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hereforuconnwbb · 23 hours ago

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Unexpected Halt - CHAPTER NINE

paige x azzi (pazzi)

au fic!

~paige plays for uconn and azzi plays for stanford~

word count: 11.2k

warning: mentions of drugging and sa

heres chapter 9 for u guys !!! 🫶🏽 i wasnt too sure on how to continue at first, but i think ive finally got it. im hoping this chapter makes sense and ties everything together well 😭 im coming towards the end of this series—maybe just one or two more chapters left ?? im not entirely sure yet, it really depends on how i can wrap up the story and get it to flow. but um anywayssss i hope yall enjoy it !!

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Days had passed since Azzi unblocked Paige, but no messages had been sent. The silence lingered between them, heavy and unspoken. Paige had no way of knowing she was unblocked, and Azzi wasn’t sure if she wanted to be the one to break the silence first.

Paige, on the other hand, was still trying to process everything. She had spent the last few days running on autopilot—going to practice, going to class, pretending everything was fine when, in reality, she was anything but. The weight of everything with Lexi, the betrayal, the misunderstanding with Azzi—it all sat on her chest like a crushing force.

And now, Paige was faced with a decision.

Would she take the risk of reaching out, knowing she could be ignored? Or would she let Azzi come to her when she was ready?

—------------

Paige was sitting in her dorm, absentmindedly scrolling through her phone, when it rang. She didn’t recognize the number at first, but as soon as she picked up and heard the voice on the other end, her heart started racing.

“Paige Bueckers? This is Officer Reynolds from the Storrs Police Department. We’re calling to follow up on the investigation regarding Alexis Carter.”

Hearing Lexi’s full name sent a chill down Paige’s spine. She sat up straighter, gripping her phone tighter. “Yeah, I—um—yeah. What’s going on?”

“We wanted to inform you that we’ve taken Alexis Carter into custody.”

Paige’s breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t expected them to move this fast.

“We gathered enough evidence based on the videos you and Serena provided, along with the footage we obtained from Ted’s and testimonies from other witnesses. She was located earlier today, and after questioning, we proceeded with the arrest. She’s facing multiple charges, including administering a substance with intent, identity fraud for the messages she sent from your phone, and harassment.”

Paige exhaled, but the relief she thought she would feel wasn’t there. She still felt suffocated, still felt the weight of what had happened pressing down on her.

“So…what happens now?” she asked quietly.

“She’s being held in custody, and the case is moving forward. We’ll be in touch if we need you to provide further statements, but we have substantial evidence. We also wanted to check in with you—make sure you’re alright and see if you need any additional support.”

Paige wanted to say she was fine. That now that Lexi was out of the picture, everything would just go back to normal. But it wouldn’t. It couldn’t.

“I don’t know,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

The officer was silent for a moment before speaking again, their tone softer. “That’s understandable. This was a traumatic event, and it’s going to take time to process. If you need resources or someone to talk to, we can arrange that for you. You’re not alone in this, Paige.”

She swallowed hard. She wasn’t sure what she needed. Right now, all she could think about was Azzi.

“Thank you,” she said after a pause.

“Of course. We’ll keep you updated as things progress. If you remember anything else or need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out.”

With that, the call ended. Paige let her phone drop onto her bed as she stared at the wall, mind racing.

Lexi was finally gone. But the damage had already been done.

And now, she had to figure out how to pick up the pieces.

Her mind swirling with emotions after the call with the police. She didn’t know what she was expecting by sending the message, but something in her made her grab her phone and type it out anyway. She stared at the screen for a moment before hitting send, her finger hovering over the send button for a moment longer than necessary.

It was a long shot, a desperate move, but at this point, she had nothing left to lose.

“Azzi, I don’t know if this will even go through, but I just need you to know… I was the victim in all of this. I would never want to hurt you. Whatever happened wasn’t me. Lexi is the one who did this. There’s proof now, and the police are involved. I thought you’d never want to talk to me again, but I’m not giving up on us. I just want you to know the truth. I can’t keep living with this silence between us. Please, when you’re ready, I’ll be here. I just had to say this. I’m sorry. Please don’t hate me.”

She reread the message a few times, wondering if it would even reach Azzi. Maybe the damage was too deep. Maybe she didn’t want to hear from her anymore. But then again, Paige hadn’t known what Azzi had been thinking. She didn’t know if Azzi had even been given a chance to see the full picture.

Before she could second guess herself, she tapped the “send” button.

The seconds stretched, each one feeling like an eternity as Paige watched the little spinning icon. She held her breath, waiting. And then, the message went through.

It wasn’t a huge sign, not by any means, but it was a glimmer. She blinked, staring at her screen. Her heart skipped a beat. The message was sent.

She hadn’t expected that. She hadn’t thought for a second that Azzi would unblock her. But the fact that the message had gone through meant something. Azzi had at least read it—or would, eventually.

But that was all she could do for now. There was nothing more she could say. She had apologized. She had explained. The rest was up to Azzi.

Paige set her phone down beside her, a weight still heavy on her chest. She felt exposed, vulnerable, but a small part of her felt a glimmer of hope. Even if it was just a sliver, it was something.

She wiped away the tear that had escaped her eye and curled into herself, hoping for a message that might never come.

—------------

Azzi sat on the edge of her bed, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup, her mind racing with thoughts of everything that had happened. She hadn’t thought much about Paige in the past few days—not really. It was hard not to, of course, but Azzi had done her best to keep herself distracted. Her heart ached every time she thought of Paige, but she knew she needed time. Time to process everything, to let the anger fade, and to try to heal.

And then, her phone buzzed.

Azzi glanced down, seeing Paige’s name pop up on the screen. She hadn’t expected it. She hadn’t even thought about whether or not Paige would reach out again.

Her thumb hovered over the message. She hadn’t blocked Paige’s number, not completely, but she’d kept herself away for a reason. But now, as she stared at the message, something in her shifted. Her thumb tapped the notification, and the message opened.

Paige: Azzi, I don’t know if this will even go through, but I just need you to know… I was the victim in all of this. I would never want to hurt you. Whatever happened wasn’t me. Lexi is the one who did this. There’s proof now, and the police are involved. I thought you’d never want to talk to me again, but I’m not giving up on us. I just want you to know the truth. I can’t keep living with this silence between us. Please, when you’re ready, I’ll be here. I just had to say this. I’m sorry. Please don’t hate me.

Azzi closed her eyes, the weight of Paige’s words sinking into her chest. She exhaled a shaky breath, trying to process what she had just read. For the longest time, Azzi had been convinced that Paige had hurt her. She hadn’t understood the truth, and the anger and pain she’d carried had clouded her.

But now it made sense.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Caroline’s voice from a few days ago. She had shown Azzi the videos, the evidence Paige had sent. Azzi hadn’t wanted to look at it, hadn’t wanted to know, but Caroline had insisted. The proof had been undeniable. Lexi was the one who had drugged Paige, and she had kissed her while Paige had been unconscious, taking a picture to frame her. Azzi had watched the videos, and each one had broken her heart even more.

Azzi had been so angry with Paige, but Caroline had shown her the truth and it was a lot for her to take in. And now, reading Paige’s message, everything was clearer.

Azzi: Paige… I didn’t know. I should have listened to you from the start, and I’m so sorry for blocking you. Caroline showed me the videos, and I see what happened. I can’t imagine how you must have felt. I’m sorry for everything… for not giving you the chance to explain. I was hurt, but I know now you didn’t deserve that. I understand now, and I’m so sorry.

Azzi sat back, her chest tight. She had no idea how Paige would respond, but she knew this was a step toward healing. Toward understanding. She wasn’t sure what would happen next, but for the first time in days, Azzi felt like she could breathe again.

She had forgiven Paige, but now, they had a lot to work through.

Her heart still ached, but there was hope now. Hope for something they could rebuild, piece by piece.

—------------

Paige’s heart hammered in her chest as she stared at her phone, waiting for Azzi’s reply. Her fingers felt cold, and she was almost afraid to open the message. What if Azzi didn’t respond? What if this was it?

When her phone buzzed, Paige quickly unlocked it, holding her breath as she saw the message from Azzi.

Paige let out a shaky breath, the weight on her chest lifting just a little. Her thumb hovered over the screen, unsure of what to say next.

Paige: “Thank you for saying that. I’ve been wanting to talk to you, but I didn’t know if you’d ever want to hear from me again. But I’m glad we’re talking now.”

She paused, thinking about everything that had happened. It was still a mess, but at least they were starting to clear the air.

Azzi: “I was really mad at you, Paige. But I see now that it wasn’t you. I should’ve trusted you more. I just couldn’t understand.”

Paige: “I get it. I messed up too, but I promise, I never wanted to hurt you.”

Azzi: “I know. It’s just going to take me some time to process everything. I don’t know what happens next, but I think I’m ready to start figuring it out.”

Paige smiled at the message, her heart a little lighter now.

Paige: “Whenever you’re ready, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Paige sat on her bed, staring at her phone, rereading her conversation with Azzi. She didn’t know what this meant for them, but at least they were talking again. That was something.

Before she could get lost in her thoughts, her dorm door swung open.

“Knew it!” KK’s voice rang out as she and Ice stepped inside, grinning.

Paige blinked up at them, confused. “Knew what?”

Ice smirked. “That you and Azzi would talk again. You were looking miserable as hell the past few days, but something about you feels different now.”

KK nudged Ice. “Look at her, man. She’s literally glowing.”

Paige rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help the small smile creeping onto her lips.

Ice crossed her arms. “So? What happened?”

Paige exhaled, running a hand through her hair. “She unblocked me.”

KK let out a dramatic gasp. “Oh shit, for real?”

Paige nodded. “Yeah… we talked. She saw the videos, and she gets it now. She apologized for not listening to me.”

Ice grinned. “That’s big, P. She still cares.”

Paige shrugged, but she felt lighter than she had in days. “She needs time, which I get. I just—” She sighed, shaking her head. “I just hope we can move forward.”

KK flopped onto Paige’s bed. “You will. She knows the truth now. Just give it time.”

Ice sat beside her, nodding. “And we’ll be here making sure you don’t spiral while you wait.”

Paige huffed out a laugh, appreciating them more than she could put into words. For the first time in a while, things didn’t feel so hopeless.

The conversation shifted to the next game, and KK leaned forward, her tone teasing. “So, speaking of moving forward, there’s a little matter of that upcoming game against UCLA. It’s at their arena, in California. You should totally catch a flight to Azzi after our game. You’re technically already there, right? Just fly to see Azzi. Take a break before the next game. We’re all thinking it.”

Paige blinked, caught off guard. “You really think I should?”

Ice nodded seriously. “Yeah, why not? It’s the perfect time. Geno and CD probably won’t have a problem with it.”

Paige hesitated for a moment. “I mean, it would make sense… we’re already in California. I just need to get their approval.”

KK shot her a wink. “Exactly. And come on, you’ve guys got to fix things. Take this chance.”

—------------

Later that day, Paige walked into Geno’s office, where both he and CD were reviewing some game footage. They looked up when she entered.

“Paige, what’s up?” Geno asked, his expression neutral but welcoming.

Paige took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. “Hey, so, I was thinking… after our game against UCLA in California, I could catch a flight to Stanford instead of coming back with the team. There’s a bit of a break before our next game, so I thought I could use the time to sort out some stuff. Relationship stuff”

CD raised an eyebrow. “Relationship stuff, huh? Sounds serious.”

Paige nodded. “Yeah, it’s… with Azzi.”

The room went silent for a moment. Geno and CD exchanged a look, both clearly surprised. Geno leaned back in his chair. “Azzi? The Azzi Fudd? I didn’t realize that was happening.”

Paige bit her lip, feeling slightly awkward now. “Yeah, it’s been complicated. But we’re trying to work things out, and I think this is a good time to talk.”

CD gave her a thoughtful nod. “Well, if it’s important, we’re not going to stop you. But we do need to make sure the team stays focused. I trust you can handle it. Just don’t forget the bigger picture.”

Paige nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. “Thanks. I really appreciate it.”

Then Geno added, “Oh and just so you know, we’ve been hearing some things about Azzi and Caroline. Apparently, they’re both entering the transfer portal.”

Paige froze, eyes widening in shock. “What? They’re… what? They didn’t tell me.”

CD sighed. “It’s a bit of a mess. Apparently, there’s some internal conflict at Stanford, and both of them are looking at other options.”

Paige felt a wave of disbelief hit her. “But… they didn’t even mention it to me.”

Geno looked at her, his expression thoughtful. “You might want to talk to them about it. It’s something a lot of teams are looking into, including us. If you’re going out there, maybe you can try to convince them to come to UConn. I’m sure they’d fit in well here. And, we would really love to have them here.”

Paige’s mind was racing. Azzi and Caroline leaving Stanford was something she hadn’t expected at all. She hadn’t known the extent of the situation between them, and now it seemed like everything was about to change.

“Thanks for the heads up,” she muttered, still processing. “I’ll see what I can do.”

With that, Paige left the office, her thoughts swirling. She had a lot more to think about than just her relationship with Azzi. Now, the future of her team—and possibly Azzi and Caroline’s futures—were hanging in the balance. She knew she needed to handle this carefully.

—------------

Later that night, Paige sat on her bed, staring at her phone for a while before typing out the message to Azzi. She wasn’t sure how Azzi would react to the news about the transfer portal, but she had to tell her. She took a deep breath and began typing:

Paige: Hey, I just found out about the transfer portal with you and Caroline… You didn’t mention it to me. What’s going on?

She hit send, her heart beating a little faster as she waited for Azzi’s response. Paige wasn’t sure what to expect. She was already dealing with a lot of uncertainty with their relationship, and now there was this unexpected development with the portal. The last thing she wanted was to make things more complicated.

After a few moments, Azzi’s reply came through.

Azzi: Yeah, I didn’t want to tell you yet… We’ve been trying to figure everything out. It’s not easy, but I guess it’s time to move on. The situation here just… isn’t working anymore.

Paige’s chest tightened as she read the message. She understood the decision, even if it hurt to see Azzi’s words so final. She thought about the implications—Azzi leaving Stanford, everything changing. But she wasn’t about to give up on them just yet.

Paige: Hey, I get it. I really do. Look, after the UCLA game, I’m gonna head over to Stanford to see you. I need to talk to you in person. I know it’s been rough, but I want to make things right.

Azzi’s reply came quickly, and Paige felt a bit of relief when she read it.

Azzi: Sounds good. I’ll be here. I’m glad you’re coming.

Paige smiled to herself as she read the message. She knew there was a long road ahead, but this was a step in the right direction. She had to fix things with Azzi, no matter what it took.

She put her phone down for a moment, taking a deep breath. She still had the game against UCLA to focus on, but for the first time in a while, things felt like they were moving forward.

—------------

A few days later, the UConn team touched down in LA, the warm California sun blindingly bright against the backdrop of the towering skyscrapers. The city was alive with energy, a stark contrast to the chilly weather they had left behind. The team moved through the airport, their chatter filling the air, but Paige’s mind was elsewhere. She followed the others, but her focus was on one thing: the game tomorrow. She had one more challenge to face before she could finally board a flight to Stanford.

Ice and KK walked alongside her as they made their way to the team buses, the three of them talking casually, but there was an underlying tension in the air. Ice, ever the curious one, raised an eyebrow as Paige remained quieter than usual.

“So, we know you’re heading to Stanford after the game, huh?” Ice asked, her voice teasing but with a knowing look in her eyes. “You sure about this?”

Paige’s lips pressed together into a thin line. She had told them her plan earlier, but there was a difference between talking about it and actually going through with it. She nodded, pushing aside the anxious feeling in her chest. “Yeah, I need to figure things out with Azzi.”

KK chimed in with a smirk. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re more excited to get there than play tomorrow.”

Paige rolled her eyes, but the flicker of nerves in her gaze betrayed her. “I’m focused on the game,” she said, but even she could hear the uncertainty in her voice. “We’ll see how things go.”

They reached the hotel, and the team began filing inside, luggage in tow. Paige’s teammates found their rooms, and she followed the group, but her mind kept wandering back to Stanford. She didn’t know exactly how Azzi would react when they see each other at the airport, or what their conversation would be like, but she knew it had to happen. No more running.

“Don’t worry, P,” Ice said softly, falling in step beside her as they walked down the hallway. “Whatever happens, we’re all here for you. Just remember to focus tomorrow. Then you can do whatever you want after.”

Paige gave a small smile, grateful for the support. Her friends had been there for her through everything, especially the mess with Lexi and all the emotional turmoil that had come with it. Ice always had a way of making her feel like everything would be okay, even when it didn’t feel that way.

“I know,” Paige replied quietly. “But tomorrow’s game… it’s important. I just want to get through it.”

KK nudged her. “You’ll do fine, P. You always do. But then, you have to come back and deal with whatever happens next.” She gave Paige a knowing look. “Don’t leave us hanging.”

Paige let out a small laugh. “You’re gonna be the first to know.”

They arrived at the room, and Ice and KK dropped their bags, taking their usual spots on the beds. Paige’s mind, though, was already a million miles away, picturing the flight she’d be catching after the game tomorrow—her chance to set things right with Azzi.

—------------

The next day, the game against UCLA was nothing short of intense. The atmosphere in the arena was electric, with fans packed into the stands, the tension palpable in the air. UConn and UCLA were evenly matched, trading points in a high-paced battle that seemed to keep everyone on the edge of their seats. Every possession felt crucial, and both teams played with relentless energy, their defenses pushing back against any attempt at a clean shot.

Paige moved quickly on the court, the familiar rhythm of the game grounding her, even though her mind kept straying. She felt the pressure of the upcoming trip—Stanford was calling, and there was no turning back now. But despite the whirlwind of thoughts, the game was all she knew in that moment. When the ball was in her hands, everything else faded away.

She sank shot after shot, her focus sharp despite the chaos surrounding her. Her teammates relied on her, and she didn’t let them down. Every assist was well-timed, and every play was made with precision. When the game reached its final moments, with the score neck-and-neck, Paige found herself leading a fast break, pushing the ball down the court with urgency. The defense closed in, but Paige faked left and made a slick pass to her teammate, who finished with a quick layup.

The buzzer sounded seconds later, signaling UConn’s hard-fought victory. The crowd erupted, and the team erupted with them. Paige, though, was already thinking ahead. The relief of winning the game was temporary, fleeting, like a breath she could finally release. But her mind quickly shifted back to the flight waiting for her after the final whistle. The night was still young, and she had one more step to take, one more conversation to have.

As the team celebrated their victory in the locker room, Paige kept her composure, letting the excitement of the win wash over her but not getting swept away. She exchanged high-fives with her teammates and smiled at their praise, but her eyes kept darting toward the door. The countdown was on, and soon, she would be on her way. She couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. The next chapter was about to unfold, and she didn’t know how it would go, but one thing was clear: she was ready.

—------------

After the game, the team gathered their things and headed back to the hotel. The atmosphere was a mix of excitement and relief. Paige, however, had her focus on the next chapter—getting to Stanford and facing whatever awaited her with Azzi.

At the hotel, Paige took her time packing. She didn’t want to rush the moment. Once she was done, she left the room and met up with Ice and KK in the lobby.

“I’ll see you guys soon,” Paige said, hugging both of them. “Thanks for everything, seriously.”

“You got this, P,” Ice said with a smile. “We’re proud of you.”

“Take care of yourself, alright?” KK added, giving Paige a tight squeeze. “Let us know how everything goes with Azzi.”

Paige nodded, grateful for their support. She didn’t know what the next few days would hold, but she knew that having her friends backing her up was all she needed.

She made her way over to Geno and CD, who were talking with a couple of the other coaches near the entrance. As she approached, Geno turned to her, giving her a quick nod.

“Headed to the airport now, huh?” he asked, his expression a little serious but supportive.

Paige smiled nervously. “Yeah.”

CD raised an eyebrow. “Let us know if you need anything. And… if you convince her and Caroline to come to UConn, we’ll be waiting.”

Paige chuckled, but the thought lingered in the back of her mind. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen with Azzi, but she knew that was something they’d have to work through together.

“Thanks, guys,” Paige said, giving them both a hug. “I’ll keep you posted.”

As she walked out of the hotel, the cool evening air hit her face, a welcome contrast to the warmth of the building she was leaving behind. Her heart raced with a mix of excitement and nerves. She was about to head to the airport—about to catch her flight to Stanford to see Azzi. The weight of what was ahead settled on her chest, but she pushed it down. She had to stay focused.

She grabbed her bag, dialing for an Uber as she stepped onto the sidewalk. The car arrived quickly, and she slid into the backseat, trying to keep her thoughts in check as the city of LA passed by outside the window.

—------------

Paige sat back in her seat, buckling her seatbelt as the plane began to taxi down the runway. She pulled out her phone, fingers hesitating for a moment before she sent a quick message to Azzi.

Paige: “Just boarded my flight. Should be there in 2 hours.”

She stared at the screen, her heart thudding a little faster than usual. She hadn’t been this nervous in a while, but this was different. This was about fixing something she had broken, something she wasn’t sure could be fixed.

It didn’t take long for Azzi’s reply to come through.

Azzi: “I’ll be waiting at the airport for you. See you soon 💗”

Paige smiled softly at the message, feeling a sense of calm settle over her. She was actually going to see Azzi. It felt surreal, knowing how much had happened between them. There was a lot to say, but right now, just knowing that Azzi would be there, waiting for her, gave Paige a little hope.

As the plane lifted into the sky, Paige leaned her head back, closing her eyes for a moment. She felt a mix of emotions—nervousness, relief, anticipation. She didn’t know what the next few hours would bring, but she was going to take it one step at a time. The first step was seeing Azzi. And that was all that mattered right now.

—------------

The flight was short, barely an hour and a half, but it felt longer to Paige. Her mind raced as she watched the passing clouds outside the window, thinking about everything that had led her here. The thought of Azzi waiting at the airport kept bringing a small smile to her face. She felt a sense of warmth and nervousness mix in her chest, like she was preparing for something significant, even though she wasn’t sure exactly what that would be.

When the plane finally began its descent, Paige’s heart quickened. She wasn’t sure what she expected when she landed—whether Azzi would be waiting with open arms, or if the tension between them would be too much to overcome—but she was about to find out.

The plane touched down with a soft jolt, and Paige quickly grabbed her things, eager to get off. She checked her phone one more time, seeing Azzi’s message again. Paige’s hands were shaking just slightly, the reality of the situation settling in. She was finally here, finally going to see Azzi.

As soon as she stepped off the plane, Paige scanned the crowded terminal, her eyes searching for the one person she knew would be waiting for her. It didn’t take long. Through the crowd, she saw Azzi standing by the baggage claim, looking around. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and she had a small, hesitant smile on her face.

Paige’s heart skipped a beat. She walked toward Azzi, their eyes meeting in a quiet, unspoken understanding.

When they were close enough, Paige didn’t hesitate. She opened her arms, a simple gesture, but one that felt huge in the moment. Azzi’s face softened, and without a second thought, she stepped into Paige’s embrace. The moment their bodies met, a wave of relief seemed to wash over both of them.

Azzi’s arms wrapped around Paige tightly, and she pressed her face into the crook of Paige’s neck, inhaling deeply. All the anger, confusion, and hurt of the past few days seemed to fade away in that moment. There was nothing but the warmth of Paige’s arms and the quiet comfort of knowing that she wasn’t alone in this anymore.

Azzi closed her eyes, feeling her heart settle for the first time in what felt like forever. All she had needed was this—the simple reassurance that Paige still cared. That maybe they could still figure things out, even after everything that had happened.

For Paige, it felt like the world had paused, the noise of the airport fading into the background. Holding Azzi like this, feeling her warmth, it was everything she’d wanted but never knew how to ask for. She wanted to say so much, but for now, just this felt like enough.

They stood there for a moment, the embrace lingering longer than either of them expected. Azzi finally pulled back slightly, her hands resting on Paige’s shoulders as she looked up at her, her face soft but guarded.

“I’m sorry,” Paige whispered, her voice barely above a breath, though she hadn’t meant to say it aloud.

Azzi simply nodded, not saying a word, but Paige could see the quiet understanding in her eyes.

After a few moments, Azzi cracked a small smile. “Let’s just… take it one step at a time, okay?”

Paige nodded, her chest tight but hopeful. “Yeah. One step at a time.”

And that was all either of them needed right now.

—------------

The car ride back to Azzi’s dorm was filled with a strange tension that neither of them knew how to break. Paige sat in the passenger seat, nervously picking at her fingers, stealing occasional glances at Azzi, who kept her eyes focused on the road ahead. The weight of everything that had happened was still hanging in the air, making it hard for either of them to find a natural way to ease into conversation.

As they passed through the busy streets, Paige decided to push through the awkward silence. “So… the transfer portal situation,” she started, her voice slightly hesitating. She was nervous, but she knew they needed to address it. She’d been holding onto the question ever since hearing about it, unsure of how to bring it up without making things feel too heavy.

Azzi glanced at her quickly, her face unreadable, before focusing back on the road. She didn’t say anything, but Paige could feel the unspoken weight of it.

Paige swallowed, gathering her courage. “I know… I know it’s been tough. But, uh, which schools have been reaching out to you guys? I know UConn’s one of them.”

Azzi was quiet for a moment, then gave a small, almost resigned sigh. “Yeah, UConn’s reached out. A lot of schools have. Tennessee, UCLA, ND… and some other big ones, too. But, honestly, we’re still exploring all the options. Caroline and I, we have an idea of where we might want to go, but… it’s still up in the air.”

Paige nodded, trying to hide the rush of emotions that came over her. She wasn’t surprised that UConn was one of the schools reaching out—Geno had always made it clear he wanted the best players, and Azzi and Caroline were among the best.

A part of her couldn’t help but feel hopeful, though she pushed that feeling down, not wanting to get her hopes up too much.

“I talked to Geno about it,” Paige said, her voice a little softer. “He really wants you and Caroline there. He believes you two could make UConn unstoppable.”

Azzi didn’t say anything at first, but Paige could see the slight tension in her shoulders as she kept her eyes on the road. She didn’t know what Azzi was thinking, but it was clear that the transfer portal situation was just as complicated for her as it was for Paige.

“We’ve talked about it,” Azzi finally said, her voice quiet. “Caroline and I… we’ve got some ideas. But, yeah, we’re still figuring things out.”

The silence settled between them again, though it felt less heavy now. Paige’s mind was racing with thoughts of what this all meant. She wasn’t sure if they’d be able to work things out between them, but she was starting to think that maybe… just maybe, they could both find a way to make it work—both with their teams and with each other.

Azzi took a sharp turn, heading into the parking lot near her dorm. Paige shifted in her seat, the nerves creeping back up again. The anticipation of what was to come next—the conversation, the possible change in direction for their futures—was almost too much to bear.

Azzi parked the car and turned off the engine. She looked over at Paige, her expression soft, yet thoughtful. “We’ll figure it out.I just need some time.”

Paige nodded, her heart heavy but hopeful. “Yeah… I know.”

They sat there for a moment, neither of them speaking, just letting the quiet settle between them as the night deepened around them.

—------------

As Paige and Azzi walked through the parking lot, the cool night air brushed against them, and Paige carried her own bag despite Azzi’s insistence that she help. Azzi had offered multiple times to take the bag for her, but Paige had declined each time with a small smile, not wanting to seem like a burden. There was something comforting about the familiar weight of her own belongings in her hand, and it felt right for her to carry it herself.

They reached the dorm building, and the familiar hum of campus life surrounded them as they entered the building and made their way up to Azzi’s floor. The soft sound of their footsteps echoed through the hallway, and as they reached Azzi’s door, Paige was already mentally preparing for whatever the next few days would bring. She was hoping they could talk, finally process everything that had happened, and see where things stood between them.

Azzi opened the door to reveal Caroline lounging on the couch, her attention on her phone. She looked up when the door clicked open and, for a moment, froze. When her eyes landed on Paige, she blinked in surprise, her brow furrowing.

“Paige?” Caroline’s voice was laced with a hint of confusion, but there was something more there—a mix of curiosity and cautious hope. She quickly pushed herself up from the couch, standing to face them both.

Paige gave her a tight-lipped smile, nodding. “Yeah, I’m here.”

Azzi shot Caroline a knowing look as she stepped inside. “We’re working things out,” Azzi said, and even though her voice was calm, there was an undeniable weight to it, a promise of something better to come.

Caroline nodded, relief washing over her face, though she didn’t say anything right away. She just gave Paige a small, tentative smile before sitting back down on the couch, her phone forgotten in her lap. “I’m glad you two are figuring things out,” she said with a sincerity that softened the tension in the room.

Paige nodded, not sure what else to say, her own nerves still raw from the past few weeks. She followed Azzi to her room, feeling the slight unease in her stomach. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be here, in Azzi’s space, but everything still felt so new and fragile. She wasn’t sure if they were fully back to where they used to be, or if they were even capable of getting there.

Azzi’s room was cozy and familiar, just like Paige remembered. The bed was slightly unmade, clothes scattered on the floor in the usual places, and the soft glow of a desk lamp illuminated the room with a warm, intimate light. Azzi sat down on her bed, laying back and propping herself up with a pillow, her eyes following Paige as she started to sort through her things.

Paige set her bag down beside the dresser and began putting Azzi’s clothes away in the drawers, the mundane task helping her focus and calm her nerves. She had missed this—this small part of her life, the simple act of being in Azzi’s space and settling in like everything was normal. But it wasn’t normal, not yet, and the tension between them remained, though neither of them was sure how to break it.

“You don’t have to do that, you know,” Azzi said softly from her spot on the bed, her voice gentle but with an underlying tone of concern. “I could’ve helped you. You don’t need to do everything on your own.”

Paige paused for a moment, looking over her shoulder at Azzi, her expression softening. “It’s fine,” she said quietly, a small smile tugging at her lips. “I need to do something. Keeps my mind busy.”

Azzi nodded, watching her for a moment before sinking back into the pillows. She hadn’t fully processed everything either, but for now, this—just having Paige there—felt like the right step. They didn’t have all the answers yet, but for the first time in what felt like forever, there was no immediate urgency to fix everything. It could wait.

As Paige finished settling in, she turned to see Azzi looking at her with a mixture of exhaustion and something softer, like she was grateful for Paige’s presence, but also unsure of where they stood.

Paige sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at her hands before turning to face Azzi. She took a deep breath, the silence lingering between them.

“I’m glad we’re doing this,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t want to lose you, Azzi. Not again.”

Azzi’s gaze softened, and she reached out, brushing her hand lightly against Paige’s. “You won’t. We’re figuring this out. Together.”

—------------

Paige took her time tidying up Azzi’s room, folding the scattered clothes and stacking them neatly in a pile by the dresser. It was a simple task, but it grounded her, kept her hands busy while her mind raced. Azzi stayed on the bed, watching in silence, her fingers absentmindedly playing with the hem of her hoodie. The air between them was heavy—not tense, exactly, but weighted with everything they hadn’t said yet.

When Paige finally finished, she turned back toward the bed, wiping her hands on her sweatpants. Azzi was still looking at her, eyes flickering with hesitation and something else—regret. Paige could see it before she even spoke.

Azzi sat up, crossing her legs beneath her. “Paige,” she started, voice quiet, unsure. She glanced down, like she was trying to piece her words together before finally meeting Paige’s gaze again. “I need to say this. I—I was wrong.”

Paige’s brows furrowed slightly, but she didn’t say anything, letting Azzi continue.

“When I first saw the picture… when I got those messages,” Azzi swallowed hard, shaking her head as if frustrated with herself. “I didn’t even stop to think. I should have. I should’ve listened to you, I should’ve trusted you instead of letting my emotions get the best of me.” Her voice grew softer, guilt weighing down her words. “And when I saw the proof—the video of how she kissed you while you were unconscious, how she drugged you—I felt… sick. Sick that I ever doubted you.”

Paige exhaled, her expression unreadable.

Azzi clenched her hands together. “I’m so sorry. I was so caught up in how it looked, how it felt, that I didn’t even give you the chance to explain. I just—” She hesitated, eyes dropping again. “I just reacted. And that wasn’t fair to you.”

Paige stayed silent for a moment, processing Azzi’s words. She could see the sincerity in her eyes, the way her voice wavered just enough to reveal the emotions she was holding back. Azzi wasn’t just apologizing—she was hurting over how she had handled it.

Paige finally sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Azzi… it’s okay.”

Azzi’s head snapped up, her brows drawing together. “No, it’s not.”

Paige shook her head. “None of this should’ve happened in the first place. Lexi… she’s messed up. And yeah, it hurt when you didn’t believe me, but I get why it was hard to process.” Her voice softened. “I would’ve been hurt too if the situation was reversed.”

Azzi looked like she wanted to argue, but Paige gave her a small, reassuring smile. “The important thing is that we’re here now. We’re working through it.” She nudged Azzi’s knee lightly. “We’re not gonna let her win, okay?”

Azzi exhaled shakily, nodding. “Yeah. Okay.”

A comfortable silence settled over them, the weight of the conversation lifting, even if it wasn’t completely gone. Paige glanced at Azzi’s bed, then back at her. “Can we… can we cuddle?”

Azzi blinked in surprise before nodding almost immediately, shifting back to make space. “Yeah. Of course.”

Paige climbed onto the bed, pulling the blankets over them as she settled in. Azzi didn’t hesitate before burying her face into the crook of Paige’s neck, her arms wrapping around her like she had been waiting for this moment for far too long. Paige sucked in a quiet breath at the closeness, but after a moment, she relaxed, resting her chin on top of Azzi’s head. The warmth of Azzi’s body against hers, the steady rhythm of her breathing—it was calming. Familiar.

Paige hesitated, but then, gently, she pressed a soft kiss to the top of Azzi’s head. Azzi let out a quiet breath, holding Paige just a little tighter. Neither of them spoke, both content in the silence, in the feeling of being wrapped up in each other.

And slowly, with their bodies tangled together, they drifted off to sleep.

—------------

The morning light seeped through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. Paige and Azzi were still tangled together beneath the blankets, their breathing slow and steady. Azzi’s head remained tucked beneath Paige’s chin, her arms loosely wrapped around Paige’s waist. Paige had one arm draped over Azzi’s back, holding her close even in sleep. It was the kind of peaceful scene that made it easy to forget all the complications surrounding them.

Caroline didn’t forget, though—not when she walked into the room with a plate of food in hand, fully expecting to wake Azzi up for breakfast, only to freeze in the doorway at the sight before her.

Her lips curled into a smirk as she took in the sight of Paige and Azzi curled up together, completely unaware of the world around them. It was almost unfair how cute they looked. Paige, who had always tried to play things cool, was practically cradling Azzi in her sleep. And Azzi? She looked like she had no intentions of ever letting go.

Caroline bit her lip to hold back a laugh before quietly pulling out her phone. She made sure the angle was just right before snapping a picture. She knew Azzi would kill her if she found out, but this was too good not to capture.

With the evidence secured, she finally cleared her throat. “Alright, lovebirds, time to wake up. I made breakfast, and I am not about to let it get cold while you two continue your little cuddle session.”

Azzi groaned first, nuzzling closer into Paige as if she could ignore Caroline’s voice and go back to sleep. Paige, still half-asleep, tightened her hold slightly before blinking her eyes open.

Caroline smirked. “Good morning, sunshine.”

Paige groaned, her voice thick with sleep. “Why are you in here?”

“Because I made breakfast,” Caroline said matter-of-factly. “And also because you two looked way too cozy, and I just had to document the moment.”

Paige’s brain was still catching up when Azzi finally stirred, blinking up at her before realization hit. Her eyes widened slightly, and she slowly pulled back, her cheeks flushing. Paige reluctantly let go, rubbing a hand over her face as she tried to shake off her sleepiness.

Azzi shot Caroline a suspicious look. “What do you mean document?”

Caroline grinned, holding up her phone. “You’ll see later. Now get up before I start eating without you.”

Azzi groaned, throwing a pillow in Caroline’s direction as she walked off laughing. Paige just sighed, already regretting whatever picture Caroline had taken.

But despite that, as she glanced over at Azzi—who was still red-faced but smiling softly—she couldn’t bring herself to care too much.

Azzi let out a tired sigh, running a hand through her messy hair before glancing at Paige, who was still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The warmth from their cuddle lingered between them, and for a brief second, Azzi wanted to curl right back into Paige’s arms and pretend the morning didn’t exist.

But Caroline had made breakfast, and given how rare that was, Azzi figured she should take advantage of it before she regretted it.

Paige stretched, her hoodie riding up slightly before she tugged it back down. “I feel like I should be worried about that picture,” she mumbled, still groggy.

Azzi scoffed, sliding out of bed. “You should be. Caroline has no chill.”

Paige chuckled softly, finally sitting up. “Yeah, I figured that out a long time ago.”

Azzi rolled her eyes but smiled as she grabbed a hair tie from her nightstand and pulled her hair into a loose ponytail. She hesitated for a second before turning to Paige. “You coming?”

Paige met her gaze and nodded, swinging her legs over the bed. “Yeah. Can’t let Caroline eat all the food she claims she made.”

Azzi smirked. “You’re assuming she didn’t just order it and put it on plates.”

Paige gave her a knowing look. “That’s exactly what I’m assuming.”

They both laughed as they made their way out of the room and into the small common area where Caroline had set up breakfast. A stack of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and some fruit sat on the table, and sure enough, a few empty takeout containers were shoved into the trash.

Azzi gave Caroline a look. “Wow. You really went all out with this homemade meal.”

Caroline grinned, unbothered. “I slaved over this. You’re welcome.”

Paige snorted, grabbing a plate. “Uh-huh. Thanks for all your hard work.”

Caroline shrugged. “Hey, the effort to plate it counts for something.” She smirked at Paige as she took a bite of her food. “So… how was your sleepover?”

Azzi shot her a warning look. “Caroline.”

“What?” Caroline grinned innocently before winking at Paige. “Just asking. You both looked real comfortable this morning.”

Paige rolled her eyes but smirked slightly. “We slept. That’s what happened.”

Caroline hummed. “Sure, sure.” She glanced at Azzi before taking a bite of her food. “Well, if y’all wanna keep playing house, don’t let me stop you.”

Azzi sighed, ignoring her as she grabbed some food for herself. Paige just shook her head, but underneath the teasing, she could see the genuine relief on Caroline’s face. As annoying as she was, she had been rooting for them the whole time.

And for the first time in a long time, Paige felt like things were finally falling back into place.

They settled at the table, the clinking of forks against plates filling the comfortable silence between them. The food, despite being very obviously from a takeout container, wasn’t bad, and Paige had to admit she appreciated the effort—at least Caroline had plated it.

Azzi sat across from her, quietly eating while occasionally sneaking glances at Paige, like she was still processing the fact that she was here. Paige caught her once, smirking slightly as she raised a brow. Azzi just shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips as she focused back on her food.

Caroline, of course, was the first to break the silence. “So, Paige, how long are you sticking around?”

Paige wiped her mouth with a napkin before answering. “Geno wants me back in time for practice, so… another two days.”

Azzi’s chewing slowed, and Caroline tilted her head. “That’s kinda short.”

“Yeah, I know,” Paige admitted, glancing at Azzi before continuing. “But honestly? I’m just glad he and CD let me come here instead of heading straight back to Connecticut with the team.”

Azzi looked up at that, her expression softening. Paige could see the unspoken I’m glad too in her eyes, but Azzi didn’t say it out loud.

Caroline nodded, popping a piece of fruit into her mouth. “Damn. Geno really let you off the leash for a bit, huh?”

Paige chuckled. “More like he granted me permission. Probably helped that CD was kinda on my side about it.”

Azzi smirked. “So basically, CD allowed you.”

Paige grinned. “Pretty much.”

Caroline laughed. “Sounds about right.”

Azzi glanced at Paige again, a question lingering behind her eyes, but she didn’t voice it. Paige could tell she was thinking about the fact that they only had two days together before she had to leave. And honestly? Paige was thinking about it too.

Two days wasn’t much. But it was something.

And right now, she’d take whatever time she could get.

—------------

The conversation drifted into lighter topics as they ate, the tension from the past few days finally beginning to ease. Paige still felt the weight of everything that had happened, but at least now, sitting across from Azzi, talking, laughing—even if it was at Caroline’s expense—it didn’t feel so overwhelming.

Caroline leaned back in her chair, finishing the last of her food. “So, what’s the plan for today? Are you two gonna, like… go on a cute little date or just sit here and stare at each other?”

Azzi shot her a look. “You are so annoying.”

Caroline smirked. “It’s a talent.”

Paige chuckled, setting her fork down. “I don’t know. I wasn’t exactly planning a romantic getaway, considering, you know… everything.”

Azzi shifted in her seat, twirling her fork between her fingers. “We don’t have to do anything big,” she said, glancing at Paige. “We could just… hang out. Maybe go shoot around for a bit, get some fresh air.”

Paige met her gaze, a small smile forming. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

Caroline groaned. “God, you two are so predictable. Basketball is literally your love language.”

Azzi rolled her eyes. “And?”

Caroline held her hands up in surrender. “Hey, I’m just saying. You could, I don’t know, go to an actual place. Like a restaurant, or the mall, or—”

“We could,” Paige cut in, smirking. “But we won’t.”

Caroline sighed dramatically. “You’re both hopeless.”

Paige just grinned, standing and grabbing her plate. “Hopeless but happy.”

Azzi bit her lip, trying to hide the smile threatening to break through, but Paige caught it anyway. It made something warm settle in her chest.

—------------

After breakfast, the three of them decided to stay in for a bit, just letting the morning stretch out lazily. The air in the dorm felt peaceful—no rush, no pressure. Paige and Azzi spent the time lounging in the common room, chatting idly, with Caroline doing most of the talking while Paige and Azzi exchanged quiet glances when they could.

By the time afternoon rolled around, the sun had warmed the day, and the urge to get moving settled in. Caroline had already made herself scarce, and Azzi and Paige were left with the quiet buzz of anticipation for the afternoon.

“Ready to head to the courts?” Azzi asked, standing up from the couch and grabbing her jacket from the back of her chair.

Paige grinned, standing up too. “Yeah, let’s go. I’m itching for some competition.”

Azzi raised an eyebrow. “You sure you want that? I’m in prime form today.”

Paige chuckled. “Please. I’m not worried.”

They both made their way down to the campus courts, the sound of bouncing balls and sneakers on concrete greeting them as they approached. The courts were mostly empty, the perfect setting for a little one-on-one.

Azzi grabbed a ball from the rack by the court and dribbled it lightly, glancing at Paige with a competitive gleam in her eye. “How about a game to 11?”

Paige raised an eyebrow. “Loser has to buy dinner?”

Azzi smirked. “That’s the deal. You down?”

“Always,” Paige said, already bouncing on her feet, ready to go.

The game started off slow, both of them sizing each other up, shots made and missed in equal measure. Their laughter filled the air, their competitive edge only making the atmosphere more electric. Paige made a few quick layups, her moves sharp, but Azzi wasn’t far behind, getting into a rhythm and hitting some impressive shots of her own.

Every time Paige thought she had the advantage, Azzi would come back with a play that made her stop and take notice. They were both in their element, pushing each other to the edge, testing each other’s limits.

The score crept closer to 11, each point feeling harder to secure. Paige was breathing a little heavier now, but she kept pushing through, giving it everything she had. Azzi, on the other hand, looked like she was just getting started, her eyes locked in with a focused intensity.

Finally, Azzi hit a clean three-pointer that brought her to 11, the ball swishing through the net with a satisfying sound.

“Yes!” Azzi shouted, raising her arms in victory.

Paige let out a dramatic sigh, putting her hands on her hips. “Guess that means I’m buying the food.”

Azzi grinned, walking over to her and offering a high-five. “You can’t win them all.”

Paige smirked and slapped her hand against Azzi’s. “Yeah, but I was still gonna pay for dinner.”

Azzi blinked in surprise. “What?”

Paige shrugged nonchalantly, turning to grab the ball. “I said I’d do it anyway. No way I’m letting you pay for it after you just won. That’s just how I am.”

Azzi’s face softened, a small smile tugging at her lips. “You really are something, you know that?”

Paige grinned. “It’s a gift. But I’ll still probably get you something extra, to make up for this defeat.”

Azzi rolled her eyes playfully. “You don’t have to do that. You already owe me dinner.”

“True,” Paige said with a wink. “But I’m still getting you dessert.”

They both continued to shoot around after their little competition.

After a while, they walked off the court together, the afternoon sun hanging low as they chatted and laughed, the game fading into the background as the idea of dinner—and the company they’d share—took center stage.

—------------

Back at Azzi’s dorm, they took turns showering, washing off the sweat from their game. Paige went first, letting the hot water soothe her muscles, the remnants of their competitive match still lingering in her body. By the time she stepped out, towel-drying her hair, Azzi was already grabbing her things, ready to take her turn.

“I’ll be quick,” Azzi said as she disappeared into the bathroom.

Paige smirked. “You better be. I’m getting hungry.”

Azzi just laughed before shutting the door, and Paige took the time to check her phone, scrolling through a few texts and social media notifications while she waited.

Once Azzi was done, she stepped out with damp hair, dressed casually in a hoodie and shorts. Paige had already made herself comfortable on Azzi’s bed, looking up as Azzi ran a towel through her curls.

“So, what’s the plan?” Azzi asked, tossing the towel aside.

Paige grinned. “I was thinking takeaway and a drive-in movie.”

Azzi raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “A drive-in?”

“Yeah,” Paige nodded. “I looked it up while you were in the shower—there’s one not too far from here. Thought it’d be nice. Chill vibes.”

Azzi smiled, clearly liking the idea. “That actually sounds perfect.”

“Alright then,” Paige said, sitting up. “Let’s pack the essentials.”

They grabbed a few blankets, some pillows, and anything else they might need before heading out to Azzi’s car. The night had settled in by the time they left, the air cool but not uncomfortably so. After picking up their food that Paige had ordered from a local takeout spot, they made their way to the drive-in, pulling into a good spot near the back.

Azzi backed the car up, opening the trunk so they could set up in the back. They arranged the blankets and pillows, making a cozy space before climbing in. Azzi settled between Paige’s legs, leaning back against her chest, and Paige instinctively wrapped her arms around her, holding her close. The warmth between them was immediate, and Azzi let out a content sigh as she got comfortable.

“This is nice,” Azzi murmured, tilting her head slightly so their cheeks brushed.

Paige hummed in agreement, tightening her hold slightly. “Yeah. Perfect way to end the night.”

As the movie started, the soft glow from the screen illuminated the cars around them, creating a peaceful, intimate atmosphere. The hum of distant conversations, the occasional honk, and the quiet murmur of the film set the perfect background noise.

Azzi pulled out her phone, unlocking it as she went to Instagram. Paige peeked over her shoulder, watching as Azzi opened the camera, recording a short video of the view around them—the giant screen ahead, the night sky above, and the cozy setup they had in the trunk. Then, with a quick double-tap on the screen, the camera flipped to them.

Azzi grinned, her head leaning into Paige’s as she smiled at the camera. Paige smirked slightly, her arms still wrapped around Azzi as they both sat close, their faces almost touching. The warmth of the moment was captured perfectly—the way they fit together, the ease between them, the quiet intimacy.

Azzi typed out a caption “Nights like this with my bestfriend💗” before glancing at Paige. “I’m posting this on my story.”

Paige chuckled, shaking her head slightly. “Oh, people are definitely gonna go crazy when they see that.”

Azzi smirked, hitting ‘post’ without hesitation. “Oh well, I said with my ‘bestfriend’.”

Paige squeezed her gently. “You want the internet to explode, don’t you?”

Azzi laughed. “Maybe a little.”

Paige just smiled, pressing her chin lightly against Azzi’s shoulder as they settled back into the moment, letting the night carry them away.

—------------

As the night settled in and the movie played in the background, Paige’s mind wandered. She didn’t want to bring it up, didn’t want to ruin the calmness of the moment, but something was nagging at her.

She leaned her head back against the trunk, staring up at the stars for a moment before glancing down at Azzi, who was still curled between her legs, the warmth of her body settling perfectly against Paige’s.

“Azzi,” Paige started softly, her fingers absentmindedly running through Azzi’s hair, “where do we stand?”

Azzi blinked up at her, sensing the shift in Paige’s tone. She tilted her head slightly, meeting Paige’s eyes. “What do you mean?”

Paige hesitated, then spoke quietly, “I mean… are we still dating? Are we going to try to make this work, or are we just kind of… here, you know?”

Azzi’s gaze softened, and she reached up, resting her hand over Paige’s. “We’re still dating, Paige. And we’re working on it. I mean… there’s a lot to work on, but I want to. I want to make this work.”

Paige’s heart fluttered at the simple but reassuring words. She smiled, leaning down to kiss the top of Azzi’s head. “I want that too. I love you, Azzi.”

Azzi smiled up at her, their faces close. “I love you too, Paige.”

Just as the air between them settled with the warmth of their words, Paige’s phone suddenly buzzed, vibrating in her pocket. She glanced down, seeing the group chat with KK and Ice lighting up with notifications.

Her heart sank a little. “Oh no,” she muttered, quickly unlocking her phone.

KK: So, are we calling this the hard launch or what? 👀

Ice: Is this a ‘bestfriend’ or ‘more than bestfriend’ situation? 😜

KK: Wait, Azzi’s caption says ‘nights like this with my bestfriend 💗’… bestfriend? REALLY? 😏

Paige’s face flushed a little, and she couldn’t help but laugh at how quickly the conversation had turned into full-blown teasing. She quickly typed a response.

Paige: You guys are ridiculous, I swear.

But the teasing didn’t stop there. The messages continued to pour in, and Paige’s phone buzzed again, this time with a flood of social media notifications. She saw her story was blowing up, people commenting, liking, and sharing it.

KK: Socials are GOING OFF 😂😂 people are saying they didn’t expect this… some people are like ‘aww cute friends’ and others are straight-up denying y’all are together.

Ice: People are wild. You gotta love the denial. Also, can we just talk about how cute you two are? 😍

Paige could only shake her head, chuckling as she scrolled through the flood of comments. She could see the mix of reactions—some people totally convinced they were dating, some pretending like they weren’t, and others totally oblivious to what was really going on.

Azzi watched Paige, her expression amused as she read through the messages on Paige’s phone. “Looks like you’re causing a stir.”

Paige laughed, raising an eyebrow at Azzi. “You did this. You made the caption.”

Azzi grinned, shrugging nonchalantly. “What can I say? The ‘bestfriend’ part is true cause I mean, you are my bestfriend Paige, and I’m allowed to tease a little. Besides, it’s fun to watch everyone lose their minds.”

Paige smirked, shaking her head. “Well, you’re not wrong. It is pretty funny. But the internet is definitely not ready for what they just saw.”

“Too bad,” Azzi said with a playful wink. “Let them freak out.”

“Yeah, because we’ve got the real thing figured out, don’t we?” Paige’s voice softened, her hand gently resting on Azzi’s.

Azzi’s smile deepened, and she shifted a little, leaning back into Paige’s embrace. “Definitely. They can say what they want. We’re good.”

Paige nodded, closing her phone and setting it aside. “You’re right. Let them talk. We’ll just keep doing us.”

—------------

As the night stretched on, the movie on the screen became nothing more than background noise. Paige and Azzi sat wrapped up in each other, cocooned in their own little world inside the trunk of Azzi’s car. The distant hum of other cars, the occasional laughter from other drive-in guests, and the cool breeze of the night made everything feel strangely serene.

Azzi let out a soft sigh, tilting her head slightly to glance up at Paige. “I’m really happy you came here.” Her voice was quiet but full of meaning, as if the words carried more weight than she was even letting on.

Paige’s grip around her tightened slightly, her chin resting on Azzi’s shoulder. “Yeah?”

Azzi nodded, shifting just enough to look at Paige fully. “Yeah. I mean… after everything, I just—I didn’t know if we were going to get back to this, you know? But now that we have… I don’t know, I feel like I can breathe again.”

Paige took a deep breath, letting the words settle between them. She knew what Azzi meant. The weight of the past few weeks—the uncertainty, the hurt, the mess of it all—had been suffocating. But now, sitting here, with Azzi leaning against her, Paige finally felt grounded again.

“I feel the same way,” Paige admitted, running her fingers gently along Azzi’s arm. “I hated being away from you, Az. Not talking, not knowing if we’d get through this… it sucked.”

Azzi turned slightly in Paige’s hold, facing her more directly, their faces just inches apart. “But we did.” She reached up, cupping Paige’s face gently, her thumb brushing over her cheek. “And I’m so happy we did.”

Paige let her eyes flutter shut for a second, just savoring the warmth of Azzi’s touch. Then she opened them, looking directly into Azzi’s. “Me too.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, the tension shifting into something softer, deeper. The faint glow from the screen illuminated Azzi’s face, casting her features in a warm light. Paige felt her heart stutter at the sight—at how effortlessly beautiful Azzi looked, how much she had missed this, missed her.

Azzi’s gaze flickered to Paige’s lips for just a second before she leaned in, closing the distance between them. The kiss started slow, tentative at first, as if they were both still processing how much they had missed this. But then Paige’s hands moved—one sliding to the small of Azzi’s back, the other curling into her hoodie, pulling her in closer.

Azzi responded instantly, deepening the kiss, her fingers slipping into Paige’s hair as she tilted her head just enough to mold against her perfectly. There was no urgency, no rush—just the warmth of their lips moving together, the unspoken emotions between them pouring into the kiss.

Paige sighed softly against Azzi’s lips, letting herself sink into the feeling. It wasn’t just a kiss—it was reassurance, a promise, a welcome home.

Azzi pulled back slightly, her forehead resting against Paige’s, their breaths mingling in the small space between them. Her lips were slightly swollen, and Paige knew hers probably were too.

“I really, really love you,” Azzi murmured, her voice full of emotion.

Paige’s lips curled into a small smile, her hand tightening at Azzi’s waist. “I really, really love you too.”

Azzi let out a quiet, happy hum, her fingers still threading through Paige’s hair. “I don’t ever want to do that again—go through all of that. I know we’re still working on things, but… I don’t want to be without you, P.”

Paige kissed her again, just a soft peck this time. “You won’t be. We’re in this, Az. We’ll figure everything out.”

Azzi smiled against Paige’s lips before pulling back, snuggling into her embrace again. “Good. Because I’m not letting you go.”

Paige chuckled, resting her chin on top of Azzi’s head. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

And with that, they sat there, wrapped up in each other, feeling happier and more at peace than they had in a long time.

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#paige bueckers #azzi fudd #paige x azzi #pazzi #pazzi fics #uconn #uconn huskies #uconn women’s basketball #uconn wbb #wbb

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slapintoaslimjim · 9 hours ago

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heyy! i’m new here and this is my first request! could you write about reader being oblivious to the way katsuki feels abt her (but reader feels the same way) like an intense friends to lovers??

this would mean so much to me! please and thank u <3

a/n: ahhhh requited love story! i need this after the gut wrenching story i just made- because unrequited love ruins me every single timeee. so i gotchu baby!

From the start.

now playing: Freudian by Daniel Caesar

warnings: none, just a fluff story with some tension but nothing angsty or miscommunication. fem reader :3

katsuki and you had a rocky start; but to be fair katsuki did with everyone in class 1-A. well, everyone in UA, even the staff, to be exact.

he was brash, loud, and arrogant his first semester in UA. pushing people away and solely focusing on himself and wanting to be japan’s future number one hero. he didn’t care how he got there, who he gained and lost, he just knew what he wanted.

but all of that quickly switched around fast; being in a class- school even, filled with students of different quirks, strengths, weaknesses, and abilities that actually challenged katsuki left him absolutely humbled. he quickly realized that he has met his matches, challenges, people who actually were up for competition. one of those people being you.

despite your personality being a cute goofy dork, your quirk was unmatched. strong, battling, and fierce. and when you were on the battlefield training, your combat skills were remarkable; precise. and despite being so strong on the grounds, you were still.. you. your authentic self. and something about that dragged katsuki to you like a moth to a flame.

but, gradually over time, katsuki became more open to the idea of friends with his classmates, even showing how much he cares for his friends and classmates through battles and little actions he does. which eventually opened up the door for you to sneak in and become his friend.

you were persistent with it at first, but never pushed any boundaries. acknowledging that maybe he’s just here for becoming a hero and never wanting to get attached to anyone. maybe fear of after graduation he would never see much of his current classmates again- but either way you figured it dug a little deeper.

but when katsuki did finally let his guard down and made friends, much to your surprise, the two of you clicked really well. he had a brash way of showing affection- like calling people he cared about “dumbass” or “idiots” but after being around him for so long, you knew not to take it to heart. you thought of it similar how you and mina would greet each other with a “oh my gosh hey bitch wassup?!”. friendly and affectionate.

but what katsuki didn’t prepare himself for- or more or less kinda forgot; was that he was still a human being with thoughts, feelings, and emotions no matter how hard he wanted to ignore those natural human things. why? because of you.

you.

as the friendship blossomed in between the two of you, katsuki became softer around you without realizing it. things like making sure you’re pushing yourself to your limit durning training- but without harming yourself. packing an extra water bottle specifically for you in case if you forgot your water bottle in your dorm. making sure you actually eat a balanced meal with carbs and protein before training so you were actually making progress other than thriving off of the third dr pepper of the day you’ve been drinking.

it was subtle; and he did similar things for his other friends like kirishima and even midoryia. but gradually over time, without even noticing, the subtle things turned into more direct actions. like his heart was speaking for his head.

reaching for your hand in busy or crowded rooms, covered up with “don’t need you getting lost in here” to him even getting more protective over you. mineta says something to you and suddenly he’s looming behind you scowling at mineta; daring him to say something else without even saying anything verbally to the short boy.

but then over time it got even less subtle. and before he knew it. that lingering feeling in his chest was more and more prominent.

especially with the nickname you called him- only your nickname for him. suki.

it’s was just something about the way it rolled off your tongue when you called to him with that beautiful smile of yours. your voice sounding like an angel calling down to him-

no no no no

and then he realized, the privileges he gave you that no one else was aloud to take; invading his personal space, coming into his dorm like the two of you were roommates, the nickname. to smaller subtle things like stolen glances or being able to make each other laugh so easily. this boy was in love.

and katsuki tried to drop more hints to you. cooking you meals- your favorite food to be exact like it was no big deal. dropping compliments randomly that caught you off guard, the list was endless of what he thought wasn’t subtly telling you he loved you.

but it all backfired because unfortunately, you, ever the vibrant star you are, smart cookie you, were incredibly oblivious.

here you sit, in the common room with the girls of 1-A as you all gossip and talk for the girls night all of you usually have on certain saturday nights when all of you were free.

the conversation shifted into crushes, romantic talk, and Mina immediately shifted the attention onto you without even directly doing it.

“oh my gosh, that reminds me, has anyone else realized how… soft bakugou has been around y/n the past month?” mina’s voice immediately beams in, her tone curious and awestruck more than anything.

“wait, so it wasn’t just my imagination?” uraraka cuts in immediately, seeming as she’s also noticed the change in katsuki’s behavior around you.

“uh i don’t think it’s like that” you counter with a small slow head shake and nervous giggle.

all the girls turn to look at you with a collective eyebrow raise that reeks of ‘girl.. are you for real?’ followed by a collective silence.

“what? he’s just being softer around everyone, yall act like im getting special treatment or something-“ you tried to defend yourself before tsuyu cuts you off.

“sure he’s been softer as of recently but he does give you special treatment” the frog quirked girl says as she eyes the choice of clothing your wearing.

you give them all puzzled looks, looking around the group of six girls seated around that are looking at you. and the gag; choice of clothing?

katsuki’s hoodie.

but you’re so used to wearing them so often that you didn’t even think about what you’re wearing or the fact that tsu and half of the girls are eyeing the hoodie.

days passed since that night, and you let it breeze past your mind. sure it lingered in the back of your mind, but you had mostly brushed it off. you were high school girls, of course crushes and relationships are going to be brought up and everyone will collectively psychoanalyze everything.

yet, here you were, once again, in katsuki’s dorm, wearing his hoodie, at his desk with him while the two of you studied together, with snacks that he bought specifically for you.

“eight would factor into the eight and sixteen, making it one half. we gotta simplify that before we factor the actual equation�� katsuki explains the algebra problem with you, his voice surprisingly calm and patient, as you two work on the homework together; seeming as math has been a problem subject for you since you were younger.

your head rests on his shoulder as he explains and shows how to work the problem, and normally he would tense up when people touched him. but with you, his body actually calms, and doesn’t resist the touch or pull away. it feels natural, it feels right.

and things kept going like this for awhile, katsuki dropping hints that were less and less subtle by the day, you wearing his hoodies, invading his space, him even fully holding your hand. until one day he just had enough and cracked.

the two of you were out and about together, something he arranged himself to take you out for the evening. and for some reason; you still could not get the hint even after he bought you the necklace you were eyeing in a store like it was a common normal thing for him.

“you’re such a good friend ‘suki. it’s nice seeing how UA has made you grow as a person” you say with a bright smile after he even clasped the necklace around your neck for you.

something in him snapped. you had to be fucking with him at this point.

he scowled at you, personally offended underneath the night street lamp the laminated the both of you in the shopping strip you two were at.

“you’re fuckin with me, right?” he said with a dry humorless chuckle, unable to cross his arms cause for the love of all things holy he was even holding your bags.

you look at him confused, tilting your head slightly. “suki what are you talking about-“

“you think i do all of this as a friend?” katsuki interrupted you before he could stop himself. his tone wasn’t mad, slightly just slightly irritated yes because goddamn he’s been trying his hardest to prove to you that none of this is just ‘friendly acts’.

katsuki sighed through his nose, using his free hand to run through his messy blonde hair. “look, i know- fuck.” he cut himself off with a slightly frustrated sigh to himself at not knowing how to say the words that were literally stuck in his throat and begging for release.

that’s when it hit you. this did in fact run deeper than just a friendship.

but before you could speak, katsuki spoke again.

“i’m not the best with my words” katsuki admits, uncharacteristically soft. looking down at his feet as he gently swings the bags in his hand. “but im not doing this simply because we’re friends.” he spoke.

“do you see me being patient with other friends when studying with them? or cooking food specifically to their liking? letting them touch me whenever or for the love of fuck wear my clothes?” he spoke again, his voice a little rough but it’s not aggressive or angry, all while giving you a puzzled look.

the weight of his words left you speechless for a moment, and before you could say another word he continued.

“you’re one of the smartest people in our class but you’re kinda dumb ya know?” katsuki spoke with more of an affectionate tone rather than insulting, with a soft quiet chuckle before taking your hand in his.

“y/n.” he said firmly and softly, his eyes finding yours in a way that made it seem like he believed you hung the stars and moon the sky and painted the milky way itself.

“suki..” you replied softly, your eyes meeting his, and his look making your heart melt at the utter vulnerability in it.

“i love you.” he said so softly, barely above a whisper, but his eyes never left yours.

for just a short split second you hesitated at the words, the weight of them, before wrapping your arms around him in a tight warm hug and a soft smile on your face.

“i love you too, suki” you finally returned back softly.

katsuki’s arms wrap around you immediately, his hand dropping the bags so he can fully hold you against him. nothing could stop the adorably soft smile that crept up on his face at the sound of those words leaving your lips.

he held you close to him for a moment, basking in the warmth, security, and love of the embrace. something that felt right, like home; something he’s wanted from the start.

#katsuki bakugou #katsuki x reader #mha #bakugo x reader #my hero academia #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha x reader #mha x reader #bakugou katsuki #bakugou x reader #katsuki bakugou x reader #katsuki bakugo x reader #bakugou #katsuki fluff #bnha bakugou #bakugou fluff #katsuki bakugo mha #katsuki bakugou fluff

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omnifatal · 17 hours ago

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wanted to ramble about a specific writing choice in of the Devil i really liked, spoilers for ch1 under the cut

when we meet sera, she mentions that morgan owes her father a favor, and she’s cashing it in to have morgan take care of her

up until this point in the chapter we can see morgan being genuinely upset about david’s death; she snaps at the add in the gun store after hearing about it, and she’s spinning her gears pretty hard in the cab ride over trying to figure out why

this is awesome because up until now all of morgan’s allies have mostly been people who are useful to her - she puts on a friendly face for people like fran and masters, but they’re not really her friends, and she only reaches out to them when she needs something from them

after sera brings it up, it doesn’t really come up again until the end of the chapter - but it serves as a good motivation for morgan to care about and want to protect sera. she’s repaying that favor from all those years ago, and then she’s going to get a sweet tax write off from donating her

as the story progresses, morgan’s motivations shift from merely “im doing this as a favor to david” to “im doing this for sera”. she sees a lot of herself in sera (the movie flashback) and wants to protect her because she cares about her, not because david asked her to.

when we actually see what the favor was, it’s interesting for two reasons: first, it’s a murder morgan did for david, and not just for the fun of it. and second, david covers for her - implying more knowledge of what morgan does behind his back, more than we’ve seen any other character have so far

morgan, ever the proud soul, insists she didn’t need him to, and maybe she’s right, but it goes to show so that david was really a friend to her, and not just a useful contact, which is more than we can say about anyone else we’ve seen morgan interact with

this episode did a really good job of showing a more human side of morgan, showing her doing something everyone else thinks is silly and impossible twice to protect people she cares about. the favor does a great job as a checov’s gun (it’s funny bc she didn’t shoot the guy she snapped his-) that characterizes morgan in a deeply interesting way

she’s not entirely heartless after all.

#otdevil #of the devil #otd #otd spoilers

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puhpandas · 6 months ago

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thinking abt the ggy easter eggs rn

#im so ready for whateber theyre cooking #this is like the only era rn where the sw games arent interesting me rn im so ready to want to engage again #plz focus on ggy vanny gregory vanessa cassie and not cassie dad mapbot dying absent father doing nothintnfor the story #and a game based totally off of books instead of the other way around #i really hope SW games dont become super tftp oriented #as in they make games based off of books instead of the other way around #that would suck majorly #a ggy game would be new content based off of game lore that does exist for ggy and not the book #like patient 46 and his canonical mysterious past #plus everything the tapes said he did #it could be so good #i really want to just see like. any progression of the story #outside of very basic ideas like 'vanny cassie' that are probably going to happen but are so bare bones #theres not much you can think about #insyead of useless plots like cassies dad. sorry but its true if hes the hw2 story he does nothing #nothing that cassie couldnt have also done if shes the protag #i know that sotm has to happen before they can progress so im being patient #but man #i hope we get more stuff like ruin that has good linear on screen storytelling and is more character oriented #everybody liked ruin but not everyone likes sotm #when hw2 came out i saw soo many opinions not just by me and the moots or something but just #fans on twitter diehard or casual #that hated how hw2s story was handled #people actually want storytelling now at sb and ruins scale instead of old school barely comprehensible frustrating lore #thats what sotm feels like its leaning into and im not excited #i hope its a one time thing since its a good chance to do that #a game that already takes place in the og fnaf days #before it even #of course its a good idea to put old school easter eggs and characters and story and stuff of the og days #i just miss my guys :(

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unproduciblesmackdown · 9 months ago

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Full Tech Day One pic today from kiko laureano (denizen of skid row / ensemble) & video (that's four seconds of "ya never know" playing over the static image) from & ft. marcia milgrom dodge (director / choreographer) double captioning "there might be puppets in this musical ;)" & "Well Shake my hand! Come see LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS @guthrietheater featuring @actually_will_roland's hand!"

#buzz lightyear screenshot i don't believe that's a puppet Or will roland's hand #lsoh #frog & toad shirt yay :) that i believe is saying ''frog & toad are gay'' yahoooo #in unfamiliarity with lsoh: had to look up that snippet of song. i do enjoy the full Songs i should straightup....pick an album of them?#which; relevantly to this being a show with Versions. also like i've only seen the movie once a minute ago....#i know the movie Differed like the musical going well audrey dies then so also does seymour :( does one tragicomically lose a hand first #classic Hey My Hand :( maneuver :( still i reflect on the change like i don't want them to die.... :(#it's Enriching though to reflect on. like a fun balance of ''is there shortcomings of Metaphors? maybe but it's backed up by Story''#then are there shortcomings of story? maybe but it's backed up by how that'll play into a strength of metaphor. makes it Overall Enjoyable #and that i'm not an expert like plenty to muse on re: what are the Metaphors. and then how are they executed. what do i think #and i'm enrichingly not quite settled on Should They Get To Survive; Metaphorically? like i think it's fine either way #i mean we also Have it both ways lol. i think? i don't know about past or present variations versions iterations re: Onstage Medium #it's like it's supposed to be tragic too right right cautionarily so. yet. i indeed go :( about it. i think it's fine it's fine....#or do i. as you can see lmao a fun In Progress mental journey....like pointing to Doomed Tragic Couple iphegenia crash land falls #i would Not change it i would not Want it changed. not even for a what if; really. yet their basis is Knowing They're Kindredly Doomed.....#seymour and audrey are just america's little t4t couple who Do deserve to murder orin plant or no & More :(#much to consider. and always little Invocations to spice things up like & this plant won't stop trying to fuck them i guess #nodding thoughtfully as we are also amidst aesthetics that invoke larger contexts re: race; class; maybe even. gender. and more????#love a lot going on. love that it's really not trying to Be extremely settled in some Conclusive manner in any version. tends to be a win #and love that SPIT TAKE rick moranis walking on into the closing performance of be more chill on broadway???????#enjoy that one post of [god's mistake of making me so incredibly attracted to rick moranis] '80s gum stickers. ricky m #guy who's never seen kapow-i gogo seeing another show with a prop hand: wow this is just like kapow-i gogo

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obstinaterixatrix · 12 days ago

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actually I need to *really* think what series I actually for real want to own physically and what series I could just own digitally.

#orlbs #misclb #villainous daughter I could probably just have digitally or even see if I can just borrow the 4th vol from the library #but I definitely want. ginmokusei and hinadori and green yuri physically. and. in december. MY BIAS..............#I could just pick it up from the store and not preorder. maybe I'll call the local manga shop and see if they can put the preorder in #justifying myself by supporting local businesses #honestly I could probably get niyama's guys digitally #mamita's other series could also be digital ginmo's the one I like The Most #fed up OL............... I hate getting series that are in progress and I have so many caveats abt the writing #BUT............ MISERABLE OFFICE LADY...... VILLAINESS........ guh #do I want ghfod physically? I kinda do #I also need to dig up canis and make sure I have all three volumes #I know I do but idk where I put them or if I lent them to someone...#I also should probably put all my mxtx novels together and figure out which ones I actually have #and also #reread them #honestly I can't believe there hasn't been any phys released fujitobi series #....... I think online nakama could be digital only #I'd like to own a phys copy of one of origami chiyoko's works #and also syohei #but I'm a little ambivalent...#oh my god one of haji's series got licensed? I really like their art but I don't think I've ever been mega gripped by their stories #woah that crazy ero/guro bl got licensed?? I have to send that to a friend

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bunnis-monsters · 2 months ago

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NSFW

Fern x Reader PT3(Final)

part 1

part 2

a/n: this is the final part of Fern’s main story, but not the end! You can still make Fern requests and I may rewrite this mini series in the future when I have time.

Fern had been depressed lately. He was a fairy, a dainty little thing, and you were now pregnant. He watched as you waddled around, struggling to do things.

If he were just bigger, he could ensure you never had to lift a finger.

All he could do was use magic to help when he could. Vines sprouted to grab things out of your reach or play with your pussy when you were feeling needy.

Fern wanted you so badly, to properly fuck into you and stretch out your fat cunt like he had before.

At night his wings fluttered softly as he rubbed your pregnant belly, kissing it. When his child was born, would he even be big enough to hold them? It made his heart ache to even think of such a thing. How could he protect his family when he was the size of a small doll?

That’s why he made a tough decision. Fern backed a bag, kissed your forehead and promised he would be back.

There were tales of a witch that lived in the center of the forest. She’d grant a single wish for anyone that came to her… but for a price.

He knocked once on the dirty window, noticing it was cracked and the wooden frame was chipped. Did anyone even live there?

The door creaked open, an old crone beckoning him in. “Hurry, I don’t have all day. Go on and tell me what you want.”

Fern sat on an upside down teacup, watching as the witch bustled about the dusty old cabin looking through books and half empty potion bottles.

“Uh… I wanted to know if you can make me… the size of a human.”

The witch paused, glancing at him. “I can, for a price. What are you willing to give me in exchange?”

It had been an entire day since you last saw Fern. He wasn’t the type to be out late, always returning before dark, so it was alarming that he had been gone for more than a few hours.

It was a bit hard walking now. You were six months along, but looked like you were closer to nine. Fern liked to joke that you seemed about ready to burst while laying his tiny head on your belly.

You could tell that his size was bothering him even more lately. As your pregnancy progressed, you needed more help, the kind someone as small as him couldn’t provide.

Despite what others may think, Fern was a proud fairy and hated that he wasn’t able to help his pregnant lover.

Fern wanted to provide and care for you, but that wasn’t really possible when he couldn’t even do most things for himself.

When the second day without any sightings of him filled around, you started to panic. It really wasn’t like him to be gone so long, especially when you were carrying his child.

‘Where could he be?’

Nearly a week passed without him. It was both depressing and terrifying, leaving you nearly bedridden at times. Everything seemed harder with Fern gone.

Even if he couldn’t do much of the heavy lifting, he used his magic to keep you from getting morning sickness, always comforted you when you were hormonal, and made sure all of your vegetables stayed fresh.

Without him, the world felt cold and uninviting. He made all the gray clouds disappear, but now that he was gone the sun had left with him.

You sat in your rocking chair as tears fell down your cheeks. After crying so much, your eyes were puffy and sore.

Even knitting for your unborn child was a chore these days, and you had only finished a single foot when you heard a knock at your door.

For a moment you thought Fern would be behind it… but that was stupid. He was the size of your hand, there’s no way he could knock that loud.

You didn’t rush to greet your guest. Instead you slowly put down the onesie you had been knitting and stood.

Trudging towards the door, you slowly unlocked it and pulled towards yourself…

“Hello, my love.”

You were breathless, eyes wide and mouth agape as you looked up to see a hair of brown curls and eyes as green as fresh oak leaves.

A hand reached out, cupping your cheek and swiping at your tears as you began to cry.

“Fern…”

You sobbed into his chest, warms wrapped tightly around him. He hugged you back, his eyes softening when your baby bump pressed into his abdomen.

“I’m so sorry, love. There was something I had to take care of, something so important I had to leave you for a while.”

As your lip wobbled, Fern began to explain what had happened.

After the witch asked him what he’d give in return, Fern was quick to answer.

“My immortality.”

You covered your mouth, eyes going wide as you swallowed harshly. “You… gave that up to be the same size as me?”

He nodded, smiling fondly as he tilted your chin up. “And I’d do it a thousand times over, love.”

Your eyes fluttered shut as he pressed his lips to yours a gentle, yet needy kiss. Although it felt amazing to kiss him after such a stressful week without him, you pulled back after a moment.

“But… why did you stay away for so long?”

Fern went pale, scratching the back of his head with a nervous laugh. “Let’s just say the process to become tall was… long and painful. That old witch enjoyed it too, I’m sure.”

After a moment of simply enjoying each other’s presence, you both walked inside.

After that, Fern waited on you hand and foot. He adored you, that was for sure. Every meal, activity, and even bathroom visit was managed by him.

Fern smiled down at you as he helped you into a bath, his eyes lingering in your heavy and swollen breasts.

When you hissed and winced in pain as your hands brushed against your sensitive nipples, Fern cooed out sympathetically.

“Here, just relax.”

His wings fluttered as his hands groped your fat tits, massaging and squishing them lightly. You let out such a delicious noise that he couldn’t help but lean forward and kiss your neck.

Fern’s cock twitched to life when milk spurted from your perky buds. He always got so hard when he was reminded you were heavily pregnant with his young.

“That’s it, feels good doesn’t it?”

His hand slipped between your legs, a vine replacing the now missing one at your tit while his other continued massaging you.

“Mmph… Fern…”

You had been so needy lately, begging for him to properly fuck you since he had returned. But he was hesitant. Fern didn’t want to potentially harm you or his unborn child…

But with some reassurance from you, the fairy joined you in the tub. He settled you onto his lap, continuing his ministrations.

His cock nudged at your warm cunt, desperate to be enveloped by your velvety walls.

And you wanted him just as much.

Fern groaned against your neck, keeping a hand on your baby bump for leverage as he bounced you up and down on his cock. It felt so good to stretch you out again and have you clench around him.

The vines rubbed at your clit, making you tighten up even more. You came again and again, your body way more sensitive due to your pregnancy.

He loved getting to fill you up with his seed. Watching the hot, white cum leak out of your cunt as he rinsed you off made him want to do it all over again.

But Fern wanted to go easy on you until after your pregnancy.

Months passed by, and Fern held onto your hand as you gave birth. Labor hadn’t been easy, but he was by your side the entire time.

“It’s a girl…”

You held onto your baby, eyes half lidded from exhaustion. Fern was an absolute mess, his eyes puffy and red as he sniffled.

“She’s beautiful…”

Fern handled almost everything as you recovered, and as your baby girl grew, her wings started to slowly develop.

“She has wings… is she..?”

“Immortal? Maybe, but I’m not sure… I impregnated you before the witch took my immortality, but she is half human…”

You kissed her little head, letting her nurse as your now husband knelt in front of you.

“I don’t want that for her, Fern. She would outlive all of us. Wouldn’t that be lonely?”

Fern paused to think, slowly reaching out to place a hand over your belly.

“… it wouldn’t be if we… gave her a sibling.”

And so the two of you had several children through the years, slowly repopulating the fairy race. You’d grow old together, and even if your children lived forever, at least they would have each other.

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NSFW TAGLIST: @avalordream @icommitwarcrimes @bazpire @im-eating-rn @anglingforlevels @kinshenewa @pasteldaze @yoongiigolden @peachesdabunny @murder-hobo @leiselotte @misswonderfrojustice @dij-ology @i8kaeya @lollboogurl @h3110-dar1in9 @keikokashi @aliceattheart @mssmil3y @namjoons-t1ddies @izarosf1833 @healanette @lem-hhn @spufflepuff @honey-crypt @karljra @zyettemoon1800 @exodiam @vexillum-moeru @imperfectlyperfectprincess1 @enchantedsylveon @mysticranger575 @readeryn68 @danielle143 @kittenlover614 @filthybunny420 @annavittoria-mm @makimamybelovedwife @blubearxy @omglovelylaila @toocollectionchaos-universe-blog @fruk-you-usuk-fans @wil10wthetree @hammerhead96-blog @slightlyusedfloormat @bubblez-blop @sunshineangel-reads @heroneki-neko @soapybabyboop @anonymouskiwi

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annabelle--cane · 1 year ago

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"the magnus protocol had a whole ARG beforehand? what?"

yes! it did!

"oh so I need to have participated in this whole big thing to actually understand the podcast?"

not at all! from the official post-mortem put out by RQ, "while the ARG was not something that was necessary to participate in to understand the magnus protocol, it was designed to contain a wealth of background story and context that would enrich any player's listening experience."

"a wealth of background context that would enrich my listening experience 👀👀👀 how can I learn about this?"

SO glad you asked. sadly, many of the materials made for the arg have been taken down since the game ended 😔 (ex., the official OIAR, magnus institute, and bonzoland websites. (edit ii: I found partial wayback machine captures! see below) though @strangehauntsuk is still up!), so we're a bit low on primary sources, but in terms of learning about what happened:

for a starting point, I would really recommend this video by @pinkelotjeart

youtube

it's super accessible, it was made in real time as the game progressed and follows the solving and revelation of clues as they happened, it hits all the major points of the mystery and moments of community insanity while eliding some of the nitty gritty puzzle grinding, 10/10 would recommend.

here's the official summary put out by RQ, and I'd recommend reading through this once you've already gotten a basic handle on the flow of the story and the basic connections between major clues and events. it's got some fun behind-the-scenes info and lays out the thought process behind the puzzles in simple terms

here's the full masterdoc of all puzzles and resolutions put together in the statement remains discord server. masterdoc my absolute BELOVED, masterdoc my bethrothed, masterdoc my soul mate. I'd recommend this as a second port of call after the above video as it either contains all details about the puzzles or links to other expanded docs that do.

here's the narrative summary doc that lays out all the plot and lore discovered in three pages of plain prose. if you just want to get to the good bits as fast as you can and get blasted directly in the face by contextless lore bombs, this is the doc for you. if you don't want to start with the video, I'd say this is another good entry point.

once you've got the lay of the land, some of the game materials that I found particularly interesting include:

the in-universe east germany expat usenet forum, with all content translated into english. most of it is irrelevant space filler with occasional extremely sus lore, but I still found it fun to read through. love to soak in some fictional forum drama.

chdb.xlsx, the spreadsheet of the names of all the children the protocol 'verse magnus institute was studying/experimenting on. EDIT: here is a version of the sheet without any annotations and with all of the names in their original order, kudos to @theboombutton for catching that the commonly shared copy had the order swapped around.

klaus.xls, a (very corrupted) spreadsheet with what looks like the classifications of a bunch of old OIAR cases.

EDIT: have a few more saved materials from the game that I forgot to include.

an in-universe audio ad to apply to the OIAR that ran before archives episodes and kicked off the whole game.

an in-universe video ad to apply to the OIAR, this one is an official upload that's still up from the game itself. you can subscribe to the OIAR's official youtube channel today, if you so chose.

the robo-voicemail greeting from the OIAR's phone line.

EDIT II:

here is a wayback machine capture of the OIAR's official website.

here is a wayback machine capture of the bonzoland website.

(pretty sure both of the above captures just archived the home pages, though I haven't tried clicking all of the links. I'd say they're still worth looking at, the home pages give a good window into the vibes.)

once you start poking around in these documents, you'll find a bunch of links to others with further information, the materials I've included here just contain what I feel to be the most relevant details to getting a broad feel for the whole game. once again, huge shout out to the statement remains server, I was barely in there as the ARG was in progress and only ducked my head in every so often to find links like these. true mvps of the fandom.

#gonna pin this for a bit because every day I get 2-5 asks saying 'there was an arg? how do I learn about it?'#tmagp #video #marina marvels at life

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mononijikayu · 3 months ago

Text

is it new years yet? — nanami kento.

"Apparently, we're #RelationshipGoals now." "Some of them really think I write poetry about you during my lunch breaks, too. Not inaccurate, of course. But the thoughts I have of you are different." “My darling, behave.” “No <3” ".......In any case, my darling…..this one says I’m lucky to have you. Can’t argue with that."

GENRE: alternate universe - no curses au!;

WARNING/S: afab! reader, secret coworker romance, co-workers to lovers, romance, fluff, nsfw, rated 18 and above, explicit content, kissing, making out, rough sex, fingering, creampie, p to v sex, stairwell sex, orgasm, humor, profanity, pet names (my darling, babe, etc), possessiveness, jealousy, characters speaking in sexual innuendo, mention of sexual euphemisms, depiction of explicit sexual content, actor! nanami kento, actor! reader;

WORD COUNT: 6k words.

NOTE: hello everyone, this is the first fic of 2025!!! this was specifically written because of a conversation between me and @midnight-138 on the afternoon of december 31st 2024. i started progress while on a bus on the way to my grandma's house and for a bit on the 1st. i still wanted to write more for it, but i had to stop because i caught a cold. i still have a cold. and i need a massage cause i feel my body hurt real bad, cause its working hard to save my life from this cold TT TT

but that being said, i shouldn't complain too much. good things have been happening to me despite my problems. i hope that good things continue to come!!! anyway, enough yapping, i hope you enjoy this little fic. happy 2025!!! may good things, good health and happiness come your way always this year!!!

masterlist

if you want to, tip! <3

IT WAS ALWAYS LIKE THIS WHEN YOU AND KENTO GET TOGETHER. But it was to be expected, since you graced the screens since you were a child. Nanami Kento was like that too. Of course, it wasn’t something of a brag at all. It was just your normal.

You were lucky, you were favored like that. Kento was favored just like that. Both of you were so beloved. And especially so, in a way that they end up hoping that you both were together.

Ever since you worked with him on Jujutsu Kaisen all those years ago, it was just too strong — the chemistry between the two of you. It pulls people in for more. They wanted a story, they wanted something that could ease their days from the mundane boredom that it was to the fun, exhilarating excitement that comes with the tea in both of your private lives.

You didn’t mind, your company didn’t mind either. Neither did Kento or his side of the aisle. It helped that you were both good friends. You had met even before landing your roles on Jujutsu Kaisen, after all. So, the ‘will they, won’t they’ between the two of you really did help your careers.

But of course, just like in Gege–sensei’s scripts, some parts are sentences with too many blank pages. And the wholeness of your relationship with Nanami Kento truly only belonged to you and him. And you were not willing to expose it to the world. Not just yet.

Yet — this does not stop them from trying to do something about that.

The studio buzzed with activity as you adjusted the earpiece in your ear, stealing a quick glance at the veteran actor, singer, producer, writer and entertainment personality that is Nanami Kento.

He stood near the stage, his posture relaxed yet impossibly refined. Dressed in a tailored charcoal suit, his tie a subtle but elegant shade of deep blue,everything about him just exuded a quiet confidence that made it hard for anyone to look away.

You, however, knew better than to let your gaze linger too long. You knew too well that those are reserved for just him and you to interpret and to see. No one else should. You were as possessive about your private moments as he was. But you would never say that outloud and neither will he.

“Can you believe these two again?” a stagehand whispered slowly, behind you. It was still, of course, loud enough for you to hear. “It’s like they were made for this. If they don’t end up together after tonight, I’ll lose faith in love. Really!”

You bit back a laugh, focusing on your notes. No one knew the truth, after all. That you and Kento were already together had been for a while now. Not even your publicists or managers — hell, not even your entertainment companies, knew that this was for genuine actuality, a real thing now. But you and him liked it that way.

You had let your fans go wild with their theories over the years of course. Every post, every comment, every little interaction, every collaboration, every press tour — almost everything seemed to spark a new wave of speculation and fan shipping.

For years now, the internet was rife with hashtags like #OurSecretLovers and #MrAndMrsNanami with fans pouring over every detail like it's an investigatory report they were doing, a documentary study. You had to admit, it was amusing at times, watching people try to connect dots they couldn’t see.

Nanami Kento had a reputation for being rather serious, because he gets roles in that league often. But he was a silly little man, well your silly little man. And he often had the knack for finding the most random, yet oddly endearing, posts about the two of you on Twitter. During your five-minute breaks between shoots, when you were in separate rooms or on different sets, his messages would pop up on your phone, accompanied by a link and a deadpan caption.

"Apparently, we're #RelationshipGoals now."

"Some of them really think I write poetry about you during my lunch breaks, too. Not inaccurate, of course. But the thoughts I have of you are different."

“My darling, behave.”

“No <3”

".......In any case, my darling…..this one says I’m lucky to have you. Can’t argue with that."

You’d giggle to yourself, your shoulders shaking as you tried not to draw attention. It didn’t matter how serious the production you were working on either. He had a way of making you laugh even from miles away. And that relaxes you a lot.

When it was your turn, you’d send him TikToks. Fancam edits of the two of you together had exploded in popularity as of late, especially since you both played a married couple who were spies deceiving each other recently. People thought he looked so good, especially when he had his shirt off. You loved teasing him about it. After all, he was really pretty hot in those scenes. And if you were being honest, they did in fact rile you up.

"Look at us, babe." you texted once, attaching a video with dramatic lighting, a love song playing over clips of you two stolen from interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. "We’re icons."

His reply came almost immediately: "Icons, sure. But I’m just a guy who got lucky enough to be yours, you know?"

Those words made your heart swell every time. He’d always been effortlessly humble, never letting fame or admiration inflate his ego, even as his star rose. After all, you were the senpai here—the darling of the Japanese screen since childhood.

You’d grown up in the industry, your name synonymous with household stardom. He, on the other hand, had been a late bloomer, starting as a teenager and building his career with quiet determination.

He never let the difference in your status get in the way, though. If anything, it only made him more in awe of you. He’d often remind you how much he admired your grace, how you’d navigated the pressures of fame with a poise that still left him speechless.

“You’ve been dazzling audiences since you were a kid.” he’d say, his voice warm with pride. “I’m just lucky to share the screen with you now and your life.”

And you’d roll your eyes playfully, nudging him with a smile. “Don’t sell yourself short, Kento. You’re a fan favorite for a reason.”

“Maybe.” he replied with a soft smirk. “But you’re my favorite. And that’s what matters.”

No matter how busy your schedules got, those small exchanges, be it a funny link or a sentimental text, every bit of this kept you connected. It reminded you both that beneath the glitz and glamour, what truly mattered was the quiet, enduring love you shared.

You were out of your bubble soon enough when Kento suddenly caught your eye from across the room, offering a small, reassuring smile and then a small gentle nod. You felt your cheeks turn red but lowered your head immediately before anyone was to notice. He was too good at making you feel like this. And certainly so, he was hiding his smirk under his cue cards.

“Alright, places, everyone!” the director called.

You finally stood up from your chair, taking a deep breath and calmed down. You gave yourself one more look in the mirror, trying to make sure that your cheeks were natural now. When you felt like it was, you smiled at your manager who handed you the mic and swiftly thanked them. You went to your position. Kento soon approached, his footsteps purposeful but unhurried.

“Ready?” he asked, his voice low and calm.

“Ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose.” you replied, flashing him a smile.

You were grateful for the reassurance. Even if you were already such a big name, you still did get nervous. And even more so, with such a big show like this — the New Year Countdown, of course you could feel yourself slipping.

The two of you took your positions on stage as the lights dimmed and the opening music swelled. His fingers brushed against yours briefly as he fixed himself up, your pinkies touching. Even briefly, you could feel the warmth. He did that on purpose. You could see it in his caramel eyes.

You let a brief smile echo on your lips. You gathered yourself as the lift came up slowly. When you both were in the sight of the gathered audiences and the cameras started to broadcast it all live, you both slipped effortlessly into your roles. After all, you both were professionals.

“Good evening, everyone, and welcome to this year’s New Year’s Eve Countdown!” you began, your voice bright and enthusiastic.

“Thank you for joining us as we bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new.” Kento added, his tone smooth and polished.

Your banter flowed naturally, as always. That well beloved chemistry between you is still ever so undeniable. It was easy to fall into a rhythm with him; he was your partner in every sense of the word. And that made your job tonight a little bit easier.

But of course, the real challenge was hiding the little moments that threatened to give you away that bit you kept so dear to you. You just can't help it when it comes to him. He has such a powerful pull on you and he knows it.

There were those little lingering glances, watching and feeling the way his fingers brushed yours when you handed him a card, the subtle softness in his smile when he looked at you. After all, this is the longest you could be together in your very busy schedules this year.

Still, you kept yourself in that cage. And so did he, despite his lack of patience when it comes to you and everything about you. As the night progressed, the energy in the studio grew electric.

Various music performances lit up the stage, and interviews with special guests kept the crowd engaged. Throughout it all, you and Kento remained the perfect duo—professional, poised, and completely in sync.

After nearly a few hours of composure, it came almost all too suddenly. In just a few moments, the final countdown approached, and the excitement was palpable. The two of you stood at the center of the stage, along with the other participants for this year’s event. In front of you, the crowd behind you cheering wildly, waiting excitedly for the new year.

“Here we go!” you said, your voice barely audible over the noise.

Kento leaned in slightly, his voice low enough for only you to hear. “You’re doing great, darling..”

Your heart fluttered, but you kept your composure. “Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself, babe.”

The countdown soon began.

You took a breath, looking at the screen.

You held your cue cards tightly to you.

“Ten! Nine! Eight!”

The lights soon dimmed, and the giant screen behind you displayed the numbers as they ticked down. The crowd’s voices grew louder with each second. The emotions coming through you were indescribable. Another year had gone by. But he was still by your side, like this. And all you could pray for as the time passed into a new age — that you would always be together.

“Three! Two! One! Happy New Year!”

Confetti soon rained down, and the studio erupted in cheers. You turned toward Kento, and for a fleeting moment, the world around you disappeared. The look in his caramel eyes was unmistakable—warm, tender, and filled with a quiet pride that made your chest tighten.

But just as quickly, the moment passed, and you both turned back to the crowd, waving and smiling as the cameras captured every angle. People of course started to pay less attention to you both and the stage and more onto the fireworks now blurring the sky with its bright hues. You and Kento made a steady exit off the stage.

“Another successful project, isn’t it?” you said, breaking the silence as you leaned against the wall.

Kento smirked faintly, unbuttoning the top of his shirt to loosen his tie. “They’ll be talking about this for weeks, you know?”

“And shipping us even harder, hm.” you added with a laugh.

“They’ll never know, though.” he said, his voice soft but steady.

You stepped closer, your hand finding his. His fingers intertwined with yours, the simple gesture grounding you in a way nothing else could. “They don’t need to, babe.” you whispered, meeting his gaze. “This is ours.”

Kento’s lips curved into the faintest smile as he brought your hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to your knuckles. “Happy New Year, my darling.”

“Happy New Year.” you replied, your voice barely above a whisper.

You had thought it would end there, sweet and innocent. You had thought you both were safe for one more year. But when you two are together after a long time…..it was a whole new animal. And nothing can stop such a wave in high tide from occupying something whole.

The next tithing you know is that the internet exploded the moment the photos dropped. Headlines blared across every platform, hashtags like #FINALLYOMG and #NewYearNewScandal trending within minutes after they were taken.

The pictures were pretty damning. They were blurry but unmistakably you, disheveled and wrapped in Nanami’s coat, your hair a mess. And him? A rare sight indeed.

It was none other than Nanami Kento, usually the epitome of composure, looking uncharacteristically undone. His tie was loose, his shirt wrinkled, and the telltale bruises blooming on his neck left little to the imagination.

You groaned, tossing your phone onto the coffee table as you buried your face in your hands. Beside you, Kento sat unbothered, calmly sipping his tea like the world wasn’t on fire—or at least your career’s PR team.

“I told you we should’ve been more careful, babe.” you muttered, your voice muffled by your palms.

He raised an eyebrow, the corner of his lips quivering into a teasing smile. “You were the one who couldn’t wait with it, y'know?” he replied smoothly, setting his cup down with an elegant clink.

His tone was infuriatingly calm, but the glint in his eyes betrayed his amusement. “Who was it again, begging me to fill you up? By round two, you were going—‘Kento, I need you. Right here. Right now.’ and I was happy to heed the request like always.”

Your scarlet blush was immediate, your head snapping up to glare at him. “Kento!” you hissed, glancing around the living room as if someone could overhear, even though it was just the two of you. “Not helping!”

He leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs with the air of a man thoroughly enjoying himself. “I’m just stating the facts about, I'm the same.” he said with a shrug, his smirk widening as you shot him another flustered look. "That's not a bad thing."

Your phone buzzed again on the table, your manager’s name flashing on the screen. You sighed, picking it up only to immediately huff and toss it back down. “This is really…” you trailed off, searching for the right word but settling on a frustrated groan instead.

“Chaotic? Consequential? Hilarious?” Kento offered, his voice laced with mock innocence.

You shot him a glare that was far more affectionate than threatening. “Horrible. That’s the word. This is horrible.”

He chuckled, reaching over to rest a comforting hand on your knee. “Darling, it’s not the end of the world. Scandal or not, we’ll deal with it.”

“Easy for you to say.” you grumbled, crossing your arms. “Your team probably thinks this is great publicity for your brooding, mysterious heartthrob image. Meanwhile, I’m the one getting texts about how unprofessional it looks for ‘Japan’s sweetheart’ to be caught sneaking around with hickeys and wearing her boyfriend’s coat.”

“Unprofessional?” he repeated, his tone incredulous. “It’s not like we committed a crime. We’re adults in a committed relationship. And in any case my darling....….” he added, his voice dropping to a playful murmur. “You look adorable in my coat.”

Despite yourself, you couldn’t help but crack a small smile. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet, you love me. Very much." he quipped, leaning over to steal a quick kiss from your lips.

You rolled your eyes but didn’t protest, instead letting your head fall onto his shoulder with a sigh. “Next time, though….really.....” you muttered. “We’re finding a stairwell without photographer cameras.”

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to your temple. “Noted.”

As you leaned against your lover, the memory hit you both like a freight train, vivid and unrelenting. It had started innocently enough—or as innocently as it could between the two of you. The countdown show had gone off without a hitch, and the studio was still buzzing with post-show chaos.

You both talked for a bit, had a cute moment and then went back to your professional mode when everyone started to surround you both again. It was like a switch, and it was easy. No one suspected a thing.

You went ahead into the dressing room, you talked with everyone. You’d been polite and professional, thanking the crew and chatting with some of the guests. But the moment Nanami Kento had caught your eye as you left the green room, something in his caramel gaze had made your pulse quicken.

You hadn’t seen him in weeks. Between his packed schedule and yours, the countdown project had been the only excuse to be in the same room together. The public facade you maintained only added to the frustration. Every fleeting touch, every shared look—it all built up, an unbearable tension neither of you could ignore.

So, when he’d quietly grabbed your hand and guided you down a quiet, rarely-used stairwell in the building when no one was looking, you hadn’t protested. You were excited, happy even. This was the chance to feel him again this close to you.

And you were glad for that opportunity. You could feel his touch be so genuine and warm despite the heavy chill in the air, and the firm grip of his fingers around yours sent a shiver of anticipation down your spine.

“Darling, I missed you, really.” he murmured as soon as you were alone.

His voice low and rough, filled with a longing that made your knees weak. His hands cupped your face with a reverence that always left you breathless, his thumb brushing softly against your cheek as he leaned in. The kiss was searing, his lips melding with yours as though it had been an eternity since your last stolen moment together.

The cold winter air bit at your exposed skin, but his touch set you alight. His coat had slipped from his shoulders in a quiet, unspoken gesture, draped over yours as his lips moved to your neck. The kisses were hot, open-mouthed, and deliberate, his tongue tracing the sensitive skin before his teeth grazed your pulse.

“Kento, babe….” you gasped, your voice trembling from a mix of the frigid air and the heat of his attention. Your fingers clutched the lapels of his suit, trying to ground yourself against the onslaught of sensations.

“Shh, just enjoy it......” he whispered, his breath warm against your skin.

His hands slid down your sides, firm but gentle as they gripped your thighs. Without hesitation, he lifted you effortlessly, pressing your back against the wall. The rough texture scraped against your coat, but you barely noticed, too focused on the way his body pressed into yours.

His strength always caught you off guard, even after all this time together. Your eager legs wrapped instinctively around his waist, your heels digging into his lower back. His hands gripped your thighs, spreading you open as he stepped between them, his body fitting against yours like a missing piece.

“Babe!” you breathed again, the sound barely audible over the pounding of your heart.

He kissed you like a man starved, his lips leaving your neck to reclaim your mouth. The intensity of it stole the air from your lungs, leaving you dizzy and clinging to him. He was hungry, perhaps even more than you were. But you had expected that. He has a habit of yearning to touch you a lot.

“I hate not being able to touch you, with all the schedules we fucking had.” he muttered against your skin, the words tinged with frustration and longing. “Hated every fucking minute of it……”

You tangled your fingers in his hair, the silky strands slipping through your fingers as you tugged him closer. “Then don’t stop, babe.” you whispered, the plea soft but desperate. “Cause….I need you badly too. I need you so bad in me—”

He growled softly, the sound rumbling against your throat as his touch shifted. One hand remained steady on your thigh, holding you firmly in place, while the other slid beneath the hem of your dress. His fingers were deliberate, pushing aside the delicate lace of your panties with practiced ease.

When his fingers slipped through your slick folds, a gasp escaped your lips, your head falling back against the wall. He groaned softly, the sound low and satisfied as he gathered your arousal, his touch teasing and unhurried.

“You’re already so ready for me, aren’t you, my darling?” he murmured, his lips brushing against the shell of your ear as his fingers moved with precision, finding the spot that made you arch into him.

The cold air around you was a stark contrast to the heat building between you, the quiet of the stairwell broken only by your uneven breaths and his whispered praises. It was reckless, indulgent, and utterly intoxicating—just like him.

“Kento, babe….oh!” you whimpered, your voice trembling as his fingers continued their unrelenting rhythm. Your hands clutched at his shoulders, nails digging into the fabric of his shirt as waves of pleasure began to build within you.

“Shh, darling.” he murmured, his lips brushing against your ear before trailing back to your neck. His voice was low and soothing, laced with a quiet intensity that only made your pulse race faster. “You’ll have to keep quiet for me. Can you do that?”

You nodded frantically, biting your lip to stifle the moan threatening to escape as he added a second finger. The stretch was delicious, his movements slow and deliberate, coaxing you higher with every stroke. His thumb brushed over your sensitive bud, and your thighs instinctively clenched around his waist.

He chuckled softly, his breath warm against your skin. “That’s my good little lover, hm? My only beloved darling.” he murmured, his praise sending a fresh wave of heat coursing through you. “So perfect for me.”

Your fingers slid up into his messy blond hair, tugging gently as your body arched against him. The rough texture of the wall behind you was a sharp contrast to the soft warmth of his touch, grounding you as he pushed you closer to the edge.

“Kento, please, b–babe….oh!” you breathed, the words barely audible as your head tilted back, exposing more of your neck to his eager lips. “M–more…..more!”

He hummed in response, the sound vibrating against your skin. “So impatient, aren’t you? Greedy too.” he teased, though his fingers quickened their pace, curling just right to hit the spot that made your breath hitch. “I missed seeing you like this, so needy for me.”

The heat pooling in your core intensified, your body trembling as the pleasure built to an unbearable peak. “I’m—” you began, but the words dissolved into a strangled gasp as he pressed his thumb harder against your sensitive nub.

“That’s it, pretty for me, so fucking pretty." He says, coaxing you like a pied piper. His voice was low and intoxicating. Everything about it just burns you as much as his touch did. "I’ve got you. Always.”

With one final stroke, the beautiful echo, that blossoming coil inside you just snapped, pleasure crashing over you like a tidal wave. Your body tensed, your thighs tightening around his waist as you buried your face in his shoulder to muffle the cry that escaped your lips.

He held you through it, his fingers slowing their movements as your body shook with aftershocks. His other hand slid up to cradle the back of your head, his lips pressing soothing kisses against your temple.

When you finally relaxed, your breaths coming in shallow gasps, he pulled back just enough to look at you. His eyes were soft, his gaze filled with a mixture of adoration and satisfaction that made your chest tighten.

“Better?” he asked, his tone light but tinged with affection.

You nodded, still too dazed to form words. He chuckled, adjusting his hold on you as he gently set you back on your feet. Your legs wobbled like jello against him, and he immediately steadied you, his hands firm but gentle on your waist.

“Careful, darling.” he murmured, his brow furrowing in concern. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, babe.” you managed, your voice breathless but steady. “More than fine.”

His lips quivered into a soft smile, and he leaned down to press a lingering kiss to your forehead. “Good.”

As the reality of your surroundings sank back in, you couldn’t help but glance around, the abandoned stairwell suddenly feeling far less private. “We should… probably get back, babe.” you said, your cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “It’s getting pretty late.”

He followed your gaze, his expression calm and unbothered. “Let them wonder where we went.” he said simply, shrugging off the concern as he adjusted his coat around your shoulders. "It's none of their business."

You opened your mouth to protest, but the mischievous glint in his eyes stopped you cold. He leaned closer, his breath warm against your ear as he whispered, “After all… I’m not done with you yet.”

Your breath hitched, and before you could respond, he was guiding you gently back against the wall. His lips found yours again, this time slower, deeper, igniting the fire he’d only begun to stoke. His hands trailed down your sides, their warmth chasing away the chill of the stairwell as he pressed his body firmly against yours.

“Kento, babe.” you murmured, a weak attempt to regain your composure, but he silenced you with a kiss that left no room for argument.

“I missed you, a damn whole lot.” he said, his voice low and filled with longing as his hands slid to your thighs, lifting you effortlessly once more. "Like I always do."

Your legs wrapped around his waist instinctively, your heart pounding as the desire you’d both tried to suppress flared back to life. He pressed against you, the hardness of his arousal undeniable even through the fabric of his pants. The teasing grind of his hips against yours drew a gasp from your lips, and he smirked, his composure slipping just enough to show his need.

"Really....." Kento effortlessly whispered to you, his voice vibrating onto you like a wave crashing onto you at sea. "We shouldn't schedule much this New Year, hm? So we can be together."

"Hm.....Kento." You echo back to him, intoxicated by his touch. "'ake time....for me, okay? I'll.....I'll do the same."

“That's the plan already, you know?" he murmured, his lips brushing against your ear as he shifted, his hands tugging at the barriers between you. “Let me take care of you, like I always do.”

Soon after that, you could feel the wet, thick head of his member pressed against your entrance, the heat and pressure stealing the breath from your lungs. You gasped as he began to push in slowly, his movements deliberate, almost reverent.

It was too good, too damn easy to fall into a high to. You could feel the stretch inside of you, it made you so full. Everything about it was intoxicating, your body yielding to him as he filled you inch by inch, your walls clinging to every part of him like he was made to fit.

It was like he was trying to make a home inside of it. Inside of you. And it just made you feel so good. A deep, guttural groan rumbled in his chest, his forehead dropping to rest against yours as he buried himself deeper.

“Darling.” he muttered, his voice strained and low. “You feel so perfect.”

You whimpered, your hands clutching at his shoulders for support as your body adjusted to the delicious fullness. The sensation was overwhelming, the slight ache quickly giving way to a heat that spread through your entire body.

“Kento.” you breathed, the sound a mix of plea and surrender.

His large hands gripped your hips, holding you steady as he pulled back slightly before thrusting forward again, the motion slow but unyielding. Each movement sent a jolt of pleasure coursing through you, and the friction only made you crave more.

“God, this is so…..you feel so good.” he groaned, his voice rough and filled with need. “You’re so tight. I don’t know how I’m supposed to go slow like this with you.”

“Don’t, babe.” you gasped, your fingers digging into his shoulders. “Don’t hold back.”

His carmel eyes darkened almost instantly at your words, a flicker of something primal overtaking his usual control. With a growl, he began to move in earnest, each thrust deeper and harder than the last. The sound of your bodies meeting echoed in the stairwell, a symphony of shared desire that neither of you could hold back.

The rough texture of the wall behind you only heightened the sensation, grounding you as he took you apart piece by piece. You could feel your back burn against the concrete wall as you throw your head back against it. His lips found yours in a searing kiss, his tongue claiming your mouth as thoroughly as his body claimed yours.

“Darling, my pretty baby darling.” he murmured against your lips, his voice ragged and desperate. “You’re mine. Always mine.”

“Yes, babe. Yours….O–oh…only! Only yours!” you managed to gasp, your head tilting back as he kissed along your throat, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin.

The coil in your core once more tightens with every spark you feel as he pushes deeper over and over in a fast pace. Everything about the pleasure you feel keeps building to an almost unbearable peak. It just felt too good. He felt too good.

His pace quickened, his breaths coming in harsh pants as his control began to slip. One hand slid between your bodies, his thumb finding your sensitive nub and rubbing it in quick, precise circles.

You cried out, your body arching into him as the tension finally snapped. Pleasure crashed over you in waves, your walls clenching tightly around him as your release tore through you.

“Fuck, fuck. I’m close!” he groaned, his movements becoming erratic as he chased his own release. With one final, deep thrust, he shuddered against you, his body going taut as he spilled himself inside you.

For a moment, the only sound was your shared, labored breathing, the intimacy of the moment wrapping around you like a cocoon. His forehead rested against yours, his hands gentle as they smoothed over your thighs and waist, grounding you both.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly, his voice filled with concern despite the lingering haze of pleasure in his eyes.

You nodded, a small smile tugging at your lips. “More than okay.”

He chuckled, pressing a soft kiss to your temple before gently setting you back on your feet. His hands remained steady on your waist, holding you as your legs wobbled beneath you. You leaned into him, your breath uneven, your body still humming from the intensity of what had just transpired.

But that wasn’t the end of it, of course.

The hunger in his eyes hadn’t faded, and neither had yours. The raw desire that simmered between you was far from sated, and you both knew it. Kento’s hands lingered, his thumbs brushing soft, teasing circles against your hips as he studied your flushed face.

“I just think that I…..” he murmured, his voice a low rumble. “I still want more.”

You barely had time to process his words before your lover’s lips were on yours again, roughly consuming you in a kiss that was as demanding as it was all encompassing. Your hands quickly found their way to his shoulders, pulling him closer to you. Your body instinctively responds to the magnetic pull of his, over and over.

“We shouldn’t…” you whispered between kisses, though your voice lacked conviction. “It’s going to make people suspicious.”

“Probably not.” he agreed, his smirk returning as his hands slipped under the hem of your dress, trailing up your thighs. “But repercussions are damned when we’re hungry. I can’t stop. I know you won’t too..”

The wall pressed against your back once more as he claimed you all over again, the cool stairwell air doing nothing to cool the fire that raged between you. It was reckless, but neither of you cared. Not here, not now. Hunger demanded to be fed, and with Nanami Kento, you were always insatiable.

After a while, you were both removed from the plane of normalcy and you were both panting with joyous weariness. He presses a kiss against your jaw as you keep a steady bite on his neck. He grumbles against you as he gathers himself from seeing stars. You follow him soon after. You released his neck and started kissing his lips once more.

When you both found yourself satisfied, you both started to make yourselves as presentable as possible. Well, at least what remains presentable and salvageable for both of you. Kento ripped too much of your outfit as much as you did. Still, you both did not care.

“We should get you cleaned up.” he murmured, his tone tender as he placed his coat on your shoulders and adjusted it tenderly on you, to keep you warm. “I’ll call my car and then we’ll just hop in there. We’ll go to my hotel, okay?”

You nodded again, your cheeks flushing as the reality of your surroundings began to sink in. But as he laced his fingers with yours and led you back toward the main building, you couldn’t help but feel a warm glow of contentment.

Of course, things too did not go the way you both wanted once again. You didn’t know that there were many SNS photographers and gossip journalists waiting to catch some other celebrity in that area where Kento’s car was going to be. And that’s just how you were caught, not thinking about the logistics of it all.

But how could you? It was New Years.

You just got mindlessly blown with really, really, really good sex.

And you were together once again with your lover.

How could you think about anything else after all that?

Now, back in the present, the two of you sat in the quiet of your shared apartment. Nanami Kento’s calm demeanor was a stark contrast to your frazzled nerves. You sighed, looking up to your lover who presses a kiss on your forehead.

“You know this is going to be everywhere, babe.” you said, gesturing toward your phone.

He set his tea down and leaned back, regarding you with a look of quiet amusement. “Let them talk, darling. It was bound to happen eventually.”

You groaned. “Eventually I didn't need to include hickeys and a ruined coat. And oh god….. was I leaking your cum?”

You took your phone once again to inspect, but your lover took your phone with his free hand and put it away. You looked at him, almost sulky as one would look as a child. He laughs. He presses another kiss on your hair. Kento couldn’t help but smirk. Both acts had made your heart skip a beat.

“You look good in my coat though. I could hardly care if my cum was dripping out, darling.” he said simply. “I’m pretty sure I look just as ridiculous. You mauled my neck so happily after that first round.”

“You do look like you’ve been ravaged.” you shot back, though your cheeks burned at the memory. “I mean, it made sense at the time….I was hungry.”

“Hm, I don’t blame you.”

You sighed. “We’ll contact our PR and everyone later, okay?”

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind your ear. “Hm.” he said softly, his voice filled with the steady reassurance you’d always loved about him. “We’ll be fine, okay? I don’t care as long as I am with you.”

You sighed, leaning into his warm touch. “I guess the secret’s out, huh?”

He nodded, his gaze warm. “I don’t mind. As long as we're happy together, I say let them say whatever they want.”

You blinked at him. “You think so?”

“Hm.” He smiles at you. “Because no one will truly know who you are to me. That’s only mine. They’ll have a headline, but I’ll have the whole spreadsheet.”

You feel like your heart is melting with his tenderness. “I love you. So so much.”

“I love you too.” He kisses your lips, smiling wider at you.

And just like that, the storm outside felt a little less overwhelming.

868 notes · View notes

catherinnn · 10 months ago

Note

This kinda inspired by one of your enemies to lovers stories where eddie says “you wouldn’t be able to handle me” but reader instead says “oh yeah i couldn’t handle the two-centimeter-pussy-defeater bc id because i would be too busy laughing my ass off at your angry half inch.”

Sorry i have been holding that one in for quite some time 😤

Beg for it

enemies to lovers - one bed trope - eddie munson x fem!reader

warnings: SMUT +18, piv, oral ( f & m), choking, degradation, unprotected sex (don't do this, this is fiction), porn with plot, fluffy at the end.

a/n: thank you for requesting babe, hope you love it!

5.7k words

“Game night at my place, the whole group will be there” Steve announces after greeting you. You went to visit him and Robin since you were already near the place. Also, maybe you could find a movie to watch tonight.

“Ugh, really? They all said yes already?” you ask.

“If you’re expecting me to say that Munson hasn’t, then I have bad news” he confirms.

“Fuck”

“You’re not even trying to be friends at this point” he complains.

“It’s impossible with him being so mean all the time” you tried to defend yourself but Robin was quick to refute your statement.

“You sure are mean to him as well, don’t act so innocent”

“Well, he started it! I didn’t even know him and he started with the jokes and asshole comments” you weren’t lying.

You were new in town, and new at the summer job your dad had found for you. He wanted you to already have some experience at working so you could make a better curriculum later. There was were you met Nancy and instantly became good friends. So much so that she had introduced you to her friend group she has had for years already. Steve, Nance, Jonathan, Robin and Eddie. The former four had been sweethearts to you since you first met them, easily becoming good friends as well. The problem was with the latter. The night Nancy had introduced you to everyone, he started being a little distant and cold towards you. You tried not to feel offended since he could just be shy or introverted, but then he started throwing snide comments and sarcastic mocking your way. You were not going to sit there and take that, so you equally threw cutting remarks at him.

That’s how the current war with him started. And that’s why your friends keep insisting with this forced proximity, so we could all be a happy family.

But it was useless, you and Eddie do agree on that.

The game night arrived that Friday. You were at the Harrington household with several board games awaiting on the table. Battleship, Clue, Guess Who, Monopoly, Scrabble, you name it.

“We wanted to make different groups and play all of these, then see which team is the best” Robin explains. “Steve and me will be team one” she says as she writes that in the whiteboard. They really went all out, since we could all be pretty competitive.

“Group two!” Jonathan exclaims quickly grabbing Nancy’s hand.

“Wait… no, definitely not” You start complaining after realizing that would mean you’re stuck with Eddie.

“No way! I’m not teaming up with her, she’ll make us lose at everything” he complains as well.

“I will? I think the actual loser here it’s you”

“Oh, am I now-?” The metal-head starts responding when Steve steps in, cutting him off.

“Okay! Stop yelling, we’re not even playing yet! The teams have been chosen, try and be faster next time”

“We’ll start with Guess Who” Robin announces.

As the game progressed, the bickering continued.

"Does your person have brown hair?" Eddie asks Nancy and Jonathan, who nod.

You reach over to flip down the characters with blond or red hair "See, this is why we should’ve picked someone with a hat, it's less obvious"

Eddie rolled his eyes "Oh, please. Like your guess was any better. We’re losing here!” Eddie complains.

"Only if you keep making terrible guesses" you shoot back.

"Does your person have a hat?" you ask the other team.

"No"

"Still think the hat was a good idea?" Eddie raised an eyebrow at you.

"It was strategic" you huff, flipping down the characters with hats.

After playing most of the board games you had, you were tied with the second group, Steve and Robin had already lost.

“Last but not least, to decide the winner of this evening, I present… battleship” Robin announces once more.

"You sure you can keep up with this game? It requires more than just a pretty face" Eddie asks you.

"Don’t worry, I have enough brains to make up for your lack of them" you respond.

“Quit it, start playing” Steve orders.

"Let's just get this over with" you roll your eyes.

They set up the Battleship boards, each team carefully arranging their ships. Eddie and you hunched over the board, whispering fiercely.

"Put the battleship here" he insist, pointing to the top left corner.

"No, it’s too obvious. Let’s hide it in the middle"

"Fine, but when they hit it right away don’t blame me" he groans.

As the game progressed, your bickering intensified.

"B6" Jonathan called out.

You glance at the board and softly nod your head "Hit"

Eddie leans closer, his voice a teasing whisper, "I told you the corner was better"

"Just focus"

When it was your turn, Eddie called out "G4"

Nancy checks their board, "Miss"

You smirk "Looks like your guess wasn’t so great either"

Eddie rolls his eyes "Just wait"

A few rounds later, it was your turn again.

"E5" Eddie calls out.

"Miss" Nancy announces.

"I told you they wouldn’t put it there" you huff.

"Like you’ve done any better"

"How about C3?" you roll your eyes.

"Fine, C3" Eddie sighs.

"Hit" Jonathan says between his teeth.

"See? I told you" you smirk.

"Don’t get cocky, princess"

The tension built as the game neared its end, each team with only one ship left.

"Last shot, let's go with G3" Eddie says

You nod.

"You sunk our battleship" Jonathan confirms after a long sigh.

“YES!”

“COME ONN” both you and Eddie shout in excitement and before even thinking about it you hug tightly.

Robin and Steve watch the scene with wide eyes and smirks on their faces.

And the second your bodies touch each other you realize what you’re actually doing. The hug only lasts few seconds before you both back away awkwardly.

“See? You actually do make a pretty good team” Robin comments.

“Only because I took the last shot” Eddie says.

“Oh please, if it were up to you we’d still be guessing corners” you reply.

"And if it were up to you, we'd be stuck in the middle forever”

Your friends roll their eyes as the bickering continued. And as you act indifferent, you try not think about how you had to stand on the tip of your toes to wrap your arms around his neck, or how soft his hair had felt touching your skin.

His frizzy and chaotic hair. But so curly and soft.

Couple of weeks after that night had passed, you hung out with the guys almost every weekend. You favorite nights were the ones Eddie was busy and couldn’t make it. Like tonight.

“Pass the salt, please” Nancy asks Robin. You all went out to have dinner together. Not all actually, Jonathan was too busy as well, him you did miss.

“It’s like we’re having a girl’s night!” you say excitedly and both girls laugh as well.

“No, you’re not about to count me in as a girl” He complains.

“Oh please, you have better hair than me!” Robin comments and he rolls his eyes.

“I’m just teasing, jeez! Someone has their panties in a twist!” you joke.

“Are you on your period or something?” Nancy joins in sarcastically.

“Alright, not even funny” Steve interrupts. “Let's focus. I think we should keep planning the trip, even though we’re not all here tonight”

“Don’t even mention it. I miss Jonathan so much, he’s been so busy lately. I think he really needs a break” Nancy complains and Robin agrees with her.

“I know, it’s really noticeable when Eddie’s not here either”

“Oh yeah, he’s the one I miss. His irritating voice and loud comments. His annoying essence it’s what’s missing here!” you joke but they don’t find it funny.

“We’ve been through this, you’re gonna have to learn to like each other”

“Sure sure, so… the trip?” you change the topic acting foolish.

“Yeah, I liked the hiking option. We always go to the lake every summer, we should change it up” Nancy votes. You’ve never went to any lake with them since this is the first year you’re joining them. But they had told some stories about this hidden lake they usually go to in summer.

“I think so too, plus we should do something different since we have a new integrant” Steve comments smiling at you. Robin and you also agree to go with that option.

The guys make sure of telling the rest everything you have agreed on that night. You’ve settled on where to go hiking and the cabin that would be waiting for you at night.

A few weeks later you're all set to go.

The trip to get there was...

Steve and Jonathan took turns driving. "You must be a really shitty driver if no one here trusts you behind the wheel" you notice and tell Eddie.

"I'm not a bad driver, princess. Maybe we could go for a drive sometime and you could judge for yourself! We'll call it a date" Eddie teases you the way he knows will shut you up, it always worked. As soon as he started flirting with you, it was like you got shy all of the sudden. Replying with some nonsense that would make Eddie laugh harder because he knew he had won.

"I'd rather get eaten by a shark" you respond ignoring the nervousness that ran through your body.

"Alright, we still have a few hours ahead of us, and I'm not gonna make them with you two bickering the whole way there. So calm down" Steve —or actually, mom Steve— told you off.

Once you got to the cabin, you parked the car, settled everything down, ate something and got ready for today's hiking exercise.

Eddie was never a big fan of sports, so he knew that after an hour or so of hiking —no matter how slow they were walking or how much water he was drinking— he would just start to stay a little behind. Not a lot, but definitely the last on the row.

Also, he started to get bored. Eddie was chatting with Jonathan, but he started to take pictures of every little plant or flower he saw, and the higher you got, the more pictures of the view he wanted to take.

So Eddie started to walk in silence, taking notice of other little things, like the fact that you and Steve look pretty close and pretty giggly with each other since you started hiking. But not only that, obviously, it's not like he's jealous or anything. For him to be jealous he would have to like you in the first place, and there was no way Eddie wants you.

You're the obvious person to like; everyone in Hawkins is already smitten with you. Every guy has a crush on you because you're undeniably beautiful. He knew from the first moment he saw you that you'd never go for a guy like him. So, to keep himself from showing any sign that he wanted you, he did the opposite —he started to hate you.

So he is definitely not jealous. He was only noticing that like he noticed the colourful rocks that he walked by, or the clouds in the sky, or the way those shorts hug your body so nicely.

But he keeps hearing your laughter every ten seconds. Was Steve really being that funny, or you were acting all giggly for him? Did you like Steve? It certainly seems like you do.

You, however, were having so much fun. In the middle of a funny story Steve was telling you about some guy who tried to flirt with Robin at work and the look on her face not knowing how to tell him she didn’t like him —or well, any men for that matter.

The forest path was rugged, but you welcomed the challenge at first, feeling the cool morning air on your skin. However, after a while, your legs began to protest, your breath came in shorter gasps. It was hard to keep up with Steve. Swimmer and football player Steve. So you had to slow down a little, now walking alongside Eddie.

“What’s the matter, princess? Can’t keep up?” he teases with a mocking tone.

“You literally got behind sooner than me” you answer, shaking your head. “If anyone’s slow here, it’s you”

“But it looks like we're both walking together now, so who's really winning?” Eddie chuckles, unfazed by your sharp reply as his eyes twinkle with amusement.

You decide to ignore him. How foolish of you to think that he would accept that silence.

“So what’s the deal between you and Steve? You looked pretty cozy back there. You’re not very subtle, you know”

“There’s no deal with Steve, we were just talking” you roll your eyes, irritation flaring up.

"Right, just talking" he says, his tone dripping with scepticism. "You’re so obvious, it's almost painful to watch"

“Why don’t you stop jumping to conclusions and mind your own business”

“Ohh, is the princess mad at me now? I’m so scared!” he grins, clearly pleased with himself.

“You’re impossible” you say almost to yourself.

You kept walking for a few more hours, taking occasional breaks to catch your breath and sip some water. The trail seemed endless, but the beauty of the forest made it worth the effort.

As you trudged along, you noticed the sky darkening. Grey clouds, rolling in with alarming speed. The wind picked up, rustling the leaves more aggressively.

A man in uniform hurrying down the trail called you out. "Hey, you guys need to find shelter! A big storm is coming in fast. There's no way you'll make it back down in time"

Panic start to appear in all of your eyes.

“Wait? Seriously?” Nancy asks.

“Yes! There’s a motel that’s a few minutes away, to your left” the guy informs you. “I don’t know how much room they have left, cause I’ve been sending some people there already. But you should go now”

Finally after quickening your pace, you spot the outline of a motel nestled among the trees. You hurry towards it. As you approach, you see the motel was old but resistant.

You reach the door and push it open, stumbling inside just as the storm unleashed its full fury. Inside, it was dim and musty, but at least it was dry.

“Hello, uh, we need room for six, please” Nancy is the first one to get to the register and talk to the old woman who was reading a newspaper as if she hadn’t heard you coming in.

“$70 the night” she answers without even looking up at you.

“Uhh… okay, we’ll take it” Nancy says and as you all reach for you wallets, the woman gives you three keys.

“There’s only three rooms left, two with queen beds and one with two separate single beds” she speaks again, as slowly as she can apparently.

“SEPARATE BED” Robin shouts fast.

“ME TOO” Steve is quickly to join her on calling dibs for that room. Not wanting to share a bed.

“Wait! No!” you complain. “Why would you get it just cause you screamed?”

“We called dibs, sorry sweetie” Robin explains.

“But that’s not fair, we should have discussed it!” Eddie joins in.

“Too late” Steve says handing the money to the woman and taking the key of their room.

“Come on guys, maybe they have a couch” Jonathan tries to make you feel better as he also pays and picks a key to their room.

“Are you actually making us share a bed?!” you ask them offended.

“Maybe it’ll help you become friends!” Robin tells you.

After paying and grabbing that stupid key, you all go to your rooms. As you walk in you notice that, in fact, there is no couch.

“Fuck” Eddie complains once again. “I’ll take the floor, let’s just find some blankets that I can sleep on”

And you turn that room upside down trying to find some. But the only blanket in the room is the –only– one on the bed.

“There’s nothing here!” you sit on the bed admitting defeat. “We’re both gonna have to sleep on the bed. I’m gonna freeze without a blanket and you can’t sleep on the bare floor, you’d freeze too”

“If you wanted to sleep with me, you could’ve just said so” Eddie jokes.

“Not now, Munson! Really not in the mood!”

After each getting ready for bed, you start building a wall of pillows in the middle. Separating his part of the bed from yours.

“I bet you wouldn’t make Steve have a wall of pillows” he mumbles, but you’re able to hear him nonetheless.

“Did you not listen when I said not now?!”

“See, that’s the problem with you. You think you can just walk in here acting like you own the fucking place. Newsflash, princess, not everyone is going to fall at your feet following your little orders!” Eddie gets mad for real this time, but so are you.

“I’m so sorry for trying to make this less uncomfortable! Actually, if you want I’ll even cuddle you while we sleep!”

“Shut up” Eddie rolls his eyes.

“No really, we should even make out before sleeping while we’re at it! Maybe that’ll prove to you that I don’t fucking like Steve”

“Yeah, you wish” Eddie comments.

“Actually, I think you wish. Giving that you’re always trying to flirt with me when we argue and giving how jealous you seem to be about Steve” you notice.

“I’m not fucking jealous. And you’re the one suggesting to fucking make out!”

“See, I think you do want to. You’re just too much of a pussy to even admit it” you whisper close to his face.

“Oh my God, princess!” Eddie starts laughing arrogantly. “You wouldn’t even be able to handle me”

“Oh yeah, you’re right! I could not handle your two centimetres because I would be too busy laughing my ass off at your angry half inch” you respond at his face.

But he doesn’t say anything back. He just looks at you. His jaw clenching, eyes darkening, breath heaving.

Before you can react, he closes the distance in one swift, aggressive movement. Gripping your arms tightly, he kissed you fiercely and angrily, his lips bruising against yours, as if trying to channel all the pent-up emotions into that kiss.

To say that you're shocked would be an understatement. But you did kiss him back. How could you not? With all the ardor and sentiment that he was putting into that kiss?

That fucking kiss.

After he felt your lips moving along with his in a dance, he let all the anger go. The kiss became passionate and intense instead of angry. Like you were finally letting go. Stopped overthinking and finally giving in.

You didn't need to talk. You didn't want to. Instead, you put one hand on his haw and the other on his hair, feeling it in between your fingers, bringing him even closer.

He sighs, holding a grunt as he feels you play with his hair. His hands move lower to your hips, feeling the upper part of your body in the process.

A fight for dominance is held up between you two. He bites your lip harshly, and you let out a little gasp that allows him to win. He's playing dirty. You're not surprised.

He starts to push you down slowly, so you're lying on the bed with him on top of you.

Your hands travel lower as well as you feel his back. You wonder if he has any tattoos there as well.

He dares to leave your lips alone as he lowers his kisses to your jaw and then your neck. He kisses and bites and licks all over your neck. You can bet that he is leaving marks as purple as a grape.

It turns you both on even more.

Eddie feels like he's flying. He's even touching the clouds. Marking you all up is only an image that haunts him in his fantasies. Like when he can't sleep, or is in the shower, or after fighting with you all evening and you're looking so beautiful and you're being such a brat. That's when he imagines leaving you all bruised out. But he's actually doing it right now, and he's going feral.

You start to feel like you're too dressed. His hands go under your shirt, and he starts to pull it up. You pull your arms up as well so he can take it off. His kisses keep traveling lower on your body. Your chest, your shoulders, the top of your breasts. He stops there. Making out with one of your nipples over the lace of your bra while pinching the other. You start moaning, your hips move searching friction on your core, and he lowers his hips so you can start dry humping him.

You feel his smirk against your sensitive skin as well as his hard on against your centre. Mocking your desperation. You're not surprised.

He moves up, meeting face to face once again. "So desperate for me, aren't you princess?" he whispers so closely to you face you can feel his lips moving and his evil smile too.

He watches you breath hard and your legs trying to close searching for that friction in between once more.

"Ask me nicely and I'll take care of you" he proposes and you roll your eyes.

You can't. You won't.

"Beg for it, princess" he tries again. "Let me hear you"

You shake your head. You're playing difficult, but Eddie likes a challenge.

"No? You're not gonna beg for me? Alright princess, you know what I'm gonna do?" he pauses to think. "I'm gonna make you cum so fast on my tongue you'll be embarrassed, and then you'll know how much of a desperate slut you can be for me"

You want to laugh and tell him off, but you are so intrigued by his confidence at the same time. You settle for a defiant look thrown at him, he catches it and smirks again. Something tells you you'll be seeing that smirk quite a lot tonight.

He unhooks your bra and throws it somewhere in the room, he squeezes your tits and caresses your nipples making a mental note to keep playing with them later. His hands travel down to your pants which are the next item being thrown away inside the room.

He takes a second to admire the view of you only on those white panties and he feels his cock jump. He proceeds to take your underwear off too, but this item is put inside his back pocket.

He puts your legs over his shoulders and lowers to be closer to your pussy. He bites his lip admiring how fucking pretty and perfect it looks. He wastes no more time and dives in.

He licks it and kisses it and sucks on it drunk on your taste. He fucking makes out with your clit and has you meowing and arching back like a damn cat.

His hands grab your thighs so hard he's probably leaving marks there too. He sighs and hums and laughs against your pussy hearing your pretty moans.

He looks up at you as you look down at him and you both feel like you could just cum at the sight alone. Your cheeks blushed, eyes watery, hair a mess, lips swollen and little moans are still coming out of them. He looks up at you while still sucking on your clit so fucking good. His eyes are covered by his bangs so you reach to move them to the side. His puppy eyes look straight at you, his hair is also a mess, and his hands are gripping you with so much force his skin as well as yours becomes whiter. And his rings feel cold and addictive against you.

You try to fight your orgasm but looking at him makes it impossible. It hits all throughout your body so good that you cry out his name as you pull on his hair.

As you catch your breath, he sits up and washes all your wetness off his face with the back of his hand, all that with a big smirk on so proud of himself.

"Still doubting me?"

You grunt, annoyed, and bring him closer. You pull his shirt over his head and take a second to admire his bare chest and arms covered in tattoos. You unbutton and unzip his pants. He's just watching you act so desperate for him to undress, enjoying every second of it like the cocky motherfucker he can be.

"Need help?" he whispers on your ear, and you nod with a pout. He stands up and takes his pants of slowly.

"These too?" he asks, signalling his boxers. You nod as you feel even hotter paying attention to the big tent he has on them.

He puts them down too, standing up proudly as you look at his big cock. "Half inch you said?" he teases you, and you look up at him as if telling him to shut the fuck up.

You sit up facing his dick. You grab it gently as you keep looking at it. How is it so... pretty? How the fuck does Eddie manages to be pretty everywhere. Even what you thought could not be pretty. He manages to make it look beautiful.

A mischievous thought crosses your mind. And you start leaving some kisses on the tip. Even a lick here and there.

He gasps unexpectedly. You put the tip in your mouth, moving your tongue around it. He lets out a little moan. You look up at him, he's already looking at you. And you proceed to slowly put all of it in your mouth while maintaining eye contact. His tip touches your throat, and you have to fight a gag. You still have a full fist grabbing the rest that didn't fit your mouth. He moans again at your little show. You close your eyes and start moving your head up and down. Eddie moans louder this time, and hands stop your movements.

"As much as I enjoy this, princess, and I really fucking am" he lets you know. "I want to cum once I'm inside of your perfect little pussy, can I?"

You take him out of your mouth with a 'pop' at the end and look at him defiantly once again. "Beg for it" you challenge him feeling proud of yourself.

He laughs. "Are you seriously telling me to beg for it while you're still practically on your knees for me?"

You won't let him win this one, so you lay back again resting on your elbows. "Beg for it"

He takes a big breath in ogling over all of your body on display for him and only him. He'll let you win this one because his dick is throbbing at the sight before him.

His hands travel up your legs and your hips to your waist. "Please, princess" he says once his face is closer to yours.

"Please, let me fuck you so good" he starts humping his dick against your pussy which makes you both gasp.

"Please, please, please" he kisses your cheek to sugar-coat you.

"Eddieee" you move your pelvis up and down against him. "Do it, put it in"

And he wastes no time to do so. Pushing his tip inside and you both gasp. He bites his lip and thrusts to enter you completely.

"Oh, fuck" your head is thrown back and you lay back down. He feels so big and so fucking good in you.

"Mhh, fuck princess" he lowers his body to be chest to chest with you. "You feel so good baby, so tight around me"

You have to bite your tongue to stop you from moaning his name, you can't keep inflating his ego.

"Don't get all quiet now. You're always talking and the one time I wanna hear you..." he teases you.

"Earn it" you manage to get out. It's ironic how your lips are almost bleeding from how hard you're biting on them to stop you from moaning as hard as you want to, but you still tell him to fuck you better.

Eddie knows what you're doing, but he likes playing with you too. So he accepts the challenge.

He gets up on his knees against the bed and takes your legs to pull you closer to him. You instantly wrap them around his hips. He wraps a hand around your throat and he looks like he's about to say something, but instead, he enters you again. A moan escapes from your mouth instantly, and you see his big smirk back.

He starts a hard and fast pace with his thrusts as you hear his sighs against your ear. You can't help the whines and moans that escape you now. Your hands go to his back scratching him, and pulling at his hair, but it only makes him moan harder.

He lowers his head to your breasts once again and keeps kissing them as he fucks you. You arch back again, because you can feel him everywhere. And he feels so so good.

He feels you clench around his dick and he thinks he could just cum right now. So he starts playing with your clit with his fingers.

"Eddiee... 'm so closee" you whine pulling him somehow even closer.

"Yeah? You are?" you nod desperately. "Beg for it" he whispers and smirks right after saying it.

You roll your eyes but it doesn't take much to convince you this time.

"Please, Eddie," he was about to tell you that you can do better, but beat him to it. "Please baby, you feel so good inside of me, so big. Eddie, please"

Eddie has to stop himself from cuming -which he almost does. "Cum for me, baby"

And you do. Your orgasm hits even harder than the first one. You gasp and whine without even thinking about it.

Few seconds after that, Eddie can't take it anymore. He feels you clench even harder while you cum and it becomes too much. So he lets go too while moaning your name against your skin.

You take a few seconds to catch your breaths when you feel Eddie pull out —and after admiring how his cum drips out of your pussy— he gets up, puts on his boxers and goes to the bathroom, only to come back with a wet towel to clean you up. To say he surprised you again was an understatement. Who would have thought he would be so careful?

After you go to the bathroom as well —with wobbly legs Eddie smirks about— and change into some comfy clothes, you both lay down. No wall pillow this time. And are quick to fall asleep after all the exercise you did today.

The next morning wasn’t so sweet. Loud knocking on your bedroom’s door accompanied a loud Robin telling you to get up already.

Waking up all curled up with him was bound to happen. But if someone would have told you yesterday morning that today you would be waking up with Eddie Munson spooning you, you would have laughed at their face.

But here you are, and to be honest, it had been a while since you slept so peacefully.

You feel him groaning against the skin of your shoulder, holding you tighter.

You slowly opened your eyes to accustom to the light.

“Did you end up killing each other last night?! Answer me!” Robin shouts again from the other side of the door.

“Certainly feels like it” Eddie murmurs and laughs at his own joke.

“We’re awake! Calm down!” you let her know.

“We have to leave so then we can breakfast, so hurry up!” she lets you know.

You get up and start tiding up. Eddie is slower, he sits on the bed barely opening one eye to look at you and smiles. “Good morning, princess”

You look at him and a little smirk escapes from your lips. “Hey” you greet him shyly.

You both start changing to get down and tidy everything down. After you both brush your teeth, you go to pick up your backpack but he stops you to pull you in close to him.

“Good morning” he says again with his face close to yours while he pulls a strand of your hair behind your ear. Then he proceeds to kiss you, sweetly this time. Which warms your heart. You kiss him back playing with his hair once again.

“Hi, Munson” you say sweetly against his lips.

“You look beautiful in the morning” he admits but before you can even react, the knocking on your door is back.

“Okay! Okay! We’re coming!” Eddie stops them. “Jesus”

After getting down, you were waiting for them to explain where you would be having breakfast but as soon as they see you they start looking at you funny.

“What?” Eddie asks being as confused as you but they all start laughing.

“What is going on?” you ask again.

“Are we just gonna pretend like nothing happened?” Jonathan asks now.

“Yeah, were you gonna act like you still hate each other today?” Steve teases.

And you understand all the laughter. You and Eddie look at each other surprised and apparently this is also very funny because they start laughing again.

“Oh fuuuck” Jonathan starts mocking the way Eddie sounded last night also acting like moaning your name.

“Oh Eddie, so close!” Steve joins him acting like you.

Your face is as red as a tomato right now and you feel like you could just die, it would be better than taking whatever this is. You hide your face in Eddie’s shoulder after he just rolls his eyes fighting another smirk.

He laughs at you, put stills hugs you.

“You wanted us to like each other…” He defends you two.

“Yeah, apparently you took that very literal” Robin teases after catching her breath.

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson smut #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson #eddie munson imagine #enemies to lovers

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jobean12-blog · 8 months ago

Text

Stay

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x female reader

Word Count: 1,176

Summary: You and Bucky have been doing the flirty friends dance for a while now, the tension building but when nothing seems to progress any further you accept a date from another guy...

Author's Note: So I was just thinking about the hotness of dry humping and when you just have to find release in the moment and all that and I love the whole friends to lovers trope. There isn't a ton of back story here but it's the usual. Thank you all so much for reading! Much love always! ❤️❤️❤️Divider by the lovely @firefly-graphics thank you Daisy! 🥰

Warnings: fluffy, softness, tension, dry humping, confessions lol

“Are you sure I didn’t wake you Bucky?”

He’s standing in the doorway of his apartment in nothing but sweatpants that hang low on his hips. His hair is mussed and falling over his forehead, and you can smell the soap on his skin.

You try to keep your eyes trained on his face.

“I’m sure,” he says as he takes your hand and leads you into his apartment. “I’ve been up for a while.”

He rubs the back of his neck and glances at you as you take off your jacket.

“So, are you going to tell me more about this date…that was over at what eight o’clock?” he asks teasingly.

“Maybe it was closer to nine,” you laugh.

“Doll,” he chides, still staring.

You groan and hang your jacket over the chair. “I just wasn’t…he wasn’t…”

Your words die off when you see the expression on his face. His eyes are wide, and his lips are slightly parted as his gaze moves slowly down your body.

“What?” you ask.

“What are you…did you walk all the way over here in that?”

You drop your head to look down at your clothing. “Oh.”

“I probably should have thought about that but I…I wanted to see you and…”

“It’s fine,” Bucky mumbles before he swallows hard and tries to focus on filling a glass of water.

“So…the date?” he asks, keeping his eyes on the sink.

“I guess I didn’t really want to be there. I had other things on my mind.”

“Like?” he counters.

“Likeeeeee…um.”

“Me?”

His one-word response comes out quietly and as more of a question and when his eyes meet yours they’re soft and shy and a little hopeful.

“Yeah,” you answer, looking down as you twist your hands in front of you.

“Well, in case you didn’t get the memo before, I wasn’t exactly having an easy time sleeping over here…or doing anything else for that matter.”

You look up again and meet his stare as he continues.

“I can’t concentrate on shit. Sam keeps giving me hell because I’m not focused.”

You laugh softly as you move closer. “I know exactly what you mean. I’m so wound up I can hardly sit still.”

“Yeah,” he agrees, running his hand over his hair with an exhale. “I hate that you went on a date with another guy tonight.”

“I hate it too. I don’t even know why I did,” you say quietly, inching closer. “All I kept thinking, is that I wanted it to be you.”

He closes the distance, his eyes searching every inch of your face. “I should have stopped you and told you…”

You wait for him to finish, knowing this is all new again for him.

“I don’t think... I’ve never been this distracted by anyone before,” he whispers.

You’re so close you can see the small patches of gray hairs that line his shadowed jaw and without thinking you lean in and brush your lips to his.

He sucks in a breath, and you feel him press his body against yours.

“I have no idea what we’re doing,” he admits. “But I do know that I don’t want anyone else to take you out…to kiss you…to have you.”

“Bucky…”

His name is a whispered plea, and he tilts his head and closes his eyes, moving just enough to kiss you softly.

“Tell me to stop,” he murmurs.

There is no way you could.

Instead, you reach up, slide your fingers along the back of his neck and press your lips more firmly to his.

And then he pushes forward, closer, lining up your bodies so that you can feel the hard shape of him against your stomach.

Your hand slides along his skin and you feel the solid strength of muscle in his back as he walks you backward until you fall gently onto the couch.

“I can’t stop thinking about you,” he whispers against your lips.

He pulls back just enough to meet your eyes and sweeps his thumb across your bottom lip.

“Me either,” you tell him, shifting until his length is pressed right between your legs.

He swears and dips back down to kiss you. Your hips roll and his face falls to your neck with a groan.

“Fuck that feels good,” he murmurs, moving with you.

The material of his sweatpants is thin and your sleep shorts even thinner and you can feel every inch of him.

Your hips press up from the couch and you give his hair a tug.

“That’s it doll,” he says. “Don’t stop.”

His mouth follows his hands everywhere and you grow more and more desperate, searching for friction as you rub against him repeatedly.

“Bucky,” you gasp.

He rocks his hips forward and against you, the perfect drag of heat and pressure just where you need it.

Your fingers twist into his hair and you feel yourself start to fall, closing your eyes as your release rushes through your body. You cry out his name and feel his hips move faster, his grip tight on your skin as he grunts into your neck when he comes.

He collapses against you, his breath warm on your skin before pushing up onto his elbows and looking down at you with a sweet, drowsy, and almost timid expression.

“Hey doll,” he says, his lips tilting into a lopsided smirk.

“Hiya Buck,” you whisper, running a hand over his hair.

“Doing that made me feel young again,” he chuckles. “Like a teenager.”

Your smile is bright as you trace the crinkle lines around his eyes. “I didn’t think that was possible.”

He feigns an appalled look and then brushes his nose to yours with a smirk.

“You just made me come in my pants. I have no control when it comes to you.”

“Is that a bad thing?” you ask with a soft smile.

“No,” he murmurs. “Definitely not.”

His large hand cradles your cheek, and he kisses your forehead, then your temple, his lips moving slowly along your skin until they meet the spot just below your ear.

“I…um…I don’t mean to run off,” he starts. “But I just want to clean up and change.”

Your teeth dig into your bottom lip, and you start to giggle, patting his back.

He kisses you softly once, then twice before he pushes himself up but then he pauses, hovering above you, and as if he can’t bear to leave you his body covers yours again and he kisses you with more urgency.

When he pulls away his breathing is heavy, and his eyes are hooded.

“I want to stay with you tonight Bucky,” you whisper.

He watches you for a moment, never breaking eye contact, waiting for you to change your mind.

You stare right back and wait for his answer.

“If you stay…” he starts.

You’re already nodding. “I know.”

“I’m not going to be able to have you in my bed and not…I might not be able to go slow.”

You pull him down for another kiss. “I know.”

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x female reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes imagine #bucky x reader #sebastian stan #sebastian stan x reader

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rottenaero · 10 months ago

Text

They were gonna put Eddie down like a damn dog.

The group had insisted that Steve visit the hospital today, one year and two months after the incident. It was a random day, and he thought, ‘ why the hell not?’

Family Video had been closed for months, doing ‘ repairs’, so he really didn’t have much else to do.

He thought it was weird, the way the group was as far away from the bed as possible, and how when he entered the room, Hopper almost blocked the exit.

He doesn’t question it though, sidling up to the open chair beside Eddie, who was still asleep after all this time, and punching his shoulder lightly.

“ Hey, Hero.”

He’d taken to calling it sleeping instead of what it was, a coma. Sleeping sounded more peaceful, because with sleeping came dreams and relaxation.

Eddie doesn’t respond, doesn’t react. Steve didn’t expect him to.

He turns his head to Dustin, the one who’d called him in the first place. “ So, why’re we gathered here today? Any updates?” He asks, addressing the whole room.

The boy swallows, and something tells him something’s wrong. Really wrong.

“ Yeah, actually. Uhm, since it’s been so long, we were thinking-“ He cuts himself off, crosses his arms and starts tapping his foot. Thinking, probably.

Hopper glances to him, and sighs, deciding to lead. “ We’re gonna have to let Munson go.” He states.

Steve takes a sharp breath.

“ What?”

‘ Let him go’ like this is a job. Like this isn’t him losing his life. He wonders when they decided to do this, in the hospital room for the ten minutes they were waiting.

Eddie doesn’t give any indication he hears what’s being said, the beeps from the heart monitor still steady and even as ever. A constant metronome of the exact same sound on the exact say beat, all the time, always.

Except maybe not always.

Dustin takes over again, arms placating. “ It’s been a really long time, Steve. We’ve come to terms that he probably won’t wake up, and it’s doesn’t have to be sad-“

“ You’re killing him.” He hisses, “ You’re killing him and it’s not meant to be sad?”

Nancy steps forward, seeing it as her time to speak. “ Steve. You barely knew the guy, and you spend all your time here, it’s not good for you.”

“ There’s been no good signs, no nothing, not even when El looks into his brain.” Dustin nods at the girl across the room, who’s fiddling with her fingers.

Steve furrows his brow, “ Oh, so I guess you’re gonna pull the plug on Max too?”

Lucas’s eyes widen, mouth dropping open, and Nancy glares. “ That is not fair, Steve.”

“ This whole situations pretty fucking unfair, so I guess you’re gonna have to explain to me how this is different from Max.” He stands, stance wide as he points to the man in the hospital bed.

“ Max is making progress.” Lucas says weakly, and El sets a hand on his shoulder. The boy deflates.

He turns toward Hopper and Joyce, the latter still not having spoken. The Byers family had moved back to Indiana for God knows what reason, and Steve knows that if he had the money, that he could’ve moved somewhere else long ago.

“ Does Wayne know you’re killing his kid?” He asks.

He’d met the man while visiting, and they’d usually sit in silence and watch baseball or whatever was on. He never questioned why Steve was there, or why he was holding a limp body’s hand and taking off it’s rings and putting them back on.

When they did speak, it was stories he had from Eddie’s childhood, about how he buzzed his head because a spider crawled on him and he was convinced it was hidden in his hair, making babies.

Hopper pinched his nose, like he was being a pest. “ Stop using words like killing, and yes. He said he didn’t want Eddie to have to suffer, and his bills are getting expensive.”

And he blinks, realization dawning.

This hadn’t just been decided, had it? This wasn’t a ten minute decision while Steve was getting ready to come here.

He speaks, his voice low and keeping even through each word, “ You guys had a meeting.” The ‘ without me’ goes unsaid, but still echoes throughout the room like if would’ve if he shouted it.

They’d decided this whole thing beforehand, somehow knowing that Steve would hang on. And he would, will. He can’t let him die, he can’t lose.

Will nods, and next to him Mike and Dustin look ashamed. He would’ve thought they’d hold out more.

He racks his brain for any reason they should keep alive, can’t find one. Somehow, even without one for them, he has a million for himself.

“ If the bills are the reason, I’ll pay the damn bills. He’s fucking alive.” He tries.

“ You don’t have a job, Family Video is closed. Just let it be, Steve. Please.” Robin had been eerily quiet during this entire conversation, and it brings him chills him when she speaks.

His best friend had been in on it.

He crosses his arms, “ I’ll get a job. Listen, I’ve been having dreams,-“ He lies. He lies because there’s nothing true to prove Eddie is getting better. “-dreams that he’s alive in like a dark space, I don’t know- his mind maybe? I just- I really think he’s in there.”

The hope Dustin gets on his face hurts, but he doesn’t care. The guy will wake up and it won’t matter that the ‘ dreams’ never existed.

Maybe it’s because he’s an optimist, and that’s why he’s trying so hard, as pessimistic as he can be sometimes.

“ Why didn’t you tell us?” Dustin asks and Steve licks his lips.

Why didn’t he tell them? “ Despite all this crazy shit, me having dreams that he’s alive still sounds crazy.” He doesn’t look at the boy as he says this, eyes roaming over Eddie’s face.

He looks serene, the bat bite on his face as healed as it can get. The doctors had mentioned swelling on his back shoulder blades, but Steve thinks his would be swollen too if he sat on them for a year.

‘ A year and two months.’ He corrects himself.

He stares at the hair that, occasionally when it got matted, Steve would go through and brush it, not wanting him to wake up to being bald because a doctor seemed it necessary.

Wayne mentioned how much he hated the shaved head, and he wouldn’t put him through that again.

As he looks at him, he thinks ‘ I’m doing this for you, so you better wake up, asshole.’

Dustin’s eyes are wide, staring at the members of Hellfire. Steve could only describe the look as ecstatic.

“ Holy shit, I mean, holy shit!” He laughs, and Mike breaks into his own grin.

Jonathan chimes in, disbelief sketched into the lines all over his face. “ Sorry, but doesn’t that seem too convenient? I’m not saying you’re lying Steve, just… If El didn’t find anything, that’s pretty much it.”

His lips form into a line, determined. “ I told you, I’ll be paying for whatever. It’s no skin off your back, or money out of Wayne’s pockets.”

Joyce nudges Hopper when he goes to speak, and nods at Steve. “ If you wanna try, sweetheart, you can. But I don’t want you visiting too much, it’s doing you more harm than good.” She wraps him in a hug, before leading the ex-chief of police out of the room.

Slowly, everyone vacates, until it’s just Steve, Eddie, and El.

She doesn’t make a move toward the door, eyes locked onto his face.

“ You’re lying.” She whispers like a secret.

He nods.

She looks toward Eddie, nervous, and she messes with the hem of her shirt when she starts to speak again. “ I lied too.”

She doesn’t elaborate, walking out of the room without anymore information, and Steve blinks.

The hospital has to call Wayne to confirm the transfer, that's how he learns of the circumstances. He doesn't say much of anything, aside from a promise of a visit on Tuesday before he hangs up.

That night, that same fucking night, he gets a call.

It's the front desk lady, voice distressed rushing through an explanation.

" Eddies gone...Only blood in his bed...We don't know where he is."

Steve stares at the wall, the rest of the words falling upon deaf ears.

Someone had probably found out where he was being held, murdered him a year later for his crimes, and stashed the body away.

He sets the phone back in its holster without saying anything to the other line. Not even a goodbye, or a thanks.

He thinks, it only for a second, that he should've let them just pull the plug, it would've been far less painful.

A creaking brings him out of it, and his eyes dart to his door.

It's dark, too dark, and Steve's aware the Upside Down fucked him up in incomprehensible ways, and now every shadow looks like something,

But there was definitely someone in his house.

He keeps slumped on his bed, the same position as when he'd answered the call. He doesn't flinch when the door pushes open enough for a body to slip in.

There's the sound of something dragging along the carpet as they come closer, probably a shotgun, or maybe they're gonna beat him with his own nail-bat.

He doesn't care to decipher the shape, instead shutting his eyes.

A hand grabs his, sets it on dry skin. His thumb touches a rough patch, a scar like feeling.

One his hands had roamed over while patching up his stomach, refusing to get looked at. That concave patch of scratchy skin that they tell you eventually will just be soft, scarred, but normal.

The skin stretches, and he feels a cheek.

Somehow, he thinks if he keeps his eyes shut, he doesn't have to face the thing in front of him, that it somehow isn't real.

A scratchy, disused, and croaky voice sounds out.

" ' Hey, Hero.' "

#stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #eddie munson x steve harrington #steve harrington x eddie munson #camazotz eddie munson #rottenaero #rottenaero rots #rottenaero writes #steddie drabble

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asha-mage · 1 month ago

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Because I am coping with current world events in a completely normal manner I've been thinking a lot about how one of the tensions that underpins the whole of Wheel of Time is Robert Jordan as 'person who likes history' vs Robert Jordan as 'person who had to live through the Cold War.'

Something that can be really hard for people born after the Cold War (like myself) to grasp is that for a long time history was the ultimate reassurance against existential dread. Civilizations could rise and fall, empires could crumble, disasters could wipe out a hell of a lot of people, but human beings as a species, where never in any real danger of dying out. New countries would eventually rise out of the ashes of old ones, societies would change to be unrecognizable but they would still be there, religions, cultures ideologies etc might all die out but the people would still be around. History provided the ultimate comfort: whatever happened in our brief finite lives human beings as an group would eventually be fine.

But that changed after World War 2 and the invention of a little something called the atomic bomb. Suddenly human beings had the potential to destroy not just ourselves but all life on earth if things went wrong enough. For the first time in history their was no real guarantee that human beings as a species would make it, and in fact their was a whole lot of reason to believe based on the patterns of history that eventually that power would get used and human kind would destroy itself. That was the Cold War- two nuclear states who really really wanted to start blasting each other to pieces but couldn't without risking the end of life as we know it.

The tension between these two realities- the assurance of history that life will go on and the reality that human beings could in theory actually end the fucking world, is built into the core of Wheel of Time. The first lines assure us: time is cyclical. It's all happened before. It's all going to happen again. Human being will live out the same stories in endless variation, the same patterns will always reemerge. And the world has already survived one apocalyptic event: the Breaking, and come out the other side not doing fantastically, but still around. The world has been reshaped forever and whole eras of progress have been undone, but humanity remains.

But at the same time doomsday weapons with the potential to wipe out the species are everywhere. The Choden Kal can crack the planet open like an egg. Balefire burns apart time itself. A plague of madness is waiting for any old schmo to wander into it's den and carry it back outside so it can infect and destroy everyone. Their are all kinds of different big glowing red 'destroy humanity' buttons laying around in WoT just begging to get pressed. And in a way the Dark One is the ultimate version of that because that button has already been pressed. The Bore has been opened. Left alone humanity is fucked and everyone knows it. It can be delayed and pushed back, but never truly stopped, except by the intervention of destiny- the intervention of the Dragon. That's the core conflict of the series. Rand is struggling to stop a missile that's already been launched, prevent an end everyone can see coming. It's not just 'I need to defeat the big bad evil overlord or everything will be bad forever', it's 'I need to stop the Dark One or that's the end of human beings as an idea'.

What's especially interesting is that Jordan isn't even framing the Wheel/Pattern as uniformly good, because it's history and history is messy and complicated and full of contradictions and no easy answers. The Wheel, the Pattern, is not some force for righteousness. It's a neutral fact of existence. Not what's best or what's ideal- those are subjective and grounded in human understanding of the world- but what's necessary and what's true. To want to break free from history, to break the Wheel, is to want to break free of being human. That's what the Forsaken all truly want (as I have talked about before): to leave behind their humanity, and their willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to do it. What that looks like and what motivates that desire is different for each of them but their united in that common goal, and they all either disregard the consequences of what it will mean or don't understand them.

The story of history is one of incredible suffering and amazing triumph: it's full of heartache and joy in equal measure. It's not fair or just or simple to understand, but it is a reflection of who we all are collectively. The fight to preserve the Wheel isn't a fight to preserve what is good or ideal, it is a fight to preserve what is human. Because as long as the story can keep going, we can have hope for tomorrow.

And Jordan promises right from the offing that their will always be a tomorrow. No beginnings. No endings. Just whatever comes next.

As we enter a period of history that is the most uncertain it's ever been in my lifetime, I can't help but I think of the incredible courage and strength it must have taken be staring down the barrel of nuclear armageddon and stubbornly insist that there would be a tomorrow. The man wrote eleven of the best books ever made exploring this exact struggle- about never giving in to despair or pain, never buying into the belief that things are hopeless, that humanity sucks and we're all doomed.

And remembering that...I don't know. It makes a little easier to breath and keep walking towards tomorrow myself.

#WoT #WoT Musing #Wheel of time #WoT Meta #Rand al'Thor #Robert Jordan #can you tell I've been having a Going Through it February on both a personal and global level?#us politics #world politics #nothing specific but the vibe is very much there

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brittle-doughie · 2 months ago

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Orchestrated Arrival (Pure Vanilla Cookie)

———————————————————————

[Main Story]

Therapy Progress Note

Y/N Cookie has improved drastically since the last visit with me, being more lively and engaged with my questions and conversations. Their previous symptoms have since cleared up and appear to be back to normal condition. There was one particular thing of note was the incense they carry with them, but they’ve told me that it was just for personal reasons.

I ask that Y/N Cookie returns to me in a week to see if their progress continues to improve. Seeing their smile reminds me of why I chose this line of work.

- Chamomile Cookie.

———————————————————————

You looked up at your drawer mirror, that light in your eyes that wasn’t there before, giving you confidence that you were back. Back in control.

You look over to the incense that was in the burner, giving off that fragrance that you’ve welcomed into your life. You kept counting your stars that Golden Osmanthus Cookie was able to help with your…problem.

You kept inspecting yourself when you noticed that the smoke from the burner had stopped, looks like it ran out of incense. No matter, you open your drawer to get out the next one..until you kept reaching around in there and noticed there wasn’t any.

Well..that was okay, the other drawer also had more, you’ll just open that and get some mo-there wasn’t any in there either.

Now you really started to worry as you go through the drawers to try and look for where you placed the incense, unable to locate any as your searching grew more frantic. You were practically opening any cabinet or drawer and flipping them upside down to look for something, anything!

That hazy feeling in your head was slowing returning and along with it, came their voices again…

…

You: “Oh no…”

Shadow Milk Cookie: “Yoohoooo~! If it isn’t my dearest little Cookie!”

You: “What?! You’re here already?!”

Shadow Milk Cookie: “Aw, that’s no way to greet a close friend of yours~!”

You: “We’re not friends. I only allowed you to help that one time and you still had to go overboard with it!”

You sigh to yourself. Looking at yourself in the mirror, you looked like a crazy Cookie talking to thin air from an outside perspective.

Shadow Milk Cookie: “Tsk tsk tsk. I did as you asked, you never said HOW I should do it. Or did that not matter to you in the heat of the moment~?”

You: “Yeah, because I’m not as nuts as you are.”

Shadow Milk Cookie: “Oh, Y/N Cookie! I’m so hurt~ There’s no need to get mad with little ol’ me~ Those three are still alive, right~?”

You only grumbled as you get up to head out the door, only for your hand to freeze up right as it was about to touch the doorknob, confusing you.

You: “What the…”

Shadow Milk Cookie: “Believe me when I say that I hate doing this, but it seems you leave me with no choice!”

Your hand leaves the doorknob as you grabbed your arm with the other one.

You: “No way, it hasn’t been that long yet!”

Shadow Milk Cookie: “Oh no, you see, I’m different compared to my…friends. Nothing you can do will deter me from you…”

You: “Get out of my head!”

Shadow Milk Cookie: “Oh, but it’s just so snug in here! All of these feelings! All of these memories…you’ve been quite the busy Cookie longer than I expected!”

You: “Don’t. You. Dare.”

Shadow Milk Cookie: “If you don’t want to take a trip down memory lane, then listen to what I have to say, cutie~”

You: “……*sigh*..What is it?”

Shadow Milk Cookie: “Surprise! You’re going to Beast-Yeast again! This time, to see the greatest show master across the land, me!”

You: “Of course it’d be that, as if your friends weren’t enough…”

Shadow Milk Cookie: “Aw, don’t be like that. My acquaintances may be a little..intense, but I promise to you that they do care!”

You: “One of them tried to mess with my mind and the other gave me these invisible scars of sort. Is that caring to you? Not to mention that you tried to mess with my head too!”

Shadow Milk Cookie: “Things might have gone a little off script, but I promise it will be different this time!”

You: “And if I say no-“

Shadow Milk Cookie: “THEN YOUR KINGDOM WILL SUFFER FROM YOUR CHOICE!”

You: “What?! You can’t do that! They have nothing to do with this!”

Shadow Milk Cookie: “You’ve forced my hand, Y/N~ I’d hate to hurt you much more, but I will have your little pals on strings if you say no~ I don’t need my puppets alive to toy with them~”

———————————————————————

A brief flash of an image coursed in your head. Your kingdom on fire. Houses in ruin. The grass was wilted as Cookies fled from the chaos.

There in the sky were Crowned Cupcake, Salsa, and Dumpling Cookie. Their limbs twisted and broken on blue strings, their necks…necks don’t bend that way…

The flash goes away as quickly as it came, making you gasp.

———————————————————————

You: “No, you can’t…”

Shadow Milk Cookie: “Oh, but I will! So, what will it be? No pressure~”

You: “I….I…”

*KNOCK KNOCK*

???: “Y/N Cookie? Is everything alright in there?”

You snapped your head to the door to the voice on the other side of it.

You: “Dumpling Cookie?”

Shadow Milk Cookie: “Tick tock, honey~”

———————————————————————

Dumpling Cookie: “Y/N Cookie? Are you..”

The door to your chambers opens as you step out, as you adjust your outfit with a determined look.

You: “I’m fine. But I have to go and attend to something. I’ll be back when I can.”

Dumpling Cookie: “What? This is abrupt of you, I can come along to assess the situation-“

You: “No need, I can handle myself.”

Dumpling Cookie: “Y/N Cookie, do you not remember what I said earlier? If anything is a problem, you can tell me…”

You: “Don’t you trust me that I can handle things on my own?”

Dumpling Cookie: “I’m not doubting you, but..I just wanted to know if you were okay…”

You: “I am, don’t you worry. I’ll see you around…”

You go and head off down the hallway. Dumpling Cookie wanted to reach out and go to you…but stopped herself.

You made your choice clear…

…

???: “Are they gone?”

Dumpling Cookie sighs as she looked to the side solemnly.

Dumpling Cookie: “Yes…”

Salsa Cookie and Crowned Cupcake Cookie step out of the darkness of the hallway behind her.

Salsa Cookie: “Good. We’re getting to the bottom of this.”

Crowned Cupcake Cookie: “It hurts me to see my dearest shun us out, we need an explanation from them!”

Salsa Cookie: “Don’t be too sad, Dumpling Cookie. Y/N Cookie is clearly hiding something from us and we’re going to figure out what.”

Dumpling Cookie: “I just feel like we could have waited for them to tell us on their own terms…”

Crowned Cupcake Cookie: “The more we wait, the more they could get hurt!”

Salsa Cookie: “Remember, this is for their own good…”

Dumpling Cookie still had conflicted feelings, right as she headed into your chambers alongside the two.

———————————————————————

Pure Vanilla Cookie: “Y/N Cookie, you’re here!”

You: “Y-yeah, here I am.”

Pure Vanilla goes to hug you close as the others head over, glad to see you return to the Faerie Kingdom after many months.

Pure Vanilla Cookie: “Are you okay? Are you well?”

You: “Yes, I am…well….”

Your eyes twinkle a certain blue.

You already regret coming here…

———————————————————————

“What do you mean you won’t hand over control of them?!”

“This wasn’t what we agreed on…”

“Oh please, my friends! You two had your chance with my dearest! Now it’s my time to shine with my special reunion with them~”

“And what if you fail?! We’ll be losing them again from the palm of our hands!”

“It will be a pity if it happens…”

“I’ve got this under control. It’s either us or their kingdom falling under ruin~! They’ll be in our grasp when I’m done with them~”

“You have better be right….”

“Yes, I can’t lose them again….”

———————————————————————

#cookie run #cookie run x reader #cookie run x you #cr x reader #cookie run kingdom #crk x reader #cookie run kingdom x reader #cr kingdom #pure vanilla cookie x reader #shadow milk cookie x reader #shadow milk cookie #pure vanilla cookie

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goldweaverr · 2 months ago

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Hi! I just saw your first post about our beloved Kremnos prince, Mydei, and I absolutely love it! ❤️ You captured his character so beautifully, especially his views on love and romance. I adore how meticulous and accurate you were in portraying him—I completely see him that way too! Our prince carries the heavy burden of his family's royal lineage and the countless people who rely on him in the name of Kremnos. This perfectly explains his inexperience with love and romance—he simply has no time or hasn't been able to find someone to share such a connection with. I absolutely love how you portrayed his behavior when he finally discovers someone he can truly open his soul to! It’s so beautifully done! ❤️ I wonder—have you ever thought about Mydei letting his lover take the lead in bed? Whether it’s because of his inexperience or his eagerness to explore, the idea is so captivating. I love imagining Mydei finally letting go, allowing himself to be passionately ravished as he releases all the pent-up stress and burdens he’s carried for so long. It feels so fitting for his character—a vulnerable yet liberating moment where he can truly surrender and experience love in its rawest form. ദ്ദി(｡•̀ ,<)~✩‧₊

OH MY !! I wasn't expecting such a lovely response at all, I'm so flustered, thank you so so much !!! I'm glad we share an opinion and I'm so glad you like how I portrayed him !!! I was hoping people would see The Vision™ so I'm beyond happy to know that not only has it reached, but others see it too ~! I'm very overwhelmed with the positive responses, and I'm more than happy to be sharing a space with so many fellow Mydei fans!! I finished the quest today and haven't been okay about him since, I hope he doesn't get sidelined too much as the story progresses and more characters get introduced because I sincerely love him so, so much <3

Again, thank you for your kind words!! They mean so much to me!!

And as for that lovely idea... muehehe let's get to it then ! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧ I hope I can do it justice !

— NSFW! MDNI! No spoilers!

Love. In it's rawest form.

He knew he could let you take control. All your midnight rendezvous so far had him taking the lead. It just simply felt natural to be the one to drop you on your back — hand behind your head to soften your impact against the already soft mattress — and pleasure you until you can't take any more. Until all you can do is scream his name endlessly. Until you forget there were Titans out there to worship instead of him. That was his role towards you, it felt only natural. He didn't mind it one bit, he was more than happy with it. Steadied above you by the strength of his arms, staring at the gorgeous sight of you unraveling underneath him, your expressions, the eye contact, your nails on his back. It was divine.

Sometimes, you two would spice it up a bit by making slight changes. Trying a few new positions. You were both still so new to this, taking it really slow to remain comfortable. Yet so eager to explore more of each other, of love, and sex, intimacy. Although he understands there's no shame in having discussions about these things beforehand, it still felt easier for him to learn through action. If something bothered either of you, neither would hesitate to express it, and everything halts. He's not an animal. He understands boundaries, limits, preferences, comfort.. he doesn't shy away from expressing his own, and wants you to always be equally as comfortable. Love is not meant to be uncomfortable.

For example, one thing Mydei found he doesn't like is when you're on all fours and he's taking you from behind.

The position felt... Uncomfortable to him in a strange way. He found it felt a bit degrading to you, and it prevented him from seeing your face and expressions. Which upset him when he came to realize that not staring at your beautiful face while he's making love to you takes away so much of the intimacy that brings him comfort during these activities. He loves watching your reactions. He even likes talking to you through it. Lacking that made him feel vulnerable in a way. So after you were done, he told you how he felt, and that was the last time the position was used. Simple as that.

You had both been thinking about bringing it up, but wondering how to approach it.

He might not look like it, but when it came to this newfound love, he was so no less eager to discover everything that came with it. He wanted to know everything about you and show you everything about him. He wanted to know how to kiss you in the right ways, how to hold you with a grip that's balanced between protective and loving, how to be there for you in a way that doesn't suffocate you, where on your body to put his lips so that he drives you insane, what pace of thrusts makes you see stars in the glory of Kephale's morning...

And through it, he discovers himself. He's learning along with you. He doesn't know much about these parts of who he is, he's endlessly grateful you've given him this opportunity to learn and get to know himself more. And his recent thought is that it might be nice if sometime, you were to get on top of him and ravish him the way he usually does to you.

But, that can't be right? He can't ask you to do that, can he? Is he allowed to want this? Shouldn't it be his job to pleasure you and take care of you? It might be shameful if he wanted to just sit back and let you do all the work...

You, on the other hand, were thinking about it endlessly. Wanting to watch him relax, watch him unwind. Wanting to be the one giving him pleasure for once, he deserves it. He takes so much care of you, always putting you above himself, in every aspect. Even outside of your relationship, he's always putting others first. Prioritizing Phainon's safety over his own, even the two outsiders above himself. Putting the city of Okhema and it's citizens safety first, putting the wants of his people above his own... He's never given enough credit for how much of himself he sacrifices everyday for others, because they view him as too distant, too rough, too cold... His actions speak louder than his words, and his actions are constantly putting himself in harm's way if it meant someone else would be safe.

So, for once, he deserves to turn his mind off. Turn off his senses and his desire to please. To just enjoy being taken care of, being loved, being thanked for everything.

So when midnight came around (or the hour people got used to being midnight, not like the endless sunlight indicated much for them) and you two found yourself tangled up in the usual dance that happens so often, you decided it's now or never. As Mydei began to slowly guide you towards the mattress, lips never once leaving yours, you turned your position around an dropped him down instead. The sudden movement broke the kiss and left him with an expression of shock on his face, staring at you questioning what just happened. You smile at him and gently push him up a bit more, letting him get entirely comfortable on the bed. He follows your lead slowly, unsure where this is going, but curious to see what you're up to. Your expression remained calm, a smile that looks almost like a smirk, mischief and adoration in your eyes as you stared into his fiery gold ones. "let me take care of you" you broke the silence by saying. His mouth opened slightly, as if to answer, before it closed again after not finding the right words. His eyebrows furrow in confusion as he doesn't break eye contact, "take care of me?" He asks, tone full of uncertainty. You nod, "you're always taking the lead. In battle, in bed.. why don't you just let me thank you this time, hm?" Your voice came out soft and gentle as you began to straddle him, hands pushing him down slightly so he can be fully relaxed into the comfortable bed and he follows your every silent order as you get yourself comfortable on top of him. His lap, your throne.

This is what he's been thinking of. He should be happy. But he finds himself feeling a bit guilty, like he doesn't deserve it, like this isn't fair to you, and that prevents him from relaxing entirely. The worry on his expression was clear to you, you understood each other through the tiniest of microexpressions, and you could tell what he was thinking. "You're worth everything" is all what you say in response to soothe your worries, deciding to follow in his example and let your actions speak louder than your words.

You pressed your lips in kiss gently, moving against his in a soft rhythm that felt too innocent considering the moment blooming between the two of you. His hand came up to grip the back of your head carefully, letting you do what you want and following along as best he can. Your hand on the other end got to working off the armor on his body, shedding away the last piece of protection that separates his bare body from you, thinking to yourself how grateful you are that he trusts you to this extent, to allow himself to be this vulnerable and unprotected in your presence. His hands shift as they help you take off his clothing, the sound of metal hitting the ground resonating as more and more pieces are thrown off to the floor carelessly until he was naked. Although it was all about him tonight, you still pulled away to strip yourself as well, not wanting him to feel an imbalance in the dynamic between the two of you. As soon as you were naked, he leaned in to kiss you again but you dodged his lips with a playfully chuckle, he lets out a sulking scoff in response.

You begin to kiss his jaw, running your tongue over the spot you knew he liked, before you slowly went down to his neck. Your arms wrapped around his waist to drag your chest flush against his, wanting to feel him as close as you can as your lips continued to explore his neck, as perfectly sculpted as everything else about him is.

Marks left shamelessly decorating his neck, paying no mind to how easily they can be seen through the little clothing he wears. Your hands and mouth worked in tandem to assure his pleasure, one hand busying itself rubbing his length up and down slowly, another playing with his chest, as your mouth kept leaving kisses and bites and hickeys all over his neck and collarbones, tongue tracing over the red marks adorning his torso. His breathing heavy, his chest heaving up and down quickly, his hands gripping your hips hard enough to bruise them, shameless moans and grunts and groans coming from above you. Sneaking a peek over to look at him, his eyebrows are pressed together tightly in pleasure as his eyes are closed shut, head leaning back, sweat dripping down his forehead.. a divine sight. One that motivated you to work even harder to pleasure him. Your mouth left his neck and went down to take a nipple in your mouth, earning you a harsh jolt of his entire body that made you yelp. "Sorry.." he apologizes sheepishly, face red as his hands try to distract you by roaming all over your body. You suppress a chuckle and plant a quick smooch on his lips to tease him, and he lets out a quiet groan as he rolls his eyes at you. You get back to what you were doing, sucking his nipple the way he does to yours, hand playing with the other way, all while your other hand never left his length, giving him just enough friction to stay excited, never enough to cum.

Eventually you let go of his chest and pull back for a minute to admire your work so far, admire how he already looks spent despite you barely being halfway through your mission. He'll complain and scold you for all the marks left across his torso tomorrow morning, but you'll deal with that problem later, currently you feel proud of yourself. Your gaze moves over to the vein on his bicep and your nail drags against it softly, idly, as you consider your next move. He stares at you wordlessly, anticipating what's next. He might not be admitting it through words, but he is entirely enjoying this. He doesn't understand why he'd hear some men complain about feeling their pride sting if they ever let their partners take the lead, if anything, Mydei has never felt more like a king than he does in this moment, all the attention on him as he's practically being worshipped. He feels so powerful, but most importantly, so loved.

You make eye contact with him again, a gentle expression as the friction between your gazes could practically be seen as sparks of electricity. "I love you" he says, breaking the silence but igniting that flickering flame that needed a fuse. You smile, not responding, but instead immediately pushing yourself down to the ground to kneel in front of him, preferring to answer him with more service. He props himself up on his elbows to keep watching you intently, as you wrap your arm around his length again, and bring your lips to it. He's used to gripping your hair when you go down on him, guiding you to the pace he prefers, but this time when he grips he makes no other moves, trusting to let you take the lead entirely how you want to. You won't deny him his pleasure after all, it's you.

At times he has the most random thoughts. Like if the walls are actually thinner than he thinks. Like if anyone on the other end can hear the mighty crown prince moaning out his partner's name. Like if Aglaea's golden threads can even pick stuff like this up, oh no ....

But a jolt of pleasure brings his thoughts back to reality as he redirects his attention back to you.

He isn't ashamed of what he has with you. He's afraid of where it might take him. Of how much he's willing to do for you. He knows every minute spent with you indulging in romance and desires is playing with fire while he's made of gasoline. And he'll burn down to ashes in his most graceless moments when he's bare under your gaze that burns gold into his skin, liquifying his flames into a puddle of adoration for you.

While maintaining eye contact with you, a silent exchange of vulnerability, it spoke an endless capacity. An unspoken sentence of 'Y𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘦' ringing loudly in your ears. '𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴'.

You brought out the best out of each other, but simultaneously the ugliest human parts as well. Brought out the honesty he's hid from others and himself, brought out the desires he's kept ignored without caring about the hole they were digging in his soul. Gnawing away at his very being and turning him hollow. Brought out the love he was afraid to ever confront. But he's here now, confronting it and ruling over it's court. And tonight is the summit of Mydei's seemingly pathetic life. The two of you are wrapped up in a galaxy of your sins; summed down to nothing but a constellation of the most raw human desires. Who were the titans to demand worship when they knew nothing of what true religion was. This was a ritual. An exchange of souls. It meant more to Mydei than anything else has. This was raw, this was love. He could live in a reel of this night replaying endlessly forever.

The rest of this cursed world could matter later, to hell with every prophecy that demands his presence, nothing felt more worth experiencing in this moment than your mouth on him and your heat surrounding him and your praises spilling against him and your touch killing him and bringing him to life a thousand times over in this bed.

This was love in it's rawest form, and they can call Phainon the chosen one all they want, but Mydei feels like he's received the greatest blessings this universe has to offer him when he made eye contact with you the first time, and if the black tide was to eventually swallow even the last standing holy city, then to hell with all of it if you'd still be by his side.

#honkai star rail #hsr #honkai star rail x reader #hsr x reader #honkai star rail mydei #hsr mydei #mydei smut #mydei x reader #mydei x reader smut

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