#i wrote this during the week and had a rough day so i decided to try and edit it after work

[bonbonly]

𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: heavily inspired by hannibal - after hearing tons of praise in regards to psychiatrist!max verstappen, you decide to test your luck and see what his true colors are 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: this is a dark fic! you have been warned! do not read if you're not comfortable with dark fics or any of the following in this fic: dubcon, drugging/aphrodisiac, knife play, cunnilingus, p in v, character death, reader is not a good person, blood/gore, slapping 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 5k 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: i want to give a special shoutout to @gokyrts because look at the abomination she's made me write, oh my god...

"mr. verstappen's skills knows no bounds, but the only ones being bound under his spell are the countless patients he must've paid to spread his work as if it were a gospel," you echoed the words that you wrote onto your laptop, the rough draft being filled with small notes on the side of the document to remind you of any criticism of the man that you might've missed the first time. your fingers drummed against the keys of your laptop, your brows furrowed as you tried to find another sentence to add. to spite him. to inform him that he had to be a greedy, money hungry hoax. your friends always told you that his appointments were so relaxing, they were very helpful but you saw through his lies. you knew that something had to be up. working as a forensic scientist for the BAU, and secretly organizing a crime blog under a pseudonym, you've racked up enough credentials to be under verstappen's radar. perhaps he was the only one that knew about the blog, and it irked you.

he mentioned once after you stopped by his office to request his presence in the lab. direct orders from your boss, you stated, making it very clear with your tone that you didn't ask for it. you'd rather die than have him near the corpse, stealing all the credit that should rightfully go to you. the depths you went to find the real perpetrator days later was overshadowed by the single fact that verstappen had walked in and saw a petal of a rose just underneath the right calf of the corpse. a careless mistake, he told your boss, but one that could be easily tweaked if you had just scheduled an appointment with him so he could discuss parts of your childhood that you locked away, buried underneath your heels so that every time you stomped around, you imagined it to be the throat of your parents. you were told to accompany the psychiatrist back to his office, and when you dropped him off he merely smiled at you, his dutch accent infiltrating your ears, "you always miss the details, which is surprising because you never seem to do it under your blog, caroli- i mean, ms. (l/n)."

your blood ran cold at his words, and you stumbled out of his office with a hardened glare. he was reading your blog, and had somehow directed it to you. how did he know? there was no possible way for him to know. you worked for the fbi, for peter's sake, you knew how to tidy up evidence, to be careful when lurking through unclear waters. how did the bastard know about this? so, when you typed up the new article criticizing his work and suggesting that he might be behind the disappearance of a few colleagues of yours, you knew he would read it. with full confidence, you wanted him to read it and storm into your office ready to snap your neck.

but he never did. in fact, he never even looked at you at all the next day. or the day after. or the week after. he smiled at your associates, then locked himself in his room, welcoming in patients and booking appointments for the ones too timid to ask him for one. during a lunch break, you walked past his hallway and pressed your ear against his door to listen in to an appointment he had with your friend. the shattering of glass, a muffled scream, the sound of a bullet, metal cracking against her skull, any sound would do for you. you just needed one piece of evidence, but you received none. your friend walked out unscathed, a happy smile on her face as she greeted you back in the lab. your eyes cast down to your hands, a feeling of momentary guilt rising in your gut. you wanted to forge your hands into the fire for writing that article and painting him in a bad light; no favorable colors, no accurate brush strokes, a half-assed attempt where the paint bled through the canvas, seeping through the lines that you carefully concocted. it didn't make sense, you were so sure of it! all the victims -charles, lewis, carlos, daniel - your good friends who were missing had one thing in common: they had booked appointments with verstappen before their disappearance. they also were in contention to get a promotion, daniel had also been a psychiatrist, eagerly waiting for his new life to become the head of the department one day. it was a risky move, but you figured that if you pushed his buttons enough, he'd slip up. he'd expose himself, he'd make a mistake and then you'd have him trapped. the entire BAU would understand that they had a criminal right under their noses this entire time.

for this entire plan to succeed, you had to do a few things. your first plan was to write more articles on your secret blog. while the BAU was scratching their heads about how their confidential cases were being exposed so easily, you were dropping bombshell after bombshell on your blog, your finger always pointing to the psychiatrist that would now look at you across the room with a deadly glint in his eyes. his lips were always in a thin line, and occasionally you caught him smirking whenever you'd miss a detail during analysis. you were predictable to him, and you needed to find a way to defeat him at his own game. there was a reason as to why he hadn't exposed you yet, perhaps the lack of evidence but you realized that there was something about you that made him keep quiet. you had power over him, the thought of it made you giggle uncontrollably at your desk one day, spinning around your chair like a little school girl. the second plan was to use his own tricks against him, which meant finally noticing the smaller details, being smarter than the rest of the team and most importantly, being incredibly fast. whether it be responding to your boss, showing up to a meeting, scavenging a crime scene to find clues or evidence, you had to be first. this entire time the team thought of him as reliable because he was the first one present at all times. you had to change that, had to show the team that the tide was turning to your favor. you noticed the way he'd bite the inside of his cheek, the light illuminating from the side would highlight his cheekbones, the dent a shadow amongst the very little light on his face.

and then finally, the third part of your plan. book the appointment with him. this one hurt your ego the most, but in order to catch him you had to stoop down to his level. making him think that you were willing to open up to him should give him the opportunity to do the same with you, and once vulnerable you could easily coax the truth out of him. you sat across from him on a velvet chair, legs crossed as your eyes traveled around the room, memorizing the layout of his office and the objects that were on display.

"lots of cars i see here," you pointed towards one large model of an RB19 on his shelf. he buried his hands in his pockets, teetering on his toes as he let out a small chuckle,

"i like things that are fast. things that fly, speed through... run," the last word sent shivers down your spine, but you swallowed the bile that threatened to rise and forced a smile at him.

"care for a drink? i got some wine if you'd like?" he walked over to the stand of champagne bottles on display. the glass sparkled under the light, its contents swishing around with each step that he took closer. it reminded you of your guts wanting to spill out and as he grabbed the bottle's neck, you gulped and felt the ghost of his hands tightening around yours. with a cough, you shook your head but he rolled his shoulders in a way of disbelief and stalked over to you with a wine glass in his hand, "please, i think you need it. it's ok, it'll help you relax."

the liquid pooled down your throat, but you kept your eyes open in fear that he might take advantage of you like this. you couldn't let your guard down, not like this. you watched as he settles down on the couch directly across from you, his legs spread out giving you an ample view of what you assumed to be his cock fighting to be restrained in his pants but with a firm snap of his fingers, your eyes flicker up to his face and then you saw the smallest hint of a smile on his face. you hadn't seen one in weeks.

"so why exactly did you book this appointment?" he asked, tilting his head. his hands clasped together, the forefingers coming up to touch his lips. you shrugged in response, before quickly shaking your head. shit, you needed to follow along with the plan you made!

"just... just been having some bad nightmares about my past," you responded. the topic of your parents was sensitive, one that you kept hidden for many years after you graduated high school. their death was their own doing, but somehow you felt that you had a part in it. had the murderer been you, it would've made no difference because the guilt remained. the bystander was far worse than the actual criminal. your mother's head rolling down the hill as your father watched with a twisted back. you winced at the memories, the glass slipping from your hands, "fuck!"

max watched your reactions carefully. his eyes were drawn to the way your fingers hovered over the glass, almost afraid that it would grab you. you paid no mind to the wine stain, but the countless apologies that spilled from your lips was music to his ears. he wanted to hear you say them, but in a very different circumstance. he read every article you wrote, he noticed your shift in behavior around him. he was a psychiatrist; if you wanted to play mind games with him, he was already ten steps ahead. while guiding you to stand near the shelf of cars, he went over to his closet to grab the broom and dustpan. he took off his coat, rolling the sleeves of his shirt before crouching down to gently grab the large pieces of glass. he dragged his finger onto the pool of wine on the floor and licked a long stripe, "such a shame. i always hate seeing my appetite go to waste."

the appointment was cut short much to your chagrin. your carelessness, you thought to yourself, you just didn't understand why you kept making small mistakes like this. you had to train your mind to be better. you sighed and gave one last glance to the RB19 model when you noticed the initials D.R. in italics on the edge of the car. before you could step closer, you felt strong arms grab onto your shoulders, guiding you out the door, "ms. (l/n), i am so sorry about what happened here. i would love to hear more about your past, but perhaps in a setting that might not scare you too much. dinner at my house, maybe? would that be an offer you're willing to take up?"

you frowned at his words, wriggling away from his touch, "you invite all your patients to your house for dinner?"

"only the ones i believe i have a strong connection with," he responded, licking his lips as he leant against the doorframe. you tapped your heels a couple times, thinking the offer over. if you declined, you'd have to come back to his stupid office. but... but if you accepted, you'd be able to catch him in his environment - and while he had the advantage of home ground - he definitely had to be hiding things there.

"you mind if i bring a friend over?" you asked, and he smiled,

"the more the merrier, but i don't think we can talk about your history then."

"it's ok. we can talk about my life later."

"6:30 at my place, i'll send the address down to you shortly."

"oh, mr. verstappen, dinner is very lovely! did you make this all by yourself?" your friend asked while taking a bite of the lasagna. her words are tuned out as you shifted through your food with a fork. the darkness of the dining room did little to ease any of your fears. you had walked in feeling confident, ready to tackle the monster down with your bare hands, but his kindness. his professionalism. his unwavering stare. they all made you feel as if you were being suffocated. you didn't have much energy in you to continue with the fake conversations. excusing yourself to use the bathroom to then explore his mansion would be too cliche, he'd be waiting for you to do it anyway. being too predictable would bore him, which would mean the chances of you being killed would be higher.

"not liking the food, ms. (l/n)?" max asked, his eyes flickering down to the food he cooked being tossed around like a bird amongst hyenas.

"no, i'm just... not very hungry, unfortunately," you responded, grabbing the wine to drink.

"a bite wouldn't hurt. just one bite, i spent hours cooking for tonight," he chuckled, and your friend kicked your leg under the table, her eyes narrowing at you to take a bite. you could already hear what she was saying in her mind. the poor man went out of his way for dinner and here you are, being a rude guest! with a very reluctant sigh, you grab hold of the fork and let your teeth sink onto the lasagna, the flavor melting into your tastebuds as you let out a slow hum of approval. it tasted nice, very nice actually. so you took another bite, and then another. her appetite's back, your friend laughed and max nodded his head, smiling at you.

but when dessert rolled in, you felt uneasy. your insides felt empty, as if craving for something that you couldn't quite place. your thighs clenched together as your gripped onto the arms of the chair. you couldn't make out whatever max was saying. he was asking you if you were alright, but his eyes asked a different question. you hadn't noticed how big his eyes were before, or the fact that his pupils were so dilated. how did you miss that detail before? was he always like this? you quickly excused yourself, running to the bathroom but each brush of your thigh under the thigh made you choke on air, your mind hazy. upon locking yourself inside, you immediately collapsed onto the ground, your head in your hands. you felt strong pair of hands around your waist, groping at your tits that spilled out of your dress - or was it be ripped off of you? your pussy bare against the cold dampness of the room, your mouth propped open with fingers as the sweet taste of an apple made its way. your jaw was sore at how your teeth delved into the fruit and stood rooted there as your arms were bound above your head. was that the woody scent of a candle, or the fireplace that was underneath you? where was that burning sensation? under you... or inside you? your legs were being spread apart, the itchy rope curling around your limbs to make sure you wouldn't move. you opened your eyes lazily to see a figure with dirty blonde hair at the end of the table, his shiny teeth visible amongst the evil grin you saw.

"my favorite meal... all to myself." he whispered, letting his tongue rake over your glistening folds. your strangled moans are swallowed by the apple in your mouth, your body aching for more as his nose nudges your clit. his teeth nip at your labia, tongue invading your womanhood as you can't do anything but scream out loud, drooling from the corners of your mouth. his tongue rolls your clit around, lapping at any juice that seeps from your cunt. he wants to ensure your taste is on his tongue forever. the sweetest dessert that one would ask for. his fingers spread your mound to get a good look at his masterpiece and he lets his saliva stalk down to your pussy before harshly rubbing your clit. when you finally look past your tits to see who this figure was: your heart stopped at the sight of max staring down at you with a predatory look.

you screamed as you woke up in your bed, cold sweat dripping down your forehead. you glanced down to your hands, your feet, your clothes that covered your body. you looked around your room, unsure as to how you were back in your bedroom. it felt real... was it real? you couldn't tell. you pulled the waistband of your panties down, check to see if you were still a wet mess. nothing. laying back down on your bed, you placed a hand on your heaving chest and ran your free hand down your face. what just happened? what was going on? you had to find out, you had to get to the bottom of this.

which meant having to go back to his house. on guard, and once again with someone. you decided to bring a colleague that you despised, but it would be better to sacrifice her than your friend.

you sat across the dining table, and despite how predictable it was, you excused yourself to the bathroom, keeping note as to how his eyes focused on your ass. never miss the details, you thought to yourself. you headed to the bathroom, opening the door to turn the lights on before shutting the door. with a few fake thuds just outside the bathroom door, you took your heels off and carefully took them with you around the staircase. with the layout of the house, the dining room wouldn't give clear access to the left side of the kitchen. which meant that the pantry could be entered carefully without him noticing. your colleague was busy entertaining him about her vacation in milan, her loud voice thunderous enough to rattle the house... and enough to mask the creaking of the pantry door as you slipped inside. it was cold, almost like entering the arctic as you pulled out a tiny flashlight to guide you through the foreign place. the meat hung forlornly from the hooks, the torse of a pig on display. you frowned at the ink patterns on the meat, and you hesitantly turned it around. you'd seen these marks before somewhere. a vacation trip with your friends that you planned one evening. someone had dragged you into the pool as a prank and when you floated to the surface, spluttering out the chlorine water, your hands found the shoulders of a man inked with tattoos on his back. it was lewis. your flashlight slipped out of your hands and clattered onto the metal railings.

"fuck, fuck, fuck!" you hissed, scrambling to grab the small material. you were delighted that your suspicions were correct, that this entire time you were right about verstappen. but you needed to get out. you could see the shadow of footsteps underneath the pantry door. there was a back entrance to the pantry, and you stumbled towards it. from the corner of your eye you noticed a bottle of liquid and you uncapped it with your teeth, chugging the liquid down. you really needed some wine to calm your nerves down at the moment. letting the bottle roll back onto the metal table, you ran out the door into the open woods. you'd have to go around the path to get back to your car in the front of the house. the more minutes you stood to think about a plan, the more time was being wasted. from the distance, you could hear the back entrance of his house being opened and you whined out loud, pushing your feet to continue running. you didn't want to die, not like this... no, not now, not ever!

and yet with each step that you took, you felt a strong pain inside you. that pain you felt when you had dinner for the first time at his house. you were craving for something, you didn't know. was it his tongue again? no, what? why were you thinking about that awful nightmare? you remembered the outline of his cock during your first appointment, oh it looked delectable. you could've gotten on your knees then and sucked him as payment for the appointment! as your mind was reeling with uncontrolled desire, your knees buckled and your leg caught onto a root from a tree. crashing forward with a loud groan, you struggled to get back up on your feet when you felt the underside of a boot press gently against your neck, pushing your face onto the ground.

"i told you before i liked things that run. at this point, you're just teasing me," a familiar dutch voice rang from above you. the boot nudged you over onto your back, causing you to hold back a whimper at the sensation. you were sensitive to everything, your skin on fire as he trailed his foot down your body and right below your heat. right below where your desire was burning.

"y-you killed them. i was right, you killed them all," you weakly laughed, "i was right this entire fucking time."

"round of applause for you, ms. (l/n), oh wait..." he paused, looking around the empty woods before he glanced down to you, "no one's here." he rubbed the toe-box of his boot against your clothed cunt, enjoying the way your back arched, squealing at the way your clit was being dragged along your damp panties.

"tsk tsk tsk," he circled to stand right in front of you between your legs, "you always missed the details. you could've made it, you know? you could've gotten to your car and made it back to your house, schatje. but it's your carelessness... what did you drink before you came out here?"

"w-w-wine?" you responded, tilting your head. you let out another moan as the boot dug deeper onto your mound.

"wine mixed into the aphrodisiac. which would've been my last resort if you had properly rescheduled the appointment that we never finished. details, ms. (l/n), always look at the details," he knelt down, letting his hand replace his boot. the warmth of his fingers made you whine, begging him to end your suffering. your mind was purely empty - save the thought of having him satisfy your primal needs. he bunched up your panties, tugging them up to see your pussy coat the fabric with more of your juices, "fuck... you're so wet. it must hurt doesn't it? you wish you had someone to help you, schat?"

"yes, yes, yes please... please!" you cried, bucking your hips up. max laughed, seeing the way your pussy was grinding against your panties. he ripped them off of you, throwing them over his shoulder as he picked you up into his arms, carrying you as if you were his bride.

"i think a change of environment will put you in your place." he mumbled, and while you didn't catch onto it at first, when he tossed you onto the metal table in his pantry, you felt fear course through your body. "such a nice suit i had on today, and now you made me ruin it."

he slips off his coat and vest, rolling the sleeves of his shirt that hugged his biceps. he searched around the pantry for a while before grabbing an apron, tying it around his slim waist. he gazed up at you as his chin tucked into his neck and he let out a dry laugh, "you know... if you had just stuck to your job, this wouldn't have been a problem. always wanting to be the hero, when you're the villain yourself."

he grabbed the butcher knife, tossing it in the air a couple times, "i used to keep him with a bunch of other knives, all neatly organized just like i love. had to use him so often these days that he gets his own special spot. what do you think? he's beautiful isn't he?" he holds the knife up to your hooded eyes, and when you don't respond, he uses the butt of the utensil to slap your face, beckoning you to respond.

"i-it's nice," you mumbled, and he nods his appreciatively, letting the sharp edge of the object gently kiss your skin before he cut away at your dress and bra, exposing all of you to him. he saw the lump in your throat when you swallowed, and he brought the edge of the knife to your neck, watching you crane around to avoid the sharp edge. he tossed the knife in the air once again, which caused you to shriek out loud in fear that it'll slice you but he caught it and tapped the butt of the knife on your lips.

"suck," he commanded, and still clouded by the aphrodisiac, you do what he asked and twirled your tongue around the tip before opening your mouth wider and letting it fully devour your throat. you caught your reflection in the metal, and you can't even believe how blinded you must be. the details, the details, the details. the body of daniel hanging above you, staring at you with closed eyes and parted lips should have you screaming as you rolled your eyes back, but instead you're feeling yourself growing wetter, eager to please max. the weapon hits your teeth as max trailed your saliva down the valley of your tits, over your navel and to your cunt that's been so desperate this entire time. he pursed his lips as if he was deep in thought and then brought his free hand to spread your legs wider, shoving the butt of the knife into you. the feeling of being stretched out, of finally being filled - even if only a little - had your back escape the confines of the metal table, your tits out in the air as you're sobbing in joy. max saw the way you're mewling, body contorting in pleasure and he left your cunt empty once again before slamming the butcher knife right beside your head. your breath hitched in your throat, the fear once again settling but it made your heart race in excitement. there was a small thrill present, maybe he was right earlier. you were the villain all along. you were worse than him. he took off the apron, unbuckling his belt and he snickered,

"you could've grabbed the knife and stabbed me by now, but you didn't... too desperate to get fucked, isn't that right, liefje?"

he let his cock spring free from the confines that tormented him since the day he saw you at the BAU. head held high, a haughty gleam in your eyes. the arrogance as you talked down to him, acted as if you were superior. he was waiting all along for this moment. his cock slid against your folds and when he pushed in, the tears that flowed from your eyes combined with the guttural moan made him smile. something was missing though, something that could make this so much more better for him. and as he began to thrust, he glanced up to see another corpse from a previous victim hanging to the side. a cruel idea formed in his mind and he grinned down at you,

"schatje, i don't think i could bring myself to hurt you... not when you're being such a good slut for me," he cooed, "but... but a man can't help but imagine..."

he grabbed hold of the butcher knife, slicing the corpse and letting the blood splatter onto the top half of your body. it trickled onto the table beneath you, the tiled floor now the canvas of a new twisted desire. he laughed out loud at the sight of half of your face covered in blood, and he brought the coated knife to your neck, continuing to thrust his aching cock into you as you screamed out loud in a horrid mix of fear and desire. you could feel your cunt clamp onto his cock, so close to cumming as his thrusts became more erratic.

"i knew you'd like this... you came all this way here to see if you could understand me. schat, but do you even know who you are?" he questioned, letting the edge of the knife kiss your neck. and as you came undone with a scream, your vision blurring at the intensity, you realized he was right all along. the details, you missed all the details. your parents death wasn't because of some man that had swerved the car late at night. it was you. you swung the sledgehammer at the car while they were driving down the highway, drunk out of your mind out of anguish from all the abuse you faced as a child. the man stopped to see the commotion and you sent his body flying down the hill. you'd done it, you were a murderer. you were twisted, you were... you were as bad as him. you glanced up to see max still bullying your cunt, pushing you to another orgasm before you could process the toll your body was taking in the process.

"your scent always drove me wild," he whispered, leaning down to bite your nipple, "fuck, schatje... i'll give you a deal." he lifted his head slightly to meet your gaze, "we can work together, you know? with your skill and this cunt of yours, i could keep you around. no harm to you at all, unless of course you'd like it."

"t-the blog... no, no, i can't... i'm better than you. i'm not you, i'm not fucked up like - oh fuck, don't stop!" your argument melts away with each snap of his hips,

"you have no other choice here. there's two ways this can go. you keep coming to my office, be my personal slut, trained completely to take my cock and i'll let you live... with the added benefit of working and helping me. and if you don't," the butcher knife digs a bit deeper into your neck, "i think you understand what i mean, right schatje?"

you nod your head, throwing your head back as you let out another visceral scream as your second orgasm rips through your body. he captures your lips in a bruising kiss, murmuring praises at how perfect you'd be, how you were always destined for this, no matter how much your ego told you differently.

and yet as you laid beside him on his bed that night, well-cleaned and taken care of as his new trophy, you secretly uploaded the photos of his pantry to your blog and slipped out of his house, past your dead colleague in the living room. he'd come after you, that was for sure. but he liked to hunt, and you've learned to run.

[ghostwise]

ironbark, opal, and gold

words: 1.6k tags: zevran arainai, mahariel, zevran/m!warden, wedding rings, antiva, original characters, fluff

The jeweler’s shop is smaller than expected. Every surface is cluttered with tools, and there is a layer of grime along the wall but not the floor, indicating the type of person who only bothers to clean when the mess is actively interfering with their work. Nor does the jeweler have a proper storefront; just his counter, from which he greets Zevran with a nod before remembering he ought to speak to the customers.

This all means one of two things: either the jeweler is a hack, or a genius. But does it matter?

“Buenas, compadre,��� the man tells him. He produces from behind the counter a small case of necklaces and bracelets. “Bonifacio, at your service. What can I help you find today?”

Zevran greets him. He glances over the jewelry, noting the traditional hammered Antivan style, the little swirls of silver, all requiring a steady hand.

“Tell me,” he says, “do you make all these yourself?”

“But of course! Finest silver and gold in Antiva, and anything not to your liking, I can alter.”

“Wonderful!” Zevran says, not really looking at any of the items in the case. “How much could I pay you to make use of your workshop for the day?”

The jeweler sets the case down and scowls.

Zevran smiles at him. He’s already been turned away at two other shops and has a few more to go. This time, he tries a bit of coaxing.

“I am getting married,” he confides, and it’s thrilling to share the news, even with a stranger.

“Ah,” Bonifacio says with a sigh. Holding up a finger he walks away from the counter. Moments later he returns with another case, this one full of sparkling rings.

“I see what you are getting at, young man,” he says, “but for something so important, why leave it to chance? Look at this. White gold and diamonds. Amethysts, rubies. Tell me about this girl. What does she like?”

“He is not so gaudy,” Zevran laughs. “My man is not one for gems. What else do you have?”

“Of course, of course! I have such a variety. Let me bring out the men’s rings. Of course.”

He hasn’t been thrown out yet, and that is encouraging. Instead, case after case of rings is brought out for his perusal. Zevran looks at them all, declining every one, and when the last case has been rejected, Bonifacio sighs again.

“Ten andris for the use of the shop,” he says finally. “Plus materials.”

“Thief,” Zevran scoffs. “I come here with my heart bared and you say ten andris?”

“Nine, then.”

“Has anyone even come in before me today? I very much doubt it. Look at the state of this place—you need to mop your baseboards and clean your windows—”

“Alright you bastard, how’s eight andris and you do the cleaning yourself?”

“Deal,” Zevran quickly agrees and thrusts out his hand. It is midday, and he needs this to work.

Haggling concluded, Bonifacio shakes his hand firmly, like a merchant or a noble.

“Now if you could show me to the work room—”

“Not yet,” Bonifacio says. “Tidy up first. Then you pay, then you use the workshop out back.”

“A fair agreement,” Zevran says, unable to keep the grin off his face.

He gets started right away. Organizing as he goes, he cleans efficiently, the way he grew up knowing one speck of dust could mean retaliation. All the while Bonifacio tinkers at the counter, peering through a lens at the broken links in an old necklace. Nobody comes into the shop. But Bonifacio interrogates him, leaving lengthy gaps between each question.

“So when are you getting married?” he asks.

“Ah,” Zevran says, wringing out a washcloth by the window. “Soon.”

“You don’t have a date?”

“We are traveling, and we need to first find a Chantry willing to marry us,” Zevran says.

“Willing?” Bonifacio asks.

“My fiancé,” Zevran says, and the word glimmers like a big ruby, “is Dalish.”

Bonifacio lets out a low whistle. Few Chantries will bless unions with non-Andrastians.

He’s quiet for a while before speaking again.

“Congratulations. And good luck with, uh, all that.”

Zevran pauses, looking up at the man. “Thank you,” he says, not sure what he means exactly.

Bonifacio grunts. A quarter of an hour passes before he speaks up again.

“My wife was Dalish,” he says, unbidden.

Zevran glances over.

“Lovely woman, but not for the city. Always felt like I was keeping a bird caged. We were happy enough. She called me Bon-Bon,” Bonifacio says with a smile. “It’s just different. That’s all I mean. Parents had their opinion, half the town did. It is what it is. Worth it, though. Right?”

It comes out in a rush, as if he’s been dying to talk about it. Zevran watches him, this middle-aged man with fine tools in his hands, still tinkering on the broken necklace. He thinks about the state of the shop, and the lack of clientele.

“What happened to her?” he asks.

“She passed,” Bonifacio says gruffly. “Last year.”

“My condolences,” Zevran offers. “She must have meant a lot to you.”

“Mmh. Yes.”

The jeweler holds up the necklace, now mended. Every broken link has been repaired. Zevran returns to his sweeping, but Bonifacio pushes himself up off the counter.

“Finish up,” he tells him. “Let’s get started on that ring of yours.”

-

Zevran leaves the city with his pockets twenty andris lighter, and a velvet pouch clutched in his hands. He’s worked through the day, and the sun has set when he reaches the campsite far past the outskirts of town.

Hamal is there, stoking the fire, singing to it as he does every night. Zevran pauses just out of sight, listening.

He’s thinking, also, of the old jeweler, and his advice.

By Dalish and Chantry law alike, only Death can undo the vow you’re about to take. Cherish the time you have, my friend.

Zevran wastes no time. He walks directly into the light.

“Ma vhenan,” Hamal says, “there you are.”

Zevran drops to one knee before him and kisses him. Hamal hooks a finger into the collar of his shirt, tugging him closer. It’s good that they tend to agree on these things. Zevran is the one to finally pull away, only because he can’t rightly give him the ring while attached to his face, can he?

“Hamal,” he says. He holds out the pouch, takes his hand.

“Wait,” Hamal exclaims, and scrambles to his feet.

Zevran blinks, watching him dash off into the tent. He emerges with a rucksack, tearing through it, tugging out pouches and bowstrings and a hat—

“I am not familiar with these customs—I thought we did this at the Chantry, not before—where is it? Oh!”

Whatever he was searching for, he rushes back to Zevran’s side, a wide grin on his face, hair unbraided and eyes dancing.

“Whatever are you doing, love?” Zevran asks. He starts a laugh, and before he knows it he’s overcome by it, enamorado, muy risueño. And Hamal laughs too.

“I thought—well, aren’t we exchanging rings now?”

“You have a ring?”

Hamal nods eagerly, holding it up in the light. It is a little thing of carved ironbark and gold, mottled in brassy colors only a Dalish craftsman could create. Zevran feels like he’s wanted this precise ring his whole life, and only realized it just now.

“It’s beautiful,” he says.

“I traded Master Varathorn for it,” Hamal says, and Zevran stares.

“Varathorn. That was months ago,” he tells him.

“Yes.” Hamal smiles. “The moment I saw it, I knew I wanted it for you. I just wasn’t sure… the Archdemon…” He pauses, unsure how to say this. “I planned to leave it to you. After… In case…”

He can’t say it and Zevran doesn’t want him to.

Zevran quickly takes the ring he’d crafted out of its velvet pouch. “I made this for you,” he says.

It is a simple band of gold inlaid with opal. Zevran turns it and points to the inside of the band, where the words vhenan and corazon are carved, a tiny opal set between them.

Hamal takes a long look at it.

“Here,” Zevran says, taking his hand. “Listen, because I am not sure that I will get it right in the Chantry, and it is more for you, anyway. You are my home. All my life, I never had one or even thought I could find one; yet I have never felt an orphan since meeting you. So there is no alternative for me, you understand? There is nowhere else for me to go, other than wherever you are. I mean that, amor… more than allegiance to any country or creed. Let me declare myself, then, a citizen of You, municipality of a country called Us, of which we two are the sole happy inhabitants.”

Hamal watches him place the ring onto his finger with what can only be described as sincere adoration, the words filling his thoughts like honey.

“I didn’t have a speech prepared,” he says softly. He gives Zevran his ring and kisses it, which suits Zevran just fine.

“Creators! But I cannot fucking wait to marry you, Zevran! Can we do it right now? Quick! Where is the nearest clergy?”

It is lovely to be understood so thoroughly. Zevran could laugh, or kiss him again, or ravish him right then and there. In the absence of a revered mother, and thus forced to wait, he opts for all three.

[httpdwaekki]

movie night | s.c. ft b.c.

summary: after a rough day all you wanted was a movie night with your favorite boys, but when they forget it feels like you’re world is crumbling.

wc: 2.1k

warnings: hurt/comfort, fem!reader, gendered terms of endearment (sweet girl, baby girl, etc.), crying, meltdown.

a/n: i kinda got lost in the sauce w this one but week three wooo!!! don’t forget to check out @straykeedz versions!!! i hope you guys enjoy and as always, drink water, eat something, and take ur meds. <3

(i tense switch alot during this, i wrote it half asleep most of the time, i’ll edit it eventually lmao)

my library | bee’s vers | bee | binnie month | fundraiser

(pictures not mine! credit to owners!)

you were having a terrible day, nothing was going right and the only thing keeping you from completely breaking down was the movie night you had planned with your boyfriends.

8 o’clock came and you were all set up in your living room with snacks, blankets and of course wolf chan and dwaekki. you were sat on the couch, barely containing your excitement for the night ahead.

but then 8:15 came and you were still sat there alone, and then 8:20 you decided to send them a gentle reminder.

from sweet girl <3:

hi my loves, i’m all set up for movie night whenever you guys are ready 🖤

but 8:30 rolled around and then 9:00 and by that point you had sent several texts

from sweet girl <3:

i’m assuming you guys are still at the studio, just let me know when you’re on your way! love you guys 🖤

it’s getting kinda late, i hope everything’s okay, love you both very much 🖤🖤

i hope everything’s okay, but it’s getting late so i’m heading to bed, we can do movie night another night, goodnight my loves

now it’s 10:00, you had a terrible day and now the one thing you were looking forward to fell through, you were defeated. at your last texts you moped into your room needing nothing more than your warm bed and comfort movie.

luckily you had already put the snacks away after an hour of waiting realizing they probably forgot. once cozy in bed, you put monsters inc on your tv and pulled the two stuffies to your chest.

it was at this point the realization of what happened hit and you couldn’t stop the breakdown that followed. tears streaming down your face, breathing terribly uneven, and incoherent words falling from your mouth.

“they- they forgot about me.” you whimpered, hugging the plushies impossibly closer to you. the hoodie from changbin that usually helps calm you down, was now just a painful reminder of the two missing people.

you ripped the article of clothing off in an attempt to calm yourself, throwing it across the room. you settled back into the soft mattress, placing the gray and pink plushes to the side, opting for your soft blanket to calm yourself.

luckily after a few minutes your comfort movie had worked it’s magic and you felt yourself relax enough to finally fall into dreamland, tears drying against your skin as you slept.

unbeknownst to you, your boys were scrambling 15 minutes away in the studio. the producers had a habit of locking up their phones during their working hours to limit distractions but unfortunately that caused them to also forget about the plans they made with their favorite girl.

“oh fuck, hyung we gotta go, like now.” changbin shot up out of his chair once he realized the time. they were supposed to be at your apartment 2 hours ago to start movie night. “huh? what, what happened, what’s wrong?” trying to figure out what could’ve pulled such a reaction from the younger boy.

“look at the time,” he points to the time to emphasize his statement. “oh fuck,” the older of the two’s eyes goes as wide a saucers, whipping his head to the former. “we were supposed to be there 2 hours ago.” bin nods his head before moving to shut everything down.

“okay, okay, relax bin, let me save everything, you pack everything up then we can leave, okay?” changbin nods, realizing he’s right, this will all be completely in vain if they lost everything they were working on.

in the midst of gathering their items, changbin finally looks at his phone where he finds all the messages you sent, the last one being sent 15 minutes ago. he quickly texts out a response, hoping you hadn’t fallen asleep yet.

from binbin <3:

princess we’re so so sorry, we got caught up in work, we’re packing and heading to you now. we love you so so much baby. 🩷🩷

he puts his nail in his mouth, gnawing on it anxiously as his leg shakes. after saving all the files and shutting everything down, chan turns back to find a very anxious changbin staring at his phone.

he makes his way next to him, placing his hand on the shaking leg. “hey, what’s going on?” he asks gently. changbin looks up, unshed tears line his soft eyes. “she texted us 11 times.” his breathes, shaking his head, showing him the phone screen.

“and we ignored every single one of them. what if she was hurt? what if something happened? we would’ve never known” he rambles, sending himself further into a spiral.

“hey, hey,” he gently grabs the younger’s cheek, “she’s safe, she’s home in bed asleep,” his thumb slowly stroking his cheek, soothing the anxious man. “we’re going to her now, everything will be okay, okay?” bin nods his head, closing his eyes, letting a stray tear or two run down his cheek.

chan wipes the tears before placing a soft, loving kiss to his temple. “okay, let’s go see our girl.” chan smiles, grabbing his hand pulling him up with him.

once they made it to your apartment (not without breaking a few traffic laws), they let themselves in with the spare key you made them. quickly discarding their shoes, practically running to your room but not without missing the wrapped up snacks in your kitchen or the discarded blanket pile on your couch.

changbin pauses, guilt clutching his heart as he sees your discarded preparations. “come on.” chan quietly ushers, pointing to your room with a quick movement of his head. bin is quick to follow, needing to see you as soon as possible.

chan opens your door, finding a sleeping lump in the middle of your bed and none other than monsters inc playing softly on the screen. that alone told them everything they needed to know but then the thrown hoodie on the floor and two plushies laying next to you instead of clutched to your chest?

they knew they messed up, big time. bin went to rush to you, to wake you up and apologize profusely but chan stops him. “hold on, you might scare her.” bin nods understanding that even though he means well, you were in a very fragile mental state.

the older man carefully sits on the side of your bed, placing a hand to your shoulder. it was only then did he catch a glimpse of the tears stains dried to your chubby cheeks. his breath hitches, causing changbin to look after, catching sight of the same thing, his eyes filling with tears once more.

chan holds out his hand to give him a quick squeeze and a kiss before turning back to the problem at hand. he lays his chin on your shoulder, softly rubbing your arm to coax you awake.

“sweet girl,” he whispers, placing kisses to your shoulder, trying to wake you up as softly as possible. “wake up baby girl.” you slowly come back to consciousness, realizing that there was someone touching you.

you would have been scared if you didn’t recognize the familiar aussie voice. chan sits back as he feels you stir, bin coming to sit beside him, placing a hand to your thigh.. you turn to find your boys looking at you with the softest eyes you’ve ever seen.

you feel the familiar sting behind your eyes but you quickly rub your eyes, masking your tears. “hi” your voice quiet, sleep lacing your voice. “hi sweetheart.” the aussie coos, “hi bunny.” bin whispers, his fingers tracing patterns on your thighs soothing him you.

“we’re sorry baby, we completely lost track of time, and we put our phones away so we didn’t see you texted, we’re just- really sorry bubba.” you nod, willing your tears away before you spoke.

“it’s okay, i understand.” you say lowly, fidgeting with the soft material to keep your composure. but try as you might the two boys knew you all too well.

“no it’s not,” bin finally speaks, causing you to catch a glimpse of him. two streaks shine on his soft cheeks against the glow of the tv, caught your eye. you sit up, moving chan, attempting to reach changbin.

“it’s not okay, we knew we had plans with you today, and not only did we miss it, we ignored you-” you cut him off with a kiss, your hand coming to wipe the wet streaks away. you pull away, your own tears making their way down your chubby cheeks.

“i am upset, but i’m not mad. i just had a bad day and this was the one thing i was looking forward to and it was just the final straw.” pause, sniffling as chan grabs the hand still in your lap.

“i was inconsolable and your hoodie and the stuffies just felt like a reminder of my bad day.” you look down, your hand falling from the soft man’s cheek to your lap, where he grabs your hand. you hear a sniffle, cause your head to shoot up where you find them both with wet streaks on their cheeks.

your lip wobbles as you see your boys upset, you shake your head frantically. before you can even open your mouth, chan shakes his head before moving behind you, pulling you to his chest. binnie moves to sit in chan’s previous position, placing a soothing hand on your thigh.

“do not apologize, you did nothing wrong, us being upset or missing movie night is not your fault, nor is it your problem to fix.” he whispers in your ear, rubbing your soft tummy. your lip wobbles again, dropping your head into your hands as you sob.

bin moves to wrap his arms around you, bringing you to him as best he could with you against chan. they knew you were upset and the best thing for you was to let you cry it out as heart wrenching as your sobs are.

they just hold you as you calm down, binnie rubbing your back, placing kisses to your temple. chan rubbing your tummy, placing kisses to your shoulder.

you pull away once you feel calm enough, wiping your tears as you sniffle. “thank you, both of you, i love you both more than you know.” you give bin a kiss first before turning around as best you could, doing the same to chan.

“come on, let’s get you to sleep, we’ll talk more in the morning, sweet girl, okay?” he pats your tummy, waiting for you to nod your head before moving the blankets to give you space in the middle of the bed. you carefully move over, shivering as you land on the cold side of the mattress.

both boys get up, chan rounding the bed to get to the other side while binnie goes to grab his discarded hoodie. he makes it back to your side as chan sits on the edge of the bed.

“sit it up for me quick bunny. “ he says, kneeling on the bed, scrunching the fabric. you sit up, lifting your arms so he can slip the familiar fabric over your head. once you slide your hands through the sleeves, the hood covering a part of your face.

you give him a cheesy smile before shooting out to wrap your arms around him. he wraps his arms around your shoulders, placing a big kiss to your hood covered head. “mwah!” he plops down next to me, getting comfy under the blankets.

you adjust the hoodie a bit before leaning against the plush pillows. chan lifts up the two stuffies, placing them to your chest, wrapping your arm around them. you smile once again, rolling over to place a big kiss on his cheek.

once you settle back into the bed, they both wrap their arms around you, making you feel safe and secure. “good night bubba, we love you,” chan whispers in your ear before placing a loving kiss to your soft cheek. “so so much bunny.” binnie finishes, placing a kiss to your other cheek.

you melt right into their arms. you get comfortable, turning on your side to face binnie, laying your head on his chest, grabbing chan’s arm to stay around you. “i love you both too, more than you know.” you mumble, placing a kiss to bin’s pec and chan’s hand.

you all melt into each other, relaxing slowly as sleep welcomes you, the soft sounds of monsters inc playing as you all lay peacefully in each other’s arms.

[cyberkinks]

𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 ︙ 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐆 ・♡ (𝐌)

⤷︎︎ 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬, sneakylink!?chan, wom!reader, him being gentle and rough, fingering, a little oral sex, multiple positions, him still being gentle and kinda rough, pillow talking, praising?.

⤷︎︎ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬, use of foul language, use of pet names (maybe), misspellings (maybe).

⤷︎︎ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞, friends to lovers?, smut, fluff, idol au.

⤷︎︎ 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲, during a party 3 weeks ago, you and chris had a moment in your bedroom and every since then, he was on your mind so you decided to pick up the phone, finally.

⤷︎︎ 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫, this is for entertainment purposes only!

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: hello everyone, i randomly wrote half of this in my notes and finished writing the rest here lol. but i hope y’all enjoy and a side note, i need someone like this. 🥲

⤷︎︎ 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: no, unedited.

it was a dark night. you were home alone since your roommate went out to celebrate her birthday with her friends. you would’ve went but you felt too “sick”. that was obviously a lie and you know she’d ask you about it the next day. you felt fine but…there was one person lingering on your mind and you couldn’t seem to get him out.

christopher bahng. yeah. that’s right. every since your last interaction with him at the beach party. his ghostly touch remains on your skin which ignited a fire inside of you.

you let out a shaky breath as you slid your hand down your underwear, gently placing two fingers on your clit. you thought of everything about him. his smile, his laugh, his voice, the kisses, his touch. everything.

your head went back as you roll your sensitive pearl in slow motions, moaning as your legs opens wider. it felt so good. you were getting lost in the sensation of the pleasure you were giving yourself. the feeling of euphoria swoops over you causing the fire inside you to spread in the right places.

you need more. you want more. you glance over at your phone and picked it up without hesitation and dialed chans number not even thinking twice about it.

the phone continues to ring until you hear a voice. “Hello? y/n?” his voice makes your clit jump. “u-um, hi, i’m sorry. i-i know it’s late but…i need you to come over.” you admit.

“Huh? why? is everything okay? did your hand get stuck in the sink again?” he asks jokingly but you couldn’t even react because you were over the moon. “no, nothing like that, i just…i need you.”

his breath hitches. “okay, i’ll be over in a few minutes.” you took a deep breath. “okay, see you then.” is all you say before hanging up the phone.

20 minutes later, you hear a car beeping outside. you got up from the bed and threw on a near by jacket and slips on your slippers and out the door you went.

when you reach his car, he rolls down the window and you smile softly at him. “Hi.” you greet him. “Hey, mind if i come in or…” he licks his lips. “you can come in.” you nod.

he turns his engine off and hops out the car and closes the door behind him. he grabs your hand and looks at you. “why’d it take you so long to call me?” he asks you out of curiosity and you shrug. “I didn’t think you’d pick up.” you answer honestly and he nods in understanding. “i see, but i did, didn’t i?” he moves closer towards you. “yeah, this time.” you whisper. his arms snakes around your waist and you instantly melt. “i’ll always pick up for you.” he says while tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

you hesitate but you let him kiss you. his lips were so soft and sweet and you couldn’t get enough. you kiss him back, placing your hands on top of his chest. “chris.” you hum against his lips right before he deepens the kiss, gently sliding his tongue between. the kiss lasts for a few minutes before you finally broke apart from it.

no hesitation was visible from either of you. you grab his hand to lead him inside the house locking the door behind you. once you reach your bedroom, he instantly climbs on top of you as your laying down against the soft mattress.

he took off your jacket then his before kissing you again and butterflies fills your stomach. you felt him gently rolling his hips against yours, moaning lowly against your lips along with you.

“chan, please.” you try to reach between your bodies to unzip his pants but he stops you and pins your arms down against the mattress, intertwining his fingers with yours.

his lips trail down to your neck, leaving small kisses and marks behind. you tilt your head back to give him more access. the fire was ablaze. your body was heating up for him. it was becoming too much. “fuck me.” is the words you spat out making him grunt against your neck. “all you had to say, love.”

this man-.

he peels back from you and gently pulls your shorts down then your underwear, exposing your silky wet fold to him. he wanted to dive in so bad with his tongue but he restrains himself for a moment.

with two fingers, he spreads your wetness around and teases your hole making you whine. he gently slips two fingers inside of you and began pumping them. he leans down and starts to suck and lick on your clit, making your moans louden “Fuck!” you fist the sheets.

you were rocking your hips back and forth against his tongue. with your other hand, you grip onto his hair pushing his head deeper. once he felt he was done preparing you, he removes his fingers , only using his tongue now. his hands grips into your thighs, pinning them down as he ate you out like a starved man.

your eyes roll back as your mouth fall open. “o-oh god!” you cry out in pleasure, gripping his hair tighter. he grunts against your folds, licking and slurping as he pleasures you and his hips were rolling against the mattress.

soon, you stop him. “wanna cum on your cock.” those words almost made his head spin. he climbs on top of you again and leans down to press his lips against yours again, slipping his tongue inside allowing you to taste yourself.

while doing so, he unzips his jeans before pulling them down along with his boxers making his hard on fling out. he strokes himself a little before reaching in his back pocket and grabbing a condom. he pulls away from your lips to open the package and gently slips the rubber on himself as you watched. “ready?” he asks and you nod.

chan watches your facial expressions while slipping himself inside of you, stretching out your walls. you gasp and your mouth fell open again as you grabs onto his shoulders.

he places your legs on his shoulder as he grabs your waist, slowly sliding all the way in. a breath releases from him. his head went back as he slowly thrusts, letting you get use to his size once again before slightly speeding up.

you look down, watching as his cock slips in and out of your sopping wet hole which turns you on even more. you boobs were moving with every thrust which made his head spin. it was all too much.

your moans, the way your body reacted, how cute you look underneath him. all needy and dirty. it did something to his brain.

he pins your legs down to the mattress and began speeding up some more, fucking you a little faster. “princess.” he moans, gripping your thighs tighter. “mm, channie!” you whine. “fuck yes!”

your moans grew louder and more . it was like music to his ears.

you didn’t expect him to switch positions on you but he did. you were now on all fours, gripping onto the headboard as you look back at him. his eyes were glued to the way your ass recoils with every single thrust. my god.

“Mmph! taking me so good.” chan groans. your eyes rolls back as you held onto the headboard tighter. your juices were leaking down your thighs as his thrusts got rougher and sharper. “feels so fucking good!” you whimper.

a slap went across your ass making you squeal at the quick action. it happens 3-4 more times. with his free hand, he grips onto your neck and gently kisses your lips softly. as his thrusts began to slow down, you felt yourself getting closer as your body began to shake.

you beg him to keep moving as his hands grips onto your waist. he groans before gripping onto your hips tighter, pounding you at a quick pace. “m-mm, cumming!” with a few more thrusts, your orgasm hits you like a freight train.

he slows his thrusts down, moving slowly back and forth helping you down from your high . he places small kisses on your back as he stays inside of you for a while before finally pulling out. he lays down on his back and slides underneath you and begins to lick you clean.

his hands grips onto your ass while slurping up your juices until there was non left. he gently rubs your ass before giving it a playful spank.

soon after, he cleans you up with a wet cloth before helping you put your clothes back on.

once you both were appropriate, you both got back in bed, unsure of what to say to each other. it was lingering in his thoughts but he didn’t know how to approach the conversation but it needed to be resolved.

you put your knees up to your chest, thinking of what to say. you thought for 50 seconds and before you could speak, chan does. “you know, i like you and you like me, right?” you nod as you look over at him. “then, why don’t we just…stop whatever this is and actually be in a relationship?” he lays his head on the headboard.

“I don’t know if i’m ready for one, chris…i mean.” you took a deep breath. “my last relationship…” he stops you. “but i’m not him, okay?” “i know, i know.” you rub your forehead. “i just…i’m scared.”

he reaches and grabs your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours. “don’t be, i’ll never hurt you, you have my soul.” he says placing your hand where his heart is. you felt your eyes tearing up a bit . “and you have mine.”

“So, it that a yes? you’ll try with me?” he softly smiles at you with those beautiful dark brown eyes. you always got lost in them. “Yes, i will.”

and the deal was sealed.

𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 © 𝐜𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬

[byechristopher]

⠀

I hate you, too [pt.2].

– CHRIS STURNIOLO SMUT & ANGST.

PART ONE.

Author's note: HI, I finally wrote it. I originally made a poll but, the answer was pretty clear so, here it is. It was requested, by the way! I'll reply to the message because I forgot to put it here, thanks for the request, dear. Side note, I was listening to Never Lose Me – Flo Mili (during the smut part, obvi). Do not copy/steal my work. :)

Warnings: filthy smut, super super long, didn't proofread, rough smut, car sex, angst. That's pretty much it. Minors dni. Thank you.

It's been a week since the party I attended, the one where I encountered him.

My mind has been consumed by reflections on that night, so much that I haven't been able to do anything else other than that, except for work. While I assume he might not have dwelled on it, I can't help but wonder if he thinks about me – about the way we touched, the way I looked at him when he prepared to leave. When I didn't want him to leave.

I shake my head, realizing I can't continue this self-inflicted struggle. Accepting the ongoing intimacy with my ex was challenging enough, let alone having feelings that linger inside me, still to this day. I almost gave in that day, when I saw something in his eyes, something that said he still cared about me – mending my dress, that sweet kiss, his declaration of hatred, a reminder of our past. That we once hated each other and that's why we weren't together anymore. Or so we thought.

Deciding that just sitting here, mopping around and feeling sorry for myself isn't going to help at all, I get up determined to go outside and have some fun. No house parties, no hosts, no Chris, no nothing.

My friends are already up for it (and I love them for it), because it only takes ten minutes for them to come over so we can get all dolled up together. It's a few minutes past midnight and we're finally ready (okay, we did have a few pre-drinks then and there), so we immediately call a cab. We reach our destination just a few minutes later and after greeting the girl that was at the entrance of the club, she lets us in and we get lost in the crowd.

You know how it goes; flashing lights everywhere, people kissing and drinking, almost pitch black all around. Looks like clubs aren't that different from house parties after all. A group of friends offers to buy us drinks, and who are we to say no (there's no way we're dancing with any of them, but it's fine) – we're already having the time of our lives, we're drinking, we look amazing, everything seems possible.

Except for the impossible.

Because there's no fucking way Chris happens to be in this same club; I completely lose the ground beneath my feet. I want to turn my back to him, I really do. But at the same time I want him to see me again. I want to see him again.

My friends notice where I'm looking and they know better than to say anything – so they just leave me be. Chris notices me as well and everything stops. Not again. I hope he doesn't come here but deep down I'm praying he does.

"Never had a bitch like me in your life.."

What is it with me, Chris and songs that we both used to like (and have sex while listening to them)? He's looking at me, and I can feel his intense gaze once again. As he drinks something, for a moment, I wish I could see this sight up close, look how his tongue touches the glass. Fucking hell.

Me and my girlfriends sway to the music, letting every beat ignite a playful dance between us. As we keep each other close, the music wraps around us, and for a moment I forget about him. Lost in the rhythm, we surrender to the dance, singing along.

He's here. Well fuck.

He grabs me by the waist and pulls me closer to him – I can't help but roll my eyes, turning around to look into his blue ones, holding my own drink close to me.

"How dare you interrupt my dance?" I yell in his ear so he can hear and he smiles.

"I stayed to watch you for a bit before I approached and interrupted your dance. You were just too irresistible, damn." as usual, he has a big smirk on his face and I just want to slap it off his face.

His arm stays on my waist and I can't find the strength to push it away – his hand roams around my naked back thanks to my dress, not that I'm complaining. He leans in to wrap his lips around my straw, tasting my drink while looking at me.

"Tastes much better with that lipstick you're wearing.." he teases and licks his lips, "..bet you love it even more when it's around my dick." his gaze darkens and my legs shake a little.

"What a shame you'll never see it on you ever again." I give him a sarcastic smile and push him gently with one hand.

"You sure about that?" his lips are touching my ear and again, I hate myself for letting him have such an effect on me.

"Yes. I don't like sharing my lipsticks." I raise a challenging eyebrow, indirectly asking him if he's been fucking anyone else besides me – because if that's the case, I feel like I will completely lose myself.

"Mhmm.. you're already thinking about other girls sucking my dick?" he tilts his head with an innocent-like look on his face, "..jealous about it?" his thumb rubs my bottom lip and his smile returns.

My blood is boiling to say the least, but I know him way better than to show that. So instead, I smile, "I don't have time to think about your dick, baby. Someone else makes sure I don't." take that.

No one. Absolutely no one can make me stop thinking about him in general but I had to say something. Otherwise I might just start crying.

Something shifts in his eyes and I internally high-five myself for achieving to make him jealous once again. He leaves. What? He literally just lets me go and goes back to where his friend group is, turns his back on me and everything. Well, shit.

I'm more than jealous but I want him way more than our egoistic bullshit; I'm shameless, I want him.

I move swiftly through the crowd, desperately trying to find him before i change my mind – and I do find him. He doesn't really expect to see me there but he does and he smiles. I quickly wrap my fingers around his wrist this time, dragging him with me like he did in that house party the previous week. Safely, I lead us out of the club, making sure to not answer any of his questions.

Once he realises that I'm not speaking to him until we reach the car, he stops talking and simply follows me. We finally get into the car and I start the engine.

"Do you realise how crazy that was?" he finally says, he really didn't expect me to just do that.

"I thought you liked crazy." I smirk this time and he huffs, licking his lips and leaning back against the passenger seat, making himself comfortable.

Once I make sure we're somewhere where no one will be able to see us, I immediately stop the car, lock it and I practically jump on him, straddling his thighs. His hands immediately grab my hips, his mouth hungry, searching for my lips and his eyes even hungrier.

"You drive me fucking crazy." he almost growls as he quickly rides up my dress, exposing the rest of my thighs and panties.

I undo his shirt with shaky fingers, leaving it on but making sure I have access to his naked body. I almost attack his skin with hungry kisses and love bites as he keeps himself occupied with my butt, kneading and smacking the skin every now and then.

I wrap my lips around his nipple and now my lipstick is long gone – his moans fill the car, fogging up the windows as I continue sucking on his sensitive nipple. He pushes my panties to the side from behind, his finger traveling from my ass to my pussy, rubbing the entrance and collecting all of the juices. I can't help but moan against his skin. With his free hand, he grabs a fistful of my hair, tugging at it to make my head fall back – with my neck now exposed, he finds the opportunity to attack it with his kisses and bites. In the meantime, I unbuckle his belt, moaning every time his teeth sink into my sensitive skin.

His finger keeps teasing my wet entrance, but his other hand finally lets go of my hair and I immediately lean in to kiss his lips hungrily. As I sit up as much as I can, I push his pants down with a bit of his help, doing the same with his boxers as I start rubbing his cock.

"You must be very loyal to that other guy, hm?" he chuckles and wraps his hand around my throat.

"Your other girlfriends haven't been able to satisfy you, it seems. You're about to cum already..." I click my tongue, completely avoiding what he said to me, "..either that, or you're still obsessed with me.." I whisper, grinding down on his dick as he keeps grabbing me by the throat, "do you think they'd like that?"

He chuckles, moaning as soon as he feels the warmth and the wetness of my pussy, "do you think your little bitch will like it when he sees the marks I left for him?" he whispers, tightening the grip around my throat.

I groan, realising my neck must be all bruised up already. This fucking asshole.

Grabbing his dick again, I lower myself down on it as we both moan in unison – he immediately hugs me, his warm fingers digging into the skin of my back as I start to finally move.

"Fucking hell.." he whispers, his face buried in my neck as his hands cup my ass cheeks, guiding me up and down on his cock.

"Fuck.. Chris.." I moan loudly, one hand around him and the other one pressing against the car window, leaving a mark behind.

"Baby.. like that.." he mutters and I can feel myself clenching around him as soon as he calls me that.

He takes my breasts in his hands, squeezing them gently and kissing them with every chance he gets. I can feel him throbbing and I know it is almost time.

He immediately licks his fingers and presses them on my clit, making me stop my movements and tremble, my eyes roll to the back of my head.

"Don't stop. Keep going." he orders and I do exactly that. My burning thighs don't make it easy, especially in his goddamn car, but I don't care. As soon as I start moving up and down his dick again, his fingers start moving.

"Chris.. Chris, please.." I moan, gasping every time he picks up the pace. My breasts bounce with every movement, both of my hands now are on his shoulders supporting myself as I feel myself getting closer and closer.

"I wanna feel it, cum on me." he moans and his touch on my clit becomes as gentle as it can, and that's when I lose it. Once I come down from my high, he pulls out and cums all over my belly, almost shouting my name as he squeezes his eyes shut and grips my hips so hard that I'm sure it'll leave bruises behind.

It takes a while for me to start breathing normal again – and at the same time, I was afraid of what was going to happen when all of this stopped. But for now, I am trying to live in the moment as much as I can; he holds me in his arms tightly, I can feel his heartbeat and his breath tickling my hair, and I can swear I feel his fingertips caressing my back, drawing invisible circles on the skin.

I almost want to cry as he holds me close, I am so overwhelmed with emotions I didn't know I still had in me, that my hands start shaking.

"There's no one else. Only you." I whisper against his shoulder, my cheek pressed against it.

He takes a moment to respond, but he eventually does, "no other lipsticks for me either. Only yours." he whispers back.

This is what happens all the time ever since we parted ways – I call him, we have sex. He sees me outside, we have sex. We are ruthless, merciless, ready to tear each other apart without thinking of the consequences. So when we're finished, and all the hatred and lust is gone, what's left is two vulnerable, broken hearts and a love for each other that once existed.

I don't know how to react at his words. I feel relieved but I also feel angry, I feel hurt. Everything all at once.

"Come on." he says and makes me lean back against the dashboard. He grabs some baby wipes he keeps in his car and starts cleaning up my belly, my thighs, everywhere. He cleans himself up as well and throws them away in the little bin inside the car. He fixes my panties and my dress as well (as much as he can).

He tries to make me get up, but I stay in place. He looks at me but I don't move an inch, "can I ask you something?" I muster up the courage to ask.

"What is it?" he sighs, he knows something heavy is coming.

"Why are you so cold all the time?" he furrows his eyebrows at my question, and he looks like he is about to say a million reasons why what I just asked was stupid, "..so cold, playing it cool all the time, as if nothing happened." I say and I almost regret it.

"Are you fucking serious? What did you expect? You broke up with me, yet you still wanna have sex with me. Do you want me to be all lovey-dovey with you?" he narrows his eyes and I bite the inside of my cheek.

He's correct – what did I really expect? I vividly recall the day I ended our relationship; he was devastated, it was like something shifted within us since then. I was devastated, too. But the decision to break up felt necessary and inevitable. Our hectic schedules kept us apart for days on end. And being the jealous toxic assholes that we both are, this never ended well; it drove me nuts, I had to end it. However, ending the relationship doesn't mean my love for him ceased; on the contrary, I'll never stop loving him. And as for the sex.. well, it's pretty self-explanatory; he's the only one who knows what I like and what I don't. His touch is the only thing I knew for years. And that was the only way I could be close to him. I might've regretted that decision. Might've.

"No. But I would at least expect you to be respectful towards me, we were together for so long." I look down at my trembling fingers, there's pain in my voice.

"Yeah, well, do you know what else would be respectful? You, owning up to the decision you fucking made for the both of us." he's staring into my eyes, "when you break up with someone, especially when you've been with them for a long ass time, you don't go back to them. No matter what the situation is. That's what's respectful. But can you handle that?"

I don't know what to say. And I hate the fact that he's right – I know I fucked up.

"I don't think I can handle that, no." I say truthfully, my voice feels small and now I feel small too, in front of him.

"Yeah, well, that's your fucking problem now." he leans back against the passenger seat and clears his throat.

"Why do you come back?" I whisper, fearing the answer.

"You said it yourself that day. It's the only way to have you at the moment. And I'm taking it." now there's pain in his voice, "but do you realise how toxic that is? That's draining us way more than our schedule did." he runs his fingers through his hair and looks out of the window.

"So what are we supposed to do?" I ask. I feel so dumb.

"As I said. Own up to your decision. I never wanted to break up with you, which is why I never did. You should be the one who stops any contact between us. Not me. If I could, I would, trust me on this one." there's an emptiness in his eyes that I can not quite comprehend what it means. It doesn't let me see through him like I usually do.

"Chris.. damn it, I can't." I whisper, tears fill up my eyes but he's not having any of it.

"No, fuck off. You're fucking selfish." he's getting angry now, the vein in his neck is popping out, hands turning into fists and his knuckles turning white.

Fuck. It seems like everything I say is wrong. I want to just scream and cry and run away.

"I am not selfish, Chris. I am stupid.." I can't stop the tears that fill up my eyes, "..I never wanted to end things with you, I promise. I thought that.. that was the only way for us to calm the fuck down.. we were jealous, and crazy, and toxic." I let my hands fall on his lap.

"And what we're doing now is not toxic? How do you think I feel coming back to you after you broke up with me, just so we can fuck and tell each other we hate each other?" his jaw is clenched and his eyes are turning lighter. He's about to cry.

"I am sorry, Chris. I cannot imagine that, no.. I just.. I made a mistake.. and I am deeply sorry. I am paying for it as well.. this whole time, I really thought you just didn't care.. otherwise I would've made a move way sooner." I explain as much as I can, I am fully crying now.

He's holding back as much as he can – he collects me in his arms for yet another comforting hug when he notices I practically can't breathe, "first of all, breathe for me, okay? I need you to be calm so we can solve this." he rubs my back soothingly and my heart almost jumps out of my chest, because that's exactly who I fell in love with. That's the Chris I knew.

He does make me calm down way faster than I thought. I wipe away my tears and collect a single tear that left his eye as well.

"I love you. I always will." I whisper, cupping his cheeks.

"You know I love you too." his voice is very low, "I cannot stop loving you."

"Do you want to try again?" I whisper timidly, "I will try my best to make you trust me again." I say and I mean it.

"Pretty girl.." he mumbles, grabbing my chin gently, caressing it, "..you better try your hardest, hm?" he whispers and I nod like a little kid, "I promise to make more time for us, we deserve it. You deserve it."

⠀

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[cellophanejpeg]

quirk play | Amajiki T.

Amajiki Tamaki x nameless!oc/reader

s.: She can't stop thinking about it. Ever since her best friend mentioned it, the act of having tentacle sex with her boyfriend won't leave her mind and it's driving her insane. Maybe she should try it once, just out of curiosity…

w.c.: 4.9k

a.n.: wrote this last year, but only posted on ao3 because i was scared people wouldn't like it. fuck it we ball. bnha is over and i'm bittersweet.

w.: smut, tentacle sex, very explicit, mdni

divider by @/saradika-graphics

If it weren’t for Shinsou’s nasty comment, she would’ve never thought about it.

“So, Amajiki-senpai, huh?” He had given her that stupid smug smile. “Bet you two get creative in bed with his quirk.”

Despite shutting him off  immediately, telling he was the most disgusting pervert she’d ever met – which resulted in him laughing even more at her reaction –, she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

They’ve been together for about a year and have been taking things slow ever since they met each other in high school. It wasn't usual for a first year to tutor a third year, but due to Tamaki's duties as a hero he hadn't had time to study and was almost failing in English, among other subjects that didn't involve crime fighting. So Present Mic had her to tutor him and teach him some extra English lessons, since she was fluent at it.

At first, Tamaki was so shy and hesitant that he didn't even look at her. And she thought he hated her, because during their first tutoring sessions, all he used to do was nod and look away every time she seeked his eyes with hers.

But then, after a lot of coaxing from her part, he started to open up to her. He started answering her questions more promptly, held her stare when he looked at him…

She could say she started falling for him right there, in their tutoring sessions.

And then, Tamaki had graduated high school, and was about to become a pro hero, with an actual license – not a provisional one. She remembered the day where she boldly entered the 3-A dorm, in a hot afternoon, and knocked on his door with tears in her eyes, asking for his number to keep in touch after he left.

It wasn't only until three years later that they finally admitted their feelings for each other and started a serious relationship.

Three long years of texting and late night conversations on the phone, friendly meetings at coffee shops, going to the movies as friends, and pining for each other, later and they were finally together.

After graduating, she asked him out on a date. It was a simple coffee shop date with a movie session afterwards. And to her surprise, he said yes.

Tamaki was an introverted man. He preferred staying home to going out, watching a movie on the couch instead of on a theater chair, home cooked meals and chilling inside the best he could. And when she came into his life, she showed him a world of possibilities. She encouraged him to go out more whenever he was free, to enjoy a walk in the park on a sunny day, and to go out as a couple. She didn't mind having to initiate every move, as long as he was comfortable with it. She did her best to let him not get uncomfortable with every touch, every kiss.

When they finally got together, sex wasn’t something that even crossed her mind in the first few weeks of their relationship. And when they finally did it, from the very beginning, she knew Amajiki wasn’t one for going rough at her.

He would never agree to something like that.

“You’re still thinking about it, aren’t you?” Shinsou’s voice interrupted her train of thoughts. Somehow, she knew exactly what he was talking about, but still decided to play dumb.

“Thinking about what?” Her eyes never left the streets under them.

It was a warm summer night where they both had hero duties to attend and, since neither worked in a proper agency, they chose to patrol the area in the shadows. She was hunched down the edge of a building when Hitoshi found her, deep in thought.

“You’re a bad liar.” He approached her and sat beside her, legs dangling off the edge while she was still in a crouched position. “And you look like a gargoyle right now. I could spot your wings from so far away, I’m sure any criminals would give up committing any crimes around here. You’re a like billboard for them, staying here–”

“What do you want, Shinsou?” She interrupted him, finally tearing her gaze from the city to look at her best friend.

He smiled and scoffed with a playful arrogance that was only reserved for her. She sighed and rolled eyes, dropping her gaze from him.

“Are you seriously thinking about having tentacle sex with your boyfriend?” He murmured, speaking as if they weren’t the only ones on that roof.

“I’m not even going to answer that,” she replied, closing her eyes and controlling her anger. Hitoshi had a way of getting on her nerves that no other person had.

“Poor Amajiki.” He mocked, “He’s so innocent. What would he think of his beloved girlfriend being such a pervert like that–”

A punch on the arm interrupted him and he barked out a laugh, finally getting a reaction from her.

“Are you done with your buffoonery?” Was she said before returning to her patrolling on the streets.

Shinsou took the time to watch her while she sulked. He didn’t lie, her dragon wings and horns did make her look like a gargoyle, especially as dark as they were at the moment. The crouched position, with her back hunched, the serious expression on her face… She looked more like a creature than a human.

“You know,” he said and watched as she rolled her eyes again, “when I said that, I was trying to make you angry… ‘Cause you know… It’s funny when you get angry. I didn’t mean to make you worked-up about it.”

Her eyes slowly made contact with his. She didn’t move a muscle as her wings tucked behind her, as if she was ready to attack. If he didn't know better, he'd think really was a gargoyle.

“Just stop talking about it then.” Her voice was cold despite the smoke that started coming off her nostrils. A bad sign.

“Geez, alright.” He mumbled, raising his palms to her, “Don’t go spitting fire on me…”

But the thing was that she was worked-up about it. The thought infected her mind like a virus and nothing she did made it go away. Not the steamiest sex with her boyfriend, not the vibrator she had in her nightstand drawer, not even the use of fingers made the image of tentacle sex with Tamaki leave her mind.

The fact she had a wet dream about it the night before was eating her up on the inside.

"Shinsou." She suddenly said, breaking the silence and standing up. Her thighs screamed at her for staying in the same position for so long. Shinsou looked up at her as she stretched before speaking again. "You've ruined my mind with that comment."

She didn't see the way his eyes lit up with amusement, lifting her arms to stretch her body.

"I knew it!" He exclaimed, "I knew you were thinking about–"

His voice faded away as she jumped off the edge of the building, diving in the sea of artificial lights. She allowed herself to get closer to the ground before opening her wings to fly away from her watching spot.

The cold wind blew on her face, calming her senses down. Whenever she was on the air, it was like every voice inside her head quieted down.

She was far enough from the tall buildings to be able to pull out her phone from her jacket pocket to look at the time. It wasn't too late for stopping at Tamaki's, she knew he would be home even though it was a Saturday night. Maybe she could surprise him, Tamaki loved when she visited. His apartment building wasn't so far either, so why not?

Landing softly on the balcony of his apartment, she leaned over to unzip her combat boots so she could take it off before steppin in. But before she could knock on the glass door and have him open it for her, saying his usual line – "You know you can ring the bell, right?" – she heard different voices coming from the inside of the apartment.

She raised her hand to knock on the glass, but as if he had heard her, Tamaki pulled the curtains and opened the balcony door, a soft smile on his face.

"Hi," she said, smiling.

"Hi," he replied and there was a pause of a second before he launched himself at her, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face on her shoulder, "I'm so glad you're here."

Her smile widened as she hugged him back, rubbing the soft material of his shirt, and inhaling the scent of his shampoo on his hair.

"Something happened?" she asked as she tried to let go, but he hugged her tighter, making her laugh softly.

"Nejire and Mirio are being mean," he replied, voice muffled by the fabric of her jacket.

"Oh." She pulled away from him this time and noticed a pink tint on his cheeks. It wasn't unusual for Tamaki to be embarrassed by something, but the faint scent of beer in his breath told her the cause for the flush on his cheeks was something else. "I didn't know you had people over, I can come back later–"

"No!" He interrupted her, "P-please stay!"

Before she could answer, a high pitched laugh came from his living room.

"Tamaki!" Nejire Hado's voice echoed the place and he tensed, his ears going pink at the sound of her voice. "Where did you run off to?"

Before he could say anything, she grabbed his hand and stepped inside his apartment. "Sorry! I think he heard me arriving!"

A smile curving her lips and a hand raised in greeting made Nejire gasp in surprise, whispering her name. She dropped whatever she was holding and ran over, hands going immediately to touch her horns. Nejire's favorite activity was to touch her horns until she grew bored of her and move to the next thing that made her marvel. Nejire once tried to touch her wings, but she jumped off her spot, saying they were too sensitive to the touch.

"Hey there, senpai," she said, breathing out a laugh.

Togata called her name and walked over to them, "You don't have to call us senpai anymore," he said, approaching to give both her and Nejire a bear hug.

The hug knocked the air out of her lungs and she whimpered, along with Nejire. But the way they behaved and the smell of their breaths, they all seemed a bit drunk.

"We were just talking about you!" Nejire speaks, still being crushed by Mirio's hug.

"Oh!" She tried to say, "Really? What–" She breathed out, "What were you talking about?"

Then, Mirio finally let them go. Suddenly, the atmosphere grew tense and they all hesitated. Even Mirio. Tamaki's face got even more red than it already was. She frowned at their reactions.

"What?"

"U-uh, here!" Nejire exclaimed, skipping to the dinner table, grabbing a platter of food and shoving it to her face. "Have some takoyaki! We saved it for you!"

She eyes the food in front of her. No doubt it was Tamaki who cooked it, he was a great cook since he had to do it often for his quirk. But one of the fried balls had an octopus leg hanging out of it and it reminded her of it . It took everything in her not to flinch.

"I-I'm not hungry," she said, despite the takoyaki looking delicious. "Thank you though."

Mirio took the platter off Nejire's hands and set it on the table, wrapping his hand around her wrist right after.

"Sorry, we've had a little too much to drink," he said, his cheeks flushing a bit.

She waved a hand at them, laughing softly, "Don't worry about it." Then turned to Tamaki, "Do you mind if I use your shower?"

Tamaki, who had his eyes on the floor all this time, looked at her and blushed again. Was he okay? Were they all okay?

"Uh, n-no, go ahead," he replied, and then in a lower voice as he approached her, "I told you, you don't have to ask…"

She shrugged a bit and smiled at his reaction.

"We should get going as well," Mirio said, wrapping an arm around Nejire's waist to support her weight.

"Oh, please don't leave because of me!" she said.

"Don't worry, it's not because you got here!" He smiled, "We've been here for hours, so…"

Only then, she checked her watch to see it was almost 11pm, "Oh."

A moment of silence filled the gap between all of them and she thought it was strange how they were all behaving. They were usually so friendly and talkative, but tonight Mirio and Nejire were avoiding her eyes like the plague.

"Well, I'm gonna go ahead and take that shower," she said, thumb pointing over her shoulder in the direction of Tamaki's bedroom.

"Right! See you around!" Mirio smiled cheerfully at her.

Once they said their goodbyes, she walked to the bedroom, wings tucked tight against her back.

"Hey, hey." Nejire's voice came from the living room, "Do you think she heard us?"

She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but they were talking so loud that she heard Tamaki scold his friend.

"Why were you talking about it in the first place?" His voice trembled.

Nejire giggled and Mirio shushed her quickly.

"I'm sorry, Tamaki," he said, "We were just playing around, we had no intention of getting our noses in your sex life."

She almost choked, widening her eyes at his words. Deciding not to listen to them anymore, she hopped into the shower quickly. Letting the warm water run through her body, the sensation felt like heaven. She washed herself, rubbing the sweat of the day’s patrolling off with Tamaki’s soap. She sighed, inhaling the scent of her boyfriend. Ready to forget about what Shinso told her, she finished showering and wrapped herself in a towel.

“Are you seriously thinking about having tentacle sex with your boyfriend?”

Shinsou’s voice echoed in her head again and she cringed. "Goddammit, Hitoshi.”

Putting the soft pajamas she’d always kept in his bedroom drawers, she only heard the quiet pads of Tamaki’s feet and some clinks of the dishes being washed in the kitchen. Meaning Nejire and Mirio went home already.

Quietly walking around his apartment, her bare feet matched the pads of his as she reached the kitchen. He walked around the place, cleaning it and washing the dishes that he and his friends used to have dinner. Deciding to help a little, she started gathering the empty bottles of soju they drank. As soon as the bottles clinked together, Tamaki turned his head from his spot on the sink in search of the source of the sound.

“I’ll help you.” She smiled at him.

His face went red as he realized she was wearing a top and tiny shorts pajamas as usual. She frowned at his reaction and walked towards him, throwing the bottles in the trash.

“Everything okay?” She asked him and he just nodded, tips of ears going red as he avoided her stare.

“T-there’s some food for you on the table,” he said, ducking his head and letting his hair fall on his eyes. “I made extra takoyaki for you.”

She almost cringed again, “I’m not really hungry.”

At that, Tamaki raised his head and looked at her. “You’ve been patrolling all night. You should eat.”

A warmth spreaded in her chest at his words. Tamaki would always look after her, no matter what. And he was right, she was a bit hungry. He knew how much she loved his food and made sure he cooked some extra just in case she dropped by tonight.

"Okay," she replied with a small voice and sat at the table to eat.

Meanwhile, Tamaki finished washing the dishes and cleaned the kitchen. She looked at him with heart eyes, feeling the domestic vibes in the air and the familiar warmth bloomed in her chest once more.

"What?" he asked once he noticed she was staring.

"Just thinking how much I love you."

His face grew red once more, but he smiled at her, approaching and bending over to give her a kiss on the head.

"I love you too," he murmured, rubbing the top of her head and walking away towards his bedroom. "I'm going to shower. There's ice cream in the freezer, make yourself at home."

Unbeknownst to him, she already felt like she was home.

As she finished her meal, she washed her plate and got the ice cream he talked about. Sitting on the living room couch, She turned the TV on to see if there’s anything interesting on. A few moments later, Tamaki joined her, smelling like the same soap she used. She laid back on the couch, her feet on his lap as the both of them watched a cheesy romcom, when a question pops in her head.

“So why were you guys talking about me, huh?” She teased. His hands froze on her calves and the familiar pink shade made its appearance on his face again.

“U-uh,” he replies, avoiding her stare, “it was nothing, trust me.”

“Nothing?”

“Yeah, they were just being gross.” He still didn’t look at her.

“Why?” She asked after a beat of silence.

Tamaki visibly shrunk his shoulders, eyes still set on the television.

“Was it that bad?” She pulled her feet from his lap and sat up, putting the bowls of ice cream on the coffee table and facing him. When he didn’t answer, she moved to gently grab his chin and turn his head to face her. “Tamaki…” Her voice was stern, as of a mother scolding him and she knew the effect it had on him. He loved when she was a bit hard on him in bed, so trying to seduce him wasn’t too hard for her. Half lidded eyes and pink cheeks already looked at her as she approached his face. “Why were they talking about our sex life, Tamaki?”

Then, he widened his eyes, pulling away from her grasp. “How– How did you–”

“I overheard them talking about it.” She interrupted him.

He sighed in defeat, closing his eyes and slumping his shoulders.

"We were just drinking and they started talking about…" Tamaki seemed to hesitate, but she encouraged him by slipping her hand behind his neck and stroking his hair gently. "They started talking about quirk play."

A frown grew between her brows, "Huh?"

"I was confused at first too, but–" Tamaki swallowed hard, "They said my quirk was perfect for i-it."

And then the penny dropped. Mirio and Nejire were talking about… It with him as well.

"You mean…" she started just to be sure she and him were on the same page.

"They asked if we ever had tentacle sex."

Holy shit, he said it. So bluntly like that…

“Oh."

"Y-yeah."

An awkward silence filled the gap as both of them blushed. How much of a coincidence does it have to be that multiple people had brought it up? Maybe it was overall curiosity that got the best of people, but to have Shinsou, Mirio and Nejire comment about it in the same night?

How curious were they?

How curious was she?

"I-I-I shut them down, though…" He explained, bringing her back to reality. "Told them it was gross and stuff…"

"Huh." Was all she said and as she leaned back on the back of the couch, deep in thought.

If she were to ask Tamaki to use his quirk in bed, would he be able to say no? Knowing him, he'd go along whatever she wants, but would be going so far by using his quirk to get off?

"Tama, baby," she said, catching his attention, "It's okay." She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath, "I've– I've been asked this too."

"W-what?!"

It was her time to sigh, "Shinsou teased me about it a couple of times." She rolled her eyes, reminiscing how he would laugh when she got mad about it, "I suppose people get curious about it. I don't blame them, really."

Tamaki hummed and an awkward pause hung in the air. She watched him with tenderness in her eyes, as he was deep in thought, resting her chin on her knees.

"S-so, uh…" He said after breathing deeply, "Do you– Do you want to try it?"

She looked at him surprised. Not only was the initiative coming from him – which was rare –, but also he was the one who brought it up. He looked at her with timid eyes, but full of lust and curiosity.

Her mouth opened to answer him, but she hesitated. Then, as if he had sobered up, he started stuttering.

"I-I-I mean– I just– I thought–"

"Yes." She interrupted him, looking right into his eyes.

"Yes?" Tamaki seemed like he didn't believe her.

A soft laugh escaped her throat as she looked at him with the same tenderness and affection as before. Her hand tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear.

"Yes," she replied softly.

Then he smiled at her, and her heart skipped a beat. He leaned over her to press a kiss on her lips, but when he went to pull away, her hands hooked in the back of his neck and pulled him closer for a deeper kiss. Tamaki's hands were shaking as he reached for her waist to pull her closer. She obliged, straddling his lap and slipping her tongue inside his mouth. A whimper escaped his throat when she rolled her hips on him, already feeling the bulge in his pants.

His hands traveled through her skin, slipping under her top and brushing lightly where her wing met her back. She shuddered, always sensitive in that area. He knew that.

Tamaki pulled away breathing hard, a small whimper escaping his lips.

"How–" He inhaled sharply when she rolled her hips on him once more, "How do we do this?"

Leaning her forehead on his, she smiled wickedly. "How about you take me to bed first?"

Her warmth breath on his face made him exhale and in a split of a second, he grabbed the back of her thighs and lifted her from the couch as he stood up. His mouth found hers once more in a hungry kiss, lips crashing together, tongues sliding against each other, building up the arousal in both of them.

Tamaki carefully set her on his bed, covering her body with his. His teeth pulled her lower lip and she moaned as he started to leave a trail of wet kisses through her jawline and neck.

It took her by surprise. He was never this assertive, never like this during sex. Usually, it was her who always initiated and her who led on, who commanded. But now, Tamaki was doing as he pleased, without a command. His eyes searched for no approval, instead, there was pure lust in them.

It was like he flipped a switch when she said yes.

His hands traveled through the side of her body, reaching the hem of her shirt. He wasted no time in pulling it over her head, discarding the piece of clothing on the floor. Tamaki's hands were rough from working as a hero, but they were warm as they cupped her breasts.

Kneading one of them with a hand, his mouth wrapped around the other nipple, making her gasp in surprise. Arching her back, her damp middle grinding against the bulge in his pants. The motion caught him by surprise and he moaned, biting her nipple.

"Shit." She gasped. Tamaki looked up, pulling away from her breast, a string of saliva connecting his tongue to her nipple.

"Did it hurt?" He asked, cheeks flushed with something else other than timidness.

She shook her head, unable to form words. What was going on? Who was this new Tamaki who was so confident?

"Do it–" She breathed, "Do it again."

Tamaki gave her a half smile and bowed his head to suck on the other nipple. Meanwhile, his finger pinched the freshly bitten one and she gasped again, whimpering his name.

Suddenly, his hands started to feel a bit weird. Instead of the rough skin on her, there were soft, clammy, and silken touches. When she opened her eyes, she saw dark pink tentacles gently wrapping themselves around her breast. The tip of one teased her already sensitive nipple and she sobbed at the contact.

Once more, Tamaki looked at her, worried eyes burning her own. The silent question lingered in the air and she nodded.

"I'm okay." She whispered, giving him the green light. Her face burned with desire, arousal and lust. It made Tamaki’s cock twitch in his pants.

His once fingers that morphed into tentacles slid over the skin of her ribs, waist and hips, making her grip the sheets and whimper softly. One of the pink limbs hooked on the waistband of her shorts and teased to take it off by tugging it lightly.

“Tamaki…” She whined, closing her eyes when a tentacle slid between her legs, caressing her inner thighs. A gasp turned into a sob that escaped her lips when he pulled his mouth away from her skin.

Kneeling on the bed, Tamaki used his tentacles to pull her tiny shorts off her legs. While she lifted her hips to make it easier, another tentacle ran through her stomach to reach her breast, joining the other in pinching her nipples.

“Pin–” She gasped, “Pin my hands above my head.”

An involuntary smile curved the corners of his lips as he did what she asked with two more tentacles. Other two spreaded her legs, exposing her fully to him. It was quite the view, he had to admit it. But the most impressive thing was that he wasn’t hesitating at all. He was willing to do anything she wanted, no questions asked. This was different from the other times, he didn’t have to ask for her permission to do anything. She voluntarily was at his mercy, willing to go along with whatever she wanted.

Tamaki approached his face to her cunt, pressing soft kisses on her inner thigh before lightly pressing his nose on her clit. She whined again, clenching around nothing. He was never one to go down on her without proper instruction, so having him there surprised her.

“Tama, are you sure–” The limbs around her wrist tightened their grip and she moaned as he licked a long stripe on her slit, coating it with his saliva.

Then, he circled her clit with his nose, making her tremble. His tongue suddenly didn’t feel the same. The soft sensation of it was replaced by something thicker and stronger. Before she could realize, his tongue was a tentacle and he was sliding it inside her.

“Fuck!” She cried, bucking her hips. A tentacle slid through her lower belly, holding her in place.

It was a strange sensation to have it inside her, the texture of the tentacle, the suckers, the firm muscle had her whining and moaning his name nonstop. 

“Tama– Oh, shit, it feels so good.” Her praise motivated him to move his tentacle shaped tongue in and out, earning more whines from her. Until,

“Put one of them in my mouth.”

He looked up, but didn’t stop his ministrations as he ran one limb through her body and slid it inside her mouth. Her moans were still audible, but a bit muffled now. She rolled her eyes in pleasure as he hit a special spot inside her. He used the tip of the tentacle that was wrapped around her upper thigh to circle her clit, the sucker suctioning it. She clenched around him.

Tamaki’s hips started moving on its own, grinding against the mattress, searching for some friction to alleviate the hard boner he had. His own eyes rolled to the back of his as he realized he was so close to cumming on his own. The tentacle inside her mouth slid further, making her gag on it, but he was quick to pull it out.

“I’m gonna cum!” She cried out as soon as she was able to talk. “Shit, baby, don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t–”

The tension in her lower stomach snapped and she let out a loud moan, tightening her walls around his tongue. Tamaki couldn’t hold himself anymore and ended up cumming along with her.

A thin coat of sweat covered her skin, her chest moved up and down as she breathed hard, heart hammering inside her chest. Slowly, Tamaki released her wrists and thighs, leaving suction marks on her skin. His hands morphed back to its original form as he kneeled between her legs. He waited for the shame and embarrassment to hit him like it usually did after sex, but… It just didn’t. He wasn’t embarrassed to give her pleasure. Of jizzing his sweats? Maybe, but not this.

A satisfied sigh left her lips and she finally opened her eyes to look at him. Hooded eyes met soft eyes and she smiled, sitting up to meet his lips with hers. He kissed her passionately, hands cupping her cheeks to bring her closer. His chest swelled with something unfamiliar. Pride, maybe? No, love . A deeper feeling of love, as if through this they’ve become more intimate with each other.

And he wasn’t blushing at all.

[cosmicmunsonwrites]

getting into an argument at dinner with jj?? 😚

i fall apart

pairing(s): bf!jj maybank x gf!fem!reader

warnings: arguing, pet names

summary: while out at dinner, you and jj get into a disagreement.

authors note: thank you for the request, love! enjoy :)

not edited

do not copy my works. i do not condone rewrites, translations, or edited versions. all my content is my content that i wrote.

not my gif

you and your boyfriend, jj, were currently out at a cute diner just off the cut for a much deserved date night.

you guys had spent most of your day at the beach with your friends and as much as you loved your friends, now you just wanted to spend some time together without them.

but as the night was winding down, it was time to pay. you hated this draining task. you knew how it would end.

especially when you started pulling out your wallet.

“stop,” he said. “put it away.”

you glanced up at him. “j, it’s fine. you always pay. let me do it.”

“it was my idea,” he replied. “i’m takin’ my girl out, so i’m paying.”

this always happened. “you said you were saving money, jj,” you added more firmly.

he pursed his lips into a thin line and looked at you. “i know, but i’m taking you out on a date, babe. we’re done arguing about it, got it? i’m paying and thats final.”

your brows furrowed as you looked at him. “excuse me?” he was never that aggressive when talking about something like this.

when the waiter returned, he handed a few bills to him and looked at your annoyed expression. you appreciated that he paid, but at the same time, you had just had a talk about how he wanted to save money and he was going to stop spending so much.

you understood that more than anything else and you supported him. you did your best to pitch in more, buying most of the things he usually bought for your hangouts with the pogues, buying as much of the stuff to make food during the week as he’d allow before taking over and paying the rest. you’d tried to help him out as much as possible.

so why he had gotten so rude about it this time was beyond you. but you knew you weren’t tolerating it.

once the waiter came back with the receipt, you had stood up quickly and made your way to the car, not caring to wait for him like you usually did.

and when he’d gotten in the car too, he had the nerve to try and place a rough hand on your upper thigh. in response, you’d just picked it up and placed it on the center console without a word.

at the house, there were still no words exchanged. but once you headed into your bedroom and he noticed you were genuinely upset, he started brainstorming his apology.

about two hours had gone past and you hadn’t come out of the room. not even for a snack. you were just sat in there watching your movie. it was getting late though and he wanted nothing more right now than to cuddle up with you and go to sleep.

so he decided it was time. lucky for him, the door was still open. so he headed inside only to find you knocked out already. he couldn’t help but smile to himself.

he walked over to his side of the bed and took a seat. he lightly tapped your arm. “baby,” he mumbled softly.

you stirred and rolled over to your other side to find him sat there. “hm?”

“‘m sorry for acting like that earlier. i know it was rude. you know how i get. and ‘m not making an excuse, i know it was wrong, i jus’ should’ve handled it better and i promise i won’t do it again,” he said just above a whisper, a hand coming up to brush the strands of hair from your forehead.

you hummed and rubbed your heavy eyes. “‘s okay, j. i know you meant well,” you replied tiredly. “now can we go to bed?”

he chuckled and nodded. he got up to quickly shut off the lights then was back at your side underneath the sheets, allowing you to cuddle up into his chest.

[lionlena]

I can't be everywhere (No outbreak!Joel Miller x f!reader) ANGST! Part 4

Summary: You knew Joel was a busy man, but you never thought that when you needed him most you would hear, "I can't be everywhere." As if your pain meant nothing. So you decided that you couldn't be everywhere either… You couldn't be in his heart anymore.

Warnings: NSFW, self-harm (something like that), rough sex, p in v, unprotected sex, ANGST, miscarriage, misunderstanding, loss, mourning, broken heart, age gap (17 years), Joel is 45, depression, Joel tries hard, but… He can't show his true emotions…

AN: I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter. I have the impression that it is not much different from the previous one... But it was still necessary.

Part 4

Joel didn't drive away. He couldn't. He sat in the car for a long time, gripping the steering wheel with his hands and swearing. He was mad, but not at you. He was furious with himself. Nothing was going according to his plan. He was supposed to earn your forgiveness, not fuck you like you were just a whore to take advantage of. He hit the steering wheel angrily.

"Fuck!"

After a moment, he took a deep breath and rubbed his face with his hand. There wasn't much he could do. He wanted to go back to your apartment and talk to you, but he was afraid he would screw things up again. He finally started the engine and started the long drive home, not knowing if he had any chance with you. * When Joel left, you felt empty, but you didn't miss Joel himself. You missed his presence. His strong, masculine scent, the shadow cast by his broad shoulders, his heavy steps, his breath on your neck as he pressed his cock into you…

You barely ate the breakfast he prepared for you. Then you slowly walked towards the couch. You felt sore, but that was the point. When you lay down, you pulled the pillow Joel was sleeping on to your face. You pushed your nose into the fabric and stayed in that position for a long time.

The following days seemed better to you. Not 'good', but not 'worst' either. You cleaned up the house a bit and went for a walk a few times, but when you pushed your fingers into your pussy during the shower and didn't feel any twinge of pain, your mood worsened again.

The days turned gray again and pizza boxes began to gather under the couch.

Three weeks after Joel left your apartment, you were lying on your bed, staring blankly at your phone screen. Joel stopped texting you and you didn't know if he had finally decided to give you space or given up on you.

You bit your lip and looked at the message you had written but still didn't hit send.

"I'm pathetic…" you growled and pointed your thumb at 'Delete'. "Fuck it." You hissed and sent the message. * Joel was at work and was speechless when he read your message.

'Fly to me. I need you.'

He stared at the message and couldn't move. When he returned home after visiting you, he swore to himself that he would leave you alone. When he thought about how he fucked you, he felt disgusted with himself. He should never have treated you like this. And he thought you had every right to hate him.

And suddenly he got the message. As if nothing had happened. What was he supposed to do? Subconsciously, he felt that you were playing with him, that you treated him like a toy that you could throw away whenever you wanted. But on the other hand, he felt like he deserved it. And he felt a strong need to protect you. If you wrote to him, it meant your mental health was worse. So he finally wrote back.

'I'll be there in two days.'

In return, he only got:

'Okay.' * Tommy looked at him like he was crazy when he told him about it.

"Are you kidding? She hasn't spoken for three weeks. Suddenly she calls you like a dog, and you obediently buy a plane ticket. Look, I understand that she's hurting and you love her… but your relationship… if you can call it a relationship, has become strange…"

Joel snorted and tossed the green shirt into his backpack. You loved it when he wore it, and he didn't forget about it.

"Maybe this is a step towards repairing our relationship."

"Dude… she just wants…"

Joel glared at him.

"I know what she wants and I will give it to her. I will give her everything… if it will make her forgive me."

Tommy sighed and shook his head. He saw that there was no point in arguing with his brother. Joel could be damn stubborn. * You weren't too concerned about Joel's visit. You only cleaned up as much as was necessary. You didn't go pick up Joel at the airport either. You wanted the rules between you to be clear. You didn't care about him. You just needed him. At least that's what you told yourself.

But when he knocked on your door, you felt this strange twinge in your heart. You knew your actions were wrong. You wanted to use him to feel alive again for a moment. But you quickly dismissed those thoughts. It was because of him that you were where you were… It was his fault.

You opened the door and immediately pulled him inside. Joel only managed to croak out, "Hi…" before you connected your lips in a rough kiss.

When you broke the kiss you looked at him. He was wearing the shirt you always liked and he smelled of the cologne you bought him at the beginning of your relationship.

He cared.

The realization hit you like a ton of bricks, but it was too late to back out. Or maybe you didn't really want to back out… You couldn't. The void inside you was eating you alive and you had to fill it with something.

You pulled Joel towards the couch and pushed him. As soon as he was in a sitting position, you immediately sat on his lap, facing him.

Joel ran a hand through your hair and looked at you with concern.

"Don't you want to slow down?"

"NO." You growled and pulled his hair.

Joel nodded. He started kissing your neck gently and sensually, the way he used to do. You groaned in dissatisfaction and pushed him away.

"Stop!" you growled.

Joel looked at you like a beaten puppy and leaned back.

"I'm sorry… I thought that's what you wanted."

"Because I want." Joel seemed completely lost, so you added, "But not like this. Not so gently… I want you to bite me, scratch me… I want you to be primal…"

You could almost see the pain on his face.

You sighed and went to get off his lap.

"Fine… You can go back to…"

Joel suddenly grabbed your thighs tightly, digging his fingers into your plump.

"Wait." He growled. "I'm not done with you yet."

You smiled at the twinkle in his eyes. You awakened the primal beast in him and you didn't regret it.

Joel finally started doing what you wanted. He squeezed your hips and thighs with such force that you knew he would leave bruises. He bit your neck and shoulders. And finally, he fucked you on the couch, hard and without mercy. And you could feel the familiar pain… A pain that was soothing to your soul. You knew it would only help you for a few days again. You didn't even try to delude yourself. But you couldn't stop it either. *

Joel emerged from the bathroom wearing only baggy sweatpants. He was surprised when you offered to let him take a shower, but he didn't complain.

You were taking a nap on the couch and he looked at you and sighed. He wasn't stupid. He knew you were depressed and wanted to help you. He also knew that you were using him, but he felt that it was the only way to be close to you. The truth was that he still loved you very much and was afraid to think what you might do if he gave up on you.

He walked over to the couch and sat on the floor. He looked at your thigh and felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He ran his fingertips over the bruises that were forming on your skin and felt self-loathing. It wasn't that he had never been rough in bed before. It happened and sometimes there were bruises on your thighs. The point was that previously such sex was always preceded by affectionate gestures. And after sex like that, he could wrap his arms around you and assure you that he loved you. He could care about you… And now there was a wall between you…

You woke up feeling his touch and slowly sat down on the couch, moving away from him.

"You're sleeping on the couch." You said quietly. "The blanket and pillow are in the closet."

Joel nodded and whispered:

"Can we talk?"

His tender voice surprised you. For a moment you wanted to agree. You wanted to fall into his arms and cry. You wanted to cuddle into his strong, bare chest. But you pushed this desire into the deepest abyss of your mind.

"We don't have anything to talk about."

Joel grabbed your knees in an almost desperate manner. And he looked at you in a pleading way with those brown puppy eyes.

"You don't want to talk… That's fine. But let me tell you something."

You sighed and nodded. It was strange seeing Joel in such a situation. On his knees and vulnerable.

"I'm listening."

Joel took a shaky breath and began to speak.

"I regret the way I acted… I regret not giving you the support you deserved… I know I hurt you and that I acted like an asshole and… I'm not asking for your forgiveness. I'm just asking you to let me take care of you. Let me again be in your life."

There was silence and you didn't know what to say. His words were like a dagger to your heart. You knew you were treading on shaky ground. How were you supposed to combine it… The desire to keep him at a distance and the need for him to be next to you and support you.

"Fine, but on my terms."

Joel nodded without hesitation.

"I'm not going back to Austin. You can visit me whenever you want. We fuck whenever I want, in a way I want. You can text me and call me… And most importantly. We're not talking about…" You took a deep breath. The words barely passed through your throat. "About losing a child."

Joel closed his eyes for a moment. It wasn't perfect. This wasn't what he had hoped for. But it was also so much more than he had before. He knew that this solution would not heal your wounds or his. It was more like a painkiller. But what choice did he have? No contact, exchange of two words, your cold look…

He got up from his knees and kissed your forehead.

"Of course, baby."

When he sat down next to you, you allowed him to pull you to his side and hug you. His closeness plus the fact that you were sore gave you a sense of peace. It was an intoxicating mixture. A drug that helped you forget how you really felt.

"Shall we watch something?" You asked, wanting to change the subject somehow.

"Sure. Do you want to choose?"

You nodded and he handed you the remote.

"When do you have a plane?"

"Tomorrow evening."

Still looking at the screen, you muttered:

"So we'll have time to do it again."

Joel nodded, sadness appearing in his eyes. He knew you didn't mean vanilla sex. You both knew it.

You both also knew that everything was still wrong. But at that moment, as you sat on the couch together, cuddling together and watching a random movie, everything seemed perfect.

It was a fleeting moment, an illusion of happiness, but You wanted to stay in this bubble for a while longer. * In the morning, you ate breakfast together, which Joel had prepared. Then you agreed to go for a walk with him. You didn't talk much, but you weren't silent either. You weren't hugging or holding each other's hands, but you were walking close enough to each other that at times your shoulders were touching.

From a distance, someone might mistake both of you for good friends, and you thought you were going to treat Joel that way. Like a friend… who fucks you hard on the kitchen counter. A detail you were going to leave out if anyone asked.

You could see that Joel was trying, but he still couldn't stop himself from making sweet gestures. A kiss on the forehead, a pat on the back, pet names… In fact, he was even more affectionate than before. It irritated you at times, but it also intrigued you. You wondered if it was fake, to lull your guard, or if he had really changed.

But it didn't matter that much because you had set the boundary. When he wanted to kiss you goodbye, you placed your hand on his chest. Joel raised his eyebrows and you said,

"Remember… My rules. We don't kiss goodbye like a couple in love. You pack your things, leave, lock the door behind you, and go back to Austin."

Joel's jaw moved anxiously. He felt a twinge of anger but remembered that he wasn't the victim.

"So this is what it's going to be like now?"

"I'm not forcing you to do this, Joel. Besides, you were the one who insisted on the contacts."

He had to admit, you hit the nail on the head. You broke off contact with him, he was the one who couldn't let go.

He let out a long sigh and rubbed his forehead with his hand.

"Okay. But can I… Can I at least kiss you on the cheek?"

You reluctantly nodded and he immediately leaned down and pressed his lips to your cheek.

"Bye." He whispered.

"Bye."

When you closed the door behind him, you slid down the wall and sat on the floor. You pulled your legs to your chest and hissed as you felt how sore you were. But it was good. This is what you wanted. Right?

You sighed heavily and started to think about what you felt. You knew what you were doing wasn't healthy, neither for you nor for Joel. But you couldn't stop it. You felt like it was the only thing keeping you from drowning in despair.

You finally stood up and noticed that Joel had forgotten his green shirt. Or he wanted to mark the area… You took the shirt in your hands and pushed your nose into the material. His scent brought back memories for you. His lips on your forehead, his hand combing through your hair… After a moment, you put aside your sentiments and threw his shirt into the laundry basket.

That evening, before taking a shower, you undressed and stood in front of the mirror in your bedroom. You turned around and looked at the bruises Joel had left. You pressed your finger into the largest bruise on your hip and hissed in pain.

Yes, pain was the last thing that could bring you comfort. *

Joel fell tiredly onto the bed. He felt he was too old to travel all the time, but he wasn't going to give up. He looked at his watch and realized he only had five hours of sleep left.

He groaned and rolled onto his back. He couldn't sleep. His mind was filled with the image of you. He would give anything to have you in his bed again.

He began to wonder if his shirt would bring you comfort. Will you wear it to sleep? This image filled his mind. You, dressed in his shirt, leaning against the kitchen counter with a mug of coffee handed to you by him. He closed his eyes and gripped the sheets tighter. He was determined to fight for you even if he crawls on the ground from exhaustion. *

Part 3

Part 5

Tag list: @fahemzzz @picketniffler @elliaze @txtattoostark @this--is--music @anavatazes @simplyreading96 @o-sacra-virgo-laudes-tibi @southernbe @sarahhxx03 @noisynightmarepoetry @jasminedragoon @pedromousposts @joeldjarin

Permanentny tag list: @harriedandharassed

[sassykattery]

Mentoring

This is a little smut fic I wrote for Diavolo's birthday, but since I have two fics now and this isn't a "birthday-themed fic," I thought I'd post it now.

CW: MC is AFAB and nameless, uses she/her pronouns. Piv sex, creampie, roughness, harsh language.

WARNING: This fic is centered around the CNC kink. I will explain what that is, but if it's something you may not enjoy due to trauma or other issues, please don't read!!!

CNC: Means consensual-nonconsent. The premise of a cnc scene is that beforehand, both partners agree to certain types of rough or aggressive sex that is of "nonconsesual" nature during the scene. The consensual part is the agreement before the actual sex occurs, where safewords, boundaries, and other parameters are in place. Some people call it rape play, I don't necessarily agree with using that as a blanket term for CNC. This is risky and should not be taken lightly, just like BDSM.

Minors and ageless blogs DNI

Third person POV, reader insert

18+ only

Enjoy

"So we are in agreement. We're doing this?"

"Yes... I think so."

"You can't just think so. This is something that could go poorly for both of us if we aren't both on board with it."

She was quiet for a moment, deciding what to say next. Diavolo lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes, a softened but serious look in his.

"I want this. We have our rules, we agreed to the rules, and we know our way out should we need it," she answered confidently.

"Then... so it shall be."

She sighed as she gazed at her test score. It was fine, but she wanted better. Quietly, she folded it and set it aside so she could focus on class. That was, until she saw Diavolo walk in, making a beeline for the teacher's podium.

"Good morning everyone. Your professor had to take leave today, so I will be filling in for the day. His message to you all is to work on your assignments due this week. You may ask me questions if you need to. No lesson for today," Diavolo explained.

The class became quiet and got to work as instructed.

Except her.

She stared up at Diavolo for a solid minute until his eyes finally landed on hers. She raised an eyebrow. The corner of his mouth barely tipped up.

Today was the day.

She began to work on her homework for the next hour, counting the minutes and seconds until class was over. It was so much more distracting to have him there, just steps away from her own desk while he sat at the professor's. The anticipation was building, and all she could do was organize in her head how this would go. Her thoughts were consumed with running each scenario, every word, every single movement they could make. It was so important that this went right, and maybe–

"And that's class. Thank you all for coming. Have a good day," Diavolo announced, standing at the podium. Everyone was already up and leaving, having packed their things while she just sat there daydreaming.

Once the room was cleared out, she cleared her throat quietly and got up from her desk, her test in hand as she walked up to the podium.

"Hey, I had a question," she stated confidently but softly, trying not to intrude. She saw the papers on his podium and knew he was likely busy.

"Yes, what is it?" He replied in his usual candor, golden eyes gleaming and bright white smile beaming.

"I got this score on my test, and I really thought I did better... Is there any way I could... get some help?" She answered, handing him the sheet of paper. He looked over his nose at her and nodded, taking the paper and setting it down to look at.

"I'll see what I can find."

He scanned it over, reading every question and answer. If there was any skill he mastered, it was looking at anything unfazed and replying in a similarly unaffected manner.

"I see. So, you seemed to have not totally understood this concept here, and this one could have been better here," he explained, pointing out to her what he meant. She came closer and nodded, listening carefully. "I think this one could have used a few more examples to drive home your point as well."

She sighed. "Yeah... That's what I thought, too. I wish I'd done better..." she murmured to him.

Her mind became distracted again, thinking about how good he smelled, the amber and musk filling her head with ideas other than this test.

"Are you listening?" He asked quietly, bowing his head to look at her.

"Oh, sorry..." she mumbled.

Finally, she turned her own head up to look at him, and she swallowed thickly at the idea buzzing in her skull, the one making her question every fiber of her moral being.

"Is there... anything I could do to improve my score? Anything at all?" She asked carefully and slowly, bringing herself closer and peering up at him with slightly widened eyes, her expression maybe a little innocent.

"Did you have something in mind?" Diavolo asked in reply, his voice pitching lower in his tenor range smoothly.

She mentally took a deep breath, centering herself. I want this. I want to try this, she thought to herself.

"I mean... What are my options?" She asked, her own voice stepping just a hair lower in pitch as well, leaning into the intensity of the moment. Her body moved closer intentionally, now just mere inches away from his.

"Don't be coy, I think you and I both know what you're implying," he answered, a bit dominantly. "I saw how you stared at me all hour. You can't stand here now and tell me you don't know what you're asking."

Here we go.

"Surely I don't know what you mean..." she stated, sounding slightly shocked.

His arm snaked around her waist, and he snatched her closer, a little roughly, and bowed his head down to whisper in her ear.

"Don't lie. You want me to improve your grade in return for something, right? A little mentoring? Well, I know what it is you want, and I know what I want, so why don't we skip the rest and get to the point?"

She nearly trembled then, with excitement and nerves from how he spoke to her so harshly but still yet so seductively.

"I... I don't understand. I just wanted to see–"

"Shut up, and come here," he snapped quietly in her ear, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her over to the desk. He pushed her against it, wrapping an arm around her when she became off balance from the sudden movements to hold her up. "You asked for it, now I'll make sure you get what you want, and I'll get what I want," he murmured in her ear before biting on the shell of it.

"But–"

"But nothing, now am I going to take these off, or are you going to help?" He interrupted her again, pushing her to sit on the desk and slipping his thick fingers into the belt loops of her slacks with a hard tug.

"No, I really didn't mean–" she tried to insist.

Riiiiiiiiiiiip.

"I guess I'm doing all of the work," he mumbled, quite literally ripping her slacks off with his inhuman strength like the material was paper.

"Dia–"

She started to yelp, but he slapped a hand across her mouth to cover it and keep her quiet.

"Now, are you wanting your classmates to know you want your headmaster to change your grade in exchange for sex?" He challenged her, his gaze piercing her soul. She shook her head. "Then be quiet."

With her torn slacks on the floor in pieces, his hand skimmed up her warm thigh, and he roughly opened it out wide so he could stand between her legs. He looked down and smirked as her underwear peaked out in the creases of her thick thighs and soft tummy.

"You were anticipating this, weren't you? Wearing just a black little lacey thong today. Were you going to ask your professor for this too had he been here?" He mocked her, snapping the band of her panties against her, making her flinch and moving his hand from her mouth. "Answer me," he snapped.

"No, I wasn't asking for this! I–"

She clamped his hand on her mouth again while tutting her. "I said be quiet. Do not yell again unless you want this to get much worse for you," he commanded. She nodded. He smirked at her panicked expression, tears welling up in her eyes. "Now, there's no need for that. I'll give you what you want. Besides, you're going to be good for me, right? This is all for me, and I'll make sure you enjoy it too."

She shook her head, and he ignored her as he slid her panties down her thighs. When she started to fight him, closing up her legs and pulling away, they met the same fate as the slacks. His eyes dilated when he started to see his prize, and instantly got more aggressive.

"Don't. Fight. Me," he barked at her, grabbing both her thighs and throwing them open wider so he could see her perfect little wet pussy on display for him. She still tried to fight against him, pulling away and shaking her head while she whimpered. He sighed and rolled his eyes. Finally, he pinned her down against the desk with his massive hands on her shoulders, papers flying everywhere. "Are you done?"

She stopped for a moment, looking up at him. Her hands had gripped onto his elbows, trying to hang on as he pinned her. She tapped her finger once against his elbow before saying, "Stop! This isn't what I meant at all!" She pleaded with him.

"Oh, but I think deep down it is what you wanted, pet. I think you were waiting for the perfect moment to use your little charms to win me over, but now you have cold feet. You know you want this. Don't worry, I'll take good care of you," he answered menacingly. "I'll make sure you enjoy it, at least a little."

She shook her head and sobbed. Seeing that she wouldn't stop making noises, and he found them to be rather adorable, he snapped his fingers to block sounds within the room from being heard outside.

"What a mess..." he mumbled with a sigh.

He began kissing her on her lips, hoping to shut her up just for a little bit. He ground himself against her body and let his hands wander her body. His fingers made short work of her uniform jacket and blouse, quickly loosening her tie and gaining access to what was beneath it all. He gave a purr of content as he got a glimpse of her. She laid there, still squirming and whimpering, trying to push him off, but that was like pushing on a brick wall when it came to the prince of hell.

"You are beautiful," he murmured in her ear before licking the shell of it a little obscenely. He ducked his head down and left hard kisses, little bites, and trails of his saliva on her chest.

"Stop," she whimpered, turning her head away from him, but he just chased her down with his lips hot on her exposed skin.

He chuckled darkly in her ear and groaned. "I'll even do you a little favor," he told her while he slipped a hand down her exposed form to her pussy. He danced his fingertips along the slit before sliding them past the crevices to reach her clit where he rubbed it generously.

"Noooo..." she groaned, finding it harder to fight against him. "Please don't do that."

"Ohhh, but you're so wet, pet," he murmured to her, and even she couldn't deny how much more slick she became down below. "You're loving this no matter how much you want to deny it."

He trailed his kissed lower and began feasting upon her breasts, sucking and laving his tongue over her perky nipples with elation.

"Finer than any forbidden fruit, sweeter than any sugar," he mumbled against her flesh. "I can't wait anymore."

Diavolo brought his head up to kiss her with his tongue bullying into her mouth. His hands began to unbuckle his belt and send his slacks to his knees. He quickly shed his uniform jacket and loosened his tie.

"You ready, dulcis? I need you," he said huskily in her ear.

Just after he spoke, she felt something warm and hard pressed against her thighs. Pre-cum started to coat her thigh as he rubbed it against her.

"Please don't, please," she pleaded with him, with a tear rolling down her temple.

"Shh, it'll feel good, just enjoy it," he whispered to her.

The demon pried her legs apart again and stood between them, leaning on one hand on the desk while the other grasped his cock to start rubbing the fat head against her little clit.

"Just a perfect little pussy, and all for me," he mused, feeling her slick coating his length. He bowed his head again to murmur in her ear. "Don't fight me. This will go a lot better if you just take it," he warned her before kissing her temple again. All she did was squirm again beneath him.

After pulling his hips back and angling himself, he slid his cock into her, groaning at the overwhelming tightness of her walls.

"Oh god," she whined, trying to worm away from what was bullying its way into her depths.

He chuckled and kept her in place with little effort on his part. "There's no god here to help you now. It's just you and the Demon Lord," he rumbled darkly in her ear.

It took a few more moments for his cock to be fully seated in her. He took the moments after to breathe in her scent, the glistening light sweat on the sides of her neck, and her sweet, sweet arousal. It was fuel for his fire to keep going.

"You're mine. You're all mine, and I'm not letting go," he stated with a malicious chuckle.

The first thrust was rough, and she cried out at how harsh it was. She couldn't help but cling onto him, her little hands gripping the fabric of his shirt along his elbows. He went back to planting a field of dark blooms, hickies and bites galore. With every thrust, he grunted, fighting the urge to completely lose it. Little squeaks and groans fell from her lips as well, signing conjuction with the rattles of the desk.

"Hells, darling, you're going to make me let go too early," he murmured against her neck. "You can't tell me anymore that you didn't want me to fuck you raw on this desk, not with you dripping down your ass and my thighs."

"I didn't," she insisted weakly, knowing she was losing the fight to stop him and now trying to win the fight to make it through to the end.

He grunted again as he made another hard thrust into her. His pre-cum and her wet walls made it such easy glides in and out, but there was something so cute to him about how she squeaked and whined with every pounding he gave her.

Diavolo chuckled again. "Right, and you don't want me to release inside you too, hmm? You don't want to feel me finally fill you up properly, to give you what you've wanted for so long? You wanted to be fucked, and now you're simply getting the best."

"Oh god," she whined again, clutching onto his shirt along his chest.

"God doesn't save whores like you who beg to be filled so deeply," he replied in her ear, his voice much more serene for someone who was doing this.

He kissed her neck and wrapped his arms around her body, trapping her entirely as he made the last few thrusts count. Using the desk as leverage, he leaned forward more to bring her hips up so he could penetrate her deeper. It took all of just mere moments to start moaning and crying with relief as he hit that sweet spot deep inside, and only that many more moments to make her body lock up as the most intense orgasm of her life befell her. The hot sparks of pleasure bloomed from her abdomen and spiraled out to her limbs. The chasm of pleasure was a deep one, and when the Demon Lord felt her walls contract around his cock and pulse, he was pulled down with her into the abyss of carnal bliss. Hot jets of his cum filled her in waves as his hips rocked forward with each one.

When it was over, the pair lay there, heaving and trying to catch their breath. Diavolo was the first to relax and gain his bearings again. He looked down at his human lover, feeling a wave of passion and simultaneous anxiety.

"My love... My love, look at me, please, baby," he cooed to her, stroking her cheeks with his hand.

Her eyes fluttered open. She looked relaxed at peace.

"We're done... Finis," he softly whispered to her, his hand rising up to pet her hair back. She nodded in understanding and let go of her iron grip on his shirt. "Are you okay? Does anything hurt?"

She shook her head and reached up with a trembling hand to touch his cheek next. He smiled and kissed her palm, reaching with his to grasp her hand gently. He bowed his head slightly to prompt her.

"I'm okay. No pain," she finally verbalized it for him.

"That's good. Shall I take you home so you can rest?" He asked her in a throaty murmur. She nodded. Standing upright, he reached for his red uniform coat and wrapped it around her as he pulled her up right. It was already long, and on her, the coat looked like a blanket and kept her decent. He then put himself back in order, slacks up and buckled, and shirt back in place.

He slid his arms beneath her and picked her up effortlessly in a princess carry.

She laid her head against his shoulder and asked him softly, "What about the rest of the day? My classes?"

Diavolo chuckled and shook his head, carrying her out of the door, snapping his fingers to use magic to reorganize the desk they just laid waste to with their fornication. "After that, you deserve some pampering and all the care I can give you." He then bent his head down to whisper to her, "Besides, those are the perks of being the lover of your headmaster, no? I make the rules, I say what goes."

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed.

Post made by sassykattery. Do not repost. Reblogs and comments appreciated

Tags: @delphidreamin @biteable-pink-pixie @itsmeninerz

[sweetcheeksschemmenti]

Beyond The Classroom

Pt. 1

I don’t expect this one to be very popular, this is a self indulgent piece 🫡

Summary: Once a Little Eagle, always a Little Eagle. Melissa keeps that promise to you year after year as she shows up for you in every possible way.

Warnings: Child abuse, neglect, abandonment, over all sad stuff (Mel makes it better!)

WC: 3.9k

Notes: Wrote this because it’s the week before Mother’s Day and I just want my mama (she’s an awful human being and will never be a part of my life again, 6 years no contact). Melissa is a comfort character for me, so I’m using this as a hug from her. I know there are plenty of other people with bad relationships with their moms (gotta love mommy issues), so I thought I’d share in case someone else would also like this hug.

I see you, I love you.

P.s. This story is about 85% based on events I experienced as a child/young adult. I’m thankful every day for the teachers who stepped in to be the parents I didn’t have.

You grew up in a not-so-wonderful household with abusive parents and older siblings who wouldn’t have noticed if you had decided to run away one day. Melissa Schemmenti knew. She was the one person you felt you could confide in as a child. She called CPS on your parents a handful of times during the year she taught you, in hopes of keeping you safe. Unfortunately, with a broken system and a mother who could sweet talk The Devil himself, your parents got off scot-free, leaving you to deal with the aftermath each time.

You would go into school the next day with a new bruise and tears in your eyes. Melissa would hold you close and let you cry all you could before pulling a chair up next to her own so you could be near your safe person all day. When it came time for dismissal, she would hug you extra tight and send a silent prayer to God that you’d walk through the doors again in the morning. On Fridays, she would sneak a Tupperware container of homemade food and a handful of snacks into your bag with a note that said ‘love you, kid’, knowing that your parents restricted your access to food and that she was probably the only person you heard those words from most days. The world sat heavy on your second grader shoulders and Melissa did everything she knew how to make it a little lighter.

Even as you moved on past second grade, Ms. Schemmenti was there. She would check in with each of your teachers at the beginning on the school year and pop in to say hello at lunch from time to time. If you had a particularly rough night at home you would stop by her room and ask her to hold you for a minute before other students arrived. She always obliged.

The day you moved on to middle school, Melissa cried right along with you. Both of you knew she wouldn’t be able to hug the hurt away or keep tabs on you as often. Of course, she made sure you knew how much she loved you, she gave you her personal phone number and said, “No matter how old you get or how far you go, you’ll always be my favorite little eagle. I’ll always be here for you if you need me and I mean it. If things go south at home, you call me and I’ll be there in a heartbeat. You’re gonna be okay.”

As the years passed, Melissa made sure she remained a constant- the only constant, really- in your life. Through your middle school years she became your tutor, meeting you at your school’s library every Thursday after dismissal to help you with your homework. Of course, those sessions were always a little more than just help with homework; she would bring you food and make sure you had clean clothes and basic necessities. One time you let it slip that your mother had ‘forgotten’ to buy you toothpaste and she dropped off a small bag of Colgate tubes on your front porch that night.

When you entered high school, Melissa made an effort to show up for every one of your art shows and track meets. Your parents never even made it to one, but Schemmenti was there. She always was. Your high school teachers even began to think Melissa was your mother; you never corrected them. And when you started working at the hoagie stand your sophomore year, Ms. Schemmenti would stop by once a week to have dinner with you.

The physical abuse dwindled a little as you got older and were able to fight back, but the verbal abuse got worse as a result. At one point during you senior year, your mother kicked you out after throwing a fit about you not inviting her to see you try on prom dresses. You called Melissa and she drove forty-five minutes at three in the morning to get you. Your mother knocked you to the ground and pulled fistfuls of hair, creating a tangled mess. When you were finally able to get her off of you, she screamed at you the entire time you packed your bag.

“FUCK YOU Y/N, YOU SELFISH BITCH! Couldn’t even include YOUR OWN MOTHER! It hurts, it’s almost like not getting invited to your WEDDING!” You dodged books and trinkets she threw at you as you tossed whatever sentimental things you could think of into trash bags to take with you. Photos of your grandparents, your favorite stuffed animal, and some of your artworks made it in before you heard Melissa honking in the driveway.

“You’ve never been my mom,” you seethed with tears streaming down your face as you dragged your bags down the stairs.

She blocked you from leaving at the bottom of the stairs and backhanded you, her ring catching the tender skin beneath your eye. You yelped in pain and stumbled forward, she grabbed you by the throat and squeezed. “You walk out that door and NEVER come back, you hear me? You are worthless, a waste of space and air.” She dug her nails into your skin before she released you and practically pushed you through the front door.

“You’ll never have to deal with me again. You want me out? I’m out.”

Your father followed behind with his fists balled up, “If you ever come back, it’ll be the last time you see daylight!”

Melissa waited for you by the car with her baseball bat, ready to swing if need be. Once your bags were in the backseat, Melissa tossed her baseball bat into the trunk and drove off. Your mother chased the car all the way down the driveway calling you every derogatory thing she could come up with.

The drive to Melissa’s house was silent save for the occasional quiet aob from both parties. Once you arrived, Melissa took your bags inside and walked you up the stairs to her bathroom to nurse your wounds. You winced as she swabbed your cheek with isopropyl alcohol and she frowned. “I’m so sorry, hon. I’m sorry I wasn’t there sooner to stop her.”

“Don’t be, you still showed up when I needed you. It coulda been a lot worse. Thank you,” you cried as you leaned your head against her stomach just like when you were a second grader.

She held you until your tears dried then left the room to grab a change of clothes for you. Moments later, she handed you a pair of her sweatpants and an oversized Eagles t-shirt. “You can take the bed tonight, I’ll sleep on the couch. My spare room doesn’t have a bed right now, but we can fix that tomorrow after I call out of work. You need anything before I head down, kid?”

You looked at the ground, embarrassed to even ask, “Would you maybe… would it be okay if…. never mind, it’s stupid.” You shook your head and climbed under the comforter, it smelled like Melissa.

She somehow knew exactly what you were asking without hearing the words. She climbed into the bed and lifted an arm for you to scoot in. “Of course, sweet girl, it’s not stupid at all. I’ll keep you safe, promise. Try to get some sleep, I’ll be right here.” You settled into her embrace and took a deep breath.

You whispered, “I love you, thank you.”

“I love you too, baby girl. Sleep tight,” she whispered back before pressing a kiss to the top of your head. Sleep was the last thing on her mind as she held you, watching as the rise of your chest slowed. She stayed awake the whole night, guarding your peace.

Late the following morning, you woke up to an empty bed and the sound of people in the house. You popped your head out into the hallway to see Melissa directing three men where to go with the new bed set. She heard the door creak and looked over at you with an apologetic smile, “Hey, hon, sorry to wake you! They’ll be outta here shortly. I called your school and work to let them know you wouldn’t be in for a few days so you don’t have to worry about it. I washed the clothes that were in your backpack, they’re sitting by my bathroom. There’s also a clean towel for you and a new toothbrush on the counter. You’re welcome to use my hairbrush and whatever else you need.” You smiled back at her and closed the door.

You picked an outfit from the pile of folded clothes and shut the bathroom door to shower. Your body was sore from the adrenaline and you groaned in pain as you shed your pajamas. Standing naked in the mirror, you looked over the marks your mother left on you. The nail marks on your neck were already scabbed over, but the gash under your eye was bruised and definitely going to leave a scar. You traced your fingers along each mark, tears forming in your eyes. The shower was hot enough to leave your skin red, you wanted to burn away any remnants of what happened to you. You sobbed loudly as you tried to detangle the mess of hair your mother created, it hurt and you were so worried that you’s just have to cut it all off.

There was a soft knock at the door. “Ya decent?” You opened the door for her and she gently took the brush from your hands. She directed you to sit backwards on the toilet while she worked at the knots on your head. You nearly fell asleep sitting there as she hummed and massaged conditioner into your hair, working diligently to make sure you kept your beautiful hair.

“You sleep okay,” She asked as she rinsed your hair in the sink.

“That was the best sleep I’ve had in a very long time. I haven’t slept in a bed in months, it was so soft.” You said it like it was nothing.

She paused. “Whatduya mean you haven’t slept in a bed in months?”

You sighed deeply. “They took my bed away because they said I was a whore and didn’t deserve one. I told them that I’m a virgin and they took the door off of my room, callin’ me a liar.” You hadn’t told her that detail when you saw her at one of your track meets a few months before. You figured you’d shared enough heartbreaking details with the woman, she didn’t need to be even more worried about you.

Hot tears silently flowed down her cheeks. She was angry. Not at you for not telling her, but at the low-lifes you called parents. “You gotta be fuckin’ kiddin’ me,” she spat. She was ready to call in one of her favors from The Tire Iron. “Well I’ll tell ya one thing, kiddo, you ain’t goin’ back there ever again. You’ll never be without ‘long as I’m around, ya got it? And you’re welcome to stay here for as long as you want, no strings attached.”

You choked back your own tears. “Thanks, Ms. Schemmenti. I truly appreciate you.” She wrapped your hair in a towel and you turned to hug her. “What would I do without you?”

“Starve, apparently,” she teased when your stomach growled loudly. She grabbed your chin to look at you, “And no more ‘Ms. Schemmenti’. You can call me Melissa, Mel, Aunt Mel, whatever you want, just not that. You’re family, kid. Now c’mon, I’ll make you something to eat before we head out for a shopping trip.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Her brow furrowed, “You tryin’ to make me feel old? None of that ma’am stuff either.” You giggled and followed her down to the kitchen.

She made French toast and sausage and you devoured the meal in just a few bites. Satisfied with you having eaten, she grabbed her purse, dragged you to the car and pulled out of the driveway. Along the way, she asked you to make a list of anything you might need or want. You took your phone out and looked at it for the first time that day. The screen was full of awful messages from both of your parents and extended family members. You chose to clear the screen and turn off notifications without reading them all and opened your notes app to jot down a few things you knew you missed when packing bags.

Melissa pulled into the mall parking lot and looked over at you, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, what happened?”

You rubbed your eyes and tried to fake a smile, “Nothin’, I’m just tired.” She knew you well enough to know when you were lying, but she wasn’t going to push you on the subject.

“Mkay, kid. If you decide you wanna talk about it, you know I’ll always listen. And you know I’d kill for ya.” She gently nudged you with her elbow and the two of you made your way into the mall. You showed her your list and she took charge, guiding you around to every clearance rack and bargain bin in the vicinity. You paid for the majority of your new finds, but she insisted on helping with funds here and there. Many stores later Melissa stopped for a bathroom break and you found yourself in front of Auntie Anne’s. Remembering how much she loved soft pretzels- she’d get one every field trip- you decided to buy two, one for each of you. It was a very small token of gratitude, but you knew she’d be excited.

When she exited the bathroom, she scanned the food court for you and found you sitting at a table with all the bags. She sat down across from you and you pushed the soft pretzel her way with a little cup of honey mustard, “Thank you for today. Normally I hate shopping, but you made it fun.”

She gave you an upside down smile and took a bite. “I’m glad I could be a good distraction for ya, hon. And thank you for this!” She clinked her pretzel with yours to ‘cheers’ the day. As you finished your pretzels in silence while people watching, a dress shop on the upper level caught your eye. Despite trying on prom dresses, you never actually bought one.

Melissa‘s eyes followed your gaze and when she spotted the shop she knew what she was going to do. “Hey, I know you said you normally hate shopping, but since we’ve been having so much fun today… why don’t we keep the fun going and go pick out your prom dress? It’s what, two weeks out?”

You shook your head, “Nah, I can’t afford it now that I’ve spent half my savings on shit I needed today. Besides, I got to do prom last year, I’m alright missing out on this one.” You played with the straw in your drink absentmindedly and took the last bite of your pretzel.

Melissa thought back to the conversations she had with you about how excited you were for your senior prom. You buzzed about it every time the two of you spoke for months, it broke her heart to see you resign to not going. “My treat, hon. And I ain’t takin’ no for an answer, I know how bad you wanna go. C’mon,” she said as she prodded you up and dragged you to the dress shop.

You spent about an hour browsing and trying on different dresses, even somehow convinced Melissa to try one on with you for shits and giggles. You pretended not to see her sneak a picture in the mirror of the two of you in the matching dresses, a sweet moment she wanted to remember forever. Finally, you found the right one. The a-line strapless dress stopped mid calf, it was wine red and fit like a dream. When you emerged from the dressing room to show her, she gasped.

“Oh, beautiful girl! My favorite little eagle isn’t so little anymore.” She stuck her bottom lip out in an upside down smile as she reached to tuck your hair away from your eyes. She took a small step back and asked you to spin so she could see it all. The smile on your face told her you made your choice. With misty eyes she pulled you into a tight hug, limiting your ability to breathe.

“I can’t… breathe… help,” you choked out. The redhead lessened her squeeze and apologized but didn’t let go, she needed that moment to collect herself. You stood there embracing each other for a couple of minutes before Melissa finally released you. Once you changed back into your clothes, she took the dress to the register and paid.

You walked out together and stuffed all the bags in the trunk, laying the dress flat in the backseat. “Thank you. For everything, Aunt Mel. For a few hours, it didn’t feel like my world was crashing down around me. I’m lucky to have you.”

She kissed her fingers and then pressed them to your cheek before she started driving. “I’m pretty lucky to have you too, kid. And I’ll always be here to pick up the pieces when you need me.”

The drive back to Melissa’s house was quiet, aside from the classic rock station playing the weekly hits countdown. You checked your silenced notifications to see even more messages and missed calls from your family, Melissa glanced over and saw them too. “If you want, we can change your number this week, that way they can’t bother you anymore,” Melissa offered.

“They still pay for my phone, I can’t. They’d cancel my service the moment they found out.” You shoved your phone back into your pocket.

“Then I’ll just move you over to my cell plan. They don’t deserve the power they have over you, hon.” You opened your mouth to protest but stopped when she pointed at you. “Let me help, please. Because I can and I want to.”

“Thanks, Aunt Mel.”

A few minutes later you arrived back at the townhouse and dragged all of your new belongings up to your new room, hanging up the dress immediately. Melissa said she’d help you make the bed and get settled once she got dinner in the oven. While she was working in the kitchen, you curled up on the couch and flipped the TV on, settling on ‘Rick Steves’ Europe’ reruns. Rick’s comforting voice began to lull you to sleeping and you didn’t have the energy to fight it.

Melissa walked in to tell you she was ready and found you fast asleep. Her heart melted at the sight. She draped the couch blanket over you and lightly tucked it in so as to not disturb your slumber. ‘How could anyone hurt something so precious,’ she thought to herself. After she tucked you in, she made her way upstairs to gather your new sheets and comforter to wash them before starting on the rest of the room.

She grabbed the basket of your clothes from her own room and began to hang them up in your closet. Once she finished the task, she cleaned out the dresser and filled it with your socks, pants, and undergarments. One by one, she removed her family photos from the walls and replaced them with the handful of framed photos you brought with you. She recognized your grandparents’ photo from the one time she had met them at the beginning of your second grade year, right before they passed. They were your best friends, you were safe when they were around. Melissa decided to place the picture on your nightstand so that they’d be watching over you every night. Lastly, she organized your toiletries in the guest bathroom and set out a fresh set of towels and one of her robes.

Satisfied with her progress, she took a short break to check on you, change over the laundry, and take out the lasagna. You were still asleep and she didn’t want to disturb you so she ate alone in the dining room and texted her mother.

Mel: Hey, Ma. You mind setting an extra place at the table for family dinner on Sunday?

-Ma: Hot date?

-Mel: Nah. You remember me telling you about Y/N?

-Ma: You’ve talked about her for the last ten years, yeah I remember. Is the poor kid okay? Her parents treating her like shit again?

-Mel: They kicked her to the curb, said she wasn’t welcome back. She’s staying with me for as long as she needs to.

-Ma: Of course I’ll set an extra place for her, Amore. She need anything? You need anything?

-Mel: She needs all the love she can get, just make her feel like family. I’ve got everything else handled. Thanks, Ma.

-Ma: We can do that. Talk soon.

She finished her meal and gathered the clean bedding from the laundry room, making her way back upstairs to make your bed. Once the sheets were on, she fluffed the comforter and pillows before opening your backpack to retrieve your favorite stuffed animal, Mr. Bunz. Even at eighteen, you slept with him tucked in your arms every night. She hugged the well-loved bunny to her heart and thought back to the day she gave him to you. Right before holiday break your third grade year, she pulled you aside at dismissal and tucked him into your backpack. She told you to give him a hug whenever you needed to feel loved and she wasn’t around to give you a hug herself. Little did she know, that was the only gift you received that year.

Melissa placed him in the middle of the pillows, like the cherry on top, and went back downstairs to wake you for dinner. She sat on the arm of the couch and gently began to run her fingers through your hair. “You need to eat somethin’, sweetheart,” she whispered as your eyes fluttered open. You stretched and sat up, leaning your head against her leg.

“What time is it?”

“About 7:30. You’ve been through a lot the last 24 hours, figured you could use the rest. I got your room all set up for ya. I’ll heat up your plate and we can watch a movie before bed. How’s that sound?”

You rolled off the couch and rubbed your eyes. “Sounds good,” you yawned. You followed the redhead into the kitchen and sat at the counter. She warmed your plate in the microwave and placed it in front of you with a glass of water. You demolished your meal like you hadn’t eaten in days, complimenting her cooking after every other bite. You washed your dishes and then made your way back to the living room, joined by Melissa. She turned on one of your favorite comedy movies and watched the light return to your eyes a little more with each scene.

Sitting there, laughing at the stupid jokes on the screen with the closest thing you’ve ever had to a real mom, with a full stomach and a warm bed waiting for you upstairs, you realized something.

For the first time in your eighteen years of life, you were finally home.

[nadianova]

How much time do you spend planning some of your visual novels? At least going by some of them being jam submissions, it feels like you go from pre-production to a finished build very quickly, and it's amazing how you can manage that while still having an awesome story and so many assets.

Also, what is like, the process of planning a story out for you, if there's any vague or concrete similarities that you've noticed?

i think the important context here is that if i get bored/have nothing to do i jhust immediately get really suicidal its like ridiculous how bad it gets(ITS FINE DONT WORRY ABOUT IT IVE HAD 5 YEARS OF THERAPY). so i hate being bored and want to occupy my time wit something fun whatever that is. if i have a project to focus on but especially if I'm working for a game jam i have a deadline and i just decide to myself okay i will release a game now.

because ive made a decent amount of games i roughly have an idea on my capabilities, i can estimate how long it takes for me to write a story so and so long and how long it takes for me to draw stuff i need and how long it takes for me to throw stuff in renpy. these are estimates like as in I'm not accurate with it but still enough that i generally know where to start cutting ideas since the most important part is just having something to submit. i also know to plan around my brain wanting to slam my head into a wall an my hands suddenly giving up on being able to draw.

i think thats the beauty of game jams it forces you to just go for it and release something. releasing a 'bad' game is better than no game at all. experience only comes over time and i think just going for it is the best approach there is. like its literally 2 weeks 1 month whatever of your life. if you have the time and motivation go for it. make it work or fuck it up it wont matter in the grand scheme of things

im not sure what is the motivation behind the question but i do want to point out that this is just my method (if you can even call it a method) and the only way to figure out what works for you is to just try until you find something that actually works for you

idk not everyone will find it doable/fun to plan around spending two weeks gamedev 10 hours a day just cause i wanted to fit in 100 cgs for a jam game but apparently i can do that when i cheat my stupid adhd brain into hyperfocus with adhd meds

READMORE BECAUSE I CANT STOP RAMBLING

as for planning tho i think ideas on their own are worthless and its always about execution in the end. a great idea or a meh idea are the same for me but i do still enjoy the planning process so i keep notes

like i see a great tumblr post or i see some art or visual novel has some scene that inspires me: i save that shit for myself

having a big collection of random floating ideas like that helps me easily pick from especially during a jam type duration. right now i have like 4-5 half-baked project skeletons, some are literally like 3 pictures and some like naomida are a hundred hours worth of me writing world building about how the toilets work in a city with no plumbing cause its -30celcius(i love bringing this up)=

i dont normally plan that much, i tend to just wing it. like for malmaid i seriously just had some rough ideas and just went along as i wrote

same thing for dddeviance i had a handful of scenes that i really wanted to make and knew what kind of start and end it was meant to have and just figured out how to fill the in between. a lot of plot points changed vastly like halfway through i realised my devil + angel combination was stupid and i should just go for fallen angel + angel.

i think there really is no simple answer tho (as evident from the long as hell post) i don't really have a 'process' because every single game has been worked on has come with different type of planning since I'm always trying new stuff to try and distract me from boredom. like I've been using obsidian for naomida while previously I've just used a empty discord serve as my notes app for malmaid and dddeviance

and tbh with naomida I'm running to a new problem where I'm definitely planning too much. like I'm spending too much time fidgeting with details in chapter 4 even when i haven't finished writing chapter 1 just cause its so easy to get in the loop of "oh ill just change this one line" and boom 20 mins spent playing with my notes that didn't really progress my game since by the time i reach this point the whole scene might have shifted to something else

.

but if i had to squeeze an answer itd be something like everything related to my art or writing or games is just like "oooooo that seems fun i should remember this for later" and then i just string 10-100 of those into a story

i tend to write my stories in a format of

character A does this and that

this happens here

puppy play ryona piss orgasm

new day and then this happens here

sad thing happens

more piss orgasm

the end

and just like start filling in more details and working on my story in a nonlinear fashion until i feel like i have a strong enough skeleton that i can start writing my scenes. i hop around a lot, often preferring to write the fun scenes first like ero stuff or the ones I'm the most interested in and then the rest is just filling the blanks and stringing the cool scenes together

[cosmic-spider]

The decision

— — — — — — — — — —

After the human left I looked at the paper she filled out. Seeing if anything they wrote down was off? It looked…fine. But to many thoughts went running around my mind.

What if she worked at the factory?

She could be a spy for the ones that were looking for.

No I can’t allow her to get into out town. We did so much to have this place. But, at the same time we are having a harder time with the outside world.The supply for stuff is getting thin with the shipment people getting suspecios of not seeing anyone.

Plus we do need some one to help out in the school especially the daycare. The Orphans also need to learn how to interact with people. Others of there own kind.

They may be able to be of help. They were nervous during the meeting, but that’s expected with the way things were done. But they were rather calm and nice to me in a sense. They even said goodbye to me and were very kind with Bobby Bearhug when they came in.

I continued to think of what to do. The was Bobby talked about them. It showed that they were as kind and gentle as they were here even bud they were a bit nervous and confused.

After a bit I called the them.

As I discuss the options of what to do with the human. They all gave their own opinions, so I’m saying to not let her in this thing it might be good for the orphans, and for others to know how to interact.

After a bit, we all agreed we will allow the human to be here. As long as one or two of us can keep an eye on them.

Some of them were still suspicious and said they want to keep a low profile and not interact with them so I love them too.

One in particular was very offputting by the decision, he  leaned on the wall as we continue to talk about what we could do. He seem to be in his own head at the same time, listening into what we all said.

After a bit, I have decided where we would keep the human as well as what job offers they would be allowed.

I just hope that what I’m doing would cause any harm.

— — — — — — — — —

Y/n pov

After a week I went back to the field with a few things to keep me occupied as I waited for Bobby.

I felt uneasy, as well as excited on what their leaders decision will be. I hope that they allowed me in since I was running out of money to pay for a another day at a hotel. I only had enough for about three more days, not including for food and for cleaning my clothes.

So I was getting into a rough situation at the moment.

After a bit, I heard a the sound of something off in the distance. It was muffled, but it was fine. It sounded almost like squeal.

I looked over where the sound was coming from inside was the force close by maybe a good five maybe 10 minute walk from the field.

 I just had to go check what it was. When I eventually got to the edge of the for the squealing got louder, seem to be only a bit more father in.

Turn around look at the fields, checking to see if Bobby or anything else was close by. They close was clear. And then walk to the forest for a bit the son of the school and got louder it’s almost sounded like there was more than one thing making the sound.

After a bit, I didn’t saw some thing off in a few bushes moving around it looked to be…orange?

As I walked closer to what it was, I thought it was more color sticking out of the bush, purple blue, yellow, red.

When I eventually move the bushes over to see what it was, I looked down to see about 6 to 7 ….plushies?

It was strange they look to be regular kids toys plushies but they were alive?

When one of them notice me the others as well did, and most of them squealed and run away. Only leaving one of them that seem to be a plush orange and brownish gold dog plush.

As I got on my knees to take a better look at them, he gave me a small grow, trying to be intimidating.

Hey it’s OK buddy I’m not gonna hurt you. I just wanna see what’s wrong OK?

Looking over at the plush, I see that they seem to be tangled in a bit of thorns as well as pieces of their leg and lower body having cuts from the thorns.

I move my hand closer to it, but the dog plus just growled at me and backed away. Then a yelped in pain as it pulled on the thorns.

Hey hey it’s OK it’s OK  I’m not gonna hurt you I want to help OK?

I move my hand closer to it.The plush only looked at me and fear closing his eyes, and turn its head, almost getting ready for an impact of some thing. 

Grabbing bit of thorns, and pulling them out of the dog pleasure then pick it up by its little front arms seen the damage it had.

The dog plushy’s eyes opened up and confusion, and looked at me confused as they held it up to my eye level.

See, I told you I was gonna hurt you little guy. I haven’t looked over it’s lower half seeing that had a few cuts, and even a bit of stuff in coming out.

You’re pretty banged up little guy here let me just get my sewing kit.

I didn’t held him with one hand as a thin, looked into my purse and got my mini sewing kit always brought a long since I always got my clothing stuck on the door or some thing as well as over here in the field since it was always get a river something whenever I fell or played a little bit too rough with Bobby.

They took out the needle and a School, close of a color scheme to us plush fabric. The plush then looked at me scared, and turned away at the side of the needle.

Hey, it’s OK I’m not gonna do anything to you. I’m just gonna saw these little openings you have.

After a bit, I so close to feel openings that it had one on the side of it, still make another one on the top of its hind leg, where it connects to the body base. I finish sewing and cut it off the thread.

There are more than little guy. How do you feel?

The dog place looked at me confused, and looked down at the stitches. And then grow big smile then jumped out of my hands and onto me. It started to work and rub his head against my cheek and neck.

Well, they’re little guy almost gave me a freight. Well I’ll take this as a thank you.

The little dog then looked around, for I think the others. If not, I said, the other ones were gone as well so within got off of me and went off to a few wishes to the side, it looked at me for a few seconds before running off.

YYYYYYY/NNNNNNN!

Y/N ARE YOU HEAR.

WERE ARE YOU!!

Getting up I ran over to were Bobby was. Hey wear were you?

Sorry about that I saw a butterfly and sallowed it into the forest close by. I told her as I then gave her a hug. So what’s the news? What did he decided?

Well they will let you in but, you’ll be under watch for a bit. Since there going to be causes about you.

Ok I’m fine with that. I also finished out the packet he gave me. I then when to my page getting it out and handing it to Bobby.

[thelittlepinkwitchblog]

THE SEAGULLS OF WATERDEEP - A ONESHOT

First off, hello I am not dead just inactive.

I don't usually post much of my writing but here I am, and I'll be 100% honest, this idea has been bouncing around my brain since i made that initial post I dont know when (idk how to link posts but its there somewhere), about the Seagulls of Aberdeen by Scottish comedy group Weegie Hink Ae That? With respect to the source of my setting (the person whose story has me in a vice grip), this one-shot takes place in sort of the “in-between-scenes” of a story like @galebrainrot2024 ‘s on-going series, a former school rivals to friends to more (?) Kind of story. Come into my mind scape, where Tav went to Blackstaff with Gale as kids, they were rivals, and for whatever reason Tav went on to multiclass as a Sorcerer-Bard in order to make a better living or fulfill a passion or whatever, I didn't really think about that until I'm literally writing this intro thing. I like my Tav being F personally but I wrote this as an genderless Tav so I hope everyone can enjoy ^_^

Setting - the party camps in a relatively safe area for the night, allowing everyone to relax a bit from the Ilithid problem, along with the array of personal quests to be fulfilled. Gale made a hearty stew and everyone decided that they should have a little bit of wine as a treat for their weeks of steady hard work. Karlach was the first companion found by Tav after the crash, and so she requested a song the bard had played before meeting the rest of the party. Takes place after the meeting with Elminster.

***

“Oh, oh, sing that funny one about the seagulls!” Karlach almost vibrated from excitement, the heat of her skin radiating more than the well tended campfire. Tav looked around, at the reactions of their companions. Halsin and Wyll both nodded at them encouragingly, Astarion shrugged nonchalantly. Gale had been quiet for days, as quiet as one could expect from him; ever since Elminster quelled the orb with Mystra's blessing, so that he could, well, never mind. Tav observed him as he ran his fingers over the hem of his purple linen chemise, a silent glimpse into the torrent of his mind. “You'll love this one wizard, it's about your home turf.” Having caught on to her friend's gaze, the teifling deliberately brought the wizard from his thoughts and into the circle of conversation.

“Honestly, I would love to hear it.” He did his best to smile, to seem like his usual self, but Tav could see a forlornness deal within his eyes, having taken root in his heart since the orb was silenced.

“Yes, Tav. Do indulge us.” Shadowheart added, taking another sip of wine.

Tav waved their hand, silently summoning a lute with their Bardic Arcana, an act of casual magic that made Gale's heart skip, though for a moment he thought it was the now slumbering orb. Checking the tune with a single strum across the cords, Tav's lips curled into a cat's grin, obviously pleased to have been asked to provide entertainment during their rest. “Alrighty then, if you know the words, sing along.” Playing a simple intro, Tav began to sing, their accent, what dear readers would recognize as Scottish, clearly audible. “Oh the seagulls o'er in Waterdeep, have you seen the fucking size of the seagulls in Waterdeep?” Expecting a ballad that was aforementioned funny, Gale surprised himself when he burst out laughing with everyone else after the first crass line.

“Oh the seagulls o'er in Waterdeep, I watched one fight a granny at the Harbour in Waterdeep.”

Karlach joined into a rough harmony, Tav altering their pitch to accommodate the joyful teifling. “I thought I must be Water-dreamin’ up I wasnae, the big ol' bastard's devil eyes staring right through me. I thought I must be Water-dreamin’ but I wasnae, the big ol’ bastard chased me down and tried to kill me.” Shadowheart, Wyll, and Halsin all joined in with the chorus, Astarion enjoyed the spectacle too much to join, Lae'zel had left to train, and Gale was too busy marveling at how easily Tav smoothed over any friction that may have arisen during the day; any disagreement or tension between comrades was quickly forgiven or forgotten the moment they sat by the fire with their lute and vocal chords. As the bridge came and Tav's voice easily shifted higher, their eyes met for a single moment before the bard turned to Karlach, saying something quickly between verses. “Oh the seagulls o'er in Waterdeep they scream. Karlach, make the seagulls noise! Oh the seagulls o'er in Waterdeep they scream,”

“Wawa wawawa wawawa wawawawa!” With her whole chest, Karlach did her best seagull impression, flapping her hands to imitate wings.

“Oh the seagulls o'er in Waterdeep they scream,”

“Wawa wawawa wawawa wawawawa!” Shadowheart had joined Karlach's impression, her cheeks red from the wine most of them had consumed with the dinner Gale had prepared.

“Oh the seagulls o'er in Waterdeep,” Slowing the tempo, none knew the final line the Bard would deliver, the final blow to a song that almost had tears of laughter flow. “I watched one bust a nut at the Harbour in Waterdeep.” Shaking his head as Tav flourished on the lute in finality, he struggled for breath as his fingers clasped the bridge of his nose.

A moment of applause rang through the clearing as Tav said their thanks and seemed to humbly accept whatever praise or criticism came their way. Though no complement could surpass Gale’s; Tav's heart swelled almost painfully at his breathy laughs as he muttered to himself with a half smile, almost hiding his face in his hand to suppress himself. “Oh sweet Gods above, I needed that.”

***

please be kind to me with criticisms, be constructive but I'm sensitive k thanks

Okay, I love you, Gods bless ♡ bye ♡

[goldeneyedgirl]

@sonyawix Alas, my exile was self-imposed until I wrote something. Even Whumptober didn't produce anything worthy of seeing (gave me some future ficlet ideas that will be fun though). I do not deserve tumblr-time when I apparently decided to just not write at all during 2024.

So I skipped ahead and started on this year's Ficmas offerings instead (now is the time to make your demands), and I always make sure I have some new Anathema for you! We have a little scene from Ch 3ish, for the second 'official' meeting of the Cullens.

Adding Demon Jasper and Feral Jasper/Mary-Alice to the upcoming list. Honestly, I was not expecting Demon Jasper to make a blip on anyone's radar, I am delighted people enjoyed that verse. And I love that My Nonsense (anything involving Mary-Alice) sparks joy for anyone.

So I offer up this part of Anathema, and hope it sparks joy. One thing I am loving about Anathema is that the first half pretty much outlined itself. We love fics that have direction and aspiration.

I always love hearing from you, Sonya, thank you for the message <3

Notes: This was an experimental scene to fix the pacing of the first meeting vs the Cullens getting involved with the Brandons. I wanted to establish that Edward and Alice will have a rapport in this fic, and to set more of the scene of how the Cullens do end up in cahoots with the rest of the Council. And to lay a lot of groundwork for Alice getting to know the Cullens as individuals.

There's a fairly robust few scenes between the first meeting and this that I'm not happy with yet. Even these parts are extremely rough. I've also been doing a lot of research into supernatural creatures and cryptids around North America to try and work on world-building a little more (some of this is a throwback to the OG draft of Afterglow which was fun). So any details that don't entirely match up have been noted and will be fixed when this gets posted on AO3.

--

The second time we officially run into the Cullens is more than three weeks later. And it goes about as well as anything else in my life does as the unluckiest person to ever live.

This is one excursion that I am allowed out of the house for - other than taking Dulcie's purse to her at the salon, and riding my bike to pick up Chinese food for dinner, I have been house-bound. It's almost as if Freddie - and Sue, for that matter - are certain that if I am not under full supervision, I'll run away to the Cullen house to join them all in whatever debauchery vampires get up to all day.

Which, from Dulcie's gossip, seems to be mostly work at the hospital for Dr Cullen, and going to high school for the 'kids'. Very scandalous. But despite me pointing out that I didn't know (precisely, yet) where the Cullen house is and that sneaking around both Forks Hospital and the high school were only going to draw the attention of gossips and probably Charlie Swan in an official capacity, Freddie kept both eyes on me.

I was going a little stir-crazy - not only had I been on house arrest, we'd only had one 'client', and he'd just been placed in cold storage whilst private preparations were made. So when Charlie summoned us all to the backwoods for a meeting, I wasn't complaining. Even tramping through the mud of the woods to have a secret clandestine meeting was better than cleaning or sitting around the apartment.

But no one was expecting Charlie Swan to be standing in our clearing with three figures. Three figures that nearly had me running back to the car. Lamia. Freddie's hand clamped down on my shoulder firmly; not to be cruel, but to protect me - showing any kind of aversion to a lot of the creatures that passed through was dangerous. It provoked some of them to strike. And lamia loved young girls.

"These three were passing through," Charlie Swan said uncomfortably. "Left a mess in Port Angeles."

"Very gracious of Mister Swan to introduce us." The tallest was over six feet, with waist-length dark hair. But like all old Lamia - and there were more than you'd think, honestly - she was unnaturally thin, her skin bleached, like she'd been forgotten in the sun for too long. Her hair looked sharp and brittle, like fine wire. And as she spoke, a serpentine hiss caught on the tails of her words. The only spark of colour was the dried-blood colour of her eyes and sockets - even her lips and tongue were stained black. Her fingernails were unnaturally long and looked more like bone than anything resembling keratin.

"What kind of mess?" Harry Clearwater said flatly. He wasn't subtle; he'd brought a shotgun.

The two younger Lamia looked down, as if regretful.

"We fed." The words are simple but every adult around me visibly recoils. I'm kind of numb to it - maybe it would be more horrific if I was older.

But the way that the Lamia speaks - almost smugly, as if to intentionally upset everyone here - annoys me beyond explanation. Odds are that anyone they fed on was young enough to have a mom and dad waiting at home for them, worried. That they wouldn't even get simple news that they were gone - they'd have to wait weeks for DNA testing to confirm who this bony old bitch had torn into.

"You need to go." Everyone swings around to look at me, and I'm kind of surprised I spoke as well. My words sound polite but firm, and there's a distinct undercurrent there I barely recognize in myself. I don't think I've ever spoken that way to anyone in my life.

"Excuse me, child?" Her eyes narrow.

//

I can see it happening as if it's in slow-motion; Harry lifting the shotgun, one of the younger Lamia reaching out for him with a look that meant someone was going to die; Charlie Swan had his service weapon out and I just… stepped forward and shoved the monster backwards.

It was gross, honestly. Between their age and their powers, their clothing is essentially a second flesh-covered skin that crackles under my hands. Their actual skin is so thin that I could feel, for that split second, all their organs churning. The smell of blood was overpowering, and I just wanted her to break into a million pieces.

Except...

//

"That was the most disgusting thing I have ever lived through," I half-shrieked as I made my way back to the meeting place. Sue followed with the flashlight, offering platitudes. "Why do these creatures always decide to be disgusting around me? I'm not going to be able to salvage any of those clothes."

"She could have killed you, Alice. You should have left her alone." Sue's words aren't convincing; the look on her face when I had stepped forward meant she saw imminent death was coming for both Harry and Charlie before I intervened.

"Well, she succeeded in murdering that pair of jeans," I said crankily, turning into the clearing. "…Oh."

The Cullens had shown up, and none of them looked happy.

And of course, I was now wearing a pair of flannel pyjama bottoms with bleach stains and an oversized Newtons Outfitters hoodie, with my hair scraped off my face from my impromptu water-bottle hair wash. I looked like I'd just rolled out of bed, and the Cullens looked like they'd stepped out of the pages of Vogue.

Jasper lingered just behind the bigger one - Emmett, I think I'd heard someone call him. He nodded at me when I met his gaze, and it was almost like he … relaxed somehow.

I was mostly embarrassed that I looked like this in front of him. He was wearing the softest looking black sweater I had ever seen, and immaculate jeans. My jeans were soaking in a bait bucket full of salt and vinegar, and would still be thrown in the garbage.

Just once, I wanted to look less like a grubby schoolgirl in front of him. Them. Not being swallowed up by thrift store winter coats or rejected clothing stashed in the car for incidents like this.

This absolutely wouldn't be an issue if I went to school. I'd be able to wear all the cute outfits I'd been planning in front of him - them - and look vaguely normal.

"We heard there was a meeting," Dr Cullen began. "We weren't notified."

"You weren't invited," Billy Black shot back firmly. "Your role is to keep us informed if others of your kind are in the area. The rest of our business doesn't involve you."

Freddie looked warily between the Council and the Cullens. "We gather as necessity dictates, and which parties are required," he said neutrally. "This was not a meeting that required your presence."

"Can we know what the meeting was about?" The red-headed boy stepped forward with the kind of confidence that belied his apparent age. "It would be helpful if we knew what was in the area."

Silence.

"We keep the area safe for the residents. We get a lot of things passing through," Charlie Swan said finally.

"But it would be immensely helpful if we knew exactly what we were dealing with - especially if injuries present at the hospital," Dr Cullen said earnestly.

I made a face - I remembered the absolute panic at Forks Hospital when the Nezhit had blown through a few years back. Having someone in the know dealing with the hospitalisations wouldn't be the worst idea…

…Who was I kidding, I was willing to make any argument if it meant I might be able to have a conversation with Jasper where I wasn't wearing glorified pyjamas, probably reeking of vomit. I definitely needed to stash more toiletries in the back of the car from now on.

I slunk towards a nearby boulder to take a seat, Freddie looking over to make sure I didn't stray too far. I knew there would be a lecture about my actions with the Lamia when I got home - even if I was preventing at least two gruesome murders, the rule was that I observed silently.

"Injuries are typically very low," Sue Clearwater said in a no-nonsense tone. "We manage fine."

"But didn't you just say that she was nearly harmed?" Mrs Cullen gestured at me. "Sweetheart, what happened?"

I scowled. "Lamia," I said, and Emmett Cullen let out a chuckle at the sound of loathing in my voice. "Did you know that the young ones don't so much as spit venom, but kind of projectile vomit when startled? And their venom is more along the lines of 'caustic rotting human tissue smoothie'? It was chunky."

"That is disgusting," the blonde girl said sharply.

"It was. And I was covered in it," I said, jumping when I heard a rumble coming from my left. Jasper; he looked pissed. Was he growling again?

"Why were you anywhere near them?" he asked, in that rough voice that sounded like it wasn't used very often, his eyes piercing through me.

"Easy, Jas," Emmett turned to look at his brother.

"She was going for Harry's throat," I said. "I just gave her a shove."

"You shoved a Lamia?" Dr Cullen looked at me with bewilderment.

"I'm not allowed to carry a weapon," I replied. Both Dr and Mrs Cullen looked taken aback.

"We need to be present at these meetings," Jasper said abruptly. "For protection."

"Protection?" Harry Clearwater sneered. "From you?"

"We'd be happy to help," Mrs Cullen tried again, and the blonde girl scoffed.

"We're faster and stronger than most other creatures," the redhead said - Edward? That might have been his name.

"I mean…" Charlie Swan looked at my uncle. "Not many things we come across will try and negotiate with a local coven. It could encourage a lot of them to move on sooner."

"We don't need a voice in these meetings unless they directly involve us," Dr Cullen continued. I was watching the negotiations without drawing attention to the fact that Jasper was moving closer to me, leaning against the other end of the rock I was perched on - and honestly, trying not to giggle at how unsubtle he was being. "We simply want to make sure that none of you come to harm doing your duties."

"I really don't think this is necessary." Sue looked angry and was talking in that short, clipped way she did before she was about to blow - I remembered what happened when Seth and his friends tried to make s'mores with a cut gasline when Seth was, like, eight.

"A Lamia could have killed any of you before anyone could react. You could have been scraping Alice's remains off the rock," Edward shot back.

"Where did they go, anyway?" I asked, forgetting my plan to avoid drawing attention to the fact that Jasper was only three feet away from me - and that was a generous estimate.

"Alice, come over here," Freddie insisted, and I pretended not to hear him.

"They didn't stick around," Charlie Swan said shortly. My gaze fell to the shotgun in Harry's hands.

"We were downwind," Emmett winked at me.

"They won't return - they're heading up to Canada," Edward added before his gaze fell towards Jasper. "No."

"They attacked her," Jasper said, looking at his brother with a flat gaze. "They moved to attack the whole group."

"And they killed some kids in Port Angeles," I volunteered. "Probably teenage girls."

"Someone is going to have to check the bodies to make sure we don't have a fresh Lamia on the rise," Freddie said tiredly. "Charlie, if you put in the request for I.Ding for me tonight, I can drive up tomorrow."

"They're murdering children?" the blonde stepped to the front, her gaze hard.

"There are two parallel species of Lamia," Freddie said, trying to catch my attention. Jasper hadn't attempted to move any closer but was surreptitiously watching me. I wasn't budging; this was the closest I had been to Jasper Cullen since he arrived and I was curious about so many things - and enjoying the fact that he seemed to be just as curious of me. "You can tell the difference based on the presence of scaling surrounding the cheekbones and feet. One hunts men, the other prefers young people, usually girls."

"Three girls, around fourteen," Charlie Swan confirmed grimly. "I.Ding them will be difficult, so we shouldn't have any issue getting that approved, Fred."

"Rose," Edward said warningly and she sneered at him, tucking herself next to Emmett.

I looked over at Jasper then, to find him watching me carefully.

"They didn't hurt you?" he asked softly. I shook my head.

"We'll protect you." He looks away when he says that, back at the group.

It's not an offer now; it's a firm insistence - the kind of tone that doesn't accept arguments or compromise. Who was he before he joined the Cullens? He didn't look that much older than me, really; like… all the Cullens, really, he physically looked young but there was age and time in the way they carried themselves, the way they spoke, the look in their eyes. Every single one of them looked a little bit haunted, honestly.

Edward looked exasperated but was watching me carefully. He was strange in a genuinely interesting way.

Jasper looked back over at me as Dr Cullen tried to soften the new requirement for their continued presence at any public meetings with Sue and Charlie.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked over at my uncle, who didn't look happy.

"Come on, Alice," Freddie said, and he sounded more tired than annoyed. "It's time to go. We'll discuss this with the Cullens later."

[bumblebeehug]

Stars and Roaches

Ship: Natsu Dragneel x Lucy Heartfilia Summary: When Natsu starts behaving differently, Happy takes Lucy along to investigate. Day 4 of Nalu Week 2023 - prompt: shenanigans Ao3

***

“Dear Lucy, please come to your living room 14:30 sharp. There is something that needs to be discussed. DON’T BE LATE!! /Anonymous”

Lucy blinked as she read the bright orange post-it note again. To be honest, when she woke up this morning, she hadn’t expected to open her eyes to that neon-coloured paper. The person who wrote it must have managed to sneak in sometime during the night, because when she woke up it had been stuck onto her forehead. Clearly this person meant serious business, and though Lucy would have been scared, or at least a little nervous, knowing someone had broken into her house in the middle of the night, she couldn’t bring herself to even feel surprised. The letters on the tiny paper were just messy enough to only be possible to belong to one person she knew – and that guy just happened to leave evidence that solved the mystery immediately - some blue hairs on the sticky part of the post-it.

Knowing she couldn’t leave Happy hanging when it came to this urgent matter, she decided to stay in this morning, and spend some valuable time writing on a draft to an article Jason had offered to pay her for. The article itself wasn’t very urgent, but she never complained to get work done beforehand whenever it was possible.

Just as she had finished the first rough draft, the sound of pebbles smattering on her bedroom window filled the room. The clock on her left arm said “14:38”, so clearly the “sharp” part hadn’t been as serious as it had seemed.

“I’ll be right there!” She shouted, not bothering to hurry to let her guest in. She wanted to properly close the bottle of ink and clean the pen, and if Happy was around, she’d probably get to the task hours later, which sometimes harmed the pen and always spoiled the ink. So, she took her petty time cleaning up, ignoring the continuous knocking on the glass.

Before she opened the window, she took another glance at her clock. “14:45”. Oh well, she would just have to apologise by buying him some fresh fish at a later date, if he bothered to remember it that long. When she finally unlocked the window, not without using some force, she was met by a frown.

“You took AGES to get here, didn’t I say 14:30 sharp?!” He scolded her.

“Oh, I thought so too, but then you were 8 minutes late, so I thought I could take my time. Sorry, Happy.” She tried to feign her innocence, but failed, feeling a smile creep on. “So, what’s the urgent matter? You wanted to discuss something?”

Happy sat down on Lucy’s table, beside the article she had been writing on. To get herself closer to his eyelevel, she decided to sit down on the chair in front of him.

“Right. Well, you know Natsu?”

“I’ve heard of him, yes.”

“Yeah, so, I heard he’s been planning something big for tomorrow.” Lucy couldn’t keep her poker face when Happy himself looked so serious. A few chuckles slipped out before she regained control. He was being adorable, she thought, taking this planning thing seriously enough to bother making anonymous notes regarding it.

“And why do you think that’s weird?” She asked, allowing herself to feed this little fantasy. “Doesn’t he just say that sometimes, like when he’s saved up enough money to treat himself to a 20-course meal at a restaurant?”

“Well, I thought so too, until I saw him wrapping up a present. But listen, it wasn’t a good present at all, because the box was really small, so the fish inside must be tiny! And quality over quantity might work with other things, but fish are a lot better when you can take more than one bite.” He crossed his small arms as he thought about this puzzling situation.

“Do you know if it’s someone’s birthday?” Lucy asked, now slightly more interested in this mystery.

“No one at all comes to mind. I think he’s been meeting someone in secret.” His words struck through Lucy’s body like lightning. Could that be true? He had been slightly off lately, and a lot more laid-back regarding missions. She shifted her seat uncomfortably.

“Do you really think so?”

“It’s the only explanation.”

“No, but maybe he’s celebrating some date we’ve forgotten. What date did the three of us meet again?” She was getting desperate to solve this conundrum.

“I’m telling you that’s not it, Lucy. I’ve checked all our calendars, that’s why I was here last night.”

“Not to stick post-it’s on my forehead?”

“That became the aftermath of not finding any reasonable explanation to his behaviour. Have you even noticed that he hasn’t been at your apartment as often?”

“Well, sure, but I thought he just had something else to take care of… But what are you saying, do you think he’s been meeting some secret person… romantically?”

“Of course not, where did you get that from?” Happy deadpanned. Lucy ignored the feeling of something heavy getting lifted off her chest and continued talking.

“So, he’s just up to weird stuff, is that what you’re implying?” She sat back in her chair and took a deep breath to regain her critical thinking skills, that for some reason got turned off when Happy brought up that hypothetical person.

“Yeah, but the fact that we know nothing about it makes it really weird, don’t you think? We don’t have secrets, so why is he suddenly breaking that rule?” Happy stood up and starting walking across the table and back. He seemed really puzzled, but Lucy knew it was concern in disguise.

“It is weird… You’re right. But why can’t we just ask him about it? I’m sure he’d gladly tell us about whatever he’s doing.”

“Ask him… That’s right! I haven’t tried that yet! Let’s go there immediately and ask him!”

He hadn’t even asked Natsu about it… It took Lucy great amount of power to not smack her palm to her face. Sometimes she worried about the lack of problem solving Happy showed, but since he’d made it this far in life without it, she couldn’t exactly rewire his brain suddenly to live his life differently – though surely it would make his life easier.

Not wasting any time, she grabbed her jacket and headed out the door, right after Happy who urged her to go faster. As they made their way over to their house, Lucy tried to wrap her head around this whole thing herself. It was certainly true that Natsu hadn’t hung around Lucy’s apartment as often, but she hadn’t thought of it since Happy made sure to visit regularly enough. They did that sometimes, so she didn’t think anything of it. Plus, if Happy was right about that whole present thing, the size of it sounded too much like a box that held jewellery, which, whether Happy liked it or not, could only mean that there WAS a secret romantic special someone. And though it wasn’t any of Lucy’s business, she felt like she had failed him, because she truly wanted him to be able to share things with her. Had they really started to grow apart? And how could that be possible when she felt like they had been closer than ever, when they actually DID hang out?

She stopped herself from eating her heart out regarding this topic. It would be silly if she spent all this time worrying, just for it to be explained with the simplest reasoning as soon as they asked. But then again, she still had to prepare for the worst.

“Are you sure he’s home?” Lucy asked as their house started to emerge in front of them.

“Aye,” Happy said, flying slightly ahead. As he entered, the door flew up with a loud bang, which surely would scare any living resident to death, if said resident hadn’t already both heard and smelled them coming.

“What’s up?”

Natsu smiled broadly, surprised but pleased with this unexpected company. Lucy immediately felt calmer when she saw him. There was no way he held some big secrets from them, their Natsu just wouldn’t do something like that.

“Nothing much,” Lucy smiled, taking off her jacket. “I just haven’t seen you in a while, so I thought I’d pay you a visit. What have you been up to?”

“Oh, well… Nothing much. I’ve just been hanging around, did some trainin’ and stuff.” Had he told Lucy this yesterday, she wouldn’t have bat an eye, but since she now paid more attention, she noticed that he glanced around, as if he was stopping himself from telling too much.

“How nice.” She didn’t want to come off as if she was interrogating him, so she played innocent while she prepared herself to confront him. “You guys still got some tea, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll fetch it for ya.” As he went into the messy kitchen, rummaging the higher shelves, Happy shot Lucy a meaningful glance. She understood he was getting impatient, but she ignored his sense of urge and continue taking this slowly.

“Thanks, Natsu,” she said, tilting her head slightly to further prove her innocence. It wasn’t too out of the ordinary for her to act like this, but she allowed herself to go the extra mile this time, to get him to obey her later. She hurried boiling some water and preparing three cups with teabags so she could get to business.

Meanwhile, Natsu had noticed that something was off with Happy.

“What’s the matter bud? You’ve been awfully quiet since you got here.”

“Yeah,” Lucy added, “are you feeling alright?” She sometimes wished he could practice his poker-face, because right now he was looking both guilty and secretive.

“Uh…”

“Maybe your stomach is hurting from the fish I gave you earlier?” Lucy was lying, because she definitely hadn’t given Happy a fish, but she hoped he’d get the hint to continue this small lie.

“No, that’s not it.”

Lucy sighed before she repeated herself.

“I said: MAYBE your STOMACH is hurting from the FISH you ate earlier?” This time she sterned her eyes into his – she couldn’t be more obvious than this, and she honestly worried Natsu would see through this act they were putting up.

“Oh! That fish! Yeah, now that you say it…” Happy chuckled nervously, now glancing over to Natsu, who looked like he started to find them suspicious.

“Well, the tea is ready, let’s sit down.” Lucy got both of their attention, and hopefully Natsu wouldn’t ask further about it. Well, he wouldn’t need to when they unravelled this little secret he had, because after that she would make both of them vow to never keep secrets from each other again. At least no romantic secrets, because no matter what Happy said, she couldn’t think of any other reason Natsu would own a ring box.

When they all sat by the messy kitchen table, Lucy once again tried to invite Natsu to tell on himself.

“So, what do you do when you’re not hanging around my place nowadays?” She asked, this time trying to point him in the right direction. ‘What is so important for you that it lessens your time spent with me?’ she actually tried to ask, but all she could do was hope he understood what she meant.

“As I said, I’ve been trainin’ some. Nothin’ interestin’, I’ll tell ya that.” She followed his movements as he readjusted his seat, sitting back and resting his arms behind his head.

“But tomorrow! You told me you’d planned something for tomorrow!” Happy busted out, no longer having the patience to sneak around the subject.

“Happy!”

“Tomorrow? I didn’t think you’d remember I mentioned that.” Lucy swung her head around to look at Natsu again.

“Aha! So there is something planned tomorrow!” She had to admit that she wasn’t too proud of how intense she became, but clearly there was no point in going around the main subject.

“He told you?!” Natsu exclaimed. “Oh well, I guess I’ll just do it today. Though I had it all planned out…” He mumbled the last part of his sentence and walked away, seemingly to fetch something. When he came back, he held that small package that Happy had been talking about. Lucy felt her face heat up, because clearly it was meant for her.

“I wanted to have some privacy,” Natsu shot Happy a meaningful glance, ”but I suppose I’ll just have to do it like this.”

The box was wrapped in silvery paper, with a golden ribbon holding it together. It looked odd, coming from Natsu’s hands, since it wasn’t exactly his type of gift, yet she still couldn’t look away from the sight. If this turned out to be a meaningful moment between the two (now three, she supposed) of them, then she wanted to remember every single second.

“I don’t know if you remember, Lucy, but almost exactly five years ago, something happened that changed our relationship forever.” She held her breath. “I think you’ll understand when you open this, but we haven’t exactly celebrated it before so no worries if you don’t.”

Lucy looked up at Natsu. He looked so sincere, almost shy, and she took an internal picture so she could save and savour this moment forever. She thought she saw a faint blush, like a watercolour wash, paint his cheeks, which she only found fitting considering her own bold, red face.

“Natsu…” She began, accepting the gift and looking over at Happy quickly, not wanting to miss out on his expression. Happy looked really invested, and maybe slightly uncomfortable, like he was intruding on an important moment. Natsu didn’t seem to mind his presence too much though, so she turned back to the item in her hand.

Giving Natsu one last thankful smile, she unravelled the bow and opened the wrapper. The box itself was a gorgeous red, only comparable to Natsu’s deepest fire, and it was clad in a soft velvet, making it feel ethereal in her hands.

“Oh, Natsu,” she said again, too flattered by his thoughtfulness to even open the box. “I feel so bad, I can’t remember what we’re celebrating at all!”

“No worries! I’m telling you, it’s nothin’ special, really. I just wanted to bring some light to what happened five years ago. I promise, you’ll remember as soon as you open it.”

“But I have nothing to give you back! Especially nothing as gorgeous as this… Can I really accept it?” She felt really bad, because no matter how hard she thought, no date or anniversary came to mind.

“If you really wanna make it up to me, you can do it later. Just open it!” Natsu was clearly getting impatient, so she gave in to his request and slowly opened it.

“EEEK!!!” Lucy flew up from her spot by the kitchen table faster than lightning, throwing herself backwards. Happy did the same, still not knowing what was in it, but trusting Lucy’s instinct (and getting startled by her sudden reaction).

“WHAT, WHAT?! WHAT IS IT?” Happy shouted, shielding himself from the apparently evil red box that still laid on the table.

“C-… COCKROACH!” Lucy screed, shielding her face from the disgusting critter she apparently had seen in the gift she once was so happy to receive. Not until now did she hear the silent laughter coming from her pink haired companion. “You! What on earth is that supposed to celebrate, you vile human?!”

Natsu threw his head backwards as he let out a roaring laugh, all the way from his toes.

“THE-… THE FIRST TIME I PRANKED YOU!”

“Oh my god!? Natsu! Did you seriously show me a DEAD COCKROACH for a PRANK?!” Lucy, who had scooted closer to Natsu, still trying to stay far away from the disgusting insect, hit his arm for revenge.

“HAHAHA!”

Since there was no way to get through to Natsu while he still bathed in the success of the prank, Lucy threw a glass over the box, just in case the critter would come alive or something. Happy, who only was scared because of Lucy’s sudden freak-out, started laughing as well. Lucy sighed in despair, though that was probably a dramatic description of her current feelings. She didn’t feel despaired – just shocked and a little embarrassed. She had really thought Natsu would give her something nice, maybe along with a long-awaited confession, so she had behaved all thankful and sentimental. Knowing he only meant to prank her all along, made her feel like she was made a fool of.

“Hey, explanation please?” She said, crossing her arms as the laughter died down. Natsu, who now seemed to have calmed down enough to take in what was happening around him, started laughing again as he saw the glass over the box.

“HAHAHA, you CONTAINED the BOX?!”

“Well, cockroaches are known for never dying! How do I know you killed it properly?” Lucy defended herself, pushing Natsu lightly to extend her point. Finally, he managed to properly stop laughing, drying a tear in the corner of his eye.

“Because I didn’t have to kill it! It’s plastic, silly!”

“You’re calling ME silly? YOU’RE the one who put a ROACH in a RING-BOX!” Lucy started walking around to try to calm her own heartbeat, which still was high from the initial shock.

“But you didn’t look behind it!” Lucy stopped herself in her movements.

“Sorry, I was busy following my instincts,” she glared, not happy with how he was pointing out the obvious.

“But there IS a proper gift there as well. Look again!” Natsu lifted the glass from the table, picked out the scarily realistic cockroach (she still wasn’t sure if it really was as fake as he claimed it was) and gave her the box again. Lucy looked at Natsu one more time, with a warning glance, before opening it again.

Inside was a small charm, maybe the size of half a pea, that was meant to represent a small, silver star, which despite its rough edges, looked beautifully handmade.

“But- why?” She managed to say, picking it up and observing it from every angle.

“Consider it my apology gift,” Natsu grinned, giving her half a hug as they both looked at the shiny charm in the light.

Happy, who decided he was done with this disappointing ordeal, drank the rest of his tea, that now had gone cold, and went over to Natsu. Without missing a beat, Natsu handed over the cockroach, still making small talk about the star, talking about who made it and which necklace or bracelet she should put it on, as Happy dropped it into her teacup. They loved her to death, both of them, but sometimes she just made pranks so incredibly easily accessible, and despite what they thought, Lucy didn’t mind at all, because that just meant there never was a boring moment with them. Though this time she wouldn’t make the mistake of letting the cockroach out of sight twice.

[myremdreams]

Numb pt. 1 - Zhong Chenle

FIRST post and FIRST FIC AHH sorry if its bad lol

i wrote this up while my power was out during the hurricane, its not proofread or like rlly thought out just thought it was cute ig lol. i wanna continue this so this will be a lil pt 1! i hope u enjoy!

☆ fluff (mentions of alcohol) ☆ female character (no name), no mention of hair, eye, or skin color!

                Being back from tour had been rough on Chenle. While on tour, he'd finally felt free. Each city brought something new that sparked life into him, something he desperately needed after the past few months of relentless work in a sterile practice room. The feeling of landing in a new place with so much to explore is like a drug to him… I guess he’ll have to wait to feel that life in him again. It’s funny, never in his 20+ years did he ever feel so addicted to something other than success. Once he achieved a certain status, he felt grateful for his dreams finally coming true, but regardless, a certain numbness followed. When he was touring though, he felt anything but numb. Tired? Yes. Out of breath? Always. Desperate for a drink after a 3-hour performance? Absolutely. But never numb. Now he can only relive his time through memories. Scrolling through the photo album on his phone has become a regular occurrence. Unfortunately, the 12-hour practice days with little to no sun or fresh air are back.

Normally, after a trip, he was quick to snap back into the regular routine. Wake up, eat, practice, eat, sleep… maybe… yeah probably not as much as he should. Something was different this time though. As much as he’d like to chalk it up to jet lag, he knew it was something deeper. That’s why when he found out about the 3 weeklong break coming up, he had a flight booked to Atlanta before he could check if he chose a one-way or a round trip. ‘One way huh?’ Maybe it's a sign. His trip left in two days, and he could not wait for these next two days to be over.

Landing in Atlanta, he let out a sigh of relief. 24+ hours and getting stuck in San Francisco was not on his original itinerary, but he decided to buy a Warriors jersey while he was there to make up for the stress. His journey to the hotel was per usual, the Omni Downtown was familiar to him but still felt fancy enough to enjoy himself. ‘Shit.’ ‘What do I do now?’ Yeah, maybe he should have thought of that before impulse-buying a ticket across the world. Well, the clock just hit 10:45 and it’s plenty dark out, nothing better than a quick trip to the bar for a drink and then heading to bed.

The bar of the hotel was anything but ordinary, the rooftop deck had prettier views than he had expected, and the music set the mood just right. He forgets that normal people are able to enjoy things like this. No fear of being seen, no fear of your life being ruined by a photo attached to an untrue rumor. He takes a deep breath for what seems like the first time in weeks. He feels alive again.

The bartender was busy working on what looked like an espresso martini for someone across the bar, so he decided to take in the scene around him again. The sky was dark but the lights from the buildings illuminated the area around him. The rooftop deck was filled with fluorescent lights, blues, and pinks dancing off people moving to the music the DJ played. Speaking of the music, he swears he’s heard this song before but can’t remember the name, it’s jazzy with a hint of R&B groove, and shit it works so well together.

His attention is brought back to the bartender as he asks what drink he was wanting to order. “I’ll have a Naughty and Spice, thanks.” Slightly embarrassing to say out loud, but it looked pretty good on their seasonal menu, and he’ll never say no to gin. As he waits for his play on words to be made, he looks across the open bar and zeroes in on the new owner of that espresso martini. She’s hard to miss now that the bartender’s moved out of the way, she’s incredible. He’s honestly not sure how so much beauty could be held in a soft smile and thin strands of hair escaping her clipped-up hair, gracefully being carried by the wind. For the first time in a long time, he’s captivated. He would have missed the bartender coming back completely if she hadn’t gotten up from her chair and walked towards the dance floor. “Oh sorry, here’s my card you can just open a tab for me.” As the bartender nods, as if in a trance Chenle found himself walking towards a table near the dance floor. Keeping a respectful distance he silently watched as she danced with a few friends. He’s never seen someone look so happy and carefree. When was the last time he felt like that before tonight? ‘Maybe this bar has magical healing properties’, he joked to himself.

 Looking back at her he realized this woman was the type of beautiful you almost felt ashamed to be in the presence of. At the same time, something you couldn’t look away from, you’d curse yourself for missing a single second. Her beauty wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t overbearing, it was almost like when you’re driving home from work and maybe you took a different route home this time, maybe the long one, but on that road, you see a sunset that takes away all of your focus, all of your worries. A sunset you’ve never allowed yourself to look at before. Most days you try to race home, wanting to escape the confines of the company building. Thinking of the duties of work or thinking about everything you must do once you get home, not recognizing the painted sky surrounding you. You’ve been missing something so beautiful, so incredible, and hey maybe it was right there, and you never noticed. But maybe you weren’t meant to notice until you took that different route home.  Chenle took a different route this time and finally noticed.

She glanced up at him noticing his gaze and let out a laugh, as if she was amused by the spell she’d put him under. Feeling embarrassed and slightly creepy, he looks away trying to focus on anything but the most beautiful view in front of him. Shifting between the bar, the patrons, and the city lights, his eyes eventually found their way back to her. Her drink was half full, her nails neatly painted red, lipstick carefully put on to match, the dress he wonders if she got tailored to her measurements, it somehow fit just right. He’d looked at women before and felt the burn of lust, but this wasn’t just lust, he was in awe of her energy entirely. He craved to know her. Craved to have a simple conversation with her. Or at least just let him learn her name. Even if all he ever got was one more look, he’d do anything… please.  

As if she heard his plea, she looked over at him again, this time with a more inviting feel. Was he supposed to go over there? He would hate to read the situation wrong. The last thing he would ever want is to make a woman uncomfortable with his presence. He sat in thought for a few more minutes, not able to bring himself to look at her. Now he’s really wondering if he’s being a creep who just burdens a woman by staring at her all night. Maybe he should go back to his room. If he’s being honest with himself, he would hate to leave without the promise he would get to see her again. Suppose you can’t have what you want all the time.

He picked up his empty glass and turned to go back to the bar to close out. A faint smell of vanilla and cherry found him as he turned around. “Excuse me.” He attempts to pass but feels a hand on his arm which instantly knocks him out of his self-pity. He’d been so in his head that he failed to realize the person now grabbing onto him was the person he’d desperately needed all evening. His eyes widen and he steps back feeling the rush of adrenaline coarse his veins, complete and utter shock. She was even more gorgeous right in front of him. He took another deep breath, steadying himself. “Hi, I’m not sure if this is weird but I noticed you looking over earlier and wanted to give you my number before you left. I didn’t have the balls to ask you to dance earlier, but maybe this will make up for it?” She holds up a small napkin, still with a visible ring around it from a drink, but he doesn’t care about that. Her number was carefully written in black ink and a kiss mark the same shade of red adorning her lips sat right above it.

He stared down at her, simultaneously brushing the soft skin of her fingers while he tried to transfer the napkin into his hands, if he died right now, he’d feel like his life was absolutely one well lived. He took in all of her. She had little freckles across her collarbone, they led to her neck that led up to her perfect face. Her eyes were expectantly waiting for a reply, he took a mental image of her lashes fluttering up at him. She had looked nervous, but it made her sexier somehow. “Thank you, yeah I noticed you over there, you looked beautiful, I wasn’t sure how to approach you, so I decided to just give up.” He put his hand through his hair frustrated with his “uncool” honesty. She threw her head back and laughed and he’d felt alive once again. He followed her gaze behind him as she started to shush someone, her friends who obviously had too much to drink, freezing as if they’d been caught. “I think my very inconspicuous friends need to be brought to bed, thankfully it’s only a floor down so I won’t have to carry them too far.” A part of him felt relieved he might get the chance to see her again so soon. “Oh, I’m staying here too, maybe I’ll see you around?” She laughed once more, sending a rush through his body, “Maybe use that number I gave you and we’ll find out.” She turned away and while she walked back to her friends, all he could do was stand there. He’d come to this city to feel alive again, and my god did he already get so much more.