#idk who is keeping up with this but hey this chapter is done

[drdemonprince]

i read in the comments to my last ask about "ordinary unhappiness" the idea of depression as a lack of agency and i feel like that is true? when i feel miserable and in pain, it's not because something is sad but because something is either unachievable or impossible (or at least there is the perception of it). and like i think that's what you were getting at too? this thing that drives you to keep going, this lack of satisfaction. i simply don't have anything i can give into such that i would ever even feel a lack of satisfaction. i've never had anything to give myself into and feel frustrated and perhaps sometimes successful in but instead i just envy the people who do have those things. nothing i've ever done has felt maintained a sense of emotional connectiveness in that way (positive or negative). i guess to wrap this back around to another potential talking point, i'm curious how you find that in your life? is it weird for me that nothing has ever felt worth putting myself whole ass into? idk, i find it envious you've got both writing and gay hypno fetish stuff you're able to just throw yourself into so wholly and utterly

Passion isn't inherent, it can be a choice too. I only look like I care a ton about writing and gay hypno stuff because I have deliberately chosen to pursue those passions, for many years, and cultivated a deep interest in them, anon.

When I was in my early twenties, I felt completely empty. I was a void. If you've read the first chapter of Unmasking Autism, this is the period I'm talking about in that book. I went away to graduate school (because I was good at academics, and I had some illusions about what a career in that field would do for me), but I had absolutely zero zest for the subject of psychology at that point. I had no research ideas. I read psychology books and publications purely out of obligation. I did what was required of me, but nothing additional beyond that, and I spent the rest of my time sitting at home, sometimes literally staring at the wall and crying. I had no friends or hobbies, aside from taking long, long depression walks listening to podcasts in order to fill the silence.

This was when I was at my most depressed, and my most suicidal. Just existing was a pain. I'd sob in bed at night and cry out begging for God to kill me, and I didn't even believe in God. The only thing that distracted me from my pain was a guy I was seeing, who was beautiful and very cruel and inconsistent, and I clung to him through all kinds of lies and abuse because it felt as though my happiness was located inside of him.

I had a friend that I wrote to about how miserable I was, and all the twists and turns that my horrible romance was taking. Her name was Heather. (Unlearning Shame is dedicated to her). She told me hey, you're a really good writer, did you know that? I really enjoy reading your emails, even when you're speaking about the most pitiful anguished shit, you really put it poetically and have a ton of insight. You should write more.

For a while, I ignored her. I didn't care about writing. I just wanted to get my pain out on the page because I had nobody to talk to, and oodles of time to waste. I had nothing otherwise that I felt I HAD to say. I had no PASSION. I did not feel like I was put on this earth to do anything. Other people seemed to have these drives, and I had nothing.

But then one day in a fit of depression I stopped by a bookstore right near my apartment, The Armadillo's Pillow, just to get outside of the house. I happened upon a book I had loved in high school, Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections. I took it home. I read it. It transported me for a few hours away from my pain. I went back to the book store and picked up some sci-fi. A John Varley collection, I think. I was also swept away from my suffering, even when the stories had flaws that I noticed. I was interested in the actual craft of storytelling: what worked and what didn't. And there was finally some beauty in my head instead of the usual dreariness and self-hatred and emptiness.

And so. I made the choice to write. I could have taken it or left it at that point. I didn't care about anything. Caring is a muscle that you have to flex. And when you're depressed, it can be very hard. I needed a lot of nudges from the external world and other people, to realize that I had some things I did gravitate toward, even if I didn't realize it.

All that time of course I WAS driven to write. I was churning out 5k word letters to Heather every day practically. I was reading stupid shit online. And when it was put in front of me, and I had no reason to feel guilt about not working hard enough on other things, I reached for books. But I didn't feel passion strongly under the heavy blankets of my depression. Or usually at all, really. I am a quite internally muted person whose emotions are suppressed. But they're there. Speaking to me softly. And to overcome my depression, I had to decide to listen to them instead of ignoring them all of the time, and give them kindling, and then fan them into a flame.

I started blogging regularly while I was in graduate school (right here, hello, you can check my archive dating back to 2011), and finding a reason to live. When I was writing, I felt like the world was interesting, and beautiful. It gave me new things to do. I attended literary readings and book launches all over town. I submitted work to magazines. I bought old copies of magazines and read them. I inhaled books. I listened to fiction podcasts. I joined writing groups. At first, it felt like a slog, like anything else. Doing these things, I was not "happy". But I was interested. I liked learning about the world of publishing, critiquing people's stories in my head, and commisserating with other Tumblr writers about the stuff that got featured on the Prose tag that sucked.

After YEARS of doing this, of choosing to fan my passions, it became a genuine motivation in my life. But even then? I lose track of it sometimes. I get busy, or there's no place comfy to sit and read in my apartment, and I forget that I like writing and reading for months at a time. And then I have to choose it again. It takes effort to care about something, every time.

It's the same way with hypno. I did have a fetish for this stuff all my life long. But it's a passion that people always thought was weird and gross, and that I thought was bad. I didn't tell anyone about it until my late 20's. I felt ashamed masturbating to it or looking up hypno content online. For years I snuffed out that flame of passion until I could barely feel it anymore. It wasn't until I was super depressed AGAIN in my later 20's that I took a bunch of weird off-label anti-depressant drugs under the table and had a weird dreamy headspace overtake me and make me insanely horny that I remembered how much I loved hypno, and because I was in search of an escape from my tormented brain, I sought hypnotists out.

And I had the time of my life. But I also had boring, awkward encounters, bad hook-ups, and had to do a ton of work.

My passions have drawn me out of depression because I needed them to. I had to find them, listen to them, and then give them lots of food. And it's one of the few things that a person does often have agency over, no matter how dispiriting their circumstances. You can make choices about where to put what attention you do have, in what free moments you do have. When you're on the bus or in line at the grocery store and you're thinking about how much you hate yourself, you can try to think about a story you read or a sexual fantasy you had, instead. It's a lot of work. But it's better work than the work of hating yourself, which takes a whole lot of energy and attention itself.

I hope you can find something like this for you. It doesn't really matter what it is. It can be some hobby you've always wanted to try, or something "childish" you've suppressed. Having a passion isn't like being chosen by the universe to care about something. It's not like love at first sight. Nothing fucking works like that in life. It's always work. It's always a choice you have to make, because no one else will give it to you. But there can be hints that you can follow, sometimes.

[lavendertales]

SEÑORITA: Chapter 9**

pairing: Javier Peña x Murphy!f!reader

summary: you get Javier to open up about his life in Colombia. meanwhile, when Steve invites the whole lot of you to brunch, it becomes tough to keep your relationship a secret, especially when Javier's confession burns on the tip of his tongue.

word count: 7k

series warnings: reluctant friends to lovers, lots of playful banter, mutual pining, slow burn, secret relationship, filthy smut; lots of flirting, love confessions, mirror sex, cunnilingus & fingering, some dry humping , cockwarming, lil bit of praise kink & gentle dom!Javi.

A/N: so hiiii yes I am not dead, I am just not really posting anymore but I will see this story through. idk if this is as good as I'd hoped, but I do hope you enjoy it nonetheless 💕

AGELESS/EMPTY BLOGS & MINORS WILL BE BLOCKED!

series masterlist | AO3

There’s loud screams all around him. Smoke, screams, and the unmistakable scent of death and despair, all around him.

Someone’s screaming for him. Saying his name on a loop. Javier, Javier, Javier. Followed by Javi. Then a toe-curling help me and please, and then—silence.

A silence so loud his ears are ringing and pouring blood.

Except when he looks around him, there’s blood everywhere.

Blood, mass destruction, and an impending sense of doom that no matter how far he runs, no matter what lies he tells, it never leaves him. It is then, in that very second as he’s looking down at the bloodied and bruised face of a woman he once thought he could be with and save, Javier realizes that sense of doom will never leave him. He will remain forever locked in its harsh and cold grip, forever followed by the inevitable shame and guilt, doomed to drown in them.

“I’m sorry,” he mutters. “’m sorry—I’m—I couldn’t—“

“Javi. Hey. It’s okay. Can you hear me? Javi. It’s me.”

His name on a loop, pronounced so carefully and sincerely, so rich with care and an almost soul-crushing sweetness, awakens him at long last. He’s disoriented as he looks around, his temples and forehead dripping with sweat. There’s a hand gently resting on his chest, steadying his heartbeat, and it’s then that Javier’s eyes come into focus and they see your face. And then slowly the realization that he’s no longer in Colombia, no longer surrounded by pain, comes into focus as well, and that he’s in his bed, next to the most wonderful woman he’s ever known.

“Are you alright?” you ask, gently rubbing his chest through the t-shirt.

“Yeah. I’m definitely better now.”

He cracks a reassuring smile and so do you.

“Nightmare?” you ask next.

Javier nods, rather hesitantly. “I was back in Colombia. In Bogota.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Upon noticing the hesitation on his face, you’re quick to add, “It’s okay if you don’t want to though. I don’t have to know everything about your past.”

Something about that feels oddly endearing; Javier hasn’t met anyone who has been as kind and understanding as you and for every genuine word you throw at him, for every gentle caress of his hand or his cheek, he feels his chest impossibly lighter, as if all the pain he has been carrying with him for the past few years is beginning to wear off at long last.

Though his tongue aches for verbal release, Javier isn’t certain that he wants to burden you with the horrors he had witnessed and done in Colombia. You are far too tame to handle such harsh realities, even if you clearly expect the truth and nothing but it.

“I did things I’m not proud of,” he lets out in a coarser than expected voice. “Terrible things. Either for information or out of… helplessness or desperation.”

You don’t say anything; you adjust your position so that you face him clearer, even in the darkness, and let him continue.

“I’m no saint, by no means. I guess sometimes I thought my actions were justified because the end result would be good. But it rarely ever was.”

And before he knows it, Javier is telling you the chapter of his life which he deemed closed some time ago, from start to finish: he tells you about him and Steve and how they worked together; he tells you about working with the most gruesome group in all of Colombia in order to get to Pablo Escobar; he tells you about Helena and how he cared about her and how he got her traumatized simply because he pushed her too much for information; he tells you of all the people he threatened, shot, of all the plans he made and failed, how he got the so-called promotion in Cali and how it meant that Steve was the one who ended Escobar eventually. By the end of it, it’s nearly morning and you’re cuddled at his chest, listening to him breathe and caressing his cheek.

“I appreciate you opening up about this,” you murmur. “I know it can’t possibly be easy.”

“It is. It feels easier with you.”

You smile, chastely kissing his lips. Javier’s chest rises and falls with each additional shaky breath he takes as he forces his mind to collaborate with his mouth in order to get out those pesky three words that have been pressing on his conscience for weeks now. Yet the way you kiss him tenderly and sweetly, as if to reassure him that he’s safe and sound from any harm in this world, it shuts him up real good.

His mother once told him that when he’ll meet someone special, he’ll know it and he’ll know just what to say and when. He was still a kid at the time and he dismissed his mother’s words, but now he feels them to be truer than ever.

“So if we were in Colombia,” you say suddenly as a smirk graces your lips, “would I be one of your girls?”

Javier turns to you, faintly amused. He cocks an eyebrow at you, his interest visibly peaked.

“What?”

“Would I be one of many girls that fall at Javier Peña’s feet? One of the lucky ones who get to go to bed with him?”

Something aches inside Javier as you pose that question. It’s a playful one and while you have no ill intentions behind it, it dawns on Javier that the idea repulses him on a certain level. The idea of you being just another pretty face to add to that seemingly endless list of conquests, another forgettable name on there… he doesn’t want that.

Especially not when the reality could not be more farther from the truth.

“No,” he responds, shifting closer to you and removing a strand of hair from your face. “No, absolutely not.”

You smile, somewhat confused. “Why not?”

“Because you’re—better. You’re—you’re everything, you—“

His heart starts pounding, his throat feels beyond dry and it feels as if there is a huge ball of fire in his chest, waiting to burst at the slightest movement.

“I—what?”

Tell her. Tell her now.

Tell her you fucking coward!

“We should get some rest,” Javier mutters, stroking your hair and coaxing you into his arms so that you fall asleep as soon as possible. Once you do, he finally exhales, still burdened and haunted, but much more secure in his decision to finally come clean to you tomorrow, no matter what.

Except that when tomorrow comes, Javier receives an unexpected invitation.

“You free in about two hours?” Steve’s voice asks through the phone, and Javier gulps out of instinct.

“Yeah, think so. Why?”

“How would you feel about having brunch with me and Connie?”

He falters, and it’s as if Steve can sense the hesitation on his part because he’s quick to add, “Hopefully my sister’s gonna be there too. Also Sylvie and her boyfriend Zack, they’re coming too. You know, my sister’s friends.”

“Right, yeah, I think she mentioned them at some point.”

“Yeah. I thought a nice friendly meal would do us all good. What do you say?”

Javier meets your face from the corner of his eye and notices the question written all over it. He shakes his head briefly, a little “I’ll handle this for us” sign, and resumes his conversation with Steve.

“Sounds nice, I’m in,” he tells Steve.

“Great. Just gotta call my sister now. Or hope to get in touch with her at least.”

“Just call her, I’m sure it’s gonna be fine.”

The moment he hangs up, he stares at you with the same guilty face he’s been having whenever Steve’s been around lately.

“You need to go to your apartment,” he tells you in a grim voice.

You frown. “Are you kicking me out?”

Javier makes a face. “No, of course not. But you need to go to your apartment because your brother’s gonna call you and you need to answer the phone.”

“I could be sleeping in. It’s Sunday, after all. I could’ve been out last night. Hell, I could’ve been with somebody. Maybe I was with Dean and we—“

“Okay, stop.”

You try not to smile seeing the bothered look on Javier’s face. Instead, you inch closer to him and wrap your arms around his neck.

“Aw, honey, are you jealous of Dean?” you peck his lips.

“I think we’ve already established that I was. But not anymore. I’ve got you, and he can go suck a lemon for all I care.”

You scoff, kissing him again, utterly enjoying the sensation of Javier simply melting into your arms, into the kiss you share.

“You really should stop with this because if you don’t, we’re gonna be stuck in here for the rest of the day, spent and sweaty,” Javier warns, to which you cock an eyebrow at him.

“Okay, so what did my brother want?”

“He invited us to brunch.”

“Us?”

“Well, me. And he should be calling you any moment, so if you could go to your apartment and answer the phone, I’d really appreciate that.”

“But I could be—“

“Please. For me?”

You roll your eyes, sighing. “Fine. You’re lucky I’m sweet on you.”

Javier presses a kiss to your cheek, stroking your hand.

“But we need to set up some ground rules for this brunch,” he tells you sternly.

“Rules? For what?”

“We said we’re not gonna tell Steve about us until we’re ready, and we’re not really there yet, so no sitting together, no touching, no looking at each other unless absolutely necessary.”

“Don’t you think that makes it more suspicious?”

“Hopefully not.”

You chuckle. “For someone who used to be a bad boy, you sure like setting down rules.”

“I’m just saying—okay, just—just go upstairs.”

“Ooh, yes, sir.”

He knows you’re joking; he knows you’re teasing him, especially in that falsely impressed and sultry tone of voice, and yet a part of him still twitches at the thought of you being so willing, so malleable and needy for him.

It’s a thought that will never leave his mind—or his body.

The little bistro Steve chose—aka claims, because everyone knows Connie is the one who actually picked it—for the brunch is quite cozy: floral arrangements adorn the outside windows, little lights hang from the walls on the inside, and plenty of people buzzing and chatting, completely immersed in their conversations.

If he were honest, Javier preferred if the two of you showed up at this brunch separately—although in hindsight, that would probably raise more questions instead of burying them for good. But he still has a knot in his throat even when you assure him that nobody’s going to bat an eyelash and that they will all think you coming together here was nothing more but an act of convenience.

“I’m telling you, it’s fine,” you sneakily squeeze Javier’s hand. “Could you at least try to look less constipated? Just—you know, for at least an hour or two.”

Javier frowns at you, taking a deep breath and taking one last, long look at you, as if he’s trying to memorize every single detail about you. You crack a smile.

“It’s going to be fine,” you reassure him. “You care far more about Steven’s opinion than I do. I don’t care if he finds out.”

“I kind of do.”

“I know you do. And it’s so sweet. But so what if he finds out? I mean… what’s he gonna uncover? That his little sister is in the healthiest and best relationship she’s ever had?”

“With his friend and partner whom he particularly asked not to fool around with his little sister.”

“Javi, we’re not just fooling around.” After a pause, you continue somewhat concerned. “Are we?”

“No, absolutely not.”

“Then you shouldn’t worry this much.”

It’s quite astounding how fast you’re capable of calming Javier down with minimal effort. But it works, and when the two of you enter the place and take your seats at the table, greeted by the rest of the party, Javier breathes a little easier. He avoids Steve’s eyes as he shakes hands with Zach and Sylvie, guilt weighing on his conscience like the heaviest boulder. He tries his best in remembering your words that this isn’t about Steve, it’s about the two of you and your newfound happiness, but alas, he remains just a little bit stiff throughout brunch as conversation starts flowing between all of you.

On the brighter side, Javier smiles to himself seeing you and Steve engaged in conversation, laughing with each other. You’re sitting side by side to your brother, which means Javier is right in front of you and gets to notice the two of you mending your relationship.

Then he thinks again of how hopelessly in love he feels with you, how he has been for the past several weeks, if not more, and how it’s all happening behind Steve’s back. Maybe you were right, though; maybe it wouldn’t be so bad for Steve to find out at last. He’d find out that his little sister is happy, and that his best friend is content, at peace.

Would that be so bad?

And then he feels your foot rubbing against his, sneaking its way up, just in the slightest; he inhales a sharp breath, giving you a death stare, and he gets his answer.

Maybe it would be so bad.

“I hear you finished writing your book?” Sylvie asks you, redirecting Javier’s attention to the subject matter.

“I did,” you proudly say. “I need to do the final editing, run it by someone, but I’m pretty confident it’ll be out by next year. At least that’s the hope.”

“That’s so damn cool,” Zach says in between mouthfuls.

“Truly amazing,” Connie adds.

“I’m so proud of you.”

Everyone turns to look at Steve, who’s got the brightest smile on his face and his glass raised up. They all follow suit with the gesture, toasting your accomplishment as you stare at your big brother.

“Really, I am,” Steve goes on. “I’ve always been. Always thought you’re amazing. Much cooler than me.”

“By miles.”

The table laughs.

“But it dawned on me that I never really told you this. So… I want you to know that I am very proud of you, every day. And I love you.”

“Thank you. And I love you too.”

“Here, here!”

 The conversation begins to flow easily afterwards: Connie shares Olivia’s latest endeavors and how she started walking; Zach and Sylvie talk about their relationship and how it is to live together, to which you make a tasteful joke about her pretending to still live with you as well and how you and Zach basically share Sylvie; then Steve talks about work and how he enjoys it, being similar and yet different than what he used to do in Colombia. Javier remains silent during this portion, sipping on his black coffee and pretending not to feel your leg sliding up his.

“What about you, Javier?” Sylvie asks.

“What about me what?”

“How do you like it at the precinct?”

“It’s okay.”

You eye him briefly, affectionately rubbing your leg on his shin, concealing a smile as you see him squirm in his seat.

“Javi’s having a bit of a tough time adjusting,” Steve intervenes.

“It’s police work. It’s what I know, and it’s what I do.”

“It’s what gives you nightmares.”

Everyone at the table turns towards you, the same surprised look on all of their faces. You shrug, ignoring Javier’s deadly stare.

“And you know this how?” Steve asks reticently.

“By talking. By asking and by actually getting to know people, Steven.”

“Let’s move on, shall we?” Javier suggests.

“What do you mean?” Steve resumes, focusing solely on you. “I know people, I talk to them.”

You take a deep breath, maintaining a neutral tone even if your pulse increases rapidly.

“You refer to Javier as your best friend, but besides work, how much do you really talk to each other?”

“We talk.”

“Sometimes too much if you ask me,” Javier adds.

“Point is, he is my best friend.”

“Really? Did you know that he has night terrors? Not nightmares, terrors. And not every night, but he has ‘em. He mumbles and groans in his sleep, sometimes cries or even screams. He apologizes over and over to dead people, to you and to Connie.”

“Oh, Javi…” Connie mumbles.

“Do you know how I know this?”

There’s a lightbulb moment happening inside Steve’s head, and it is perfectly legible on his face as he stares at you, then at Javier, who gulps. Steve says your name, still processing, and it is only then that Javier stands up abruptly, his eyes shooting right at you.

“Can I talk to you for a minute? All the way over there?”

You raise your eyebrows, quite surprised, but nod and follow Javier all the way to the buffet table. You notice the little crease between his brows, the way he purses his lips and you can tell something’s making him uncomfortable. Suddenly the thought makes you feel guilty.

“Javi, I’m sorry if I crossed a line—“

“You thought at brunch would be a good idea to rub your leg against me? With your friends and brother right next to you?”

You furrow your brows, even more taken aback. “Okay, not where I thought this conversation was headed,” you confess.

“Tell me.”

As much as you’d like to deny it or pretend like it doesn’t affect you, Javier’s demeanor is getting through to you in ways you wouldn’t have thought possible; the way he’s being so adamant about his request, his voice low and husky—

“I thought it would be fun, yes,” you shamelessly admit.

“You gotta stop it because otherwise I might excuse us again and fuck you in that bathroom.”

Speechless, you stare at him, mouth ajar and heart pounding in your ears. You find yourself incapable of saying anything for the next few seconds, and even more shocking, you find yourself seriously debating Javier’s words.

“Don’t tell me you’re actually thinking about it,” he says.

“Don’t tell me you’re not,” you chuckle.

Javier huffs, frustrated to the point of taking his own words into consideration.

Except he is trying really hard not to be that kind of man and be more respectful and wary.

“Gotta be honest, I thought you were gonna be upset about me saying you have nightmares,” you mutter.

“No, I’m upset because you were rubbing up against me with your brother right next to you, and I can’t keep going like this. So either you tell him about us, or I do.”

You stare at him incredulously. “Wait, seriously? You wanna tell him?”

“I need a clear conscience. And I really need it so next time I fuck you, I won’t feel so guilty.”

You chuckle, stroking his arm. You’re fully aware that the gesture hasn’t gone unnoticed by the four people who are most likely still staring at you two, but all of a sudden, you no longer care. Javier is right; just as he doesn’t want to deny or hide it anymore, neither do you.

So when you return to the table, the perfect comeback is hatched from your brain.

“Sorry about that,” you smile, turning straight to Steven.

“What’s going on?”

“As I was saying, do you know how I know all of those things about Javier?”

“Don’t say it.”

“I’ve been spending the nights at his place. Every night for like three months now.”

Connie and Sylvie are the only ones smiling, except the latter is sipping from her cup of coffee with utmost interest.

“Three months?” Steven repeats. “So you chose to sleep with my best friend to what? To prove a point, to—to laugh in my face?”

“Neither. Actually, it did start as a way to get back at you. But as it turns out, he’s great in the sack.”

“As advertised,” Javier adds.

“And you wanted to skip brunch today,” Sylvie whispers to Zach, who’s watching the exchange as speechless as Connie.

“Don’t—“Steve shakes his head.

“Oh yeah, he’s fantastic. Knows his way around a woman’s body better than she knows it. I’m talking about waves and waves of endless pleasure.”

“I think I’m gonna throw up.”

“Actually, I think I might too. We haven’t really been careful, you know? It’s been a lot of sweaty, rough and yet so passionate—“

“Okay, stop! Why are you being like this? Both of you!”

You exchange a glare with Javier, both of you smiling at each other.

“Like what? Wild, unhinged?”

“Kind of, yes!”

“The way you’ve been treating me since I was 15? Which I haven’t been in years, by the way.”

“Please tell me you were using some form of birth control though.”

“Ew, shut up! Would you calm down already? We’re both responsible adults, we know what to do. Besides, we’re not just sleeping together. We’re going on dates and spending time together and… we like each other.”

“We’re not just fooling around,” Javier adds, unable to look away from you. “I’m in love with her.”

You stare back at him, ignoring Connie’s soft oh my God in your vicinity, even Sylvie’s I fuckin’ knew it towards Zach.

“Javi, it’s okay, you don’t have to—“

“I love her, Steve. And I did keep my promise to not fool around with her. What I can do is promise to keep her safe and treat her with respect and care.”

It dawns on you that this is the first time you’ve heard Javier say those words, and realizing he also hasn’t said them since his last real relationship. It’s a huge milestone in both your lives, and the fact that Javier chose this moment to confess makes you realize how much he must care about you.

“It’s true,” you add. “I—I love him too. I have for quite some time.”

“I fuckin’ told you,” Sylvie smiles. “I told you, and I knew sooner or later—“

“Not now, Syl.”

“Right, sorry. Continue.”

“Honey?” Connie presses her hand to Steve’s shoulder. “Don’t you wanna say something to them?”

“I’m really sorry, guys. I never wanted to… to treat you this way, to push you even further, sis. I guess I was just afraid that what Colombia did to me and Javier would be too much for you to handle. I know Connie got overwhelmed at some point. Rightfully so. But after all, I had her to come home to. Javier was… alone, and burying his problems in alcohol, cigarettes and random women. Relationships were out of question for him, and I saw what Colombia did to him overall, what all of that did to him. I didn’t want any of that for you. I obviously want you both to be happy, that’s all I’ve ever wanted. And I see you guys now being so happy with each other… it makes me happy.”

“We’re sorry we didn’t tell you earlier,” Javier says. “I guess we needed some time to figure things out ourselves.”

“Doesn’t matter now. Point is, I know my sister, she’s an amazing woman, and I—I missed the angle where that might be something good for Javier. Which it clearly is. And clearly he was full of shit when he said you’re not his type.”

“Just out of curiosity,” you intervene, “what exactly is Javier’s type?”

“The usual sexy, sultry woman.”

You raise your brows, to which Steve panics. “Not that you’re not! I mean, not that I think you as my sister are sexy… okay, this is weird, let’s move on.”

“Yeah, let’s.”

“I meant, you’re more the next door girl kind of woman, I suppose, and Javier usually went for the ‘right in your face sexy’ kind of a woman.”

“Relax, I know. I’m just teasing you.”

“Yeah, it’s what you do best.”

Everyone laughs, with Connie affectionately rubbing Steve’s arm.

“But listen, as glad as I am that we are talking about this and being open and mature about it, please do be safe, okay?” Steve says, and you make a face. “Also I know this goes without saying, probably—hopefully—but please don’t have a baby just to spite me.”

“Steven—“

“Please, I’ve learned my lesson, I swear. I promise I’ll be good! I’ll stay out of your relationship, just don’t—“

“Steven!”

“I’m not totally ready to be an uncle. I need to mentally prepare myself for a baby that’s half Murphy, half Peña.”

You roll your eyes. “Would you relax? We are not there yet. We may never be there. I don’t know. I don’t know what the future holds for us, but for now we’re good the way we are. Plus he’s teaching me Spanish too.”

“Oh, that’s nice.”

“But don’t worry, we only do it when I get a full sentence right.”

Seeing the scandalized look on Steve’s face, you burst into laughter, and the rest follow suit.

“I’m kidding! Oh my God, it’s so fun messing with you.”

“Something is seriously wrong with you.”

You can’t help but share the laughter with the rest of the company, never quite managing to capture Javier’s eyes in your direction, not even on the way home. It only hits you the weight of the words that had been hastily, yet calculatedly, been spilled at the brunch table among friends and family once you get the inside of his apartment. You look around, finally allowing the day’s events to hit you, and then you turn to look at Javier, a warm smile gracing your face.

He confessed to everyone present that he loved you, standing up to your overly protective older brother.

“What’s going on?” Javier asks.

It somehow still surprises you that he’s able to capture the concern on your face, even when it’s not there. You’re not concerned this time around. Quite the opposite; you’ve never felt more at ease and more impressed by a partner. Granted, not that you had many serious relationships in the past, but this right now with Javier, it has so much potential to be something grand that it astounds you.

“About what you said before,” you start, your heart thrumming in your ears. “At brunch.”

Then it hits Javier as well. He inhales deeply, steadying himself.

“Right. So here’s the thing,” he clears his throat. “I’ve only ever said those words once before, and as we know, it didn’t end very well. Okay, in all fairness, it wasn’t paradise city from the beginning, it was more of a masked—that’s not the point. Anyway—“

You conceal a chuckle, staring at him with anticipation and a warmth that exceeds any expectation.

“I’ve only said those words once,” he resumes, “and I did mean it at the time. But I wasn’t really… in love when I said them. It didn’t feel like it should. But now, I think for the first time in my life, I feel those words the way they should feel. I thought I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t do relationships because I suck at them and there was never any time back in Colombia but… I think I just needed to find my match.”

You take his hand into yours. “Javi…”

“I’m serious. I’ve never met anyone so witty and funny, so—so badass. Frankly you could probably kick my ass and I’d be hella turned on.”

You don’t stifle the hearty laugh that escapes your mouth this time, and it triggers the same reaction out of Javier.

“The point I’m trying to make is… I meant what I said. I didn’t just say it to shut Steve up. I—I do love you. The best that I can, which I don’t think is near enough to what you deserve, but… I’m trying to do better, to—“

You cup his cheeks, kissing him tenderly. Javier blinks surprised at you, and his flustered face with his big brown eyes is so sweet it weakens your knees.

“You’re doing just fine, Javi,” you reassure him. “Are you kidding me? You’re so attentive and sweet and—and I love you too.”

Javier blinks in surprise again. Somehow it slipped right by him that you could reciprocate his feelings, hence why he’s rendered speechless for several seconds.

“What uh—I mean… you do?” he finally asks.

“I do. I love you. I should’ve said it sooner, I think, after you turned my story into a book. That’s… kind of when I knew. I guess I chickened out.”

“You chickened out? Why?”

You sigh. “Because… I never said the words before.”

“Wait, you never said ‘I love you’ to someone?”

You shake your head, slightly shuddering. “Well, you know my dating history and patterns, so none of those boys stuck around long enough for me to actually develop real feelings. And there was never any real connection between us. All we really had—“

“Ah, okay, I can—I can visualize what you had.”

“Aw, honey, are you jealous?”

“No. Just… not really a fan of picturing you have sweaty sex with some douchebag.”

“How about if I have some sweaty sex with a very good man?”

Though his interest visibly peaked, Javier still gulps at the notion of being referred to as “a very good man”. It’s the lie he’s told himself countless times back in Medellin and Cali and Bogota, and the same lie he operated under with the hope of excusing his horrid choices. But to hear now as something factual, something that someone as wonderful as you actually believes in…

“You could,” he finally says, stepping closer to you.

His hands roam around your waist, teasing from the small of your back; shivers run down your spine, prickling your skin.

“Is this how you were with the women back then?” you dare ask.

“Why the sudden interest?”

You shrug. “Not sudden. I’m a writer. Everyone has the potential to be an interesting character. Besides, I find the Javier stories fascinating.”

“That so?”

“Mhm.”

“Well, that Javier isn’t really around. All he was good for was some fast and rough outlet for release and… not much more.”

“So I take it that dominant, needy Javier is gone?”

He raises his brows, chuckling at the way you’re sneakily handling him. A part of him still fears this power you hold over him, but a bigger part of him is thrilled even by the still of your hand, let alone the way you’re capable of handling him.

He’s never had that, he realizes; he’s never had a woman meet him right where he’s at, handle him like a pro and then some more, and he enjoys it far more than he would’ve expected.

“I meant gone as in… gone on a vacation, not dead.”

You smile, teasingly playing with the hem of his shirt.

“That what you need now?” Javier teases.

“I want whatever you’re comfortable with giving me.”

That’s what ultimately sets him off. So when he finally kisses you, it’s rugged, needy and asserting dominance, but there’s also something very tender in the way Javier is holding you, pulling you into his body. Javier’s sole focus right now is exposing more of you to him, feeling you as close as humanly possible; therefore, he doesn’t tell you just how affected he is by your choice of words. He doesn’t tell you that this is the weakest, yet strongest he’s ever felt. If someone were to ask him how he feels, he’d easily reply “disgustingly happy”, words which he never used before.

He doesn’t tell you any of this; he lets actions speak louder. Calloused fingers, accustomed to manhandling and roughhousing, caress and cup your ass. With each passing second, the kiss you share deepens further, his pulse quickens and his jeans become more and more constricted. Never mind that it’s the middle of the day, in broad daylight; Javier wants—needs—to marvel at every inch of you, exactly as it is.

“Whatever you want from me,” he tells you through a shuddering breath as he slowly undresses you, “it’s yours. Anything.”

Javier surprises himself at how malleable he finds himself to be, caught under your spell, but he does not care one bit. When you look into his eyes and see his blown out pupils, you know he means it. You feel his words to be true.

You smile as you close your eyes and pull him in for another hasty kiss, stumbling your way to the bed. Javier strips you slowly, stealing kisses down your body while a breath catches in your throat. The sun shines right through the big windows on this crisp fall day, so there’s nothing to hide. It’s only when Javier’s hands finally pull down your panties and expose you to him that you notice you’re facing the mirror hanging from the wall of his bedroom. You shiver and on cue, Javier’s hungry eyes look up to meet yours. He smirks—because of course he does, son of a bitch.

“It’s a great view, isn’t it?” he murmurs, tentatively licking a stripe up your pussy.

His eyes don’t leave you when you sneak another glance at the mirror: it’s not huge, but big enough to fit your naked body and Javier’s head right between your legs. No good words cross your mind, even if your mind is in overdrive, begging your mouth to release some form of verbal speech. Your knees buckle and your heart beats rapidly when Javier takes his first taste. It feels like the first time he’s ever done this, though it’s really old news by this point. Recently you thought Javier’s existence is limited to one place and one place alone, and that is in between your legs, based on how much he loves spending time down there—whether he’s snug inside you or eating you out.

“Watch how gorgeous you are when you come on my tongue,” you hear Javier’s voice, lustful and dark.

“Presumptuous, aren’t we?”

You laugh a little, but it quickly fades when you feel two digits moving slowly in and out of you, a tongue collecting the slick gathered in your most sensitive spot. His nose nudges your clit, his whole mouth is seemingly buried in your pussy, and all you can do is moan helplessly, let one of your hands grab a handful of his hair and keep your eyes locked on the way your body curves and aches at his mercy. God, he’s so needy, so eager to please you and to give you orgasms; almost like this is his purpose in this world.

“Does it feel good?” you hear his husky voice.

His fingers feel like they’re splitting you open while you nearly fall apart in his mouth, and at the same time it’s not enough. It drives you insane.

You nod frantically, locked in the same trance of watching yourself getting ate out by Javier.

“With words, señorita.”

Oh fuck. You hadn’t expected that, certainly not the reaction it triggers out of you.

“Yes,” you exhale. “It feels so, so good, Javi.”

“Good. Touch yourself.”

Though your mind is in a haze, you’re able to follow his instruction. Your hand bolts to your clit, rubbing in circling motions. That, paired with his fingers pumping in and out of you and his mouth like a hot furnace devouring your pussy, it doesn’t take that much longer to get you to where you desperately need. Seeing you like this, being able to make you feel this way, it’s all getting to Javier too; he’s gotten so hard by this point it’s borderline masochistic how much pain he’s voluntarily taking in, so he unconsciously starts to rub against the edge of the bed. The friction is so good, but nowhere near enough. It’ll have to do for now, he thinks. He needs to get you off first.

A moan is harshly ripped from the back of your throat, your legs jerk and nearly trap Javier between them as pleasure jolts throughout your body. It’s electric, overwhelming, and simply unmatched. It’s too much all at once, to look in the mirror and see how painfully needy you are for this man, how beautifully fucked out you look in at this very moment. You notice his hips, desperately humping the bed, unbeknownst even to himself.

Javier pulls out his fingers, only his tongue remaining on your overly sensitive area, the strokes of it now gentler. You tug on his hair to make him attentive, and when he looks up, you see his face contorted in a mixture of delight, pleasure and neediness. And just like that, your body aches again, only this time for something more.

“Ah fuck,” Javier groans in his fast attempt to dispose of his clothes. “Didn’t notice I was—“

He sighs right as you smile, taking in the sight of a naked Javier, all in broad daylight for you to savor. He’s so hard now it almost pains you, so when you make a motion to get to him and stroke him, Javier nearly swats your hand away.

“Why not?” you ask with a pout.

“Because it’s gonna be a fucking miracle if I last more than a few seconds and I wanna be inside you when we come.”

You raise your brows. “We?”

“What did I tell you in the beginning that you’ll always have from me?”

“At least two orgasms.”

“I live up to my words.”

He’s wrapped the condom around his cock, now crawling in between your legs, the place he has claimed as his own and by far the most incredible place he’s ever resided in. He’s done this plenty of times before now, it’s nothing new; and yet, this very moment which reeks of anticipation and desire, this single moment in time when his hand is curled around his cock, guiding himself to your already soaked entrance, Javier wishes he could freeze it, keep it to himself forever.

When he slides right at home, deep inside you, you both moan in tandem. And it is the most damnable, beguiling and intoxicating sensation he’s ever known.

Probably because you’re not just another girl passing through his life and his bed. You’re not another random face or a number to the list of women he’s been with.

You’re the woman he loves, the woman he’d take a bullet for if he had to, the woman he’d move mountains for.

“Javi?”

You have this ability to bring him back with his feet to the ground whenever he tends to wander off, and Javier is nothing if not grateful for it, particularly now.

“Can you move? Please?” you plead and it’s so sweet he could come just from that.

Javier chuckles, the sound resembling that of a madman—and he supposes he is one, in a sense.

“Keep lookin’,” he instructs, a little bit of his Texan roots slipping in his tone as he starts to roll his hips. “Want you to watch how good you take me. How—beautiful you are when you take me.”

The grip you have over his shoulders tightens as his hips pick up a moderate pace, pounding into you with a mixture of greed and love. The more he sinks into you, whispering sweet nothings and giving the occasional order, the more you feel pressure building inside your belly. You do as he says, watching your body writhing beneath his in the mirror, and you shudder. His back covers a lot of the frame, so you mostly notice him from behind, pounding into you, and your nearly limp body underneath, taking him as he is giving himself to you.

The sensation of having him atop of you is stellar, something almost like it was meant for you and you alone; Javier’s stealing the occasional kiss from you, his hips more erratic with each additional thrust and his mouth whispering that he’s so close, so fucking close.

“D’you see?” he manages to get out through a wicked smile. “See how—how fuckin’ good you look hmm?”

“Yes—yes, I see it—“

“Mhm—good girl. My good fuckin’ girl.”

Javier loses any train of thought, be it rational or not, and when his orgasm finally hits, it’s all too much and too sudden, and when he can’t stop cussing or thrusting furiously into you, you cup his cheeks and tell him a simple “I love you”.

And he lets go, almost violently.

He’s struggling to catch his breath when he feels you spasming around him, and there’s pride to be felt even when he’s dumbfounded that you came almost at the same time.

“I’m sorry,” he says, and you make a face at him trying to regulate his breaths. “I was kinda hoping… I’d last longer.”

You kiss him sweetly, gently, still feeling him ache inside of you. “It’s the sexiest thing,” you murmur.

“Having the endurance of a teenage boy?”

“No, the idea that someone needs you this desperately they can’t hold themselves in one piece. I love that. And I love you.”

Javier pecks your lips. “I don’t think I’ll get used to you saying that.”

“You should.”

“I love you too.”

You stay snugged up like that for who knows how long, while the sun rays beam down on your naked bodies. And then it starts to get dark, and you’re on Javier’s lap, slowly riding him and kissing him, aiming for nothing in particular but intimacy.

previous | next

tags: @pedrostories @psychedelic-ink @milkymoon2483 @ifall4dilfs @casa-boiardi @fallenkitten @jenispunk

[bubbles-for-all-of-us]

Pretty like the sun

Previous chapter / Next chapter

a/n This is pretty like the wind series spin offs. This can be read as standalone all you need to know is that Azriel has two adoptive kids with OC - Zofie and Axel. Future stories related to them might include stories specifically decided to Azriel hence why I am taging it as Azriel story too. Don't come at me please. ✨

It’s been a hot minute so idk if any of you are still here with me🫣 we do have an Azriel pov here.

warning: nothing major, past trauma.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Zofie’s pov:

She sat at the top of the steps for hours. Long given up on running towards the door with every scratch or creek that she heard. With her head resting against the railing, Zofie couldn’t help but let her mind consume her. Nit-picking at all of her choices. She had done the opposite of being a good daughter. And she too had promised to love Azriel forever, so what was shifting?

Her thoughts slithered towards Nyx, who had been claiming most of her mind now. She could see why Azriel wouldn’t want her with him. And maybe it wasn’t even him trying to protect her; maybe it was him trying to keep the high-fea bloodline clean. What did she have to do with the high lords? Nothing. She saw the high lord and lady from time to time, but she was way closer to Uncle Cassian.

Then her thoughts drifted to the fact that she didn’t know all that much about Nyx either. Zofie didn’t even know his other friends. How many were they? What if all he was doing was just being friendly? He could very well have a lover. A mate. Preppy parents in desperate need to marry off their children to form bonds between courts, Nyx’s voice ran in her ears. Of course, Rhys was no doubt looking for a match for his son. And what was she thinking? Letting herself dream that maybe one day…

The sound of the door clicking open made Zofie shoot up. Just with her lack of focus, the girl ended up hitting her head against the side of the railing. Whining in pain, Zofie quickly reached to press her palms against the aching spot, only to lose her footing as her ankle buckled and the center of gravity shifted. She managed to let out a yelp, but the hard fall never came. Instead, the endlessly soothing smell of night filled her senses.

"Zofie," her father’s worried voice made her look up quickly. “Look at me, hey, did you hit your head hard?" Azriel’s worried golden eyes tore through the last bits of her self-control. Without a second thought, Zofie scrambled to get closer. Hands messily tangling with Azriel’s leathers as she wrapped herself around him. “I’m so sorry," she whimpered, “So sorry." Azriel’s arms wrapped around Zofie’s frame with ease in an instant. “Breathe for me, Zofie; you will make yourself faint, baby girl." The calmness of his voice strangely unsettled her. He was supposed to be mad. Was supposed to be frustrated with her. Angry. “Why aren’t you upset? You should yell," Zofie muttered, pulling back, her black eyes filling up with tears. Azriel frowned for the first time since he walked through the door. “Have I ever raised my voice at you?" the spymaster questioned before sighing, “Well, besides earlier today, it wasn’t even at you. I wasn’t angry with you." He softly wiped the tears from beneath Zofie’s eyes. “I will never do it again. I will never see him, I promise”, she said, feeling her own body start to swirl with emotions flooding from all over the house. Fruition, confusion, pain, sadness, and dread. Gasping for air, Zofie looked back at Azriel, whose shadows quickly drowned out any distractions. Closing the two of them in the safety of cool darkness. “Breathe, little star," Azriel muttered against Zofie’s hair, “Remember how we do it?" His firm gaze met her frantically blinking eyes. One of the shadows settled at the back of her neck; the other two wrapped around her hands, cooling the main point of her anxious spell.

“You’re safe." Azriel slowly ran his hand up and down her back, trying to comfort her the best he could. “I can't," her pained breaths ripped at Azriel, but he knew that now any excess emotions had to be suppressed, “We’re in your safe bubble." With a fluster of his wings, Azriel wrapped them around the two of them. “Press your palms against me; let it out," and she would have, but suddenly it made her stomach twist. Because this man. Man who didn’t have to take her in. Would know that she had all of these thoughts. From hate. To frustration. All directed at him. All because she was being naive. “I can't," she said, pulling back and hitting her father’s leathery wings. “Of course you can; you’ll burn out otherwise," Azriel urged her, “Come on, baby." She knew that he was desperate for a reason. Zofie had sent herself into overdrive once, and it wasn’t pretty. She could barely stand for weeks. No speech. She could barely get food down. That had been the first time she had seen Azriel with a full stubble. He had refused to leave her, even for a minute. He had been there. Always been there looking out for her. Another painful cry slipped past her lips, and everything went black.

Azriel pov:

Azriel’s eyes lingered on Zofie’s limp body lying in bed. He had been fixing the throw covering Zofie for the past hour. One moment it seemed too high up, and so she no doubt had to be too warm, but then the other he feared that she wasn’t warm enough. Azriel knew there was no way to measure the impact of the outburst until morning. Till Zifie opened her eyes. And she would open her eyes because...

“You should get some sleep”, your soft voice made Azriel turn from the bed. Some of the tension eased. It always did when you were around. His beautiful mate. Mother of his children. “I’m not tired," he muttered, fingers lazily running up and down Zofie’s arm. "Azriel, you can’t fool me." The moment your hands touched Azriel’s shoulders, he instantly felt warmth seeping through his aching bones. “How are you doing?", Azriel knew what that question implied because he had a feeling that you were aware of where the roots of all of this were.

“How can she think that I don’t love her?", Azriel shook his head, “Had I seriously been so... shortsighted?” You cupped his face tenderly. “She knows, she’s simply confused. Emotions are running high…”, “That was days of amped-up frustration that I’ve caused, YN”, his tone was much higher, and the moment that hit Azriel, his hand instantly came to clasp his mouth.

“It’s okay. You’re okay," you gently reached for both of his hands, giving them a little squeeze. “She’s growing up, Azriel. Things are strange and new”, leaning in, pressing your forehead against his, “She was scared that your yellow was fading," you admitted. “My love for her hasn’t changed," Azriel muttered. “I know, love, but your heart is now making room for Novie, and I think insecurities are running high." Azriel glanced back at Zofie. He never looked at her differently. Never treated her like a dainty porcelain doll. Yes, he protected her. Was ready to go to war for her. Because he had always seen her as his. He understood what having inner demons meant. To this day, Azriel had days when battling them got way too much. Hence, he had always craved to protect them so much. That desire to chase any doubt away fueled him because they deserved better. They deserve to know life in vibrant colors, not dim grays and blacks.

Azriel’s eyes fell on Zofie again. The girl had shifted slightly, curling deeper into herself. “Will you be good up there alone tonight?" Azriel gazed up at his mate. The raw instinct beat at him to go up to his bedroom and guard the new mother of his child, to be devoted to tending to them only. But it wasn’t Zofie’s nor Axel’s fault that the same blood didn’t bond them all. And Azriel had promised to protect them like his own, so as hard as it was, now he knew that he had to step down on the primal instinct and put his first children into the equation too. You smiled lovingly up at him and said, “I won’t be alone. Your mother is here, and Axel should be coming home soon." Stepping forward, you let yourself snuggle into Azriel’s chest for a heartbeat. Pouring as much love and reassurance into the embrace as you could. Azriel’s lips lingered on your forehead. “If you need me..." he muttered, but you instantly shook your head. “Stay with her, Azriel. She needs you," and that was all it took for Azriel to nod. His shadows carefully blew out a handful of candles lighting up the room. Leaving a bare minimum of light that wouldn’t bother anyone’s slumber, and if by any chance Zofie was to wake up during the night, he didn’t want her to open her eyes to darkness. As carefully as he possibly could, Azriel scooped Zofie’s tiny frame into his arms before climbing into her bed. Out of shared instinct, the spymaster started to hum the melody he used to hum to the two kids when they were younger, and nights of settling down were harder. His scared fingers carefully brushed her ink-black hair away from her face. Lips turning upwards as he let her way more mature features sink in. Never had he thought that he would be wishing the time would go slower. But it also filled him with endless pride that he too had played a role in making sure this tiny girl would slowly grow into a strong-minded young woman. With a deep sigh, Azriel pressed a loving kiss onto Zofie’s forehead, making the girl snuggle deeper into her father’s chest. “I’ll always love you, little star. As overbearing as I can be, I will always love you the most because you taught me what it was like to be a father”, he muttered, settling in to watch over her for the night.

Nyx’s pov:

Nyx had been looking through the window of his mother’s gallery for the past couple of hours. He rubbed his chest at times when the feeling of anxiety threatened to choke him out. His mind was running so fast that there were moments when he lost hold of it. Thought after thought, angrily beating at his consciousness.

“Are you antsy about going back?", Feyre’s voice made him grip the window sill tighter. He had forgotten that his mother had even been here with him for a moment. "No," he said bluntly. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling if he was being honest. He haven't been able to keep up with any of the emotions for some time now. They all seemed so tangled up that he didn’t know where one started and the other ended. Or it was so chaotic that he was sure that he felt all of it at once, and the feeling sure wasn’t pretty. It was different with Zofie, though. For some reason, his inner chaos always subsided when she was close. It felt calmer. It was as if she was there, sorting through his mess for him.

“Really?", Feyre’s amused voice filled the room. Nyx loved his mother. She was an example of hope to him. Every time he lost faith in the future, he would look for her memory books, ones she had sat down with Rhys to write while she had been pregnant with him. Nyx just wished they would understand that now he wasn’t sure if his own story linked with his parents.

“It’s what we do as soldiers; we need to earn our rank," he answered sharply with an exhale. He didn’t want to fight with his mother. Nor did he want to make her upset. He just didn’t want to talk about anything regarding this court. “And if you didn’t give me a textbook answer?" Feyre dunked her brushes into the water, turning to face her sun. Nyx knew that while he could hide his inner battles from his father with anger. His mother was way harder to fool. Nyx simply shrugged, not knowing what exactly she was trying to get out of him.

“It’s okay to have things that you miss back home," her delicate hands inked with marriage vows cupped Nyx’s face as she gazed up at him. “You treat her well?" At those words, Nyx had gone ridged. “What?", he muttered, stepping away. “Do you treat Zofie well?", Feyre smiled at him. Nyx wasn’t surprised that she knew about their little adventure last night, but this seemed like a lot more of an intentional question. One that implied way more.

“Of course, I treat her well," Nyx grumbled with a frown. “What kind of question is that?" he asked, shaking his head in frustration. Why was everyone constantly assuming that he was out there, like some old creep following her around? It wasn’t intentional that their paths crossed so often. They just did...

“Do you love her?", That question had sent all the oxygen out of Nyx’s lungs. Making him gape at his mother as if she had grown a third eye on her forehead. “No, Mom, what even… We grew up together!", Nyx threw his arms up in the air in frustration, which suddenly washed over him. “And that’s supposed to be an issue?", Feyre simply smiled up at him. That kind of smile implied that she was up for a chance to change his mind. Nyx turned away, moving to glance out of the window once more. “Whatever. I’m not even going to entertain this conversation." His mother let out a knowing laugh, returning to her painting once more.

Nyx gazed out into the night. His eyes narrowed out on a figure that slipped out of the library’s back door. Leaning forward, he tried to identify the figure. He knew that whoever it was had to have a pass from his parents. “Is that…?", Nyx trilled off. It couldn’t be because they had separated and... “Axel? Yes”, Nyx gazed back at his mother, who hadn’t even lifted her eyes to look out the window. That fucking lying bastard. I’ll be heading home my ass. “Have you hired him to work in the library?", Nyx had frowned in confusion. But Feyre shook her head. “Gwyn is helping new girls settle into quarters. Axel kindly offered to carry boxes”, the high lady said as if there wasn’t anything else.

“Carry boxes, mhm." Nyx watched as Axel stopped in his tracks before waving up at someone. The princeling’s eyes followed the gesture, finding another figure, barely visible in the sixth-floor window, waving right back. Why was he always on the sidelines with everyone? Why hadn’t Axel said anything about this to him yet?

“He’s a sweetheart," his mother hummed in approval. “There was a girl who hadn’t left her room in over a week. Axel managed to coax her out in a day," no doubt a girl Nyx had seen slipping back into the library when he had bumped into Axel earlier on. “A charming young man," Feyre hummed, making Nyx shake his head. “I’ll give him your praise”, after a proper interrogation, of course.

Unfortunately, Axel’s adventures brought him little satisfaction. And quite honestly, Nyx had given up on trying to snoop around his best friend’s business. Because he knew Axel and knew that the deepest and most heartfelt conversation always struck out when they were up in camps. Nyx had been restless for the days to come. Hanging around all the places he and Zofie usually went to. He was waiting for an inkling of any deeper emotions that would drag him towards her.

They had gotten the call that tomorrow morning they would be going back. And he knew one thing—he couldn’t go back without seeing her one more time. The image of her teared up face had haunted Nyx ever since. He hated it when she cried. He hated it when she was upset. But it seemed as if she had just disappeared into thin air. Nyx had hoped to see her at dinner in the lake house last night, but Y/N had simply said that Zofie wasn’t feeling well. Had something happened afterward? Had her magic flared up once more? But twice in two days. That would be way too much. Or maybe she was just avoiding him?

Stomping through the high grass, Nyx let his mind consume him once more. He knew that Rhys had called a meeting that afternoon. Meaning that Azriel and Cassian were both in the office now. If he was lucky, the females would also be there, meaning that only Zofie’s grandma would be at the house. Nyx rounded the back of the house. He hadn’t made any plans. Hadn't thought of what he was going to say. He wasn’t even sure why he was so nervous to see her. They knew each other like the backs of their heads. Nyx’s movements halted when he reached the back garden, and his ears picked up on a light rustling.

But it took him a peek from behind the hedges to glimpse at the only source of light that he had for as long as he could remember. Zofie was humming quietly as she hung the wet clothes on the lining. Gently smoothing down the fabric. Hair messily done up. He frowned at the lack of warmer clothes on her body. The sun was way warmer today, but the yellow dress with a thick knit sweater still felt too little to keep her delicate frame warm.

She was hanging the last piece of baby clothes when Nyx stepped right behind her, making Zofie’s hands freeze in the air. Shoulders stiffening. "Zo...", Nyx didn’t even have enough time to finish calling out to her when she finally turned to face him. “What are you doing here?" A slight frown creased her brows. “I wanted to... We go back tomorrow���, he muttered under his breath, her slightly dismissive tone hurting him way more than he thought it would.

"Okay," Zofie muttered, turning to pick up the basket. “Okay? That’s all?", Nyx reached for her hand, but Zofie pulled it back instantly. "What…", Nyx breathed out, his heart racing in his chest. Making his throat feel tight. “Look me in the eyes," he demanded, way harsher than he intended, but this wasn’t them. She wasn’t cold with him. She…

"Go," Zofie said simply. “No, not until you tell me what’s going on," Nyx pushed. “It’s best if we don’t meet up for a bit," Zofie said, wrapping her arms around herself as the colder breeze picked up. Clouds covered up the rays of sun peaking out moments ago. Nyx instantly felt the urge to pull her closer and shield her from the icy wind. “Is Azriel...", “Don’t drag my father into this. You have no right to drag him into this and to speak for me," she said, pointing a warning finger at him. He knew that he had stepped on the line with his last interaction with his uncle, but... "Go, Nyx, have a safe trip," Zofie said, pushing the loose strands of her hair beneath her ears.

"Sunny," his words were barely a whisper, but she simply shook her head and said, “We are no longer children. It’s time we grow up." Zofie rested the basket on her hip. “My world and your world... they’re different," Zofie muttered, and Nyx swore he saw the way her lower lip quivered. “You fit perfectly in my world... You’re my best friend," Nyx called out to her as she turned to walk away, his feet carrying him straight to her without hesitation. His palms reached out to her, cupping her face, and a slight shiver ran through her at his touch. They were inches away. She was a breath away. Nyx’s purple eyes desperately searching for any clues as to why she was shutting him out. Zofie’s free hand pushed against Nyx’s chest as she pulled free of his embrace. “Have a safe trip," she muttered, her hesitant fingers reaching up to touch Nyx’s cheeks, but the moment he leaned into the touch, Zofie turned back, rushing towards the patio stairs. "Sunny," Nyx called out, but she was already at the door. So he stood there. He stood there until the sky started weeping alongside him. Taking to the skies with an angry cry.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Taglist: @sirenpearldust @historygeekqueen @hnyclover @i-am-a-lost-girl16 @naturakaashi @stressed-reader @woodland-mist @goldenmagnolias @nocasdatsgay @lees-chaotic-brain

[hoseokslefteyebrow]

The Anomaly || JJK

Chapter 3: Accomplices

summary : In which you're isekai'd from your (own) parallel Jujutsu Kaisen universe to the canon universe.

wordcount : 3k

Pairing: Jujutsu Kaisen X Reader, eventually Character x Reader (idk who yet tho)

Masterlist | Next

The fight between you, Yuuji and the cursed spirit was running relatively smoothly. You're pleased to find out that this Yuuji is much like your Yuuji. Neither seem to care about how they're getting the job done, as long as they get the job done. He's athletic, you notice, jumping from spot to spot and launching punch after punch.

You don't need to do much. One of your water skins is uncapped as you use it. You're really just slashing this curse back Yuuji's way, trapping him there, keeping him there. However, you can't ignore that something really does feel off. It's definitely a curse, but it's body' fluid composition felt so... Human? It was unsettling.

As a Water Manipulator, you could feel fluid compositions. People are made up of at least 60% water. You can use them as your doll if you wish to do so, which is why you were feared among curse users in your own world. Cursed spirits are always made purely of cursed energy. And so far, you haven't come across a cursed spirit which power was based on water. 

Eventually, things take an unexpected turn soon enough. Nobara is getting pulled out of the barrier, for some reason. 

You're quick to follow, and soon enough the both of you are stood against the curse. 

Which was an odd thing. It seems to pretend to be a gentleman, spouting about how he'll let the two of you go considering your gender, leaving you both confused. 

And then it hops back. It looks ridiculous. Things get even more odd when Yuuji and the other curse jump in. Apparently the weird curse in front of you has something disgusting on its back. 

Things escalate. Nobara comments on the rotting smell that comes from him, and he grows angry, activating it's cursed technique. Soon enough, he's launching blood your way. 

You move out of the way- just in case, but you're pleased (yet also incredibly unsettled) to find out that it really is blood, even if it is poisonous. 

The curse angers visibly. 

" You should run, with your back to me! "

Nobara and Yuuji have no other choice, so they do. You keep your eyes on him, gathering the blood he's launching your way as you prepare to counter attack. 

" How about I rip your blood sculpted wings off instead? "

It doesn't like your words. Not at all. In fact, it launches so many attacks that even you have to pull back, throwing messy counter attacks as you jump backwards. It's laughing, while it manages to draw you back. It's incredibly quick, which makes it so hard to keep up. 

Nonetheless, you don't give up. 

Eventually, you manage to turn the tide. Suddenly, he's at your mercy, as you continue to summon his attack and make it your own. Unlike Blood Manipulation, you can't change the condense of blood, so you'll have to rely of the speed of it. You charge up the circle of it's blood that was already starting to pick up pace around you, and send it at him in one go. Like always, it creates a sword like effect, slashing through everything. The curse's eyes widen, and it has no choice but to jump back, all the way. 

Your attack had a bigger hit than expected, as a few trees fall to the side- you jump to avoid them. Oops. Regret fills your senses as you realize that the curse is dashing off on you. 

" Hey!- "

You're glaring. How dare he run off on you? You chase after it, however, it's much quicker than you. Your eyes widen as you catch up, your friends now both injured. 

" There's no need to worry. My younger brother's blood doesn't have the same quality as mine. And even mine won't kill you unless you would be drowned in it. Though it will hurt like hell. This is where our technique starts-"

He raises his pinky, and immediately black, tattoo like flowers run over your friends' wounds. Your eyes widen as concern overtakes your features. Shit- you're a healer first. You have to save them. For a moment, you panic in silence, not sure what to do, or what to say. Obviously, this isn't the time and moment to heal them. 

Meanwhile, the curse is breaking down how his technique works. The consequences are pretty clear, once either him (should we even refer to it as him?) Or his brother activate the technique, they only have about 15 minutes to live. 

Your eyes harden as you realize what you three have to do. Healing comes later. You've never come across a technique which effect was like poison. You don't know if you'd be able to stop his technique while it's working. It's better to have them release their technique altogether and heal them properly after that. 

Yuuji and Nobara seem to think the same thing. 

" Would you like me to end you right away? "

The curse was too bold with it's actions. 

" A technique that grants victory once it hits... That makes you strong. Too bad for you though, that makes me the worst match for you! "

Nobara is bolder. She's confident, yet somehow not arrogant. You watch in amazement as she plunges one of her nails in her arm, activating her straw doll technique. 

In response, both of their body's blood flow changes into one of stress. You stop all together. What are those things? They can't be curses. They simply can't be. Their body is made of blood. They're alive. You wouldn't be able to exorcise them, because it would be killing.

You're distressed now, unable to move. Can you even kill? You've never deemed yourself a good person, nor a bad person. You're not the type to forgive easy, or at all in most cases. You hold grudges a lot. You're not a bad person either. You're not fond of bullying, or picking on people. You're just,, you. You're not a killer though. Something was going on in this universe which was not natural, even for Jujutsu. Spirits that have taken bodies... These bodies could've been living an actual life before they were taken... You can't do this. You can't kill them. 

Meanwhile, the actual fight takes place. Yuuji is the first to throw a punch. First at the blue curse, before he switches with Nobara. 

You finally seem to snap out of it when-

" You bitch! "

Like we've mentioned before, you're not a good person.

" Who the fuck do you think you are to call my best friend a bitch?! "

You're launching yourself at the curse as well, joining your friends yet again. It's blue brother whines out desperately, but you force yourself to ignore it. 

His brother seems to release their cursed technique, and Yuuji now gets into physical combat with him, throwing punch after punch after punch. The curse is quick to react, enabling his stupid technique, Wing King once again, launching strikes of blood Yuuji's way. You're quick to intervene, summoning it's blood your way as you create the circle you're so fond of, charging up for your counter attack. Yuuji doesn't rest either, following your opening as both him and Nobara simultaneously manage to land a black flash on both of them. 

Your eyes widen in amazement. So far, you've never managed to do so before. The blue spirit barely survives, and your expression saddens as Nobara activates her hair pin technique, ultimately resulting in killing the curse. 

" Kechizu.. " 

It's the other curse. You feel guilty. He did refer to him as brother, after all. 

" I'm sorry brother, I couldn't protect him... "

Nobara's eyes widen, staring at the curse. 

She must've not known either. You realize. 

Out of nowhere, a truck suddenly comes from the tunnel. Everyone jumps out of the way in time. You lose focus, the curse's blood falling to the floor below you, it's poisonous effect evident as it burns into the ground. 

The curse is quicker to react, jumping on the back of the truck and keeping one of the two people in it hostage. Nonetheless, Yuuji chases after it. With result too, as Nobara releases her straw doll technique on it's brother, dead on injuring the curse, who falls right into Yuuji's clutches. 

Yuuji kills him. 

He doesn't look happy to do so. 

Afterwards, the three of you are heading back, towards Megumi. You're lost in thought about the events that just occurred, having forgotten about their injuries in favor of mental injuries you have no doubt created for others. 

Those two curses called each other brothers. It made you wonder if there was another one perhaps, maybe a whole family. Yuuji's voice cuts through your train of thought, reminding you where you are. 

" Kugisaki, are you okay? " 

" Oh, yeah. Though this might leave a scar. I wonder if those guys are okay, considering their truck just went speeding off. About the poison, I wonder if Shoko will be up this late. And if she will be sober- What are you fidgety for? It's creepy. "

She's asking Yuuji the question. Meanwhile you press a gentle hand to her uninjured arm. 

" I can fix that, actually. If that's okay. " 

Nobara nods, and you get to work. You first manipulate the poison out, managing to tell it apart from her own blood with surprising ease. After that, you uncap one of your water skins, manipulating the water around your hand as you press the cold substance to her arm's injury. First, she cringes at the cold, but then she grows more comfortable as a comforting feeling settles in her skin. The water you're using to heal glows, and her arm feels all warm and comfortable. 

Meanwhile, the two had continued talking. 

" Wasn't this the first time you killed something instead of exorcising it? " 

Your eyes widen, your focus momentarily quivering. He's done this before? Does he know what they are?

" Yeah, what about you? "

" I have, once... No that's not correct. It was three people. "

" You seem to be doing way worse than me. To put it blunt, I don't care. As a sorcerer, you tend to run into these things. I'm no Fushiguro, but ultimately, there's only so many people we can save. " 

Her words are cold, but real. Meanwhile you finish up your work, her skin smooth and healed once again, like it never happened. She continues to explain why she feels like that, and you somewhat do understand. You wouldn't have won if all of you had refused to kill it like you did, especially with a technique that strong. 

" Woah, your healing is indeed impressive, Y/N.- How do you feel about killing? "

Her blunt words make you cringe as you continue to walk. 

" Uncomfortable, to be honest. I'm not sure if I can kill one if the situation would ever demand it of me to be honest. They were crying for one another. I never had to fight something that understood emotions before. " 

Yuuji nods in agreement. 

" I feel the same. I'm happy we survived, but still, tears were shed over the lives we ended tonight. "

For a moment, a silence settles over the three of you. 

" Then I guess that makes us accomplices. "

Nobara points out, causing you to cringe yet again, the weight of the word uncomfortable. 

Thankfully, a moment later, the three of you come across Fushiguro... Who is passed out, beside the river. 

" Fushiguro! "

" Megumi! "

All three of you call out in worry. You drop down to your knees beside him as he stirs, uncapping your water skin yet again in preparation, eyes scanning over him for injuries. 

Megumi grumbles as he opens his eyes. 

" Oh, you guys are back. Glad you're all safe. "

" W-We were so scared, we thought you were dead! Thank goodness! " 

Both Yuuji and Nobara are in the back, holding hands as they express their fears to their dear friend. 

Meanwhile, you focus on his health. 

" Are you okay? Or injured? "

" Could you two at least keep it down? I'm okay, Y/N, but my head hurts. "

You pout at his stubbornness. 

" Where? " 

You're already summoning water around both of your hands, ready to help. 

Megumi opens his mouth to say something, probably to tell you off with nonsense, when you notice the big red stain on the back of his head. You purse your lips, scolding him softly. He leans into your touch, a new comforting feeling spreading through his skull. 

" No wonder your head hurt. " 

" Don't go to sleep with a Sukuna's finger in your hand. That's dangerous. "

Nobara's words draw your attention. You glance at Megumi's hands, noticing that he is indeed holding a disgusting looking long nailed red finger-

" That's a-? You swallow that thing whole? Like nail and all? "

" Pretty much. Should I eat it? "

" It's not like left overs, you know? "

" We're not sure how many fingers you can handle. So don't eat it. You look the least worn down though, so take it. I'll tell you again though, don't eat it. "

Yuuji huffs, probably annoyed by Megumi's way of addressing him currently, as he approaching. However, surprise takes over your features as a mouth appears on Yuuji's hand and fucking swallows it. Ew. 

You watch in disgust which turns into amazement as you notice familiar marks appearing on his skin for a moment. Your heart skips a beat at the reminder of your best friend, who is so far away.

Silently, you wonder how he's doing. 

-

[ Parallel Jujutsu Kaisen Universe ]

" You should really stop staring at your bracelet like that, it's getting a bit depressing to watch. "

" You wear a blindfold, do you even see anything? "

Gojo hums, sitting down on the floor beside his student, on the stairway leading up towards the mountains. He knows this spot all too well. Y/N and Sukuna would sit here often. Something about liking the view. Gojo doesn't really get it. It's just trees and buildings. He doubts Sukuna gets it either.

" I have the six eyes, remember? "

All he gets in response is an annoyed sigh from the teenager. Sukuna didn't get along well with people older than him. He lacked respect, in multiple ways. His parents were more fond of his twin, simply because he was more outgoing, naturally nicer. People didn't typically get along with the boy at all. Something about him being too intimidating, too rude, too disrespectful. The tattoos on his face were a stark reminder that he doesn't really care. Somehow, he did manage to be close friends with you though. Gojo will never understand how. The two of you were pretty much complete opposites, yet you balanced each other out just fine.

The six eyes never told him, but he didn't need any ability to see the bond he shared with you. It was unique, deep. It reminded him painfully of him and Suguru. Sukuna doesn't view you like the sacred healer you are. He sees you just as you, just like how Suguru used to view Satoru as himself. 

Gojo sighs softly, his easy going smile leaving his face, making room for more serious conversation. 

" I know losing your best friend is hard. But you have to-"

" She's not dead. "

Gojo sighs, having expected that response. He wouldn't believe anyone who told him his best friend would be dead when she had literally disappeared out of nowhere. 

" Sukuna-"

" She's not. I'm 100% sure. Something isn't adding up. "

" She could have fallen in the river, -"

" No, look. "

Gojo glances at his student's phone, noting the messages. 

Mine 

Where are u? 

This isn't funny

I made gyoza without you while using your secret recipe

Gojo can't help but grin, noting the oddness of the messages. 

" Even when gone you can't be nice? "

" That's not what I'm talking about. "

[ The number you're trying to reach is not in use ]

Gojo's brows furrow behind his blindfold. That indeed is very odd. 

" Besides, did you just hear yourself? Y/N losing when around a river? "

" You never know, if she was knocked out she could've been drowning-"

" She's not dead. "

Gojo's eyes glance at Sukuna's bracelets below his blindfold, the water in it limp, ordinary. He didn't understand exactly how it worked, but somehow it always drew Sukuna to you whenever he needed to find you, no matter where you were. It would flow, like a river leading him towards the sea. The only reason for it to stop working would be if you were dead, or really that far away, but where would you be. 

Sukuna sighs, getting up as he glares at his sensei. He looks like he's about to say something, but then he scoffs, turning away, walking off. 

Gojo figures that Sukuna is really just unaccepting of your death. If the boy had cursed energy, he'd tell him to get a hold of his emotions before he'd accidentally place a curse on you, though he doesn't have any, so you should be fine. 

However, even Gojo has to admit that his most irrational student has a point. Perhaps he should look deeper into it indeed. 

The Anomaly Taglist:

@luxylucylou @kalulakunundrum @strxbxrrylover @aethersslave

[ntonlvr]

Can't Help Myself Falling Endlessly 3-4?

synopsis: sohee decides to throw a party. anton and y/n continue to sneak around..

what could possibly happen next..stay tuned

word count: 7.5k>

status: 4/? (this 2 chapters in one)

content warning: explicit sexual content, oral (fem and male receiving), drunk sex, slight mutual masturbation (?), idk what else to tag lmaoo

please leave feedback :)

The morning sun filtered through your curtains, casting a gentle glow over your room as you stretched, thoughts of last night with Anton lingering in your mind. His kiss, the way his hands felt on you, replayed vividly. You reach for your phone and settle back into bed, the cool sheets enveloping you. With a giddy excitement, you prepare to spill everything to your online besties, Taro and Sung. 

You’d been friends with them for years, bonding over shared interests and countless late-night conversations. They were all well aware of your history with Anton–a childhood friend with whom you’d recently felt a growing connection beyond mere friendship. Whenever you needed advice or just a sympathetic ear, they were always there. 

Just as you were about to text them, Sohee’s voice echoed from downstairs. “Hey, Y/N,  are you up? I need your help please!” Rolling your eyes, you chose to ignore him for the moment, fingers quickly tapping across the screen.

TEXTING CYBER BULLIES:

y/n: good morning :) guess whos filling my mind this morning …

taro: hmm anton 👀

sung: yeah, i second that. it has to be anton 

You grinned at their responses, fingers flying over the keyboard as you recounted last night's movie night. The way you were both snuggled up sharing light touches before the moment turned into something more. 

y/n: you won’t believe what happened last night 

taro: ooh ?? pls tell

sung: spill right now

y/n: well last night anton came over for a movie night, right. well we had a few shots of soju and we ended up kissing,, but like more heated …

taro: WAIT what!? i thought you guys were just friends!! did i miss a chapter 

sung: no stupid. that’s the news. BUT Y/N WE NEED MORE INFO NEOW.

sung: we know you had a fat crush on this man, but never expected you to actually do anything about it..

y/n: hey- i would’ve done something about it

y/n: i would like the jury to know that i did in fact make the first move

taro: and when you say the kissing got heated? what do you mean by that

y/n: um we might’ve felt each other up. and he definitely kissed me elsewhere.. you get the picture

sung: oh we will be facetiming later to discuss more details. you aren’t getting out of that

taro: yeah for sure. but how are you feeling? what are you gonna do??

y/n: well we agreed to keep it a secret for now, just so we can figure out our feelings for real. and how to break it to sohee if we progress further.

sung: SOHEE DOESN’T KNOW ?? DUDE 

y/n: hey remember when i said “we agreed to keep it a secret” OF COURSE SOHEE DOESN’T KNOW STUPID.

sung: well was it just heated kissing? if so i don’t think there’s any harm in that.

y/n: about that heheh…

taro: y/n i swear to god,, what else are you hiding from us .

y/n: after he left last night, we were texting- actually let me send a screenshot of our texts

y/n: *screenshot*

sung: .. no freaking way .. Y/N HE SNUCK OVER AFTER HE LEFT FOR THE NIGHT ..oh he’s got it bad for you

taro: oh 0.0 “i would love to feel you right now” you’re actually insane for that (i love it)

y/n: um so he did in fact sneak over. let’s just say a man can please and ya girl can please.

taro: and sohee had no idea anton came back over last night? girl you are so in the clear right now

sung: this is some next-level drama. i am living for this BUT how are you keeping this a secret?

y/n: idk 😭 that’s the hard part. we don’t really get a lot of 1:1 time because of sohee

taro: hmm maybe you can both sneak away tn since sohee’s throwing a party

y/n: how do you know he- stalker

sung: taro quit stalking sohee’s socials

taro: i like to know things, okay 

y/n: but taro does have a point. there will be enough people around so anton and i can have some alone time

taro: im living for the secret rendezvous with you and anton. so what’s the next move?

y/n:  i want to look good tonight. idk the thought of looking so good in front of anton when he has to act normal is making me go crazy

taro: you already know i support. pls send outfit ideas

As you laughed at their playful encouragement, Sohee called again, louder this time, “Y/N! Seriously, come help me. I know you’re up, I can hear you laughing.” You smirked and typed one last message.

y/n: i will!! i gotta go before sohee loses it -.-

You head downstairs and grab a cup of coffee to kickstart your day. Sohee enters, carrying a box of lights and other decorations. 

“Finally! I thought you were trying to skip out on helping me,” Sohee says, placing the box next to you. 

“I don’t get why we need all these lights. We already have lights in the backyard,” you reply, eyeing the tangled mess.

“Yeah, but these are way better. Anyway, I did have something I wanted to talk to you about last night,” he begins, leaning against the counter with a more serious expression.

Your heart skips a beat, and a wave of anxiety washes over you. “What about it?”

Sohee sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I noticed something weird when I joined you both for that movie last night. Like something with Anton,” he says, his tone filled with curiosity. “Anton seemed kind of off, like he was distracted.”

A lump forms in your throat, and you struggle to maintain a calm facade. “Distracted? What do you mean?” you ask, trying to sound casual, but the slight tremor in your voice betrays you.

Sohee pours himself some coffee, looking thoughtful. “I don’t know, just a feeling. He was quieter than usual. Maybe he’s got something on his mind.”

You force a laugh, relieved that Sohee hasn’t pieced anything together. “Yeah, he’s been stressed about work lately. Probably just that.”

Sohee shrugs, seemingly satisfied with your explanation. “Makes sense. Anyway, let’s get these decorations up. The party won’t set itself up.”

You nod, the tension easing as you both start untangling the lights. The relief washes over you, knowing that your secret is still safe for now.

The morning flew by in a whirlwind of party preparations with Sohee. As you helped him hang lights and arrange decorations, your mind kept drifting back to Anton and what the evening might bring. Around midday, while you were putting the final touches in place, Sohee’s phone began buzzing loudly. 

“Sohee, could you please pass me another hook so these lights stop falling?” you called out.

“Sorry, I’m actually going to head out and grab drinks for tonight,” Sohee replied, already reaching for his keys. “Do you mind holding the fort down while I’m gone?”

“Can’t you grab me a hook before you leave?” you retorted, frustration evident in your voice. 

“Well, I’m already out the door, Sorry, I’ll be back in a little while,” he said, closing the door behind him.

“What an ass,” you mutter to yourself. Did he really just leave you to finish setting up for a party he wanted to throw? “Whatever,” you thought. “I’ll wrap this up and then get ready for tonight.”

In your room, you laid out your chosen outfit on your bed and took a shower to refresh yourself. The warm water helped relax your nerves, and you spent extra time carefully styling your hair into loose waves that frame your face effortlessly. 

Unlocking your phone, you started a FaceTime call with Taro and Sung to get their opinion on your fit for the night. 

“Hey, Y/N! What’s up?” Taro greeted you enthusiastically as his face appeared on the screen. 

“I need your fashion advice,” you said with a grin, “I already chose this dress, but I have another option in case the jury doesn’t like it.”

Sung leaned forward, curious. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

You set your phone up, and backed away from the camera, displaying the dress you had on. A skimpy sundress in a pastel floral print that hugged your curves in all the right places. “Okay, this is the first option. A personal favorite,” you explained, giving a playful twirl to show it off. 

Taro’s eyes widened with approval. “Wow, Y/N you look hot in that dress. It really compliments you so well.”

Sung nods in agreement. “Definitely. It’s perfect for tonight. Anton won’t be able to take his eyes, and maybe even his hands off you.”

Before you could grab the second outfit, Taro exclaimed, “We don’t even need to see the other one. This is perfect!

Sung nodded in agreement. “Yeah, seriously. Anton won’t be able to resist you in that.”

You laughed, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. “You really think so?”

“Absolutely,” Taro said confidently.

“Totally,” Sung added with a grin.

The thrill of teasing Anton added an extra layer of excitement to the night. You couldn’t wait to see his reaction when he sees you. Taro and Sung could sense your anticipation and share in your excitement. 

“We can’t wait to hear how this plays out for you,” Taro said, eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Yeah, keep us updated,” Sung added. “This is going to be so much fun.”

You smiled, feeling more confident than ever. “Thanks, guys. I’ll let you know how it goes. Tonight is going to be good.”

“Sorry guys, hold on a sec,” you apologize, tapping the screen to switch over to Sohee’s call. The image shifts to a chaotic scene in Sohee’s car, packed with shopping bags brimming with bottles of various liquors.

“Sohee, what’s all this?” you laugh, eyeing the assortment of drinks.

Sohee grins mischievously. “I figured we needed a little something extra for tonight. And look who I found on the way back,” he gestures towards Anton, who waves from the passenger seat, a shy smile on his face. 

Anton leans into the camera view, his voice tinged with humor. “Hey, Y/N. Sohee decided to kidnap me for the cause.”

You chuckle at them, feeling a surge of excitement for the night ahead. “Well, looks like we’re all set then. Thanks, Sohee. See you both soon.” With a wave goodbye, you switch back to Taro and Sung, who are grinning at the unexpected interruption. “Okay, I gotta go, babes. I’m pretty sure Sohee is close to being back and is gonna need help with everything.”

Taro laughed. “Good luck! And remember, we need all the juicy details later.”

“Yeah, and don��t leave anything out!” Sung added.

You smiled, feeling a renewed sense of confidence. “Don’t worry, you’ll get the full scoop. Talk to you later.”

The evening air was thick with anticipation as Sohee’s car pulled up to the front of the house. Anton stepped out first, followed closely by Sohee, who was balancing the bags of goodies with practiced ease. They exchanged knowing glances, both fully aware of the surprise that was about to unfold.

You descended the stairs, your presence catching Anton’s attention almost immediately. Anton’s breath caught in his throat as he beheld you in the sundress, the soft pastels playing against your skin like a delicate watercolor. His gaze traced the curve of your waist, the gentle flow of the fabric over your figure, and the way the dress seemed to illuminate you with a subtle radiance.

At that moment, time seemed to slow for Anton. He couldn’t help but marvel at how effortlessly you wore confidence like a second skin, how every movement you made seemed to carry a quiet grace that captivated him anew. Thoughts raced through his mind, a whirlwind of admiration and desire intertwined. 

“Wow,” Anton managed to whisper, the word escaping his lips almost involuntarily. His heart hammered in his chest, a mixture of awe and a deeper, more profound feeling stirring within him. He found himself unable to look away, wanting to etch this moment into his memory. 

As you reached the bottom of the stairs, your smile brightened at the sight of Anton. You could sense his reaction, the unspoken admiration that hung in the air like a delicate thread. It was a moment suspended in time, where words seemed unnecessary amidst the unspoken language of glances and smiles. 

You joined Sohee and Anton as they gathered the remaining supplies from the car. The back seat was filled with bags from different stores, and a variety of beverages. Anton began to unload them while you and Sohee carried them inside. 

“How was the store?” you asked, breaking the silence as they maneuvered through the hallway. 

Anton glanced at you, trying to keep his focus on the task at hand. “It was alright. Sohee managed to get all the best deals.”

Sohee nodded in agreement, setting down his load on the kitchen counter. “Definitely, I know what I’m doing. Thanks for helping us by the way.”

You smiled warmly, “Of course, I’m happy to help.”

As they continued unpacking, you reached to grab a big bowl from the top shelf, inadvertently lifting the hem of your dress just enough to expose the bottom of your ass. Anton’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected glimpse, his cheeks flushing as he looked away, trying to maintain composure. You bit your lip, suppressing a smile at his reaction before bending over to now retrieve something you didn’t even need, knowing full well you were testing Anton’s self-control at this point.

As they unpacked the bags, Y/N noticed Anton stealing glances at you from time to time. You couldn’t resist a playful tease. Setting down a bottle, you turned towards Anton. “Enjoying the view?” you ask in a low whisper.

Anton’s cheeks flushed slightly, caught off guard by your directness. He chuckled nervously, trying to play it cool. “Uh, maybe a little,” he admitted with a shy smile. 

Y/N tilted her head, pretending to ponder. “Well, I guess that’s a compliment,” she replied, her eyes sparking mischievously.

As they continued unpacking, you reached to grab a big bowl from the top shelf, inadvertently lifting the hem of your dress just enough to expose the bottom of your ass. Anton’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected glimpse, his cheeks flushing as he looked away, trying to maintain composure. You bit your lip, suppressing a smile at his reaction before bending over to now retrieve something you didn’t even need, knowing full well you were testing Anton’s self-control at this point.

Anton shifted his position, feeling the tension between them growing more palpable with each playful gesture. 

“So, Anton,” Sohee called from the other side of the kitchen, oblivious to the teasing. “Can you check if we have enough mixers?”

“Uh, sure,” Anton replied, his voice a bit strained. He moved to the pantry, grateful for the temporary distraction. As he rummaged through the shelves, he couldn’t help but steal glances at Y/N, who was now leaning over the counter, her movements slow and deliberate.

You straightened up, catching Anton’s eye once more. She walked over to him, your smile innocent but your eyes twinkling with mischief. “Need any help in there?” she asked sweetly, standing just a bit too close. 

Anton took a deep breath, forcing a smile. “I think I’ve got it, thanks,” he said, trying to keep his tone casual.

As you reached for a bottle on the shelf next to Anton, you subtly grazed his side, your touch light and seemingly accidental but enough to send a shiver through Anton. He tensed, trying to remain composed as the playful gesture heightened the already charged atmosphere between them, 

“Sohee,” you called over your shoulder, your tone light and playful, “do we have enough glasses for the drinks?”

Sohee nodded, still focused on his own task. “Yeah, they should be in the cabinet above the sink.”

You turned back to Anton, giving him a final teasing smile before moving away to fetch the glasses. Anton exhaled slowly, his mind racing with thoughts of you and your playful antics. He knew the evening was only just beginning, and he had a feeling your teasing was far from over.

With Sohee bustling in the kitchen, organizing the drinks and setting out other necessities, you seized the opportunity to steak a moment alone with Anton. You flashes him a smile, a silent invitation to join you in a corner of the living room away from Sohee.

Anton hesitated for a moment, glancing over at Sohee to ensure he wouldn’t notice their brief absence. Then, unable to resist your playful allure, he followed you to the secluded corner. 

You leaned against the wall, your eyes glinting with mischief as you watched Anton approach. “Finally, some peace and quiet,” you murmured, your voice soft and inviting. 

Anton nodded, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement. “Yeah, it’s been a little hectic in there,” he replied, his gaze fixed on you.

You took a step closer, your proximity sending a shiver down Anton’s spine. “I noticed you’ve been a bit distracted,”  you teased, your fingers lightly brushing his arm.

Anton swallowed hard, the touch of your fingers sending a wave of warmth through him. “It’s hard not to be,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Your smile widened, pleased by his honesty. “Good to know I have that effect on you,” you said, your tone playful yet sincere. You leaned in, your lips just inches from his ear. “You know, you’re making it very hard for me to focus on anything else.”

Anton’s heart raced, the intimacy of the moment almost overwhelming. “You’re not making it easy for me either,” he confessed, his breath hitching. 

You chuckled softly, your breath warm against his skin. “Maybe that’s the point,” she whispered, your lips brushing against his ear ever so slightly.

"Imagine what else I could do if we were alone... just the two of us."

Before you could pull back, Anton’s hands were on you, unable to resist any longer. His fingers traced the curve of your waist, pulling you closer until there was no space between you. “You’re driving me crazy,” he murmured, his voice rough with desire.

You shivered at his touch, a pleased smile playing on your lips. “You can’t seem to take your hands off me, can you?” you teased, your tone light but your eyes dark with invitation. 

“Can you blame me?” Anton replied, his hands roaming over your back, pulling you even closer. “You look absolutely stunning tonight. I can’t resist touching you.”

“Good to know,” you whispered back, enjoying the way his touch sent waves of heat through you. “But we can’t stay hidden forever. Sohee will start wondering where we went.”

Anton was about to respond, to the close distance between you, when Sohee’s voice rang out from the kitchen.

"Hey, Anton! Can you give me a hand with these coolers? They're too heavy for me to lift alone."

Anton groaned inwardly, the moment shattered by the interruption. He pulled back reluctantly, glancing at you, who wore an amused expression. "Duty calls," you said with a wink, clearly enjoying the effect you had on him.

"Yeah, I'll be right there," Anton called back to Sohee, his voice tinged with frustration.

Moments later, you both joined Sohee in welcoming their friends, the atmosphere quickly filling with lively chatter and music. The front door swung open repeatedly as guests arrived, bringing with them bursts of laughter and clinking of bottles. Sohee, in his element, floated around the room and backyard, ensuring everyone had a drink and was having a good time. 

As the night progressed, you found yourself standing at the makeshift bard in the backyard. You leaned over to grab a pop from the lower shelf, your dress riding up slightly. Anton’s breath hitched instinctively reaching out to steady you, his fingers brushing against the exposed skin.

“You really can’t keep your hands off me, can you?” you whispered, a teasing smile playing on your lips as you straightened up, holding the can of pop.

Anton’s eyes darkened, his voice low as he replied, “You’re impossible to resist. I told you.”

Before you could respond, a group of friends approached them, breaking the intimate moment. You both plastered on friendly smiles, engaging in casual conversation, but the tension between you remained palpable.

As the party buzzed with energy, music thumped and laughter filled the air. Anton leaned in, whispering to you, “Wanna get out of here?”

You shared a smirk and began weaving your way through the crowd, aiming for upstairs. Just as you reached the stairs, Sohee, visibly tipsy, intercepted you, swaying slightly.

“Hey! Where are you two sneaking off to?” he asked, his words slurring a bit. “You aren’t leaving, are you?”

You and Anton exchanged a look, their escape thwarted. “Uh, just going to get more drinks. Looks like we’re running low,” you replied, trying to act natural.

Sohee grinned. “Perfect! That’s what I was going to ask you both to do. It’s like you read my mind.”

“Yeah, of course, Sohee,” Anton replied, chuckling. “Anything for you.”

Sohee beamed. “You guys are the best!” I’ll make sure the party doesn’t die while you’re gone.”

As the car hummed down the road, the city lights flickering past, Anton’s hand found its way to your thigh, tracing soft patterns with his fingertips. His touch sent a shiver of anticipation through you.

“Can’t believe Sohee actually sent us on a beer run,” you chuckled, stealing a glance at Anton.

He smirked, his eyes glinting in the dim light. “Maybe it’s not such a bad thing.” His hand slid higher, a teasing warmth spreading through your body. 

You bit your lip, feeling the heat rise within you. “You think you can keep your hands to yourself?” you teased.

Anton leaned closer, his voice low and filled with a playful challenge. “Why would I want to, when you look so good?” His warm breath brushed against your ear, sending tingles down your spine.

You laughed softly, but then gleamed at the road ahead. “Hey, pay attention to the road,” you teased, your voice mock-serious.

Anton chuckled, his hand still gently exploring. “Don’t worry,” he said confidently, his tone cocky and flirty. “I’ve got my hands–and eyes–right where they need to be.”

The car pulled up to the liquor store, and you both hopped out to grab the beers Sohee had requested, along with other beverages. The task was simple enough, but the tension between you both was high.

As he drove, the tension between you both grew undeniable. Anton glanced at you, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “You know,” he said, his voice low and suggestive, “we have a bit of time before we head back.”

“Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?” you asked, your voice laced with a mixture of curiosity and excitement.

Without answering, Anton turned down a quiet, secluded road, pulling over in a spot hidden by trees. He killed the engine and looked at Y/N with a smirk. “Why don’t we take a little detour?” 

You grinned, heart pounding with anticipation. “Lead the way,” you replied, your voice barely above a whisper, already intoxicated by the daring excitement of what was to come.

Anton flashed a wicked smile and opened his door, stepping out of the driver's seat. He moved around the car, opening the back door and gesturing for you to join him. “Get in the backseat,” he suggested, his tone a mix of command and invitation.

As they settled into the backseat, Anton’s lips captured yours, the kiss deepening as his hands roamed eagerly. He traced up your sides, fingers brushing your skin, sending shivers down your spine.

Your fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, your breaths mingling in the confined space. Anton’s hands explored your curves, sliding beneath your dress, his touch warm and urgent.

He felt you shiver as his hand ventured higher, fingers tracing the soft fabric of your panties. “You’re so wet for me,” he whispered, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.

You gasped, your body responding to his touch, the sensation intoxicating. Anton’s fingers pressed lightly over you, feeling the heat radiating, his own desire intensifying.

“You like this, don’t you?” he murmured, his voice low and husky, lips brushing against your ear. The thrill of their secret moment, hidden away from the world, only heightened their connection.

You whimpered softly, your breath hitching as Anton’s fingers continued their tantalizing exploration. Emboldened by your response, he kissed a trail down your neck, his lips trailing lower with each tender caress. He knelt between your legs, his gaze locked with yours, filled with hunger.

"Anton…" you breathed out as his palms found their way upwards. "We should go back," you said, feeling a mix of urgency and desire.

"We should," he agreed, though his hands showed no intention of stopping. His fingers teased your skin, drawing you closer.

"We need to get back," you insisted, a teasing glint in your eyes.

"Then let's stop," Anton suggested, his lips brushing against yours.

"You first," you challenged, a playful smile on your lips.

"I can't," he admitted, his voice low and filled with need.

"Then let's finish," you replied, surrendering to the heated moment. Your lips met his once more, lost in the intensity of your connection. The urgency of the world outside faded into oblivion as you both gave in to the passionate, stolen moments in the backseat of the car.

Anton’s mouth found your inner thigh, his tongue tracing a path of fire along your skin. Your fingers threaded through his hair, urging him closer as he teased you, building tension to an unbearable peak. When his lips finally met your core, it was like an electric shock, sending waves of pleasure coursing through your body.

His touch was expert, each movement deliberate and intoxicating. Your breath hitched with each flick of his tongue, the gentle sucking on your clit sending tremors of delight through your ent9ire being. He alternated between soft, teasing licks and firmer strokes, each one eliciting a gasp or maon from your lips. The sensations were almost too much, your body arching towards him, seeking more of that friction.

“Anton, please,” you gasped, your voice barely a whisper as the pleasure built inside you.

“Tell me what you want,” he hummed against your skin, his breath hot and tantalizing. 

“Don’t stop,” you pleaded, your fingers tightening in his hair. “Please, don’t stop.”

Anton’s hands gripped your hips, holding you in place as he continued his ministrations. His tongue moved with a rhythm that drove you wild. His mouth was warm and insistent, every movement designed just for you, to bring you over the edge. 

“You taste so good,” he growled softly, his voice sending another shiver down your spine.

His lips wrapped around your clit, gently sucking and then releasing, only to repeat the motion. You felt your muscles tighten in anticipation, the coil inside you winding tighter and tighter.

“Oh, god, Anton,” you moaned, your hips bucking against his mouth. “I’m so close…”

He paused for a moment, his breath hot against your wet skin, before diving back down with renewed vigor. His tongue pressed firmly against your clit, moving in slow, deliberate circles, causing your toes to curl.

Your fingers tightened in his hair, your breaths coming in short, ragged gasps. You could feel the edge of release approaching, your body tensing as your high was nearing. Anton sensed this, his hands sliding up your thighs to hold you even closer, his tongue working you relentlessly. 

Anton flicked his tongue rapidly against your clit and then sucked your clit hard, the coil inside you snapped. You cry out Anton’s name with ecstasy, your body trembling with the intensity. Anton continued to work you through your high, his mouth never leaving your core. 

He didn't stop until he had drawn out every last shiver and moan from you, his tongue soothing and gentle now, easing you down from the heights of pleasure. When you finally collapsed back against the seat, spent and breathless, Anton kissed his way back up your body, his eyes dark with desire and a hint of satisfaction.

Anton’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as you pushed him gently against the seat. You kissed your way down his neck, your lips trailing along his collarbone and chest. 

“Y/N,” he breathed, his voice a husky growl. “What are you doing?”

You smiled against his skin, your hands moving to unbutton his jeans. ‘Giving you what you deserve,” you replied, your voice low and seductive.

“We should go back now,” he said, but his voice lacked conviction, his body already responding to your touch.

You slid his jeans down, your fingers tracing the hard outline of his arousal through his boxers. Anton’s breath quickened, his eyes never leaving yours. 

With a hunger that matched his own, you lowered yourself between his legs, your lips brushing against his inner thigh. Anton’s sharp intake of breath spurred you on, your mouth finding him eagerly. You started with soft, teasing kisses along his length, your tongue darting out to taste him,

“God, Y/N,” he groaned, his hands now tangling in your hair.

You looked up at him, eyes full of mischief. “That’s the idea,” you said, before taking him fully into your mouth. Your tongue danced along his member, teasing and tasting him as you worked him to the same completion he did to you moments before. 

Anton’s grip on the seat tightened as he surrendered to the pleasure you gave him. He whispered words of encouragement to you as you continued your attack. You increased your pace, your movements becoming more fervent as you felt him growing harder against your tongue. His hips bucked slightly, matching your rhythm, and you knew he was close.

“Y/N,” he gasped, his voice strained with need. “I’m so close, I’m about to come…”

You only redoubled your efforts, taking him deeper, your tongue swirling around the sensitive tip before descending again. With a final stroke, you felt him reach his high, his release filling your mouth as he groaned your name. You swallowed, taking every last bit, your eyes locked. 

As you pulled back, you stuck your tongue out to show Anton you had swallowed every last bit. The sight alone made him lose it, his breath hitching as he stared at you with a dazed look. 

“God,” is all he managed to breathe out. 

Anton pulled you into a lingering kiss before leaning back with a satisfied sigh. “We should probably get back,” he said, his voice low. 

You smiled, your body still humming from the intensity of your shared moment. “Yeah, before Sohee starts wondering where we are.”

With a reluctant sigh, you both fixed your clothes and climbed back into the front seats. The car hummed to life, and as you drove back to the party, the tension between you and Anton was replaced with comfortable silence. The intimacy of your recent encounter still lingering in the air. 

As the car approached the party, the sound of music and laughter grew louder. You could see the house lit up, people milling about in the front yard, holding drinks and talking animatedly. Anton parked the car and turned to you, a soft smile playing on his lips.

Stepping out of the car, you both grabbed the bags of drinks and headed towards the house. The moment you walked in, you were greeted by a way more drunk Sohee, his eyes widening with relief and excitement.

"There you are!" he exclaimed, stumbling slightly as he approached you. "I was starting to think you guys got lost or something."

Anton chuckled, handing Sohee a bag of drinks. "Just had a little detour. But we got everything you asked for."

Sohee swayed a bit, peering into the bag with a grin. “Perfect! You guys are lifesavers.” He reached out to pat Anton on the shoulder but paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Hey, uh, Anton…your fly is down.”

Anton quickly looked down, his cheeks reddening slightly as he zipped up. “Oops, must’ve been in a hurry. We stopped to use the bathroom,” he said with a casual laugh.

Sohee then turned his attention to you, his gaze lingering on  your slightly tousled hair. “And Y/N, your hair is looking a mess.”

You felt your cheeks flush as you quickly tried to smooth your hair. “Yeah, the wind was crazy out there.”

Sohee laughed, giving you a playful shove. “Sure, sure. You might want to keep that under control unless you want to scare everyone away.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t smile at how even drunk Sohee still tries to bully you. “Thanks for the advice, dick.”

He raised an eyebrow, a hint of suspicion in his gaze, but he was too far gone to dwell on it. “Well, as long as you’re back with the drinks. Let’s keep this party going!”

He grabbed a beer from the bag and cracked it open, raising it in a toast. “ To the best beer runners ever!”

You and Anton exchanged a look of relief, clinking your bottles together before taking a sip. The party continued in full swing, the music thumping and laughter filling the air. Sohee, now distracted by other friends, quickly forgot his earlier suspicions, and you and Anton were able to blend back into the lively atmosphere, the thrill of your secret adding an extra spark to the night.

Anton found himself with his friends Wonbin and Eunseok, their group gathered in the kitchen with bottles in hand. The conversation flowed easily, punctuated by bursts of laughter and the occasional teasing remark. Anton glanced outside where you were sitting with your friends Karina and Ningning at a small table, a bit away from the main crowd. You looked radiant, your laughter infectious as you animatedly chatted with the girls. 

Karina nudged you playfully, her eyes twinkling with curiosity. “You and Anton seem awfully close tonight,” she remarked, her tone teasing. 

You shrugged nonchalantly, though your cheeks warmed at the comment. “He’s just my best friend, and you know that,” you replied, taking a sip of your drink to hide your smile.

Ningning leaned in, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. “You two would make a cute couple, you know.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “It’s not like that,” you insisted, but the words felt less convincing even to your own ears. Your gaze drifted back to Anton, who was now engrossed in a story Eunseok  was telling, his smile bright and genuine. 

You stumble upstairs, a little tipsy but still steady enough to navigate the familiar path to your room. Closing the door behind you, you kick off your shoes and collapse onto your bed, the soft fabric of your sundress bunching up around your thighs. Grinning to yourself, you pull out your phone and open a new message to Anton.

y/n: hey handsome ;)

You giggle to yourself, hitting send. It doesn’t take long for your phone to buzz with a response.

Anton: Hey, where’d you go?

y/n: upstairs. needed a break from the noise. u should come join meeee

You bite your lip, your fingers dancing over the keyboard as you continue

y/n: im all alone…in bed…and it’s kind of boring without u

You know Anton is still downstairs with his friends, and the thought of him trying to hide his phone to read your messages makes you giggle. Your phone buzzes again.

Anton: I’m with the guys, I can’t just leave like that

y/n: why not? im more fun than them

You can almost imagine him trying to keep a straight face while reading your texts. Deciding to take it up a notch, you reach for the hem of your dress, hiking it up just enough to reveal your bare skin. Angling the phone just right, you snap a photo and send it to him. 

y/n: see? im not even wearing panties…

A thrill runs through you as you hit send, and you wait, heart pounding, for his response. This time, it takes a bit longer for his reply to come through.

Anton: Holy shit, Y/N. You’re killing me

y/n: u know what would be even better? u… up here with me

You start again, feeling more bold.

y/n: yeah im just laying here, thinking about u…touching myself

Your phone buzzes almost immediately.

Anton: You are so hot, oh my god…

You grin, knowing you’ve got him right where you want him.

y/n: come on, anton. don’t you want to see what you’re missing ;)

You lie back, anticipation building as you wait for his next move. Downstairs, Anton is struggling to keep his composure, sneaking glances at his phone while his friends are oblivious to his distraction. You can almost feel his tension, his desire to be up there with you instead of stuck trying to act normal.

Finally, his next message comes through. 

Anton: Give me 5 minutes

You smile, your heart racing with excitement. You know that in a few minutes, Anton will be there, and the night is going to take another exhilarating turn. But you decide to push him a little further. Propping yourself up on one elbow, you adjust your dress, pulling it up higher to reveal more. With a sultry look, you take another photo, making sure it captures the curve of your body and the suggestive hint of your touch.

y/n: hurry up…i’m getting impatient

You hit send, your heart racing as you imagine Anton’s reaction. The seconds tick by slowly, each one heightening your excitement. You can almost picture him trying to discreetly look at his phone, his friends none the wiser. 

Your phone buzzes again.

Anton: Damn, Y/N…you’re making this really hard to stay down here.

You bite your lip, feeling a rush of satisfaction.

y/n: just imagine how good it will feel to be up here with me…

The thrill of knowing he’s about to sneak away just for you is intoxicating. You send one final message, wanting to make sure he can’t resist.

y/n: just think about me… laying her, so wet and ready for you…

Another photo follows, this one even more revealing, leaving little to the imagination.

Anton: I’m on my way. 

You hear the creak of the stairs, each step bringing Anton closer. Your heart pounds in your chest, and you quickly check your appearance one last time. The door handle turns, and Anton slips into the room, closing and locking the door quietly behind him.

He stands there for a moment, taking in the sight of you sprawled on the bed, your dress hiked up, one hand resting on your inner thigh. His eyes darken with desire, and he walks over, his presence sending shivers down your spine. 

You start to pull your hand away, but he stops you with a firm but gentle command. “Don’t stop. Keep going.”

Your breath catches in your throat, and you nod shyly, resuming your slow, teasing strokes. His eyes never leave you, his intense gaze making your movements feel even more intimate. You feel your body reacting to his attention, every touch amplified by his look. 

Anton sits on the edge of the bed, close enough to reach out and touch you but holding back. His restraint only heightens your arousal, and you let out a soft moan, your fingers working urgently. 

“Anton..” you breathe, your voice trembling already with need. “Please…I want you.”

He leans in closer, his breath hot against your skin. “Not yet,” he murmurs, his voice a husky whisper. “I want to watch you a little longer.”

You whimper, your body aching for his touch, but you obey, for fingers continuing to play with your clit. His gaze is almost tangible, the heat in his eyes making you feel more exposed than ever. 

“Please, Anton,” you beg, your voice breaking with desperation. “I need you to touch me.”

His hand covers yours, guiding your movements. The contact sends a jolt of electricity through you, and you gasp, your body arching towards him. He watches you intently, his own arousal evident. 

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispers, his lips brushing against your ear. “But I want to hear you beg for it.”

“Please,” you moan, your voice raw with desire. “I need you. I need to feel you inside me.”

He pulls back slightly, he eyes locking onto yours with a fierce intensity. “Not yet,” he says firmly. “I want you to make yourself cum first. Show me what you do when I’m not around to help you.” Your eyes widen, and a shiver runs through you. “But Anton,” you whisper,  your voice giving out on you. “I- I can’t… I need you…”

“You can,” he insists, his voice a low growl. “Show me how badly you want it.”

You hesitate for a moment, your body aching for him. But the command in his voice is undeniable. You slide your hand back down, resuming the slow, tortuous strokes, your eyes locked on his. His gaze never wavers, watching every movement, every reaction.

To increase the sensation, you move your free hand up to your breasts, fingers grazing over your nipples. You pinch and tease them, gasping at the added pleasure. The dual actions overwhelm you, and you close your eyes, losing yourself in the feeling.

The sensation builds quickly, your own touch suddenly feeling more intense under his watchful eyes. Your breath comes in ragged gasps, your hips lifting off the bed as you chase your release. 

“Anton…please…” you moan, your body trembling.

“Keep going,” he murmurs, his voice like velvet. “Show me how much you want it.”

The words push you over the edge, your body tensing as the orgasm crashes over you. You cry out, your entire body shuddering with the force of it. 

As you come down from the high, Anton finally moves, his hands replacing yours, his touch sending aftershocks through your oversensitive skin. You notice his hand moving more deliberately over himself, his arousal palpable. 

He stands up, unbuttoning his jeans, his movements slow and knowing. You watch, your eyes fill with a mix of satisfaction and renewed desire as he finally starts to touch himself openly. But even now, his focus still remains on you, his eyes locked on yours as he begins to stroke himself, his breath coming in short gasps.

“You like watching me, don’t you,” he murmurs, his voice thick with lust. 

“Yes,” you whisper, your body still trembling from your release. “But I want to do more than just watch. Let me touch you.”

He shakes his head slowly, a teasing smile playing on his lips. “Not yet,” he says, his voice a tantalizing whisper. “You can look, but no touching.”

You whimper at his words, your core aching with renewed need as you watch him begin to pleasure himself. His movements are skilled and with purpose. His eyes locked onto yours as he slowly stroked himself, edging closer and closer to release. 

“Please, Anton,” you beg, your voice breaking. “I need you inside me. I need to feel you.”

He groans, his breath hitching as he slows his strokes, teasing himself. “Not yet,” he whispers, his voice strained. “I want to see you beg for it.”

“Anton,” you moan, your body trembling with desire. “I can’t take it anymore. Please… I need you.”

His eyes darkened with lust, and he moved closer, his hand still working over himself. “Keep begging,” he murmurs, his voice a low growl. “I want to hear how much you want it.”

“Please, Anton,” you cry out, your body arching towards him. “I need you so badly. I can’t stand it. Please…”

His eyes flash with satisfaction, and he finally gives in, positioning himself over you. He leans down, capturing your lips in a hungry kiss, his tongue teasing yours. You can taste the desire on his lips, feel it in the way his hands roam your body.

“You’re so perfect,” he whispers against your mouth, his voice thick with need. He pulls back just enough to align himself with you, the anticipation making you tremble. His eyes lock onto yours, holding your gaze as he slowly pushes inside, stretching and filling you in a way that makes you cry out.

Your nails dig into his back, your body arching against his. “Anton,” you gasp, your voice a mix of relief and overwhelming pleasure. “Oh god, yes!”

He moves with a deliberate, unhurried pace, each thrust deep and measured. His eyes never leave yours, the connection between you intensifying the sensations coursing through your body. You cling to him, every thrust driving you closer to the edge. 

“I want to feel you come again,” he murmurs, his breath hot against your ear. “I want to feel you tighten around me.”

The command in his voice sends a thrill through you, and you can feel the pressure building once more. Your moans become more urgent, your body responding eagerly to his every touch. His pace quickens, his own restraint slipping as he nears his own release. 

“Anton,” you cry out, your body shuddering with the force of your climax. He groans, the sound vibrating through you as he finally lets go, his release triggering another wave of pleasure for you.

He collapses on top of you, both of you breathing heavily, your bodies tangled together. After a moment, he lifts his head, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. 

“I don’t ever want to let you go,” he whispers, his voice filled with awe.

You smile, your heart swelling with emotion. “I don’t want you to,” you reply softly, running your fingers through his hair. “I want this. I want you.”

He holds you tighter, his lips finding yours once more in a tender, lingering kiss. “Then you have me,” he says, his eyes filled with promise. “Always.”

[nonbinairyboi]

Nothing Left - Chapter 1

Fic Summary: You hadn’t spoken in years. Technically, you had the ability to, though as the years wore on, you weren’t so sure. You’d settled in Jackson over a year ago and now it was fall again. You are drawn towards Ellie and her ‘not-dad’, but you had always assumed any relationships deeper than surface level were beyond you at this point.

Chapter Summary: As fall fully starts, you make new connections in Jackson.

Pairing: Joel Miller x nonbinary!Reader/OC (afab, short hair, has multiple nicknames but none are their name)

Word Count: ~2.5k

Series Warnings: This is my first fanfic and I plan to go into some dark stuff including some in-depth discussion of SA that was done to the main character (not by Joel) and the mental impact it has. I am unsure if I will be writing smut as I never have before but I will update the warnings if that changes. There definitely will be allusions to smut if nothing else, so MINORS DNI!

Chapter Warnings: Slight reference to general depression and anxiety? misgendering. Idk guys I’m just working through some stuff.

Read on AO3 here

Chapter 1

It was one of those fall days that taunted you. Your toes froze in your socks as you pulled on your sweater and some boots. You lifted the collar of your shirt above your chin and trapped it there between your lips. The gesture soothed you as you tucked your chin to your chest and braced yourself against the wind that would inevitably hit you as you opened your door. 

Your house sat on the edge of town, beyond the original gated community of Jackson. A small one story house that you often thought would have been billed as a detached condo. You wondered if the previous tenants had glared with envy at the bigger houses nearby, but for you it was perfect. The compactness felt cozy and safe after the time you had spent getting here. The sprawling land had demons lying in wait. From your living room, you had a view of the majority of the place here. Sitting on your couch, facing the small tv, you could see the kitchen to your left and the doors to both bedrooms on your right. The peak of the bathroom at the edge of your vision if you leaned over a bit.

The only room you couldn’t see was the laundry room tucked behind the kitchen with the door to the back. A place you hid when the walls felt too far away, no longer cradling you with their comfort. And when that didn’t work, you pulled down the stairs from the ceiling and crawled into the attic crawlspace, closing the hatch behind you so you could envelop yourself with the only truly dark place in your space. The only place where outside light could not reach. Where no one could accidentally catch a glimpse of you behind a curtain. A place where you could take a break from being perceived. 

But today was not a day to hide. Today was a day to be seen and work until you hit your limit. Early October meant planting winter wheat in large quantities, and with the chill this morning you worried Jackson had started too late this year, that the ground wouldn’t be moist enough. 

With a thermos of hot tea clutched in your hands, you trudged towards the field where you’d be working for the day nodding and turning the corners of your lips up to show your dimples as you passed town residents, keeping your mouth clamped over the hem of your collar.

“Hey!” You heard from behind you. You turned around and smiled genuinely, your lips letting go of the hem of your shirt and letting it fall back in place to your neck. Maria was one of the few people who didn’t call you by your nickname, as if she was holding out hope that your mouth would open one day and your name would come out singing to the tip of your tongue. She was one of your closest friends, but you didn’t know if that counted for much if you never spoke. She most definitely had closer friends than you. Ones who responded to her and kept a conversation going. But you were still grateful for her. For this place.

“I was hoping to catch you before you started.” She smiled at you, warm and comforting. You lifted your head slightly in question. “I encouraged Ellie to come out today and to find you when she did.” Maria informed you.

You nodded, a little puzzled. It must have shown on your face as Maria quickly added “I think it would do her good to have something to occupy her mind. She seems to be withdrawing a bit lately. I know you don’t know her well, but I think she might like working next to you.”

You offered a small smile and nod in return, happy that she had thought highly enough of you to tell Ellie about you. 

When Tommy’s brother had come to Jackson last spring with a reserved girl trailing behind him, it had been the talk of the town. Maria had told you of his short visit in the winter and how it had unsettled her. She would invite you over for tea and confess her anxieties to you. How she was intimidated by the possibility of Joel’s influence over Tommy’s life. How she worried that she had pushed too hard and that Tommy would resent her if Joel never made it back. 

Once he returned, Maria seemed to have settled a bit. Less wary. She had her own things to worry about after all, having given birth a few weeks before they showed up. A beautiful baby boy whose plump cheeks made your heart ache.

You had had limited interaction with Joel and Ellie thus far. Your paths rarely naturally crossed. Nervousness curled in your abdominal muscles. You liked Ellie. She made you smile when you saw her antics from afar. But you hadn’t been around someone that young in a long time, and you worried that you wouldn’t connect. You let out a soft chuckle at the thought that, despite the clickers wandering beyond the walls of Jackson, your biggest stressor was if a 15 year old would think you were cool enough. 

Maria brow pulled together slightly when you chuckled, as if she was trying to see through your forehead to your brain to decipher what had elicited the reaction. She smiled strangely and lifted her hand in a wave as she walked away. You lifted yours in return and headed to the back gate that led to the crops, nodding at the guard who unlocked the gate for you. The newer outer fence that surrounded the farmland glistened in the sun despite the chilling wind.

You let out a slow breath to clear your head and focus on the task at hand, grabbing a garden rake and walking to the farthest edge of the field marked for the planting of the wheat. You had already methodically weeded the area with the help of others over the past week. You set to work working the earth under your rake, warming yourself up with your movement. Right when you were about to consider switching tasks, you heard a voice hesitantly call out your moniker. “Gabby?”

It was always jarring to hear the feminine moniker the town had given you. Without the ability to communicate in-depth concepts, you had mostly just had to grin and bear the assumptions. You still winced every time someone referred to you as ‘she’ but you reminded yourself that you were alive so you should just move on at this point.

You lifted your head and shielded your face with your hand against the sun to see Ellie’s figure tentatively make its way over to you. You tried to put on a welcoming smile and waved with the hand that had been covering your eyes. When she got over to you, she paused, unsure of what to do. “Do I need one of those?” She asked, pointing at your rake. You shrugged. You couldn’t tell if she actually wanted to help or was here out of obligation. For the first time in years, you wished that you could speak up and assure her that she didn’t need to do anything if she didn’t want to. You wouldn’t tell on her. You would just work next to her if she sat against the fence and let her be.

Ellie squinted at you, as if trying to decipher your meaning. “I’ll go get one I guess.” She said after a moment. “Don’t we need seeds too?” She asked. You nodded with a smirk and pointed towards the shed at the other edge of the field, where you could just make out a few figures moving around. She looked back at you and rolled her eyes playfully. “Wish I’d known that before I made my way over here. You couldn’t have left a note or something? Yelled? Waved your arms around or something to stop me from walking over here?”

You shrugged again and your smirk grew. Just as she was about to turn around, you exaggeratedly waved your arms and pointed frantically at the shed. She looked back and forth between you and the shed slowly before letting out a surprised peal of laughter at your display. “Oh you’re funny. No one said you were funny.” She chuckled again as she turned around, practically skipping away.

You wondered what people did say about you. What assumptions were made about you due to your silence. You looked down at the ground and tried to push it to the back of your mind. 

By the time Ellie made her way back, a few others had started to occupy the area around you, each taking their own space in small plots. You showed Ellie how to sow the seeds and the amount of space to leave between them. In turn, she rambled to you about her life and how stupid it was that she had to attend school.

“I bet YOU would hate it if there were zombies outside and you still had to go to math.” You smirked at her antics as you took a break with your tea. It grounded you to hear about teenagers struggles with boredom. 

Ellie popped up from her spot on the ground. “Can I ask you something? How do people know your name if you don’t talk?”

Your gaze shifted up towards her face. You had been intrigued by Ellie since she arrived. You liked her spirit. You got the sense that she wouldn’t take shit. Staring into her curious eyes, you felt that despite being a little under 40 years younger than you, she might stick up for you and understand you better than most people here.

You were shocked that for the second time that day you wished your body would let you communicate. It had been so long since you ran into frustration with it. You didn’t even feel the motivation most of the time anymore besides the few basic ASL signs that  you had slowly taught the community. You felt your eyes get involuntarily wet and the inside of your nose sting.

Luckily, Eugene had overheard the conversation and came to your rescue.

“That isn’t that one’s name. It’s just a dumb joke really” he stated bluntly. 

Ellie scrunched up her nose. “A joke?”

“You know what the gift of gab means?” Eugene asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ellie’s eyebrows drew together as she tried to think hard. “Is that a euphemism?” She asked after a moment. You coughed in surprise, regretting taking a sip of tea as it shot out your nose, burning in multiple ways.

“Jesus kid, no!” Eugene said quickly. “Someone with the gift of gab speaks all fancy and nice all the time. It was someone’s joke about how much this one talks all the time.”

Ellie  studied you with her eyebrows still together for a moment. “Do you like that?” She asked.

You looked between Eugene and Ellie for a moment before deciding that the best approach was a small smile and shrug. Having two people staring at you with their full attention felt overwhelming.

Eugene broke the silence. “I call that one Charlie cause it made ‘em smile once when I was trying out different names for them.”

Ellie considered it for a second before agreeing “you seem more like a Charlie”

Your small smile grew on your face and you glanced gratefully at Eugene.

Eugene may be gruff, but he always made you feel at home in an odd way. He had never tried to get anything out of you. He also consistently used gender neutral language for you, although you couldn’t tell if it was on purpose. 

He had knocked on your door your second week here, when you were more skittish and overwhelmed as people introduced themselves.

When you had opened the door, he had held up a joint and a box of matches to you without speaking. You had ended up on your back steps smoking. He had introduced himself and talked a little after a while, but you had both mostly stared at the stars as you passed the joint back and forth. Ever since, you had had a standing appointment on Thursdays. 

He didn’t treat you differently despite how odd you must seem, and you were eternally grateful for it. 

The rest of the day went smoothly as you finished planting the crops. By the end of it, you wished you had taken off your sweater because you were sweating in the direct sunlight, despite your fingertips feeling frozen solid.

As you finished, you followed Ellie to put back your supplies. Her ‘not-dad’, Joel, was standing just inside the back gate as you re-entered together. His shoulders seemed to relax a bit as he spotted Ellie next to you.

You had always found him striking, in the most basic sense of the word. He had a striking stare, a striking jaw, a striking nose… You blinked hard. Where did that come from? 

What you had found most intriguing had always been the open emotion behind his eyes when he looked at Ellie, contrasted with the hardened expression that his face returned to whenever he caught anyone else’s eye.

“Have you just been waiting there all morning without helping?” Ellie asked incredulously.

“I was at a meetin’ in town with Tommy and thought I should help you home since I know first hand how good your sense of direction is,” Joel quipped back.

“Pffft,” she said, rolling her eyes with her whole head as she turned to you, “Bye Charlie! I’ll see you around. You’re not such bad company, you know.” Ellie exclaimed as she started walking away.

You just smirked as Joel looked at you for a moment before turning and following her.

“I thought her name was Gabby” you heard him mutter to Ellie.

“You don’t know everything then, do you?” Ellie replied, turning left towards town.

“It's right.” Joel replied with a straight face, turning right and leaving Ellie to scramble behind him.

“I know that, I just thought we were grabbing food in town since we both know how much of a cook you are…” Ellie responded as their voices faded down the street.

You stood for a moment, an unknown feeling crawling like tendrils up your body as you considered the events of the morning.

It had felt… different. For the first time in a long time.

You jumped as a hand clapped on your shoulder and you turned and flinched to see Eugene behind you.

He looked at you slightly apologetically after seeing your reaction. “See you tomorrow if you aren’t too popular for me by then.” He said as he continued on his way.

You weren’t sure the last time you had exercised the muscles on your face that much in one day as you smirked again, following him towards where most of the houses were located.

Maybe there was hope. Maybe your mind would be as quiet as your voice tonight.

[thepersonperson]

Hey! After reading your amazing dream's end theory it sure does answer a lot of weird tonal shifts and pacing problems going on after Sukuna battle. You've already pointed out much of the ooc things going within these three chapters. It feels like some inception level trolling by Gege (i really hope it is..I need the last chapter to make me roll down in my puddle of tears) I found it especially odd how Angel says Sukuna baited Hana with Megumi's memory (which for that Megumi should've known about Hana's feelings all this time but in the same sequence he actually looks taken aback with Hana's response) but in the actual scene during the fight it looked with Hana's declaration of her possessiveness for Megumi, Sukuna put the bait in that moment...Angel's answer seemed similar to what Sukuna had answered to Yuji's question about him knowing about the hydrangeas.

Also there's the scene of Charles working on a manga for a magazine but Charles never got a nod for serialization? He broke the same editor's finger and bailed out halfway..and now still got a chance also meaning the manga industry is back in business even though Tokyo is still haunted by curses.(Idk maybe I'm reading too much and too wrong 😕) I'm so confused with all these events my best bet is something sketchy happened after that small interaction between Megumi and Yuji. Megumi wanted a normal peaceful life and he's getting it all now.

Ok so this ask had a lot in common with a different anon so I'm answering them both at the same time.

Anon who sent me a reaaaaally long ask about re-reading JJK 268, I'm copying and pasting your exact words below the cut.

"Re-read chapter 268 and the sequence of events is interesting.

We have the moment with the letters, and Yuuji and Nobara seem taken off guard by Megumi's reaction to Gojo's letter, then immediately they change subjects to them having to meet Maki and the others. It seems pretty chill.

Then Megumi mentions wanting to apologize, and suddenly they imply that the reunion is to "save" Yuta. Now after last weeks chapter we know they meant from Maki's scolding, but like, the panel with Maki, Panda and Inumaki has them walking somewhere, presumably to Yuta, so how did they know they had to save Yuta from Maki's scolding...

Now admittedly, there are explanations for this, like Maki mentioning Yuta and acting mad before while Megumi was unconscious. But it's...odd. How Megumi keeps trying to address what happened to him but other characters keep changing the subject or pushing focus to something else.

Megumi mentions being inside Sukuna during Nobara's revival, we are presented with the letters, Megumi mentions wanting to apologize, suddenly they have to "save" Yuta from Maki, who is acting more aggressive than ever (but still asks Megumi how he is feeling), Megumi once again tries to apologize, but he gets dismissed by Maki, then Yuuji tries to blame himself, and then Kusakabe blames Gojo, Kenjaku and all the adults that "failed" them. And from then it's all Yuta and talking about the battle (and simple domains).

Then Megumi buries Tsumiki, and instead of getting his thoughts or see him apologize (something we know he wanted to do) we get commentary and a joke from Shoko. In the same panel where she makes that joke, we see Megumi with a "..." speech bubble but we can't see his expression (like. not even his usual "im done with you people" expression), and then he immediately gets a call to do something.

Then, once again, Megumi tries to take responsibility for what Sukuna did, trying to make it up to Hana, and she takes attention away from that by mistaking it as a marriage proposal. Megumi is flustered, and runs away to do a mission (presumably what the call was about before).

Now, here's the thing, some of this stuff have perfectly reasonable explanations or are actually in character for the characters to do do (ex. of course yuuji would blame himself and hana also felt in character) but instead is the culmination of everything that leaves this odd taste in my mouth.

Sure, Gege could be stressed and overworked, sure, he could simply have no interest in really exploring Megumi's current state (which is odd considering Megumi was the original protagonist and Gege said in an old interview that he already knew his fate). But it could be something else at work, Gege could be playing with us.

What ever happens though, I'll always hold this theory close to my heart."

As the both of you pointed out, this really points to someone (Yuji) wanting Megumi to feel happiness and nothing else. The moment there is friction or him trying to confront negative emotions, he's pulled somewhere else. If both of you noticed this pattern without speaking to each other, it probably means something. (It's also funny how you both latched onto the Hana-Megumi confession scene in particular.)

I keep getting asks/replies that point out things I missed that indicate something is afoot. If these people made these posts by themselves, they'd likely get mocked for copium. But you add them all together and the case gets stronger.

That's why this whole debacle is so Umineko. The plausible deniability is the catbox that makes the mystery so hard to solve. It's also a recurring theme in JJK. Gojo and Sukuna use plausible deniability to mask their true feelings and mislead each other during their fight and everyone who is trying to have some kind of relationship with them.

If Gege is using the very real burnout, rushed deadlines, and health problems to mislead fans with this past 3 chapters, I will become a permanent glazer. Weaponizing your own flaws and feeding into the negative fan sentiment for trickery. It's evil genius.

[smeraldo-heart]

Young Cal absolutely KILLS me.

He was with Master Tapal when the older spoke to Anakin, shortly after the latter became a Knight.

He is described as precocious 😭 because of how he rarely struggled, but he was also kind and generous. He couldn’t deal with failure and that was the whole reason why he was assigned to Master Tapal.

He froze when he saw a droideka out on the battlefield and his Master had to save him.

He was close with his clones, high-fived them and even had a rematch planned with one of them (which implied he regularly played games with them).

Master Tapal made him run drills of escaping through the maintenance shafts.

He trusted his Master until the end.

We need more fun so I’ve got little headcanons for him:

He didn’t like tea until Master Tapal got him drinking it. He more so enjoyed the comfort it brought and the memories of his Master than the actual experience but he still liked experimenting with the different flavours. His favourite is one of Master Tapal’s blends from Lasan.

This is precisely why he doesn’t like tea now. It reminds him of too much, but he’ll drink it for Greez if the other wants him to. The comfort the Latero brings reminds Cal of something he used to have.

He kept a collection of trinkets with good echoes around his room. One of them is the holocron he keeps near his bed.

His blanket was a lifeday gift from the battalion, handmade.

He was still scared of the dark even one year into his apprenticeship. A mission gone wrong where he was stranded on an unsafe ship and had to use the dark to hide in quickly cured him of this though.

He still had a soft toy to sleep with, even just before order 66. He often hid it in a secret compartment in his room because he felt like he should be over that attachment, but later future Cal still wishes he had it to bring him comfort.

He particularly liked adding beads and strings he found on missions to his braid, decorating it not only with accomplishments but also echoes from jobs well done.

He was incredibly flexible and also incredibly energetic. It was tough to get him to sit still, let alone not to race off and start climbing everything he saw. Master Tapal had to teach him not to run off very quickly into their apprenticeship, but he never quite cured him of the latter habit.

Another habit Cal was never cured of was his curiosity, leading him to sneak around exploring places a lot and touching echoes he really shouldn’t have.

He really didn’t like needles or medbays. He would never go near either on his apprenticeship, but this aversion was quickly cured on the uncaring planet Bracca.

He actually had to be told by Master Tapal to stop giving everything he owned as gifts to everyone on board since his quarters were becoming quite bare. Cal did so anyways because he liked giving gifts and making others happy.

He let the clones paint his face in the battalion’s colours once and refused to wash it off for hours.

He had to get a rabies shot one time because he insisted on helping an animal that ended up biting him. He doesn’t regret it for a second though.

He made a little scrapbook of all the clones, what their Force signatures looked like and their names so that he could remember who was who even with the helmets on. He knew exactly who shot at him and who died by his Master’s hands after order 66.

Idk man.. this guy. This tiny little guy. He makes me very sad.

Psst!! HEY! If you want more of this kind of mushy stuff about Padawan Cal, maybe you should check out my fanfic… it’s literally the escapades of Cal and his clones except with a little Diathim twist..

[queen-of-writing-bad-things]

Henry Danger Reader Insert | Captain Man x Reader: SEASON 3

Episode 12: Gas or Fail (SMUT)

*warning, warning, warning, actual, genuine spiciness and filth ahead - look out for the in-chapter warnings (it's not my best but this was just the beginning, so let's get started.)*

smut includes: (y/n) is muy horny, p in v sex, outdoor(?) sex (idk it's in a cave), dom! ray, sub (y/n), light fingering (just a smidge cos le smut is short), creampie. think that's it.

~In the Man Cave~

So, Captain Man had many traditions, some were cute, some were weird and some were just plain necessary. The time had rolled around once again where Ray made Schwoz test his superpower to make sure it hadn't deteriorated or weakened since the last time they tried it. And for years, the genius only had one superhero to work on as Ray was alone with his uniqueness, but now, he also had (y/n) and Henry to work on. All they had to do was wait for the kid to get to work after college.

"I'm actually pretty excited about it." (y/n) told her boyfriend, walking out from the back room where she had been feeding Colin as Schwoz set up all his equipment. The bunny had settled in nicely and she had to say, he was really part of the family, even if she did have to watch Schwoz like a hawk, making sure he wasn't experimenting on him. Anyway, each test would be similar, but for each person, he was going to have different results so he had to be prepared for that. Probably because Ray threatened him with unimaginable violence if something went wrong and his precious sweet girl got hurt.

"I don't you getting hurt." He murmured back, pressing his lips to her forehead as they sat on a chair in the main room, her perched on his lap. All the waiting was making Ray antsy, especially since the "pain machine" was in his line of sight; he just wanted to keep her protected, even if this whole charade was necessary and an important safety test.

"I'm Miss Danger, I don't get hurt." She reassured him and cupped his jaw so she could capture his mouth with hers. It was weird, normally he was the needy one, but on that particular day, he looked so damn fine, she just wanted to have him all to herself. Ray was more than happy to let her indulge in his bubblegum-mint taste and his hands clenched on her waist when her hips started undulating on their own. Geez, she really was needy.

The elevator dinged and in walked Henry, who shrugged off his bag and grimaced at the sight of Ray eating (y/n)'s face. Ugh, why did they have to do it where everyone could see? Noticing that his sidekick had arrived, the superhero broke the kiss so they could get this shit over and done with, but (y/n) wasn't quite ready to let go.

"Sweet girl...he's here." He chuckled when she clenched her fists tightly around the material of his zip-up hoodie and tried to keep the smooch going. God, he looked so good in it, she just wanted him to love her and she had to clench her thighs together to stop the ache in between them.

"Fine, let's do this thing." She grumbled, pulling away from him reluctantly and folding her arms with a pout on her face. Looks like she'd have to wait until later to get some action. 

"Aye-aye" Schwoz nodded and started powering up whatever he was going to use, but Henry needed to discuss something with them first and he'd say it was more important than the superpower thing.

"Uh, hey. Wait, guys, I didn't get any lunch at school, can we order some, like, Chinese food?" The boy asked the essential thing that had been praying on his mind all afternoon. If his stomach growling was anything to go by, he need some chow and he needed it soon. (y/n) hopped off her boyfriend's knee so he could change his shoes (why he needed to do that, she didn't know) and looked at Henry weirdly.

"What? Why Chinese food?" She asked, trying to shake off the fire pooling in her stomach and focus on what should've been a normal day. Stupid Ray and his stupid hot, sexy, handsome face and body.

"I want some of them, oh, whaddya call 'em? They're like Chinese dumplings?" Henry described, knowing exactly what he meant, but he couldn't quite get the name off the tip of his tongue. Luckily though, he was friends with Schwoz, he ordered Chinese way too often and knew the names of most things on every menu in town. Well, he did when it was described clearly.

"Oh, you mean wom-pons?" He asked, trying to think of the dish he was talking about. He knew what it was, but due to his thick accent, Schwoz mispronounced the name and like usual, Henry couldn't decipher it.

"Yeah...nooooo." He frowned, still not used to Schwoz and his weird way of speaking, despite him having worked as Kid Danger for over three years now. At least he had Ray, who had known the genius the longest and knew exactly what he was saying, well, most of the time.

"Won-tons, he means won-tons, not wom-pons." He stressed, quickly tying his shoelaces whilst (y/n) circled him so she could start rubbing his shoulders. He didn't know what her game was, but wow, her small hands felt like magic, even if they were feeling him up rather than massaging away his aches and pains.

"I did my best to say it right," Schwoz grumbled, kicking himself for screwing up his English again. He hated how complicated the language was and how he often made mistakes that he was teased for.

"Whatever, can we order some?" Henry asked his boss and put a supportive hand on Schwoz's shoulder. At least he tried his best.

"Not now, it's time for my bi-yearly quantitative physiological densitisation test." Ray put his hands on his hips, proud that he'd managed to say the complicated sentence with its multi-syllabic words all in one go. It made him feel so damn smart.

"I understood the word, test." Henry, on the other hand, wasn't so smart and picked up nothing apart from that Ray was doing something that sounded important. 

"It's a test to make sure that he's totally indestructible and no one can hurt him." (y/n) explained it in much simpler terms, wrapping her arms around Ray's waist so she could snuggle into his side. 

"Mmmmm, can we get some won-tons first? I'll order them, you two don't even have to stop being gross and all...huggy." Henry wrinkled his nose, gesturing to how the couple cuddled even when they were stood up. It was sickeningly cute and now a common occurrence in the Man Cave, not that it made it any easier to ignore.

"No, and we are not gross," Ray told him firmly, not seeing why he should let the kid order his food when he was mildly insulting him. He loved how snuggly and needy his girl was being today and he'd be damned if his sidekick got in the way of that.

"You'll understand when you're older and have a girlfriend." (y/n) bit her tongue as she smiled at Henry's overreaction. Yeah, he liked girls, but he didn't like them that much. Not yet, anyway.

"You see that machine over there?" Ray pointed to some weird launcher thing that Schwoz had primed and armed so it was now smoking from the back. Next to it was a smaller but still deadly laser cannon that was going to be used on (y/n), something she wasn't particularly looking forward to, but it was always cool to see how her body could heal itself.

"Yeah..." Henry nodded, wondering why there was so much machinery out for one superhero and his test. Little did he know...

"It's gonna shoot baseballs at ya." The young woman smirked, watching in amusement as the boy paled slightly. They wanted to do what to him?

"Bu--what? Why me?" He gasped, not realising that since he was now part of the superpower squad, he had to have all these regular checkups.

"Because! Because of your new superpower."Ray answered, making Henry throw his head back with a groan. He knew there had to be a catch, he just didn't know it would be so risky. "Yeah, you're hyper-mutilatiew..." Schwoz joined in, but his tongue just didn't want to work, so it came out all slurred and jumbled.

"Okay, it's hyper-motility." Henry enunciated, trying to give the small man an elocution lesson as Ray began stretching and warming up for his test. His muscles were flexing and tensing and when she got a small peek of the skin above his waistband, (y/n) nearly collapsed. If she could, she'd get on her knees in that very moment and show him how much she wanted to please him.

"Okay, okay, can we just move on?" She asked, needing to get her head in the game since she was about to be blasted with a powerful, skin-burning, hair-frying, utterly devasting beam that would kill a fully grown man. Not her though, of course.

"Schwoz, show him your bat," Ray ordered his handyman, also wanting to get on with the test since it was his chance to show off in front of his girlfriend. Yeah, she'd see how tough he was.

"His--his what?" Henry stuttered, praying that his boss wasn't euphemistically referring to something else. 

"You see...when you see the balls a-comin', you use this a-base-a-ball bat to swing-schvat the balls." He explained in his little Schwoz way and brought over a steel baseball bat for Henry. Thank god, it was a bat and not something awful like the boy had been fearing.

"Yep and then Schwoz is gonna measure the speed of the base-a-balls and then, after I get hit, I tell him when my pain stops and I feel okay." Ray finished, making sure to not pass up the opportunity of mocking the small guy. 

"And then, I will use my big brain and a mathematical equation to determine how indestructible Ray is." (y/n) smiled up at her boyfriend, fluttering her eyelashes like it would entice him to postpone the test for half an hour, just to quench her desires. Fat chance.

"...I just want, like, five won-tons," Henry whined, feeling like faint from low blood sugar or something. Food, that's all he wanted and after that, they could do whatever tests they liked.

"You can have some won-tons after we do this!" Ray snapped in an agitated tone. It would take like five minutes to do this; Henry could wait. "Right..."

"I'm gonna go stand here by the elevator. That's what I'm gonna do." The superhero said and swaggered over to the spot where he would be hit by the baseballs. Not wanting to be beaten up prematurely, (y/n) ducked behind the couch and awaited the beginning of the experiment with paper and pen. Schwoz was equally nervous; he put a large, clear cubic helmet onto his head and clipped it to his boiler suit. 

"What's that for?" Henry asked, sharing a confused look with Ray. Neither of them could see why being hit in the face with a rogue, flying ball would be a bad thing, mainly because when it happened to them, they always came out with no cuts or bruises.

"To protect a-my face from stray balls." He answered, his voice sounded filtered and robotic from the protective headgear. Whatever, they had to get on.

"Henry, take this base-a-ball bat..." Schwoz twisted the handle of the bat and pressed a button, making it illuminate like some kind of lightsaber shit, which thoroughly impressed Henry.

"Whoa, what kinda baseball bat is this?" He asked, twirling it around and admiring how it blurred into a whiz of white light. 

"It's thermal fusion bat I made myself." The genius said smugly, thinking he was oh so clever with his invention, but he was forgetting that he didn't work on it alone.

"Hey, I helped!" (y/n) called out from her hiding place, feeling irritated from his blatant dismissal of how she assisted in putting the damn thing together and from how Ray was blind to how much she wanted him. She should've dragged him back to bed when they woke that morning.

"You did the wiring." Schwoz scoffed, thinking that a little soldering and assembling was nothing compared to the science and schematics he studied. What a jumped-up, little asshole.

"All right, do it yourself next time, you dick." She muttered and flopped back onto her butt in a sulk.

"Can you make thermal fusion won-tons?" Henry asked, still having food on the brain. He couldn't swing on an empty stomach, but that was exactly what Ray planned on making him do.

"Come on, Henry, just get over there!" Ray instructed him and the kid sighed but did as he was told. He wheeled the chair from earlier out of the way and got into position. 

"Yah, yah, yah, here we go!" Schwoz squealed and ran back up to his controls so they could begin. "Okay, let's test one." He clapped his hands together and Ray prepared himself, shaking his body loose and clearing his mind. 

"Go for it." He growled, making (y/n) squirm as she peeped over the top of the sofa. That look in his eyes, the one he had when he was beyond determined, made her whimper.

"Ready, Henry?" Schwoz took one last chance to stop the machine, but the sidekick was also eager to do this thing. "Yeah, go."

Schwoz slammed his hand down on the release button and a baseball was fired from the cannon at a speed so fast, it could barely be seen by the naked eye. Henry's reflexes didn't care about that though, the boy whacked the ball as if it was going in slow motion and it pinged off his bat and hit the elevator so hard, it disintegrated the metal in a puff of smoke. Poor Ray, he didn't even get the chance to test out his superpower. 

"Hahahaha! Missed me, missed me, now you gotta ki---" Ray jeered at the boy, but it soon died when he realised that in these circumstances, he rather eat his own foot than kiss the boy. Ew, ew, ew, there was only one person he wanted to kiss and she thought his sudden shy attitude was so darn cute. 

"Now he gotta what?" She teased, loving how his cheeks were dusted pink and even Henry was amused by how he'd flustered himself. 

"Nothin', forget it." He rubbed his neck and avoided her playful gaze, which allowed her to check him out. From his floppy, brown hair to his slim waist that she knew was chiselled with pure muscle, she could hardly breathe when she analysed every part of him that she loved, which was everything that made up Ray Manchester. 

"No, no, no, now I gotta what?" It was Henry's turn to tease him, making his boss go all pouty and he scuffed his shoe against the tiles. "No, I changed my mind, okay? You don't gotta do anything." He squeaked quickly, his words jumbling together so fast that it was obvious that he was shy.

"Aw, you want to kissy, kissy, kissy." (y/n) pursed her lips together and giggled when he screwed his nose up at her silly voice. He did want to kissy, kissy, kissy, but with her only and it annoyed him when people mocked him otherwise.

"God, come on, Schwoz, if we're gonna do this, let's do it! God!" The sidekicks giggled and high-fived each other at how they made a grown man stamp his feet over something so silly. Okay, serious time, serious time.

"Okay, here we goes." Schwoz popped another ball into the machine and the young woman knelt behind the couch once again, ready to work out the math when Schwoz told her to.

"Oh, Ray, I gotta tell you somethin'." Henry suddenly remembered that he had something more critical than food to tell his boss, not that it was the best time to tell him.

"What?" Ray asked, just as Schwoz shouted for another ball being released. Even though he wasn't expecting it in the least, Henry reacted perfectly and whacked the ball like a pro. It ricocheted across the room and collided with Ray's jaw, sending him to the floor with a groan of pain. (y/n) winced at the velocity, but she needn't worry, the ever indestructible Captain Man sprung to his feet with a smirk.

"I'm okay!" He bragged, happily using his catchphrase since it made his girl breathe a sigh of relief. Aw, he liked it when she cared. 

"Two-hundred and four miles per hour, (y/n)," Schwoz reported as he read from his scanner and once she heard the figure, the woman began doing the long division, multiplication, subtraction and whatever else the equation called for. She liked math, not as much as mechanics, but then again, a lot of that boiled down to numbers and fractions.

"What did want to tell me?" Ray questioned, not once looking away from his girl as her tongue poked out in concentration. The sight of her moist lips entranced him and it was hard to pay attention to what the kid was saying.

"I can't make it to work tomorrow," Henry revealed, which captured his focus. He played a vital role in the Man Cave team and Ray didn't like the sound of being one sidekick down.

"What do you mean you can't make it to work tomorrow?!" He exclaimed, but the conversation would have to be put on hold as Schwoz sent the second ball through the machine. They needed an average, not just a one-off figure, so they'd have to do this a few times.

Henry hit the ball dead-on again, this time sending it into Ray's arm, which on any normal person, would break their arm clean through, but not with him. He fell again but quickly recovered.

"Still okay." He smirked, making eye contact with his girl when he caught her staring. What was with her today? She kept blushing and looking at him, not that he minded. It actually made him feel very cocky.

"Two-hundred and seventeen miles per hour," Schwoz announced, allowing (y/n) to move onto her second equation; the same process but with the new figure. 

"Tomorrow's Achievement Test Day at school," Henry told him, casually resting the bat on his shoulder, but unlike him, Ray was anything but calm at the news of this dumb school crap.

"Hey, you're my sidekick, that means tha--" Oh, poor Ray. The next ball came fast and furious, bouncing from Henry and landing square in his crotch, making everyone else wince at the sore impact. (y/n) was especially touched, since that was what she'd been after all day and their main chance of having children in the future.

"You guessed it; okay." He smirked, shaking off the excruciating agony to keep up his nonchalant manner. Yeah, (y/n) didn't have to worry, she'd get what she wanted, both promptly and distantly.

"Two-hundred and thirty-six miles per hour." The next result came in, each one increasing as Henry got into the swing of things. He should think about playing for Swellview High's baseball team if he could keep the game fair.

"Look, dude, it's not my fault, okay? If I leave school for any reason, I can get in huge trouble." Henry explained, not that Ray and his childishness could recognise how important this was to the boy. 

"Okay, fine, you baby. Take the day off, but it's comin' out of your vacation time." Ray conceded, confusing (y/n) and Henry, who had never taken a vacation day in the entire duration of their employment.

"We get vacation time?" (y/n) frowned, still counting herself amongst the workers since she received a paycheck every month, not that she counted this as work anymore. She deemed it "living with the hot boyfriend and occasionally kicking ass with him". 

"Uh, ah, eh--you...uh, you--you don't. I mean there's no state law that says you do, so y'know don't even check." Ray bit his lip, not wanting to admit that he lawfully owed his helpers time off, but he hated being without them since it made his life boring and/or dangerous. He liked having them around, not that he would ever be without his sweet girl.

"Wait, so are you saying that--" Henry was also confused, but Ray didn't want to talk about the awkward topic, so he yelled the release word and another ball was fired at the teen. He'd rather take another hit than admit his failings, but he wouldn't have to. Henry's aim was slightly off and this time, rather than hurting Ray, the ball smashed through Schwoz's useless helmet and smacked into his face. 

The three watched as the small man's eyes rolled back and he collapsed down the steps, completely wiped out. Oops, maybe he should've hidden behind a solid object like (y/n).

"He's probably all right." She shrugged, wandering over to his body with Henry and Ray. He was breathing, so she assumed that he wasn't going to die.

"Yeah..." Henry nodded, feeling a little guilty that he'd knocked the guy out when he was trying to help him. It wasn't his fault, not really.

"Get some won-tons?" The boy suggested, suddenly wanting to be anywhere but near Schwoz when he woke up with the mother of all headaches and no doubt the opinion that he was to blame.

"Yeah, sure, let's go." Ray quickly agreed and grabbed (y/n)'s hand so he could lead her to the supercomputer, where they could order some Chinese food. They'd order something for Schwoz too, of course, and hopefully, it would be enough to tame his inevitable anger.

~The next day~

So, (y/n) felt like she was burning up inside or dying. Yeah, dying sounded accurate. She had tried all day yesterday to try and seduce Ray into fucking her through his mattress, but no luck. 

When Schwoz had finished yelling at them and they'd eaten an entire Chinese buffet, including about a million won-tons, the superheroes had received call after call after call, forcing them to stay out until the early hours of the morning. Even when Henry had gone home early to sleep before his big test day thing, she still couldn't tempt him into her dark morality, nor could she when she wiggled her best assets or gazed at him with smouldering eyes. Ray was too tired by 2 AM, leaving her with no choice but to lay and listen to his heartbeat as he dozed off and she tried to keep the depths of her mind from stirring up all kinds of dreams that made her subtly grind up against him. 

The morning was no better, just when (y/n) thought that she might be able to pounce on Ray before he could leave the bed, Swellview's stupid emergency alarm started ringing, indicating that a major sitch was going down. Ray immediately sat up and flicked on the TV that was mounted on the wall, listening intently as Trent Overrunder described how a gas pipe had burst underground and was now leaking toxic fumes into the city. The cry from Mary for Swellview's greatest heroes to help forced Captain Man into action since he and his sidekicks were the only ones who were brave enough to go down into the Earth.

And so, (y/n) was dragged from the comfort of her soft sheets, made to put on the costume that hugged her in all the right places and sent off with Ray to clog up the leak. No matter how many times she tried to take a kiss further or subtly slide her hand down his stomach, he just pulled away and ranted about how innocent people were in danger, meaning the poor girl had to swallow down her desires and do as she was told. 

Now, getting to the burst pipe was quite tricky; they had to abseil down a narrow ravine, which was dug out in an old mine known for roof collapses and falling boulders. Yeah, it was pretty scary. It also didn't help that Schwoz had stupidly packed one rope, so Ray was currently descending the drop with his girl strapped to his chest and a song to pass the time.

"Captain Man, (y/n), beware! He's so attractive, you'll want to kiss his face...right on the mouth!" He sang pretty poorly, but she didn't care. Their noses were brushing against one another and his not-so-subtle way of asking her for a kiss reignited the fire that she had managed to contain on the drive to the old mineshaft. 

"Oh, my captain." She joked with a giggle and connected their lips in a hot kiss that made her melt against him as they swung a few metres off the ground. She was desperate to take it further and feel those lips move elsewhere, but then Ray remembered that they were down there for a reason and they had yet to make contact with home base.

"Schwoz, you there?" Ray said into his satellite phone, disconnecting their passionate tangle in favouring of ringing up his trusty assistant back in the Man Cave, even if he did crave more of her honey-like taste.

"Yah, what?" Schwoz's voice crackled over the poor signal, but it was understandable and a miracle that the phone was still receiving and transmitting so deep underground. 

"We're now two-hundred and fifty feet down in the nuclear gas shaft," Ray reported, but the small guy was taking advantage of the peace and quiet by watching one of his favourite TV shows, meaning he wasn't interested in what was happening to them. "Yeah, so?"

"Sooo, as soon as we can, we're gonna---ahhhh!" Oh, dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. The superhero never got the chance to finish his sentence as a terrible combination of the old rope snapping and a shaft collapse coincided at exactly the wrong moment.

The couple fell a few feet to the murky floor, which wasn't a terrible drop considering that Ray's indestructible body took the brunt force of it so (y/n) would have a softer landing. He didn't want to see her hurt, even if she was nearly as powerful as him with her healing. The real problem came when rocks, planks of wood and other debris came dropping on top of them, forcing him to quickly roll her over so he could curl over her body and shelter her from whatever tumbled past their heads. The whimper from having the weight of him on top of her was mistaken by Ray as fear and he suddenly became hyperaware of what danger they were in. 

"Ray? Ray, what was the noises I just heard?" They heard Schwoz's concerned voice over the battered radio and Ray flopped to his girlfriend's side as they coughed and spluttered at the gas and dust that filled the air. (y/n) was fairly sure that she was littered with bruises and cuts, but trusted in her ability to clean them up in seconds.

"Ah, our stupid support beam broke." Ray grimaced, helping his girl to her feet whilst he looked up at the ravine they had just descended. God, the rope was shredded and the walls were sheer, unstable clay and rock, leaving them stranded in the festering pit.

"Can you get out?" Schwoz asked, suddenly disregarding his TV show as a calamity emerged. This was really fucking serious.

"No, the top of the shaft is mostly blocked off and the walls look like they could cave in at any moment." (y/n) butted in, leaning in close to the receiver as Ray curled an arm around her waist. He felt like she needed support in the tense moment, but little did he know, the small action made her use all her resilience to stop herself from jumping him.

"Oooh, that reminds me. This afternoon, I have my colonoscopy." They could hear his smile over the airwaves, drawing groans from the couple. He'd have to cancel it for the third time, they needed rescuing.

"Schwoz! We don't wanna hear about your body problems, all right? There's a lady present and we're trapped down here." Ray scolded him, making (y/n) smile at his protectiveness. She didn't care about what medical problems Schwoz have, but it was nice to know that he wanted to save what little innocence she had left. She was throwing it out the window if it meant she'd get to stop the thrumming pulse between her legs.

"Okay, you want me and to come and get you and your girlfriend?" Schwoz groaned at the prospect of having to move his butt, but it wasn't so simple. The way Ray and (y/n) had entered was utterly sealed off.

"You can't, what part of blocked off don't you understand?" (y/n) questioned sarcastically, starting to get irritated when she realised that they'd be down here for at least two hours, leaving her to die from being overly-horny.

"Okay, bye-bye." The genius took that as a sign that they'd be fine on their own, after all, they had craved it for so long before they had finally revealed their true feelings. 

"No, no, Schwoz! Now look, write this down..." Ray started, but Schwoz wasn't a fan of being patronised. He could remember this easily. "Okay...I need you to triple beep Henry. Get him out of the school. Tell him to pop a gumball...And then he's got to get the Tyson drill, come to the gas plant and then Henry needs to drop into the ventilator shaft, which is right next to us, drill through the wall and get us outta here." Ray gave his instructions clearly and succinctly with Schwoz repeating what he said every few seconds like he was paying attention. His show was much more entertaining.

"Got it," Schwoz confirmed, having written none of it down, but was confident that he had everything tucked away in his mind. Positively, his confidence was well-founded.

"Oh, and tell him to bring some of those won-tons." (y/n) added, guessing that if she was rather peckish now, she'd be ravenous by the time they were found. It was a small request, but a good one.

"Bring some wom-pons," Schwoz confirmed in his weird accent, playing on Ray's temper, which was irritated every time he said something incorrectly. It didn't help that he and his girl were trapped in a smelly hole either. "Won-tons!"

"Calm down, grumpy." (y/n) told him soothingly, wiping away the dust and grime that had settled on his jaw and cheeks. She overlooked the way his growling voice reverberated through her bones and settled in her core in favour of chasing away his anger.

"If you live in America, you should learn how to say won-tons." He huffed and pulled a laser from his pocket in an attempt to cut through the metal door of an old elevator. The orange beam illuminated the room and the two watched as it lightly scorched the metal, but stood no chance of melting it away. Whatever rust and gunk had solidified on it over the years was pretty tough and even if they did get through, there was always the chance that the elevator shaft was collapsed too. 

"Well, we could fix the gas leak." (y/n) suggested when that plan failed. If they died down here, at least they'd know that they'd done their duties and saved the good citizens of Swellview.

"Yeah, you're right, sweet girl. Come help me block it up with all these boulders." He mumbled and they started to shift the rocks around the room so they'd form a protective bubble around the crack. They had to improvise with the old wooden planks lying around, which they used as prop shafts to keep the whole thing in place and it was a damn laborious task. Hauling the rubble around was nothing for Ray and his bulging biceps, but (y/n) was daintier than him and lacked his super strength. She lugged the final boulder into place with a heaving, panting groan, which prompted Ray to wrap himself around her so his hands could help to manoeuvre the boulder too.

*MATURE - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED*

"Last one, sweet girl, and this leak is plugged." He whispered into her ear, making her very aware of how he was curled over her with his lips centimetres away from the sweet spot under her ear. Was he doing this on purpose?

"Ray..." She couldn't help but moan out when his hips slotted against hers, making her grind backwards so her scorching heat would find some relief against the rough material of his pants.

"What's the matter with you?" He asked, taken aback by her whiny tone, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to do anything about it. Far from it.

"Been needing you since yesterday. Won't let me have you." She whispered, screwing her eyes shut when the hand that wasn't preoccupied with keeping her tight against his chest slid from the boulder to her knee and then under her red, satin skirt. His fingertips stopped short of where she desperately needed them and he cruelly stroked the flesh of her thigh until she told him what he wanted to hear.

"Use your words, sweet girl." He growled, nipping at her earlobe, which tore a sharp gasp from her throat and she wasn't sure that she would be able to speak when the tip of his thumb brushed ever so slightly against her throbbing clit through her matching, red, satin safety-shorts and her panties. She jumped under the minuscule touch and whined when she felt the smirk against her neck.

"Tell me or I'll assume you don't want anything and I'll leave you alone." He threatened her darkly, feeling his own need growing by the second, but he lived for seeing her like this since he'd dreamt of it for so long.

"No...no....please, fuck me." She squeaked when his teeth sank into the tender skin of her neck and he relented on his teasing. Expert fingers stroked through her dripping folds, making her cry out when they glided from her clit so he could slip a finger inside her.

"Fuck, so tight...so wet, you needy little thing." He growled into her ear and she was eternally grateful for the arm holding her tightly to his chest as she was sure that without it, his touch would make her knees give out. 

"Shit, Ray...please, need you." (y/n) whined again when another finger joined the other, both of them working against her drenched walls as he angled his thumb to rub circles on her clit. He watched every facial expression, every moan that fell from her lips and decided that he wanted to hear and see more. 

"Fuck, stand up." He panted, feeling her needily roll her hips against his straining cock to stop him from moving away. The iron grip that yanked her upwards told her that he didn't like her disobedience, but she couldn't help but desperately clench around nothing when he left her core to throb.

"No, no, no. Fuckin' need you." She panted, clawing at his chest when he spun her around and picked her up by the thighs so her legs would wrap around his waist. She wanted the damn suit off but since they were technically still on a mission, it was too dangerous. Perhaps that was what she liked, the thrill of the adventure that shot straight to her pussy.

"Shit--why'd you have to do this to me now? Couldn't fucking wait, could you?" He nearly spat when her head falls to the crook of his neck and her tongue dashes out to run a stripe down the side of it. His hands squeezed her thighs hard enough to leave a mark that would fade instantly as he felt her blazing heat press against his throbbing length and a war waged in his mind; take what he wanted in this godforsaken mineshaft or be cruel and leave her and himself to wait for rescue, whenever that came. Seeing his internal battle, (y/n) decided that she'd help nudge his mind to the immoral side she was craving and tangled her fingers in his hair so she whisper into his ear.

"I'm sorry, captain. I've just been thinking about you and your fucking huge cock since yesterday, wanted you to fuck me so hard last night, but you wouldn't." She smirked when he released a tortured, strangled moan and he decided that even if he could convince her to wait for another two hours, he'd couldn't, not when he knew of the slickness between her thighs.

"Shit--you need to shut up. You need to be quiet, right now." He stressed, craning his head down so he could bite and suck at the flesh through the material at the top of her breasts. He wouldn't be able to release them from her bodice and it was another small form of torture that drove him wild.

"Could've touched me in the Man Van or anything." She whispered, throwing her head back and saying whatever came to mind as his lips roamed her collarbone and smooth skin. Feeling him bite at whatever he could reach gave her the biggest confidence boost; here was this all-powerful superhero that resisted even the wickedest of torture from his enemies, but with a kiss and a soft touch from her and he melted. Strong steel that bent for only her touch. "I would've let you, you can do anything to me and I won't mind."

"Shit," A snarl tore from his lips and his hips jerked upwards unintentionally at the idea. She knew what she was doing and loved to see his reaction. It was the truth, she'd take anything he'd give her and love it, mostly because it was exactly what she needed to stop burning. "Shit--I...shut up or I won't last, sweet girl." He grumbled, hands now squeezing her thighs so tightly, it was starting to hurt.

"Then fuck me and it won't matter. Want you to spill in me, so fucking deep." She purred into his ear, causing him to stride over to a particularly large rock that would do for her to bend over. Getting the hint, she wiggled out of his hold and wobbly stood on two legs before her hips were seized and she was folded over the rock so her elbows were holding up her body and he could flick her skirt over her ass.

"If you're so desperate, then keep those hands there and let me give you what I think you deserve." He grumbled and pulled her shorts and underwear over the smooth curve of her ass so he could see her glistening slit. She heard the sound of his zipper being pulled down and shivered when he bent over her so his back was flush against hers.

"Come on, you want it. Beg." Ray ordered, curling an arm under her body so two fingers could rest on her throbbing clit, but he wouldn't move, not even when his cock twitched as it brushed through her folds.

"Please, I've been good, I waited. Please, just fuck me...Captain." She whimpered, feeling how he was deliberately running the bulbous head against her folds to drive her insane. It was sneaky and his way of drawing those sounds from her lips, but the way she said his damn title, it was too much for him.

"F-fucking perfect little g-girl." He groaned and slowly sunk into her dripping entrance, making her fingers grasp the edge of the boulder as her insides tightened around him like a vice. Fucking finally, she had him and it seemed like he was just as desperate to move. His teeth sank into her shoulder, just as he pulled his hips back, only to slam them back against her ass with a harsh thrust. Even if he was reluctant to fuck down in the shaft at first, she could tell he loved it now. He loved the way her back was arching into him, he loved the way her pussy gushed when he breathed into her neck, he loved how the skin was stretched so tightly across her knuckles, it was turning white. 

"Fuck, f-fuck, is this what you n-needed, sweet girl? Just a little attention and my cock deep in your f-fucking soaked pussy? Hmm? Come on, you dirty little thing, tell me." He growled, creating a rhythm that was soul-shattering. It really shouldn't have felt that good, not when they were two-hundred and fifty feet under the Earth and possibly on the brink of death. His cock pushed against that spot inside her that made her see stars and a wildfire spread through her belly and down her thighs. Fuck, he knew how to ruin her, so when the fingers waiting on her clit started to jerk wildly, it came as no surprise. 

"Ray---Ray, shit, I'm almost there." (y/n) cried, feeling the heat sear through her muscles and her hips began to rock backwards to meet his wild thrusts. So nearly there, just a little more...

"Fuck, come on, sweet girl, give it to me." He panted and choked when she gripped his entire length so fucking tight that he had to still his movements to catch his breath. Her body went limp as he carried her through the waves of pleasure, the pressure on her clit never stopping, even when she was left jelly-like and sensitive. 

"Ray..." She moaned, trying to jutter her hips away from him, but a strong arm was crossed against her chest and she was pulled back and up to her feet, where he could trap her in his hold and make her take anything he wanted to do to her.

"One more, I want to see you cum one more time." He ordered, resuming the snap of his pelvis against her ass and he had access to her throat when her head fell back against his shoulder. He jackhammered into her, drawing his name from her like a prayer, one hand fondling her satin-covered breast and keeping her tightly against him as the other kept circling her clit. It was so damn debilitating, all of her sanity was wrung out of her body as she hurtled towards another release,  him hard and throbbing deep inside her as he chased his end too.

"If you want me to fuck you wherever the fuck I like, then I will. Show all those fuckers that want to flirt with you that you're mine." God, she could barely hear him over her endless moans, wails, and whimpers, but she did and it stole her breath away. She could listen to him all day, how he didn't want anyone else to fuck her the way he did, to know her the way he did, to love her the way he did.

"Fuck---'M yours, always. No one else's, just want you." She promised, clutching at the hand on her chest so he could feel the thundering of her heart.

"Yeah, that's right, no one else will never know how you taste or feel, all fucking mine, my sweet fucking girl." His eyes squeezed shut as his heart swelled at the sentiment. The words he'd waited years to hear, the feeling he'd only dreamed of ever experiencing, the girl he could never have imagined would let him do such terrible things to her in the dark, she was his.

"God, gonna cum again, Ray...shit." (y/n) whispered, her voice high-pitched and breathless as she felt the knot in her stomach tighten, making her claw at the arm on her chest. Ray felt her quivering walls around him and knew that her release was seconds away, causing him to speed up his thrusts until they were sloppy and without rhythm, but also brutally fast. He crushed her to his chest as he felt his own end approaching, but he wanted to feel her collapse first.

"Yes, fuck--yes, wanna feel it. Let me feel this fucking wet pussy cum around me again, little girl, Fuck, so sweet for me." He goes on, chasing her towards and over the cliff with his filthy words and suddenly, the cavern went fuzzy and dark as the blood rushed through her ears, her walls gripping around him for him to follow her. 

His hips don't stop, even when she's left boneless and he's the only thing keeping her up straight. All that left her lips was garbled "Iloveyou-Iloveyou-Ilove--", but it spurred him on, knowing that he was the only one who got to see how fucking beautiful and perfect she was in a post-orgasmic haze.

"Shit, I'm gonna cum, sweet girl." Ray moaned and gasped as the feeling crept up his spine and he daren't stop, not for anything. (y/n) could feel him hot and swollen, moving faster and faster and she knew that there was nothing she wanted more.

"Please, give it to me, fucking want your cum inside me." She moaned, feeling her walls flutter again at the impropriety of it, but she didn't care. She wanted to feel him leaking out of her all day, leaving her ready for later tonight when they'd inevitably go again because they couldn't get enough of each other.

"My girl, so fucking pretty, letting me fuck her so good, shit--I--I love you...so much." He choked, hoarse and deep as his hips faltered and he spilt deep inside her, drying up his words and leaving nothing but pure love for her on his mind. He pants in ragged breaths and his tight hold on her relents, allowing them to drop to the boulder to rest.

"I love you too...always." She giggled, turning in his arms so they could stand properly and she could give him a sweet, gentle kiss, nothing like the intense, wild sex they just experienced. His hands dropped down to pull her panties and shorts up over her ass again, making her blush when he squeezed her asscheek with a large palm. He'd be fucking half-hard all evening knowing his cum was slowly dripping through her folds, but it just left him all the more eager for when they returned home.

~Thirty minutes later~

*NOT MATURE (sorry for the filth)*

Well, after their heart rates had settled down and they giggled from the absurdity of it all, Ray plonked down on a small boulder and invited his cute girl onto his thigh. It was then that she realised how truly filthy they both were and made a mental note that it would have to be shower sex first and then whatever else later once they returned to the Man Cave.

To fight off the boredom, Ray had whipped out his little tablet and entertained them by playing one of the latest mobile games from the PearStore. His arms encompassed her waist and she laughed at his excitable enthusiasm for winning the game. He was such a child deep down.

"My God, this game's entertaining." He commented, pressing a kiss into her hair as he flicked his thumb over the control. She adjusted her position and leaned back into his chest, content to just lie back and rest after being drained of all her energy. Still, even if she was happy, he was getting antsy again; sure, he loved having the time to plough into her savagely, but he couldn't help but wonder when help was arriving. They'd been sitting doing nothing for half an hour, plus another half for when they were preoccupied, seriously, where was Henry? 

"Hey, Schwoz?" He picked up the radio and tried to call the lazy guy, who had managed to track down Henry at his school, sneak him out of class and send him to the mineshaft all with Miss Shapen noticing or his help. He much preferred to kick back and relax in an empty hideout.

"Go for Schwoz." He replied, mainly focused on what was happening on the screen in front of him since it was a lot funnier than Ray when he was looking for a round two.

"What's going on man? We sealed the gas leak, we've been stuck down here for over an hour now." Ray complained, (y/n) slipping off his knee so he could pace around the cave in frustration. She had to admit that being trapped was annoying, if slightly perilous, but she was feeling so much better than when she first entered, that she didn't really want to complain.

"Henry didn't get there yet?" Schwoz questioned, sitting up in his seat as he heard the troubling news. Huh, he would've thought that the kid would have been tunnelling them out of the mineshaft around about now, so it was worrying to hear that he hadn't even reached them.

"No, he didn't get here yet. Why would I be calling you if he didn't get here---ahhh!" Ray's harsh tone was interrupted as he was shoved forward by a giant drill bit smashing through the stone wall that he was resting on. He fell to the ground, making (y/n) dash over to him to help him up, even though Captain Man was always okay. So, that was where Henry got to.

"Ray? (y/n)? You in here?" The boy poked his head through the hole he made and peered through the darkness. Shit, he couldn't see anything, especially since his boss and his girlfriend were crouched down.

"Schwoz, we'll call you back." (y/n) said into the phone as she plucked it from the floor, snapping it shut before he could respond. She offered a dainty hand for Ray to take and he accepted it greatly so she could help him stand. Kind, sweet girl...

"Oh, hey. How you doin'?" Henry greeted them warmly, not seeing how irritated his boss was from being stuck in a hole with no feather mattresses in sight. He had a king-size one at home, the place he was desperate to return to after such a long day.

"Pretty good for a guy who just had a Tyson drill shoved in his back." The large man grumbled, rubbing at the spot where he was jabbed, not that it hurt anymore. He just wanted some fawning from his favourite girl.

"Aw, my poor baby." She cooed and cupped his face so she could caress his lips with hers. He was so brave, protecting her from the fall, helping her out in a way that only he knew, loving her always.

"Oh, god, stop. He's indestructible!" Henry groaned at their mushiness, screwing up his face in disgust. Honestly, they were the worst, always kissing, always snuggling, always doing things that he'd rather not have to look at. Geez, they'd had an hour to themselves, wasn't that enough?

"I'm still a person, with feelings," Ray replied curtly, briefly pulling away from the kiss so he could send Henry a scathing look. He ran his hands absentmindedly up and down (y/n)'s waist, loving it when his touch made her press against him even more.

"You can say that again." She purred, smirking and biting her lip when his ears and cheeks burned red and Henry audibly gagged and pretended to barf. Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross...

"Ugh, can we get going?! 'Cause I don't want to hear or see this and I really need to get back to school." He grumbled, making the young step back from her boyfriend since she knew that there was a better place and time. Namely, their shower and in about twenty minutes if all went to plan.

"All right, cranky-pants, we're coming. Pull me through." She told the boy, poking out her tongue at him after he mocked how much she loved her boyfriend and all the things he did to her. She offered the boy her hands and Ray lifted her waist so she was able to slide through the hole and into the digger, but not before Ray subtly pinched her ass and caught sight of her sticky thighs. Jesus, get him home, now.

"Me next." He said and gave Henry his hands just like (y/n) did and his sidekicks yanked him as hard as they could. Trouble was, it was incredibly difficult for a young boy and a small woman to take the weight of six-foot of pure, rock-hard, super-dense muscle. That, and his utility belt kept catching on the lip of the rock, making him whine as they struggled to get him moving. 

"Whoa! Whoa! Ray, have you gained some weight?" Henry asked, swearing that his boss never felt this heavy when they trained together and he had to flip Ray over his back. He had to lay off the won-tons.

"Hey, are you calling my boyfriend fat? Pull harder on your side!" (y/n) scolded the boy indignantly, feeling extremely protective over Ray and how he looked. He was goofy, silly, loveable and sexy and she was certain that if he had gained weight, it was muscle mass, not that it would make her love him even less.

"I think you gained weight." Henry disparaged, sneakily using Ray's famous temper to get him to wriggle through the gap even further. Ray would surely try to strangle him once he was in the digger, but at least they would have gotten him there.

"You take that back! I eat less than two thousand calories a day!" The superhero snapped, kicking his legs out like he was swimming in hopes of making it through. Being stuck so foolishly did make him feel a little chubby and Henry's goading wasn't helping. "Just suck it in!"

"Piss off, Henry!" (y/n) snapped, grabbing Ray's elbow and putting her heeled boot on the wall so she could it as leverage.

"God, this is so embarrassing," Ray grumbled, trying to his hips past the halfway mark, but they wouldn't budge. He just needed some encouragement, not putting down.

"Make it through and I'll give you a kiss, captain." (y/n) lowered her lips to his ear and instantly, he was forcibly jumping forward like a worm and with another harsh pull, he slid forward, landing in a heap in the ventilator shaft, on top of Henry as it were. 

"Oh, that hurt so bad." He grumbled, feeling his arms hurt as Ray pressed on them to get up. Why was he always the one took the bruises and pain? 

"Karma's a bitch." (y/n) deadpanned, pulling her boyfriend to her body to give him what he'd promised her.

~Swellview High~

So, they'd made it to Henry's school and things were all set for him to sneak back into class, disable this weird hologram of him that Schwoz had used to dupe the teacher and hand in his test like nothing had happened. There was a. catch though, of course, there was.

Sharona Shapen, the weirdest teacher in the school and the most desperate for the large cash bonus the good grades were gonna get her, was still prowling around the classroom and had caught onto fake Henry sitting and scribbling on his paper without listening. Time was up and every other kid had handed in their test paper (fully copied from Charlotte since she was a genius and Miss Shapen was turning a blind eye), meaning that hologram Henry sitting there blankly was starting to look real weird.

"You guys! You need to do something about Henry and Miss Shapen!" Charlotte hissed to Ray and (y/n), both of whom were still in uniform, plus Henry who was casually strolling through the halls like nothing was wrong. Thank god most of the kids had gone home by now or were still stuck in a late class, otherwise, their stealthiness would be in vain. 

"How? We need to get in there and distract her so I can turn off the hologram." Henry panicked, peering through the glass panel in the door and seeing how close his teacher was to sticking her fingers through his face and revealing the secret. 

"It has to be big! And something that will completely ruin her mind!" Jasper noted, trying to come up with everything Sharona Shapen liked, which stretched to cats and her freakishly large toe.

"Chicken?" Ray suggested, recalling that poor bird she'd annihilated on Valentine's Day when he'd been forced onto a date with her. Maybe he could dangle a chicken wing in front of her face and lure her away just enough for them to pull it off.

"Dude, where are we gonna get a chicken from?" Henry asked rhetorically, making Ray pipe down. Okay, chicken and any other food was a no-go, so what else did Miss Shapen dream of at night?

"Kiss her." (y/n) suddenly said in a grim voice, her eyes closed as she accepted that it was what they were gonna have to do. She idolised her boyfriend and fancied just as much as all the other women in Swellview did, meaning that a smooch from him would probably make her pass out long enough for them to swipe the hologram and test.

"What?" Ray, Henry, Charlotte and Jasper gasped and looked at her like she was crazy. First of all, that was their teacher, second of all, it wasn't just any teacher, it was Miss Shapen, third of all, Ray would never betray her like that, fourth of all, he repulsed the woman and so on and so on. There were a million reasons why that was crazy talk, but (y/n) just calmly breathed in and out.

"Look, a kiss from Captain Man will wipe her mind blank, meaning Henry can hand in his test with no problems." She explained, resting her hands on Ray's chest as his eyes bore into hers. Kiss someone else? He'd rather die, no one else would compare, especially not that old hag.

"Sweet girl, I can't kiss another woman, we'll think of something else. I love you and only you." He murmured, wrapping his hands around her wrists so he could bring one to his lips and kiss her gently thrumming pulse point. There had to be another way, one that didn't involve him breaking his endless faith and fidelity to her. He wasn't that guy anymore, he'd found his one and he didn't need nor want a bit of something on the side, she was everything he had ever dreamed of having.

"I know you do, but..." She started, sighing when she didn't know how to word it. She hated the idea of him kissing someone else, she loathed it even if it wasn't real and with Sharona, but she could overlook it just once if it was for an exceptionally good reason. "Look, I'm giving you permission this one time to march in there, look at her like you look at me and kiss her like you you mean it, so we can save Henry's butt." She said, giving him her sincerest gaze.

"How am I supposed to kiss her like she's you when she's not you? It's Miss Shapen, for god's sake." He groaned, pouting slightly at the idea of having to put his mouth on hers and pretend he was tasting honey. 

"Just imagine it. And when we get home..." She gestured for the kids to plug their ears and she leaned up to whisper against his neck. "You can fuck me again and again until I can't walk." 

"Fine." He agreed through gritted teeth and kissed his cheek in thanks. He fucking loved the sound of that and if he had to kiss that in the classroom to earn it, he would. 

"Kid, get ready to sneak in. I've got a Miss Shapen to kiss." He growled dramatically, tensing up his body like a true superhero. Henry nodded in understanding and stood next to the door so he could hear and look out for his cue. 

"Henry!!!" They could hear the teacher scream at the hologram inside and they knew that they had to act quickly.

Taking a deep breath and giving (y/n) one final peck, Ray yanked open the classroom door and boldly stood in the gap so she could admire his sudden entrance with awe. 'Just pretend she's (y/n), just pretend she's (y/n)' was all that was running through his mind.

"You." He greeted her in a tone that left his girl weak at the knees and if he squinted very hard and used the best of his imagination, she almost looked like (y/n). Almost.

"Captain Man!" She gasped at his sudden appearance. Oh my, he looked so handsome, better than she could ever have imagined and she was certain that this was a dream. The hero stormed over to her with a "hungry" look in his eyes, making her go breathless and weak at the knee. Sweet cheese, this wasn't happening; Captain Man seized Miss Shapen and dipped her in his embrace, leaning over her with a nauseous expression that he masked well. He just had to think of tonight and how his real love would be screaming his name.

"Do you consent to this kiss?" He asked in a tight, reluctant voice and cursed inwardly when her smile grew ten-fold. Well, that was a stupid question, of course, she wanted to snog Swellview's greatest hero.

"Sure, you want it in writing?" She joked, her eyes widening when he took the plunge and pressed his lips against hers. Dear, sweet lord, this was genuinely going to make him vomit. He'd kissed many people in his life and none of them but one truly gave him butterflies. Sharona Shapen was not that one; she killed the butterflies, burnt them, stamped on them, tore them apart. Her hands were roaming his back wildly and (y/n) looked in to see the abhorrent sight. 

"Go before I puke." She told Henry and the boy quietly tiptoed into the room. He too was disgusted by the sight of Ray kissing his teacher, mainly because she was a terrible kisser and not the one he'd fought so hard to set him up with. Ray kissing anyone but (y/n) would always look wrong, those two were made for each other.

He disabled the hologram, chucked it into his backpack and slid onto his chair, resuming the same position that it had been portraying; a pencil in his hand and a calm look on his face. Dear god, Miss Shapen giggling into the kiss was going to haunt his nightmares for weeks to come.

Okay, good. Henry was here, he was in the right place and just in the nick of time, which meant that for Ray, his work was over.

"Wait. Wrong woman." He said, suddenly pulling back and dropping Miss Shapen on the floor. His mouth tasted revolting and he made a quick exit for the door before she could claw him back for more.

"Let's get out of here." He mumbled, grabbing (y/n)'s wrist and pulling her through the halls rapidly. Charlotte and Jasper had already left and Henry could sort himself out, he just needed to leave and get home. 

"You're so brushing your teeth before you can kiss me again. I don't want to taste Sharona too." She chuckled, waggling her finger at him as his eyes darkened at the thought of kissing her. The right person.

"And then I get to fuck you?" He asked with hopeful eyes, glancing across to see her smirk and run her fingers through her hair like the seductive vixen she was.

"Until I can't walk." She promised, giggling when his legs started to work faster until they were practically running through the empty school corridors. Well, all's well that ends well, Henry had handed his test in without a hitch, Miss Shapen got to experience what a real relationship looked like and boy, Ray couldn't wait to get home.

[matthewkniesys]

i know it won't work - trevor zegras

summary: You let go of Trevor but why can't he let go of you? You know it won't work so why can't he see that? You're only trying to save each other from more heartbreak than necessary. You just want him to be happy.

a/n: this is the second fic in my good riddance by gracie abrams fic series. you don't have to read the first one for this to make sense. so this is my first song fic so please be nice. idk if i did it right. everything in bold is the song lyrics. i recommend listening to the song but you don't have to. i really do love this fic so hopefully yall will too🫶

pairing: trevor zegras x gn!reader

warnings: angsty and some swearing

good riddance fic series

The last year has been hard for you. Nobody ever told you how hard graduating highschool would be. Everyone paints graduating as this big celebration. You're never warned of the hard choices you’ll have to make and the people you’ll lose. The one person you never expected to lose was your childhood best friend and boyfriend of 3 years, Trevor Zegras. And you could never have predicted that you would be the one walking away. Not him.

I left you there 

Heard you keep the extra closet empty

In case this year I come back and stay throughout my 20s

Your body is drained of any energy. Moving into your dorm room has sucked any will to do anything for the rest of the day out of your body. You’re excited for the new chapter that University will bring to your life but you’re also mourning the loss of the life you had before. You feel like a different person since everything in your life did a complete 180 a few months ago. 

Leaving Trevor was probably the hardest thing you’d ever done. You didn’t just lose your boyfriend that day, you also lost your best friend. It was what needed to happen though. It was this one day when he made a comment about how he would follow you anywhere and give up hockey in a heartbeat that made you freak out. You had to cut ties. Trevor loved you in an all consuming way. You loved him in a nostalgic kind of way. In the way that you two had been best friends forever. You loved him but slowly you were realizing it wasn’t in that same romantic way his love for you was. It was not purely but more platonic. You couldn’t ever see yourself marrying him and so even though it hurt both of you, leaving was the right decision. If only Trevor could understand that. 

Picking up your phone to check social media, you see you’ve got a missed call from a friend, well she’s probably your best friend now, since you walked away from Trevor. You choose her number from your recent contacts and let it ring until she picks up.

“Hey, y/n, how are you? Are you all settled in?”

“I’m good. It was a real tight fit, to get everything in the dorm but it worked out. How about you? How’s your dorm? I can’t believe we are literally on the opposite side of the country now.”

Your friend laughs, “ Yeah, it was quite the tight fit here too. The dorms are tiny. But I’m doing good. I’m excited for classes to start.”

You pause for a second, wanting to ask the question that’s been burning in the back of your mind for weeks now. You wanted to know how Trevor was. Trevor and your friend had always been close. When you walked away from Trevor you didn’t want them to have to end their friendship so they still hang out.

Stuttering, you ask,” Hey, um how’s Trev doing?”

“Are you sure you really wanna know?” Yes, you are sure. At this point you feel like you need it as much as you need the air you breathe. You can guess he probably isn’t doing great, you aren’t either but you need to hear it from someone who knows.

“Yes, I do.”

“Okay, well I’m gonna be honest with you.” She pauses. “He’s fucked up over you. You walking away from him really came out of the blue. He blames himself. He thinks he did something wrong.” Hearing that he thinks it’s his fault breaks your heart. All he did was love you with all of himself and you couldn’t reciprocate that.

“I-fuck. Why couldn’t I just love him back? It’s what he deserved and I couldn’t give it to him.”

“Y/n, it’s okay. In the long run this will be better. At least neither of you will be stuck in a shitty relationship. But if I’m being completely honest I think Trevor still thinks you’re gonna come back. Like you’re gonna realize you made a mistake and change your mind. You probably don’t wanna hear this but he keeps the extra closet empty. You know, just in case you decide to come back and stay for good.”

Hearing that, shatters your heart into a million pieces.

What if I won’t?

How am I supposed to put that gently?

And down the road

You will love me until you resent me

You talk for a few more minutes but then you hang up, your heart wasn’t really in it and you’re emotionally exhausted. You feel as if your body is about to combust. Sighing, you toss your phone on the bed and flop back, shutting your eyes and letting your thoughts consume you. 

You shouldn’t go back to Trevor. It wouldn’t be fair to you or him. It would only cause more pain than it’s worth. But maybe a little part of you still wants to. You miss him. There is history there that can’t just be erased. 

You feel like you need to tell Trevor that you really meant it. He can’t keep holding out for you. He needs to live his life. He’s at BU this year and next year he’ll be in the NHL. All you want is for him to be happy. You want him to go out and kiss other people and to find the person of his dreams but instead he’s hung up on you. 

If he stays hung up on you, if he can’t move on he’ll eventually start to hate you. He’ll love you so much that it’ll turn into resentment if it hasn’t already. And even though you broke his heart you really, really don’t want him to resent you. You couldn’t stand it. He still means the most to you.

I’ve had the thought

Tried to work it out through anxious pacing

What if I’m not

Worth the time and breath I know you’re saving?

Despite being tired down to your bones, you slept horribly that night. Knowing that Trevor might be up at this very moment, not being able to sleep because of what you did is killing you. You aren’t worth this much thought or time. He could have anyone. Any kind, beautiful person that he wants. Someone who can give him everything but instead he’s agonizing over you. For fucks sakes he even has a closet empty just for you. He must really believe you’re coming back.

It’s your first night sleeping in your dorm and that isn’t helping either. You look over at your roommate who is peacefully sleeping, wishing you could be doing the same. You grab a water bottle and chug half of it trying to gain your bearings. Your mind is running wild and you need to do something. 

You start pacing back and forth, in your tiny dorm room. You really hope your roommate doesn’t wake up because you don’t need someone you barely know thinking you’re crazy.

You just want Trevor to just move on. To not let you live rent free in his mind. You aren’t even worth it. You’ve seen how many other girls are after him. He could have any of them. You aren’t worth it.  He’s saving too much for you and he needs to let it go.

But it’s a lot

All the shine of half a decade fading

The whole facade

Seemed to fall apart, it’s complicated

You’ve known Trevor for your whole life and liked him for 5 of those years. Until it just kinda stopped. You stopped wanting him so much romantically and you just wanted to go back to being best friends. Part of you, a big part, wished you had never even dated in the first place. 

A few months before graduating everything started falling apart with Trevor. It stopped feeling right, your relationship. It stopped feeling like where you wanted to be. You hoped it would pass but it didn’t. The feeling kept growing and growing until it felt like there was just a huge hole in your chest where something wasn’t quite right. Where something was wrong.

And part of me wants to walk away 'til you really listen

I hate to look at your face and know that we're feeling different

'Cause part of me wants you back, but

I know it won't work like that, huh?

Weeks fly by but it doesn’t really get that much easier. You’re happy and you’re making friends but you still miss Trevor. And you’ve gathered from talking to hometown friends that still talk to him, that Trevor isn’t really doing any better. You can’t get past the fact that you’re the one making him hurt like that.

It’s completely sudden. You aren’t expecting it. There’s no text, no build up. Just one day out of the blue he calls. You don’t want to pick up. It’s only gonna lead to false hope for him that you want to get back together and false hope for you that he wants to simply just be best friends again. But you can’t help it, you pick up the phone and answer.

“Y/n,” Trevor says the moment you pick up, sounding a little breathless.

“Um, hey Trev.” You don’t know what else to say so you leave it at that.

You hear Trevor mumble, “Oh fuck, there’s no way i can do this.” and then he starts talking.

“Y/n, please, please tell me what I did wrong so I can fix this. I miss you. You’re my best friend and the love of my life. I need you.”

Fuck, you won’t get through this. You can’t stand to talk to Trevor, knowing you both feel completely different. And it’s the fact that he thinks it’s his fault. That he did something wrong.

You desperately wanted to tell Trevor that you would come back, that it could be like old times but you can’t. It would be a lie. It could never be the same ever again. 

A part of you wants to go back and just say fuck it. You want your friendship back so badly that you’re willing to fake the romantic part. Maybe you’ll eventually for real fall back in love with him. It’s possible, but you know that’s not right. It won’t work like that.

“Trevor, you didn’t do a single thing wrong. It just wasn’t working. It wasn’t meant to be forever. I have so much love for you still but not in the same way that you do. We can’t keep doing this to each other. We need to get past this. Hanging up the phone was hard. Sitting with your thoughts after was harder, but you’ll get through it. You did the right thing.

Why won't you try moving on for once? That might make it easy

I know we cut all the ties but you're never really leaving

And part of me wants you back, but

I know it won't work like that, huh?

In the weeks that follow you don’t hear anything from Trevor. Until mid November and then everything starts seeping back in.

First it’s a text. A simple, hey, how are you? And you know you shouldn’t respond so you don’t. And then it’s pleading. It’s text saying we need to talk or I miss you. And you almost respond to those because you can’t bear to think that you are causing Trevor so much pain. But again you hold out and don’t respond. It’s when he starts picking up the phone and calling that you can’t stop yourself.

He called you once, you didn’t pick up. He called you a second time, and still you restrained yourself, but the third time was when everything went crashing down.

You had been having a really shitty day to start off with and you were already in the worst of your feelings, so when Trevor called it’s like it breaks a dam inside of you. A wall that had been holding strong but was now toppling over.

You pick up the phone and for a minute it’s just dead silence. You hear Trevor’s breathing so you know he’s there but he hasn’t said anything. So you decide to speak first.

“Trev, I thought we agreed to cut ties. We can’t keep doing this. You need to move on. This isn’t healthy for either one of us.”

“ Y/n, you’re the one who said we should cut ties, I never agreed. I need you in my life. I miss you.” The desperation in Trevor’s voice makes you want to cry. It makes you feel as if someone took a jagged piece of glass and cut open the wound that was slowly starting to heal. The wound that you inflicted by walking away. A part of you still wants him. But you can’t. You just can’t. It isn’t possible.

I'll open up

I'm thinking everything you wish I wasn't

The call was tough

But you're better off, I'm being honest

You take a deep breath. You need to give Trevor the closure he needs and then leave for good. You need to explicitly say that this won’t work. You need to tell him without any fancy words that he needs to accept that you're not the one for him.

“Trevor,” you plead, needing him to listen, “You need to walk away. I’ve been trying to for months now but you keep pulling me back in. I’ve already moved on but you’re the one who won’t let me leave. We were what we were but we can’t be that anymore. I’m not the same person I was 3 years ago and you aren’t either. Let me go and in the long run we’ll save each other a ton of hurt. I love you but this won’t work. You have to let go. I’m gonna hang up and you aren’t gonna call me again.” You pause, catching your breath. “I wish you nothing but the best. Goodbye, Trev.

You sit in silence for a moment. It was hard. You have tried telling him goodbye before but this felt much more final. After all the other times you tried saying goodbye to Trevor, you still felt as if there was more to the story before it would be over. You hoped the story was over now. It was the best thing for you and for Trevor.

So won’t you stop

Holding out for me when I don’t want it

Just brush me off

I’m your ghost right now, your house is haunted

It took all of five minutes for Trevor to call you again. 5 fucking minutes. God, all you want at this point is for Trevor to move on. To realize this is the best thing that could’ve happened. You don’t pick up. You need to set some boundaries. You can’t keep picking up the phone when you don’t wanna talk. He needs to just brush you off and move on.

But he calls 4 more times that night. And you’re scared it won’t stop. So you pick up. Of course you do. It’s that little part of you that still wants him back that makes you.

“Trevor, you need to stop. I’m sorry but we can’t. I don’t know how many times you want me to say this. I know this won’t work the way you want it to or at all. So please I’m begging you stop. Put both of us out of our misery. You start moving on so I can finish letting go. Trevor, don’t call me again or I will block your number. I don’t want to because for some reason it just feels wrong. But I will. Goodbye, Trev.”

You hang up and this time you know. It’s final. Trevor won’t call again. You’re sad but more than that you’re relieved. You can finally start living again.

It’s as if for these past months you’ve been this ghost for Trevor. One that would constantly follow him. You were haunting him and know you’re finally being set free.

I know it won't work like that, huh?

It’s been years now. You don’t think about it often but every once in a while Trevor will pop into your mind. You’re happy. You really are. And from what you see on social media, Trevor is too. 

You try not to dwell on it but sometimes you think about what might have been. What might have happened if you had gone back to Trevor. And honestly you aren’t sure. Maybe everything would’ve worked out and the two of you would be happily together right now. Or maybe it would’ve ended up being exactly what you thought would happen if you went back. 

You truly believe you made the right decision in letting Trevor go. You knew it wouldn’t work the way he was envisioning. And hopefully you spared the both of you a lot of heartache.

You’re happy right now. That’s what matters. You and Trevor don’t talk much except for the occasional birthday message but maybe that was how it was supposed to be.  You knew it wouldn’t work like that and you made the right decision, for you and for Trevor. You had and still have so much love for him and that’s all it’ll ever be. And you’re okay with that. You really are.

thanks for reading 🫶

good riddance fic series

taglist: @woodruff-edwards @nicohischierz @makarhughes @cobrakaisb @huggy-hischier94 @boldysswld@cole-mcward48@kashee-h@kjohnson-91 @jackhues @corneliaskates

join my taglist

[yeehawbvby]

When the Moon Fell in Love With the Sun | Ch. 10

March x F!Farmer

Rating: Mature/Explicit (eventual smut)

Chapter Summary: March's birthday/some pre-Spring Festival shenanigans!

Author’s Note: Another obligatory "idk what type of technology exists and what doesn't" (my HC is that anything does, it would be, like, 90s-00s level stuff? Maybe?), alongside an obligatory "I know gold isn't in the game yet, I just thought it would give the scene it’s in some more oomph."

Hope y'all had a wonderful Halloween and that you enjoy this chapter :3

Table of Contents + Work Summary

Check it out on ao3!

Prev | Next

With the Spring Festival on its way, most of Mistria’s residents could be seen scrambling around in search of Breath of Spring flowers.

Those who often spent their time indoors such as the innkeepers and store owners often took to foraging, to keep things laxed while still giving it a fair chance. Ryis and Landen engaged in their typical work, finding flowers amongst the bushy leaves of the trees and bushes they chopped. The Dragonguard would lift rocks (which meant Luc often, to his excitement, found some new bug friends in the process), scoop up sea shells to peek into, and even clamor into the shallow ends of the river in hopes of finding some stray petals flowing through the water. 

December went on with her days as usual, finding plenty of flowers passively, just as she had done her first year in Mistria. March, on the other hand, would nonchalantly keep an eye on the areas near his workstation by day, and head into the narrows or mines to hit them out of some rocks by night. He wanted to win – his ego was on the line, after all – but there was no way in hell he’d allow the others to see it.

Olric once told the farmer that the only thing his brother hated more than birthdays themselves was being ignored on his birthday, especially with the event that took place immediately after. He couldn’t stand feeling overshadowed by the town’s “made up holiday,” as he had brutally dubbed it. That said, when March’s birthday came this year, December wanted to find that fine line for celebrating him where he would feel loved and important, but he wouldn’t get overwhelmed either.

So, she approached the grumpy birthday boy on her way to the mines with two mochas in hand, some sandwiches in her backpack – two to share with March now, and a third for later, when she’d need an extra boost – and a small gift, which was nestled safely under her arm and wrapped in red cloth.

“Goooood morning,” December grinned as she approached the anvil. 

She thought the cheery sing-song tone in her voice would annoy March a considerable but safe amount, so she was surprised to see how calm his face fell when he looked up at her. 

He couldn’t place his finger on why he was so relieved to see her. It wasn’t like his birthday was different from any other day, he lied to himself before wondering why this felt different.

Well, it was his first birthday in a long time with a partner. Maybe that was doing something to him.

He sighed, “Hey,” wiping the sweat from his forehead and placing his hammer down. 

The wall December tended to rest her things against had become the couple’s designated break spot too. When the farmer visited the forge, both in the far past and as they grew closer, they’d oftentimes find themselves leaning or sitting against the stone while they chatted and replenished their energy. Today was no different. Once they were in place, March took both coffees from December’s grasp so she could set down her bag. 

“Thanks,” she said, taking her own mocha back before handing March the present, “aaand happy birthday.” He glared at her. “What?” “Did Olric put you up to this?” “Why the hell would I need Olric to tell me to give you a birthday present?”

March’s eyes narrowed further, but he didn’t make any further accusations, instead taking a sip from his coffee. “Well, thanks.”

“‘Course.” December held out her hand to take March’s drink again so that he could open it.

Taking a quick note at the fabric, which matched his hair almost perfectly, he wondered if December had done that on purpose or not. 

She did. She specifically asked Louis if he could fold a piece into the dress she purchased a few weeks prior. 

March’s eyes widened as he unwrapped from said fabric the most perfect gold ore he’d ever seen. It was shinier than even the highest quality ingots he’d casted, it looked dense, and gods, he couldn’t wait to work with it. He almost didn’t even want to, it was so beautiful. The chunks of perfect ore in the museum — which he’d already been impressed by, and admittedly was even more so upon hearing who their donor was — couldn’t compare. 

March always had a bit of a natural flush to his complexion, but there was something about how it seemed to stand out more when he grinned this time that made December’s heart skip. He wasn’t necessarily blushing, but his face looked brighter. And while March pored over the metal in his hand, December observed the liveliness in his smile, making his dark eyes shine like onyx in the sunlight. The way his teeth ran a little yellowed — probably from all that coffee and chocolate consumption — and slightly crooked between his smooth lips. The softer look of his bare arms while he let himself relax his muscles, which he rarely did around people. The angle and shape of his perfectly groomed, thick eyebrows, sitting above his equally thick eyelashes…

March looked up, meeting December’s blatant stare with a beaming grin. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever seen him look so sincerely, wholeheartedly happy without alcohol in his system, or a laugh blossoming from his throat. He didn’t even tease her for ogling. 

“How do you even find these?”

She shrugged nonchalantly, “I guess I have an eye for it.”

March rolled his eyes. “Or you’re just lucky to be good at everything.”

“Jealousy makes you look silly.”

“Well, you always look silly.”

December stuck out her tongue at him. March wanted so badly to shove it away with a kiss, but with Errol and Eiland walking past and waving their greetings to the two, he didn’t want to risk any more gossip being thrown around. 

So he glared at them. Eiland remained blissfully unaware and continued to ramble, fiddling with the Breath of Spring fashionably tucked behind his ear for safe keeping; meanwhile, the old curator silently wondered what he’d done to deserve the harsh glance. He knew March was a grump, but jeez, he thought to himself. He frowned while nodding along, still listening to Eiland as they disappeared into the narrows.

March went on, his eyes back on the ore in his hands, “Well…” he directed his sight to December’s again, “thanks.”

“Mhm,” she passively welcomed him as she placed the March’s coffee back in his free hand and bent down to dig through her backpack. She then pulled out a sandwich wrapped in parchment paper and placed it atop his cup. With a more formal tone akin to Adeline and Eiland’s, she added, “And your humble birthday breakfast, my liege.”

March moved to place his gift down on the anvil, and then took his seat in the grass, saying, “Your liege, huh?” 

December nodded, joining him. March’s face looked pink, but smug. “What?”

“I can get used to that.”

The farmer rolled her eyes, then playfully nudged him, “Well don’t.”

__

Once March finished up his work for the day, he decided to set out for the mines. December would probably still be there, but he knew she usually kept to the lower levels now that she had upgraded tools. If he went shallow, he wouldn’t risk running into her.

Or so he thought.

The first thing he saw when stepping off of the wooden, makeshift elevator was December’s pale eyes, wide and confused while she hit the finishing blow on a rock in her path. His expression was no different.

As she opened her mouth to question his presence, a small, slimy creature launched itself onto her cheek. “Eugh!” she expressed her disgust. 

Those guys were never very strong to begin with, but they didn’t hurt her much at all now that she was used to their stronger brethren in the tide caverns and onward. If she was going to be hit by anyone, she’d rather it be them — but she’d never get used to their cold, sticky, and almost slug-like texture. She ripped her assailant off of her face and flung it into a nearby chasm, promptly wiping her gloved hand on her pants.

“What,” she breathed, shifting her headphones to her neck and pausing her mp3, “the fuck are you doing here?”

March’s brain scrambled for a moment, before he deflected, tilting his chin up and narrowing his eyes, “I could ask you the same.”

December matched his posture, placing the hand on her hip for added effect. “I figured I’d search some of the safer floors for more flowers before heading out.” She took a few steps forward to meet him, then egged him on as she pieced together that he was probably doing more or less the same, “Your turn, pretty boy.” 

March flustered a little at the name she gave him and the tone in which she spoke. It wasn’t intentionally sexy, but he wouldn’t have known any better until she told him directly. His eyes widened from their accusatory squint to their normal shape on their own volition as he muttered, “P-pretty boy?” December nodded curtly, blind to her partner’s inner turmoil. 

The blacksmith took a second to just breathe. He couldn't go and get all riled up over something so simple, what with them being several dozen feet underground…

Or could he?

Imagery of December’s soft touch and supple skin standing out in contrast to the rough walls and caverns of the mines came and went through him in a flash.

He mentally scolded himself and shook his thoughts away. December wondered what the sudden movement was for, but didn’t question it. 

Next, March realized he wouldn’t be too embarrassed if she knew why he was down here. Knowing her, she was probably just excited for the competition. Realistically, they both were.

So, March decided, if she’s going to (accidentally) use words to try to distract and destroy him, why shouldn’t he do the same? He resumed his glare and rolled his neck and shoulders, before removing his pickaxe from its spot on his backpack. 

Then, he lilted, “We both know why I’m here,” tilting his head slightly down and her chin up to level their gazes. “So be a good little angel and get out of my w—“

A tiny monster almost identical to the one that had collided with December’s cheek just moments ago did the same to March. His eyes rolled shut and chewed his bottom lip while he otherwise froze in place, wondering, why do these things even exist?

He was positively malding.

December bit her own lip, failing to suppress her laughter as her shoulders and chest shook, shaky breaths coming out of her nose. She had to admit to herself that his plan almost worked. 

Almost.

While March removed that thing from his profile, December walked past, patting him on the shoulder. “Nice try,” she teased, before moving onto the next vein of copper she spotted.

March tossed the creature into the same chasm December had banished her own to before meeting up with her. He lightly bumped her hip with his to scoot her over and started to pick at the same ore.

“Nuh-uh,” the farmer laughed incredulously, “Go find your own rocks to hit.” 

March’s answer was all too nonchalant. “I want this one.”

December cursed under her breath. “Brat…”

She hip bumped him in return before getting back to work, accepting that she couldn’t budge him. Given the strength of their tools, it only took a few more hits each for the mineral, as well as some softer chunks nearby, to crumble. 

Lo and behold, a Breath of Spring appeared atop the rubble. 

The pair froze. For a short few beats, the only sounds to be heard were the soft chirping and pitter-pattering of cave bugs, the faint squelches and clacks and puffs of noxious air from the monsters that lurked below, and the occasional drips of the stalactites around them, their breaths firmly bated while they waited to see who would make the first move.

It didn’t take long for March to grow impatient, though. “…Mine.” 

As he reached for it, December practically tackled him. “No!” she exclaimed, using her last ounce of energy to shove her body into March’s line of sight and jumping forward, abandoning her pickaxe in favor of clinging to him like a feral koala.

“For fuck’s sake—” He stumbled in an attempt to keep upright, wrapping his arms around her and placing a palm to the back of her head for protection, in case they fell. “Are you stupid?!” he asked once they were stable.

“Yeah.”

“Oh.” December didn’t budge. “Are you gonna move?”

“Will you take that flower if I do?”

“Obviously.”

“Then no.”

March sighed. She was light enough, he thought. He could work with this. “Hold on tight,” he warned, his smile sly while he crouched down and reached for the prize.

“No!” December jerked her head to peek behind her, her ponytail whipping around March and lightly slapping his opposite eye, to which he thought with a wink, ouch. “Wait—”

To her dismay, the flower was already in March’s hand.

“Too late, pretty girl,” he whispered into her ear. He pressed his lips just below it with a lingering peck for added measure.

Inhaling deeply, swallowing hard, and squeezing March harder, December understood why he reacted the way he had to her own words earlier. 

She slowly turned towards him, her hair tickling his shoulder as it drifted back to its rightful space behind her. He was already looking at her, so their noses were nearly touching when March noticed how his partner’s pupils had engulfed the blue of her eyes in a veil of black, like a whale lurking beneath an arctic ocean’s surface; and as his resolve began to weaken, and the urge to kiss her everywhere he could possibly reach strengthened, he wondered if they really needed these flowers.

“That’s not fair,” December grumbled. 

“What’s not fair is that you’re still attached to me.”

Without a sliver of remorse in sight, she plainly commented, “Hm. What a shame.” She leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth, and then his jaw, before trailing a few more down his neck, purring, “Give me the flower, March, please.”

He held his breath, contemplating the entirety of his life leading up to this point; and with a strain in his voice that hadn’t gone unnoticed by his parasite, he boldly refused, “Never in a million years.”

__

The blacksmith’s resilience paid off. The next morning, the results came through as follows:

Celine in first place, obviously,

March in second,

and finally, a sad, grumpy December in third.

[sharkneto]

hi!!!! I was rereading the shifting mirrors and holding it together since you finished joining together recently (it’s SO good, it’s so so SO good, your writing is always so well done and flows so well) and I had a couple questions. Sorry if this is weird - if you don’t want to answer them feel free to ignore this ask, I’m just curious!

1.) did you start writing joining together while you were still posting holding it together? a lot of the details I noticed in HIT were referenced in JT, and I was just kind of like ‘that’s a LOT of details to remember’ so I was wondering if you were working backwards !!

2.) have you ever thought about what happens at the end of HIT? do you think they would actually end up stopping the apocalypse, or would the commission try to come and correct them? I thought that was interesting - that the commission said they were done with five, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re done with the offshoot timeline ; if they hadn’t interfered prior, that would mean they were still on track for an apocalypse, right ? I like to speculate about this. with sheer strength of will I think that five would probably end up stopping it, mostly because he knows how to work through his rage rather than act on impulse again - and now he has the knowledge to try and connect the others so that viktor doesn’t feel so isolated.

3.) what was your favorite part of writing the story / what kept you motivated to keep it going ? I’ve started a couple chaptered fics, and then I get three or four chapters in and lose it completely.

I love, love, love the world youve created - I love the characters youve built and the personalities behind them. the dedication youve held on to to keep the series going is admirable; I can barely write 20k, much less hundreds of thousands of words. I was actually thinking of asking your permission to maybe write an offshoot of your offshoot (it might be the thing that gets me back into writing for tua) but idk if I’d have the imagination or creativity to make it nearly as compelling and fun as yours. Congratulations and great work on finishing it !! <333

this got long - feel free to ignore it if it’s overstepping or weird, lol !! I hope you’re doing well - have a great night, shark :)

Hey Toby! Glad you enjoyed it all so much and thanks for the kind words! It's a little surreal to have it done, JT has been a WIP almost as long as I've been into TUA.

I started writing JT before HIT. This whole series was supposed to be a Just For Me Fun Project while I rotted alone during the pandemic that I ended up sharing with permission from orsumfenix and encouragement from friends. I was a bit into JT, I think, when I started thinking about how fun it would be to get more siblings in here, and those musing became HIT. HIT got posted first because it had a lower barrier for entry, with more focus on the Hargreeves we know instead of OCs. So, because the stories were written more-or-less simultaneously, it was easy to reference one or set up something for the other. Working forwards and backwards, with the end of JT already written (in a rough draft) when I was writing HIT, so I knew where Rob, Sarah, and Number were coming off of at that point. (The tiny detail I'm most fond of is Allison in HIT noting that Number broke his nose at some point, and then in JT we get to see the stupid scenario in which he broke his nose.)

(rest under a readmore because I ramble)

I do have thoughts on what happens after HIT! More of a time jump, to Number's Apocalypse Week, and I've got words in a WIP started about that (and a few snips shared in my snip tag, although some I think I've changed some of the details, now). It goes... less smoothly than it should, for a guy who has (almost) all the details he needs. If motivation continues, I'll share that eventually. If it doesn't, I'll word-vomit an outline so at least people who are interested can know how it goes down. I don't see the Commission coming back - the people obsessed with Five are dead, and the organization is done with him. They don't have the resources to spare to keep going after him, so at least in Five and Number's timelines, they're out of the Commission's scope.

What kept me going was a combo of things. 2020-2022ish, I had a fuckton of time. I only worked three days a week because of covid protocols, I couldn't go anywhere because of covid, and I couldn't see anyone because of covid. I had four days a week to fill, and a lot of that time got filled with writing - all of HIT and the first draft of JT happened during this time, plus all the other fics I published throughout that time. What kept me going is that I was having a ton of fun writing and fun interacting with other people about my fics. Love, love, love talking about them (so never apologize for an ask like this, every fic writer is begging for an excuse to ramble like this). I liked thinking about the characters, thinking about Number doing mundane things I was doing made them more interesting, I liked thinking about Rob and Sarah's little romcom life, and I'm fascinated by Five's whole deal. My favorite part of writing these is Five (both versions of him) - thinking about him and how he'd react to x or y, how others react to him. I love that, at his core, he's kind of a loser. I love what an incredible vehicle for grief he is. He's a character of all time for me.

How to keep going, I don't have an easy answer for it. Some people outline, so they have the skeleton of what they're doing and where they're going. I'm not one of those people, I have an idea of the general shape and trajectory of the story and go from there, splitting up chapters as needed. I think it's important to not force it, or the writer's block gets worse and then you're stressed about writing instead of having fun with it, and that's no good - the point is to have fun. If you run out of steam, you run out of steam and you have to take a six-month hiatus until life calms down and you have words again (as a hypothetical example). Don't be afraid to poke at other ideas even if you have a giant fic unfinished. For having 25 fics on AO3, I have 35 other WIP files on my computer. Some of them have a couple hundred words, some have tens of thousands of words, some of them I'll come back to finish, some of them I won't. Such is life - some ideas have legs, others don't. I don't set out thinking "Oh this fic is going to be 50k words with 10 chapters". I just write until it feels done; sometimes that's 2k words, sometimes it's almost 200k words. The point I'm trying to make, here, is that we're all just fucking around having fun, and words flow easier when I'm remembering that and not stressing about being done or trying to finish for a self-imposed deadline. You've got it :)

Feel free to write in my little world! Would love to see what others are thinking about, what stuck with them. Just give me (and orsumfenix, if you use Number) a shoutout if you share it! And don't sell yourself short - I'm sure you've got great ideas and the chops to write them out. Don't compare yourself to me; you might write in a world I helped shape, but you've got your own voice and style to give it. I, for one (if you end up writing and sharing it), would love to hear your version of it all :)

[mrs-monaghan]

Hey shaz,

I definitely think that Jikook will be loud af when they get back from MS, or as loud as they can be. Major things will start adding up and making sense in our usual subtle (ISH) breadcrumb way.

But I suspect it'll be a new chapter for BTS, as a whole, on the relationship front. The boys are extremely successful, only getting older, and I think a lot of chapter 2 was them prepping the fandom to see them maturely as well. It's highly likely some of the guys are starting to think long-term both career-wise and family-wise (they're pretty young actually but the idol life moves FAST)

With how famous they are, though, (idols in general), it's so risky to make relationships public unless you're really serious. Read somewhere that they're pushed to keep things secret as much as possible unless it's like a marriage announcement? I'm curious, how do you think the guys will handle this? Cause they're known to break stereotypes and in a way, they could be tired of the airtight romance lock..they're not exactly teenagers sneaking around anymore

Take Taennie (or just Tae with any partner), all this time they had their reasons for keeping it on the down-low, and I suspect partially with the engagement shipping brings in for the company. But I feel like everyone's in new phase of their lives now, so idk if those reasons would still apply to push ships in 2025+ content.

Would love to hear what you think and if you guys know how older K-pop groups handled marriages and transitioning from that ''teenage/young adult, flirty image"?

I honestly believe BTS will be the ones to pave the way when it comes to normalising Idols having rlships. They start everything and others follow. I mean, watch other groups start enlisting together. Boracity did a video about how BTS paved the way

And then also these 2 videos about things BTS started and others followed.

So I can picture the dating thing going on this list. They've never been into fanservice much anyway to begin with and like u said, 2022 & 2023 was them reminding us they are adults. So high chances are when they come back they might be done pretending they don't use their private parts.

V was the first ever idol to somewhat publicly out his rlship. Yes, he later backtracked 🙄😒 but still, he will go down in History for having had the guts to do it in the first place. But damn this man has some shitty fans. Have y'all seen the reactions since the fri(end)s teaser came out? He may have the most fans out of all 7 but they are just horrible. Absolutely horrible. Jimin had so much support when he had a woman in his MV... Heck I don't even remember anyone giving JK shit for his female features but V.... gosh. Do these people even care about him?

Anyway. I digress.

Back to your question. I am not really a Kpop fan, just a BTS fan. So the only person I know is Taeyung. When we first found out Jimin was gonna do a song with him, people were calling him problematic. Turns out his only crime was getting married. That's literally his biggest scandal. Fucking SK, man. 🤦🏽‍♀️

This thing of idols treating fans as their girlfriends is super problematic. I imagine BTS realised that and stopped doing it the older they got. You bring up a good point; It's not just Jikook who will change when they get back, the other members too. Jikook will stop hiding, sure. But... I wonder which other members will do the same. Whatever the case, I'm all strapped in and ready for the ride.

[azrielsshadows42]

A Court of Scales and Fire IV

Eris Vanserra x Female oc

A/n: about half way through, I realised that I was describing the town house, not the house of wind, I don't know if this is just me, but I struggle to keep track of what is in which house, so if I mention something being in the house of wind that is supposed to be in the townhouse/lake house or vice versa, I'm sorry, but, just go with it.

Warnings: Swearing, nudity (but not sex and not in detail), mentions of injury, suggestive, snake venom? is that a trigger, idk

Word Count: 4.3k

Both = Mind speak

Bold = Ancient Language

Italics = Thoughts

Chapter 3 Character Moodboards

---Y/n's Pov---

We walked down the passageway, passing a few rooms, pictures hung on the wall. I appreciated the silence; it gave me space to think. My explanation of what that power surge could've been was believable, but to track these people down, I would need Everest. However, I'm not exactly sure how they will react to dragons not being entirely extinct, and I'm guessing if they're not a fan of that little tid bit, they'll like the fact that I've brought one to the Night Court even less.

It didn't take long before we stopped in front of a doorway, even from the smallest glimpse I could see the room was massive, it was open to the outside, the bed could comfortably fit three people and if I had to guess, I'd say the sheets were made of silk. A giant pool of a bathtub was carved into the ground, just like this entire place was carved from the mountain. The water was crystal clear, revealing a mural of the night sky on the tiled flooring, moonlight reflected on the surface, steam rising, yet the mirrors retained the rooms unobscured image.

I was so absorbed in the beauty of it all, I almost flinched when Mor spoke, not expecting the sound. "For the record, I believe you" I didn't really know what to say to that, thanking her would have just been awkward, so I chose to give her a small appreciative nod instead. Before I entered the room, she grabbed my arm firmly "Though I must warn you, if you are lying, if you turn out to be a threat to my family, to my court, then know you are fighting an uphill battle, and it won't end well for you" Well I don't love being threatened, I could respect it, I would and have done worse to protect my family, I'm not about to hold this against her.

"As someone who works in politics, I think you can understand that I might not be able to be fully truthful at all times, but I can promise you that I mean no harm, once my mission is complete, I'll return home, that's all I want" She regarded me for a few moments, eyes traveling up and down my armoured form. "Then we'll get along just fine" A genuine smile spread across her face, and I mirrored it, she seemed like someone I would want on my side, and her display of loyalty earlier just added to the list of reasons I liked her.

She turned to leave, her dress flaring out at the bottom with her movement, her hips swaying as she strutted away, but she stopped and angled her body to face me once again. "Oh, one more thing" I inclined my head to show I was listening. "Training is at six, on the roof if you're interested"

"Noted, hey, uh, goodnight, Mor, and, thanks for, you know... giving me a chance and not just, assuming I'm trying to plan some, invasion, or some shit, I don't know" Mor laughed, head tilting back slightly "Sure, no problem, good night"

"Night" I was then left to my own devices, my first instinct was to make sure there were no traps, but the exhaustion of everything finally hit. My muscles ached, eyelids heavy, I could feel the dirt and sweat that lingered on my skin, so the first thing I did was peel off my armour and clothes, then slipped into the water. I immediately felt soothed once submerged, heat seeping into my very bones, I had not been able to relax like this in a long time. Unfortunately, even with all the bath salts and scented candles in the world, there was always this nagging feeling that, it wasn't home, though I'm not sure that meant anything when home, didn't feel like home. It never had.

I reached out with my mind, feeling for that connection to Everest. Hey, Ev, you out there? There was a moment of quiet before I heard small wing beats getting nearer, the next second, Everest soared into view, looping in the air and diving straight into the water. She rose to the surface and paddled toward me, water sloshing around her tail and claws. She had shrunk herself down to about the size of a large barn owl for stealth and looked very pleased with herself, especially when she spread out her wings and just drifted on the surface. Enjoying yourself?

She lifted her leafy head to glare at me, her green orbs narrowing as she hissed her response. Hush, you are not the one who has been flying for hours on end, because your partner left to go play courtier. I winced at the reminder of how I'd had to leave Everest when coming here. I still think this is a bad idea, Y/n, we should just track them down and go, there is no need to drag this out. I reached for the soap and began scrubbing away at my skin. We'll be fine Everest, even if they can't help. Tell you what, if by the end of tomorrow, they haven't helped us get any closer than we are now, we'll leave, but there's no harm in staying the night.

Everest thinks about this, her tail lashing, showing her displeasure in the fact that I have a point. Alright, fine. She concedes We'll stay the night. She launches herself upwards, spinning vigorously to shake off all the water, droplets of it flying everywhere. This is a bath, not a shower. I told her scornfully. Well, I've made it a two in one, much more effective. My eyes rolled at her comment, but I got out of the water and prepared for bed while she curled up on one of the pillows.

There was sleep-wear in the closet, most of it black, which I suppose I should have expected, not that I had a problem with it, just an observation. Once I got into bed, I scanned the room again, after the initial awe, the effect dulls, at first it looked empty, spacious, but sitting inside of it now, it felt hollow, too much space for one person. It makes me think of my room back home, much smaller, one might even say cramped, but I would prefer cramped over hollow any day. I wonder how Ethari is doing, how preparing his peregryn girlfriend to meet me was going. Well, I wasn't sure if the new peregryn student was his girlfriend, it might be someone else It was definitely the peregryn female but I figured he'd be horrified if I not only knew he was dating someone, but who was the object of his affections as well, so I faked ignorance, for his sake. I closed my eyes and fell into a world of dreams.

---Elsewhere, Eris's Pov---

Everything hurt. My arms shook as I pushed myself up, the stale air clouding my lungs. My head was pounding, vision slightly blurred, I groaned as I forced myself to function, muscles screaming in protest. My neck was incredibly stiff, my back too, and my left leg wasn't fully awake yet, causing me to limp as I walked. I was still under the mountain, surrounded by darkness. I did not know how much time had passed since we cornered the witch. My hand reached up to the juncture between my neck and shoulder, gingerly caressing the sensitive skin. The bites of those snakes had healed, which meant there had been no faebane in their venom, though what on earth was in it to make me feel this way, I had no clue.

I just about managed to clear my head enough to winnow back home, I didn't make the full trip in one go, and I'm thankful for it to, because as soon as I landed, both legs buckled under my weight, and I collapsed onto my hands and knees. This is ridicules, I'm a High Lord, no one should be able to do this to me, much less some witch. I gritted my teeth and concentrated on winnowing directly to my chambers.

I was thrown onto my bedroom floor, panting, energy, both physical and magical, depleted. My head still felt like it was filled with fuzz, and I could barely keep my eyes open. A healer, I need a healer. I dragged myself up, breath shaky, I tried my very best to collect myself. Breathe in... Breathe out... Breathe in... Breathe out. I opened my eyes, a new determination ignited within me, no one would see anything I didn't want them to, nobody would see that I am weak.

No one.

I opened the doors, head held high, expression cold as I walked confidently to the healing bay, no stumble in my step to be found. No weakness. It is just my luck that Madoc spots me, and decides for whatever reason, that it's a good idea to strike up a conversation. "My Lord, you have returned" He hadn't done anything wrong, but his voice still grated on my nerves, I was not in the mood to talk to anybody, about anything. "Clearly" My answer was clipped, a subtle sign that I wished to be left alone. He did not take the hint.

"What happened, did you find the cause?" My jaw tensed; I was still sour about how that female managed to best me. I decided it was the brute's fault, if he hadn't been in the way, I would have succeeded. "It is Night's problem now" He considered this for a moment, and I thought he might do the smart thing and leave, apparently, I was wrong. "That does not answer my question"

"Do not test my patience Madoc! The female is Night's problem, leave it at that" I increased my pace to get away from further questioning. I went into the healing bay, got what I needed and went back to the room as quickly as possible without losing poise. I stood before the doors of the high lord's chambers, where I was supposed to move into when I ascended the throne, but hadn't been able to make myself do so. The arch loomed over me, just as it had for centuries, even if he was dead, in my head, it was still my father's room. The memories of him still haunted both my resting and waking hours, this place was drowning in his lingering presence, even now, I could not escape him.

I sighed, and turned back, heading for my old room, where I continued to reside, it was the one thing I'd let be seen, the one sign that all this affected me as well as my people, no one had said anything about it, out of fear or understanding, I did not know, but I was grateful all the same. The doors swung open on silent hinges, and my footsteps echoed around me, being the first-born son had its perks, I supposed, I did receive the largest room.

But it was almost, too large. My father's chamber-... my chambers were bigger than this, how someone could comfortably live in such a space was lost on me. Despite it being filled with my belongings, despite the fact that these four walls had been my sanctuary for decades, held secrets, and memories that has changed this court, it still didn't feel like home. I had always thought it was because of Beron, that I would never truly feel safe, and therefore never truly feel at home as long as he lived but... he's gone. Yet everything was still so dull, a house, but not a home, I'm beginning to think it never will be.

I washed off the dirt and grime I'd collected from being underground, changing into nothing but a pair of boxers. Anything more was too hot. My eyes closed, and I fell into a fitful sleep, as my dreams of an indiscernible winged female returned for the third night in a row.

---The Next Morning--- ---Cassian's Pov---

I was awoken by light streaming in through the curtains, Nesta was beside me, sleeping peacefully, face relaxed. Cauldrons she's so beautiful, I just want to wrap her up in my wings all morning with my cock buried in-

No, no no no no, not getting hard before training

I force myself out of bed, trying to be as quiet and unobstructive as possible, though neither of those have ever really been my strong suit, and with Nesta being such a light sleeper, waking her up was inevitable. She glared at me over her shoulder with those steely blue eyes that I loved. I smiled apologetically at her while shrugging, she just huffed, muttering 'Illyrian brute' and went back to sleep.

"You have to wake up for training soon too, Nes" She grumbled, pulled the covers over her messy hair, ignoring me. Two could play at this game. I couldn't help the shit eating grin that climbed onto my face, as I grabbed the covers gently, then in one swift movement, yanked the entire duvet right off the bed. Nesta yelped, wide awake now, and gave me the middle finger. I walked closer, crawling onto the bed and then took her wrist in my hand. I kissed her finger, saying "Love you too" then got off, so I could change into my leathers.

I walked into the dining room, pausing as I saw Mor already there, Azriel was sitting at the table as well, but that was normal. Mor being here, especially this early, was unheard of. "What are you doing here?"

"Good morning to you to, Cassian, yeah, I'm doing good, thanks so much for asking" The fake enthusiasm in her voice was thick, and I chuckled a bit at her dramatics. "I'm so sorry, how very rude of me" my sarcasm matching hers.

"Much better, now to answer your question, I'm here to check on Y/n, I invited her to join training" Despite the cool demeaner she held, I could see the slight anxiousness in her body language, it seems that Mor is just as interested in Y/n as I am.

"I haven't seen her this morning; she could still be sleeping" Mor was already shaking her head before I finished my sentence. "She's not, I checked her room" Maybe I was mistaken in reading Mor as anxious, maybe she was worried, worried because we didn't know Y/n very well, even though we both felt like we could trust her, she could still be lying.

"I'm sure everything's fine" it was at that moment that Nesta decided to enter the room, she strutted past me and sat down, breakfast appearing in front of her. I knew she wasn't trying to distract me but damn, her ass looked good in those leathers. I sat down beside her, eating the large breakfast the house provided. Once we had all finished, we started making our way to the training grounds, we were early, so I didn't expect anyone to be there, but as we got closer, I could hear movement.

We all stopped looking to one another, then simultaneously looked to Az for answers. Some shadows dispatched from his shoulders, slithering across the floor towards the noise. "Looks like our guest has beat us there" and he walks forward, going past us without saying anything else.

We all followed after, seeing that Y/n had indeed beat us there, and from the looks of it, she'd been here for a while. She was breathing slightly more heavy than normal, not quiet panting, but you could tell that she'd been exerting herself, her hair, now neatly braided back, though not in the up do it had been in when he'd first met her, had a few fly-aways. Y/n's armour, though clearly dulled from years of use, still had a certain shine to it, while her twin blades gleamed in the sunlight, sharpened to perfection.

She was busy fighting an imaginary assailant, she was light on her feet, her blades cut through the air silently, and though she wasn't actually fighting anyone, I could tell that her strikes were aimed at places to injure and immobilise, but not kill. It was obvious that Y/n was highly skilled, though I had known that ever since she was able to hold off against me Under the mountain.

It was only after she had performed a particularly tricky move; an aerial round-house kick, which required her to rotate her body enough to put us in her peripheral vision, that she finally noticed we were spectating. Y/n turned to face us fully and smiled. "Good morning, hope you don't mind I started without you, I woke up early and couldn't fall asleep again"

"No worries" Mor said casually "Just so you know, the others will be arriving soonish" Y/n looked at her puzzled "Others?"

It was Nesta who answered her, explaining how this was where other females, known as the Valkyries, trained. Y/n just nodded in understanding, "So, is there anything specific you guys do, or do you just do your own thing together?"

"Usually, Az and I lead the training, but well we're waiting for them, I'd like to see more of what you can do." I walked over to her, hoping it didn't seem like I was doing this to see if I could take her down if she did turn on us. I was just genuinely curious, and I really wanted to know if there was a practical aspect to how the blades were designed, or if it was just meant to be pretty, because with the way the metal overlapped, I was certain there had to be a moving part somewhere.

"Sure, why not? Lead the way" All of a sudden, Rhys appeared above the wards and glided down to the ring we had just entered, sand blowing up with the wind created from his wing beats. "I hope you don't mind if I watch?" He said it with his gaze on me, but I didn't miss how they quickly flickered to Y/n. He doesn't trust her. Which was understandable, given the circumstances, but it bothered me that he felt he had to come in person, as if we can't handle ourselves.

I didn't comment on it though, just turned to Y/n, silently asking her with my eyes if she was fine with it. She made a motion to signal she didn't mind, so we both unsheathed our weapons, got into fighting stances, and let the battle commence.

---After Sparring--- (I'm too lazy to actually write it, sorry)

Both of us were panting heavily, perspiration covered our faces and saturated our clothes as we sat down and drank some water. We were pretty evenly matched, she didn't have as much fighting skill as me, but she was faster, lighter on her feet, and with her smaller frame, it was easier to manoeuvre in tight spaces, which led to a long sparring session that we had to call a tie because people were arriving, and I needed to teach.

I got up to start with the lessons but couldn't help asking if Y/n was going to join. She looked to be considering it for a second or two but then responded with "I think I'm alright, I've already been training for about 3 hours, so I'm done for now, I'll just watch"

"3 hours already? You weren't kidding when you said you got up early" her lips tugged up into a smile, but it looked more like a grimace than anything else. "Yeah, I struggle to sleep in new places, which, considering what I do for a living, really sucks, but it is what it is, I guess" I gave her a half-smile, in reassurance, understanding, or both, I wasn't sure, any worked.

----

Sometime during one of the water breaks, Y/n was introduced to Gwyn and Emerie. Nesta seemed to keep her distance, but she wasn't outright hostile, and when it comes to Nesta, that's all you can really ask for. Y/n rejoined the training rings a little further into the lesson, and she participated in the mind stilling, though I could tell she was not really getting it, but she'll have time to get the hang of it.

Rhysand had left a little after training started leaving Y/n to just sit and watch peacefully as she'd said she would. Mor to, had left, but she had gone during the sparring session they shared that morning for some emissary work, though not without a quick 'Kick his ass for me' left her lips.

I sat next to her on one of the benches while the Valkyries-in-training filtered out, talking animatedly amongst each other. She seemed to be in deep thought, staring aimlessly North, toward Mount Ramiel. "And what are you thinking so deeply about?" She flinched slightly, clearly not expecting my voice. "Nothing, I... nothing"

This piqued my curiosity more than anything. "No, tell me, what's going on inside your head right now" She sighed heavily, and swallowed. "You're Illyrian" she started.

"Yeah? What about it?" Her hands ran along the length of her thighs as she breathed in, steeling herself. I wasn't sure what she could possibly want to ask that would make her act like this. "It's just that, to become a tracker, obviously there is physical training you need to do, both before and during, but that's only half of it. We also have to know the geographic configurations of all the continents, as well as what type of fae live there, a bit about their customs, what they find valuable in case you ever need to blend in or barter for information."

I waited patiently to see where she was going with this, nodding along to what she was explaining. "Studying the Night Court was particularly difficult because not a lot of information is known by outsiders and our tomes aren't exactly up to date, but even with those factors, we'd still learned of Illyrians; warrior people with giant bat-like wings who live in snowy mountains."

"Yeah, that's about right" Y/n opened and closed her mouth a couple times, as if wondering if she should continue with this train of thought. "Well, that's just it, that is all we know of Illyrians for sure, and it's always bothered me. If it's not over-stepping, I'd like you to tell me more about Illyrians"

My face lit up, despite everything that had been done to me because of them, their aversion to change and their firm set ways about bloodlines, I still loved the Illyrian people. Az never understood it, and Rhys was passive, but if Y/n wanted to learn about Illyrians, I was going to teach her in the best possible way I could.

"I can do you one better" The smile on my face was surely unusually big, and I could feel my wings flare out slightly. Y/n's face now held a hint of hesitation, but the curiosity was still there, and she motioned for me to continue.

"I can take you to Illyria" She blinked at me. For a moment she was quiet, I felt my heart sink. Maybe she's not that interested. Her lips tugged up on one side, her multi-coloured eyes shone brighter as she sat up a bit more to see if I was kidding. "Seriously? I thought they didn't let outsiders in."

"They typically don't, but it helps to be the general in these types of situations, I took Nesta there a few times too." A look of surprise crossed her face. "Though I must warn you, females... well, they aren't treated with the respect they deserve up there, so, don't be surprised if they're a little huffy around you" Y/n nodded in understanding. "Did all three of you attend Illyrian training? You, Rhysand and Azriel?"

I smiled, memories of back then presenting themselves, our time in the Illyrian steppes were by no means pleasant, but we had some good adventures. "It's where we met" her brow furrowed, "Even Rhysand, he's only half-illyrian, isn't he?"

"He is, but so is Azriel" Her eyes widened so much it was comical "Really? Could've fooled me." I roared with laughter, my shoulders shaking with the sound "I'll tell him you said that, he'll be highly displeased, he might even brood in your direction" Y/n chuckled "What does that mean?" I'm about to explain when Rhysand's claws scrape down my mental shields Eris is here My mood instantly sours and my jaw tenses.

"What's wrong?" She looks concerned, but also ready to fight, hands hovering over the hilts of her katanas. "Eris is in the House of Wind"

"Who?" I glance at her, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice, it's not her I have a problem with, after all. "Remember back under the mountain, there was another male with me, the one who attacked before we could even attempt communication?"

"You mean fire newt?" I think I short-circuited for a moment out of shock when she called him that. The absurdity of the name pausing my annoyance at his presence while I processed it. "I am so going to call him that"

"Focus. I thought you said he's not your friend"

"He's not" I immediately replied with, saying it so fast I almost interrupted her. "If you're not friends, then why is he here?" I sighed deeply; this shit was not exactly my forte "He is the High Lord of Autumn, we made a deal with him a little while ago, and now we have an alliance" That was explained terribly, but it will have to do.

"What does he want now?" My eyes shot toward where the 'discussion' would surely be taking place, as if I could see through the walls, right to where Eris was standing and glare at him to make sure he didn't try anything stupid.

"No idea"

Chapter 5

Tag List: @imma-too-many-fandoms , @rcarbo1

Comment to be added to the taglist

[soaps-mohawk]

me sliding into your asks as soon as i see they're open: HECKIN. YES.

(also i wrote this before the latest update if the vibes seem off)

I know you've been having A Time of it so no pressure to answer this (or if it bothers you! I hope you don't mind but if you do I apologize) 

But I was reading through the CRCB FAQs and you were talking about how a second omega would fit in the pack, with Simon as their "primary" alpha. I was thinking about what kind of omega would be interesting and able to keep up with them....and landed on: well, there have to be SOME omega rights activists, right? It seems like omega suffrage would be a fairly new thing (last 100 years or so), and that generally speaking omegas have the limited rights that American women had prior to women's lib/the advent of no fault divorce (and if you've already talked about this ahhhh don't mind me!)

And I just thought. That would be so delicious. An older omega rights activist (30s? older than reader!omega "Too old" by societal norms) , not super well known but pretty independent for an omega. and the US government can't just KILL them as much as they want to, (the FBI is like wym y not???:( so ooc for us ) so the CIA is like hey UK!!! heard about some omega shit you were doing. Need another one??? But don't look at that file too closely. Actually, you know what, just give the file back to us, you don't need it

Basically the exact opposite reason reader was chosen (military background, textbook good omega , genuinely trying their best to be a good omega vs civilian actively trying to cause a ruckus  who needs to be black bagged) and they know Ghost's reputation and his upbringing, on paper they see a man who will NOT take kindly to this mouthy omega, who will undoubtedly fight him on EVERYTHING, who will certainly hate the good omega the pack already has, so no one will be too concerned if Riley roughs them up a bit. if the omega dies during claiming wah wahhh so sad. but these things happen and now the Brits owe us a favor for killing a US citizen

Of course they don't take into account how much reader!omega has impacted the pack, who is already working on ways to make the new omega feel welcome and cared for, that Ghost would sooner kill himself than put himself in a position where he felt he was unsafe for (his) omega OR that Ghost would probably be really chuffed to have an omega that will stand toe to toe with him and who will be SO EXCITED at learning how to fight alphas. 

idk idk i just had fun thinking about it. reader!omega being very protective of New Packmate, doing things she wish had been done when she was first introduced to the pack (fluffy blanket shopping spree!!) lowkey being a wingman, baking brownies together, HAVING THEIR OWN GROUP CHAT ABOUT THE BOYS!! well i guess it's just a chat if there's only two in it but you get it

anyway thank you for sharing this wonderful world with us :)

(also: i was so scared about the new chapter bcos anxiety! i was worried the boys would just be harsh and angry for the dramatic tension but their reactions were believable and informed by what they've been learning about the realities of being an omega. and it was so well done, it made my heart hurt but the good way.)

Haha yeah, I was getting a ton and didn't want to overwhelm myself so I turned them off for a bit before Saturday since I knew I'd be getting many after I posted the chapter.

Ah yeah, that was an idea I had early on writing this fic. Something similar except Simon doesn't accept the first omega so Laswell sends in a second (the details and world are very different with a few similarities) for Simon and Johnny.

But this would be a good idea too!! Definitely would be some butting heads there and there would be a lot of struggles between them. Angst though. The angst would be chef's kiss

(Yeah, I tried to tone it down more from what it was originally going to be and honestly I made them nicer than they should have been, while also keeping it realistic still. John definitely was the most understanding because he understands why 'mega kept it a secret in the first place. I broke everyone's hearts this week. I can't promise I'm not gonna do it again next week)

[redrawthecolorlessworld]

[Rhymix] Main Story: Redrawing The Colorless World — Chapter 2: Invention

oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo AYE oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo ooooooooooo bischuktakeawefethouAYE (idk)

———

I remember the first time I made any sort of art.

It was...sort of bad—but at the same time, that's the charm point of it. I still have it with me after all of these years, and whenever I look back on it, I always find myself smiling. It just tells me that I've improved a lot, and also reminds me of how far I've come.

And to be honest, none of this is possible if it weren't for the fact that I kept on pushing through.

So now that the world is like this, I want to also keep pushing through for it.

That morning, I already showed up to Technicolour's place at 9 AM. He was...taken aback by how early I got there, to say the least, but it's not anything too out of the ordinary for him. It's certainly not as weird as that one time some weird madwoman decided to break into this world and try to become its new God.

We spent the entire day asking people around and researching about such a topic. It ended up being of no use; because by the end of the day, we didn't got anything noteworthy. There weren't any records of something like this ever happening before either, so that just made us even more confused.

Eventually, the next day, we traveled to Notalano. We asked the people there what happened during the long period of time their nation got their colors sucked out of it dry. They said it's a weird phenomenon that was caused by someone. We didn't get any further details than that because they're still investigating it.

Technicolour then took me to a friend of his' place. He said that his name is Stasis, and he's a pretty well-known inventor who has made a gigantic airship powered by Notalium once. He then said that airship initially was ill-fated, but after some repairs it works perfectly fine again.

The moment we stepped into Stasis' house, the guy in question stumbled out looking really messy. "Hey! Sorry about uh- all of this. Just working on something." He said, before sighing, turning his head away in shame. "It's really a hassle for such a simple device." Once I heard that come out of his mouth, I raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

Stasis then took the both of us to his basement—which he just calls his workplace, and it makes sense why he'd call it that. He apparently works there most of the time. I could tell from how messy the entire area is. Blueprints were scattered everywhere and stacked onto tables, a few shelves were covered in dust, and the main table where he'd usually do his work is really all over the place too. Has he ever even tried to clean it up?

"Sorry for not cleaning up! I'm not done with this stupid little shit yet." Stasis apologized, before glaring down at the object on his table emotionlessly. It's clear whatever he's working on gave him a headache in some way. Technicolour and I gazed down to the object in question.

It's...just a simple paintbrush?

"What...what are you gonna do with a literal paintbrush?" I asked nervously, pointing towards the paintbrush in question. Stasis chuckled. "Hah, it's another one of my big brain ideas to restore color to not only Notalano, but this entire world too~" He answered, giving me a playful wink. It's cute, to say the least.

...I really need to stop getting short-term crushes on random people I just met.

"What's so special about it, though?" I asked again. By this point, my curiosity just kept building up more and more. Meanwhile, Technicolour was merely frowning at the messy state of the workplace. "It's powered by Notalium, and basically if you just wave the brush around with the intent of giving the world color, then color you'll give to it!" Stasis explained to me energetically, before walking towards a different table in the distance and picking up a different paintbrush that looked similar to the one he was working on.

"I have a finished version of it for testing! Give it a try outside." Stasis offered, and I simply took the paintbrush and nodded. The cyan colored diamond on the paintbrush's handle captivated me in a way that I can't even describe. It just...resonated with me for some reason. Probably because I really like the color cyan.

———

...Nothing.

"Huh? What do you mean, "nothing"?" Stasis asked me, a confused look on his face as he just looked at me as if I was crazy. When I went to test out Stasis' special paintbrush invention, it didn't work at all. "Oh c'mon now, Colorless. I tested it myself the other day and it worked swell." He then said again, a frown on his face as he then gazed at the paintbrush.

"...Ah."

"What's wrong?"

"Maybe you just didn't have such an intention to redraw the colorless world in your heart when you were trying it out."

Hearing Stasis' statement, I raised an eyebrow...again. "What do you mean? I clearly did. It's the reason why I wanted to try it out to begin with." I told him, crossing my arms, giving him a tired look. Stasis chuckled again at that. "Haha! No, no. The feelings just- aren't finalized yet. My wanting to restore color to Notalano is already finalized enough."

He then puts a finger on my chest, as if playfully mocking me. "Yours haven't yet." He added, a smirk on his face. My face could only turn red at that, but he did have a point. Maybe it's just...not fully realized at the time. "Just- look, listen here; I'm gonna let you bring that home with you. Once you feel like you've fully realized your wantings, then try again."

Stasis then gave me a reassuring nod. "I'm sure it'll work. Just believe me." Hearing his words, I felt a little eased. I nodded, a smile on his face as I silently accepted his advice.

———

...And here I am now...

At a coffee shop...

With that one guy I bumped into the other day.

I accidentally encountered Convergence again during a rainy day. We had to take shelter at a bus stop and then just...had a casual talk.

At one point I made him laugh and smile, which is nice, to say the least. I feel proud of myself for being able to successfully do that.

Now here the two of us are, enjoying coffee brewed by Convergence's favorite coffee shop. I'm not usually a particular fan of coffee, but he got me to try it. Pretty good, honestly. "What were you doing outside alone, anyways?" I ask him, trying my best to start up another conversation after a few minutes of silence.

Convergence looks up from his coffee, before finally answering. "I wanted to go...somewhere. But then the rain poured and then things had to get rescheduled." He says, a visible frown on his face as he sips on his coffee again. I nod in understanding—a part of me wants to ask him further on it, but then I decide against it.

"For now you can stay with me." I say, before quickly adding, "Until the rain stops, that is. Hehe." Convergence nods, a small smile on his face as he looks at me again. It's nice to have some alone time with him like this. Alongside my stress of trying to piece together the strange mystery of the world's loss of color, I also couldn't get this stupid man out of my head.

He's just that pretty, honestly.

But still...

I can't shake off this uneasy feeling.