Previous || Next

MASTERLIST

Aprox. time of reading: 20 minutes

Y/n: I already arrived!

San: Nice

San: By the way, sorry for the way Mingi showed up

San: He sometimes doesn't know how to read the room.

San: He doesn't know when he's interrupting others

Y/n: What did he interrupt tho?

She clearly knew what he meant. The environment in her car was too heavy not to know, and she was sure she'd have given in if Mingi hadn't reached her car to greet them. She liked his friends, but at that moment she was hating him with a passion.

It was funny messing with San, waiting for him to come up with an answer as he typed, and stopped, a few times before actually sending anything.

Y/n: Were you planning on doing anything?

San: Huh? No, of cuorse not.

San: Nevrmind

San: Have a good night!

He typed so fast, that he didn't even stop to double check whether there were any typos or not. He was so desperate to find an escape, that he didn't care about anything else.

Wooyoung huffed at the way San was hysterically shaking his leg at the corner of his eye, making his whole body squirm as he tried to hold back from calling him out for the constant move.

He was getting on his nerves.

—Can you stay still? You're making me want to rip that leg out of you —Mingi finally interrupted, huffing as he leaned to look straight at San.

—Gosh, you already met her father. You already went through the worst part. What's the big deal? —Wooyoung rolled his eyes.

The big deal was that it wasn't going to be a two against one like the last time, it'd be them two against absolutely everyone who attended the barbeque. One wrong word, one weird move, and they both would be done.

He couldn't disappoint Y/n that way.

—Just stay glued to Y/n if the problem is meeting new people —Mingi suggested, shrugging his shoulders—. I doubt she'll be annoyed with that.

—What if I'm left alone?

He didn't think about it when he agreed to show up at her father's house; that thought didn't cross his mind until Y/n mentioned it a few days back.

—Act like you're in a job interview —Wooyoung shrugged.

—But he's never been in a job interview —Mingi answered for him, confused at that advice.

—I know, I was going to explain myself before you interrupted —momentarily, he turned to Mingi, who instantly sat back in his seat, before he continued—. Keep a neutral face, don't talk. Just wait for the questions, and answer what they ask.

—You do that in job interviews? —Mingi interrupted again— Isn't that the opposite of what you should do? I've always been told you should speak and keep it as dynamic as possib...

—Who has a stable job, and who's an intern? —Wooyoung asked to get back at him, getting complete silence on his side— That's what I thought.

With that advice in his mind, San hopped in Y/n's car as soon as she sent a text to let him know she was there. On their way to her parents' house, his head was a bundle of different thoughts and tips, confused at how he should be behaving, except for the main information Y/n asked him to remember in case he was asked.

It'd be just that day. She only needed him to make as much as possible that afternoon, and then they'd break up.

He was definitely able to do that for her.

Y/n looked at him as she drove, hearing him answer back to all of her questions that were testing him. She was calm, it was only another day in her office personality, with all those same people she faked it for, but she was worried that it'd be a bit harder for San.

—I like your jacket —her comment worked to make some of that pressure vanish, making him raise his eyebrows surprised as he touched the zip of his black bomber—. Not the t-shirt though, I bet the whole outfit would look better without it.

It took her a second to realize what she said, suddenly stopping to press her lips together and try to correct herself. She wanted to say she hated that blue navy Patriots shirt with her whole soul, and it ended up sounding like she was hoping to see him shirtless. Although, after seeing him in that dressing room, she wouldn't really mind it.

His cheeks started burning after that comment, which he knew wasn't with that double intention he thought of almost instantly. It wasn't the idea of being shirtless in front of her, but that sweet and casual compliment coming from her.

—It's right, though? —he tried to know, looking down at himself.

Since it was a barbeque, he chose to keep it his style, mixing his style with that mature vibe she wanted from him. He wasn't quite sure the mix of jeans, team t-shirt and black bomber were a good mix.

—Hmm yeah —she quickly nodded—. What would you wear for a barbeque if it isn't that?

Just like him, she was wearing a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt with a black leather jacket. They'd be completely twinning if it wasn't for the horrendous Patriots shirt she thought he was wearing. It almost seemed like they did it on purpose.

San just looked around after silence slowly invaded the small space of her car, appreciating how beautiful the brown leaves looked on the trees that surrounded the road. He loved that kind of chilly weather, it always helped him to zone out as he went back to visit his parents at the outskirts of Boston.

Y/n turn right, getting inside one thinner road that allowed him to see the big house after she drove for a few meters past the tall trees that kept it hidden. He wasn't expecting the cozy familiar house that his parents had, but he also wasn't expecting that big palace, with a Victorian style.

Her car surrounded the small garden right at the entrance, managing to park her car in front of the few steps that led to the entrance of the place.

—Hey —she called him, aware of the small details that gave out how panicked he suddenly was feeling—. Just be yourself, and say what we talked about —her hand found a spot right at his knee—. They won't mess with you as long as I'm there.

Her joke seemed tougher for him, as she gave him one last skin over his jeans, making his skirt jump so high that he thought it'd escape his throat at any time, feeling relieved when she moved it away.

Before they started their way to the house, Y/n stopped next to him, offering her hand to him, opening and closing her fingers so he'd understand what she wanted. It was a tiny smile, almost imperceptible, but his eyes slightly squinted with that small curve, encouraging her to move her hand to his and intertwine their fingers together.

—We can do this —she assured him.

—We can do this.

His hand felt so warm as it covered hers, that it gave her that little push she needed to start walking. Unlike what he first thought, Y/n surrounded the house, following the stone trail on the side that led to the backyard.

His stomach squeezed at the sound of several masculine and deep laughs from afar, and the smell of braised meat.

It was real. They were actually doing that.

Her hand squeezed his the same way he tried to give support to her, trying to let him know that she was there whatever he needed -and whatever bothered him-, before they turned the corner and met with the big group of people reunited around the table.

—Here they are! —her father mentioned, excitedly.

They only let go of each other's grip when she moved to greet her father and mother, giving them a warm hug before she went back to standing next to San. Her father looked more relaxed and approachable, and it probably was because he wasn't wearing that three piece suit. Instead, his outfit was similar to the one San was wearing, with the only exception being the jacket that Harry wasn't wearing. Her mother looked elegant, but not because of her clothes. Her aura. As she approached him after her father shook his hand, her mother gave him a welcoming hug.

—I'd love to say my daughter was the one I heard about you from, but it was actually my husband the one who talked non-stop about you.

—Mom —Y/n scolded her.

—Come here, I'll introduce you to everyone.

It was incredible what football could do in the way people behaved around each other. From being skeptical of her relationship, to totally being all over San after they found out they both supported the Patriots to death.

It was better for her though. That should make things easier.

San scanned the table, trying to get familiar with all of the faces that were there. They all seemed to have that fake nice facade on their faces as they greeted him, and Y/n knew what those poisoned tongues were planning to say as soon as they got the chance. Although there was a particular person that wasn't hiding his intentions.

Tim looked at San from head to toe, examining his clothes, his body language, his gestures, even the way his bangs covered his forehead in a careless style. He looked even more mediocre in person.

—So this is the secret boy, Y/n? —one of the ladies, sitting at the other side of the table with the rest of the wives, asked.

—He's here. And considering you all knew about it, I don't think calling him a secret is accurate.

Her father turned to her, giving her a soft scolding look before she faked a smile right after. Time to start the act.

Her arm suddenly linked to San's, gluing their bodies together as her head rested on his shoulder.

—How could I even think of hiding him?

San smiled at that sudden cute act, looking down at her. Her head slowly turned in the opposite direction, hiding her face from the people sitting on the table.

—Hold my hand or something —she asked him.

When she turned back to the initial position, San's hand moved hesitantly over her, brushing her hair away and tucking it behind her ear. His fingers felt soft and delicate on her skin.

—Well, you didn't have a problem hiding other boyfriends before —Tim attacked as soon as they both joined them on the table.

—I wasn't serious about them, I think that's quite simple to understand —she answered.

Before the conversation could scalate, her father interrupted to let everyone know that some of the meat was ready for them to eat. San got up with the two plates, letting her get engaged in the conversation they were having across the table about the last product they were planning to launch. Although her father's attention was on the young man, and the way he asked for a knife to take the muscle fiber away from one of the filets. At first, he thought he just had that same hangup as his daughter had, only to realize he was cutting them for her daughter, handing her the plate of the cut meat before he sat next to her again.

—I think it'd be quite interesting to know how you two met —Lina, one of the supplier's wife suggested as they kept eating.

—I love those stories —Mark, her husband, seconded.

—We met through a blind date that a common friend organized —Y/n answered—. The moment I saw him, I knew it —her hand reached to his under the table, moving her arm exaggeratedly so everyone would guess—. We went to that restaurant on the bay, right? It was really romantic. He showed up with a big bucket of flowers... I'm not a big fan of those things, but I could tell he was genuine about it.

—How long have you been dating? —Miranda asked.

—A month —Y/n turned to her—. We hit it off since we met, and we haven't been able to move away from each other ever since.

—That's so sweet —Miranda fawned—. Are you also working in this industry?

—N... no —San finally answered—. I'm an engineer. Since I was younger I was always drawn to that —he laughed nervously—. I spent most of the time on the computer, so why not use it to earn money?

Y/n squeezed his hand tighter, trying to let him know that he was doing fine.

—That sounds like a tough job though —Tim scoffed—. I doubt it's way more than just sitting in front of a computer. Harry told me you've worked in Vancouver for a year, and I've always been curious about what engineers do. Can you tell us a bit of your daily work there?

—I don't think it's necessary to talk about work now —Y/n tried to get in between.

—And I don't think you're San, let the boy speak if he wants —Tim clapped back.

Right what they thought they wouldn't be asked about, came up on the conversation and on the hand of the man Y/n tried to warn him about. His brain was working hard to get through the sudden block he was going through out of nervousness.

—I worked as a web developer with .Net Core and Webix framework at two projects at the same time, I created a solution for multi-class text classification problem using SVM and Random Forest, Implemented Speech to text, optical character recognition, and face detection on the app of the company, used NLP for recommendation system, implemented full-text search with Apache Lucene... —he gave a quick stop— It's alright if you don't understand half of what I'm saying, and I hope you understand I can't explain any easily what they all are. I think you'll understand I can't give much more details because it's all confidential.

Y/n looked at him with wide eyes, getting lost in what he was saying after the second sentence, surprised by how convincing and serious he looked about it. Too surprised by his speech to even notice the way her father proudly smiled.

—Y/n is right —he turned to her—. It isn't time to talk about work now —after smiling at her, he turned to her father—. Sir, the meat was great, so delicious and tender.

He was in such a hectic and motivated mode, that he thought he'd explode.

After the lunch had gone by and they were finally alone at the other side of the yard, with the excuse that they wanted to be alone, Y/n finally took the chance to congratulate him for the good work he did during lunch, hitting his upper arm.

—I didn't understand a single thing you said, but it was amazing —she excitedly mentioned—. Did you see Tim's face? —she cackled— God, where did all that come from?

He didn't know himself.

He just didn't like the way he was feeling judged, and the way Y/n was almost being judged as a consequence. He was aware of that man's intentions with his question, and couldn't come up with any other way of shutting him up that wasn't that.

—I just used some things I've heard in class —he shyly answered.

—It was great —she answered back, trying to recognize his merit—. I didn't think they'd be so low to dig into your job like that, but you saved it so well, and you came up with something so fast... You left the standard so high.

More than proud of himself, he was smiling at how excited and fulfilled Y/n looked as she bounced on the spot. While, from afar, the same men that tried to interrogate him about his job were looking at them.

—I still think there's something off about him —Tim clicked his tongue—. They don't look like a couple that are crazy in love and haven't been moving away from each other for a month.

—Don't tell me you're still butthurt over Y/n dumping your son —Josh mocked him.

—What do you want them to do? Make out in front of me? —Harry joined them— I really think he's a good guy, and I'm really happy about my daughter settling down with someone like him.

His daughter seemed happy, San seemed to take good care of her... why would anyone, especially his own father, think ill of their relationship?

After watching the match at her parents' living room, basically pushed to be sitting apart when her father hooked his arm around his shoulders so he'd sit next to him, Y/n got ready to drive him home.

It had been a long day, and it was about time to get all that to an end.

They both were in silence all the way back to his place, with Y/n too deep in her thoughts. She didn't want to drop him off, she wanted to spend more time with him despite spending almost all day together. But she was unsure of whether he also wanted to be around her more than needed.

—You were great today —she commented, quickly shifting her eyes to him before moving them back to the road.

—Was I? —he sighed— I don't really know. But it does seem like everyone ate it up, right?

—Yeah. Linda was so into our date. I don't know what more details she wanted me to tell her. Maybe what color my panties were, or I don't know —she rolled her eyes—. But it turned out better than I expected.

San nodded with a smile, allowing silence to slowly kick back inside her car.

—Hmm, do you have something to do? —her question took him by surprise— I mean, it isn't that late. And since it turned out well, I thought we could celebrate we won't have to do this again.

But would it genuinely be a celebration?

—Yeah, sure —he nodded—. Why not?

It took her less than a minute to come up with somewhere where they'd be comfortable and calm. She had been there before a few times, with one of the several failed dates. She loved the place, to the point where it made up for the awful company she chose to have.

Except for that day.

The other times, there weren't that many people. And maybe it was because it was during weekdays. She should've guessed that showing up there on a weekend, right after a football match, wasn't the best choice. But they both still went inside, walking among the crowd until they found a free small tall table.

San went for the drinks and some chips before she could even think of standing up from the stool, thanking him after the hard time she had to manage to sit up there. Despite being noisy and crowded, it all turned calm and silent around them when he came back with the two bottles and the small plate, joining her back at their table.

—So, any feedback about today? —Y/n asked first.

—It was nice —he simply answered—. Everyone was quite... normal —he shrugged—. Except for that bald man that kept interrogating us.

—Ah, Tim —she nodded—. He's always been an asshole, don't worry. I bet he's still bitter after his son broke up with me, and I didn't want to take him back when he regretted it —she rolled her eyes.

—You were dating his son? —His eyebrows raised in amusement.

—For three years —she answered, eating one of the chips—. He is an unfaithful asshole addicted to crack, and Tim just tries to hide it by burying the others' achievements. That's why he picked it up against us two. I guess he was still hopeful that I'd take his son back one day. And I guess my father was also expecting that, at some point.

—That's why you did this whole thing?

—Well, it's a bit complicated —she tried to explain—. Tom is an asshole, but his family has stability and power. And I guess that my father wants to be sure I have that stability and power for the moment he retires —her lips grimaced—. In part, he does it because his partners will give him a hard time in regards to what I choose to do before he passes the torch to me, and I also think it's just a basic worry of a normal parent. But my dad seemed to miss the point that power and stability aren't just money and a name —she shrugged, moving her eyes up to him.

—If it makes you feel better, I think you'll be a great director one day —he assured her.

—Uh-hum, that's right —she agreed, smiling at his comment—. What about you?

San frowned at her question, not understanding where she was coming from with it.

—I opened up about why I do this, now you need to open up, too.

—Well, I lied and told my friends you were my girlfriend.

—I know that —she interrupted him—. But there has to be something deeper than that.

—None of my friends know about Soundleasure —he admitted—. I was sure they'd have searched up for you online or something, and I guess I was scared you'd tell them how we met.

—Tss, do I look like I'd tell strangers that I used to pay to listen to dirty audios?—she clicked her tongue— I rather keep that perverted side hidden as well —she softly added—. Do you enjoy doing those videos?

—I guess? —he shrugged— It's good to know I can do and say anything behind that name, because no one will judge me or look at me differently. It's like a shield. I manage to dig in on what I like or not, I do things that I wouldn't dare to do in my regular life, and behave in ways that would never cross my mind.

—But you're Soundleasure —she puckered her lips—. You're stopping yourself from doing that. I mean, it's not that your alter ego is a serial killer or a psycho. He's just more confident and eager to do things. You clearly find yourself comfortable in that position, but at the same time you stop yourself because you're scared of that change —her head tilted to the side—. You need to stop yourself from avoiding risks. You think too much about what others might think.

Before he could even answer, an elbow hit the back of his head, making it bang forward before he rubbed his hand against the spot that was hit.

Y/n had seen that group of men being overly loud and annoying, getting way too close to their table without being aware of it, because they were the type to think they owned the place and the people next to them only had to deal with it.

—Hey! I know it's weird for a gorilla like you to be around people, but you need to watch out —Y/n called him out.

—Excuse me? —the man was shocked at her comment, turning to their table again after hearing her voice over the chants.

—You heard me —she snapped back, annoyed—. You hit him, apologize.

—Doesn't he have a mouth to speak? —he turned to San— Does your girlfriend have to speak for you? —the man tilted his head— Why don't you just do what you're supposed to? Sit back on your seat, and keep your pretty mouth shut —he looked back at Y/n.

Something didn't sit right with him with the way that man was speaking to her. He could deal with someone being rude to him, and disrespecting him. But his blood boiled when he dared to look down at Y/n as if she was worth nothing.

—And why don't you take that big fat ass out of this place and do all of us a favor? —San suddenly spoke.

—Big fat ass?

—Yeah. You and your big foot complex are ruining the fun for all of us here. So get the fuck out —and suddenly, he was aware of who he was speaking to, and where—, please.

—The little princess knows how to speak —the man mocked him—. Let's see how you speak without teeth.

But before that man could approach him any closer, San's leg moved faster, hitting the heel of his white sneakers against the chin of the tall man before he could even take a step in his direction. Y/n was so impressed by the sudden move that she didn't realize the moment San rushed towards her, gripping her wrist and dragging her out of the bar as soon as all that confidence disappeared and he was aware that it was an eight against one kind of situation.

Y/n didn't doubt, she didn't stop to think anything, she just ran behind him, while he pulled her tight while those men chased them down the street.

—Where the hell did you learn to do that? —she suddenly asked.

—I did taekwondo when I was younger, I didn't even remember I could do that.

The smile on her face quickly dropped when she looked back and was aware of the men getting closer to them, momentarily losing them as San turned left at one of the streets, before he pulled her body abruptly to one of the nearest dark alleys.

Their breaths were shaky as they both hid in the darkness, with his body completely covering hers while the wall worked as a support for her back. It was all so rushed, it all happened so fast, that neither of them seemed to realize how close they were until the eight men ran past the same alley they were hiding at.

It was only then that he looked down at her to make sure she was okay.

Her parted lips were the most dangerous invitation, and their warm breaths mixing in the small space between them worked like the tightest pull between them. Once their eyes were linked among the heavy air, it was over for the two of them.

—You told me to take some risks —he whispered—. Let me take another risk tonight.

His lips felt soft against hers, even more than she imagined after seeing his pictures. They were definitely better than she could've imagined.

His pull was addictive, dangerous... to the point that it had her hooking her fingers around his neck, as she stood on her tiptoes, to make the kiss deeper. It went from a soft peck to a lip sucking experience that had her head running in circles due to the intensity. His mouth was clumsy, barely managing to keep up with how she was moving, despite him pinning her against the wall to glue their bodies even closer together.

He was inexperienced, the kiss was messy, but it was the most electrifying kiss she had ever had. They didn't even need to dig their tongues on the other's mouth to have her toes curling and her mouth gasping for air due to the intensity of her heartbeat.

It was the best kiss she had ever had in such a long time.