#i saw him when i was out shopping with people today and i simply couldn’t resist him

[uhbasicallyjustmilex]

okay, whoever started the whole thing about alex looking like a rat is fully responsible for the fact i am now the proud owner of a plush jellycat rat named alex 🫠

[peanutbubba]

The Boy is Mine

Law x male!reader, pre-time skip, smut, Sub!Top Reader, Dom!Bottom Law, unestablished relationship to an established one, jealousy, brattiness, possession, praise, riding, overstim, mentions of fingering, oral, not beta read, 3.5k words

Breathtaking, that's what you were, devastatingly easy on the eyes. It’s what pisses Law off so much, even without trying to you demand attention.

And Law hated it when you got it, even in your boiler suit, you pulled it off annoyingly well. The way that women practically threw themselves at you, trying to spend a night with you, it disgusted him.

The hand on his sword clenching tighter, these people needed to learn no meant no. He watched as you tried to get the women away from you, a nervous smile on your face as you kept rejecting them.

His eyes narrowing he raised two of his fingers in a familiar position, “Room. Shambles.”

One second you were surrounded by a bunch of women, the next you were standing right beside Law, the unamused look on his face already telling you something was up.

Surprised at how you disappeared the women look around curiously, eventually one of them pointing you out a few feet away a shriek coming from her. “It’s Trafalgar Law, the pirate rookie!”

At those words Law’s lips turn up in a grin, his half lidded eyes flickering across all the women in the bunch. “So you’ve heard of me?”

His eyes narrow dangerously, a glint of jealousy in his gray eyes. “Good, that means you can listen.”

You let out a yelp as Law catches the back of your boiler suit, pushing you in front of him. “This man here, he’s mine, got it? So leave him alone.”

A crimson tinge blooms on your cheeks, your face mimicking the looks of the women, surprised and confused.

Letting go of you, Law turns around, a disinterested look on his face once more, “Finish up shopping, Y/N, we’ll meet you back on the Polar Tang.”

Straightening up you respond immediately, “Of course, Captain!” Your verbal confirmation being all he needed before he sauntered off, not another word leaving him.

Looking behind him you saw Bepo, realizing what Law meant by ‘we’. Then your face drops, looking around you watching how everyone is instead now scared of you, shopping was going to be a hassle.

When Law met where Bepo was standing, his navigator giggling behind his white paws, a knowing glint in his eyes.

Law let out a sigh, his eyes slipping closed for a moment, heat rushing to encapsulate his face as he pushed his hat further down his head.

“Shut up,” he grumbles, passing Bepo his sword.

Bepo takes the sword and immediately down turns his head, a sorrowful expression on his face, “Sorry, captain.”

Beginning to walk towards the submarine, Law stays silent, listening to the gasps of civilians as he passes through the streets, Bepo following closely behind him.

“You know you should tell him,” Bepo starts, trying once more for the millionth time to convince his captain to confess his feelings to you.

Law simply rolls his eyes, deciding that today he’d play dumb to Bepo’s pestering. “Tell who what?” He questions.

Bepo frowns in turn, his black button nose twitching in annoyance. “Y/N! You can’t keep denying that you like him forever.”

“I don’t like him,” Law says flatly. If it was anyone else they would have been convinced, but considering that Bepo has been with Law longer than anyone else he knew how to read the man.

Bepo shakes his head at the audacity of his captain, “You literally called him yours in front of a whole bunch of people!”

“Well he is, he’s a part of my crew.” He states factually, making eye contact with Bepo.

“Yeah, well we both know that’s not how you meant it.” The polar bear mink bites back, a small frown on his face.

Law matches the frown, his brows furrowing in irritation that he couldn’t hide anything from Bepo. “I’ll tell him…”

At those words Bepo perks up, finally glad that he was starting to talk some sense into Law, “That’s good-“

“…eventually,” Law finishes his sentence off, Bepo’s happy face dropping once more.

Bepo lets out a sigh, no longer bringing the subject up as they reach the Polar Tang, the other crew members welcoming them back.

Giving Law his sword back Bepo walks away to Shachi and Penguin, deciding to give the two a hand with whatever task they were currently struggling at.

Law went to his captain’s quarter, not really wanting to be bothered at the moment with anything other than his own thoughts.

The sound of the door closing behind him immediately has him placing a hand over his chest, feeling how his heart thumps against it, as if it was going to burst out of his chest.

It was pathetic really, how much you affected him. He just wanted to sink into the ocean and never have to face you again, because even seeing you was enough to send his heart into shock, even as much as he tries to deny it.

Sucking in a breath he slowly exhales, trying so desperately to regain his grip on reality, how embarrassing it is to be this much of a mess from just seeing and talking about you.

Letting out a grunt he goes to his desk, perhaps he’d have better luck distracting himself when by doing actual work. A mix of research papers and medical books scattered around his table, both organized and messy at the same time. His fingers thumbing over pages as he compares notes, diseases, and cures.

It isn’t long before night hits, shrouding the Polar Tang in a cloak of stars and purple, not that Law really noticed it, too engrossed within the papers in his hands.

Rasping of knuckles against metal being the only thing that could knock him out of his stupor, hardly looking up from the pages in his hands as he yells, “Come in!”

The handle of the door twisting with a screech before relaxing again as it’s pushed in, revealing you with a tray of dinner resting between your hip and hand. “I brought you dinner, Captain.”

“Is that so?” He responds back, eyes skimming across a page of text, not retaining any of the information as he listens for any other movements or words you’d bless him with.

Feet shuffle over to his desk, each foot step you take having Law’s heart pounding and learching, fingers tighten on the papers as he tries so desperately to keep his composure while you’re so close to him in this enclosed space. The sound of the metal door closing by itself, the feel of paper wrinkling under his hand doing nothing to soothe him.

Brushing some of the papers on Law’s desk to the side you create an opening wide enough for the tray, on it a plate of onigiri and a mug of steaming black coffee resting neatly upon it.

The smell alone of the coffee had Law meagerly looking up, catching how the dark liquid rippled from your prior movements. Your hands release the handles of the tray, maneuvering so you were next to Law’s desk instead.

Your captain’s tired eyes going from the coffee to following you, his brows furrowing in an unspoken question.

Letting out a hum you answer his peeking curiosity, “Everyone is back on the island gathering the last of the supplies, I don’t want to be alone.”

Law doesn’t answer, letting out a sigh as he goes back to the medical page in his hand, his other free hand reaching for the coffee that you made him. Taking the fact that he didn’t kick you out immediately as a good sign you turn around, sitting down and leaning your back on the side of his desk, arms crossed against your chest.

It wasn’t like you were Penguin or Shachi, you wouldn’t purposely or even accidentally cause him trouble, something that Law grew fond of you over, which was also why he allowed you to stay. In a way it was a win win, you got to not feel alone and Law got to bask in your presence.

Taking a sip of his coffee Law almost melts in the chair, how you made a coffee taste so bitter and yet sweet enough to cancel it out he had to figure out, it was perfectly made.

His hand switched between the mug of coffee and the onigiri, eating and drinking as he peacefully studys away, you by his side. He wouldn’t have been surprised if when he died this is what he’d see in heaven, if he’d ever make it there in the first place.

Light snores taking up the silence after what Law can only assume is somewhere close to an hour, his eyes looking over to examine how your head is slumped over, your body completely still from the position you originally got in.

Seeing you sleep also makes him realize his own aching need for rest, the energy the coffee and food gave him already spent.

Pushing his chair out he stands up, stretching his arms up with a small groan falling from his lips, ecstasy reaching its grubby hands on his body since he was finally up and standing after so many hours.

Walking over to you he squats down, observing for a moment how your chest rises and falls, how even in your sleep your beauty maddeningly still clings on to your body. If god had favorites he was sure you were at the top of the list, there was no other excuse in his eyes.

Raising up two of his fingers he planned on just teleporting you to your bunk, before an idea planted itself in his head. Well, can you blame him? How many times is it that your crush is asleep in front of you, clueless as to what you’re doing?

Planting a hand down on the floor to steady his balance he leans forward, shivering slightly at how your breaths brush so lightly against his whiskered chin. Pushing himself to continue his lips meet your forehead, barely there for more than a second, just a small kiss to confess what he truly thought of you, even if you were asleep.

Leaning back away just by a little he doesn’t even realize how your snores stopped, or how your eyebrow twitches ever so slightly, too sidetracked with how heart pounds like drums, and how his other lifted hand shakes.

A tight grip on the scruff of his neck pushing him down, you looking up to meet him in the middle, a teasing smile on your face as you talk with your slight sleep laced voice, “Hi, Captain.”

Law’s face blows up in red as a response, inked hands reaching for your chest and pushing himself away from you, breathing heavily as he gets away from your suffocating presence.

Falling on the floor butt first, hands trying to find purchase anywhere on the metal floors, tilting his head down to hopefully hide some of it behind the brim. Truly he wasn’t sure if it was the fact that you scared him, or the fact that you caught him left him more out of breath.

“Y/N-ya it’s… it’s not what it looks like,” he tries in a small voice, raising his left arm so he can hide the rest of his crimson face behind his sun kissed skin.

Loud boisterous laughter only makes his eyes widen further, his mouth gaping as his heart stutters, the laugh not mocking nor meant in a bad manner, genuine humor seeping out of you.

Even your laugh was hot… God must have favorites.

Standing up you wipe imaginary dust off your boiler suit, smoothing it down under your fingers before walking over to where Law was sitting.

Leaning down and hooking your hands around his waist he was about to yell at you, a clear scowl forming on his face, before he was lifted up from the ground, standing him up straight.

Law’s scowl turning both flustered as well as dumbfounded, since when could you pick him up like he was nothing but a mere feather?!

Goosebumps racking his body at the implications of that, and from the fact that very clearly through his hoodie he could feel your strong grip on his waist, sending an uncharacteristic satisfaction and desire through his mind.

“You know, Law,” an almost purr like noise escaping your mouth, not missing how Law quivers at his name rolling off your tongue, “if you wanted to kiss me so bad you could have asked.”

As you lean forward Law’s left arm shoots out, grasping your lower face and pushing it away from him, “I don’t want to!”

“Idiot, you shouldn’t say stuff like that!” He grumbles, his other hand placing itself on your chest, just now realizing how close the space between you both was.

A chuckle escapes your lips at your captain’s behavior, a mischievous glint in your eye as you release your right hand from the grip on his waist, placing it on Law’s wrist instead to keep it in place.

Lips pressing against the palm tenderly throwing him for a whirlwind, hand tensing then relaxing, releasing his grip on your face. He gapes, your lips making it across his hand, from his roughed up palm to the inked letters in the backs of his fingers, then back again.

Each kiss makes him melt further within your arms, your eyes flickering to his as you place one last kiss at the base of his ring finger, a grin making its way on your features. “Can I kiss you, Captain?”

And Law can simply nod dumbly, too speechless with your attention on him. Your hand going from his wrist to his hand, intertwining your fingers with his, pulling him in.

Warm lips landing on his own so nicely, squeezing his eyes shut as he leans into it, tilting his head slightly as you nip at his lower lip, a soft whimper escaping him.

Parting his lips, your tongue slips in, his fingers tightening in yours as you both fight for dominance, the two of you too stubborn to give in.

Breaking away for air the two of you stare at each other for a moment, enamored by how drool dribbles out the corner of Law’s mouth. Pants and huffs fill the air, and when you go to break it further Law cuts you off, “Shut up.”

You hardly take offense to his words, your easy going nature only making you amused at your Captain’s orders, still following them ever dutifully.

Law lets go of your hand, placing his on your chest and pushing you back until your back near his desk, moving you over to his chair and watching how your knees buckle under the corner of it digging into you.

An ungraceful look about you as you tilt your head up, a look of adoration in your eyes as you admire how your Captain now towers over you.

Your hands go to hold Law's hips but are slapped away by him, an almost evil look to his face, “Don’t touch, just watch.”

Nodding your head you put your hands to your sides, holding on to the arm rests instead, allowing the man to have his fun.

He goes for your clothes first, unclasping the button by your neck, quick fingers making due of the zipper next. You pull your arms out of the sleeves to make his job easier, lifting your hips as he pushes it down with your pants under the suit, only leaving you in a tank top and boxers.

One of his hands reaches for his hat, taking it off and placing it gently on the floor, black locks of unruly hair sticking out in the air now. His other hand goes to the hem of your underwear, hooking a finger under it and lifting before letting go, a wicked grin adorning his face at the sound of the snap against your hips and the jolt of your knee.

Reaching again he actually pulls your underwear down this time, his breath hitching as your length is released into the air. Fingers reaching for your tip, smearing the precum already gathering there, a grunt leaving you as he circles his finger, your dick twitching in interest.

His entire hands wrapping around as he leans in, licking and sucking at your base while he pumps the rest in his hand, eyes flickering up to see how your face contorts in pleasure.

Leaning back up he kisses the tip of your dick wetly, then he opens his mouth, engulfing half of you in his mouth.

The hand previously on your cock reaching down and undoing his own belt and pants, his eyes fluttering closed then opening again, leaving you with enough imagination to already guess what he’s doing under there.

His tongue licks at the underside of your dick, a soft moan leaving him before he lowers himself further, throat closing around you as he chokes slightly. That doesn’t deter him though, slurping obscenly around you as fucks you in his throat, drool messily spilling from the corners on his lips.

The flecks of yellow in his irises now more pronounced as tears brim his eyes, the lust encapsulated in them only making you harder.

Your hands twitch and shake due to how bad you want to go for his hair, but you force them on the arm rests clutching so tightly as Law sucks so sweetly, moans falling from your lips.

Much to your displeasure Law only stays between your legs for another minute before standing, chest rising and falling harshly finally able to catch some proper breaths.

Though you perk up again when you notice how his hands go down on his own body, reaching for the band of his pants and boxers. Slowly he pulls them down to expose more of his skin to you, kicking them away when they hit the floor, his shoes going next.

The plush smooth skin sent you into a craze, so badly did you want to fill it with marks, though you refrained praying you’d be able to another time.

Going over to you Law places his knees beside your hip, trapping you between the chair and him, not that you were complaining.

Hovering over your dick, Law let out a chuckle, one hand grasping at your cock and lining you up with his hole, the other resting on your shoulder. “You ready, Y/N-ya?”

He hardly gives you the chance to respond though, sinking down on you, letting out a groan at Law’s tight heat. No longer being able to resist you place your hand on his hips, not missing how he glares at you, but he doesn’t say anything.

It takes him a minute to adjust to you, his hand coming to wrap around your other shoulder as well, then lifting himself up before dropping back down, both of you moaning softly at the feel.

Law shuts his eyes as his grip on your shoulders tighten, pushing himself up and thrusting down on you at a steady pace, your hips bucking up to meet him halfway.

One of your hands wanders from his hip to his stomach, going to lift the hoodie up but you’re stopped when Law goes down and your hand pushes against his tummy, throwing his head back as a loud guttural moan comes from him.

It felt like his brain was pouring out of his ears, a haze only being left in his mind as he grabs your wrist, forcing you to push down again as he whimpers.

Clenching around your dick when you do push again, fuck you felt so good, this had to be heaven. His eyes find yours again, once gray eyes now almost completely overtaken by yellow, tears well in his eyes, some spilling through his thin lashes.

Leaning down Law catches your lips with his own, a passionately messy mix of tongue and spit, Law’s lips wrapping around your tongue with a moan as he sucks.

Pulling away he presses his forehead to yours, messy babbles of, “So good!” And your name tumbling out of his spit slicked lips.

Getting closer to his climax, Law looks at you, a pleading look in his yellow eyes, “Say my name again. Say you’re mine. Please, please Y/N-ya.”

Your eyes widen at his request, grunting at practically harsh thrust before you comply. “I’m yours. All yours, Law.”

At those words Law lets out a long moan, mouth forming a perfect O as he his eyes roll back, pure ecstasy adorning his face, whispering your name like a prayer.

And it isn’t long before you’re pushed over the edge as well, Law’s hole sucking you in so deliciously as he continues to bounce on you for your own pleasure.

Overstimulation making him whine and shake as he helps you ride out your high, a soft moan leaving him as he feels you filling him up, your hot seed making his slim stomach pudge out a bit.

Putting your hand back on his hip you stop his movements, both of you sucking in air harshly for a second.

Your hands tighten on his hips a grunt escaping you when he begins grinding down on you, a devilish grin on his face. “You can go again, right, Y/N-ya?” He says so sweetly.

—

This was supposed to be posted yesterday but I both got distracted, and ended up writing WAY more details then intended.

Hope you enjoyed still, Pea’s out!

[haykawas]

✩•̩̩͙*˚ TUESDAY – GETO SUGURU.

summary : you have five days to ask your hot tattooed boss out. better make it count.

word count : 3.6K. tags : tattoo shop owner!suguru, modern au, pining, workplace AU, fem!reader, very domestic, fluff (?), satoru being annoying.

MONDAY – TUESDAY

It was still very early in the morning. Just a few cars were driving by, and most of the curtains were still drawn. The only sounds you could hear came from the soft pitter-patter of the rain crashing against the pavement.

You wiped a droplet that had caught on your eyelash, inhaling the fresh air of October.

You loved fall.

Vivid colors were beginning to paint the trees and foliage everywhere, and people had already started decorating their houses for Halloween, setting the mood for the whole city. Another advantage was that almost every morning, you got to warm your cold hands around some hot cocoa.

You grinned as you took a sip of your drink, the warm beverage burning your throat, and you let out a pleased hum of satisfaction at the feeling. Your umbrella shielded you from the rain almost entirely, even though a few drops still managed to reach you. But you didn’t mind that, at all. In fact, it soothed you. So much, that you could feel your eyelids becoming heavy.

You shook your head to wake up from your daze. Today, you actually had some work waiting for you at the shop, and you couldn’t afford to fall behind it, or become distracted. At all. Be it by the soothing sounds of the rain, or by your stupidly handsome boss and coworker.

You pushed the door of the shop open, shaking your umbrella before putting it down to dry. You expected to find the parlor still dark and quiet, but you were surprised by the sight when your eyes caught onto Satoru.

Satoru. Here. Before you.

You had to be dreaming.

It wasn’t that Satoru was a heavy sleeper, no. In fact, he was actually often – always? – up very early, but he absolutely never arrived before you did. Despite being an early riser, he almost came to work late every morning for some reason, and you simply blamed the fact he’d always been peculiar as far as you’d known him. That or maybe he’d gotten involved into some shady operations, but again, it was none of your business.

It must’ve helped that he was the most talented tattoo artist you’d ever met – the best of his generation, you’d often heard people say. And Suguru’s best friend, too. 

As you approached him, you couldn’t suppress the smirk that crept onto your lips, “Gojo Satoru, here already? Thought I was seeing a ghost. Did you get lost on your way to your secret underground lair?”

Satoru laughed, wiggling his brows at you, “You wish I’d tell you, uh?” You couldn’t help but snort.

“Yeah, right, just wanted to know what you were up to. You think because you’re friends with the boss you get to slack off, loser?”

Satoru feigned indignation, one hand hovering over his heart, “I’ll have you know I’m a very busy man!”

“And to what do I owe the please of your company then, Mister busy man?” You said, trying to keep yourself from laughing at his face.

“Does there always have to be a reason?” He lifted a brow, hands on his hips.

“So?”

“Suguru asked me.” He grumbled as your smile grew even bigger. “But I won’t be around all day, just came in earlier to get more work done.”

“Oh?” Your eyes found his, curious, “Any reason why?”

“He needs some help with personal stuff, I think? So I’m dropping by. And since he won’t be coming in to work today, I volunteered to take in his shift. Aren’t I just perfect?”

“He didn’t give you a choice, did he?”

“Nope!”  Your friend exclaimed, and you watched him walk away to prepare the shop for opening.

However, your smile quickly faded and you found yourself lost in thought. Was there a particular reason why Suguru wouldn’t show up at work today? You observed your friend for a moment, a faint smile on your lips as you saw him struggling to set up all the work equipment for the day, wondering if you would even dare ask him about his best friend’s whereabouts.

Of course, such a question wouldn’t have been abnormal at all if you’d asked literally anyone else. But this was Satoru. The same Satoru that had always teased you relentlessly about your love life since you’d met in college. The very same Satoru who’d caught you, not so long ago, daydreaming while intently looking at his best friend. You remembered it like it was yesterday, the knowing smile he’d made when your eyes had met after you had averted your gaze from Suguru.

And since then, it’d been hell. He just wouldn’t let it go. While he hadn’t addressed the matter directly with you, he’d been dropping constant hints, which you’d vehemently denied.

But this had been your mistake, denying it. Because even if carefree, Satoru was far from stupid, and he must have realized that you’d never gone to such lengths to deny a supposed crush before.

And yet, he’d teased you more than once, and not only with your former college aquaintances, but also with Choso, your coworker – the same Choso you’d always considered like your own brother, the mere thought of the two of you together making you uneasy.

He must have felt your persistent glare on him, because Satoru stopped what he’d been doing and turned to you, hands on his hips.

“Spit it out, I know you’ve been dying to ask.” He said, breaking the silence.

Your eyes widened, and you felt your cheeks burn. Why did he have to be so observant? You sighed, breaking eye contact, unable to withstand his piercing blue gaze. He knew you far too well now, so much that it had become dangerous.

“You know, secrets have a way of gnawing at you and you’ve never been good at hiding things from me! So,” He dragged out, slowly approaching you, “what’s up?”

You rolled your eyes, “You’re making a big deal out of nothing, again. Just thinking about Suguru, he usually, like, never misses a day.” You immediately cursed at yourself for saying it that way, and admitting you were literally thinking about your boss, his best friend.

“Ohhh, so that’s what it was about?” He replied, his eyes twinkling with mischief, but he made absolutely no comment. Well, that was new. And concerning.

He shrugged, “He didn’t tell me much.”

“But if you’re that curious, I’m heading to his place right after my shift. Sooo,” He dragged out, feigning nonchalance, but side-eyeing you at the same time. “You could tag along.”

You blinked at the proposal. You? At Suguru’s house, uninvited? When you could be home relaxing instead of freaking out for intruding on his private space? Yeah, sure, like you would agree. However, before you could voice your refusal, Satoru beat you to it.

“He could use your help.”

Oh. Oh, that fucker knew how to play his cards just right.

“Fine, I’ll go.” And before Satoru could jump on you to choke you with one of his infamous bear hugs – they were more like headlocks, really –, you lifted a finger to add one condition, “But only if I don’t fall behind on my appointments!”

Satoru rolled his eyes, waving you off, “Sure, yeah, whatever you say!”

You now stood in front of Suguru’s apartment, cursing the day you’d decided to befriend the white-haired menace that was your friend.

You considered going back, but the door opened before you had the chance to say a single word, revealing a very disheveled Suguru. Your mouth fell open in surprise, eyes briefly meeting Suguru’s dark orbs before he redirected them towards his friend, who was already whining, making comments about him being some kind of sorcerer, because how could he possibly have known they’d be here?

“You stomp like crazy, man. I’d have to be deaf not to know.” He grumbled. Satoru stuck his tongue out at him, showing no signs of remorse, and Suguru flipped him off.

“Hey, manners! I brought a guest!” He exclaimed, his arms still around your shoulders as he squeezed you against him to make your presence known. 

Suguru immediately redirected his attention toward you, his scowl transforming into a small knowing smile.

“I can see that.” His eyes lingered on you, before he redirected his attention to Satoru, “And to what do I owe the honor?”

His friend groaned in annoyance, “Quit the formalities and just let us in!” He said, immediately pushing Suguru aside to barge into his flat. “Don’t you know letting guests wait outside is rude?”

“You’re not a guest. Who called you in, already?”

“You did! Shoko told me you also wanted me to bring you stuff. And because I’m such an amazing friend, I’m here! There,” Satoru tossed him the folders he’d brought from work, Suguru catching them effortlessly.

He sighed, figuring out the issue. “I specifically asked Shoko to do it because I knew for a fact you were gonna come here and give me a headache.”

The white-haired man lifted his hands in surrender, “Promise I’ll be on my best behavior!” Before disappearing into his friend’s house.

You silently cursed at your friend for leaving you there alone with his best friend, especially so when you turned your head towards him only to find him already eyeing you up with a slightly amused smirk, enjoying your slight – and very noticeable – discomfort.

“You wanna come in?” He asked as he made space for you. You nodded and stepped into the apartment, brushing against Suguru who still lingered in the doorway.

You observed his place, eyes going over his wooden furniture, and found yourself pleasantly surprised by the warmth it seemed to exude. It was certainly very different from the modern and somewhat cold feel of Satoru’s apartment, which you’d visited several times before.

“You like it?”

“I do, it’s very…warm. And personal.”

He laughed deeply, “I do spend most of my time here, and Satoru’s there very often. It had to be.”

You hummed, smiling at him in understanding.

“So what made you skip work today, boss?” You lift a brow with a teasing smile, finally asking the million-dollar question.

“Ah, please don’t remind me. I keep thinking about the things I’m gonna have to take care of when I get back.” He sighed. “But I’ve been feeling sick since last night, figured I’d stay home like a recluse instead of contaminating you all.”

“Well, until you two showed up.”

“Hey! I had to, Satoru practically dragged me here!” You exclaimed, and he snorted at your apparent distress, not thinking for a second that you’d just lied to his face. Satoru had asked you once, and you’d said yes. He didn’t even have to convince you. 

“I know how he can be, I’m not blaming you!” He chuckled fondly, envisioning perfectly how Satoru must have dragged you here against your will like he’d always done with him.

“But just so you know,” He continued, “you don’t have to go all this way for me because I’m your boss, hm? They’re gonna think I’m taking advantage of you outside your hours.” He teased with a grin, and you had to advert your eyes from the blinding sight that he was.

“It’s not like that, really. You’re a friend of Satoru’s, so you’re not just my boss.” You said without thinking, and Suguru hummed in approval. “Besides, I figured you’d need some help with stuff. And I’m not sure Satoru’s the one for the task. Where the hell did he go?” 

“Help?” He cocked his head, as he thought about it, ignoring your question. He knew where his best friend was, either sleeping or rummaging through his games and making a mess in his bedroom, as usual. It must have looked innocent to some, but the dark-haired man knew his friend had been up to something, for the past few days. And he had to find out what it was.

“Well, now that you’re asking, I was just about to start on dinner before you two barged in. Care to help out?”

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow across Suguru’s cozy kitchen, you found yourself standing beside him, listening to his voice as he gave you advice on how he liked to prep his ingredients. 

“So, what’s on the menu tonight, Chef?” You joked, trying to break the tension that seemed to hang in the air. You two weren’t used to be alone without Satoru as an intermediary, and it couldn’t be more obvious.

Suguru cleared his throat, his voice deeper than usual, slightly hoarse from the sickness. “Hm, was thinking of making my famous stir-fry,” he replied, “can you gather the ingredients?”

“Yes, Chef!” You grinned, and he chuckled at your enthusiasm. He leaned against the counter, a soft smile on his lips as he watched you bustling about, gathering all the utensils you’d need to make dinner. You quickly turned to ask him where he kept the rice, and caught him following your every move, his eyes half-lidded. You heart skipped a beat, and you immediately turned back around, forgetting what you were about to ask him.

He was sick. You had to get it back together.

Shaking your head, you opened the cupboard to grab the salt, but sighed when your eyes found it, perched on the cabinet’s top shelf. You tiptoed, convinced you could retrieve it on your own, but the cabinet was strangely positioned in a rather elevated spot.

“Here.” Suguru’s sweet and deep voice suddenly reached your ears, his warm breath tickling the back of your neck. You could feel his solid body against yours as he stretched to grab what you’d been trying to, and you swore you could feel his abs pressing against your back even through his loose-fitting shirt. His fingers brushed against yours as he took hold of the item.

As soon as he put it down on the counter, you smoothly pushed him away and put distance between the two of you, accusatively pointing at the cupboard.

“What the hell is it so high for anyway? Do you live with giants?” 

He laughed, “Well, in a way. Me and Satoru could be considered giants.”

“Right.” You shook your head, pushing yourself to get back to the task at hand to avoid thinking about what had just happened. Your hands began chopping the vegetables, the rhythmic sound of the knife against the cutting board filling the room. 

The scent of garlic and ginger filled the kitchen, and you smiled as you inhaled the pleasant scent. You couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Suguru, and you wish you hadn’t. He seemed lost in thought, his dark hair was slightly tousled, and his cheeks were slightly flushed, a combination of his illness and the warmth of the kitchen. 

The man sighed as his hair got in the way yet again. He hadn’t found the time to trim it recently, and it had gotten quite long.

He paused for a moment, rinsing his hands before his fingers deftly started to gather his long dark hair. With a practiced grace that was so common with him, he pulled his hair back, securing it in a loose and messy ponytail. He sighed in annoyance as some strands were too short to be kept in place, blowing air to get them out of his eyes. His eyes found yours as he seemed to notice your sudden silence, strands of silky hair framing his face, accentuating the sharp angles of his jaw and elegant curve of his neck.

He gave you a shy smile, surprised you’d caught him in what had strangely felt like such an intimate moment to witness, and averted his eyes to the rice that’d been fizzling in the frying pan. After hard work came comfort, and you both sat down to savor the delicious meal you’d prepared – well, Suguru had done most of it, you’d mainly chopped the vegetables and fetched the ingredients, really –.

Suguru watched you intently as he waited for you to taste his famous dish. His eyes crinkled in amusement and he couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh as you let out an involuntary moan of pleasure at the taste.

“This is fucking incredible, Suguru!” You managed to say between bites, cheeks full, “I can’t believe how good this tastes! Why the hell didn’t I know how good of a cook you were?” You exclaimed.

His lips curled into a proud smile at your praise, “Glad you like it. I wasn’t always that good, you know? I used to burn pasta.”

“Pasta?” You deadpaned, eyes wide. “How come you’re so good, then?”

He grinned, “Had to fend for myself since I was very young. Practice makes perfect, right?”

Oh. Your heart ached as you considered the implications of his words. At the end of the day, you didn’t know that much about him, and the fact he might have had a difficult childhood would have never crossed your mind if he hadn’t made allusions to it. You nodded, not really knowing what to respond, but not really keen on delving deeper into the issue.

You weren’t close, there was no need for him to tell you about his past struggles when you were only sharing a meal.

You proceeded to talk about your respective days, you telling him about the peculiar clients that had come in today, and him intently listening to you for the most part. He’d also told you about the documents Satoru had brought him, which you’d been curious about, and happened to be sketches he’d started and wanted to touch up before tomorrow morning.

You smiled as you watched him talk, nodding slightly whenever he would speak about something that demanded an immediate reaction. You couldn't believe how comfortable you'd gotten with him. Sure, there were still moments where you felt embarrassed, after all, he was a new acquaintance you still hadn't gotten used to. However, he had this talent that was so unbelievably his, the skill to put anyone at ease with just a few words.

He might have looked intimidating to a lot of people, with his fully tattooed arms, many piercings and dark eyes, but this image of him completely crumbled the moment he opened his mouth. He was a smooth talker, luring people in and charming them effortlessly.

And you couldn’t deny it. The fact Suguru wasn’t only a skilled chef, but also a vision of breathtaking allure. And you wondered how someone like this could ever reciprocate the feelings you harbored deep inside.

After the meal, you moved to the living room, settling onto the sofa. The warmth from the kitchen and the contented feeling brought by the dinner you two had just had enveloped you as you continued your conversation. 

As he talked, you couldn’t help but notice a few strands of Suguru’s long hair escaping from his ponytail, falling gracefully across his forehead.

You spoke up, feeling brave, “You know,” he immediately gave you his undivided attention, and you felt slightly shy under his gaze, “If you’re finding your hair bothersome, I could help you with it. Maybe trim it a bit?”

“Oh.” He said, voice tinged with surprise at your question, and at the fact you’d noticed his annoyance. “You’d do that?” 

“Yeah, it’s no big deal.” You approached him on your knees so you could get a good look at him, skimming your fingers through the strands of dark hair framing his face, as you thought about how you could arrange it, “I’m used to your type of hair, shouldn’t be too difficult.”

The man cleared his throat, turning his head to the side to avoid your gaze, “Alright, well, I’ll consider it and let you know then. Thanks.”

You nodded, but then your brows furrowed and you bolted from your seat, “Be right back!”

He saw you leave for the bathroom, lips parted in confusion. When you reappeared with a wet towel and a sheepish smile, he couldn’t stop but let out a snort as he understood what you’d been up to.

“Hey, don’t laugh! I know I’m a guest but you’re still sick.” You rolled your eyes in feigned annoyance, but the amused smile on your lips was betraying you. “Your cheeks are so red, I can’t believe I just noticed.” Then, you proceeded to delicately cover his forehead with the cold towel, making sure you weren’t covering his eyes. You observed his features up close, and you noticed that he was struggling to stay awake, his long lashes fluttering with exhaustion.

 “You should lie down a bit.” 

Suguru was about to protest, but a yawn escaped him, resigning him to accept his fate and lie down for a while. “Just a minute, alright? Then I’ll walk you back home.” You nodded, knowing you had to go home very soon, the fact you'd stayed more than a few minutes at your boss's house already shocking to you.

bonus –

Your eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, you were disoriented. The soft glow of the morning sun was beginning to filter through the curtains, but you weren’t on your bed. And as your senses slowly returned, you realized you were not alone.

Panic welled up inside of you as everything came rushing back to you when you took in the sight of Suguru sleeping beside you, his messy hair out of the ponytail he’d put them in a few hours ago, the string lost somewhere on the ground, while his limbs were sprawled out on the couch. His soft snore was making his chest rise and fall, his shirt rising up to his middle.

You didn’t have time for that. 

You bit your lip, searching for your phone in a hurry, making sure you weren’t making any noise in fear the man would somehow wake up, silently freaking out as the situation dawned on you. 

you where the fuck r u ???

satoru i’m home?? where r u

you .

satoru oh fuck DONT TELL ME oh my god

you  …

you why didnt you wake me up when you went home . wth satoru

satoru oh man that’s rich im telling shoko right now

you do it and i’ll kill you

satoru too late

satoru by the way i actually didn’t wake you up cuz sugu’s an insomniac never does whole nights so thx!<3

AN : I SAID LET THEM COOKKKKK ok back to the topic. god. this was twice as long as the first piece of this series (and i actually kinda struggled with this one? i'll have you know i'm a master at writing angst but fluff isn't really my forte - if you can call this fluff). kinda sweet suguru here cuz he's sick and all (and i couldnt already rush things), but expect him back on his feet and SMUG as hell in the next pieces ;) sooo yeah, hope yall liked it! also, not proofread yet, i'll come around to fix mistakes but it's 1:40 am here and i have class tomorrow so goodnight

[wardenparker]

Woo hoo! big congrats on the 2.5k. now onto the prompt: I think a Dave York and "I'll protect you" combo could be interesting

Dave York. 1,269 words. "I'll protect you." Co-written with @absurdthirst

Wounded Dave, description of wounds, cursing, character holding a gun. Takes place directly after the events of Equalizer 2.

The address for the farm where you live is pretty straightforward. He’s had it since the day you closed on the property nearly ten years ago. Never needed it until now, but he’s glad that he had kept. Moving is slow, unable to be as stealthy as he once was with the nerve damage and loss of vision in one eye. It takes him nearly three days of watching the small clearing with several buildings before he decides to creep into the house when you are away.

Grocery shopping is only a small project, but you do it once a week at the break of dawn on Sunday morning when most of the devout town in the valley below your little farm is either at church or having a family meal. Most people don't bother with you after so long. You have your little farm and you're mostly self-sustaining at this point. There is fishing and hunting in the area so no one notices when a few extra fish or one more deer go missing every once in a while, and you only need to venture into the local grocery store for a ten minute trip of things you simply can't buy or make yourself.

Or sometimes, like today, you just need a little treat. A bag of chocolate chips and some bananas make their way back to the farm with you in what is probably your most decadent purchase in a year.

Something is different when you get to the farmhouse, though, and even the simple act of walking through the front door has you on high alert. The house feels different. Smells different. And you glance down at the threshold to see mud caked in your entry way. Just a dab of it, but it's enough to have you carefully and silently dropping your groceries inside the doorway and filling your hands instead with the gun you carry every time you leave the house. It's small, concealed, but effective.

"You have to the count of three to get out of my fucking house," you call to whoever it is that has snuck in, in your absence.

He’s got to give it to you, you haven’t slipped. Your senses are just as sharp as they had been when you left the team. Purposefully making noise to alert you to the direction he’s coming from, Dave manages to shuffle forward enough to step into the doorway. “Might take me longer than three seconds, Slim.” He huffs, calling you by the nickname that you had begrudgingly adopted when you realized it wasn’t an insult. They had been talking about your slender fingers and how you could do some of the delicate work they couldn’t. He’s exhausted and ready to collapse, but he keeps his lone eye on the gun in your hand.

You recognize his voice faster than his face. It's been ten years since the last time you saw Dave York and he's in rough fucking shape. In fact, he is the smell that first alerted you to your house being compromised when you got home. He reeks like three days in a swamp. But it isn't until he comes around the corner that you understand why.

"Fuck, Dave." One look at the wreck he's become after whatever the fuck happened to him and you're slipping the gun back into its holster and rushing forward to keep him upright long enough that he can make it to an actual seat instead of collapsing on your floor. "What the hell happened to you?"

“Bad day.” Dave jokes weakly, barely managing to not lean all his weight against you as you guide him to a chair. His wounds are still bleeding, seeping through the bandages that he’s managed to wrap around them and to be honest, he’s got a fucking infection or ten. “McCall.”

“Ah, fuck.” For whatever it’s worth, you never liked McCall that much. Too self-righteous. Smug about being intelligent. Sanctimonious to the point of irritation. Parting ways with the team a decade ago had been a blessing. “Is he gonna come track you down while I’m cleaning you up, or do we have time to figure out how bad a shape you’re actually in?”

Dave grunts in pain after he tried to shake his head. “He— he thinks I’m dead.” He hisses. “I should be.”

"Stop trying to move, you dumbass." 'Affectionate heckling' is what you once called the name calling on the team and apparently you haven't lost that touch. Although it shouldn't surprise you – the other reason you left the team when Dave and some of the other guys were getting into mercenary work is because you've had feelings for Dave York so long that it feels like part of your DNA at this point. "Let me get my kit and a wash basin. We'll get you cleaned up and rebandaged and figure out how fucked you are. Okay?"

“Same old Slim.” Dave grunts, but it’s warm, softer than he would have talked to anyone else on the team. Not that he can talk to them anymore. They’re dead. He thinks about Carol and the kids and his stomach twists, knowing that he has to stay away now. He will be a danger to them if he shows up again. His entire world is gone and now he has to figure out what to do.

"Do I even want to know what happened?" The farmhouse isn't large, and once Dave is leaning against the counter you dart across the room to scoop up your groceries and get the few cold things put away before you head into the bathroom to retrieve your first aid kit and a basin of clean water.

“Shit went sideways.” He can always be honest with you; in a way he couldn’t be honest with the team or with Carol. You know his soul. Even as dark as it is. “We tried to clean it up and there was a casualty that was McCall’s friend.”

“The rest of the team on your heels?” If they are, you’ll need to prep. There aren’t enough places for four guys to sleep in this house, but you’ll make it work.

“Everyone’s dead.” Dave murmurs quietly. There was no way anyone else survived. Hell, the only reason he survived was because the water was freezing. Slowing down the bleed out and the storm washed his body away before McCall could do anything else.

"Fuck." That has you stopping in your tracks, whipping around on the spot to turn and look him in the eye. The one he has that is still working well. The wreckage of the powerful man you had fallen in love with so many years ago and pined for ever since makes your chest ache in a hollow and long-forgotten sort of way. Like your heart had forgotten how to beat, but even the sight of a bruised and beaten Dave York is enough to bring it back again.

"Don't worry," you murmur, reaching out to put your hand over his. "We can keep you hidden up here as long as we need to." It's no small feat, but you have and would do far less for this man. "I'll protect you. I promise."

Closing his eyes, Dave relaxes, knowing you will keep your word. He’s always known you’ve had his back, even when you left the team. You left because of him, because of Carol, and not for the first time he wishes he had followed you. “I know, Slim.” He murmurs softly. “You’re the only one I trust. Always have been.”

______

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[theinheriteddutchess]

Pulling Against The Stream

Summary: you've always been drawn to the sea, even if you feared it. When a handsome stranger shows up he completely turns your life and awakens a side of you you didn't even know existed.

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x female reader

Word count: about 11.475

Warnings: 18+, I'm not sure if there really are warnings, nothing gets too explicit. There's talk about nearly drowning, merfolk will eat people (but not in this part). Is Bucky a warning? I think he's a warning🤷‍♀️

(Notes: this was fun to work on, I fell in love with these two, I'm sad it's finished. Also, sorry Owen, you never did get that apology.)

Part 2

🧜🏻‍♂️

The wind was a welcome coolness as it rushed through your hair. You looked out to sea, watching the calm waves rush to shore, wetting the sand before retreating again. It was one of your favourite things to do. Whenever you were on the beach you felt calmer. Like all your problems seemed to disappear. Even if for a little while.

You never went in the water, however. 

You hadn’t since you were a little girl and you had nearly drowned. You loved water. You just couldn’t sink into it. Every time you thought about it, you saw your mother's face as she panicked and yelled at you. As a young girl you had realized something had been very wrong, and now many years later, you had avoided breaking through that fear, and simply given up.

You ached sometimes however, seeing families walking into the ocean and swimming, playing together, their laughter traveling through the air. If only that could be you. It was you, at some point, but the accident changed so much. 

You sighed. You took one look at the water, saying goodbye in your mind, before turning and grabbing your shoes. You walked to the parking lot, trying to brush as much sand off your feet as you could, before slipping on your ankle socks and your shoes. You didn't want to be late. Your friends would  give you a hard time about it. You had agreed to go to this party and they weren't going to let you forget it. They had taken you shopping last week for this event, even. A cute summer dress meant to flatter your body, without looking like you were trying too hard. 

You knew they'd been trying to set you up with someone, a friend of Genevieve’s boyfriend, some guy named Owen or Odin.. You didn't really know, because you were protesting before they both convinced you to give him a try. 

They meant well, but you were fine on your own. 

You had a tiny apartment nearby the sea and you had a simple job that provided enough for you to be comfortable. You loved being able to be near the ocean and simply opening your windows and hearing the crashing of the waves, the smell of salt in the air. It didn’t matter that no one understood. You were happy here.

But today was different. Today your friends wanted you to have fun. And you had promised to. And you were going to. One night going out with friends and a hot man. It couldn’t be that bad, right? Sam was a nice guy, his friend was sure to be nice as well. You hoped. And if not, you had no problem bailing.

You showered once you got home, taking extra time to let the pleasant scent of your shower gel soak into your skin, and made yourself ready. You thought you looked nice, when you saw yourself in the mirror. Owen or Olaf should appreciate the effort.

Your friend Beth picked you up, her recently wedded husband in the back swiping away on his tablet. 

“Hon’, put it away, it’s after working hours, okay?” she softly told him and he groaned but listened. 

“Hi.”

“Hey,” you greeted them, smiling. They had been together since highschool and had just simply never parted. A rare thing in your opinion, but it gave you higher hopes for the future.

“Okay, so Gen told me they were already at the bar, you know the place, right? Shade?”

You did know. It was near the beach, a restaurant, bar and club all at once. It really gave beach resort vibes, but it was a little less rowdy than an actual dance club, and the food was rumored to be excellent.

You had a strong suspicion it was picked out deliberately to make you more comfortable since it was beach themed. You chuckled a little at the idea.

“It has excellent seafood, I heard.”

“We know how much you love that!” Beth told you, smiling.

It was true, ever since you were little you loved anything fishy. Your mother would go mental getting you to eat anything, unless fish was on the menu. You didn’t know why but other meat felt heavier, and you enjoyed the taste better.

It was a nice place. You arrived and it seemed all tables were full, but it didn’t feel too crowded inside. The restaurant had a perfect look out to sea, and the dance floor was separated in a way that the noise didn’t bother the dinner guest. It had a nice atmosphere. Seeing it now you were sure you wanted to visit again. That is, if the food was as good as promised.

You saw your other friend waving from a table in a corner of the room. You saw the friend that was supposed to be your date. Nerves were beginning to show, but you faked being confident as you walked over.

“Hello, making yourselves comfortable I see?” you greeted, watching the guy, Oscar or Otis, getting up and holding out his hand. You shook it. Firm but not too hard. A good handshake.

He was holding your chair for you and okay, gentleman. But that didn’t mean anything. Mannerisms might be nice, but you never knew what lurked underneath.

You mostly listened for the first few minutes to your friends joking and sharing some details about their day.

The waiter showed up soon to take your drink order, and handed you the menu for dinner.

“I heard you liked seafood?” Your date leaned closer.

You nodded. “Yes. A lot. I’ve been told it’s a little unnatural, but I can't help it, I prefer a nice Plaice over a steak.”

“Nothing wrong with knowing what you want.” He smiled kindly.

“Exactly. How about you? Do you have any preferences?”

“Only about my car, and that’s pretty much about bringing me where I want. I know, not very manly of me, but I don’t see the point in getting excited over a piece of metal. It needs to function and if it does I'm good.”

“So what do you get excited about?”

“Honestly?” he leaned over like he was about to tell you a great secret. “I collect old movie posters.”

“Okay, so you love old movies?”

“A lot. My nan used to set me down at the tv to watch with her, I guess it’s where I got my love for black and white movies from. It’s probably to keep the thought of her alive, but that makes me sound mushy.”

“Not at all, it’s sweet actually.”

And it was. He was. He was sweet. You might even like to see him again if this was over. You were becoming more comfortable as the minutes ticked by.

The food was as excellent as expected. The conversation was flowing. And it was great being around your friends again, all together. 

Ollie was a good looking man, with kind brown eyes and an equally kind smile. You weren’t sure if there was chemistry between you, or what he even thought about you, but you were sure that if you ran into him tomorrow things wouldn’t be awkward. 

The evening progressed smoothly. Eventually your group migrated to the other part of the building, where catchy music and dimmed lights created a bit of a different atmosphere.You got another drink and kind of swayed your hips to the beat of the bass. Your friends were already dragging their partners to the dance area, and you stood next to Otto and kind of felt a little unsure. You wanted to dance, but he didn’t show any signs of asking you. And leaving to go dance alone seemed rude.

“I’m sorry, I am really bad at dancing.” He seemed to notice.

“It’s okay.” You raised your voice to be heard over the music. You were a little disappointed. “Not that I mind bad dancing.”

“No, I know it’s really awful, and I've stopped exposing myself to ridicule as a teenager,” He tried to smile, but maybe he saw in your eyes you were let down.

“I love dancing,” You admitted. “I don't get to do it often.”

“Well, then go. We can talk later.”

You hesitated. “I don’t feel comfortable just ditching you.”

“It’s not ditching when I say you should. Go and enjoy yourself.”

You thought about it for less than a second. “Okay, thanks.” You left your half finished drink and turned to a somewhat empty spot and let the music take over.

It had been a while. You normally didn’t have much time for these sorts of things. And, honestly, you often didn't make the time. You didn’t really like clubs, where it was so warm and sweaty and everyone pressed up against you. But you did like dancing. Moving your body, letting yourself feel like the most powerful sexy being on this earth once you moved to the beat.

You lost time. You twirled and swayed and closed your eyes. You forgot about anything else. But you were thirsty eventually, and glancing around saw your group of friends together talking somewhere ahead. So you walked to the bar to order a drink. While waiting, a body appeared next to you. you glanced up and were temporarily knocked aside by the beauty of him.

Long soft looking brown hair. Blue eyes seemingly glowing down at you as he stared back at you smiling. Oh his smile. Beautiful white pearls. His mouth was full and pleasant.

He was taller than you and seemingly muscular..

He was stunning.

He kept smiling and you were frozen. Looking at him like you had never seen a man. His arm reached out and grabbed the drink the bartender made you and handed it to you, because you were not aware of anything but him. You took it and sipped from it. Thanking him softly , even if you paid for it yourself.

He didn’t seem to move. Seemed comfortable being right at your side. You glanced at your friends once, still animated by themselves and turned to the stranger.

“What's your name?” You asked.

He moved his hands in such a way that made it clear he couldn’t hear you.

You told him yours. And though his eyes twinkled he didn’t say anything. He pointed at himself and made a weird noise. You didn’t get it, until he looked saddened at you.

Was he deaf? Well, no, because he could clearly hear you. What was the word? Mute? You weren’t sure, but you were sure he was telling you he couldn’t speak. “Sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but you can’t speak?”

He shook his head. He didn’t seem to have anything with him to communicate either.

He lifted a finger underneath the glass and pushed it upwards. You had to drink or it would spill.

You giggled, “Alright, alright, I’ll drink, stop.”

It should be eerie how much he didn’t take his eyes off of you, but for some reason it didn't feel that way. He curled a finger around a bowl of peanuts and pushed it towards you.

“Oh no, I don't eat those, and you shouldn’t either, who knows how filthy the hands were that touched them.”

He pushed them back again, immediately, looking at them like they failed him. You knew you should go back to your friends. You should. Yet your feet didn’t move. Your eyes were captivated by him. You couldn’t stop looking. And neither did he. It felt like everything around you went quiet, and people ceased to exist. All you saw was him. His shiny hair, his beautiful smile, his eyes who were bluer than the ocean. You noticed you two were standing awfully close once you thought how clean he smelled. He didn’t seem to wear a scent, he just smelled fresh.

You felt a weird pressure in your chest. Close wasn’t close enough. The two of you just stood there, nearly pressed against each other. Wordless. Staring.

You felt him taking your hand.

And you let him. He guided you away. You did not know where, you did not see anyone or anything. Just him. As he led you outside. It was dark, and you felt sand sneaking through your shoes, the silty air of the sea in your lungs.

You were at the beach, the moon shining down on the two of you, illuminating his features.

His hand reached out to stroke your face softly, his eyes following his fingers over your skin, like he  wanted to absorb everything he saw and felt about you.

You stood still and let him, it felt like a dream. Everything was blurry but his features were clear. His fingers were so soft as they explored you, his hand traveling over your neck, shoulders, down your arms, you shivered and then he pulled you near. 

You hadn’t expected the kiss. His lips were so soft as they stroked yours. You closed your eyes and let him take the lead.

He laid you down. his body covering yours quickly. He was a little cold but you didn't mind as your body was heating up. It felt like a relief to feel his skin against yours.

His lips gliding down your skin, it felt so lovely. Your hands started exploring him the same way.

His strong muscles - and where had his clothes gone suddenly?- but the question left as you explored his form. He was damn near perfect in your opinion, you hadn’t found one flaw so far.

You would have worried about your own flaws if the look in his eyes didn’t stop any negative thought from coming up. You had never seen anyone looking at you the way he did. Like nothing mattered. Like you were the most beautiful woman on this earth. It was neary too much, that look. But you soaked in it, you had never felt more powerful.

Your dress seemed to disappear just as fast as his clothes had gone, you wondered if you were losing track of reality, but it didn’t matter. As soon as you nude bodies connected it had never felt more right. You were both so quiet, like even the sounds you made were private, just for the two of you, no one else was part of it.

You couldn't get enough of stroking his stomach, feeling how he quivered everytime you did. He made a noise sometimes like he wanted to say something, but couldn’t.You looked down, and even his manhood was gorgeous. And you never found it particularly exciting before. He was grinning, like he knew what you were thinking. Maybe your expression spoke a thousand words.

“You’re perfect,” You told him. it was completely truthful. You couldn't feel the shame you were supposed to feel.

His hand was laid against the side of your face, as he looked into your eyes again, like he wanted to say the same to you.

You felt your cheeks warm, weird that this felt so much more intimate than your actual naked bodies currently pressed against each other.

He moved a little closer still, his hand reaching down, and next moment he entered you. You hadn’t expected that. It should’ve been too soon, but he slid right in. Oh. He felt… he felt really good. 

He moved, gentle long strokes. Not too rough, but precise. 

You moaned now. It felt like your body wasn’t your own anymore. As he played it fluently and all the while your eyes not leaving the other. 

You barely remembered when you finished, or him. All you knew was how he felt. And how he kept going, and again. Like he couldn't get enough. He managed to take a break at some point, to gather you up and carry you to your house, naked as the day you were born. It was a fortune you two weren't caught. 

At your apartment, he set you down, you didn’t even remember unlocking the door, but as soon as you stood inside he was on you again.

His mouth was pure aphrodisiac to you. You couldn’t get enough. And neither could he, as his mouth and tongue explored all of you. You felt high with how he made you feel. You didn’t think you ever experienced such pleasure, and so much of it.

And all you seemed to notice was his blue eyes that were a beacon calling out to you and keeping you home.

🐚

The next morning you woke to a naked body next to you. Long brown hair spread out over the sheet as he was still asleep.

You took a moment to appreciate the sight.

Then you remembered you had ditched your friends. and your date.

You groaned and fell down on the pillow. you better had a good excuse ready when you faced them. And you didn’t have one. Well besides, “met a hottie and I couldn’t resist, apparently.” God, what had gotten into you? Besides him…

You glanced at him. Well, if you could take a picture Beth would at least understand. She was crazy about those romantic movies with chance meetings. But Genevieve…Well it was her boyfriend’s friend after all, and that made it more awkward.

Your lover woke up. Rolling over, exposing himself without shame. He reached out for you and you held your hand up. “No, I can't.” He actually looked disappointed. What had he expected, you had lost count how many times he was inside you last night. “And I'm afraid I have to face my friend’s wrath for leaving them behind. I can’t believe I did that, without even saying goodbye.”

His hand stroked your hair, while he hummed. Was he comforting you? You peaked through your hair at him. He looked so content though. Well, he hadn’t deserted his friends after all. He had seemed to have shown up alone.

You searched for your phone. It was on the dresser where you left it yesterday. And with about 84 messages staring back at you menacingly.

You decided to check Beth. She was worried. Genevieve’s wasn’t different, but apparently Beth had seen you leave, and they were confused. It wasn’t like you, and especially not without at least telling them something.

You decided a group call was best. Dive into the deep and face your actions.

“I know I fucked up,” is how you started the conversation, “I don’t know what came over me. He just showed up and it was like I stopped thinking, and I'm sorry I worried you. And I'm sorry for Ovid, he seemed nice. I just…. I have no idea.”

“He was very good looking,” Beth agreed.

“Owen is good looking!” Genevieve defended immediately. Owen! You wheeped inside, finally knowing his name…and relieved Gen didn't call you or on it.

“Yes, but this guy was like a model, come on Gen. “

Silence. She didn't want to admit it out loud.

“He’s still here,” you whispered.

“What!” Genevieve yelled. “Oh my god you skank, you let him stay the night?”

“I think we were too busy the whole night to even notice it was morning,” your cheeks reddened while admitting it. “You have no idea, it’s like he couldn’t get enough of me, and I…well I have never experienced this.”

“That good huh?”

“Oh my god you have no idea. He was…he was a lot, but not enough you know? I felt like I was high or something, he is so gorgeous, guys, and his body…if only you could see.”

“I can pretend to drop something off right now,” Genevieve said, deadly serious.

“What, no. No, we want privacy. I think. I’m not sure, he doesn’t seem to mind if anyone sees him naked, and I think…we left our clothes at the beach.”

Shrieking was heard from both sides. You continued to take their teasing for a while. You got it, it was probably hilarious to hear.

“You’re not mad at me?” you asked quietly once they calmed down.

“Maybe, but also, kind of impressed. Sam is probably more angry, because it’s his friend, but Owen took it in stride.”

“Oh god, I don't even know what to say to them.” you sighed. You were feeling shame, you did, but you also really didn’t regret it. Which was weird because you were never this irresponsible.

“Don’t worry, I'll smooth things over.”

“In the bedroom you mean?” Beth chuckled.

“Well it has worked so far. Besides, once I tell him this was the first time you ever got carried away and you're normally not like this at all, it must be a really special person to make you act this way, he'll understand.”

“I don’t even know his name.”

“Oh god this is priceless. You’re finally getting in touch with your inner whore.”

“Am not, but he’s just so..”

“Yeah yeah dreamy, we get it.”

An arm wrapped around you from behind and soft lips explored your neck. A familiar firmness pressing against your back.

“Hey, I’m talking to my friends,” you protested half heartedly, because you were already enjoying the ministrations.

He ignored your words, even though you were sure he understood you just fine. His tongue licked you softly, and your knees buckled.

“Okay, okay, I'm going to hang up, I will talk to you later.”

“Oh my god girl, what's gotten into you, is he-”

You hung up and dropped the phone. He turned you around and picked you up . Fuck, the way he made it seem effortless really did things to you. Forget about being sore, it was worth it.

✨

You were exhausted. Even after taking another nap. Your body pleasantly buzzing with all the attention it received. You had to get up eventually to get food. 

Making some eggs and grilled cheese, you offered your lover something to drink. He sniffed everything carefully and then turned his nose up. 

“Water then? Can’t go wrong with water.”  You offered him a glass. 

He did accept it, finishing it in one gulp and handing it out to you.

“Another?” you asked after seeing him drink like this, and he nodded.

He drank about 3 glasses before he seemed to be satisfied.

But he didn’t eat anything,

“Surely you must be hungry?”

He nodded.

“You don’t like eggs? Or cheese?”

He grabbed an egg and broke it to slurp the gooey stuff before you could stop him. A raw egg, you shuddered. But some people did that, right? Like those bodybuilders, for the protein. And he did seem to work out. Your eyes got temporarily lost glancing over all his muscles, before snapping out of it, when you met his eyes and they seemed to darken again. You quickly turned. As much as it was the best night of your life, you were really really tired. Not used to this kind of exercise at all. Your body started tingling however, so it was hard to not think of all the details he had given you to fantasize about for the rest of your life.

“So, I was thinking, we should find something for you to wear. We left our clothes at the beach, and I doubt I have much that fits you.”

He shrugged. It didn’t seem to matter to him at all.

“You can’t walk around naked, you’ll get arrested!”

His eyes glanced at yours, noticing the shock and then he pointed outside. “We should collect it?” You guessed and he nodded. “Well, I’ll go, you can’t go out this way.” So you showered and got dressed, but before you left he kept preventing it by kissing you, and again…And once more at the door. Before you pushed him back inside. 

“Someone might see you,” you hissed , looking around if none of your neighbors were in the hall. “I’ll be back soon. Find something you can eat, yeah? I don’t need you fainting from starvation.”

He leaned into you again to kiss you, and you evaded him. “Later!” you giggled, watching the pleased smirk on his face. You fixed your hair, and your shirt, the cheeky bastard had sneaked in a handful, and went on your way.

You couldn’t believe you slept with someone on the beach, in full sight of potential witnesses. Finding your clothes didn’t take long, but your dress was covered in sand and seaweed, and his clothes were wet and needed a good wash. You didn't find his shoes, and then wondered if he had even worn any. You couldn’t remember, you didn’t exactly pay attention to his feet.

You took your hoard home and after a long make out session, where your lover acted like he hadn’t seen you for years, you made your way to the washer. 

“Once they’re dry you are free to go.” Then realized that it sounded like you were kicking him out, and hurried to add. “If you want to, I mean, whatever you want.”

Whatever he wanted seemed to be you. His hands wouldn’t leave you alone. And you didn’t know where to go from here. Did one night stands normally stay until the afternoon the next day? Or seemed to keep wanting to have sex? You didn't even know his name.

“I don’t know what to call you,”  you told him sadly. “Maybe you can write it down?”

You searched for pen and paper but he just stared at it curiously.

You wrote down your name.”You know, my name…now yours?”

He grabbed the pen and it broke, he must have held it too tight. “Oh shit, okay, no problem. Do you have anywhere to go? Like a job or home?”

At the word home he lit up. He nodded enthusiastically and wanted to go outside

“Wait, your clothes!” You held his hand, “We have to wait until they're dry. Maybe  we should watch some tv until they are.” You led him to the couch and turned on the tv. He flinched but soon relaxed and watched the screen fascinated. He grabbed the remote and started zapping quickly, often looking at you with a bright smile like he had found some new toy to admire. You giggled.

“You act like you've never seen a tv before.”

He cocked his head and just stared at you. 

“Okay, pick anything you want, I don’t mind.”

He did eventually settle on something. A documentary about ocean life and his bright eyes didn’t leave the screen for a while. Occasionally he seemed to scoff at something the narrator said but he stayed quiet. You wondered what it was like, not being able to talk verbally. It must be frustrating. Maybe even lonely.

He didn’t seem to have anything on him either. No phone or any information to figure out who he was. But he was a grown man and you couldn’t just pry. Besides, it's hard to pry when communication was off.

Once the laundry was done you handed him his clean clothes, and he looked kind of repulsed wearing them again. 

“You really like being naked huh?”

He shrugged, then reached out to you with a teasing smile as he lifted your shirt a bit. “Oh no, I quite like being covered, thank you very much.” You giggled as he threw you a pout. “Come on, let's go, you wanted to show me home?”

He lit up again, and quickly grabbed your hand to drag you outside.

“Is it very far? Do we need the car?”

He shook his head and pointed again.

“Okay, lead the way, I'll follow.”

He walked fast, like he couldn’t wait, he made some weird noises in the back of his throat that you interpreted as excitement, and his enthusiasm felt addictive.

He dragged you towards the beach again, then to the water. He seemed to want to keep walking, but you froze.

“No! No I don’t go in-”

He turned to look at you, questioningly. Pointing to the water.

“No, I- I had an accident, many years ago. I don’t swim. I can’t.”  You took a few steps back, your heart beating fast. Your mom’s voice and face clearly visible still after all this time, as she found you and yelled, crying, and in complete panic. You had nearly died that day your parents told you. And ever since, you never went in the water again.

He held his hands out for you to take but you shook your head, feeling faint and stepping back to sit down. “No. please, don’t”

He sat down next to you, wrapping his arms around you and just holding you. Sheltering you from the fear that raised inside of you as you remembered.

🌊

It had been a beautiful day. The sun shined brightly and the water seemed calm underneath the boat you were on. You loved the water, and your parents enjoyed being away from work for a while. 

As a single child you were used to entertaining yourself and that's what you did most of the day. Walking back and forth on the boat, making up games in your head, watching the sea as the boat cut through the water smoothly. 

Your parents were laying on deck somewhere, but you were much too busy to pay attention to them. You had just spotted something that kept your eyes firmly on the water. It never appeared at the same spot though, constantly moving. You didn’t know what it was. At that age your knowledge of any sea creatures was minimal, but it didn’t matter, anything was fascinating at that time. 

Your sandwich dropped out of your hands and floated in the water for a second, before it disappeared. A fish? You walked back to your parents, pretending to be hungry still and getting another sandwich. Happily you walked back to the railing again, ripping a piece off and threw it. And it happened again. You were used to feeding ducks, but you never fed anything else, so this was fun!

Another piece and another until it was gone.

In your enthusiasm, and to continue the game, you hand reached out to your doll and you threw that as well.Then watched it float in the water. 

Then you realized that your doll was lost in the ocean forever. Would it be eaten as well? Or sink down, like toys often did when you took a bath. You started crying, and wanted to run back to your parents, or the nice man that moved the boat, to make them stop it, to make them return it, but then you saw a hand grab it and throw it towards you. The doll landed with a wet squish on deck. Happily you ran towards it and hugged it, soaking your own clothes, but you didn’t mind. You had little Boop back. The world was perfect once again. You looked up and thought you saw a blur of color coming up and going down again fast. A friend. You were sure of it. Friends did things like this. Sharing lunch and sharing toys.

You ran inside to find stuff you could play with, but not mind missing. Like a plate, and your mom’s purse and one of your dad’s shoes…you grabbed it into your tiny arms and walked back outside. One by one you threw it in the water. And watch it sink, until suddenly it was thrown back up again. You clapped your hands, and threw it back in again.

This little game continued for quite a while, and sometimes you saw more of your friend. Dark hair,  eyes looking at you from the water. Why was this boy in the water for so long? Mother had told you to be careful because the water was dangerous here and you couldn’t swim yet.

Why did he stay in the water, he seemed to enjoy it there. You wanted to climb over the railing and go to him, but your mother’s warning sounded in your ears, and you didn't want to get punished. You waved the next time he came up again and he waved back.

You didn’t remember very well what happened in between this fun time, and what happened next, but the sky changed and the boy seemed to fall behind the boat more and more, as the water seemed to be less smooth now than it was before.

There was some yelling from the men on the boat and your mother’s worried voice calling out to you. Eager to listen, you let go of the railing and turned to go towards her, maybe even tell her there was a boy in  the water, when a big wave suddenly made you lose your balance.

You slipped easily and went down into the water. The coldness being the most you remembered of that scary moment.

The water seemed to suck you in and closed all around you as it became dark instantly. Your tiny body thrashing against the current and lack of air. You didn’t know what to do, this was something that your mind had not prepared you for.

Cold arms grabbed you, however and dragged you down, or up. It was hard to tell. But you did feel water sliding past your body and he pushed you up , and then air.

The sea kept pushing against your body and kept taking you down, but you were held up and you could breath, you coughed and held onto the arms for dear life.

When he started swimming away, the boat was not even visible anymore, you realized it was the boy. The dark hair and eyes were the only recognizable thing you had seen.

He swam against the current, somehow strong enough to do so, and it took a really long time before anything changed but the vast ocean in front of you.

It was scary but it was also the most exciting thing you had experienced. Because he was a friend! He had helped you! You saw a glimmer under the water, or felt something smooth and slippery against your legs, but it did not occur to you what it was until later. As land came in sight and he pushed you forward until you could stand. But you didn’t stand, your legs were too shaky to. You sat in the middle of the shore as water leapt against you, but you couldn’t be dragged away anymore. He floated in front of you, making sure you stayed where you were.

“Where am I?'' You sobbed a little, the adrenaline coursing through you and feeling scared without your parents.

His face dipped in and out of the water. “Land” he told you.

“I wanna go home,” You whined.

“They'll find you here…I think. It’s land.” He looked around. “They know you fell, they will look.”

You hoped so, this was worse than that time your dad was late picking you up from school, and you had to wait with the teacher as she sighed at the inconvenience. You never felt like she liked you after that. And mother would be angry because you fell in the water, like she told you.

You cried some more, but felt a cold hand around your ankle.

“They’ll come.” the boy said firmly. You didn’t know why you heard him so clearly, while you couldn't talk under water at all.

Then you saw his body. Your eyes glanced from his torse to his legs. But there were none.

You gasped. “Fish?”

He frowned until he saw where your eyes were focusing on, and then he laughed. “No, it’s a tail. So I can swim.”

“Can I get one?” If you had a tail your mother wouldn’t be angry anymore because you could swim just as well as the boy.

“I’m not sure. You’re not like us.”

‘Oh,” you said, disappointed.

“I know some of you can, I saw it myself!” He then said proudly. “And it would make sense. I did save you.” He glanced at you fiercely suddenly. “That means you're mine.”

“Like a friend?” you said excitedly.

He frowned. “What’s that?”

“Someone you play with. Someone you like.” you explained, glad to know something he didn’t.

“Oh. Yes, like that. I like you,” he cocked his head. “I can keep you.”

“Okay,” you smiled. You weren’t scared anymore. The weather, as suddenly as it had changed, had turned calmer again, and you weren't alone. You had your friend.

“I’m going to have to bite you though. If I'm going to keep you.”

Bite you? That didn’t seem fun. You weren’t sure, but you didn’t want to be called a scaredy cat again, like Lisa sometimes told you when you jumped out of the way if she threw a ball at you, and he had saved you, so it might only be fair.

You shrugged, pretended to not be worried and said. “Okay.”

He came up and grinned. It suddenly seemed less friendly like this, but you already said you’d do it, and a promise is a promise, wasn’t it? He slithered up closer, and you were mesmerized by his tail. It was really beautiful colors, blue and white and shiny…you wanted to touch it, but your mother raised you right, you didn’t just touch people. Unless they said it was okay, like you did, to this boy.

 He moved really close and you noticed how cold his skin was. You felt his face moving closer to you and wondered where this bite was going to be. He made a weird noise, but he seemed to not say anything if his face was out of the water. Maybe he was shy up close?

You felt his mouth on your neck, and then, quickly, he bit down sharply. You screamed because it did hurt, and moved back, but he moved with you until he let go. Blood was covering his mouth and your hand flew up to your neck to feel. 

"That hurts!"

“Of course it does, how else are we supposed to feed?”

You frowned. “You're not supposed to eat me.”

“No, not you,” he seemed to agree, “I Wouldn't bite you there if I was going to eat you.”

Where was he going to bite if he was? you wondered but in your young mind it seemed like an explanation enough.

“Now I can find you. And you'll come look for me , right?

You nodded. Maybe you could go on another boat trip, or sometimes your parents took you out to the beach. You loved the beach! It would be even better with a friend to play with.

You continued talking, and playing. He loved splashing you with his tail, until you shrieked in protest but couldn’t stop laughing. Until you became so exhausted that you started yawning and your eyes were drooping.

“They’ll be here soon,” he frowned, like the thought bothered him. “You should go on land, and I need to…leave.”

“Can’t you stay?” You pouted.

“They can’t see me, they’re not friends.”

You nodded. “Okay, I’ll see you later.”

He hummed and seemed to drift back.

You hoped he would still be nearby so you could wave at him once your parents were here. But you crawled further onto the sand and laid down there, and sleep took over you. It was the worried yells that woke you again.

Your parents rushing over to you and grabbing you and shaking you and so much yelling. Your mother's panicked voice as she said she thought you were dead. That you had drowned. Your father tried to calm your mother down. The two of them taking turns holding you, too rough, too long. You, cryinging and panicking again, remembering the cold dark water. How it kept dragging you back. How there had been no air and your body felt like it was going to explode from pressure.

How afterwards there had been no boat trips or beach days. And how when the time came to learn how to swim your mother's face triggered your fears so much that you hadn't dared to go into the water, and had full out panic attacks until they gave up.

How many trips to the therapists hadn’t been enough to keep from telling that a boy saved you, that not only fishes had tails, until you learned to keep your mouth shut and realized it was a dream. Maybe something your mind conjured up to feel safe again. A savior. A protector.

You still sometimes told someone, like your friends, but no one believed it and you were forever stuck in believing that they believed it wasn’t real, and therefore so should you, and still feeling it had been so real to you.

But what about the bite? Well, there had been one, and your parents took you to the doctors, afraid a shark or something had nibbled on you, but there had been no infection. In fact it had stopped bleeding very quickly, and healed very well. It was a faint shimmer on your skin now. You knew where it was and knew the slight ridges you had to look out for, but it was barely noticeable. Still whenever you rubbed it, it gave you a sense of safety. Something that seemed to look over you.

💭

You sat on the sand, looking out to sea. Next to you sat your lover, maybe you should give him a nickname because it sounded scandalous calling him that. Like a Victorian lady wrapped up in a torrid affair, waiting to be exposed so your older husband could challenge him to a duel to the death. Although, looking at him , you were sure he would win any fight. His body really was something. Healthy, with muscles in all the right places, no tan lines anywhere. Well, he did seem to have a fondness for nudity after all. 

You lowered your eyes, you had no idea what had gotten into you. One look at him and you were a goner. Your mind simply stopped thinking for itself and only seemed to focus on his beauty. You never expected to be this shallow. But it wasn’t just looks, he was kind. Even without words he made you feel understood and safe. He had comforted you and listened to your ramblings as you shook under the fear that raced through you. Making noises that let you know he was there. His strong arms keeping you safe from the horrors in this world.

You had told him what happened. Told him about falling overboard and nearly drowning, how your parents found you later, and were surprised to see you unharmed, but were upset nevertheless. How everything resulted in your fear of being in the water. But that you loved the sea, and kept coming back almost everyday, no matter how short. You just never stepped inside it.

How you couldn't swim because of it. 

He listened, eyes full of understanding and interest. Not once did you seem to bore him. But you didn’t tell him about the boy, you didn’t want him to think you were crazy, or childish. No, you told him what your parents told you. How you must've swum upwards and the water pushed you to shore again. How you were lucky.

How you had to be more careful. And you could have died. It was something your therapist had said shouldn’t have been said to a young child, but it was said in worry, and your mother’s reaction made your fear worse. You knew all that. And yet, you never dared to dip even a leg in. You tried your feet a few times but it all seemed to overwhelm you shortly after and it felt easier to avoid.

can’t

You looked at Blue, deciding on that name because of his eyes and told him. “I find it weird that the sea can both terrify and soothe me. I stay away, I yearn to be here and yet, I can never let go and embrace it. There is a feeling something will happen, and I don’t know what.”

He wrapped his arm around you, letting you lean against him.

“I wish I could know your name,” you sighed. “I know nothing about you.”

And yet he knew your deepest fear. 

He took your hand and laid it on his heart and smiled. It felt like a love confession and you smiled. “You’re the romantic type, huh? All handsome stranger coming to save the innocent lady and sweeping her off of her feet and courting her.”

He grinned widely and nodded, then got up and held his hand out for you. You took it. Then he grabbed and lifted you up as he was holding you in his arms again. You honestly did not think you would ever tire of it. It was such a cliché, but it really made your heart beat faster.

“You’re good at courting too?” you teased, and watched him nod ever quicker.

“You seem perfect. Are you sure I'm not dreaming?”

He kissed you. Well, it wasn’t the worst dream if you were.

🏖️

Your one night stand turned into two, you and Blue spend the whole day together, walking down the beach, collecting seashells, he offered you the prettiest ones and you accepted gladly. You had enough shells, but it was sweet to be gifted them.

You arrived back home, rosy and a little sweaty, and very hungry. Pulling open your freezer and fridge to see what you could make, you noticed open packages and a lot more room than you had the day before.

“Blue?” you asked over your shoulder, knowing he by now knew it meant  him, and he appeared a second later in the kitchen.

“Did you…eat the fish?” You asked a little nervously, the question seemingly ridiculous, but there really wasn’t any other explanation.

He nodded happily. and you looked at all the packaging he finished. That was a lot of fish…you also didn’t see any used pans or smelled anything coming back. Now he could have cleaned up… But it had all been frozen, it would’ve taken a while to defrost before it could be prepared. There had not been enough time before you had returned looking for your clothes.

“Did you eat it raw? Because that’s very bad for you.”

He shrugged.

“You could get sick.’ You worried, you didn’t really know what could happen, but getting sick was one thing you heard.

He shook his head.

He hadn’t seemed off, maybe raw fish was okay when it had been frozen, and was still frozen at the time of consumption? You had no idea. 

“Are you one of those uncooked food eaters?” you tried.

He nodded. 

“Oh okay, well, I don't really know what I have at home for you to eat.”

He pointed at you, grinning.

You laughed. “Well I doubt I would be tasty.”

He grinned even wider, a little more menacingly and stepped forwards, shoulders bracing like he was going to jump you.

“Oh no. I’m chewy, really unpleasant to get stuck between the teeth,” you giggled as you stepped away. “Will give you horrible stomach pains afterwards, you won’t like it at all.”

Then you shrieked as he moved forward and tried to sprint away. Tried, because he had you the next moment. He kept amazing you with how fast he was.

He held you against the fridge and stared into your eyes and hummed.

He made you weak when he looked at you that way. His eyes told you there was nothing he would rather look at than you, and it made you gooey inside. You had never had a man making you feel this way.

“You are so beautiful,” you whispered. So kind, so strong, so gentle. He really did seem perfect.

He kissed you slowly, his full lips just loving yours, taking his time. By the time he lowered them to your neck you had already widened your legs and he lifted you up.

While being carried to the bedroom, you really did wonder if this was real.

💙

The next day you went shopping, there was no food and Blue didn’t seem to like anything you had in the apartment. He wanted to come with you, and you easily agreed, having become used to his presence. you closed his seatbelt for him because he didn’t seem to remember to, warning him ��safety first’ before starting the car. The way he looked being in your car was strange, but you didn’t comment. You knew he was a little different, and maybe he lived somewhere very remote, or maybe he didn’t come from here. It wasn’t a good explanation, but you had no reason to complain when he was the best man you had met so far in your life. So he didn’t know how technology worked? He knew how to work your body and that was much more important. The thought made you blush. You had never seen yourself as a very sexual creature, but he sure brought it out in you.

Shopping was, interesting, so to say. Blue looked around in wonder, but also passed by most foods you would pick out, and visibly preferred the fish section. You decided to go with what you both would like, but made a note to make sure to cook it for him before he died of salmonella. It would’ve been a tragic ending to your love story. 

Packed with way too much fish you would ever finish on your own, you went back. Cooking was a little complicated, because Blue was intrigued by the process, but was more intrigued with touching your body during, and you were so distracted you nearly burnt the meal. And forgot to cook the vegetables properly.

Blue looked suspicious once a plate was put in front of him.

You laughed. “Okay sorry, but I don’t know how to eat fish other than cooked, and I don't want us to get sick. It’s good though, I promise. And I kept your veggies uncooked, like you wanted, right?”

You didn’t know how a raw diet worked, but fish was something you did not want to serve raw. You just hoped he wasn’t insulted by it.

He took a bite carefully, pulled a face, seemed to hesitate, then took another bite pondering. It was fascinating to see all the expressions so clear on his face. He showed everything he was thinking, and it felt like a better communication system than all the people that said one thing, schooling their face, but meant another. Blue had clearly never learned any tact, but at least he seemed honest.

Afterway carefully chewing, he seemed to decide that it was acceptable. You dug in yourself, it was very nice, your favorite dish. You were happy he hadn't found it disgusting. For some reason, the thought made you realize you would've been a little hurt if he had. Like he would have rejected a part of you, which was a ridiculous thought and you tried to shrug it off.

Desert was much more simple.

He had decided it was you. Again. You really enjoyed chocolate mousse, but the way he put his tongue on you had you decide that chocolate mousse was overrated. This was truly the best way to finish dinner.

🐟

You woke up. Warm, comfortable, an arm slung around your waist. Blue was still sleeping. Maybe you tired him out for once. The thought made you smile to yourself.

You carefully moved away from him to stretch, and made your way to the bathroom. Relieving your bladder and washing yourself, you wonder if this was going to be your life now. He seemed to have no intention to go, and you had no intention to make him leave.

It was strange, because you had just met. You knew nothing about him. But you still felt so comfortable around him.

You made sure to check in with your friends who were stunned with the fact your one night stand turned into some prolonged romance, but were happy. You didn’t really believe in love at first sight, but how else could you explain the jittery feelings that coursed through you as you thought of him? You didn’t want him to leave!

Things had to be settled today, you decided. One way or another you had to get some information out of him, or see what he wanted to do with the situation. What did he want? Would he like to keep seeing you? Go on an actual date? Was this already considered dating? You were a little worried he would suddenly disappear. And it frightened you how much you knew you would care about that.

“Alright , we need to talk.” You told him at breakfast, as he sucked on his raw eggs, something that still seemed disgusting to you, but you wisely didn’t comment. 

“Well, I'll talk and you'll listen,” you realized. “This has been a lot of fun. Great, really, but I should know more about you, right? Who you are, or where you come from?”

You scratched your neck. it had been itching a little since yesterday, and while it was noticeable at first it started to get worse today. Maybe you had a little sunburn from yesterday, you did spend a long time on the beach.

Blue’s eyes zeroed in on your neck, it was like he could see what was there. But no one really did unless they were very close. He seemed to get a little dazed before your voice broke him out of it.

“Unless this is coming to an end.” You hated how your voice became a whisper. You didn’t sound confident at all, and maybe a little pathetic. Damn those stupid feelings.

He looked up at you confused. Like he didn’t know what you meant.

“I would like to keep seeing you, but I don’t know if that is what you want?” You told him, gathered up the strength to get some surety. It was either finding him missing at some point, or asking clarity for your own piece of mind. Maybe he had been waiting to see what you wanted anyway.

He got up, and long streaks of his legs marched him over to you, he grabbed your face with one hand. Gently holding it, he grabbed your hand with his other and put it on his heart.

“I think that’s a 'yes', I want to keep seeing you’?” you whispered, feeling yourself melt. Knowing he knew because he had to hold you up.

He frowned and nodded. Then he put his hand on your heart. Or maybe your boob, you weren’t sure. But it felt terribly romantic.

“Okay, that’s a step. Maybe we can go to your place, you must be tired of wearing the same thing.” You glanced down at his body “Well, when you do wear clothes.”

He pointed outside. 

“You want to go now?”

He nodded but bit his mouth, like he was pensive about something. 

“I don't have to go in, if that’s not what you want.”

He pointed at you. 

“Me? You’re afraid I don't want to go inside?” As you saw him nod, you wondered how bad the neighborhood he lived in was. “I don’t care, If it’s that terrible you wouldn’t bring me there right?”

He nodded seriously.

To lighten the mood you joked. “And I'm sure you can protect me against any danger.”

He seemed to make himself bigger somehow, without making himself seem ridiculous. God, he was perfect. You wondered if one last time before you went would be a good idea. The sheets were beginning to be in need of a good wash, but once more wouldn’t matter by now, would it? And - 

Your thoughts were cut off with a kiss and a devilish grin, like he had known where your mind had gone.

“Sorry, am I really obvious?” You said through heated cheeks.

He nodded, shrugged, and seemed to spread his arms out like he said ‘Who could blame you’. 

You put your hands over your face. “You’re awful, no shame at all.”

There was a noise that, when you glanced back at him, might've been a laugh. so it made you laugh and then you were kissing again. 

But he broke it off before it got too heated. Pity. He pointed outside again.

“Alright, let me make myself ready okay, And wear clothes! Not everyone will appreciate seeing your tooshie exposed.”

You did though. You enjoyed it very much, it was round and not too big or small. You stared at it as many times as you dared, and he didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact his own eyes never left your body either. He was just enraptured with you as you were with him.

Realizing you had been staring at the carpet for several minutes now without making progress at getting ready, you hurried. He waited at the door for you with the same cut off shorts and shirt he had been wearing all this time, no shoes. Oh god you had taken him shopping and no one had even mentioned he wasn’t wearing shoes. You had broken the one rule that stores would give. 

You figured maybe no one noticed, because they were too busy staring at his handsome face. The only explanation you could think of. 

You offered the car, but he pointed in another direction, and so you figured he must’ve lived nearby.

But as you neared the beach again, you became confused. Maybe he was a tourist? They sometimes booked one of those beach houses. But he led you on the beach itself, towards the water.

“What? Blue…you were supposed to take me to your home.”

He pointed to the water.

“What do you mean? You live overseas?”

He pointed at the water again, frowning. He made a movement with his hands and you didn’t get it, so he did it a few times, looking frustrated.

“Swimming?”

He stopped in relief, pointed at the water, to himself, to the water, ‘swimming’.

“You swam?” you said, stunned.

He nodded. Pointed towards you, and then him.

You didn't get it, again. “I don’t understand, sorry.”

He grabbed your hands, held them, and stared into your eyes lovingly.

“I get it, it’s hard to explain this way, really hard with no way of communicating.” you said sadly.

He looked at the water again, then pulled you.

And you froze and dug your heels in, staring at him in shock.

He looked at the water again, towards you, your entwined hands, and again towards the water, he made a noise. He sounded… urgent.Your neck began to itch worse again.

“Are you staying at one of the houses?” you said, a little desperately, even if you began to understand that probably wasn't the case.

He shook his head. He now looked at you a little sadly. Humming, his thumbs stroked your wrists where he was holding you. Like he was comforting you. The way he was staring at you, it was like he was expecting something. Waiting for something.

Your neck started to burn awfully. You tried to loosen your hands to rub the spot, but he wouldn’t let go.

“Blue, what - let go, my neck it’s -”

He let go of one of your hands, but was quick to lay it on your neck, right on the spot, it felt, it felt strange, it was burning up, but somehow his touch felt better.

Your body felt weird. And you noticed he was trying to pull you near the water.

“No, I can't,” you told him, feeling no control over your body as he dragged you further in. Your eyes drawn to the water, fear rushing through you, your mom’s face, the cold dark water surrounding you, your heart beating, no air, there was no air.

And then he appeared in your vision, his blue eyes, so like the boy in your memories, catching yours, calm, his hands holding you, a soft embrace. You felt your feet walking with him towards the water, wanting to protest, but your mouth was silent, and your eyes couldn’t look away from him.

Dark hair, blue eyes.

His body holding yours as he dragged you through the water, cold skin, slippery tail, A wide grin, so playful, words and promises made.

Blue eyes looking back at you tenderly, lovingly, holding you against him. You could see only him. Even as the water soaked through your sandals. Even as water splashed at your calves.

’You're not like us’...’I can keep you’... ‘find you’

Your body followed him in, he was smiling brightly, his eyes sparkling, but he didn’t let you go. He was guiding you, so gently. It was like your fear was there but numbed, in the background. Like the most important thing was to be close and not let go. You didn’t.

Water was around your waist, the waves moving your body back and forth, swaying in the current of the water, but he did not let you go, he did not pull away. He kissed you.

His soft lips felt like an explosion on yours. It felt like you were fading until all that was left was him. The way he felt. And the way he made you feel.

You made a noise. You felt weird.

Water splashing on you as he whipped his tail at you, laughter sounding through the air as you splashed back. His face disappearing underwater to speak to you.

Water reached his chest and you were already not feeling the bottom under your feet anymore. You let him pull you. He seemed happy. He kissed you and his tail sweeped against your legs and - …Tail? you looked down and saw the colorful glimmer of his tail, not legs, underwater. Before it would settle in, you felt a burst inside, a sharp painful burst, and you fell down. The power of it made him let go and you went under. 

But his arms were around you immediately. You worried you would see darkness, but you could still see the light above you, the sun shining through the water. You could see him very clearly, his face so close to you as he helped you get steady against the movement of water. You expected to choke, but it felt like your lungs were just fine.

“What-” you said, and realized sound came out of your throat, water came in your mouth but disappeared and yet it did not feel like you ran out of air.

He smiled so happily, his eyes shining to you in delight.

“It’s okay. I got you.”

You looked around, water was surrounding you everywhere, there was seaweed twirling around you, the occasional crab you could see floating around. It looked like you could see a lot further than you expected down underwater.

You glanced down his body, noticing the tail, and momentarily were distracted by the beauty of it, before another movement distracted you. As you saw your own tail.

A shock went through you and you wanted to flinch away, but he wouldn’t let you. Your hands touched yourself. Slimy softness greeted you where your legs were supposed to be.

This wasn't real, was it?

"Bucky."

You looked up, confused.

“Bucky. My name. I couldn’t give it to you until now.” he grinned. 

“Bucky?” you tested it out.

He seemed pleased with hearing it, and nodded. “Yes, I can't speak up there. I couldn’t tell you anything, only if you were in the water.”

You felt like you should panic, and there was confusion, and there was fear, but it all felt so….farther away. “What happened? I don't get it.”

“You had to turn.” He shrugged. “You didn’t want to go into the water the other day, but I knew you couldn’t stay here long. After we mated, I knew it would only take a few days before you turned. And I couldn't let you turn on land.”

That’s why he dragged you while you were so afraid, why he didn’t listen.

“But how can that happen, I'm not..this!”

“I marked you,”  he explained in a tone like you should’ve known. ” When I saved you. You let me, remember?”

Blue eyes, dark hair….Bucky.

“You didn’t really think it was a dream, did you? Why else do you think we were drawn to each other? You’re mine.”  For a moment his expression darkened. “Why didn’t you come to me? You said you would? I waited every day, and you didn’t come until a few years ago,and you never went into the water.”

Like you had disappointed him, failed him. Broke your promise. Which you did. It was a promise that shouldn’t have to be kept, you were children after all, but it became clear he had kept it. He had expected you to keep it. And it occured to you that rules, human rules, might not apply here.

“My parents were very afraid after what happened. They didn’t go anywhere near the sea for ages. Only after…when I moved out, I started coming here. Like I couldn't stay away.”

He seemed a little more pleased. “You were looking for me.”

“I-” ‘no’ you wanted to say. But weren't you always looking. Looking for something. Someone. Didn’t you feel you were missing something. “I couldn't get into the water.”

You tried to explain. You didn’t know why you felt the need to make him not angry or hurt by you. It hadn’t been your fault, but the way he acted was like you hurt him a great deal.

“So I came to you.” He moved closer and held your hand. 

“Can I go back?”

“No.” He seemed happy with the idea. “ We don't go on land unless we have to. To kill, or to mate. And it takes years of practice. You have to be strong enough, and learn how. It took me all this time. But I knew I had to. I knew you were here.”

“You should have asked.” you said. Thinking of your friends, your family. If you couldn't go back, how worried they would be. How they would suffer.

“Why? You promised yourself to me. I saved you, I didn’t need to ask, I could have let you drown, or killed you. I didn’t. I own your life. And you said we were friends.” he shrugged.

Warmth pinched your eyes, but as soon as the tear appeared it had vanished in the cold silty water. 

“Friends don’t hurt each other.”

“But I didn't." He sounded confused. “I would never hurt you. You belong with me. And now we don’t ever have to part. We live very long. You don’t have to worry about dying. And you don’t have to worry about the water anymore either. You are strong enough to go where you please. I could show you so many things. You don't need to deny yourself any longer. Let go, embrace me.”

He echoed the words you said to him, when you told him about your shared history. How you yearned to embrace your longing. How you wanted to be near the water. Had it simply been the sea that called out to you?

A fish curiously swam nearby, and you suddenly were reminded with the empty freezer, the frozen seafood he devoured…how you only seemed to like fish the most growing up. The bite he had given you. Your urge for the sea, even if you never dared to near it or touch it.

How Bucky had waited for you to show up and play with him, and how you had, unwillingly, broken that promise.

How he talked about owning your life because he had saved it, and how you could have a tail if only you did what he said.

Your tail was pretty, even if you thought his was better, but it wasn’t your legs and it felt strange seeing it swing back and forth, feeling like you could push upwards if you tried, wondering if you could keep up with him if you swam. Wondered how cold and dark the sea would get the further you would drift.

You looked backwards where you thought the beach would be, but, being underwater, all there was was water.

His finger turned your face towards him again. “I love you.”

You blinked, he put your hand on his heart, and the familiarity hit you like a warm glow, he had been telling you all along.

And he laid his hand on your heart, staring into your eyes intensely.

You felt the words leave your mouth without thinking about it.  “And I love you.” 

And you knew you did. Despite everything. You had been looking for him. You had been looking for love.

[delicatenightfury]

Letters

2022 Month of Writing: Day 5

Pairing: Henry!Sherlock Holmes x reader

Prompt:

Word Count: 2,551

Author's Note: please don't steal my work! you can choose to respond to the prompt as well, but don't steal my work.

I just watched Enola Holmes 2 last night and felt inspired to write a Sherlock Holmes (Enola Holmes style) fic today.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Newman,” y/n said with a smile.

“Not a problem, dear!” the man said. “It’s always a pleasure to see you around. Feel free to stop by again soon!”

“I’ll do my best. Good day!”

She stepped out on the cobble street, still smiling. Mr. Newman was a pleasant man. He was old enough to be her father, and greeted every customer that walked into his shop with a smile. He sold a variety of items, but she primarily stopped in for art supplies. She would send him a telegram, detailing the items she wanted, and within a week, Mr. Newman would make sure to have them for her.

Painting was a hobby of hers, one she didn’t get to do often but greatly enjoyed. She had learned at a young age from her mother and had continued to enhance her skills as she grew older. However, painting now remained a thing to do in her spare time. 

She quickly ran the rest of her errands, making her last stop in the local market. She greeted the usual stall owners as she bought her groceries for the week. She knew that some people found it odd that she did her own shopping, but she enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the market. The people were pleasant for the most part and it gave her a chance to get out of the house.

Once she had all that she needed, she began making her way back home. She hummed lightly to herself and smiled at people as she passed by them. She always felt that it was right to smile at people, because you never knew if they needed a little bit of happiness. Not everyone responded to her smiles, but she was never offended by it. 

Just as she turned a corner, she heard someone shout her name.

“Miss l/n!”

y/n turned her head quickly to determine the source and smiled. Lilliana, a local florist, waved at her. y/n walked over to her, carefully crossing the street.

“Lilliana, it’s so good to see you!” y/n said. “How are you? Is your sister doing all right? Better I hope?”

“Much, thank you. Seemed to have just been a little cold. She’s back to causing chaos, that one.” Lilliana took in y/n’s bags. “Looks like you’ve got your hands full.”

“I’m afraid so. Otherwise I would be more than happy to buy some flowers off of you today. They look absolutely lovely.”

Lilliana smiled at the compliment.

“Well at least take a look around,” she invited. “If you’re not in a rush, that is.”

“All right, I’ll take a look.”

The girl cheered and left y/n to attend to another guest. y/n slowly walked through the selection of flowers, admiring the colors and scents. She carefully knelt down next to a basket full of (favorite flower). They were beautiful. She felt a little silly buying flowers for herself, but she couldn’t resist.

She waved down Lilliana and requested a small bundle of flowers. She smiled as she watched Lilliana build a small bouquet for her. Lilliana always treated her too well, giving her more than she paid for. As Lilliana carefully picked flowers to put together, she glanced at y/n.

“You know, y/n,” she said, “you seem to have an admirer.”

y/n looked at her, puzzled.

“I’m sorry?”

“An admirer. Since you started browsing, there’s a gent across the street that’s had an eye on you.”

Now that she mentioned it, y/n could feel the gaze. She was used to the occasional glance, but this felt different. It was… more persistent, curious even. y/n glanced around, making sure not to make it obvious. She didn’t notice anyone terribly out of place, but the street was filled with people. However, she knew not to question Lilliana. The girl saw these people almost every day. She would know when someone breaks routine.

y/n simply smiled, playing it off. She carefully adjusted her bags so she could get out a bit of money to pay Lilliana. They exchanged the money for the bouquet and y/n smiled.

“It’s beautiful, Lilliana,” she said. “Excellent job as always.”

“You flatter me. Have a lovely day, y/n.”

“You too! I’ll see you soon.”

y/n started back down the street, ready to get home. Her shoulders were starting to hurt from the weight of her bags. Luckily her flat was only about a block away. She briefly wondered about her mysterious admirer, but chose to forget about him.

She made good time and got to her home in no time. She unlocked the door and stepped inside. It was moments like this when she disliked living on the third floor. She waved briefly to the landlord’s wife, slowly made her way up, and was soon back in her comfortable home. She laid her things out on the dining table, sorting them briefly before beginning to put things away.

The food went in their respective homes, organized in a way that would be easy for her to access later. She cut the bottoms of the stems of her flowers and placed them in a vase, which she left by the window.

She then went to her bedroom and shed her overcoat. It had been cold, so the coat had been welcome on her outing. Her gloves and hat were put away, and her purse stored. She proceeded to make herself comfortable. She changed into slightly more comfortable clothing, a skirt and shirt that allowed her more movement. She pulled the pins out of her hair, letting it fall around her shoulders. Finally comfortable again, she went back to the main room and stored her new paints and canvases. 

Suddenly, she heard a knock on her door. She paused for a moment before slowly making her way to the door. She rarely got visitors, so questions started filling her mind.

y/n undid the lock and pulled the door open a little. A rather tall man stood in the hall. He looked a little awkward due to his height and broad shoulders. He turned to look at her and offered a small smile.

“Good afternoon,” he greeted.

“Hello,” y/n said. She remained partly behind the door. “Can I help you?”

“Ah, yes. I, um, well…” He fiddled slightly with his cane and hat, something she wouldn’t typically expect. “You are y/n l/n, correct?”

She raised an eyebrow at him.

“Yes?”

“You used to live near Ferndell Hall.”

He sounded more sure of his statement this time, meanwhile she became slightly more wary.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?”

“I’m Sherlock Holmes. I used to live at Ferndell with my mother and siblings.”

Of course!

“Oh my word!” y/n exclaimed, opening the door a little more. She could see it now. Those bright, intense eyes so full of wonder and never missed a thing. “I didn’t recognize you, it’s been so long!”

“Indeed it has. Might I come in?”

“Yes, forgive me.” She opened the door wider and watched him step into her home. Once he was in, she shut the door. “Can I get you anything? Tea?”

“Thank you.”

She went to the kitchen and started a kettle of water to heat. When she went back to check on Sherlock, she found him wandering around her flat, looking at her belongings. She didn’t say anything and simply let him observe.

It had been so long.

Sure enough, they had been neighbors. The two of them were close in age, so they frequently played together as children, running through the fields and climbing trees. They would occasionally study together too. Sherlock’s older brother Mycroft had often thought of her actions as “unfit for a lady”, but their mother Eudora encouraged the behavior for many years. They had been the closest of friends for many years. y/n smiled slightly; those were some of the best years of her life.

He had changed so much from the boy she knew. They were once the same height, now he towered over her. His dark hair was still curly and his eyes were still the same, if not more intense now. He definitely filled out. It was hard to tell with his suit jacket on, but he looked like he had gained a lot of muscle. His features became more defined. He looked handsome. She almost blushed.

“I see you still paint,” Sherlock observed. He was looking at her new and old paints, then her recent painting. “It’s lovely.”

“Thank you.”

He continued on, only briefly, and stopped at a collection of photographs. There weren’t many, but y/n loved them. One of her parents, one of her old home, one she had taken of London when she first arrived, then one of…

“Is this Alexander?”

y/n nodded sadly.

“Yes,” she said.

Alex had been her brother. He had died when she was early in her teen years. An accident. He had been on the road when his carriage was attacked. Those responsible had shot him and stolen most of his belongings. He hadn’t made it through the night. He had been only an hour from home when he was attacked.

“I am sorry,” Sherlock said, bringing her back once again. “He was a good man.”

She nodded, blinking to get rid of the tears that threatened to spill.

“Yes, he was.”

He had been her biggest supporter. He included her in all of his activities and lessons, never wanting her to feel excluded. He was the reason she knew the Holmes family. He would drag her out of the house and take her with him to visit Mycroft and Sherlock.

Just then, the kettle started to whistle. She went to the kitchen and started on the tea. She heard Sherlock’s footsteps continue to move around somewhere behind her.

“You receive letters from Enola?” he suddenly asked, loud enough for her to hear.

“Yes, I do,” she replied. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the youngest Holmes. “She is quite a character. I met her briefly when I returned from finishing school and spent many weeks with her and Eudora. We’ve kept in contact, so I’ve been up to date on her adventures.”

She joined him again and passed him his cup. He took it with a nod. y/n sat down in one of her chairs, reclining comfortably. She supposed she should be a little more polite with the way she sat, but she couldn’t really bring herself to care.

Sherlock cleared his throat.

“Do you remember when we used to write to one another?” he asked.

y/n smiled a little and nodded.

“Yes. We lived only a mile apart but we sent letters almost daily. I looked forward to those moments. Your stories were quite interesting.”

“As were yours. We could have written a novel.”

y/n laughed.

“What a story that would have been. The tales of two children and their imagination.”

Sherlock hummed.

“You know,” he continued slowly. He didn’t look at her and instead stared into his cup. He cleared his throat with a hum. “After Alex’s passing, and you went off to finishing school, I still tried to write to you.”

y/n froze, teacup lifted halfway to her lips. But Sherlock surprisingly didn’t seem to notice.

“I wrote to you, daily at first. I had hoped you were well for I knew you were still grieving when you left. I wanted to continue our stories, as a way to distract you or perhaps give you something other than your schooling to think about. When I didn’t receive a response at first, I thought it was just because you were busy. So I wrote weekly. Then monthly. Then…” He sighed. “I know I really have no right to ask you this, but why didn’t you answer any of my letters?”

He finally looked at her and his deduction skills kicked in almost against his will. 

Her grip was tight on her cup, yet her hands were shaking. Her eyes were wide. There were tears in them. She looked like a deer. Her expression was a little harder to read: shock, sadness, and puzzlement were the primary emotions. She gaped at him for another moment before swallowing.

“Sherlock,” she said, her voice thick. “You wrote me letters?”

Now it was his turn to be confused.

“What? Of course I did. Why wouldn’t I?”

She shook her head slightly.

“I never received any letters, Sherlock.”

His eyes widened.

She blinked and the first tear fell. She quickly wiped it away.

“My going to finishing school was not by choice,” she said. “I was perfectly content to learn at home, like how your mother raised Enola. My parents were the ones who sent me away. Alex was the only thing keeping me home.” She paused to collect herself a little. “At finishing school, I would talk about you and our adventures, and I would get reprimanded by the headmistress. It’s apparently frowned upon to remain friends with a boy after a certain age.”

She looked at him and continued: “If you sent letters, Sherlock, I never saw them. I would presume the headmistress got rid of them..”

Sherlock set down his cup and moved to kneel in front of her. He gently grabbed her hand.

“I never wanted that. I wanted to keep in contact with you, to remain friends.” He paused for a moment. “Why didn’t you try to find me afterwards? You went back to Ferndell to see my mother and sister, and I was solving cases at the time. Surely…”

“I had thought you didn’t want to be friends any longer and never wanted to speak to me again. I became different after finishing school.”

He chuckled a little.

“I never wanted that. And I don’t think you’re much different now than you were then, y/n. As a detective, I can tell you are the same woman. Perhaps to an outsider you are one of society’s polite women, but here, deep down, you are the same spitfire girl I used to play with. Perhaps even more so now. If you’re friends with Enola, then I know that to be true.”

y/n laughed a little. She had to admit, he was right. Finishing school had taught her how to act in public, but had little effect on her interests and personality. She wiped away her tears and took a deep breath to calm herself. She looked back at him. He was still kneeling beside her, his large hand wrapped around hers.

“So what now?” she asked.

“Whatever you wish, I suppose. Personally, I want to get to know you again. I want to catch up on all we missed. And perhaps, make something new with it?”

y/n smiled and squeezed his hand.

“I would love that.”

She leaned forward a little and pressed her forehead to his, closing her eyes. He sighed and closed his own eyes, enjoying the new peace that settled around them.

“Just wait until Enola hears about this,” y/n then muttered. “She will lose her mind.”

“Let’s hold off on telling Mycroft then, yes?”

[shegatsby]

Could I ask for Hannibal lecter with a former patient reader with extreme anxiety and fear of going outside and people? Maybe a house call for this little recluse?

(Would appreciate if they were also FTM but not a requirement)

Thanks!

-B

A/N; Hi B, thanks for the request even though it had been weeks since you sent it to me... oops. I hope you'll like it. Enjoy!

Warnings; Anxiety and panic attack, reader has phobia of going outside.

You were triggered again, you had a specific nightmare last night. In the nightmare you were being chased by your stalker (you had a stalker last year so developed a certain anxiety about going out. Thankfully he is behind bars now.) in the nightmare he was holding a gun and chasing you in the public but no one helped you. Except him.  Doctor Hannibal Lecter. Due to your circumstance you sought professional help. You did a profound research about him and his techniques and you found nothing but good review. You decided to give it a shot and you didn’t regret it at all. You explained your situation to him in detail via email, he replied saying that he was glad to work with such an open minded and communicative young woman.

He urged you to go to his office for the first session but you were unwilling so you suggested to do it online, it was 45 minutes and when you were, put the laptop away… you felt a sudden relief.

The next session he suggested to go to a coffee shop near your home, you liked the idea and agreed.

It was a cold Baltimore weather so you both had gloves, long coats, he couldn’t help but notice how professional you dressed. A black pencil skirt, a dark red blouse, soft make-up, hair let loose yet kept under control and delicate hands holding your coffee mug. You were well mannered and put together. Also, your impression on him was the same as him, both of you had a mutual feeling for each other that day. Normally, Dr. Lecter had 45 minute sessions with his patients just like your first session. However, with you, it was more than 2 hours. The conversation was elite and brilliant that he didn’t want to leave that cozy place, after the session he gave you a lift and planned the next session.

Weeks passed and you started to go to his office, you had an idea about his environment but seeing it for the first time was something else. His office was like a mixture of library and museum, which both of those places were your favorite. When he saw the inquisitive shine in your eyes he let you explore.

You talked about your favorite books and art and culture etc.

You loved talking to him and he loved talking to you. Most of his patients were shallow and stupid but you knew your art and literature. After decades of being surrounded by peasants Hannibal found someone who got excited about small things and had her own brilliant opinions. Your energy was refreshing to say the least.

The nightmare you had made you paranoid, your door was locked, windows shot and curtains closed, you were in your pjs and in 45 minutes you had to be in Dr. Lecter’s office. It was impossible, you sent him an email about bot being able to make it today. Instead of replying by an email he called you directly, ‘’Hello, Dr. Lecter.’’

‘’Hello , Y/N.’’ he started, he had started to address you by your name few weeks ago and asked you to do the same but his demeanor and the way he held himself made you a bit intimidated. ‘’I hope you are well.’’ He continued, ‘’Is there a problem?’’ there was a silence. ‘’Yes, I don’t think I can come today.’’ You simply replied, covering yourself with blankets on your couch, total darkness surrounding you.

‘’Your voice sounds strange.’’ He announced, you didn’t say anything and he let a sigh of distress, He ‘’I’m coming over. Do not move.’’ And he hung up.

He knew your address, something in you kept you at your place or maybe it was his strict tone.

Some time later there was a knock on your door which made you jump from your seat, you grabbed a knife from the kitchen and walked to the door.

‘’Its me.’’ You heard his voice, ‘’You can lower your weapon of choice.’’ He added, how did he know that you were carrying a weapon?

You opened the door to him, he looked at you up and down and let himself in, closed the door and locked it. Seeing such a young and elegant woman being torn apart by her mental state made him feel something… he felt as if he was her savior.

You noticed that the second you saw him you felt safe, like a sense of warmness spreading inside of your chest.

You turned to go to the living room, he followed, this was the first time he saw your house, he was in awe of how clean and organized it was even though it was dark due to the fact that all the curtains were closed.

He sat on a single armchair, placed his leather bag next to his feet, his coat placed on his lap, you took your place among your blankets.

‘’May I ask what has made you… like this?’’ he looked around the room, ‘’I don’t want to talk about it.’’ You said like a little child.

‘’Are you hungry?’’ he asked to change the subject, you realized that you didn’t eat anything since you have woken up. He understood from your deep eyes and stood up.

Soon you heard sounds coming from the kitchen. You decided to get a sneak peek, he wore your red apron and cooking something from the things he found in your fridge. It melt your heart.

Hannibal Lecter wasn’t used to this but when he saw you like that he couldn’t help but be there for you, you were an interesting case for him and he even thought about keeping your mental health not worse but not good either so that he could keep having you in his life but it seemed like you were planning to be in his life for a long time weather as a friend, a patient or someone close..

Thank you. :)

[gasolinerainbowpuddles]

Galletita ║ ⓞⓝⓔ๏ⓞⓕⓕⓢ

part of a small fic exchange with random mutuals :)

This is for you, my dearest Beefro! Hope you enjoy!

| GALLETITA | main masterlist | PAIRING(s): chubby Javi P x fem!reader

| RATING: explicit material | 18+ | WORD COUNT:  5.2k | CONTENT: big boi Javi P is hungry and a little cranky, you like to bake and Javi likes to eat, belly kink, feeding kink, probably bad Spanish, we’re playing fast and loose with timelines, canon, and everything in general, so just forget about timey wimey boo boo wah wah and enjoy the story lmao

| SYNOPSIS: Your sister and brother-in-law have enlisted your help with their small business while they await the birth of their first baby. You help with the cafe and find yourself face to face with a new customer whose appetite might have met its match in you.

It had been a rush to open up on your own at the last minute, but your sister couldn’t exactly be blamed for going into labor in the middle of the night. You’d anticipated this eventuality, but manning the entire store on your own for the next couple of hours felt as daunting as if it’d never been considered at all. She and your brother-in-law had brought you down here almost a month ago to help out with their small cafe before the baby arrived, and you had spent most of your time helping out with anything to shoulder the more physically demanding tasks, leaving her with things like manning the register so she could rest on a stool for most of the day.

They only had two other part-time employees, and only one of them was available to come in today around noon, which left you on your own for what felt like an eternity. Thankfully the rain provided a deterrent for many customers, and you held out hope that nobody showed up until someone who actually worked here was able to come help out. You hadn’t heard any updates about your sister’s labor, but there were plenty of things to do to keep your attention until something came through.

The little bell above the shop door rang out the announcement of a customer’s arrival. You quickly smooth over your apron, pat down your wet weather frizzy hair, and walk towards the front counter.

“Good morning! What can I get for you today?” you offer up in a rushed, pleasant voice.

The smooth, deep tone that replies aligns with the gorgeous man it belongs to. Brown hair mussed every which way, a neatly trimmed mustache that frames a pair of plump lips, broad shoulders balanced out with a soft middle pouching out against a light blue button up. Thick thighs stretching the denim of his worn jeans. By the time your eyes travel back to his face, he’s looking at you expectantly with a hint of a smirk. Heat floods your face when you realize he said something you missed entirely because you were too busy ogling.

“Sorry,” you stutter out in a nervous laugh. “O-One more time?”

The handsome customer almost renders your brain into complete mush yet again when his big brown eyes soften into something patient and, hopefully, flattered instead of annoyed with your distractedness. “I asked if you had any kind of dessert type foods. Bakery down past the corner lost power. Saw your cafe sign on when I was driving back and figured I’d give it a shot,” he explains simply with an easygoing sort of confidence that made your knees feel jittery.

“Oh. Right. Yes, we have power,” you assure him. His eyebrow ticks up in amusement as you both take in the overhead lights and sound of machinery running. His lips twitch as though he’s holding back a wide smile - and probably a laugh at your expense. 

“What I mean is, uh, yes. We have a few options, but we mostly focus on coffee based drinks.” You wave broadly at the barely stocked glass case. “I, um, I didn’t quite get it all filled up. Busy morning.”

“Busy, huh? Figured the rain might keep people away,” he observes as he looks over the sparse offerings in the case.

“Yeah,” you agree in a breathy sort of hum. Why on earth could you not stop staring at this man like you’d never seen a male human before? You give yourself a little grace by insisting the hectic night and busy morning have made your brain a little fried. He stays still except for his eyes, which flick over to you with that sparkly sort of warmth you feel you could get used to very quickly.

“See anything you’d like?” you ask, trying desperately to get yourself back on track.

His grin breaks free completely and makes little crinkles around his eyes. “I’m open for whatever you recommend, sweetheart,” he shoots back, smooth and heavy like molasses.

Your face goes from slight confusion to embarrassment  when you realize your choice of wording probably sounded incredibly forward, and it goes into full-fledged mortification when you realize his reply was even more so. He only smiles back warmer, and you feel frozen to your spot, only released when he breaks eye contact to look at the case again.

He chuckles low to himself, but you only catch something that sounds like “linda.”

“My name’s not Linda,” you correct in some sort of autopilot reply. When he bites his bottom lip down in a quiet laugh, you very nearly excuse yourself to the back.

“My apologies, sweetheart. Rude of me to not make proper introductions. I’m Javier. Javi, if you like.”

Your hand floats up of its own accord to meet his, and you think you give him your name in return. You’re not really sure anymore. Maybe you were more exhausted than you thought. You manage to get through enough conversation to direct him to the cookies you’d made yesterday as well as a few pieces of banana bread. He picked a random assortment, and you began to box it up when he held a hand up. 

“Just gonna sit here for a bit and try a few if that’s alright,” he smiles. “Not in too much of a rush to get back out into all that mess.”

You say of course and stay as long as you like and try to make yourself busy with things around the shop so you don’t embarrass yourself anymore than you already have. You watch as inconspicuously as you can from the corner of your eye as Javier downs two cookies, half a slice of banana bread, and a few sips of his black coffee like it was nothing. Your chest felt light and jumpy watching him dive into your baked goods. You were far from a professional, having just heavily dabbled in cooking and baking as hobbies when you had the time or the money, but you’d taken to prepping baked goods for the food case since you arrived to help out.

Javier seemed to appreciate your efforts in full as he munched quickly on each bite. You could see the soft bugle of his tummy over his belt while he sat eating. You wanted to reach out and touch it so badly, to see if it was as soft as it looked or as sensitive as you imagined it would be. It was noticeably rounder the longer he sat and ate.

The already snug pull of his shirt buttons was more pronounced each time he bent forward slightly to sip on his coffee. His waistband sat lower than he was probably used to because he kept fidgeting with it. You wish he’d just undo his belt if it was pressing into his stomach and making him uncomfortable. Frankly, you wouldn’t mind if he undid it all and let his body bow out and breathe easy while he ate and got more of a curved, satisfied middle.

You jump at the sound of your phone going off in your back pocket, and you hastily answer when you see your brother-in-law’s picture fill up the screen. “Hello? Is everything alright? How’s she doing? Is the baby here yet?” You do a little jumpy dance when your brother-in-law shares the news of the latest member of the family making their debut. Baby and mom were both happy and healthy. You shoot Javier an apologetic look when you notice him watching you curiously. He grins and waves you off as he tucks into whatever sweet treat was lined up next.

You pace around the cafe and try to retain all the information being relayed, but between the rain and the busy hospital it was a bit difficult to hear. You were so focused on listening to your call that you hadn’t heard another customer enter the shop. In fact, you didn’t even realize anyone else had come in until a firm, annoyed tap landed on your shoulder. You jerk away in surprise and motion to the phone. “I’m so sorry, my sister just had a baby. I’m getting the update about it. I’ll be with you in just a second,” you promise in a whisper to the impatient customer. He’s tall and thin with a clean-cut suit and haircut to match. Your entreating smile has no effect whatsoever as his face remains cold and annoyed. 

“Half the block is out of power, and the only coffee place I can find in this fucking storm won’t even serve people? Fucking typical,” he bites out, gripping his hips with large, tense hands. “Hurry it up, will you?”

You’re so caught off guard by the rude interaction that you’re stunned into silence. Just as you get your thoughts together enough to tell this guy to fuck off, he rounds on you again. “My boss is going to wring my neck if I don’t bring him some fucking coffee, and some of us have real jobs that we care about. Can you get off your stupid personal call and sell me a cup of coffee?”

When you don’t answer quickly enough for his liking, he plucks your phone out of your hand and hits the button to end the call. He snaps it back into your hand and holds his arms open to his sides. “Was that so fucking hard? You got enough brain cells to rub together to ring up a few cups of coffee, sweetheart?” he sneers.

The scrape of a chair across the cafe is all the warning this harassing asshole got before Javier roughly shoves him into a table, knocking said asshole as well as a couple of chairs onto the ground.

“Get the fuck outta this shop. If you step foot in here again, I will personally see to it that you are arrested for trespassing, harassment, stalking, assault, and whatever else I can think to put on the charges. You understand me?” Javier’s back and shoulders are puffed out and ebbing with heaving pulls of angry air.

The rude customer scrambles onto his knees and feet, reddening quickly from embarrassment. “You can’t just put your hands on people, man!” he squalls. Despite the challenging demeanor, the man slowly takes several steps backwards and away from you, edging closer to the entrance. “Maybe I should have you fucking arrested for putting hands on me, huh? How about that? You think your girlfriend is gonna be impressed when you’re sitting in county? All because you wanted to impress her? You fucked with the wrong guy—”

Javier takes a measured step forward and swings an uppercut into the man’s gut. He doubles over with a groan and grabs at the entrance to hold himself up. He sputters and coughs, bug-eyed with alarm, before scurrying out of the shop.

“Jesus,” you mutter under your breath. It had been a while since you’d been in a retail environment, and you’d forgotten how awful the general public could be, especially towards service workers.

Javier turns to you once he’s sure the man has left for good and gives you a quick inspection, satisfied with your unscathed state, but still asks if you’re okay. You give a quick nod and thanks. 

“You know that guy? He ever been here before and given you trouble?” he presses.

His voice is so stern and pointed, you answer immediately that as far you knew it was the first time the asshole had ever graced the walls of the shop. He dips his head a few times in acknowledgement. “How long are you here alone?” he probes. You don’t stop to consider how he’s so confident that you’re in the shop alone. Instead, you reply quickly to his commanding voice and words. He glances at his watch and makes a sort of grimace. “That’s still some time between now and then,” he muses aloud. He puckers his lips in thought and relaxes a hand onto his hip, leaning casually to one side and somehow still maintaining that confident control of the room.

“If it’s alright with you and wouldn’t make you uncomfortable, I’d like to hang around until it’s more than just you holdin’ down the fort.” His eyes are softer now, like they’d been earlier before the belligerent customer had come and disrupted everything, but you can see the imploring weight behind them. Please just say you don’t mind that I stay for a while so you’re not left here alone.

“No, of course not. Of course I don’t mind,” you half laugh at the idea of not wanting him around. “Just don’t feel obligated or anything. I think you got the message across to that jerk loud and clear.”

You grin a little, and Javier mirrors the expression with a lopsided one of his own. “Well, alright then.

I’ll keep outta your way until cavalry arrives.”

True to his word, Javier settled back into his seat after righting the chair and table he’d knocked over during the scuffle, and you might forget anyone else was here with you in the shop if it had been someone who wasn’t so devastatingly handsome, broad, and protective. You kept stealing quick glances his way and offering up more treats “on the house” for his help if you noticed his plate was empty. After the fourth round of treats, he sighed  and rubbed his ever protruding belly. “I’m fit to pop, sweetheart,” he groans.

“Oh, come on. One more cookie,” you appeal. You shoot him a bright, encouraging smile as you extend the plate of cookies to him. He breathes out a laugh and shakes his head but still accepts one last cookie.

“Damn things taste so good. Everything tastes so good. I’m really  in for it now that I know about this place,” he laughs.

You chuckle and shrug as you absentmindedly sink down into the chair opposite him. “Well if you have anything in particular you like, I can try to find a recipe and make it. The regulars would probably like something new in the rotation,” you reason.

“Chase off one asshole and you get preferential treatment, huh? Not a bad deal,” he teases. 

You giggle and clench your hands where they lay resting in your lap. It’s part giddy nerves at the way his crinkly smile and flirtatious demeanor make your belly feel warm and tingly. It’s also partly getting flustered once you realize that you’d invited yourself to sit down at his table and started pressing him for menu ideas. He seemed like a nice guy, and that’s probably all this was: just a nice guy doing a nice thing. He hadn’t signed up for all of this when he stumbled upon your sister’s little cafe.

“You really make all the food yourself?” he asks. He looks thoughtful and maybe even a little  impressed.

You wave off his unspoken compliments and explain that you’ve taken up the task from your brother-in-law since you came to stay and help out. You admit that it wasn’t very hard to convince him as it wasn’t usually in his wheelhouse to prep any of the food. That had always been your sister, who shared an affinity for baking and cooking with you.

“So, got any ideas for me?” you ask in a hope to get the conversation away from yourself.

The line of his mouth curves until a soft, shallow dimple forms on his cheek. “You’re really gonna make somethin’ just for me?” His voice dripped in a deeper, honeyed drawl that made warmth spark and erupt between your thighs.

“Yeah,” you breathe.

He laughs to himself and rubs a thumb along his lower lip, which isn’t helping with how badly you want to throw yourself across the table and nip at it. After a moment in thought, he nods his head once and says, “Biscochitos.”

You blink a few times, completely dumbfounded at what word just left his mouth. “Biscuit Cheetos?” you repeat in confused whisper.

Javier snorts and covers part of his laugh with a cough. “I’m sure you could make a hell of a ‘Biscuit Cheeto’, but I’m talking about the cookie I grew up eating a lot of. Biscochitos.” He pronounced it slower this time, and you parrot it back correctly.  He gives an appreciative hum at your efforts. “Sound real pretty sayin’ that.”

Your face heats again at the center of attention circling back to you. You wave him off again and look away. “I’ll agree it’s a lot better than ‘Biscuit Cheetos’,” you snort. You sit in a charged silence, fidgeting and squirming under Javier’s steady, calm gaze. He leans against the wall and crosses his arms lazily. His air of confidence was warm and firm in a way that made you feel at ease and electrified all at once. He studies you for a moment and grins again.

You feel like you’re trapped in his charming web, but you’re not exactly a fly struggling to escape. You might not mind being up next on the menu. He certainly  looks like he enjoys a good meal. You excuse yourself to get back to work and pack up some cookies to go once he leaves. All too soon the other employee shows, and your quiet time together is over. Just as you resign yourself to some internal pouting that this handsome stranger turned knight in shining armor was probably never to be seen again, he slips you a piece of paper with his number scribbled on it. With a wink and a “gimme a call once those biscochitos are out in the case, mi galletita” he strolls out the door.

You immediately take your 15 minute break and start scouring the web for recipes.

Javier didn’t know which was harder to give up: smoking, booze, or women. All of his past indulgences felt a little heavy handed now that he was mainly doing consultation work for police and government agencies. He’d settled back in Texas to be closer to his family, closer to the home he’d gone away from with dreams of making the world a better, safer place. While he doesn’t much feel that he’s made a difference, he still tries to politely skirt the heaps of praise and compliments most shower him with instead of shutting them down with the truth of just how fucked up each and every facet of the law was in its own way. 

Still, he had bills to pay. He had a spitfire mind and drive that needed quelling. The first thing he’d given up was smoking. It hadn’t been the uphill battle he’d heard about from so many others. Then again, he really only craved a smoke after he’d been in the company of a beautiful woman. That had sorted itself out as he was no longer hitting the pavement day in and day out, and the pick of female coworkers was an HR nightmare on top of slim pickings. 

He wasn’t meeting up with informants and tipsters down at random bars or restaurants or wherever else, and all his fountain of vices seemed to naturally dry up - at least in terms of what triggered his attention to them in the first place. 

However, Javier had found himself a new hobby that he didn’t have to worry about hiding, scheduling, or monitoring. Food. He could eat at his desk, little snacks tucked into his drawers. His car was good for a quick bite any time he got into it. The guys around the office went out for lunch more often than not, and there were plenty of places to eat around here. It’s how he’d found his favorite bakery. That is, until the storm had knocked their power out and led him straight into your sister’s quaint little cafe. You’d struck him in a way he hadn’t seen coming. He hadn’t found himself too concerned with women or fucking something warm and wet for a while now. Much too enamored with his latest adventures in becoming a “foodie” or whatever it was that the secretary had called it.

He hadn’t gone back to that former favorite bakery since he’d happened upon you. A comfortable, familiar smile crept onto his face when you’d called him a few days later after that fateful firth meeting. You sounded flustered and excited to let him know “his cookies” were ready. 

It’s no wonder his mouth had formed the nickname for you as he left the shop that first day. Mi galletita, my little cookie. God, you were such a sweet thing. When he went to see you first thing after work, you beamed at him and looked all the brighter when he legitimately moaned into his first bite of the biscochitos you’d made. He was almost embarrassed about it until he saw how much you took it as a compliment. He liked making you feel good about yourself. After visiting you week after week - sometimes more than once a week - he’d begun to hope that he might be able to make you feel good in other ways, too.

Your sister and brother-in-law were back into the mix now, and he was starting to worry how much longer he’d be able to just walk in and see you. You’d lit something inside him that had him coming back to see you again and again, like a magnet inching too close to another and having no choice but to be propelled together. He didn’t care too much for how you were closing a lot at night by yourself, no matter how many times you assured him it was safe.

Just like that first day you’d met, he felt a need to look after you and make sure you were taken care of. After all, you’d been doing the same thing in your own way. He’d put on more weight since you started plying him with all sorts of confectionary treats. His pants dug into his waist by lunchtime every day, but he couldn’t keep from gorging himself on all the delicious things you made with him in mind. He’d been fit and active once upon a time, but between the desk job and your baking, the seams of his clothing were hanging on by a weak thread in some places.

But, just like your delectable offerings, Javier just couldn’t get enough of you.

The shop had been closed for almost 45 minutes now, and you hated to think of all the ways you were holding Javi up while he waited for you to finish shutting everything down and prepping for the morning shift. He’d taken to sitting with you on nights that you closed, quietly reading something to himself as he patiently waited for you to complete the tasks around the shop. It had been a hectic day that put you behind, but the sight of Javi eating cookie after cookie and rubbing his expanding belly appreciatively made it all worth it.

When you tell him you just have a little bit of paperwork left in the back, he’s slouched down into the chair to ease the bend of his waist into his tight pants. He doesn’t turn you down when you offer for him to keep you company in the back. He sighs as he settles into the couch in the back office. You eye the pouching bits of his stomach that have spilled over his jeans and lick your lips. You love that something you’d made for him - something you’d put so much time and care into - had resulted in a satisfied tummy.

The couch huffs and puffs as much as Javi does as he tries to find a comfortable position. You turn to look at him, and his expression morphs into a somewhat embarrassed face.

“Ate too many cookies, and now my fat ass can’t even sit comfortably,” he grumbles.

You fight internally over whether or not to suggest the obvious: undo your belt and pants. Instead, you opt for the softer lob of a suggestion. “Here, lie down and stretch out a bit. That should help.” You get his head propped comfortably and slide his jacket away from him. He looks more at ease, but you know what would make him feel really good. Your hands travel down his chest slowly. “And, um, I think that…. this could help, too.”

Before you can talk yourself out of it, your fingers are gently unfastening his belt and jeans, and his stomach bulges out when it’s finally free from the confines of his constricting clothing. He breathes out a heavy sigh of relief, and his entire body slackens a bit. “See? Told you it would help,” you say quietly. You trail your fingertips through the thatch of brown hairs at the top of his underwear. His eyes snap open and find yours, pinning you with a searching, fiery look.

You gently curve the palm of your hand over the taut swell of his stomach, and he groans when you rub soothing motions across it. “Poor belly is so full, Javi. Feels so tight. Does it feel good when I rub it like this?”

He whimpers and nods when you apply firmer pressure, and you continue rubbing for a few minutes. “Makes me so happy to see you eat all the cookies I make you. I bake them just for you, Javi.”

His tongue slips over his lower lip when he groans again. “Know you do. Too fucking good to me.”

“I just wanna make you feel good, Javi,” you breathe. Your hand starts to travel lower. “Can I do that? Make you feel good?”

He watches you with fixed adoration and nods. You drag his pants down to mid thigh and gasp at the sight of him. Belly rounded and protruding from stuffing himself with your cookies. Thighs thick and strong. Cock half hard and dribbling from the tip. Your head is between his legs before your nerves have a chance to distract you. The sound you draw from Javi with a few kitten licks across the underside of his cock makes your head spin. You vacuum your lips around the tip and rub his stuffed belly as you start sucking.

He lets out a pained moan and guides your head faster, bobbing up and down on as much of him as you can take. He pulls you off with a loud grunt. “Hermosa, my stomach,” he hisses. You pushed too hard against his sensitive belly while you worked him with your mouth.

“Sorry, Javi,” you apologize in a soft hush. You lean forward and press soft kisses to his belly in a show of contrition. 

His chest vibrates with a low, approving hum. ‘That’s okay, galletita. Let me have a turn, yeah?”

Despite his bloated middle, Javi moves with relative ease now that it’s not cinched beneath a waistband. He stands and bends you over the desk. He’s freed you from your lower garments in what feels like seconds. You know he’s on his knees between your legs, but your hips still jerk in surprise into the cool edge of the desk when you feel his damp breath fanning over your bare pussy. “Still hungry for you, galletita.” A gripping hitch of breath lodges in your throat when he starts licking into you.

Javi’s appetite for your confections paled in comparison to the famished frenzy happening between your thighs. Strings of warm wet something slide down your legs as your climax quickly approaches. His large hands spread you open for his devouring, and the next sharp suck on your clit has you shaking against the desk. Your lax body is pulled backward, head turned to the side to meet Javi’s mouth. He eats into you again, tongue and spit and the taste of yourself spreading.

You reach blindly behind you and around Javi’s belly to guide his cock into you. He lowers you onto the desk once more to adjust himself deeper into you. You moan when he props his belly onto the curve of your ass. It frees up the space he needs to drive himself to the hilt, and you sputter and squeak at the size of him.

“Yeah, you like my big belly, huh? Got somethin’ else that’s big I think you’ll like,” he chuckles.

Your mouth juts open in a silent yell when he grips onto your hips and fucks into you. Your hands fly backwards to clench onto his as he cleaves you in two.

“Breathe, hermosa, breathe,” he reminds you. You instantly gasp and heave out the breath you’d been holding. “You like all of your man to be nice and fat, huh? Big fat belly and a big fat cock, too, huh?”

Every stroke wiggles his belly on top of your ass, and there’s no sense in denying how much you love it. “YES, JAVI,” you cry out. “WANT YOU SO BIG. YOU FEEL SO BIG FOR ME.”

He pants with the effort of his thrusts. “Can feel you tightening up again. You gonna come again for me? You gonna come on this fat cock? Gonna come on this fat cock while your ass is trying to hold up this fat belly?”

Your eyes slide into the back of your skull as your whole body seizes up. Javi  drives himself sloppily into the pitches of your cunt, gripping and choking him with your orgasm. His frenzied question of where? lets you know he’s close. So close that he doesn’t hesitate at all when you tell him to come inside you. He groans like he’s in pain at the desperate plea for him to fill you up.

“Aahhhh–fuck— my little—aahhh fuck!–galletita wants to be a mommy just like her sister, huh? Want me to come in you and put a baby in there, hm?”

You’re too strung out on your high to coherently answer, and it’s extended by the guttural moan of Javi as he starts to spill inside of you. So often a smooth talker, the transition of Javi’s dirty talk to this vocal, unhinged symphony is a pleasant surprise. You soak in every hiss and groan and whimper. He doesn’t quiet until he’s caught his breath, although the slump of him against your back leaves very little room for him to take a deep breath.

You stumble when he pulls out of you and turns you around with your ass half hanging off the desk. He scoops his fingers through your spent pussy and gathers up the remnants of him leaking out. He brings it to your face, and you obey when he tells you to open up. He slips his cum covered fingers into your mouth and groans. He retrieves another scoop of himself from you and smears it across your waiting tongue.

“You feed me so good, galletita, I gotta make sure I feed you, too,” he grunts.

You swallow all of it down until you’re left with nothing but his bare fingers to tongue and lick and suck on. He lets his wet hand wander down to your stomach where he pauses. “Maybe I like the idea of you having a big round belly because of me, too,” he jokes. Warmth floods your face at the thought of it: Javi with a big round belly stuffed full of your cooking, and you by his side, the swell of your middle filled with the two of you.

I tried my best for you, @beefrobeefcal 💜

Here's the "pic" of Javi in the cafe (aka the edit I made for this fic lmao):

Merry Christmas, ♥Puddles♥

[semisgroupie]

dirty old man

kishibe x fem. reader

wc: 3.2k

warnings: mafia au!, age gap (reader is in her 20s and kishibe is in his 50s), knife play, clothes cutting, reader is spoiled by kishibe, death threats (not to reader but to a minor character), balcony sex, degradation, unprotected sex, facial, creampie, oral sex (m!receiving), recording (consensual), kishibe is obsessed with you, mentions of past recording, dumbification, dacryphilia, spanking, he calls reader mean names but he means it lovingly <3

synopsis: a slutty old man deserves an equally slutty young girlfriend

a/n: this is for @pcwer for the gift exchange in snow’s server!!! i was stuck between kishibe and aki but i wanted to gift you your slutty old man

Kishibe

The name alone strikes fear into many hearts and makes people flinch. His looks alone was intimidating but when it’s paired with his reputation, then he immediately became the most feared man alive. A career criminal at the head of the most dangerous mafia circuit, his callousness and stoicism combined with his immense strength and skill easily helped him rise to the top and helped him stay there.

The amount of skeletons in his closet could fill a mansion and despite being in his 50s, that would never change.

His bloodlust has satiated a bit over the years but that didn’t mean his life became boring. It was actually livelier now, than when he was in his 20s. That could be attributed to you, the pretty eye candy he loved to show off.

It was quite the cliche for him to say that you made him feel younger but you did. He was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to keep up with you when he first met you but now there were times he wondered if you could keep up with him. Oftentimes when he was in his meetings, while everyone was discussing any hits they had to put out, all he could think about was how you looked on top of him, bouncing on his cock until he decided to fuck you senseless.

It was also safe to say that he was quite obsessed with you. It was obvious to anyone around and it was even more obvious when his men saw the scratch marks that littered his back along with his scars, and if they were ever lucky enough to sneak a peek at his phone, they would see his lockscreen was your face, messy with his cum. He had a multitude of photos and videos of you, it was his not-so-little collection that he loved to scan through while he was alone.

But he wasn’t far from you often, if he wasn’t spoiling you endless with vacations and shopping sprees then he was with you in his office in one of the most expensive buildings in the city. Sometimes he would do both in one day, which was exactly what he was doing today.

He let you drag him from store to store, ignoring some of the glances that were spared at him for being with you. He couldn’t blame them, a man with a girl half his age, but he didn’t care. They could look and stare all they wanted, even call him names like a ‘dirty old man’, he would just wear the title with pride.

You two were in a lingerie shop and it took everything in him to not drag you to the nearest fitting room and fuck you until your legs shook. It wasn’t like he hasn’t done it before. But, today was your day and he didn’t want to disrupt anything simply because he couldn’t keep it in his pants.

Everything was going by smoothly, no disruptions, that was until his phone started going off.

He quickly excused himself and walked over to the entrance of the shop to take the call. You collected some more fabrics and glanced over at him from time to time, barely picking up on what was being said but by the way he gripped his phone, you knew it wasn’t good news. You stood by near one of the shelves of matching bra and panty sets until he made his way over to you, clearly annoyed by what took place.

“Sorry sweetheart, we need to cut this trip short, go on the line and I’ll pay for what you got.” He offered you a small smile, the scar that decorated the left side of his face slightly moving as the corners of his lips rose and fell.

You shook your head and walked over to a worker, curtly apologizing as you asked them to put everything back. You hooked your arms around one of his and looked up at your much older boyfriend, “let’s just go. They have better sets online anyway.” You pulled him close to press a kiss to his cheek and let him lead the way back to his car. He put all your shopping bags in the trunk then held the passenger's side door open for you as you slid in. He then got in the driver’s seat and started driving.

He moved one hand over to your thigh and gently squeezed it, “I’m sorry the day had to be cut short. I didn’t want to end things so early.” You placed his hand over his and gently squeezed it, “there’s no need to apologize. I’m just glad I get to spend the day with you.” You leaned over and pressed a kiss to his stubbly cheek before resting back against your seat. He grazed your soft thigh with his thumb as he drove, something he always did when you sat in the passenger’s seat when he drove. He loved to keep his hands on you. You were silk, you were satin, you were every soft material he could think of and he needed to keep touching you.

The drive was relatively short and before you knew it you two were in the parking lot of the large building. He helped you out of the car then held your hand as you two made your way to the elevator. The elevator ride was short and you noticed how tense Kishibe grew. You gently squeezed his hand for comfort as the elevator stopped on the designated floor and he turned to give you a small smile. “Thank you.” His voice was low as you two walked out of the elevator and saw his men sorting drugs and counting cash. It was a sight you’ve grown used to since you started dating Kishibe. It was the lifestyle he lived and a lifestyle you lived as well.

He led you over to one of the areas where you could sit but still keep an eye on him while he handled business then turned to face you, taking your chin between his forefinger and thumb. “Okay doll, I just need you to sit here and look pretty while I handle business. You can do that for me right?” You nodded and tilted your head down a bit to press a kiss to his thumb. “Of course I can, now hurry back.”

He tilted your head back up and kissed you softly before leaving you to deal with whoever was incompetent. You went on your phone to look at some things you might want to add to your shopping cart and you could faintly hear your boyfriend. After 15 minutes he came back, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his knuckles were slightly bloody which meant that he had to get a little physical to get his point across, his eyebrows were knitted together, and his hand went into his pocket to grab his silver flask. After he took a swig he reached over for your hand and pulled you back to the elevator.

“Bastard was lucky I didn’t cut his fingers off and serve it to him on a fucking platter. Hell, he was lucky I was in a good mood or else he would’ve been sent to his parents in a box. Little shit crashed a truck with a million dollars worth of product.” He continued muttering all the things he would’ve done to make the guy pay for losing so much money and product. As the elevator reached the top floor you never thought there could be so many methods of violence that could work as repayment.

“We just need to go to my office so I can figure out how to make up for the loss and then we can go home, okay pretty girl?” He squeezed your hand as you nodded. “But first I need to clean your hands.” He chuckled and looked down at his hands, “haven’t used these to send a message in a while, thought I might’ve been a little rusty but I broke the guy’s nose on the first hit.”

He led you into his office and went to sit down behind his computer while you went to the attached bathroom to grab the first aid kit. You retrieved it then sat atop his desk in front of him, placing his hands on your lap while you took out everything you needed to clean them off. He watched you with a fond smile and caressed your thighs with whatever hand you weren’t cleaning. “Hm. I think I could find a better use of my time instead of trying to clean up this fuck up. Once you’re done cleaning my hands I want you on your knees, you always look so pretty with my cock in your mouth.”

You cleaned his hands a little quicker, making him chuckle. “Easy there, you’ll still get my cock. You need to do a good job cleaning my hands, then you can be my eager cockslut.” You slowed down your movements until his hands were completely cleaned off then settled between his legs. “Go on, take it out.” You sat up on your knees and undid his pants, pulling his half hard cock out.

“Go on, put that pretty mouth to good use. Maybe if you do good, I’ll fuck you on the balcony. Let everyone see how much of a whore you are.” Heat rose to your cheeks and a rush of arousal pooled at the pit of your stomach at his words. You gripped his cock in one hand while you leaned in and peppered open mouthed kisses along the length until it fully hardened. “Go on, you were eager before, get to it.”

He rested back against his chair watching as you took his hardened cock in your mouth. He let out low groans as you bobbed your head up and down, rolling your tongue along the underside of his length. He grabbed his phone and turned the camera on, pressing the red button on the bottom of the screen to start recording you. “Eyes up here, I want to record how messy you get when I fuck your face.”

He grabbed a handful of your hair and held you in place as he started thrusting up into your mouth. Your gags echoed through his office making him laugh. “You’ve taken my cock so much and yet you’re still gagging, how pathetic.” You whined around his cock at his words but they made even more arousal pool in the pit of your stomach. “My pathetic little cocksleeve, can’t even take my cock down her throat but still wants it in her messy cunt. I don’t think you even deserve it.”

He loved to tease you like this, it’ll always make you work just a little harder. But you both knew he couldn’t deny you, he wouldn’t be able to deny himself either. “Come on, cry for me. Let me see how messy you can get.” He started moving your head to meet his thrusts, your face quickly grew messy with tears and saliva running down your chin. “Fuck, look at you.” He brought the camera closer to your face, moving it in all directions so it could take in all your angles. The sight of you like this was enough to tip him over the edge, he pulled you off his cock and let go of your hair to start stroking his cock while he kept filming.

“Stick your tongue out.” Was all he could get out before ropes of cum started decorating your face. Only a little got on your tongue but it just made everything even hotter. He hissed and brought his cock to your face to smear the cum around then brought the camera closer to your face, “smile for the camera, come on, show how happy you are my little cum slut.” And you did exactly that, smiled brightly for him with cum all over your face. He stopped the recording and reached over to grab some tissues to clean you off. He cupped your chin and turned your head up to him as he wiped all the cum off. He leaned down to press a soft kiss to your lips then pulled back, “now get up, I’m not done with you.”

He helped you to your feet and let you head out to the balcony first while he went through his drawer to pull out the pocket knife you gifted him for his birthday. “Now I can put this to good use.” He walked over to you and gently pushed you closer to the railing, “hold on and bend over.” You did as he said, biting your lip in anticipation of his next move. The next thing you heard was a click which made you grow even more curious.

“Babe? What was that?” You turned slightly to look back at him and saw the sunlight reflect off the blade. “I’m making use of my birthday gift, now stay still. I don’t want to cut you.” He flipped your skirt up and traced the blade along the seam of your panties, tracing your cunt through the now see through fabric. A breath hitched in your throat but your cunt throbbed as he continued dragging the blade along your slit. You didn't have any worry about him cutting you, you’ve seen how skilled he is with a blade of any size.

“Please, please fuck me. I need your cock so badly.” Your tone came out more desperate than you wanted it to be but maybe it would convince him to give you what you needed. “Fine, since you’re so impatient.” He hooked his finger under the fabric to pull it away from your cunt and in one swift move he cut it open. Now, your pussy was on full display for him, he could see how you were practically dripping for him. “Fuck, even messier than I thought you would be. You really are a fiend for my cock.”

He chuckled and gripped his cock with his free hand while he placed the blade on a nearby chair. He then gripped your hip and slammed his cock into you, not even giving you a second to adjust before he started pounding into you at a brutal pace. His eyes widened a bit at how loud you were crying out for him, “wow, seems like you really want to get caught. Maybe I should just fuck you in front of my men since you want an audience.” He spanked you roughly and kept pounding into you.

“J-just want you! O-only want you!” He laughed and spanked you again before roughly gripping the flesh in his calloused hand. “I’ll believe you once you can form a coherent sentence. My dumb cock slut, the second my cock goes inside this tight cunt all your brain cells just leak out of you. But you don’t really need to think, do you? I just need to do all the thinking don't I?”

Your cunt gripped his cock tighter and tighter as the venom dripped from his tongue, turning you on more and more as each word reached your ears. You had a white knuckle grip on the railing while your legs trembled and shook like a newborn deer’s. Your mouth fell open, moans of his name was the only thing you could form coherently as he just continued to pound into you. Deep down you loved it when his men would fuck up, he would always fuck you rougher and you loved every single second of it.

“Just a little cum dump for me to use and make a mess of. I know that’s all you think about, when am I going to give you my cum next. Where my load will go when I do finally give it to you. That’s all that swirls around in that empty head, just my cock and my cum. Just cum for me and I’ll cover this perfect ass with my load.” Your eyes widened slightly, you didn’t want him to waste another load on you when it could just be inside you. You needed his cum inside you, you had to have it.

You shook your head and he raised an eyebrow. He let go of your hip and gripped another handful of your hair to pull your head back, “what is it? Why are you shaking your head?” He knew the answer, he knew what you wanted but he needed to hear it from you. He didn’t stop thrusting, why would he? He wasn’t going to make it easy for you to come up with a coherent answer. “Come on doll, I need an answer in a full sentence, I’m sure there’s one working brain cell left in there.”

Your mind was spinning due to the immense pleasure. You honestly couldn’t think about anything but what he was doing to you but you had to come up with something. You took a few breaths and tilted your head back a bit to try to meet his eyes. “Please cum inside me. Please, I want it inside.” You sounded so sweet, so desperate for him. You did what you wanted him to do so the least he could do was reward you. “Alright, go on and cum for me and I’ll fill you up, make this cunt even messier than what it is.” He let go of your hair and brought his hand to your clit, rubbing the bundle of nerves in tight circles. All it took was a few flicks of his hand and you were crumbling in his hands, crying out his name as you milked his cock for the cum that was about to fill you up.

“There we go, keep cumming for me.” He continued rubbing your clit while he thrusted a few more times. He slammed his hips against yours and filled you with his cum, he hunched over you a bit and pressed a few kisses along your clothed spine. You both panted while riding out your orgasms and he lifted himself up first. He waited for you to compose yourself then slowly pulled out of you. He tucked himself back in his pants and flipped your skirt back down since your panties were torn then moved next to you.

He pulled you in his arms and pressed a few kisses along your forehead until you lifted your head so he could properly kiss you. The stubble on his face poked your skin but you loved the feeling. He slowly pulled away and caressed your cheek. “Are you okay?” You wrapped your arms around his middle and smiled up at him, “I’m perfect.”

He chuckled and kissed you again. “Good, now let’s go home. I’ll have someone else handle this business, I still have some more frustration to release and my balls aren’t empty yet.” Your cheeks burned as you playfully smacked his chest. “You’re so dirty!” You teased and he chuckled as he held you close to him while walking back inside his office.

“They don’t call me a dirty old man for nothing. Now let’s go home.”

[crippledcherry]

I was harassed by a police officer today for existing as a disabled person.

You don’t really think about these things happening until they happen to you. I have multiple invisible illnesses, three of which are heart conditions. I have a permanent handicap placard because of these illnesses. I am also a woman in her young 20s.

I don’t go out very often, but when I do need to go to a store, I use my handicap tag whenever I can. It’s not uncommon for my heart rate to get very high and erratic just from walking around a store. I become very symptomatic and feel faint a lot of the times. I use it for my own safety and for some sense of independency.

Today, I went Christmas shopping for my siblings. I used my handicap tag. I have had it for almost a year now so I’m used to the mean looks and comments from complete strangers because I’m young and I don’t look sick from the outside. I knew I didn’t have many spoons and needed to save the few I did have for in the store and to make it home.

By the time I got back to my car, my heart rate was high and I was having palpitations and feeling faint. Usually if I need to give myself some time before driving, I’ll pull out of the handicap spot and park somewhere else so it’s available for anyone else who needs it. I couldn’t even do that today. I couldn’t even connect my music, I had to just sit down and focus on my breathing and try to get my heart rate to break.

I hadn’t been sitting there for even five minutes when I heard a loud pounding on my window. I looked up and saw a police officer. I rolled down my window and before I even had the chance to ask what was going on, he demanded to see proof that the handicap tag belonged to me. Didn’t ask if I was okay. I was alone, afraid, and felt like my heart was a fish flip flopping in my chest. I was very confused and he repeated himself very aggressively and said if I did not show proof then he would have to ticket me. I told him that I have heart conditions, it IS my handicap tag, it was prescribed by my doctor, and asked what I could show him as proof. He demanded to see my drivers license and then said, “unless you don’t have one.” I told him everything I was doing, reaching over to grab my purse, reaching in to grab my wallet, all while he went on a tangent about how he could arrest me right then and there if he wanted to. I showed him my drivers license and when he saw that my name matched the initials on my tag, he simply said “okay” and walked away.

He did not approach anybody else in a handicap spot. There was somebody in the spot directly in front of me who was eating lunch while occupying the handicap spot. I made sure that he didn’t go harass them as well, but he just walked away and didn’t approach anybody else. I was so shaken up that I didn’t think to get his name or badge number so I can’t even file a formal complaint.

The only thing that I can think of is that I am a young woman who doesn’t look sick. I was afraid, embarrassed, and felt degraded.

There are so many forms of ableism that you don’t even have to imagine until it happens to you. All I can think about is how many other disabled people have had experiences like this?

Living with a disability is hard enough on its own — we don’t need strangers, or especially law enforcement, to make it harder.

[the-witch-of-one-piece]

Dad Chifuyu Matsuno x Mom Reader: Pet Adoption Day ft. Baji and Kazutora (unedited) TW: Kids and pregnancy WC: 1300+ s/n =sons nameMINORS DNI 18+

Chifuyu was a big supporter of the pet shelters and wanted to help out in any way he could. Donating items even helping out when he could. Ever so often his shop would host pet adoption days to help shelter animals find their forever homes. Today's pet adoption day was a little bit different. Peke J  being mischievous as he is, would leave for a day or two and then come back home. Chifuyu would scold him but it seemed to go out one ear and out the other. Chifuyu decided to follow Peke J when he was leaving the home. He walked into a small alley next to a large trash can where a few cardboard boxes were stacked on one another. He discovered Peke J became a daddy, seeing the small little of newborn kittens that were about a week old. It took a moment for the mommy of the kittens to warm up to him but he gladly welcomed them into his home.  

It would be sometime before you and your husband had a long talk about the kittens.. Knowing that they could bring love into many others home. The next part was to break the news to your son. Explaining it to him as simply as possible. He was a bit upset and knew it would be the best choice, with a new baby on the way it would be a lot to handle with a full house. The kittens would always be a part of your family.

“Momma let me help you!” your 5-year-old son taking the box from your hand. 

“Are you sure you got it? You asked, looking at him taking the box to his dad. “Mmhmm” he walked to his father who was fixing the bows on the kittens. “ Momma was carrying boxes again.” Your son snitched you out. You saw your husband raise his brow at you. “Honey, we already talked about you carrying things.”  

“I know but I’m not handicapped now.” You responded as your fingertips caressing your husband's cheeks. 

Chifuyu saw his little one petting the kitten. He didn't leave the kitten's side. For Chifuyu it was a bittersweet moment for him as each one was getting adopted. Chifuyu and you throughout the day managed to get a few kittens adopted in the morning. Chifuyu needed to grab something from one of the aisles when he arrived at the front and noticed the small calico kitten missing. He thought maybe she got out and was roaming around the shop. You, Kazutora and Baji began looking for the lost kitten. Walking back to the front he noticed another kitten was missing. “Another one is missing.” Chifuyu sighed his fingers running through his hair. 

Baji on the other hand noticed one person missing. “I’m not sure they got out by themselves. The cage is too high for them to climb out.” He raised his brow.  "Baji gots a point there," Kazutora responded.

Chifuyu began counting everyone and Baji was right, one was missing. “Can you guys keep and eye on the other kitten men and _____ need to find s/n.” 

Chifuyu and you walked to the back quietly. You heard a small meow “shhh they will hear you milkshake.” You heard your son speaking quietly. 

“Well, we found the kittens.” Chifuyu spoke as his son froze before standing up quickly. 

“Oh look here they are hehe.” Your son nervously laughing as he scratched the back of his head. 

“S/n…” you sighed your hand on your hip. You had a hint on why he did it.

“We got worried when we couldn’t find them.” Chifuyu spoke looking at his son. 

“I know but…” his son looked down.

“But?” Chifuyu asked 

“I don’t want the rest to be adopted, I want to keep them.” Your son spoke. “They are our family.” 

Both you and Chifuyu could hear the sad tone in his voice. Chifuyu kneeled down at eye level with his son. “Of course they are bud. It’s just the house is gonna be really busy when the new baby comes. The kitten will also be a lot to handle as well. But every single one of the kittens that were adopted we know the people. So we know they will get all the love and attention in their new homes.”

“Couldn’t we put the baby up for adoption and keep the kitten?” Your guy's son asked. “We had them longer” 

Chifuyu closed his eyes for a moment as he composed himself; he didn't want to laugh. “Bud me and your mommy want to keep the baby.” 

“We thought you were gonna be excited to be a big brother?” You asked him.

“My friends tell me that when they have a new baby in the house their moms and dads spend a lot of time with the baby instead of them. I don’t want to forget.... it was great when it was just the three of us..”  You could see your son's eyes begin to welt up. You began to become emotional seeing your son upset. 

Chifuyu embraced his son giving him a hug. He rubbed his back he let a low sigh out he didn’t want him to feel like this. “We won't forget our first baby. You gave us the title mom and dad. We did all our first together.” He wiped his son's tears away “I know we might get busy with the new baby but we always make time for you. Plus when the baby arrives you could tell them everything you know.” Giving his son a gentle smile

“We love you very much s/n. I know the baby is going to love you very much too.” You softly spoke to your son. “I have an idea.” Both Chifuyu and your son looked at you. “I know you and milkshake are close, why don’t we keep her.” 

“Really?!?” Both Chifuyu and your son looked at you.

You chuckled at them both having the same reaction. “Yeah Peke J and Mrs.Peke will be happy too.” You cupped your child’s face kissing his forehead. 

After the chat with your son, the rest of the kittens were adopted by the end of the day. When arriving home your son and milkshake ran to his room to play. Peke J and Mrs. Peke both had when to their favorite place to take a nap. Both you and Chifuyu sat on the couch. It was a long day for everyone but knowing the kittens were happily adopted into loving families it was all worth it. You could see your husband lost in his thoughts. “Honey, are you okay?” you asked, rubbing his shoulder.

“Hmmm? Oh yeah… Just a little nervous, we haven’t had a baby in the house in a long time.” “I know it's a little nerve-racking but if I must say.” cupping his cheeks with your hands “you are the best dad I’ve ever seen. Our son adores you and just hearing your voice the baby goes crazy. We might be sleep deprived for a while but it will be worth it.” giving him a soft kiss. 

The dust of pink hitting his cheeks “how did I get so lucky to meet someone like you?” his green hands rest on your belly he felt the small kicks from his unborn child.

“It all draws back to Peke J having us meet.” you smiled “Also I forgot to mention I need you to defend my honor.”

Chifuyu blinked a few times wondering why he needed to do that. “Uhhhh???” “I know Baji was the one who told s/n to say I look like I ate a watermelon.”

Chifuyu pinched the bridge of his nose letting out a low chuckled “Well I think Baji was referring to you eating the whole watermelon.” Raising your brow “Just wait till this baby is out I’m going after you and him.” you let out a chuckle

Hearing a threat from his pregnant wife he couldn’t take it seriously after her chuckle “Babe I love you.” 

“I love you too but I’m still going after you both.”

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[starsfic]

Long Xiaojiao, Night Guard

Summary: After an argument with her parents, Xiaojiao decides to cut herself off. However, that means moving into a different place, and that's not feasible with her savings. So, Xiaojiao decides to get a job.

Hopefully, this American pizza joint will be nice.

AO3/Ko-Fi

-_-

“I can’t believe you did that.”

“Neither can I,” Long Xiaojiao groaned, fisting a hand in her hair. For once, her phone wasn’t in her pocket. It was upstairs on Xiaotian’s bed, buzzing with so many missed calls and texts with one familiarity. They were all from her family.

Well, former family.

“What even happened?” Xiaotian asked, passing her a bowl of noodles, the smell deliciously fragrant and a balm on her nerves. “You told me a month ago that you guys were doing fine.”

Xiaojiao sighed, picking up the chopsticks. She was glad it was slow today. If Xiaotian wasn’t here, she was pretty sure she would do something stupid. “Well, I went over for breakfast, and we kinda started talking about my summer plans. Well, my dad asked if I was planning to go back to college any time soon and…” She knew that the fact that she had dropped out of college was a sore spot for her parents, but she had hated college. She had gotten all the qualifications to be a mechanic that moment she dropped out, but her parents hadn’t been impressed. “Things went downhill from there.”

“So bad that you decided that you have to move out?”

“I kinda have to,” Xiaojiao loved her swanky apartment, but she had to cut herself off in all ways. “It’s technically under my parents’ names, even if I pay rent. Plus, the landlord’s friends with my dad, which is why I had such low rent.” Thankfully, she had enough savings for the down payment and the first month’s rent for something smaller, a little more worn down, but decent, after some looking. (Did she really need that third monitor?) “Don’t worry about it, I have a few places in mind.”

“I could talk to Red,” Xiaotian offered, his smile bright. “You’re his best friend, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind-”

“Dude, Red’s already got issues dealing with Pigsy flipping his lid over you moving out,” She had not witnessed the announcement, only heard that Pigsy attempted to whack Red with the wok. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry. My only concern is finding a job.” Streamer money alone couldn’t fill up her bank account.

"Oh!" Xiaotian said, smiling brightly. "That'll be easy for you!"

"Yeah!" She was Long Xiaojiao, mechanic qualified, smart, and popular. "How hard will it be?"

-_-

Fuck Qi Xiaotian.

Fuck him and getting all her hopes up.

Of course he had an easy time of it. The moment he was old enough, Pigsy hired him to help out around the noodle shop with great pay, the softie. She should've asked Pigsy; it would've been easier than having the honestly brutal amount of rejection emails pop up in her inbox.

Most places didn't exactly like the idea of people dropping out of college because they were bored. Most places saw her as wasting time waiting for a job position that Daddy and Mommy promised her. Others just weren't looking for anyone anymore and simply hadn't taken down the ads yet. At least those were nice enough to say sorry.

Xiaojiao was honestly prepared to beg Red or Pigsy for a job when another email popped in.

And this one was more than excited to welcome her.

Maybe a little too excited, when Xiaojiao stepped into Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.

From what the owner had explained, they were in the process of moving in, and she could see that with all the boxes everywhere. But the place still looked incredibly worn down for all its newness. None showed that more than the four animatronics standing on the stage.

Long Xiaojiao had done some research, she wasn't that dumb. Apparently, Fazbear Entertainment had started in the United States, and had quickly developed a reputation. Now, they were moving to China, hoping to escape the ghost stories and accusations of murder. Said stories surrounded the four she eyed.

Freddy Fazbear, the bear himself, stood in the middle, holding a microphone. Bonnie the Bunny and Chica the Chicken stood on either side of him like bodyguards. Foxy the Pirate held his hook up as if in the middle of telling a grand tale. All of their eyes were closed and their heads slumped, like they had fallen asleep on their feet.

“But they’re probably just stories,” Xiaojiao sighed. “You guys look like you couldn’t hurt a fly!”

"Oh, hello!" Xiaojiao nearly jumped at the English interrupting her study, turning to reveal a pretty blonde woman hovering next to the stage. She blinked emerald eyes before awkwardly chuckling. "I'm...sorry, hello," she said in shaky Mandarin. "Do you speak English?"

"Yeah, I do," One of the things she was glad her parents had forced her to learn. "Although your Mandarin sounded pretty good."

The woman shook her head. "No, no, I'm still learning. This move was a sudden decision, so I needed to pick it up quickly." She held out a hand, and Xiaojiao shook it. Her grip felt weirdly weak. "I'm Vanessa Shelly, the owner of the restaurant."

"Oh, nice to meet you. I'm Long Xiaojiao, I'm here for the staff position?"

"Yeah, I figured," Vanessa chuckled, the awkwardness slowly easing out of the noise. "Let me give you a tour, and I can give you a laydown of the situation."

The tour wasn't that long. There was one big dining hall- the room Xiaojiao had entered- a slightly smaller arcade and prize room, two small rooms for private birthday parties, two halls that connected in the kitchen, Parts and Services/storage, and the guard office.

"The office is where you'll be spending the most of your first two weeks," Vanessa explained, allowing Xiaojiao to take in the space. It was small, with buttons next to both doorways. A small fan chugged away next to a tablet and computer, cooling down nothing. "My brother is still in Utah, handling business matters there, but once he gets here, he'll be handling the night guard business."

"Okay, that's good to know," She had worried about that part, not wanting to lose too much time with Xiaotian. Two weeks was manageable. But, those buttons looked weird. She nodded, but her mind was on the buttons. "What do these do-?"

"Wait, wait, WAIT-!" Xiaojiao pressed the button, and a door came crashing down. There was a thud outside, probably from Vanessa jumping back to avoid being cut in half. Xiaojiao blinked at the thick metal door before pushing the button. The door slid back up, revealing Vanessa. She was against the wall, her eyes wide.

"Sorry," Xiaojiao said, stepping forward and helping Vanessa from her lean against the wall. "Are you okay?" Her hands were callused and strangely cold, but her emerald eyes were warm.

Vanessa didn't answer for a moment, eyes locked on their hands. Finally, she pulled away, managing another awkward laugh as her fingers dug into her purple work shirt. "I'm fine. Don't worry. Sorry, I should have warned you about the doors."

"Yeah..." Now that she thought about it, those doors seemed more like something from a military base than a pizza place. "Why do you guys have bombproof doors?"

"They were something from the old place," Vanessa explained, stepping back into the office. Her destination turned out to be a worn yellow locker Xiaojiao hadn't noticed. She opened the door and reached inside. "My brother insisted on it, in case the animatronics..." She shut the door, revealing she held a work uniform. "Misbehave." Ah, right, ghost stories. "Anyway, here is your uniform!"

Xiaojiao took it. This at least looked new, with the buttons all shiny and a shiny new name tag sitting on top with her name. The keys were already on a keychain, hanging from the pocket. "Thanks."

"Now, how about I get the gang to say hello before you head out?" Vanessa was already pushing past, her shoulder gently bumping Xiaojiao. "We want you well rested for your shift tomorrow, right?"

Hello?

Xiaojiao followed Vanessa back to the main dining hall, finding her boss standing in front of the animatronics. She clapped her hands together. "Okay, guys, wake up. I got a new friend working with us. Foxy, I think you'll like her."

Those seemed to be the magic words. The first to lift their head was Bonnie, his magenta eyes focusing on Vanessa. Chica was next, the little cupcake on her plate giving a little yawn that Xiaojiao had to fight to not coo over, and then Foxy reared his head back, giving out a maniacal laugh.

And then Freddy... didn't move.

"Freddy?" Vanessa said, cocking her head. Those green eyes were concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Aye, lass, he's just a lil' tired from all the flying," Foxy said, sounding just like a pirate. "Can't say I blame him. Give me a ship any day!"

"Foxy," Chica said. "You know we couldn't have sailed over. Sailing takes too long, and Ness worries a lot." 'Ness''s face turned red, not disputing the claim.

Wow, this was really great AI. The banter and movements as Foxy and Chica argued back and forth, and Bonnie reached over to hold Freddy's shoulder was so life-like. Xiaojiao's fingers itched for her phone to record and stream. Hm, maybe…

"Anyway, this is Long Xiaojiao," Vanessa said, interrupting Bonnie saying something about the perfect cheese for pizza. She gestured to her, and Xiaojiao waved. "She'll be our night guard until Mikey gets here, and she'll be helping me repair and maintain you guys."

Oh, yeah! “I also know a guy,” Xiaojiao said, pulling up her phone. “Who does commissions. He made a logo for his dad’s noodle shop. Maybe he can do some stuff for your marketing?”

Vanessa’s smile went big. “Really?” Xiaojiao turned to reveal Pigsy’s logo and her eyes went wide. “Oh, that looks great.”

“Yeah! You have a pen?” At the request, a pen was pulled out. “Great! Here’s his number, his name is Qi Xiaotian…” She ignored the heat flaring up in her face as she held Vanessa’s name and scrawled Xiaotian’s number across her palm. “Anyway,” she said as she pulled away. “Give him a call. He’ll be more than happy to help.”

“Oh, thanks Xiaojiao!”

“No worries! See you tomorrow!” Xiaojiao headed out, glancing back. Vanessa was smiling at her palm. Chica was petting her cupcake as Foxy and Bonnie talked. And Freddy…

Freddy stared right at her.

-_-

Long Xiaojiao was eager for her first shift, especially after the day she had, but almost drove away when she came one hour before midnight.

In the light of day, the restaurant had just looked worn and tired. In the darkness of night, barely lit by the neon on the next street, it looked menacing. Vanessa had left the dining hall's light on for her, showcasing the four figures on stage. All were slumped over, looking asleep again.

Xiaojiao barely resisted a shiver as she parked her bike and walked up. The clink of the lock opening sounded like a gunshot, and, as she walked in, she swore a cold breeze slid down her back.

No. No. She was being ridiculous. She was Xiaojiao, the White Horse Dragon Girl (dragon family or no dragon family), former wielder of the Samadhi fire, and current wielder of the Long sword (dragon family or no dragon family). She wasn't gonna get spooked like this! 

"Hey guys!" she said for some semblance of noise as she locked the door behind her. "Good to see you guys again!" Nothing came back and Xiaojiao nodded. "Good talk."

Her duties involved checking all the doors to make sure they were locked. Xiaojiao did the lap of the building before settling into her office, which now housed a phone and an old poster. Now, all she had to do was keep an eye on the building and the animatronics until 6 AM.

Her phone beeped, and she pulled it out.

MonkieMAN: CONGRATS ON UR HOME!

Ah, right. Xiaojiao was now the proud owner of a small studio apartment. It was a little smaller than her old place, but she owned it. She still had to unpack and figure out what to keep- goodbye, third monitor- but she was home for now.

You: THANKS! How's moving into your place?

The phone rang. Xiaojiao nearly fell out of her chair at the noise and felt a flash of irritation. Was she really that off her game? She had dealt with scarier things. The phone rang again before something clicked and "Hello? Hello, hello?"

"Hello?"

"Uhh, I wanted to record a message for you... to help you get settled in on your first night. Um, I actually worked in that office before you." Oh, it was a voicemail Vanessa must've forgotten to delete. Xiaojiao shrugged and turned to her phone. "I’m... finishing up my last week now, as a matter of fact, so... I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I’m here to tell you: there’s nothing to worry about."

"Uh huh, sure."

MonkieMAN: We're doing great! Red wants to remodel the kitchen…

"Uh, you’ll do fine! So... let’s just focus on getting you through your first week. Okay? Uh, let’s see. First, there’s an introductory greeting from the company that I’m supposed to read. Eh, it’s kind of a legal thing, you know."

Huh, wonder why Vanessa didn't give it to her. Xiaojiao shrugged. "Probably out of date or something."

"Um, 'Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza: a magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life. Fazbear Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovery of damage or if death has occurred, a missing person’s report will be filed within ninety days or as soon as property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached and the carpets have been replaced.' " Xiaojiao sat up at that, raising a brow. Hang on. "Blah, blah, blah... Now that might sound bad, I know."

"My dude. Seriously?"

"But there’s really nothing to worry about. Uh, the animatronic characters here do get a bit quirky at night, but do I blame them? No! If I were forced to sing... those same stupid songs for 20 years, and I never got a bath? I’d probably be a bit irritable at night too." Speaking of the animatronics, Xiaojiao grabbed the tablet. It awakened easily, revealing a green 100% bar. On a guess, she pressed the only app. "So remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children, and you need to show them a little respect. Right? Okay. So just be aware:"

She froze.

"The characters do tend to wander a bit. Uhh, they’re left in some kind of "free-roaming mode" at night. Uhh... something about their servos locking up if they get turned off for too long." Oh, that was bullshit. Both the story and the fact that all four of them had turned their heads toward her camera, staring directly at her. "Uhh... they used to be allowed to walk around during the day, too, but then there was the Bite of '87. Yeah... I-It’s amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know?"

"Excuse me?!"

Now concerning your safety: the only real risk to you as a night watchman here, if any, is the fact that these characters, uhh, if they happen to see you after hours, probably won’t recognise you as a person. Th-They’ll most likely see you as a metal endoskeleton without its costume on."

"Wait, hang on-"

"Now, since that’s against the rules here at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, they’ll probably try to... forcefully stuff you inside a Freddy Fazbear suit."

"What."

"Um, now that wouldn’t be so bad if the suits themselves weren’t filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area. So you can imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those could cause a bit of discomfort... and death.

"Just discomfort and death?!"

"Uh, the only parts of you that would likely see the light of day again would be your eyeballs and teeth when they pop out the front of the mask, heh." Xiaojiao felt a whimper come up at the mental image. Not even the Lady Bone Demon had threatened something like that. And it only grew worse when she looked back down. "...Y-Yeah, they don’t tell you these things when you sign up... But hey! First day should be a breeze; I’ll chat with you tomorrow."

Bonnie was gone.

"Uhh, check those cameras, and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power. Alright. Goodnight." And the Phone Guy hung up, leaving Xiaojiao gawking at the space where Bonnie should’ve been.

Was this part of her job? Finding Bonnie? She was pretty sure the job description didn't include that and Vanessa hadn't mentioned anything like that. Plus, there was just something about the way that the animatronics stared down the camera that was different from the playfulness that they showed earlier.

It felt... angry. Like, Azure or Macaque levels of anger.

But she also had a missing animatronic.

"Come on, come on... there!" Bonnie was just standing in between the tables, staring at the camera. Xiaojiao raised a brow. He continued to stare. She blinked.

He was moving.

"Crap."

Xiaojiao could hear his footsteps come down the hall- thudding, loud, like the heartbeat in her ears. He was coming and now she understood why Vanessa's brother wanted those doors.

Down went the door.

She couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. There. That should keep him out. Soon enough, she heard footsteps…

Not walk away. Actually, they were coming down the other side.

Xiaojiao glanced down at the tablet and pulled the camera back. Chica was gone. Chica was peering from the doorway. Xiaojiao wasted no time in slamming the door down. For a few minutes, heart pounding, Xiaojiao waited until those heavy footsteps walked away.

They didn't stay away long.

There seemed to be some kind of pattern. Bonnie always came down one side, Chica the other. Bonnie would return to the stage or a broom closet to chill. Chica would head to the kitchen, where she seemed to be unpacking boxes. At least one of them was doing something helpful.

It was a rhythm that was easy to track.

That, Xiaojiao would figure later, was her mistake.

Bonnie was on stage at around 4 AM, talking to Freddy, who never ceased his glare at the camera. Chica was messing around in the kitchen. With that, Xiaojiao allowed herself to relax. Both of them moved slowly. She would have enough time to shut the door-

A clang interrupted her thoughts. At first, she assumed Chica had dropped something. Another clang raised a brow. Another, faster clang made her sit up as it repeated, again and again.

"What in the-"

Foxy sprinted into view, his hook raised and a screech coming out. Xiaojiao screamed back, her entire body going cold with terror.

And, in her state, Xiaojiao could only do one thing.

"SPICY HOT PEPPER BLAST!"

Her sword glowed green, sparking with electricity, and a laser came out. The kickback shoved her out of her chair and against the other door, looking up in time to hear Foxy scream.

"ME ARM!"

That was an issue.

There was a massive burn mark on the wall. There was also one on Foxy's arm, scarring what red fur was left. "FOXY!" Chica called, but Xiaojiao closed the door and the other before the chicken rushed up. She could barely set the tablet down before gripping her knees, taking in deep breaths as she stared at the floor.

Oh, fuck. Fuck, that had been bad. That had been super bad. There was no way Vanessa wouldn't notice.

...did Vanessa know the animatronics would do this?

A different kind of "Oh fuck" came out. If Vanessa knew, she was screwed.

Xiaojiao wasn't sure how long it was before there was a chime. She glanced up as the clock struck six. Quitting time. She took in a deep breath and tried to stand. ‘Stand’ was the keyword. Her legs felt like jelly and she could smell the terror on her. A surge of anger twisted her stomach at the sensations.

“Vanessa better have a good explanation.”

Vanessa was unlocking the front doors by the time Xiaojiao got to the dining hall. Her smile was warm, but Xiaojiao was too angry to consider how pretty it was.

"Hey! How was it? I hope the power didn't die on you. It's weird here, and we're still trying to fix it."

Okay, that was a whole other thing Xiaojiao was not going to get into. She crossed her arms, studying her boss. "You didn't tell me the animatronics moved during the night."

Vanessa raised a brow. "Oh, sorry. I thought I told you. They had this weird thing with free roam that I'm trying to fix, but they mostly move around at night and try to do tasks that need doing."

"You didn't say that they would try to k-"

"Hey, Vanessa," She nearly jumped out of her skin. She hadn't even noticed Freddy move over. His voice was almost fatherly, but his gaze on her was cold. "I think I might need some help setting up tools in Parts and Services. Mind helping me."

"Uh, sure," Vanessa glanced back as Freddy guided her down the hallway. "Thanks again, Xiaojiao! See you tonight!"

Xiaojiao blinked, feeling some of the anger slide off. Well, that answered one question. However, she couldn't help but follow the duo. Sure, she was a bit upset with Vanessa, but she couldn't just leave her alone. Thankfully, there was no screaming as she crept up to the Parts and Services door.

"Come on, you promised me you would handle this better."

"I know, I know...but did you really have to hire that girl? I don't like her."

"Freddy, you don't like anyone. And Xiaojiao's been great for what position she's in, and nobody else helping her. I know that she can do great things here once Mikey comes, I can feel it. Just...give her a chance, okay?'

Xiaojiao cocked her head, showing the scene. Freddy's arm was extended with the top part off, revealing the endo underneath. Vanessa was fiddling with it, her gaze distant and distracted. Freddy stared at her with what almost seemed like fatherly affection.

"Okay, I promise."

Liar.

Xiaojiao turned and walked away, gaze hard. Now, she needed to move and be ready.

She needed to repair a few things.

-_-

The next night, the phone rang again at midnight. Xiaojiao let the message about the animatronics play until it reached the part about them being more active as the night continued. She could already see that, with Foxy tensing up, getting ready to sprint right off the stage.

She slammed the door close. She bit back a jolt at the banging that started up, but focused on closing the other door. She checked her tablet and smirked at the steady 99%. "And Tang called Pigsy weird for hanging onto that spare generator," she chuckled. Now, she would have enough power to stall until they were all there and for her little show.

Xiaojiao pulled up the camera in the hallway in time to watch Foxy trot back to the stage.

Soon enough, Chica headed down her hallway, waiting. Bonnie, unlike last night, moved third to the opposing door. Foxy made another dash to the door. Each time, she heard their footsteps, heard them paw at the door.

Each time, they walked back, looking more and more confused and annoyed. Finally, Freddy marched off the stage, looking incredibly annoyed. All four of them headed to the left door.

Bang.

Bang!

Bang, bang!

Bang, bang, bang!

BANG BANG BANG BANG-

The power held steady, but it was enough. Xiaojiao pressed the button, the door lifted, there was a shriek-

"I'll tell Vanessa."

All four froze mid strike, staring at her. Xiaojiao barely fought back a smirk. Her gamble had worked. Freddy finally spoke, sounding like he was fighting back the urge to strangle her. "You're bluffing."

Xiaojiao simply reached back and pulled up the video of the past hour. The clanging against the door rang out in the office, as the video perfectly showed what had been going on right outside the office.

"Pretty neat, huh? I noticed that some of the cameras didn't work, so I fixed them. I even fixed the computers." She wasn't gonna mention the bugs she placed everywhere, just to be sure. "I mean, Vanessa did say that you guys moved here for a fresh start and no murder. I wonder how she's gonna feel when you guys don't feel the same?"

Freddy gaped at her. Foxy was the one to speak up, rolling down his sleeve to reveal the burn mark. "Aye, and we'll be the ones to tell Ness that you brought in a weapon."

"I'll just tell Ness that she was scared for her life. Rightly so."

All of them jolted at the male voice. Xiaojiao turned in her chair.

There was a guy in the other doorway, holding a cup of coffee. He wore a dark hoodie and sunglasses, but that couldn't distract from the fact that his skin was purple. Xiaojiao was tempted to poke, but she had more questions. Including…

"How the fuck did you get in here?"

There was a gasp of "Swear jar!" but that was less important.

"I picked the lock." He held out a hand. "I'm Mike, by the way."

She took his hand, still not certain on how to react as she shook it. "Okay. Uh, I'm Xiaojiao-"

"The dangerous lunatic who smuggled in a laser sword and attempted to dismantle the animatronics." He sipped his coffee as Xiaojiao gaped. “Yeah, yeah, I’m willing to tell Ness that the animatronics were trying to get rid of a saboteur.”

...was she being blackmailed? Huh, weird. She was usually the one doing the blackmailing.

"Unless?" She had to ask.

"You both behave and leave me the fuck alone." He took another sip of his coffee. "You don't want to mess with me. I've done some fucked up shit, and Ness is used to that." He looked at her directly, cold lavender eyes boring into her soul. "Don't let Ness figure out what kinda fucked up shit you can do."

Oh. Well, that sealed it.

Before she could do anything, the clock chimed. "Well," Mike said pleasantly. "Ness should be here...about now." Of he trotted down the hallway, leaving Xiaojiao and the animatronics to glance at each other before Xiaojiao followed him down. She could hear the footfalls of the animatronics, but she didn't look back.

"Oh, Mikey! I thought you weren't gonna be here until next week!"

"Yeah, well, stuff concluded faster than expected..."

"Why do you smell like smoke?"

As a beaming Vanessa hugged her brother, Xiaojiao sighed. "I don't like him."

"Neither do we, but he's a good worker, and he's the only blood family Ness has left," Freddy groused.

The two glanced at each other. Now, Xiaojiao nearly had enough with the animatronics. But she had agreed with Mike that she would stay on. So…

"I have some pranking ideas." She held out a hand. "Truce?"

"Ooh!" Foxy cooed, elbowing to hover next to her. "Mind sharing with ole Foxy, lass?"

"I'm gonna pretend this isn't happening," Freddy said, turning and walking away. "Chica, come on. I want plausible deniability." 

Xiaojiao felt her smile grow. Okay, so this wasn’t the best job in the world. But it was stable and, with her family forged in ice and Samadhi fire, she would make it work.

[fawnandshadows]

How You Get The Girl

Chapter 20

Masterlist

AO3

Warnings: None

The hot sun was blaring down on Elain’s shoulders as they walked the empty streets of the city. Her fingers twitched at her sides because they longed to connect with Azriel’s, so she ended up wrapping them along the strap of her purse to suppress her impulses. 

Mor was walking in front of her, following security protocol, and Azriel was trailing behind Elain. Their cover was that Azriel came along simply for extra security for her today, not that anyone had asked, but the if of someone asking was a real possibility.  

“Are we almost there?” Elain asked, eagerly. They had been walking for almost twenty minutes now, entering a place of the city that Elain had never seen before. A quieter part that Elain suspected only people who were born and raised here knew about. 

“Yes.” Azriel said from behind her. 

He couldn’t see the smile on her face as she heard his voice. 

“I’m excited.” Elain said, as if she was talking to him face to face. She nervously adjusted her bucket hat on her head. 

“Me too.” Azriel said softly, and Elain fought the urge to look over her shoulder at him, but she didn’t bother to stifle the smile spreading across her face. 

Mor’s tall build came to a stop, the sun making her blonde curls look exceptionally light, and grinned broadly at them as she turned around. Her hands placed on her hips. 

“Do you want to take the lead from here?” Mor asked, looking over Elain’s shoulder to Azriel. 

Even though he didn’t say anything, Elain knew he nodded in response. 

He silently moved behind her, stealthily and confidently clasping their hands as he walked by Elain, tugging her along so that they walked side by side. 

They rounded the corner with Mor taking up the rear, and Elain finally saw a little hole in the wall shop. One that she would have continued to walk by if Azriel wasn’t leading her to it. Despite the green trim that stood out from the brick building, it blended in with its surroundings. 

Azriel pushed the door open and the delicate, silvery sound of a bell alerted the owner to their presence. 

“Hello!” A sweet sounding voice called out, and Elain couldn’t help herself from smiling in response. Maybe it was the way that Azriel still held her hand, or maybe it was the smell of coffee that filled in the air, or maybe it was simply the knowledge of having a second date with Azriel. 

But Elain was still smiling when the shop owner came out of what Elain assumed to be the kitchen. 

Dark, dark hair streaked with silver was piled on top of her head in cascading curls. It was impressive that she had managed to get all of her hair pulled into a bun like that from the sheer quantity of it. And her bright green eyes were alight with openness as she looked at them. 

The owner continued their way, a flour covered black apron tied around her waist, and she reached out to Azriel with open arms. 

Azriel immediately dropped Elain’s hand to embrace her. 

“Ma,” Azriel said fondly, “There’s someone I want you to meet.” 

Elain’s heart thundered in her chest. 

Azriel’s. Mother. 

She nervously ran her palms over the length of her dress. 

Azriel pulled away, looking as happy as Elain had ever seen him, he kept one arm over his mother’s shoulders and used his free hand to gesture to Elain. 

“This is Elain Archeron, my girlfriend.”  Azriel said proudly. 

Elain felt her throat constrict a bit, but she managed to lift her hand up enough to give a small wave. 

“Good Morning, Ma’am.” Elain said, her throat parched. 

“Ma’am?” Azriel’s mom waved her off. “Please call me Paloma.” 

She took a step away from her son and offered Elain a hug. 

Elain willed herself to move forward and accept her offering. 

“It’s lovely to meet you,” Paloma said warmly, gently rubbing Elain’s back. “I’ve heard so much about you?”

“Oh?” Elain jolted a bit, and they both ended up pulling away. Her brows knitted together as she looked at Azriel. “You have?” 

“Not from my son, of course,” Paloma waved her hand in the air dismissively. “The first time I hear from him in three months and he calls me at the crack of dawn to let me know he’ll be stopping by,” She rolled her green eyes affectionately. “But I read about you all the time in the paper, I thought for sure you were going to be married to that Graysen by the end of the year,” Elain’s heart sank like a deflated balloon. “I was so shocked when you two were broken up, and then of course they ran that picture of you and my Azriel in the paper and I knew I was looking at my future daughter-in-law.”

“Ma.” Azriel strained from behind her, and Elain thought she saw a hint of blush dusting his cheek. 

Paloma reached forward and squeezed Elain’s hands with a friendly wink. 

“You’re even more beautiful in person.” Paloma whispered conspiratorially. She pulled back and greeted Mor enthusiastically. 

Elain took a step closer to Azriel, clasping her hands behind her back and tilting her chin up at him. 

“Your mother?” Elain asked silently, mouthing the words. 

Azriel grinned sheepishly at her and placed his hands on her shoulders. 

“Surprise.” Azriel whispered, leaning down 

“You could have prepared me,” Elain whispered, flushing. “I would have made her cookies, or brought flowers for her, or, or, I could have done something for her.”

“Hey,” Azriel said calmly, squeezing her shoulders. “We have plenty of baked goods here, and you walking around the city holding a large bouquet would have drawn more attention than necessary,” Azriel lifted one hand to tilt her hat back. “Elain, just so you know, you don’t have to do anything to get people to like you.”

Elain felt her shoulders slump. 

“I just,” Elain took a deep breath. “I really want her to like me. You’re important to me,” Her voice softened. “And I want your mom to be happy we’re together.” 

“She will,” Azriel said gently. “You’re important to me, and you know how I said I never had a girlfriend? Well, you’re also the first girl I ever introduced my ma to.”

Elain’s heart fluttered. 

“Your mom is nicer than mine.” Elain said, smiling sadly while Paloma and Mor still chatted eagerly behind them. 

“Well, your dad is nicer than mine.”

Elain’s lips downturned at his words even though they were said in jest. She tilted her head and placed a small kiss on the back of his hands, over his scars. 

“I’m happy your dad’s in jail.” Elain said, picking up his other hand and placing it against her lips. 

Azriel opened his mouth to respond, but Paloma’s warm voice cut through the air instead. 

“Now, since I had an early wake up call,” Elain turned, still holding onto Azriel’s hand. Paloma playfully narrowed her eyes at her son. “I was able to prepare a special lunch for all of us, and he told me your favorite, dear,” Paloma said, placing a gentle hand against Elain’s arm as she walked past. “And I set up a special place to eat outside. Az please lock up and then meet me out back in about,” She looked at her wrist without a watch. “Three minutes.” 

tagging: @123moiaussi @fuckmelifesucks @thefangirlofhp @sakurakittypeach @nikethestatue @tswaney17 @impossiblescissorspeachpaper @feyredarlinq @duskwhisperer @nyxreads @rinadragomir @secretpuppyflower @captainbrucebanner @ultadverb @irisesforelain @shedoessoshedoes  @magnolia-blossom87 @sheenabeene @nivem565  @casuallivi @rhysiedarling @elain99-blog @athena-85 @swankii-art-teacher @reverie-tales @jujugirlfrombookstore @shadowflorecita @shy-violet-soul @thisloveseternal

[catonatrain]

lets build some memories today and tomorrow too

momoi & midorima | rated g | word count: 1776 | where momoi and midorima go on a shopping trip together

for @mason-ajar for the 2024 @knbexchange !! prompt: character a and character b pick out outfits for eachother

i was super excited to see that we've been paired up for the exchange !! i haven't been able to write in a long while, but seeing your prompts gave me the inspiration needed to to write about a friendship that is just so important... and so here they are!!

read on ao3!!

Momoi was lying on her bed, mindlessly reading a sports magazine until her phone rang. It was too early in the morning for Aomine to be calling her. Maybe it was Kise? 

“Hello?” She held her phone in between her head and shoulders.

“Momoi.” To her surprise, it was Midorima. “There is something I would like to talk to you about.”

“Midorin!” Momoi practically sang. She immediately sat up, abandoning the magazine. “You rarely call first! What is it? Oh, let me guess! Do you need a lucky item? Or are you having boy troubles?”

“No, I am not having, as you say, ‘boy troubles.’” There was a pause. Momoi figured it was Midorima pushing his glasses up. “I also have acquired my lucky item for the day. I need your assistance. Could you accompany me on a shopping trip?”

Momoi felt her already wide smile go even wider. “Of course, I’ll go with you!” She loved being invited to things– be it eating lunches at Maji Burger or coordinating streetball lessons for the local kids. Usually, she was the one doing the coordinating– which, for the record, wasn’t something she minded! But it was nice having the invitation go the other way every once in a while. Especially from Midorima! 

People may think he was someone who wanted to be uninvolved, but it was not true! When luck permitted, he always came to different events like the team’s after practice ice cream trips. Sometimes he needed just a bit of nudging, nowadays in the form of Takao, but regardless, he didn’t often initiate events with her. She’d noticed that lucky item shopping is usually his excuse to hang out with others, but he already got his lucky item of the day. 

She wondered if anyone else was coming. Takao or Kise maybe? She couldn’t help but ask. “Are we going with anyone else? Takao-kun? Or Ki-chan?”

“No, it would just be the two of us, if that would be alright with you.” There was a pause. “I understand that it may be… unusual for it to be just us, but you were the friend that I deemed would be able to help me best.”

“Aww Midorin, that’s so sweet of you!” She could imagine him blushing at the compliment. “Send me the details over email, and I’ll be there in an hour!”

Momoi saw Midorima standing on the outside of the clothing store. He wore a simple dark blue t-shirt and beige pants. He tightly held onto a giant penguin plush. When his eyes met with Momoi’s, his grip loosened. 

She ran up to him, stopped right before him, and started bouncing on her feet. “So? What’s the occasion? What are we shopping for?”

“I… would like your help in choosing an outfit.” He turned his head to avoid eye contact. Momoi knew what that meant.

“So you were having boy troubles!” After everything that’s happened in the past few months, it’s been getting easier and easier to read Midorima and this was no exception. She will admit, however, that she hadn’t quite figured out who’d captured Midorima’s affection. Most people would say it was Takao who held the title as “The Boy Midorima Likes,” but Momoi had a theory she had been brewing up. It was still a work in progress, but her “Kagami Taiga: The Boy Who Has Captured Everyone’s Heart” thesis had a lot of evidence. Momoi would simply have to take into account both possibilities today.

“That would… that would imply that I am struggling, which I assure you is not the case,” Midorima’s face flushed and his voice was louder than usual. Momoi couldn’t help but laugh.

“But you’re not denying that this is a boy-related problem!” She winked. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about Midorin! I understand completely! Whenever I’m with the person I like, I always want to look my best. I won’t ask who it is, but I’ll give it my all in helping you out!”

“I… appreciate it…” 

“You’ll definitely capture his heart, Midorin!” She began urging him into the clothes store. “Let’s go!”

“I think this outfit will be the one, Midorin!” Momoi held up a green sweater with an argyle pattern. “It’ll go great with your eyes!”

Midorima took the sweater to examine it. 

“Besides the color being the same as my eyes, is there anything else to take note of?”

Momoi giggled. Midorima’s questions reminded her of a time in middle school where Midorima asked about her notes and note taking strategies. He was always serious in his studies, and this was no exception. “You want to pick clothes that fit well and that you’re comfortable wearing! Make sure that colors and patterns don’t clash. Like two very bright colors! It can work, but I’m not too sure if that’s what you want to go with.” 

Throughout her speech, she could see Midorima nodding and paying very close attention to her words. “So for the pants, should I go with one of the darker ones?” 

“Yes! Let me choose…” Momoi looked around, surveying each pair of pants until she found one she thought to be suitable. “I think those black pants should work! Check to see if they fit!”

“Thank you.” He gently placed his giant penguin plush down and grabbed the pair from Momoi. “I truly do appreciate the time you’ve taken out of your day to help me with this.” The tips of his ears were red. She found it quite cute, but chose not to comment.

“Of course, Midorin!” Momoi beamed at him. “I’m honored you asked me to help you out with this! I’ll be cheering you on!”

His blush spread to his face. He managed to mutter a thank you before shuffling off to try on the outfit. She sat down to wait for Midorima. Would this be a one time thing? While it was the first time that it’s been just the two of them, Momoi found that she quite enjoyed the experience. With just the two of them, the energy wasn’t as face paced, which Momoi appreciated. Sometimes, she needed the break from the constant running around of her daily life. And not only that, but Midorima had definitely changed. It was easier to understand him now. 

When Midorima walked out, she saw some people began to sneak glances at her friend. Unfortunately for the interested party, his heart had been taken by someone else. She bounced on over and eye’d her friend at all sorts of angles. Midorima stiffened at the attention, not knowing what to do.

Momoi laughed. “It’s fine Midorin! You look great!” She gave him a thumbs up. 

At that, Midorima sighed, finally letting the tension escape. “That endeavor was just as difficult as I imagined it to be.” He pushed his glasses up. “Thank you Momoi for making this trip much easier. Your knowledge was crucial and your guidance saved me a lot of frustration. Is there any way to repay you?”

Momoi thought about it and couldn’t think of anything she needed at the moment. Just spending time with a friend was already a gift in itself. But she knew that he wouldn’t take that as an answer. She placed a finger on her chin as she thought of her options. 

“I want you to pick an outfit for me!”

“I beg your pardon?” Momoi could see the gears running in Midorima’s head. “Do you not already have suitable clothes?”

“I want to test what you’ve learned! Let’s see if you can make an outfit for me.”

“I’m not sure if–”

“C’mon Midorin! I know you can do it! You’re not one to back away from a challenge are you?” With that, Momoi knew she won. 

“Give me ten minutes.” Midorima rushed towards the center of the score, scanning all around to find an outfit that would look well on her. She couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that his penguin plush was tucked between Midorima’s arms. 

“A brown plaid skirt, a white blouse without any patterns, and a light brown sweater that clashes with neither of these colors.” Midorima used his penguin to hold onto the clothes, as its flippers served the clothes like how there’s a waiter serving food at a restaurant. “Is this a suitable outfit?”

“There’s only one way to find out!” It was her turn to try on something new. She came out with a little twirl, “Well, Midorin? I have my thoughts, but let’s check your sense of fashion. What do you think?”

Midorima wasted no time. “For the skirt and jacket, I was hesitant at first since you chose a sweater that specifically matched the colors of my eyes, but the neutral colors appear to coordinate well. I also ensured that the blouse had no patterns. I do believe that it fits the criteria.”

She saw a slight hint of a smile. Was he proud? She hoped so, as she truly did love the outfit that Midorima chose. “But do you think I look cute? Do you think I can capture the hearts of anyone I set my eyes on?”

“You… you asked me for my thoughts and I believe I answered appropriately. Was I incorrect in this assessment?”

“I’m just messing with you Midorin!” She saw the hint of exasperation on Midorima’s face and so she finally relented. “It’s such a cute outfit! I’m impressed!”

“Hmph.” He turned away and began walking towards the cash register. “In that case, let’s go.”

Momoi followed along happily.

Outside of the store, Midorima said, “Thank you again. I found myself enjoying our time together.” There was a pause as he ruminated on what to say next. “I hope we can do this again. I’ve been told it would be beneficial to be the one to reach out more, so I will try to do just that.”

Momoi felt a tinge of tears begin to form, but she willed them away. To think only a year ago, she was wishing for a time where everyone could smile together again. So much had changed, and she hoped  that it would continue to do so. 

“And thank you Midorin,” She gave her friend a very wide smile. “Let’s definitely do this again. But before you leave, you definitely have to tell me about who you like! Come on! Tell me! Tell me!”

Midorima’s cheeks reddened as he tried to back away, but he realized fairly quickly that this was a battle he would not win. “Fine. But let’s do it somewhere else.”

“Of course, Midorin,” she said as she walked with her friend towards their next destination.

notes:

i couldn't decide if i wanted to have hints of midotaka or hints of midokaga bc i like both ships a lot! i ended up just keeping it vague on both ends, so YOU, the reader, can decide who The Boy Midorima Likes is :)

outfits are based on some merchandise art and official art! midorima's outfit is this:

momoi's outfit is this:

[vaval3ntin]

Prompt : You were sure your girlfriend knew your secret identity, so you were happy to flirt with her both in and out of costume. But today she confessed to cheating on you. With you.

!! All Might X (Gender Neutral) Civilian Reader !!

All might, known to one of the top heroes in all of Japan. With his heroic stature along with his dashing smile he brought countless villains to justice. Before he met you, he never thought of even considering a relationship with anyone. To be fair, he never had time for those kinds of things. So meeting you changed his mind after he bumped into you while he was shopping at the grocery store. He couldn’t help but notice the warm feeling he had when you smiled at him. Of course people have done this many times but yours felt different. You guys started meeting up more than once after that as you just happen to run into each other while he was out on patrol as small might. Everything changed overtime, you made feel less stressed about everything by simply giving a home he could come back to everyday without worrying so much.

After a while you both realized your feelings for each other you decided to wait until he said anything as you were to nervous to even say anything about it, Toshinori confessed first surprisingly. It was actually cheesy, he thought it was best to confess on Valentine’s Day showing up at your doorstep with a bouquet of flowers. During these times he just simply kept his smaller form as he never showed his hero form due to the possibility of danger. Imagine he showed at your home one day with his hero form, villains could see him then target you to get to him. Many villains were infatuated on ending him as he always seemed to be there for whatever crime they were committing at the time. It was a risk he wasn’t willing to take. Seriously, if you got hurt or even worse than that because of him he wouldn’t be able to handle it. The thought was quite painful to him. As many times as he went out he knew he couldn’t really hide it anymore surely you would’ve gotten suspicious by now. He would always come up with bruises on him blaming it on the fact he was just a clumsy guy after all. So flirting with you whenever he saw didn’t seem much of an issue to him. Every time he would you’d go as red as a tomato, he found it amusing. Though, he wasn’t the best at it he just wanted to see you in a good mood.

One day, to his surprise he got a sinking feeling in chest as you told told you needed to talk to him about something. He gave a nod ready to hear the worst but to his surprise you said you had been cheating on him with All Might, the number one.. aka himself. Suddenly, he let out a small chuckle leaving you confused as he finally straight told you that was him. You blushed in embarrassment as well as slight excitement knowing you’re dating the number hero himself. It He had been your favorite growing up, being a fan before he was even at the top of leader board. Knowing him, he would never let this down knowing how adorable you are when you’re like this in his words.

Author’s Note : This might be updated further in the future as I’m always going back to fix things when I write something but I hope you enjoy anyways as this is my first ever fanfic published here!! Anyways, hope you have a wonderful day dear reader. Requests are currently open, nsfw is allowed before anymore asks!

Credits : Headers - cafekitsune //

[captainsophiestark]

The Dread Pirate Roberts

Westley x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for my Year of Olympians and part of a bigger challenge being run by @yearofcreation2023​ which features a ton of awesome creators and runs all year! Go check it out if you haven’t already!

Also, this fic wasn’t a request, but I’m dedicating it to @auroracalisto​ who is my fellow Princess Bride fangirl searching desperately for fic with me

Fandom: The Princess Bride

Prompt: Poseidon; Sea, Water, Storms

Summary: Prince Humperdinck has set his sights on Y/N to marry, but she can't simply forget the love of her life, Westley, and give that up for a life with the prince. So, she decides to run, taking a boat and setting sail for new horizons like her farm boy did so long ago.

Word Count: 3,192

Category: Angst and fluff

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

I glanced back over my shoulder one last time as I undid the last of the lines holding my boat to the dock. In the dead of night, I couldn't see much, but in the far distance the lights of the capital city of Florin stared back at me. This would likely be the last time I saw this place.

A few weeks ago, I'd been in town to do some shopping for my family, taking a bit of a rare adventure away from our farm. While I'd been walking through the market, a procession had ridden through on horseback. Among the group of young soldiers and officials was none other than Prince Humperdinck, apparently in the city to visit his subjects before going back behind the walls of his massive palace. By some strange stroke of luck, he'd seen me, and apparently decided I was someone he wanted to get to know.

We'd spent the rest of the day walking around the market, surrounded by his guards, talking and taking in the day. At first, I hadn't minded. What other opportunity would I get to speak with a prince, after all? I told him of the troubles I faced in the countryside, and about things I thought might help or fix them. He listened closely, and I thought I might actually be making a difference. He even invited me to return to the capital city and the palace in a few days' time to continue our conversations. Of course I'd said yes, excited that the prince had listened to me and wanted to hear more of what I had to say.

And then, when I arrived at the castle, he proposed to me. To make matters worse, it was clear from the minute I set foot in that place his proposal came out of a place of attraction to me physically, and absolutely nothing else.

I immediately knew I wanted nothing to do with him, especially not in that way. I'd already met the love of my life, and although I'd lost him when he went off to sea and left my family farm, my love for him had never faded. Perhaps, someday, I'd be willing to love someone else, but that day was not today, and no matter what I knew it wouldn't be love for Prince Humperdinck. However, there was no saying no to the Crown Prince. So, to escape the fate of the loveless life I surely faced if I agreed to marry him, I'd decided to leave this land once and for all.

I'd had very little time to make plans or preparations, since my window to escape Humperdinck was incredibly small. I'd managed to pull together some provisions and to secure a small boat, that hopefully I'd be able to sail on my own. I was no expert sailor, but I could get by well enough to leave the country. I'd had no time to tell my family or anyone else I cared about, but eventually, I'd decided that might be for the best. This way, they'd have deniability when people eventually came asking about where I'd gone or why I'd left.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself, then chucked the final tether ashore and away from me. I ran around, adjusting the rigging and sails on my small boat as I drifted out of the harbor. There was a light wind tonight, perfect for helping me make my escape. The gods of the sea were watching out for me, or else my darling Westley, the love I'd lost to the sea, now acting as my guardian angel.

It was fitting, I supposed, that I'd eventually follow him out here. I hoped to find a new place to call home, somewhere no one knew me or my connections to the Prince of Florin, but nothing was guaranteed. This may well be the place I perished, to finally join Westley after he lost his life to the Dread Pirate Roberts.

I sat up all night, manning the lines and making sure my sails were always adjusted to catch the winds. I made good progress, leaving Florin in my wake, and eventually got comfortable enough that I could sleep for short periods of time in between making sure everything went smoothly. I'd actually managed to gather a decent amount of provisions, and I started to feel more hopeful about my prospects on this ship to find a new land.

At least, until a storm hit.

I woke up just after twilight on the third night since I'd left, being almost rocked out of my seat by the waves tossing my boat about. I shook my head, trying to clear it of the remaining sleep fog as the waves continued to grow around me. I swore as I looked to the horizon, only to find darker clouds and bigger waves. I was headed straight into the center of what appeared to be a very big storm.

I ran to the rigging, trying to change course. I wrestled the ship into a sharp right turn, thinking I could run along the edge of the storm until, hopefully, I past it. I'd never be able to outrun it by going back the way I came, and the odds of me finding the eye of the storm before I capsized were fairly low. I had no other way out.

I wrestled the rigging until my arms burned, and then found a way to keep going. Despite my best efforts, however, the storm only got worse around me. I clung to the ship, praying for a miracle or some way out of this, and then suddenly, I was underwater.

A massive wave must've finally managed to swamp my boat. I floated for a moment, letting my natural buoyancy show me which way was up so I didn't accidently swim further from the surface before I at last made my push upwards. I gasped once my head broke the surface, searching frantically for something to help keep me afloat.

I found a piece of my now-smashed ship not too far from me and swam towards it wildly, clinging onto it for dear life once I reached it. I frantically tried to come up with an idea to save myself, but I kept drawing a blank.

I was going to die here, tossed among the waves, resigned to a similar fate as my dear Westley. There was a certain poetry to that, I supposed, even as I fought back tears at the hopeless feeling now welling in my stomach.

Then, out of a break in the waves, I saw the mast of a ship coming closer to me. My heart leapt, and I started shouting and waving, doing my best to catch its attention. It was a far bigger ship than mine had been, meaning it hadn't lost its struggle with the massive waves around us. Maybe I had a hope of making it out of this after all.

That hope immediately died when I caught sight of the flag flying over the mast as the ship got closer to me and the wind changed. They were flying the Jolly Roger.

I stopped waving, debating mentally whether it was better to stay in the water or be caught by pirates, but apparently a decision had been made for me. They'd already seen me, and I could hear shouting and see people pointing to me as the ship came even closer. I braced myself, trying to be as ready as possible for whatever this new challenge brought. I had been the one who'd decided to run, after all, and I knew in my heart I didn't regret that decision one bit, no matter what this new hell might bring me.

Before I knew it, I'd been fished out of the water and hauled on deck. I quickly backed away from the men who'd gotten me on board, and although most of them didn't pay me any attention in the chaos of trying to keep the boat afloat, two followed me as my back came up against the main mast, halting me in my tracks.

The men stared at me as they stalked closer, and every muscle in my body went into fight or flight mode. The man a bit further back from me seemed to be taking cues from the other man, his eyes darting between me and who I assumed must be the leader. The leader, the one closest to me, was dressed in all black with a mask on his face, his ice blue eyes tracking my every movement. My heart stopped dead in my chest. I'd never seen him before, but I'd heard enough legends and stories to know beyond a shadow of a doubt who this man was.

Before me stood the Dread Pirate Roberts.

A fury like none I'd ever felt raged through me, replacing the panic and fear that came before. This man was responsible for the death of my Westley. I glared at him, putting the full force of my hate into the look, then glanced around for a sword or something else to attack him with. I'd most likely die on this ship anyway, so I might as well go out attempting to get some justice for my lost love.

"You! What were you doing out in this storm?" yelled the pirate over the waves. I glared back at him and ignored his question.

He waited a few long moments for my response, then huffed in irritation. He looked around at his crew and the storm still raging on all sides, then back at his first mate.

"Keep us from sinking! I'll be back!" he roared at the man behind him before turning back to me. The man rushed off to fulfill his orders, leaving me more or less alone with Westley's murderer.

Before I could even attempt to make a move for revenge, the pirate surged forward and grabbed me by the arm. His grip was like iron, and although I fought against him, I couldn't break away. He dragged me across the deck of the ship with surprising strength, up the stairs to the ship's wheel where a navigator wrestled against the wind and waves, and then through a door to what I assumed must be his private quarters. He shoved me into a chair as soon as we were through the door, slamming it behind us before turning back to me.

I moved to stand from the chair, but before I could, he had his sword at my throat. I glowered up at him as he spoke again, a deadly calm to his voice.

"Now, I'll ask you again–and I expect an answer this time. What were you doing out in that storm?"

I clenched and unclenched my fists, debating whether it would be worth it to answer or if I should just let him slit my throat. After a moment's hesitation, however, I decided I didn't really want to die if I could avoid it, especially not before I found some way to get even the slightest justice for Westley.

"I was escaping the hell of being married to a man I don't love, a monster second only to yourself," I hissed. The pirate stared back at me for a few moments, seemingly considering my words, then spoke.

"Explain."

I took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, trying to get my temper under some kind of control.

"I caught the eye of Prince Humperdinck," I finally managed. "I had no desire to marry him, but he's not a prince who takes well to the word 'no'. Running was my only option, so I secured a boat and set sail as soon as possible."

"On your own?"

I nodded once, not bothering with a verbal answer.

"And being a princess was such a horrifying fate that you risked death in its stead?"

I sneered. "Being wed to someone I don't love after knowing what true love feels like is a fate worse than death, yes. And thanks to you I will never have my happy ending with my love, for he died at your sword while he was out attempting to gain enough fortunes for us to finally marry."

"...And what was this man's name?"

"Westley," I replied without hesitation. Up until now I'd been staring back at the Dread Pirate in rage, but my tone softened and my focus shifted to the distance as I got lost in memories of my beloved farm boy. "He was good and kind, something you'd know nothing about. He loved me, and despite the simple life we led together, we were happy. We could've lived long, wonderful lives together, but now that will never happen. So threaten me with your sword and whatever else you want. Nothing you say or do will ever match what I've already had to endure."

I faced the pirate again as I delivered the end of my speech, only to find him staring back at me with slightly wide eyes. When I'd finished speaking, he stared at me for a moment longer, before finally dropping his sword to his side. Another beat, and then he'd dropped to his knees before me, staring up at me like I was the sun. I leaned back a bit, confused, until he tore off the black mask covering so much of his face and looked up at me again.

Westley. Somehow, by some miracle, I was staring into the face of Westley, the love of my life.

"I... How... What kind of trick is this?" I demanded, trying to get my head straight. Had I been drugged somehow?

"No trick, my love," he replied, staring at me dreamily. He scooted a bit closer to me, but didn't touch me, instead letting me work through my thoughts.

"Tell me what's going on," I demanded, sounding a bit more desperate than I wanted to.

"As you wish."

He opened his mouth to continue speaking, but I didn't bother listening. That was enough to satisfy any lingering doubts I had. I didn't understand it, but I could also say with complete certainty that this was, in fact, my Westley.

I slid out of my seat, joining him on the floor on my knees. We were face to face, and he smiled softly at me, but I didn't give him a chance to do much more before I pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss.

After a few seconds of shock, he kissed me back, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me tighter to him. I ran my hands through his hair, over his arms, across his shoulders–anywhere I could reach. I'd gone years without Westley, my darling farm boy, the love of my life, and I needed every bit of confirmation I could get that he was here, and this was real.

We stayed like that for long minutes, only pausing our kiss once or twice to come up for air. When we finally broke apart, I laid my head on his shoulder, holding him tight to me as he likewise held onto me, a few tears finally starting to fall.

"Westley..." I breathed, relief flooding through my system as I felt his strong arms around me and heard the steady beat of his heart. "How is this possible?"

"When the Dread Pirate Roberts raided my ship, he didn't kill me," Westley breathed, speaking softly against my ear as he ran his hands up and down my back. "I begged him for my life, and I told him about you. My love, who I needed to return to. I told him I couldn't die because I couldn't leave you.

"He ended up sparing me that day. He kept me prisoner, and told me each day he'd most likely kill me in the morning. Over the course of time, he trained me, and I learned everything to do with being the Dread Pirate Roberts. Eventually, he told me his secret. He was not the Dread Pirate Roberts. He was a man called Ryan, who had inherited the position from someone else who was not the Dread Pirate Roberts. The title carries more weight than anything else, and so the name has been passed down every few years, the previous Dread Pirate Roberts retiring with their fortune after choosing and training their successor. He'd chosen me to be his, and a few days after he told me as much, we docked at a small island port. We hired a completely new crew, and then he left. I've been the Dread Pirate Roberts ever since."

"I... I can hardly believe it."

"Imagine how I felt when I found you bobbing in the water just as I was finally on my way back to you," he chuckled. I huffed a laugh with him, then at last pulled back to look him in the eyes again.

"So... what now? What do we do next?"

"Well, we can't stay on the ship. It's not the best place to start a life together, to say nothing of the questions it would raise that I left you alive."

"Of course."

"And you can't return to Florin or, truly, any country near it, lest the 'prince' find you and throw a wrench into our newfound happiness."

"Agreed."

"Then that really only leaves one option, doesn't it?"

"And what might that be?" I asked, smiling and leaning into Westley as he stared at me, a playful smile tugging at his lips.

"To find a completely new place and start over, of course. I've already picked my successor–I was planning to promote him once I reached the shores of Florin, but now I'll wait until we find our new home."

"My love, I can't think of a plan I'd more like to initiate," I said, beaming happily back at him. He leaned down and kissed me again, then pulled away to stare at me with love in his eyes.

"So, where shall we go?"

"I'd say you know the lands far from Florin's reach far better than I. You choose. But... pick someplace with green fields, and perhaps a gorgeous lake we can swim in on hot days. With land enough for us and any future children to roam and have adventures, and room for a home for us to curl up in on cold winter nights."

"Well, that's not much to ask for," he teased, leaning into me a bit. "Anything else you'd like to add to the list, my love?"

"Yes. I want our new home to be some place we can live happily together, without anything to ever separate us again so long as we both shall live. I want it to be a place where we can be by each other's sides for the rest of time, where we finally get our happy ever after."

He smiled at me warmly, leaning down to place a soft kiss on my lips before pulling back just enough to look me in the eyes.

"As you wish."