#if I for whatever reason can't wear it I just put it in my purse so it's with me

[glimblshanks]

.

[objectumnonsense]

robot oneshot, as requested VwV

The lab was dark, save for the dim neon light filtering in through the curtains and a singular work lamp in the corner of the room. Every few minutes, a train passed overhead, making the ceiling groan with the weight, but it was otherwise quiet. The lab's only two occupants sat without speaking, one in maintenance mode on a table and the other wearing thick, elbow-length rubber gloves and wielding a variety of delicate tools.

The Mechanic worked diligently and in near silence, save for softly humming a tune and occasionally blowing their hair out of their face while they worked on SN-0407-67. The only sounds coming from 67 were the hum of its fans and the occasional buzz of a wire being put in the wrong place, quickly corrected by the Mechanic.

After about half an hour, the Mechanic said, in a voice rough with disuse, "Exit maintenance mode," and a line of small lights blinked to life on the back of 67's neck. Its shutters flicked open and it turned its head right around to face the Mechanic.

"Is there a problem?" it buzzed.

"Well, I don't wanna catastrophize, but I'm lookin' through your lower back complex and I'm seein' some stuff that looks an awful lot like buzz bug eggs. Can you run a diagnostics check for me real quick?"

"Affirmative." In a blink of its shutters, it received data from all of its main systems and most of its secondary and tertiary programs and responded.

"Small loop errors in primary memory arrays. Minimal damage to recursive power wiring. Buzz bugs may be a possibility. Suggestion: analyze sample of offending material."

"Will do. Wanna go back to sleep?"

"Negative. We are almost done, correct?"

"If this don't turn out to be an infestation, yeah. What's got you so eager to leave?"

"Nothing. I simply do not enjoy being in maintenance mode for extended periods of time."

"Oh? Why's that?"

67 turned back around and allowed the Mechanic to pry open its back panel and delicately reach through its wiring with a pair of tweezers.

"I dislike being unaware of my surroundings for so long. It is against my purpose."

"It's necessary though, ain't it?"

"As is sleeping. But you are avoiding that now."

"Fair 'nuff."

The silence returned for a few minutes. The Mechanic extricated some pieces of material from 67's wiring and the gaps in their chassis while it sat perfectly still and nearly silent.

Abruptly, a small yellow light on their shoulder lit up and they said, "Your heart rate and breathing have increased."

"Huh?"

"Are you in distress? Is the infestation worse than you expected?"

"Oh, no, nothin' like that. If this is buzz bugs, we caught 'em real early. I could probably get all of this outta you before dawn."

"That is good."

They continued without speaking for a few moments more, the yellow light still turning on and off rhythmically, before 67 spoke up again.

"Your heart rate has not decreased."

"And I suppose I can't ask you to ignore that?"

"Negative. It is against my purpose."

"Right. First aid robot."

The Mechanic pursed their lips and tried to continue their work, but 67 kept talking.

"You hands are shaking slightly. Allow me to check your blood sugar content."

Before the Mechanic could respond, 67 had already completed the check.

"Blood sugar content within healthy range. Brain scan indicates higher than normal levels of oxytocin. Heart rate and breathing rate are increased, but have plateaued."

"Can't keep anythin' secret from you, huh?"

"Negative. You have poor control over your responses to emotion."

"Well, can't say I didn't try."

"Correct. You are still avoiding telling me the reason for your heightened emotional state."

"Would it hurt so bad to let this one go unmentioned?"

"A key to maintaining healthy relationships is communication between constituents. I am curious why you are acting differently."

"It's... complicated. It's a human thing."

"Mechanic, "human things" are my area of expertise. I will understand whatever you tell me."

"I just..." They sighed, but set their tweezers aside and brushed their fingers along a piece of 67's circuitry. "Can you feel this? When I'm workin' on you?"

"To an extent, yes."

"And does it... hurt?"

"Not unless something is damaged. It feels almost the same as when my exterior is touched."

"Almost?"

"There is a level of... trust involved. I trust that you will not break me, you trust that I will not close myself or shock you to injure you."

"When I do this..." the Mechanic traced the column of 67's spine with their index finger, "what is that like?"

"I fail to see why you are asking me again. Did I not just explain it?"

"I know, I know, just.. tell me what you feel me doin'."

"Alright."

A moment's pause.

"I feel you touching the outer shell of my spine. It holds much of my central processing power, which is why it's covered by thick metal plating. But I know you will not try to damage it."

"And now?"

"Now you're moving towards my power cell. It's a very powerful battery, and very fragile. But you will not damage it."

"Now?"

"You're reaching up through my chest cavity towards my transform arrays. This is where most of my proprioceptive senses are processed. It's also highly sensitive to touch. But you will not damage it."

The Mechanic let out a shaky sigh. The blinking yellow light on 67's shoulder began flashing more quickly. They noticed it was in time with their heartbeat.

"Your breathing and heart rate have increased steadily. Is there something you aren't telling me?"

They abruptly pulled their hand out of 67's back and stammered an apology.

"Sorry, I'm - sorry, that - that was kinda weird. I shouldn'ta -"

"It was not unpleasant."

Their words ground to a halt and they stared at the back of 67's head.

"You... motherfucker, you knew this whole time, didn't you?"

67 made a beep that sounded like a laugh.

"Negative. I only realized when I scanned you."

The Mechanic leaned their head against 67's shoulder with a clunk.

"And I couldn't get you to delete this whole interaction from your memories?"

"Negative."

The Mechanic sighed again and leaned back, rubbing their temples.

"Well, that's about it for your checkup anyways. We should probably get goin'."

"Mechanic, I would not refuse if you wanted to take this further."

The Mechanic froze. "Whuh?"

"I do not have the capacity to feel it the same way you do. But I understand it would be enjoyable for you. My purpose, after all, is to ease suffering."

"Wh - but - I - I'm not sufferin' about it, I just -"

"Mechanic."

67 rose and walked around the table, standing very close to the Mechanic and resting a careful hand on their hip. They swallowed thickly.

"We are the only ones in here. We have time."

The Mechanic let out a nervous, breathy chuckle. They raised a hand to 67's face plate and brushed their thumb along it.

"You're amazin', you know that? Just... incredible."

"I know," 67 replied, a playful lilt in its voice. "Tell me if you want me to stop at any point."

"Alright."

67 stepped even closer so that one of its legs was between both of the Mechanic's and they had to lean back against the table. One of their hands rested on 67's shoulder and the other settled on its hip.

67 hooked a thumb over the Mechanic's waistband and tugged down. Its other hand worked its way up their shirt and cupped their chest. It leaned its head down and bonked it gently on the top of theirs.

"Was that supposed to be a kiss?"

"Affirmative."

"You're such a dork."

67 hummed. Its movements remained smooth and steady, but the Mechanic distinctly heard its cooling fans pick up when it tugged their underwear aside.

"Could it be you're enjoyin' this too, 67?" they purred, lifting the hand that was on its shoulder to the back of its head, where they brushed over some of the exposed wires there. Its lower shutter twitched upwards.

"You do look... very nice. Under me like this."

"Mmm. Kinky." They spread their legs further and gasped when 67's searching hands found their bare skin.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah. It's just been a while. Go slow."

"Understood."

Gently, 67 started working its hand, and the Mechanic let out a quiet groan. They rolled their hips into 67's touch, grip tightening on its neck and making its shutter twitch again.

"Is - fuck - is that hurtin' you?" they asked.

"Negative."

"Want me to - to stop?"

"Nnegative."

At the stalling of 67's voice, the Mechanic raised an eyebrow. "Is it gettin' you off or s-something?

"N N N N - Unsure. My proproprocessor has encountered an error."

Experimentally, the Mechanic chose a wire and tugged on it - not enough to break it, but with enough force to pull it partially out of line. 67 jolted forward, making a buzzing sound the Mechanic had never heard before, and its hand dug harshly into their flesh, making them gasp.

"Arrre you alright?" it asked, stopping all motion. The Mechanic whined and pushed against its hand.

"Don't stop," they pleaded.

"One moment. I nnneed to check -"

The Mechanic tugged on the same wire again, creating the same reaction, and sighed with satisfaction.

"Memememechanic," 67 scolded, though the effect was somewhat lost due to the skipping in its voice.

"Keep goin'. I didn't tell you to stop."

"Make me."

The defiance caught the Mechanic off guard, but only for a moment. They glared up at 67.

"Y'know, you're real disobedient for a robot," they growled, finding a different wire and wrapping it around their finger. 67's shutters closed completely this time, its entire body jerking randomly for a moment before the Mechanic let the wire go again. "I thought you were s'posed to follow directions?"

"Youyouyou haven't said the magic word yet," 67 replied, though their hand had begun to move again.

"Make me cum, 67. That's an order."

"Affirmativvve."

The Mechanic cried out at the dizzying pace 67 suddenly set, hips rocking helplessly into its touch. Its name flowed from their lips like a hymn. 67 bore down on them, chest pressed to theirs, free hand supporting their back so they didn't fall.

"Yesyesyesyes, just like that, yes -!"

With a drawn-out moan, the Mechanic came hard, slumping back so that 67 had to adjust its hold on them, completely at its mercy as it kept up the harsh pace of its hand. It slowed to a stop the moment the feeling became too much and their groans of pleasure turned into whimpers.

The pair stayed like that for a moment, the Mechanic struggling to catch their breath and clinging to 67, whose fans were still going at top speed. It stared adoringly down at them, privately recording a short clip to replay later.

"Holy shit," the Mechanic finally breathed, pushing themself upward off of 67's arm. "That was... wow."

"I trust you enjoyed yourself?"

"Yeah. Jesus Christ. Are you... can I - is there anythin' I can do for you?"

"Negative. No part of me can experience anything close to sexual arousal, but I appreciate the consideration."

"So, just outta curiosity, what were the wires doin' to ya?"

That gave 67 pause.

"I'm... unsure. It's not a sensation I've ever felt before."

"Was it bad?"

"Negative. It was... novel. I'm not sure what to make of it."

"So what... would it be okay if I did it again?"

Another pause.

"...Affirmative. Please be careful."

"You know careful's my middle name."

The Mechanic lifted both of their hands and rested them on 67's neck. One slid its fingers over the exposed wires, still slightly out of place, making 67 beep and twitch.

"Why don't you try tellin' me what you feel?" they purred, finding a wire and winding it around their finger. 67 took a moment to respond, its voicebox making nonsense sounds before it could gather it to something intelligible.

"I I I I feel... dizzzzy? I think that wiwiwire has a role in proprioceptive data transfer. It's hard to to to to rrrecall at the moment."

"Mmm. And what about now?" the Mechanic asked, parting the wires and reaching deeper into 67's neck. They felt their finger make contact with cool metal, and 67 made a long, low tone until they lifted it.

"My my my my my centrrrral spinal casinnnnng. It's very sensensensitive to touch, which is is is why it's underrrrneath everything ellllse."

"You're startin' to sound pretty rough, 67."

"Hard to to to prrrocess speech at the momoment. Unsure how to parrrrse sensory dadadadata."

"Still don't want me to stop?"

"Affirrrmative. Want you you you touch furrrrther in me."

"Fuck, that's hot."

The Mechanic moved upward this time, under the plating on the back of 67's head with a muttered "keep your head down." 67's head briefly dropped limply downward, chin hitting its chest with a dull thunk, before the Mechanic hastily removed their hand and it looked back up at them.

"Why did you you stop?"

"That wasn't bad?"

"Negative. Want morrre."

"Oh, I see how it is." They resumed their probing, 67's head falling again, its voice struggling to express exactly what it was feeling.

"Hannnds in my in me touch ch ch ch mind feel I feel your hands," it managed, and the Mechanic bit their lip, looking up at it with adoration in their eyes.

"God, you sound fuckin' wrecked. I wish I knew I could do this to you sooner," they confessed. 67's optic flickered.

"Want want hands want touch morrre so so so much so want want want wannnnnnt -"

Abruptly, its voice dropped so low it was almost a buzz, its optic blinking out, hands in a vise grip on the Mechanic's hips while the lights on its body turned off all at once. Its fans continued on high for a moment more before they lowered to a more normal level and a noise like a dial-up played.

"Shit."

The Mechanic waited nervously while 67 rebooted, slowly releasing their hips before its optic blinked back to life, immediately zeroing in on them.

"Are you okay? Did I touch something I shouldn't've?"

"Negative. I am still processing. Please give me a moment."

After a second or two, 67 spoke again.

"Last sensation recorded before shutdown: foreign object inside cranial casing. Pressure applied to central tactile nerve. Systems overwhelmed." It blinked. "No memory lost. I am in no pain."

"So that tactile nerve thing -"

"I felt... everything. It's hard to explain."

"I think I get it. Don't worry."

"It was... good. I felt good. I would like to do this again sometime."

"Is right now a good sometime? 'Cause that was fuckin' hot."

67's optic widened slightly, disbelief creeping into its voice.

"Causing a temporary shutdown... made you aroused again?"

"It was more like making you get there. But yeah."

"Interesting. In that case..."

67 opened the maintenance panel on its chest, exposing a crisscrossing maze of wires and circuits to the Mechanic, who practically drooled.

"Help yourself to me."

[weebsinstash]

Imagine just fckn tasering Valentino because he tries to touch you.

Like look at when he died! He's an old fuck! He's not gonna expect the small taser on the key chain to keep the pervs away.

Taser Valentino.

The future is now, old man!

You know this actually got me thinking about a different idea. Could you imagine being so terrified from his increasingly intense behavior that you get yourself a taser to carry around, and eventually you're grabbed by him and you're going to taser Valentino and, with a taser, you have to go for kind of a weak point, there are prongs that have to make contact, so you go for his neck since everywhere else is like, his coat

...but his neck fur is way too thick and the taser just gets caught and maybe even causes a spark on his fur and CATCHES IT ABLAZE

You're being shoved away while he's like FREAKING OUT, SHOUTING SCREAMING HOLLERING, trying to put it out, little embers become a flame, shit shit shit shit he never knew he was so FLAMMABLE--

It gets put out maybe even by someone DUMPING WATER ON HIM and now he's soaking wet, clothes ruined, missing a LARGE, VISIBLY LARGE portion of fur on one side of his neck and the fur around it is singed and damaged. now he's BEYOND FURIOUS because from HIS perspective, he was just, swiping you up to give you a little kiss, maybe slip some tongue in there, maybe bite your neck and shoulders a little, and you respond to his generous flirting and complimenting of you by ASSAULTING HIM, ruining his beautiful snow white fur like DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HARD IT IS TO KEEP THIS CLEAN--

You'd be getting such an awful punishment. A prolonged punishment really, besides a potential paddling (because i feel like yandere valentino goes for sexually painful punishments instead of beatings since um, that's a little hardcore for me, although i do think he'd still slap you in the face). He might make you do extra hard work for WEEKS, or he might get drunk and furious and even do something to YOUR hair. Furious coked up Valentino just appearing out of nowhere when your guard is down, grabbing you by your hair and you suddenly hear the ZZZZZZZ of ELECTRIC CLIPPERS and he's shaving your fucking head and POORLY and then afterwards when he's sobered up and calmed down he'll laugh at how ugly you look (and then force you to wear some kind of wig because 1 you're kinda uggo now and 2 MAYBE JUST MAYBE he doesn't like looking at the reminder he hurt you and you're upset with him

Like I'm sorry I think he'd really have to put in some fucking work to earn any affection back if he touched my fucking hair let alone left me partially or fully BALD like. Reader finally quits and runs away and now Val has to chase you down and uses you running away as a reason for further punishment, or he love bombs you and apologizes instead, makes you lower your guard so he can hurt you all over again

Separate idea. Can you imagine you're doing your whole "no one understands how you work for him without fucking him or being a sex worker" thing, and you're like, riding home or to work or somewhere with him and his other employees, and you're fishing things out of your purse or your bag or your pockets or whatever, and Valentino sees you briefly set aside a self defense weapon like a switchblade or a taser and he has a really immediate negative reaction about it, like "why the fuck are you carrying that around? You better not be having that on you at my clubs or in my fucking studio!" And he can immediately tell by your expression that you do, and maybe he even DEMANDS you hand it over, and Angel sitting beside him gets This LOOK on his face as he realizes that, Val doesn't want you to have something on you to defend yourself from HIM

You just look scared and confused and can't understand why Valentino's so angry and he plays it off as you're going to ruin his image if you're causing fights and acting wild, that he'll fire you and throw you out on the streets, meanwhile Angel knows his boss is still feeling paranoid after that one stripper Candy pulled a knife on him during sex after he threatened to make her do a donkey show last week (and also did you guys know that term is literal 💀💀💀 I thought it was horseplay bdsm 😅 Valentino literally canonically threatened Angel with making him film zoo porn and now I'm just wondering if he films EVERY kink genre because some of that gets.... reeeeeeal messed up....)

[deliriousdesserts]

Empty Wallet [Pt.1] // Boothill x F!Mechanic!Reader

Summary:

After tending to a certain cyborg cowboy's screwed up Synesthesia Beacon, you find yourself faced with a dreadful situation you've only found in your nightmares: Your client has not a bill nor a single coin in their pockets. However, they make an offer that you can't find yourself refusing. Or: Boothill can't pay up for your maintenance on him so he puts sex on the table. Like you've got endless money to pay rent with, you take the offer like a dolt.

"Oh darlin'.." 

Salaciousness was never your defining characteristic. Sure, you can get down and dirty when it was appropriate or even when it wasn't entirely necessary. Though you draw a clear, bold line at workplace seductions: those ladies and gents who purse their glossy lips when they open up their weightless wallet may think they're so slick but you've heard it all before. You've been warned a fair deal by your bosses as well which brings up a concerning idea that Penacony folk are entrenched in stereotypes. 

The idea of mechanics who wear mini shorts and a suffocatingly tight shirt bending over as they do their arduous work of looking sexy; you could honestly roll your eyes at it. 

Staring at you intently now was a man, mostly built of the most robust metal you've seen, who had earlier tasked you with fixing his Synesthesia Beacon.

It was forever night in the Golden Hour but you did have a set time to check out of the workshop. Around that time, you got a call from your superior that your coworker had a medical emergency so they couldn't take over the next long shift. After much begging and pleading from both sides of the phone, she got your shift reduced to two hours, after which it would ready to be taken over by a different coworker, and you got a extra bit of cash. However, it was quiet so most of the first hour consisted of you doing random stuff around the workshop. Obviously not cleaning, your bosses paid you extra just to be here, nothing else. Just a bit of organizing your stuff.

In the midst of that, a peculiar man had walked right in. Peculiar for the way he swung words out of his mouth with the intention of cussing.. but "cutie" and "baby" were rather odd choices. When you finally got to him, his predicament was made clear. A malfunctioning Synesthesia Beacon. Though, when you were fixing it up, you realized that he blatantly lied to you. This thing was definitely tinkered with, no ordinary little accident could've screwed up with the settings so.. specifically.

Whatever, the reason wasn't your issue. Your focus was entirely on making sure they were set back to their default settings.

And maybe on his body. It's not your first time seeing someone made of metal. However, Intellitrons are vastly different from cyborgs, for they are not part man part inorganic material. So you're curious as one would be.. because that's the only thing that piques your interest in this man. Nothing from his mischievously sharp grin nor his vocal twang captures your attention. 

Well, if that were the case then..

"Apologies, 'fraid I didn't fill up my pockets before I came over 'ere. How 'bout I make you a deal, little lady? I know I haven't proved myself to stuff my wallet full but I'm mighty good at filling up other things."

..Why are you seriously considering his ridiculous request?

"You're going to have to get specific," you say, finding yourself playing into his clearly obvious trade.

"I'm sayin' I can offer up a good time as collateral, hun." He flashes his teeth in a shit-eating smile, something that spells danger for the heat that's starting to swirl in your abdomen. 

You stay silent for a hot minute, something that clearly starts to piss him off after a while. Daring to stare up into his eyes may or may not have been a mistake. You've never seen such strange eyes, something you attribute to him being a cyborg. Black with a white ring and a red dot you would call a pupil if it didn't remind you so much of a sniper dot. Alluding to that was the ammo earring that hung a little heavy on his ear.

Wow, he really came straight out of a black and white cowboy film just to get your work ethics in a twist, huh?

"Silence ain't somethin' I can take as an answer, little lady," he grumbles, placing his hands on his waist like he'd grown so very impatient with you. Like you'd taken your sweet ass time with a silly little question akin to what your favourite colour was.

Then, an idea clicks in your head clear as day.  -!- hi hi!! the rest of this fic is on ao3 as there's a really short character limit on tumblr and i can't split this fic into 5 parts in good conscience <3

[axailslink]

Hey! OMG you changed your layout thats so cool! I wanted to request a Shuri x Fem!reader where they go to a store to do something mundane but it’s so cute and fluff? I’ve seen so much toxic Shuri…I just want to see something where they have a healthy cute relationship.if it’s possible? I hope you have a nice day

My wife

Shuri x poc FEM reader

Summary: Just you and Shuri goofing off in the local Walmart with a kid.

A/n: thank you for your request love hopefully it's to your liking.

Shuri grabs her keys and waits for you "we're going to the store why do you need to get dressed?" You look her up and down "the real question is why are you not getting dressed? I'm not going to get eyed or judged by someone's auntie because I'm showing a little too much skin." Shuri laughs as you pull your dress over your legs and make sure it stops to a reasonable mid thigh. You look at her in her tank and she agrees going to grab a hoodie.

You both arrive at the store all you need are a few groceries but you both know the basket will be full before you leave. You're quick to grab a basket and Shuri raises her brow "we only need a few things" you nod "the baskets for me" you carefully climb in and Shuri just watches you her very grown wife climb into a Walmart basket in front of everyone Shuri carefully covers your behind as your dress raises ever so slightly. When you sit down you smile at her but she just shakes her head "you're a big fucking kid" you shrug your shoulders because it's true and you're not ashamed of it. "You knew this when you met me" you slouch down into the basket as Shuri pushes you around picking up the items you both need like toilet paper and feminine products. When you make it the feminine isle you see Shuri eyeing an opened douche confusedly you pick it up and she jumps "put that back we don't where that's been" "it hasn't been used they probably just looked at it" Shuri grabs a broom from the other isle and knockes it out of your hands causing you to look at her and roll your eyes. "Now pick it up" she looks at you and shakes her head "I'm not touching that I don't know where it's been" she tries to pick it up with the broom and you just watch her overly dramatic scream and jump when it almost touches her. You're tempted to leave the basket and help but it's kind of funny watching her struggle and freak. This is the same woman who wears the black panther suit?

You start recording using your kimoyo beads your snickering turns her attention to you though and she grabs your wrist "delete that" you shake your head and snatch your wrist "absolutely not I'm going to show mother how much of a germophobe she made." Shuri shakes her head as you end the recording "if you had to see how dirty things were constantly in a lab you'd be weary of what you touch too." "Nah you're just scared of a little douche juice." A child walks past and Shuri gets his attention he immediately smiles at Shuri "Queen Shuri" a smile runs quick to your face something about shuri with children has always made you smile she's good with them. Sometimes. "You want to do me a favor little man?" He nods "pick that up and put it right there" he does as told and Shuri smiles at him "where's your mama?" He smiles "over here." He tries to grab Shuri's arm but she grabs his wrist instead she seriously does not like unsanitary things. That includes children with grabby hands he leads her to the isle next to you both and she smiles at the woman. Shuri hooks her hand into the basket pulling you along. "Could I buy him something? He did me a favor." The woman is quick to respond "yes absolutely" Shuri smiles "I'll bring him back to you" Shuri all but tosses the kid onto your lap "you're queen Y/n" he smiles up at you and you can't help but smile "yes and you are?" "My name is Teshawn" as you talk to the little kid Shuri opens your purse and covers her hands in sanitizer and the childs.

Teshawn rides with you both as you shop for the day he does whatever Shuri does. It's is kind of cute he's like a little mini Shuri she grabs a box of cereal he grabs a box of cereal she grabs tissue he grabs tissue. Shuri of course can't tell him no. She lets the basket fill up when you both finally reach the last item you climb out of the basket with Shuri's help and plant a soft kiss on her lips forgetting Teshawn's existence for a moment. As Shuri pecks your lips a few times she gently pulls your dress down over your thighs. Teshawn covers his eyes as you both pull away "mama says you two are in love is that true?" You turn your attention to him "I don't know if that's the right word there are many like enchanted, captivate-" "devoted to?" You nod at his question "how do you know that word?" He shrugs "I don't know."

You run off for one last item and Shuri waits keeping the little man entertained which isn't hard. When you come back holding fake flowers Shuri sighs "baby what do we need that for?" You shrug "so we can stop buying real flowers perhaps?" You drop Teshawn a flower and give one to Shuri who can't help but s.ack your bare legs with the plastic you immediately smack her back with yours hitting her in the neck Teshawn jumps out of the basket and hits Shuri with his own fake plant fighting her legs "don't hit my queen" Shuri watches as he tries to bite her "your queen? This is my wife" he shakes his head "nope she's my wife" Shuri gasps "how dare you? You just gone take my woman little man?" He nods "yep she likes me more anyways." You laugh at their little back and forth bickering which happens the whole way to checkout.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You of course return Teshawn to his mother and help her fill the car with the items he made Shuri buy which she wasn't so quick to take. "We don't need a handout" Shuri shakes her head "unless you're willing to refund everything for sure but I think you should have it." The woman thanks Shuri while you hug Teshawn he looks at Shuri and sticks his tongue out "my woman" Shuri can't help but laugh. "I'm so sorry" you both shake your heads "no problem at all" Shuri remarks.

As soon as you both get into the car Shuri looks at you "you do know that's why we're not having kids right? We went in for five things left with fifty and he thinks you're his woman." You laugh as Shuri shakes her head "what happened to no problem at all?" She laughs "I lied."

A/n: this was enjoyable to write hopefully it's as enjoyable to read.

[ultrone]

I haven't written anything in awhile and I'm busy 😔

but if you wanna write anything about or with these go ahead!! I'd love to read your take! Or whatever you decide to write for it

(YOU ASKED FOR THIS, I cut some of the darker(?) things drugs, drinking etc. But they are teens who we do know go to parties and act dumb 💀 (me fr))

Also she's a bit out of character...

1. * Perv/stalker Lottie who installed (VERY expensive) cameras in your house to watch you sleep, change, or just go about your day, who has a picture/screenshot of one of the recordings as her wallpaper, and listens to you sleep, or when you get yourself off she... follows. Like a dance, just your moans as music... And you don't know you have a partner, but that's fine for now...

(starting off with a bang)

2. * Stalker Lottie who refuses to sleep after a party unless your home and safe. if you come home with anyone, to sleep with or not, she would make that person's life hell, like one of those, "Do you know who my father is?" Kids. But she actually refuses to talk with or about her father. Just that thing rich kids do in the movies (she either follows you home, drives you home, or immediately goes home to watch her camaras)

3. * Stalker Lottie who has photos of you that she keeps with her at all times just to be like "😄Look at my girlfriend!" and if someone corrects her she's like "My girlfriend nonetheless. 😒" basically her exact reaction: 😄 - 😧 - 😐

4. * Stalker Lottie who wears outfits just to get your attention, even if it makes you feel bad checking her out, she will and does do the same to you, she just does NOT feel bad.

(once she actually starts talking with you↓)

5. * Stalker Lottie who will wake up earlier (IF she sleeps, girls an insomniac she sometimes just watches you) just to drive to your house and drive you to school, mostly on days you guys have practice, better excuse, but sometimes she just can't help it like on really cold days, or hot days! or a night after you've drank to much (she told you to drink more, for that exact reason). Honestly she will find any reason to pick you up.

6. • she will cuddle you, at a party, on the bench at practice, movie night with everyone, you cannot get her off of you. it's like a surgically attached teddy bear. Honestly you can't complain she's really warm, and soft, her lotion smells like rich girl Jasmine type stuff with a hint of lavender. Very earthy but also like a dream? Killer hidden by pretty smells and expensive outfits ❤️❤️

7. • if the movie night is ever at your house, your stuff WILL be gone. Sometimes random things other times whole outfits (considering how tall this woman is, it's always baggy stuff.). Which she will wear to school. Even if it's not something you'd be able to visibly see... and if you ever question how she got clothes that looks (is exactly) like what's missing (Even accessories) she just brushes it off saying something about a thrift store(TJ max 💀) and if you drink during the stay she will tell you drunk you gave it to her so you don't ask to many questions.

8. • has all your pictures from social media saved, even your pets, And she will make it her goal to pamper your pets and you. if you want a pet but can't get one she will have it at her house so you want to visit more.

Anyway I have like a lot of these cause I was bored🏃💨

— 🐞

omgggg 🫣 i loved them so much

1. this is so real, she’d put those thousands of dollars to good use 😌 she’d spend hundreds of them into the best surveillance just to look at you for her own amusement. she’d also install life360 on ur phone 😭

2. so true LMFAO if she drives u she’d wait until u’re inside your house and texted her to leave, and if u leave with someone else, she’d triple text you and them until she makes sure u’re home safe (she’d even ask for a selfie if u’re not that wasted 😭). she’d also check life360 and just stare at the little car moving until it gets to your house 😭

3. SHE’D KEEP THEM IN HER WALLET, PURSE, LOCKER, PHONE CASE, EVERYWHERE I JUST KNOW IT

4. she’d buy lots of very short skirts and crop tops just for you to look at her 🫣 she’d even gift you a bunch so she gets to stare at you as well

5. she fr just got her license to drive you cuz i’m 100% sure she has a chauffeur 😭 she wouldn’t even ask she’d just be like “see you at the parking lot.”

6. she’d definitely smell SO good 😭 and she’d have her hands on you at all times, even if it’s just subtly, but there’d always be a part of her body in contact with yours

7. the worst part about it is that u wouldn’t even question it cuz why would a rich girl steal ur stuff? LMFAOO (unless she’s obsessed with u, of course ☠️)

8. she’d be asking questions about your pets and u’d be like “how did you know?” and she’d be like “ohh, you told me about it like a week ago” (she actually found out cuz she stalks your mom’s facebook every other day)

[random-twst-and-oc-stuff]

Birthday Jacket Interview - Quinn

Today's date, April 4th, marked a special occasion. The birthday of a certain individual named Quinn. Said birthday fella was standing in Ramshackle's lounge, swinging back and forth on their heels with their hands in the pockets of the jacket given to them for this special occasion. The outfit was rather comfy, they had to admit. As for the lounge, it was decorated with streamers and balloons, a sign with the words HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! hanging on a rather large window. On the table were baked sweets, courtesy of the dorm's prefect who had currently left them alone.

"Ah, it's finally my birthday." They acknowledged with a smile before pursing their lips and rubbing their hand absentmindedly. "Hm. Nicole said that I'd get a birthday interview by one of the students here. I wonder who it's gonna be though."

"Happy birthday, Quinn!" As if on que, a certain bat fae popped up upside down infront of them with a friendly smile as if he wasn't trying to scare the living daylights out of them. Which he succeeded in doing.

"AHHH!!" With a startled screech, Quinn instinctively aimed their fist to punch him. Fortunately, Lilia's reflexes were fast and he was able to block their punch on time. Quickly realizing who it was, they pulled their hand back, putting it on their hip. "Lilia? You're the one who's gonna be interviewin' me?"

"Fufufu. Your reactions never fail to amuse me." He admitted with an amused chuckle. "Yes, I'm going to be the one interviewing you on your special day. But first..." He disappeared for a split second before appearing on the floor, handing them what appeared to be a jewelry box. "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't bring you a gift?"

Their expression turned into an interested one as they took the box from him. Curiosity taking the better of them, they opened the lid to see a small silver chain, a single bat shaped pendant attached to it, the black jewels it was filled with glistening in the light. Their emerald eyes widened in surprise, sparkling with amazement.

"I noticed that you sometimes wear a pair of bat earrings among other accessories you change daily and I thought it would be nice to give you something to go along with them. Seems like I was right on the money based on your reaction." Lilia explained, chuckling at their expression.

"Huh. Honestly, I ain't surprised you noticed that." Quinn admitted, chuckling. "Thanks though. I was actually savin' thaumarks on getting it, so your gesture is much appreciated." Then they walked to the table and put the box there before going back to the old fae.

"Oh, I'm glad I could be of help then. Even though it was unintentional." Lilia smiled, crossing his arms. "Now, are you ready to start the interview?"

They nodded rather eagerly. "Yessir! Bring me them questions!"

He chuckled at their excitement before asking the first question. "Alright. First question. If you could bring someone with you on a deserted island, who would it be? However, it can't be someone from your dorm."

"Deserted island, huh...?" They mumbled, fidgeting with the jacket's buttons thoughtfully, taking their sweet time to think of the answer. Good thing the bat fae was a patient individual. After a minute, they replied. "Hm... I'd probably bring you if I'm being honest."

"Oh?" He seemed intrigued by the answer, putting a hand on his chin as the other was tucked underneath his elbow. "And why is that?"

"Well, you just give me those vibes that you have great survival skills. And I trust you're gonna make sure neither of us fucks up. You can probably use your magic to teleport us back here, but if whatever reason you can't, maybe you didn't have your magestone or something and we know how dangerous that can be, I imagine Hornton sending a search party for us." Quinn explained, fidgeting with the bowtie on their outfit. Malleus, Lilia, Silver and Sebek were close like a family in Quinn's eyes. If there was one thing they learned, it was that family shouldn't turn their backs on each other.

"Hmm..." Lilia hummed in thought. "I'll admit those are some pretty valid points." He said before deciding to move on. "Anyway, next question. If you could transfer to any other dorm, which would it be?"

"An interesting question, I'll admit." They pursed their lips, their hand resting on their waist. "I'd say..." they trailed off, fingers tapping against their hip. "Probably Savanaclaw. And not only because their courtyard has enough space to let me practice my acrobatics without worrying about breaking anything. Except for my equipment or bones."

"Savanaclaw, huh? You answered that one faster than the last one." He noticed, chuckling. "Honestly, I can see you being in said dorm. You're quite the persistent individual and know how to put those territorial beastmen in their place."

"Damn right." Quinn replied in a sassy manner, nodding.

Lilia chuckled before his lips formed a mischievous smile. "Now, do you know what's coming?"

Luckily for Quinn, Nicole was considerate enough to tell them everything that was gonna go down in the interview. So, they were aware of what was coming after the questions. "The gift of good fortune?" They guessed, knowing they were right.

"Khee he he~ That's right!" He snickered as a paper plate with pink cream appeared in his hand. "Now, don't try to dodge or else your year is gonna be pretty unfortunate~" Lilia warned with a mischievous smirk and a playful glint in his wine red eyes before aiming to throw the cream at them.

While Quinn couldn't dodge, they could at least try to shield their face and hair. As Lilia threw the plate, they were quick to bring their arms up, making the cream stain the sleeves of the jacket, some of it managing to get on their chest.

[moodywyrm]

OKAY (chubby gf for all 🤭)

#1

going to the beach with sevvy!!! wearing a cute frilly pink bikini and a cute sunhat, only carrying your lil purse,, meanwhile sevika is the definition of tall dark and handsome, hair tied up with some scary sunglasses, wearing a black sports bra-esque top with black trunks. and ofc she wouldn’t let you do the heavy lifting because you never have to get your hands dirty when she’s around :(. so she’s carrying the cooler, a beach tote, the umbrella, the blanket, the chairs, and a backpack for extras, not struggling one bit hehe,,

nd of course she sets everything up, making sure you have everything you need before finally relaxing and watching you read your book!!!

at some point you get bored and get up, wandering off to the ocean to find some seashells to bring home and some decorations for a sandcastle (coming soon) ! and sevika was closing her eyes for a minute, and when she reaches over to hold your hand (bc she cannot keep her hands off of you for longer than a couple minutes), she freaks out bc WHERE tf did you go and WHY didn’t you tell her???

so she scans the beach, thinking you just wanted some ice cream but no, she sees you at the edge of the water collecting some pretty seashells and her heart melts :((( nd she gets up, hurrying over bc she started to notice all of the horny men staring you down, wrapping her arms around you from behind and giving you a big smooch on the cheek!!!

how dare u make me think about sevika all sun-warmed and in nothing but trunks and a bikini top. how dare u. im gonna start clawing up carpet.

beach day with sevika!! I'd melt man, she'd be so sweet!! I'm a firm believer that she's a Rottweiler Gf: aka, everyone thinks she's super gruff and mean, and sometimes she is, but she's also such a sweetie and a clingy baby <3

so when you're at the beach with her, she does Everything for you. carries everything from the car except for your bag, which you took with you. she lays out your towel for you, setting up your umbrella and letting you sit down while she grabs everything and sets up for you two. watching her carry the cooler, her muscles flexing, it's such a sight <3 she's so pretty, being all sweet and providing <3 but you want to do something for her!!

Sevika, for whatever reason, strikes me as the kind of person who hates putting on sunscreen. Even if she knows she needs to, she hates it and tries to get out of doing it all the time. So she kinda freezes when you go, "Vika, c'mere, I gotta put sunscreen on you!"

She stares at you for a second before going, "Ah, it's okay, doll, I'm good."

"Absolutely not. It's hot as hell and you're in the sun, I don't want you getting sunburnt. Come here."

And you're so stern about it she's like yes ma'am.

That's how she ends up sitting criss cross applesauce in front of you, letting you rub sunscreen onto her exposed skin after you already rubbed a copious amount onto her legs. And she's honestly ... not that mad about it? Like at all??? The feel of your hands rubbing the cream onto her skin, taking special care to guide it under the edge of her swimsuit and getting every inch of exposed skin, is so sweet and soothing, she could get used to this. Plus, just the image of you kneeling behind her in a lil swimsuit, your delicious thighs out and shimmering from the sunscreen, miles and miles of gorgeous, soft skin accentuated by the perfect shade of pink for your skin tone, your tits almost spilling out of the top .... yeah, she could really get used to this.

After you rub the sunscreen in, she lays down on the big towel, closing her eyes as you start reading your book. She's got one arm slung over your waist, occasionally taking a peek at you until she's just openly staring at you. And she looks so intense, so focused on you and your body, it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.

"Quit staring, stink."

"What, can't stare at my girl now? 'thought you liked it when I stared at you," and now she's leaning up over you, smirking down at your flustered form.

"Baby, no. We're in public."

"Fine >:("

She is such a stink, but she lays back down and actually closes her eyes, content with laying next to you. She dozes off a little bit, in that hazy space between consciousness and unconsciousness. When she snaps out of it, she realizes that you're not next to her anymore. Or, anywhere near her.

She sits up abruptly, frantically looking around for you, until she spots you at the edge of some tide pools.

You're kneeling sifting through shells and lil bits of sea glass, so engrossed in your work that you don't notice Sevika coming up behind you until she's kneeling at your side. She places one hand on your lower back, placing a soft kiss on your shoulder.

"Mm, you had me scared for a second, didn't know where you were," the words are soft and mumbled into the warm skin of your shoulder, her hand moving from your lower back to curve around your waist.

"Sorry, 'Vika, was just looking for stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Stuff! Like, seashells and sea glass and stuff that washes up, thought I could take them home." And you look so cute, your eyes are all shiny and dolly, you skin all warmed and sunny, she can't help but press a kiss to you lips.

"You're like a lil seagull..."

"A seagull? >:("

"A cute one."

Little do you know that there was a group of like three guys watching you from a little further along the beach, ogling you and being really fucking gross. Sevika, on her way over to you, glared at them and flipped them off. They practically ran for the hills, because who wouldn't be intimated by a tall, buff as all hell woman with the worlds most intense resting bitch face.

Also just, she loves how gentle and sweet you can be. She knows she's gruff, she's mean, she's perceived as a bitch. And she doesn't know what she did to deserve someone as good as you, but she's glad she's glad she did. It all hits her when she's wrapping her arms around you on the beach towel, watching you as you talk her through your little collection of things. she's just so in love it makes her feel weak <3

[immoralimmortals]

A Song With Ten Names

Chapter 31: Sally's Song

Chapter 1 ☆ Next chapter ☆ AO3 ☆ Featured song playlist

Summary of chapter: What’s so wrong with Kakuzu playing around? It’s not like her affection will last. Nothing ever does.

Author's Note: I have a very strong attachment to this song. I try not to be *super* 1-1 with my personal experiences to what the reader analog "Takara" is supposed to be, but this one can't be helped. I love this song, it's the first song outside of church that I memorized, first song I sang for the purpose of wanting it to sound good. If Sally's Song has no fans, that means I am dead.

I really, really admire the Fiona Apple cover of this song especially, but for whatever reason it was removed from Spotify, apparently a couple of years ago. The rendition added to the fic playlist will be a music box instrumental by Music Box Rockstar. (Forgive me if I change my mind later).

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

And does he notice my feelings for him?

And will he see how much he means to me?

I think it's not to be

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Dappling light is a lot more awe-striking when you’re relearning how to see the world, the way it blots over each thing like flecks on a watercolor painting and makes you reevaluate its shape. The sun isn’t visible right now where the performer is, instead diffusing its rays through the fading foliage in this magical way. It’s fascinating, really, how in autumn so many plants seem to give one last hurrah by bleeding out all their bright colors before it’s time to die. There’s a similar reason why the performer is now stuck with her once favorite dress and sweater.

She wears both now, of course, as there is nothing else in her wardrobe. In the springtime with Hidan and Kakuzu’s initial company, it was quite fitting! White with pink and blue detailings, sort of like flowers fresh from the melting snow. Summer managed to fit still, sweater removable and sunhat appropriate. But now in fall, the warming hues of crimson, orange, gold, and brown make her miss a scarf she used to have with matching colors. The fiery rainbow refracts in her eyes until a cool-toned finger gently brushes up and down her arm. Kisame always oozes with a strange, contagious sort of vibrancy even though he doesn’t bounce off the walls like Tobi nor raise his voice like Hidan. It’s subtle, and though his color is blue, it’s an attitude that suits red maple leaves and yellowing morning glory vines that climb up old, moss-sodden lattice.

“Told you it’d be nice to get out of the place,” he asserts, having figuratively dragged her from bed for this. And she beams up at him, as though the woman is bone-tired, he is still right.

“Hey!" 

…Someone shouts to get their attention. A head of spiked hair perks up with double the attentiveness for his ward who can hardly blink, shifting his shoulders to turn them both around. Once it's had, Hidan purses his lips and gives the fish a judging look; he lets it sink in before putting in his two cents. "You shouldn't be carrying her everywhere.”

The privacy is quickly shattered, the interrupting voice reminding the performer of how, exactly, she even managed to go outside: that Kisame only got her here by picking her up and taking the lady himself. He’s so strong that it became second nature for a few minutes, and the silly thing entirely forgot that she is a grown-ass woman that can suddenly be held like a toddler. Mute, she instantly shrinks closer to his cloak— which he now dons over his indigo tank top with the chiller weather— a redness on her cheeks. The taller man blinks with a frown at his sudden opponent with gray hair and righteous attitude. "It's better than her staying in one spot for too long, isn’t it?”

Hidan effectively scrunches one half of his face, corner of his mouth pulling up and the right eye squinting. He’s seen her move on her own; why not just let her? It doesn’t make sense! Will she forget how?! “Then have her walk!”

A whimper is all she’s got, hiding more into the dark cloth at the shark’s neck. Kisame defends, a snarl curling his upper lip: "She's enjoying it."

The shirtless grim reaper stares long and hard to verify this to no avail, rolling his eyes back up to the fellow Akatsuki. "She looks unhappy, asshole."

"Yeah, now that you're scolding her,” the swordsman parries, holding her just a little bit closer as if the arm of his cloak can shield the poor woman from misunderstanding cruelty. “Can you either get with the program or shut up?"

"What?!” Hidan, of course takes offense, redirecting his attention to the one he’s actually worried for. “Girlie, hey! Look over here!" To Kisame’s dismay, ever so slowly…she abides, and he notes the anxiety in her eyes. "You enjoying that?" A flush in her cheeks...but she nods. There is no way to deny that this is oh so very wonderful. The priest blinks twice in disbelief. “W—... really?”  

Hidan’s double down is about to knock her off her feet (metaphorically, too): 

"Then— then let me carry you, too!"

Kisame’s response is immediate: "...What the hell?" he blinks back with his own shock. His shaming doesn’t work on a man who has no shame to speak of.

"If you get to, so do I,” Hidan argues, folding his arms matter-of-fact. “Simple as that!"

...By technicality, that is true. The kiri-nin looks to her attached to his side for approval or lack thereof once more. "You don't have to say yes...” he reminds under his breath.

But the consideration is heavy, her soft eyes glancing over to the silver-haired man standing on this path outside their house. Is Hidan only asking because he's jealous? Does he even want to? They haven't really talked since they…you know. But the firmness there... Regardless of motive, it does seem to be a sincere want. But she has her own, in spite of how she misses him: "I don't...want to be a bother..."

To that he frowns, and his hands lower onto his waist in a sure, somewhat annoyed stance. "Yer not." His half-lidded stare alone dares anyone to ask why he wants this, including her.

Unable to formulate an acceptance as an apology...she just nods up to the shark to abide by the other man’s wishes. Kisame reluctantly, awkwardly passes her to him, muttering something about not fucking dropping her, and she’s unsure what to do with her own arms in this exchange—

"Come ‘ere."

So Hidan does the actions for her, careful fingers with a ring like dusty dry blood adjusting her hands to loop around his neck and the back of her knees to go over his cloaked arm. The way he looks at her...hooded eyes so close to her own... Geez, it's a bit more believable Kisame is so strong, being so very tall and less human looking. Hidan is just... a guy. But she gives him no problem whatsoever...!

She remembers abruptly how heavy his scythe was. Oh.

…

...

"Okay..." Hidan asks the swordsman after glancing her up and down, "Now what?"

It's Kisame's turn to raise an eyebrow this time. "...What do you mean,” he asks flatly.

"The fuck do you do next?"

Kisame squints so much harder that his actual eyes aren't visible, merely small black gills over a widening grimace. He is starting to regret this pass-off. "You...hold her...?"

"I'll do it, un."

Before Hidan can argue his place, a blonde takes her into his own sure, smooth grasp. Oh dear. He's even smaller than Hidan but picks her up like she's lighter than a kitten...! It shuts her up into pure, unadulterated silence with a stare as big as two dinner plates. "Hey, darling." The artist blinks, smiling still but brow curling, shy girl saying nothing to help alleviate tension. "...What are we carrying you for...?" Deidara inquires.

"That’s what I was asking! Now let her down, okay?"

"Why?” Deidara scoffs at Hidan, backing half a step away as the latter ninja approaches to grab her back. “You were the one holding her, un."

"You didn't ask!"

"...Did I need to?"

"Yes," both fish and Jashinist confirm in aggravated unison.

Ohhh my gosh. Her face hurts from blushing so much, eyes from being so wide. Kisame takes it as his cue and he tentatively steps up, reaching out to take her back from this problem he incidentally started. "Let me...just—...” he stammers, ready to rescue from a social faux pas. “Come here, Takara-hime—"

"Swoop!"

With a flash of black and orange, an unexpected fourth man slips between them and flees, pastel-dressed prize in his arms. He trots away with the speed of a child stealing from a candy store, reaction stagnated by shock just until his long, trailing scarf is out of sight:

“TOBI!”

“TOBI?!”

“TOBI, YOU GODDAMN COCKSUCKER!!!”

The chase begins, a whine at the back of the kidnappee’s throat that wavers with each bounce of his feet. “Heehee!” he laughs, “Takara-chan is mine, mine mine mine!” the jester teases, shit-eating grin surely behind the spiral he wears as he revels in the tight grip lovely fingers make into his clothes. The swift shinobi weaves around one corner of the house, speeding through a pile of leaves which scatter about like Tobi had stepped on coals of a fire, flying sparks and embers that crunch instead of crackle. “If—” he huffs an exaggerated breath, “—They can’t decide who has you—” Breath. Another corner of the house is rounded. “—Then—” Breath. He stomps through a couple-days-old puddle, water droplets splashing cold against her legs. “It’s gonna— be me!”

The thief twists around one more side of the ancient home lined in dead vines like a gold trim only to be caught by surprise. Abrutptly, he stops to a halt, seeing something before his dear Takara-chan can register the new danger.

“Oh?” One...Two...Three. Surrounded!

Kisame is grinning to the left, Hidan is frowning to the right, and a fuming Deidara is directly behind, sliding open the back door with Tobi’s name cursing from the back of the tongue within his head. She’s not even the one running and this is all making the traveler lose her breath. How the hell did they move so fast...?! It’s only been all of, what, ten fucking seconds?!

"Oh— guess you got me!” He's playing, the fellow performer can still tell. Something's up his sleeve. Okay...so what does that mean—? “Catch!"

It means she's not ready for what's next, not all.

“AAAAAAH-!”

The woman screams as she’s tossed unceremoniously up to the clouds, feeling the force of gravity first in the way that her body attempts to break it, climbing up and up and up with the power of his throw. A couple of times on roller coasters have prepared her instincts well: her stomach sinks in anticipation for the rest of her, just as the acceleration slows and the drop is about to begin.

“AAA—” … And she waits for a fall that does not come. “...Oh…?” The first thing in her vision is the bright blue sky in contrast to the vast forest. Wow...what a view. It’s open like she’s high above—

—Oh. Oh Jesus. Is she really two stories up in the air? TOBI?!

A heavy, heavy sigh is heard from an open window nearby, practically behind her ear. It wakes her up to look down, first at the guys staring up at her from the ground, then a bit closer to her own self. Black threads wrap around her body, around from her back and then loop over and over around her legs; it feels as secure as, well, if you somehow warped metal straight out of the flame to a custom fit just for you. The sight of herself is enough to swallow further shrieks, much to the relief of he who has rescued her from such reckless affairs.

Kakuzu leans down, open fist outside the threshold of the window pane with threads weaving out of rips in his skin that keep her in place. Menacingly, his glower rolls down to the ants below. "You...stupid motherfuckers."

"IT WAS TOBI, JACKASS!" Hidan quickly accuses, pointing to the culprit. A growl and a death glare is all it takes for the masked man to whine like a scared puppy. That’s good enough to appease Kakuzu. For now.

Ironically enough, it's his turn in this ridiculous game: "Come on, then..."

The three watch as the woman flies back into the house, a small eek on the back of her tongue and window promptly shut behind her with a slam. A moment of silence, all four men staring up to where she was spirited away.

…

…

“He’s going to kill you, you know,” Hidan states without any urgency, glancing over to the orange spiral. “He’s kind of famous for that.” And though Tobi fakes shaking in his boots very, very convincingly, everyone else still thinks he’d deserve it.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

What will become of my dear friend?

Where will his actions lead us then?

Although I'd like to join the crowd

In their enthusiastic cloud

Try as I may, it doesn't last

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

What a mess, Kakuzu thinks. He exhales, fully undressed besides a pair of pants, no face covering nor shirt to cover his unnerving stitches. Thanks, Tobi. A small “oof” is muttered as the woman is set down on his bed without a second glance, man himself turning around to retain what little respect he has left. It's an opportunity for the performer to briefly gain her bearings. Kakuzu’s room, she vaguely recalls. Really has been inside it only once— no, not even inside . She’s only seen into it less than a handful of times. Frankly, it’s pretty...ordinary. It’s clean. It at first seems to lack hobbies. No piles of clay, no sword to polish (re-wrap??? Samehada is a stick of bandages, after all), no circle to pray in. But it becomes apparent that what he has instead of things to humor him is...finances. Receipts and bills are nicely organized or are in a pile waiting to be, a bingo book of wanted criminals open that perhaps may promise enough funds to keep this makeshift horrid fucking family alive another day. A couple of briefcases are neatly lined next to his desk, metal and heavy looking as if to transport valuables.

Her head shifts side to side. Grumbling, taking no heed, the treasurer has walked over to his closet in search of attire to make him better suited to be around a lady. He forgets so easily that the strangest thing about him isn't just the stitches but what they lead to on his backside…

"What...?"

Thinking this is about the metal threads, he looks over his shoulder as she finally looks to him and speaks. “They—” he begins. But, oh. Oh, no, it isn’t those her eyes are locked on; the threads have slunk back into his hollowed body already. What he sees, instead, is her pointing squarely at the masks. There's four of them, different animals and colors.

"Are those...attached to you?"

Ah. Right. Damn . He exhales yet again, not moving so she gets a good long look, ogles to her heart's content at the freak he is, get it out of the way. Guess it was inevitable she find out. "Yes." Then he reaches forward, a tank top chosen off the shelf with an open back for these creatures. It’s more comfortable, for one, and for another makes it easier to fight if they don’t have to pop through and ruin a perfectly good shirt. Never can be too prepared. Not too fast as to not scare, he turns his front back around despite his bare chest facing her. She looks so small, somehow, head hunched down and eyes angled up as she sits upon the edge of his own bed. How do they always get off the wrong foot when they don't even try?

"I'm sorry." Because of course she is. There’s footsteps coming up the stairs.

One thing is sure: "Don't be."

A thread drifts away from his bicep like an autonomous, thin tentacle, locking the door just in time to hear the nob shift futility and Hidan knock ever so impatiently to be let in. His head turns sharply, a snarl on his face. She notes how the way his eyes scrunch up is such a common expression above his usual mask; does he always frown like that when they do? "Give the girl ten damn minutes without your nonsense!"

Vague but clearly angry response muddles through the closed door, but Kakuzu's expression stays and so does his order. A moment of silence and gradually the arguing fades, something about promising to be back later. The hunter’s tense brow relaxes and so do the corners of his lips, and red and green eyes stop bulging. In. Out. He catches his breath and turns boiling rage to a simmer. For her sake. Calm down, for her sake.

The stitches on his face move with his cheeks, she can tell from where she grips the edge of the bed; they are, most certainly, not just burns or scars or face paint. His eyes catch hers, a challenge in them that regains a sliver of the anger he managed to beat back, daring her to call him a monster. Unnatural. Hideous. It’s all true, just get it over with. A flash of something else was before that, though, on his face. It's an emotion that feels familiar in her own chest.

Despite his expectations, she reaches out to him, slowly raising her wrist with a begging, upward-facing palm. He doesn't flinch, eyes starting at the woman’s fingertips, trailing up her arm and to her face.

"...What?"

How can she say it? Both palms, now, come back, gesturing together for him to come here. Out of pure confusion and desire to know what the hell she means, Kakuzu simply obeys.

Shaky hands go to the brown arm as he grunts with the unexpected contact, even as her touch is more gentle than he could have imagined. Maybe even especially so. As she sits on his bed, one hand goes under his palm to steady it in place while the other wanders up to explore, both visually and tactilly...

The bounty hunter…has two tattooed bands on his forearm. At first she assumed that's where they come from, but no, the actual stitches are higher up, unmistakable as the source of his eldritch-seeming threads. She traces up to the shoulder, then under his chin. There's even more of these lines on his torso, seen far, far too easily as he hasn’t yet slipped on his top in this unexpected intermission, and she can tell they all lead like train tracks to the masks embedded into his latissimus dorsi. Her eyes consume him, taste him, know him. She's far from the first to witness him like this, in battle or otherwise, and so he ignores the sense of novelty that washes over him and behaves with expectations that are tried and true. Something Kakuzu and his musician have in common is how they’ll insult themselves with the truth before you can turn it against them first.

"...I know. I know what I look like." But she acts like she hasn't . She's seen him before, though, the times she barged in at the peak of midnight...why is it different now?

Sometimes trauma heightens the senses, lets you take in things better than before. The quivering touch of the performer moves to reach further upon his skin, still. In awe, fingertips barely brush against his chest and most unbelievably, he doesn't stop her.

Tears well up on her eyes, which to his surprise turn up to his own instead of staying locked lower down on his ugly, deformed self.

"Does it hurt?"

...That’s not something he's been asked before. IF it hurt, yes, when “it” happened decades ago. If it does when hearts pump out of his back to attack and spew the elements at his enemies. Yes and yes, answers to both as well as if others have been so brave as to inquire directly to the bastard himself. But does he hurt now , merely existing with this curse? It's been so long with the aches stitched into him that he's forgotten, so he searches the numbness under his skin for what the answer may be.

"...Yes," he discovers, despite how it might make her cry. He knows she likes the truth. "...But it's better than before,” Kakuzu softens. In several ways. Better off with than without them. Better off than being fully human. Better off than being dead.

He sits down next to her and unbelievably, after rubbing the saltwater from her face, this woman shifts. Yes, yes, he is not mistaken; this woman now crawls onto his lap.

And he lets her. 

All hearts pounding in discordant, unmatched pulses, he lets her. Legs wrap around his side, thighs seated atop his own. She trusts him. Even after everything, even seeing him like this...—? Oh so delicately, with a hesitance that draws her away before curiosity pulls her back in, this soothing lady traces the metal woven into him. The way he is… It reminds her of something. Something distinct. A visceral sort of memory, one from long, long ago…

…Kakuzu notices before she does that his performer is humming.

It's a tune both sweet and melancholy, befitting a creature like her and somehow, too, the way she approaches a beast like him. His gaze softens, lips no longer a stern, stretched line, and he drinks her wonder in. Kakuzu missed the songs that used to always tinge her voice, and this is the first it’s come back since she has come back home to him, even if so, very small.

“...Oh…!” The woman pulls back, somehow both after too long and far too soon, and she...smiles up at him. This…who he is…makes her happy? “...You remind me of...a rag doll.”

…

Dark brown hair drifts past his face as he savors that nickname, elaborates to himself on the implications. He’s been called it before, yeah...usually just before deciding to detach the person by their arteries. How can it seem so... kind from those lips? So adoring…? She has an answer, and it’s silly just like her.

“When I was little…” the performer tries to explain with stilted words, as plainly as she can so as to not confuse, “...I loved a story. It had a rag doll...who...stuffed herself with leaves.”

The Frankenstein's Monster stays silent, does so regardless of if there’s more for her to add. The slightest, softest inhale and the humming begins again...this time closer to the singing the Akatsuki miss, just without words. Down, up, and up...down… Down, up, and up...down… Lovely indeed, whatever it is, even if simple and bouncy. It was, after all, one of the first melodies she memorized on her own volition. Idly, she traces him again, finding a spot just at his collarbone and right at her line of sight. The threads are stiffer than they look, less like woven fabric and more like surgical staples. How do they move with such lithe grace, so little effort?

As she ponderers this question, one of his own springs off Kakuzu's tongue like a diving board.

“...You never sang when you were alive?” To his relief, the humming doesn’t stop; it’s such a piece of her, this melody that she can do it without thinking. A free hand wipes her eye again, and despite the nature of everything, her tiny smile does not waver nor flinch away as she answers.

“...I wanted to,” she murmurs after a moment, voice light and wispy much the same way as she seems next to someone rough like himself. “I wanted to be a singer...a musician…” A guitarist, a keyboard player, a...star. A performer. “I...learned...to stop doing it...just because I felt I had to, and started doing it...for fun by myself.”

Eyes close, and she tries to identify these marks on him with touch alone, tries to narrow down exactly what he feels like skin on skin. Kakuzu wonders if she can feel how his pulse is stronger than one any normal person should have.

“You could have been.” And she is now, he reminds himself. Or at least she will be once this nonsense is said and done and she can get back to a nondescript civilian life. But...she shakes her head.

“Too scared,” the woman says, “Too shy.”

“How do you know that? Did you try?” Perhaps foolish to challenge; the thing she is surest in besides the persistent strength of humanity is the failures of her own making.

“I had the chance...I was offered...to be in a play…” The smile widens, showing teeth and hiding a grimace. “...I was too little and too scared. And I never…”

…

She doesn’t continue that thought.

“Why didn't you try again? You were just a child, right? Children are allowed to be wrong.” But as soon as he says it, he knows this isn’t true. He knows from experience. So does she. A long, painful silence...and then her eyes open. The humming continues, sweet and sad. She reaches up into his hair, delicately, to see if it feels as smooth as it looks.

"She falls in love with someone...who can't see his demise coming,” the woman explains of the rag doll with leaves. His brown hair is silky and soft. “She tries to help. In the end...it gets her in trouble. He realizes she's in danger and saves her." Kakuzu raises a brow, stitches at his mouth exaggerating a purse of his lips.

"What monster pairs with a living rag doll?" And to his surprise, she beams once more:

"A skeleton!"

...Oh. He grunts, his way of chuckling without being so vulnerable as to give off actual mirth, eyes hooding and smirk forming. "I know what you're going to say, Takara...that that’s like us."

The combing stops, big eyes blinking their befuddlement as the curled fingers pull away. "Excuse me?"

...Oh, dammit. She has never even seen Hidan's ritual form, and so Kakuzu feels his face flush at making the connection himself. Goddammit… As if Hidan could ever save him. It's always the other way around...

"Am...am I...a...a skeleton?" she stutters, not getting it.

"No,” he cuts in sharply. Too sharp, in fact— “I mean— ...never mind."

…

…

The now free hands of the woman fidget index fingers, pressing tip against tip. "There's another character...that's filled with bugs," she adds, as if this is helpful in any way whatsoever.

"…" Kakuzu answers, gaze narrowed and mouth in a straight line.

"I like bugs."

And so he exhales yet-fucking-again. "Takara, you're very fortunate I happen to be tolerant of the dumb shit you say." Hidan owes him for that, too, really.

"Oh." The woman on his lap doesn't need to say: she's sorry. She gets shy and withdrawn and her hands drift even further away. Exasperated, Kakuzu takes them into his own grasp.

"...But it's better than you never talking again."

He can't touch her with his own hands; surely he's too rough, both literally and figuratively. The threads come instead, strange and cold and inhuman. It only makes her remember what it was like to hold him by the fingers, though, as she did once when Kakuzu taught her how to read the stars.

"...Can I ask you something rude?"

What a weird thing to ask. He shrugs, just barely so not to shake her too much up and down as she sits on him. Is this fine? Is she safe so close to him? Is it proper for a man to let her do it? And yet he can’t bring himself to pull them apart. "Alright."

"Why is your skin... so...?"

It isn’t a sigh this time as he releases air from heavy lungs, but a chuckle. You can tell it comes from deep in his chest, even if quiet. "It'd be rude if you ignored it. That's just how I am now."

She blinks again, lashes fluttering. "You weren't... always...?"

"No. I was someone else a long time ago."

"Like me?"

…

He thinks about this, long and hard. This girl does, after all, remind him of who he used to be. So what does that mean of her before? He recalls her mentions of a life before a death, an existence riddled with agony, debt, and servitude. A broken loyalty to a system that felt nothing for her, and waking up to abandon it by any means necessary. …So, perhaps, they have switched lives. Silly boy to serious man. Serious woman to silly girl. Funny how life works out. They both had a death of sorts in between to make it happen, and here they are.

"Sure. Like you, I guess."

"Thank you," she responds inexplicably, despite the implications he sees, an emotion so bright dripping from her mouth like honey from a hive. There isn’t even a blush on her face; with the next action, it’s all whimsy and instinct and no thought whatsoever. It has to be, to be so silly.

The woman leans up and presses a kiss on his forehead, for once bare of the headband marked with his betrayal. A sensation tingles down his own cheeks, down his neck, into the depths of five dark hearts. Despite it all...he feels joy. It makes him tense up. Alas, this is so easy to pick up on with how close they are, and she jerks back immediately, crawling off his lap just as quickly as she got on. Now her face is red.

"Sorry…! I—... Sorry."

Sorry... That’s the right word for giving a guy like him the time of day, the warmth from a sixth blood-pumping organ somehow tied inseparably to his quintet. "It's fine,” he responds in calculation, choosing not to tell her how much he enjoyed it. “Just...be careful who you do that to. Alright?"

Instead of asking why, she simply says, unable to look him in the face: "I'm bad…" And calmly— oh so calmly compared to a moment ago— he retorts, his own voice murmured and already longing for her song.

"I didn't say that."

...

"I meant it,” the taki-nin elaborates, both as a comfort and an admonition. “We're all like this, Takara. ...If not outside like me then on the inside. Keep your wits about you. Save your affection for those who are deserving. It isn’t you that’s wrong, here. If someone has to be called 'bad'…" Childish worldview as it is, to be so black and white, the answer is undeniable. “...It’s us. They threw you, for god’s sake.”

"But...I...—"

"And if you can't," he adds selfishly, and the next is a whisper. "At least be tactful about it." The scariest part about what happens next is that he does, indeed, mull it over before it’s done. The outcomes are considered, the details poured over, and the fool still does exactly as he's warned her of.

A press of his world-weary lips comes from out of nowhere yet arrives so, so gently, just as soon pulling back before she can even tell what's happened. And though he isn’t brimming with sunshine like Takara can, this old man still can’t hide he’s making a silly, silly choice. "...Duckling."

And that’s it. There’s the slightest smirk on his face as he slinks backwards off the bed, visible until Kakuzu turns around and throws the signature cloak of his ilk over leathery-textured shoulders. The traveler gapes, what she thought as her mistake now his confirmation—

“Oi!” another guilty pleasure beckons impatiently behind Kakuzu’s locks. The bounty hunter huffs, allowing the woman one last opportunity to see a widening grin before the mask slips back on.

“Perfect timing.”

Before she knows it, another, paler set of arms come around the performer, Hidan complaining with his chin upon her head of her terrible, unforgivable absence for all of ten minutes. It really is over so very, very quickly. It has to be, lest the choices grow poorer and poorer between a half-naked man and a lady not even back to herself.

But he hums the lonely rag doll’s song back to himself all the same in private the rest of this day, up through dinner, in the bath, hell— maybe even in his sleep. It somehow sounds just fine on his old, gravely tongue as a mind re-walks the life it’s led just to work up to something as stupid and risky as this. Dead leaves fall down past the window where the zombie scooped her into his waiting lap, and he wonders what it would be like to stuff them underneath his patchwork skin.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

And will we ever end up together?

No, I think not, it's never to become

For I am not the one

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

[khasiehondra]

It Can't Be...Can It?

SUMMARY: Ghosts were real. He had seen them his entirety of his time at Hogwarts. He had even seen a few while on missions. But he didn't expect to see her at his favorite cafe on a Saturday morning. He had lived in Edinburgh for years after returning from France. The final year of his rotational training program led him to beautiful sights, new food, and some fun company. But he knew something was missing. His fulfilling work didn't distract him from her. The woman he had dreamed about more nights than he wanted to admit. The one who helped heal so many broken parts of him. And the one who threw his heart against the floor like it was glass. It wasn't just seeing her that made this difficult. But she was tiny. * Sebastian couldn’t believe that the love of his life walked into his favorite cafe, but the little girl next to her could have been a problem. Little does he know, Annie is his and Alice wants to keep it a secret.

Chapter 1: A Little Hiccup In The Plan

Alice

"There, there, love. Better out than in." Alice held onto the toilet for dear life. Her knuckles were white and she had a thin sheen of sweat forming on her brow. 

"I'm going to kill him. But first, I'm going to slam my head into a wall for being so stupid." Another wave of nausea hit her and the room was slowly spinning. 

Garreth Weasley was rubbing her back as she tried to breathe deeply. "Would you rather I make a spectacle of his demise? Did he not read the footnotes when he said he made some of the potion?" 

"Apparently not. Help me up, will you?" Garreth gripped the girl's hand and pulled her from the floor. "After the first round of vomit this morning I researched the potion myself. Only ninety percent effective. Lucky me. I've fallen into the ten. C'mon, we should get you out of here." 

Alice slowly peaked out from the girls bathroom and looked around before motioning to Garreth the coast was clear. He placed a hand on her back. "We could go to the hospital wing. What do you want to do? Studying for our exam can wait." 

It might have been the hormones but Alice thought she would cry. One of her dearest friends was helping her through the most intense moments of her life. And she had stopped a goblin rebellion for Merlin's sake! This should feel like a walk in the park. "I'm keeping it. I can talk to him about it. It would mean some of our plans would change, and I'll have to write to my father for support. Hopefully I can open the howler he will send in private." 

"Whatever you need, I'll be there for you, brainiac." Alice embraced him and started to walk with him toward the hospital wing. 

All of her plans were about to change. But it wasn't a mistake. All things happen for a reason. Maybe earlier than she expected, but deep down she knew that everything would fall into place. 

When she got back to her dormitory later that evening, Samantha was sitting on Alice’s bed, arms crossed. "Alice, I know what is going on. How do you think you'll be able to hide this for a month? What do you need me to do?" At her words, Alice did cry. Samantha was one of her closest friends and she didn't know how to tell her that she was lucky they only had one month left at Hogwarts. 

"I think I'm going to tell Sebastian. Tomorrow on a picnic by the lake. We already planned on lunch together. We already planned on being together as soon as we could after graduation. This would just expedite that." Samantha gave her a soft smile. 

"Alice, do you think you'll be able to work for a while? Or more importantly, if I could piece together your odd behavior, aren't you worried someone else will?" Alice pursed her lips and gave it a thought. 

"I can start work late. It'll be tight on money, but I don't think my father would leave me to the mongrels. He would help for a bit. And even though it is summer, I'll just wear my robes and skirts. No one else may even notice!" This was Alice putting her hopes out into the world. If she believed it then no one would question it. 

"As long as you're happy. I can help once things get farther along. I know Poppy is one of your other best friends but remember, the only creatures she handles are magical." 

Alice cut her off, "this one will most likely be magical." 

Samantha laughed and lightly shoved her friend. "You are such a smartalic!"

T he next day, Alice tried her best to set everything up perfectly. The blanket was laid out and protected from bugs, all of Sebastian's favorite foods were packed-minus the wine, and Alice held the letter from her father stating he would help them. She was absolutely giddy when one o'clock rolled around. She had worn her favorite everyday outfit: a cotton blue dress with a peach bodice underneath. It was her determination to wear all her favorite things before she couldn't. 

Sebastian came across the grounds, his grey trousers tapered perfectly to his long legs. The green sweater she guessed he had been wearing was bunched over his shoulder, the white shirt he had on was rolled at the sleeves. The sight of him still made her heart flutter. She had a crush on him after their encounter in the Restricted Section and almost a year later he confessed his own feelings to her. Ever since their first date they talked about a life together. When she experienced her first time with him, he praised her and doted on her every second. His vulnerability was something hidden behind doors, but she loved that he trusted her enough to see it. 

"Sorry I'm running late. I think Weasley’s lost his gobstones. He kept asking me how you're doing. When I told him that you were as wonderful as always, and thoroughly ravished the last few nights, he smacked my arm. That's our thing! Stupid and immature jests." Alice laughed. Garreth was horrible at secrets when they were someone else's. 

She started pouring the butterbeer and telling him about the nasty astronomy essay she had finished the night before. The rhythm between them was always easy. Halfway through the meal, Sebastian had pulled her into his lap and gave her soft kisses along her jaw. After almost two years, she could barely keep her hands off him herself. His lips found her and it was as if the world was silenced. Nothing else mattered. They were in their own universe. If Alice kept kissing him she thought the passion would consume her, but then again, if he stopped, she thought she might go mad. His kisses got hungrier and his hands started to roam over the shape of her waist. 

She broke their kiss before he could get any further. "How is the job hunt going? Did you hear back about the Auror program?" 

His glazed eyes took a minute to piece together what she had just asked him. When he finally was able to form a coherent thought, he smiled and bumped his nose to hers. "Fantastic news actually. They want me in the program, but they are trying a rotational system to help new Aurors with experience. I would go through a month's training before heading to America and then I would get my next assignment after a year. Isn’t that exciting! Since you want to be a healer that means you could get a job anywhere! We could still be together." 

Her face didn't miss the beat her heart skipped over. Alice felt her heart drop into her stomach. I can't leave. Sebastian, we are about to have a baby. That much travel is so stressful. And I can't work. We would need the money. But this is his dream. He's lost so much I can't ask him to sacrifice everything. "Sebastian, what if a child is involved?" 

"We don't have to worry about that for a long time! Even if we had one within the first year, we would have saved enough. You'll quit your job and be at home." Her face faltered this time. 

"But you'd still want to do these traveling rotations with a family?" She raised her brow and pushed back, creating more space between them. "I want our child to have both their parents around if they can, Sebastian." 

"I understand, sweet. But the initial rotation period is three years before getting a final station of our request. Would it be alright if we wait for a baby? You'd make a fantastic mother and the thought of you carrying our child makes my mind buzz with excitement. But I want to be selfish with you." 

But you can't. The entire conversation was infuriating her. Alice was angry. Angry that he couldn’t stay in London and expected her to go everywhere with him for three years. That he just expects her to give up her career once the baby was born, and most of all she was angry that she didn't want him involved anymore. "You are being selfish with me, like always." The venom in her words startled him. 

"Alice, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, but it only makes sense if you follow me." He cupped her cheek but she threw her head out of his grasp. 

"Actually, I think this entire conversation made me realize how selfish you are. Ever since our fifth year I've been following you around. Bending backwards to your requests, even when my favors to you had been paid. I told Ominis that I didn’t think you should go to Azkaban! I was there when you buried Anne! I think I have been more than supportive and you just want me to give up everything. Here I go, following you around like always!" The echoes of her shouts across the lake were deafening. 

Sebastian's cheeks flushed and he rose to his feet. "If you're so tired of me then it's good we found this out now. You know, life is different outside of the castle. I'm glad we found out we want different things before we were trapped with one another." He turned to leave before facing her. His hand in his pocket. "Oh yeah, here. I don’t want it anymore." He dropped whatever he grabbed on the blanket and stormed off. 

Reaching down, Alice found whatever had bounced on the ground. The tears started to flow once she saw what it was. It wasn’t anything magnificent but it would have been everything. The thin bronze band glinted in the afternoon sun. Infuriated, Alice turned and threw it in the lake.

8 years later

Sebastian

Ghosts were real. He had seen them his entirety of his time at Hogwarts. He had even seen a few while on missions. But he didn't expect to see her at his favorite cafe on a Saturday morning. He had lived in Edinburgh for years after returning from France. The final year of his rotational training program led him to beautiful sights, new food, and some fun company. But he knew something was missing. His fulfilling work didn't distract him from her. The woman he had dreamed about more nights than he wanted to admit. The one who helped heal so many broken parts of him. And the one who threw his heart against the floor like it was glass. It wasn't just seeing her that made this difficult. But she was tiny. 

Over the top of his paper the small child peered into the glass display case like everything inside was made of precious gemstones. Her dark hair hit to about her mid back and curled at the ends. She looked exactly like Alice except for the nose covered in freckles and brown eyes instead of green. Denial is the first step of accepting loss. But creating completely unrealistic situations is also denial. Sebastian kept thinking this had to be a coincidence. No way in all of Europe would a small Alice be here. Alice wouldn't live here. 

Except she walked straight through the door. Taking a look around she walked over to the child. People would have said it was like time travel seeing the two together. The girl couldn't be older than eight or nine and Alice…oh Alice. She was a vision. 

If he didn't have his coffee to his lips he would have sworn his jaw would be on the floor. The woman who amazed everyone looked like a picture in a book. Her hair was half pulled up, very different to society's standards, and her shirtwaist lacked much of the ruffles and lace most do. No matter how simple she dressed, her face had aged like wine. Her full cheeks now had high cheekbones, and her eyes sparkled like stars. Aphrodite couldn't even compare to her. 

They could be sisters. Her father and mother were still young. I don’t see a ring on her finger. Alice was finishing up her purchase of bread. She took the young girl's hand and they made their way from the Cafe. But Sebastian wasn't going to lose her this time. He dropped his paper, grabbed his coat, and ran from the shop. 

The two were walking down the cobblestone street toward the carriage call. "Alice!" Sebastian shouted and ran toward her as she stood rigid. Not a good sign. 

Once he had caught up he could see the young girl peering from around Alice’s skirt. But he couldn't tell what the look on Alice’s face was. Anger? Warranted. Sadness? Also warranted. But a small part looked like fear. Why would she be afraid of him? 

"Se-Sebastian. Long time no see." She barely met his eyes and he felt his heart pang. Please. Look at me. 

"Alice, this is surely a surprise. I thought you lived in London. Ominis told me that you lived at home in your family's manor. I would have never expected to see you in Edinburgh." He stuck his hands in his pockets, trying to keep from twiddling his fingers. 

She finally looked at him. "I did. A few years after graduation I worked as a potioneer for healing research. Easy enough work to do from home. Mother and father just built a small manor on the outskirts of the city. We wanted a place to call our own so we will live here and they will come visit during holiday." So that is her child. 

Sebastian looked at the child who was holding her mother's hand. "And who is this young lady?" 

"Annie Shaw." The young girl squeaked. 

"Annie, proper like we practiced." Alixe put comforting hands around her daughter's shoulders. "Sebastian was a very very dear friend of mine when I was at Hogwarts." 

Annie smiled up at him. She grabbed her skirt and curtsied. Sebastian couldn't help but be amused by the small thing. He dipped his hat in return and humored her. "Good afternoon, Annie. My name is Sebastian Sallow, but I don’t want any of that Mister Sallow nonsense from you. " 

She giggled and tugged on her mother's sleeve. "Mama, could Sebastian join us for dinner?" 

"Oh, Annie, Sebastian probably already has plans on his own." 

"Dinner sounds lovely. I would love to see your new estate. The one in London was beautiful. Your parents have fine taste. But then again, you never cared about that." Their eyes met and fire danced between them. 

"Alright." Alice let her shoulders fall in defeat. "But Annie, you need to practice piano right after." 

The carriage ride back was longer than Sebastian had anticipated. It was understandable why Alice didn't want to apparate. Annie was just too little. It would have been worth the half hour out of the city just to avoid the young girl's arms getting splinched. 

Alice had been right. The manor was smaller. But that isn't saying much considering how big the one in London was. A corgi was waddling down the slopping hill toward the carriage and Annie leapt from the top step and held out her arms for the pup. "That's Winston, too bad in a few years she won't be able to take him to Hogwarts." 

"Already showing signs of magic? No squib-like tendencies until she turns fifteen like another woman I know?" The lopsided grin on his face and raised brow were pointed at her in a jest. 

"You know, even being behind, I recall beating your arse in a duel or two…or thirty-seven." She reached out to his hand as they exited and walked toward the formidable building. 

Breaking the silence first, Sebastian cleared his throat. "So, will I have the honor of meeting Annie's father at dinner? I would like to meet the chap that you married " 

"Her father wasn't around. But she is exactly like him in every way. I was young and stupid, but I can’t deny how much they are alike." He could hear the sadness in her voice. 

"May I ask what happened?" It was dangerous waters to tread but he had to know. 

Alice was silent as they followed Annie through the large walnut doors. "He and I just didn't work out. Annie wasn't a part of his future. So I never told him. I think he would have loved her though, the little devil. You know, when she was two I found her playing in my garden. But I couldn't get mad because all of the seeds she threw on the group sprouted into beautiful wildflowers. It was the purest magic I had ever seen." Sebastian saw the adoration in Alice’s eyes. 

"Mama, can Sebastian come see my nifflers?" Annie's little curls popped from around a corner. "Juels said that it'll be a while until dinner." 

"Alright, Annie, but remember the way to unlock the greenhouse. We can't have them getting out again. I'll meet up with you two later. I need to talk to the kitchen staff." 

Sebastian was pulled forward by the child. She seemed so happy and full of life. "Oh, you'll just love Sugar and Cream and Nigel and Ruby!" 

"Are those foods or your nifflers?" Sebastian laughed as she tried to get him to walk faster. "Did you know your mother had a niffler den she took care of whilst we were at school?" 

"Really! Mama tells me stories of her adventures, but she mainly talks about Aunt Poppy and Uncle Ominis. Mister Weasley came by our house in London and he said that he helped take care of Mama when he found out she was going to have me." Each of the words sounded like a stab to the heart. 

"Your Uncle Ominis is actually my best friend. I saw him just last week." Annie looked up at him with a pout. 

"If Uncle Ominis is your best friend then how come he and mama never talk about you?" He didn't know how to answer that one. Because I loved your mother and I broke her heart over my damn pride? That Ominis told me I was the biggest idiot for how I handled the situation? The idea of bringing up a man who was never around would possibly only confuse the child? Yup. Wonderful answers. 

"Your mother and I had a huge fight one day. I had really hurt her feelings." He looked back at the manor as they entered the greenhouse. "Don't tell her this, but I wrote her an apology over a hundred times but I was too scared to send her a single one." 

"Doesn't that make you a coward? It's just a letter." Her comment felt like someone had twisted the knife in his chest. 

"You're right, Annie. I was a coward. I'm not afraid of bad people or dangerous situations. I am scared of being rejected by someone who meant alot to me." Annie tapped some flower pots in a certain order and a hidden entrance opened. The inside reminded Sebastian of the Vivariums. Actually…it was the vivarium. Did Alice let her have one while she tended the rest? 

A small fluff ball scurried over and went straight for the little gold button Annie had in her hand. The baby niffler was the color of milky cream and tucked the button in its pouch. "Cream and I think that you used to like my mother." 

"Did you get your brains from your mother? She was in the house with all of the brightest students." He patted her head and leaned down to hold a black niffler waddling over. 

"I do, actually. She says I get my blunt attitude from my father. Do you still like my mother?" She pursed her lips and stood very still. 

"I never stopped, but from the looks of it. I think I'm barely treading on friend territory. How about we go back? You can give me a tour." Hand in hand they walked back to the beautiful building. Maybe in another life he would have lived there, had his own child with Alice. 

Dinner and tea time were filled with laughter and music as Annie played her sonatinas. He had never particularly liked children until this one. She was so much like her mother, but her bits of defiance and boldness made her stand out. At some point in the evening  Sebastian and Alice realized it was a little too quiet. They ran about the halls until they saw Annie asleep at a coffee table. Alice walked over and pulled a drawing from underneath the sleeping girl and tucked it away. 

Carrying Annie to bed and tucking her in made him want this. He could have been in her life more if he had just apologized sooner. With a soft click of the door, Sebastian knew he had overstayed his welcome. But being there with them made him feel like he was missing something beyond Alice. He wanted a family. 

The walk to the front door was silent but he almost preferred it that way. It wasn't until he was about to apparate home that he called out to Alice. Her wavy hair framed her face, making her look so much younger. The girl he saw at the lake. All those times in Hogsmeade. This was his chance to have her in his life again. And he wasn't going to waste it. "I'm sorry for how I acted in our seventh year. I never once asked what you wanted. Never once did I think your mercy for my antics would run out. But when it did, I knew I was a fool. I tried to replace you. Each time was unsuccessful. This isn’t me asking you to forgive me all at once, but if you see it in your heart to let me in your life, I'll be there for you."

[theresawritesstuff]

Midge can wear Lenny’s clothes, and looks super hot or cute in them, but Lenny gets all pouty and mopey because they can’t wear Midge’s for whatever reasons

(Drunken flirting ahead)

"''t's not fair," Lenny mumbled into her hair as he drunkenly nuzzled her neck from behind, wrapping his arms around her buttondown clad frame as she got ready for bed.

Finally. Who knew Shy Baldwin's new year's eve party would keep them out so late. 3:45am and they still were some of the first to leave!

"What's not fair?" she wondered in amusement.

"You. In this. Not fair."

"I thought you liked when I wear your shirts," she teased.

"I do! That's why it's not fair," he hiccupped. "I'm powerless against it. You wear my clothes better than I do. Make them smell like you. Put one on after you've gotten your hands on it and it's all I can do not to rush home that second and take you to bed. Just thinking about you wrapped up in my clothes which you usually wear in our bed ...drives me wild. And I have no equivalent option."

"Is that right?" Midge smirked.

Lenny pouted at her in the mirror, resting his head on her shoulder."You know I can't pull off your clothes, sweetheart."

Her smirk widened into a grin. "Oh I don't know, I think you've proven yourself pretty adept at that."

"You know what I mean. One of your outfits on me with these shoulders and these gams? I'd look ridiculous."

"Is this a roundabout way of saying you want to revisit your drag act? Because there's a shop on Christopher Street--"

"No, I'm good with my suits thanks," Lenny laughed. "I just wish I could do the same for you. Drive you wild in the most delicious ways when you're supposed to be focusing on something upstanding and responsible."

Midge exhaled thoughtfully, turning to him.

"Everytime you do the dishes in those silly rubber gloves of yours, or step up to the plate for me and the kids. Or bring home takeout because you know I've got a gig that night. The little notes I find from you tucked in the margins of my notebook. That's my version of the borrowed buttondown," she confessed. "And..."

His brow arched in anticipation as she hesitated.

"Sometimes I keep one of your ties in my purse. For when it's going to be a long day and I need a little piece of you with me. But mostly just... knowing how much you love me."

Lenny blinked, nodding as he took in her answer.

"Well put, Mrs. Bruce."

He took her hands and started pulling her towards the bedroom. "Permission to remind you?"

Midge smiled at the offer. "Only if you're up for it. I recall finding you asleep hugging Shy's ottoman earlier."

"You're wearing my shirt. I think I can manage for another hour."

[snootlestheangel]

For Bryn and Bailey:

What’s a hobby they would wanna try but haven’t for whatever reason?

Do they bite their tongue/inside of their mouth often?

What is their favorite frozen treat? (Snow cones, ice cream, popsicles, etc.)

What is their sleepwear like? (Nothing, t shirt shorts/pants, matching sets, etc.)

Pick two songs: one for the beginning of their story and one for the conclusion.

What is their worst nickname? What is their favorite?

Do they match their socks or just out whatever on?

If they had to turn into an animal what animal would it be?

What is their comfort movie/show?

How many blankets do they sleep with?

Do they have middle names? If so, do they hate them or like them? Would they not like being called by their middle name?

If they had a tumblr blog what would their username be and what would they blog about?

What is a part of you that you put into your oc?

What’s something you hope people notice about your oc?

Left, right, or ambidextrous?

What is something that inspires them?

Would they want a tattoo? If so, what would they get?

How do they feel about hats? (I have a vendetta against hats. They make my ears poke out.)

How is your character perceived by others? How true is that perception?

I hope these are okay. They were fun to think up! If it’s to many just pick and choose which ones you wanna answer!

And if this wasn’t enough I’ve got a longer list I use for my own ocs I can send!

Bryn would love to do jewelry making but she already works a lot with her hands and just doesn't have the time. Bailey would love to learn any instrument but her family never had the resources to let her learn. Don't worry, the second Nik and Price find out about this they're doing everything in their power to help her reach this.

Bryn doesn't chew on the inside of her mouth or anything, just mostly purses her lips. Bailey is constantly chewing on the inside of her mouth.

Bryn is a big fan of those fruit popsicles. Bailey loves most cold sweet treats, but her favorites are mint chocolate ice cream and Snickers ice cream bars.

Bryn often sleeps in shorts and a shirt, but sometimes just forgoes putting any bottoms on. Bailey is wearing those fuzzy themed pajama pants and old shirts that were hand-me-downs from her older sisters

I'm honestly gonna come back to the song thing. I can't think of any right now and I don't have the capacity for it atm. I really want to do it but I just can't get brain to do it

Bryn's worst nickname might be Cherub, which is a play on her callsign "Angel". Bailey's worst one is Bales, which is a play on shortening her name to Bailes, and then saying "hey" in front of it. So like, hay bales instead of "Hey, Bailes".

Bryn is chronically bad at never folding her socks and just picking whichever ones are close enough in style/shape to work. Bailey must have matching socks. She cannot function if she doesn't have matching socks.

Bryn might decide to be something like a horse or a deer. Something majestic in that area. Bailey would love to be a cat.

Bryn's comfort show is admittedly Friends. She knows its a bit overrated and stuff, but she still finds so much comfort in it. It always makes her laugh and it just feels good. Bailey's comfort movie is Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, but secretly, her comfort show is Crashbox. She grew up watching it with her siblings at her grandparents' house and she just would cry if she got to watch it again. (if anyone knows what Crashbox is I am platonically kissing you rn)

Bryn does have a middle name: Alice. It's after her grandmother and let me just say, she'll kill you if you call her Alice. It's one thing most people don't know about her, even if they've known her for years. Bailey's middle name is Rene, and she's okay with it. She'd prefer if you didn't use it, as it's the same as her mother, and she just gets emotional hearing it.

Bryn's tumblr would be something like "guardianangelthings" and she would be a medical related things blog. Just kind of give a lot of medical tips, lots of advice for things, and then lots of stories about things she experiences as both a combat medic and a doctor. Bailey's tumblr would probably be "grayseesincolor" and it's a blog based solely on photos. She reblogs a lot of photos of animals of all kinds, nature, people being people. Sometimes she includes photos she's taken. The whole point is like "here are things that made me happy so I'm sharing it"

Bryn is my gentleness, my desire to help and care for others. Bailey got all my autistic traits.

I hope people notice that Bryn will squint her eyes when she smiles, exactly like I do (just putting everything into that smile, it's why I get complimented on my smile so much). For Bailey, I hope people notice that she's unashamedly autistic. Part of the reason I made her autistic like me is cause I want her to be living a life that isn't like mine, where she was never made to feel like she needed to "hide" the autism.

Bryn is a bit ambidextrous by having trained herself. She's a medic and in the military, so she felt the need to be able to do things with her nondominant hand. She's technically right handed. Bailey is very right handed.

Something that inspires Bryn is when she sees recovered patients and they can show off how far they've come. Bailey is inspired by the hard-working, dedicated people that suddenly surround her life (the 141 boys and Laswell).

Bryn would want small angel wings on her back. She thinks it'd be funny/cute. Bailey hasn't thought much about tattoos, and isn't sure she would ever want one.

Bryn is okay with hats, but she's still a bit particular. Bailey either loves hats or hates them and it literally depends solely on her mood.

Um idk? I think Bailey is perceived as precious and sweet and that is exactly how she should be perceived.

[potatoes-tomatoes]

Those questions are all so good, I can't pick!

1-30 pls? The ones you feel like doing 🫶

I have special interest in your thoughts on veganism tho

chipotle order?

carnitas bowl with pinto beans lettuce tomatoes crema guac and cheese

2. thoughts on veganism?

ain’t for me. I wasn’t born and raised to say no to meat as a hispanic texan. I feel it’s too self righteous a lifestyle, and somethin that’s very…hm… class restricted I’ll say. You gotta be able to afford sayin no to animal products. I understand in practice it’s so that one doesn’t partake in the loss of life or harm to an animal… but it’s like, why restrict that guilt to animals? Why restrict it to signals only we easily perceive? Trees and plants communicate to each other too, they also send their own signals of distress when in danger. They’re their own form of sentient. Whatever we eat, we are taking some or all the life of. (I guess except for eggs? bc that's just chicken period) That’s just something we must accept.

Also sometimes the marketing for it I find is funny. “vegan leather” you mean synthetic shit?? "yeah I'm sippin outta my vegan cup oh what brand is it you ask heh, Solo." like c'mon man. get outta here.

3. a specific color that gives you the ick?

I believe all colors have the potential to be beautiful within the right palette

4. mythical creature you think/believe is real?

answered!

5. Favorite form of potato?

Frenchly Fried

6. do you use a watch?

nah just my phone

7. what animal do you look forward to seeing when you visit an aquarium?

the seals

8. do you change into specific clothes for the house when you get home?

ya my pjs (old shirt and sweats)

9. do you have a skincare routine (and how many steps is it)?

wash my face with face cleanser, put on moisturizer. every other day or so I put on an innisfree mask.

10. on a plane, do you ask for apple or orange juice?

I ask for a coffee with two creams and no sugar.

11. anything from your childhood you’ve held on to?

Oh many things, i got a bin full of em. sketchbooks, elementary yearbooks, diaries. My prized posession is my first stuffed bear, Clover. She’s stuck with me since I was 6 years old!

12. brand of haircare/bodycare/skincare that you trust 100%?

;–; none of them they all did me dirty. and I get too overwhelmed to look into what brands are the cheapest and best for my skin/hair.

13. first thing you’re doing in the purge?

stealing money to pay off my goddamn loans. That or I'd like to know who directly could cancel my loans (like is there a. like a "cancel loan" button on a computer or what. who's in charge of that button. I'm so smart guys I know exactly how the banking system works) so I could spook them into getting it done for me. I wouldn't hurt anyone, but I'd look the part to get them to do what I want.

14. do you think you’re dehydrated?

nah i drink plenty water.

15. rank the methods of death: freezing, burning, drowning

oof that’s tough. They all seem equal to me.

16. thoughts on mint chocolate chip?

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!

17. an anxious compulsion you do everyday?

I often check to see if my back is straight or if I’m not pursing my lips

18. your boba/tea order

matcha or taro, blended.

19. the veggie you dislike the most?

lima beans eughhh

20. favorite disney princess movie?

Tangled

21. a number that weirds you out?

my ex's (badum tsh)

22. do you have an emotional support water bottle?

I am in possession of only one water bottle

23. do you wear jewelry?

no. I own some though for some reason.

24. which do you find yourself using, american or british english?

American, but I prefer using the british grey instead of american gray.

25. would you say you have good taste in music?

My taste in music is the only thing abt myself I’m confident in hgjkfd yes I would say so.

26. how’s your spice tolerance?

Take a look at my hispanic card you’ll see “güerita“ in bright bold lettering. 

27. what’s your favorite or go-to outfit?

jeans and a t-shirt with my chanclas 

28. last meal on earth?

Fettuccine Alfredo

29. preferred pasta noodle?

Bowties, they funky

30. ask me anything !

well gosh how am I supposed to answer this one y’aint sent me nothin on it pinsky XD 

[ekatkit]

I'm gonna put a bit of a rant list under the cut if anyone wants reasons to vote no. It's mostly just me over thinking this and not meant to be an attack on anyone.

This doesn't specify "clothes" so EVERYTHING you wear from make-up to clothes to wigs to hair accessories (yes hats are included in "hair accessories") to purses to pins to scarfs to belts would have to be in the color you chose.

It is fucking hard to find colored pants unless they're blue.

You wouldn't be able to wear anything that isn't monochrome. Yes, that shirt that fades from dark blue to light blue is monochrome. No, that shirt that goes from red to pink isn't.

Personally, I cosplay as my OC's and they have a wide range of styles and color preference and it helps with figuring out their personalities.

It says "cannot be black" so black is considered to be a color in this scenario and if you wear makeup, good luck finding a colored mascara.

It doesn't say whether white is considered to be a color, but I assume that op just assumed that they needed to specify black since it's a color typically worn in a monochromatic fashion. So white is probably considered a color in this scenario.

I don't know about you, but I can't afford to buy an entire new wardrobe rn. (I do have some monochrome shirts, but not many and almost none of them are the same color)

I might actually die if I couldn't dress based on the vibes I got from the clothes (ex: I have two of the exact same shirt in slightly different shades of blue. they have different vibes)

I like to wear multi-colored clothes too much to stop wearing them.

It's so fun to wind up in the scenarios where I've accidentally color matched with someone in my family when we go on outings (sometimes even multiple people!)

I'd start to resent whatever color I picked after a few months

[nirvanawrites111]

My Right Hand Man Part 3 (Sub!Wooyoung x Dom!Reader)

Word Count: 6333

Tw: held at hun point, violence, drinking, eating Wooyoungs ass like it’s brunch , cum eating, oral (male receiving), drama, toxic relationship, mentions of anal, femdom, Gangteez

A/N: this idea was so random and I had so much fun. It's longer the last chapters but it's chaotic. Plus, I love Wooyoung🥹.

Part 1

Part 2

"Or, maybe your body will need to be cleaned up?" San's aggressive voice echoes in your spacious bathroom, and your wide glassy eyes are met with his gun. 

San's black nine-millimeter matches his black joggers and hoodie. You don't remember him wearing that to the meeting earlier. Did he go home and change before he came to assassinate you?

Wooyoung slips from underneath you and moves in front of you, using his body as a shield to protect you. Wooyoung is too precious; the last thing you need is him dying. You wouldn't be able to go on without him. 

"Wooyoung, why are you protecting her?" San challenges Wooyoung.

Your heart pounds louder than a marching band drum at a Friday night football game. Your life is in the hands of someone else. Someone who has it out for you since you stepped into Hongjoong's position. 

"Because she didn't do anything wrong," Wooyoung voices. 

"How did you get inside my house?" You question.

"Your house? Last night I checked this mansion belongs to Kim Hongjoong. Not, you," San replies.  

"Whatever. So, you're willing to kill me and take away the only person your best friend loves?" You argue and squint your eyes.

"Love?! This man doesn't love you. He's using you. Tell her, Wooyoung," San steps closer and moves halfway through the bathroom. He puts his gun on the counter next to your purse. 

His shoes click against the marble flooring. Why the fuck does he have shoes on in your house?

"Is this true?" You lean against Wooyoung's arm and wrap your arm around him.

"I.." Wooyoung stumbles over his words. "It's true," he forces out an answer you aren't ready to hear. 

Your lips tremble, and your throat is hot. There's no way he's being honest right now. You've been each other's support system through this transition, and now he's singing a different tune. 

A slight grin builds on San's face. But, this can't be true. Why would he get in his feelings and confess that he loves you if he's lying?

"Nope," You shake your head in utter denial. "Baby, are you serious right now?"

"Yeah, it's the truth. It was just sex," Wooyoung back is to you so that San can't see your naked body, so you can't see his facial expression. But, his honeyed voice expresses something different. 

You reach behind you carefully and grab the edge of the table out of the side compartment of the tub. You press the cool metal against Wooyoung's temple.

"Are y'all setting me up?" You question. Your senses are heightened now, and you're unsure what to believe. 

"Y/n, you're not crazy," San commands and takes another step.

"Don't take another step, or I will kill him," You say.  

"Goddess, please," Wooyoung pleads, and you want to believe that he made it all up, but the coincidence has you thinking otherwise.

"Let's talk this out," Wooyoung begs you. 

"Nope, you were using me the whole time. I made you scream on my strap, and now it was all a lie. Does San know all of that?" You raise your voice at him. Your words are cold and full of venom.

You never talk to him like this, but you might lose everything because of him.

You didn't want to go out like this. You never thought you would make a misstep like this, and for some reason, against your better judgment, you allowed him to come over to your house. 

You never do that. 

You let your guard down entirely only to be in this vulnerable and exposed state. You didn't want things to blow up like this. 

"See, this bitch is crazy. She's willing to kill you. I told you to stay away from crazy bitches," San insults you, and you take a deep breath. You block out his rude tone and judgment.  

"So, did you two plan this out? Why are you here, San, and what do you want?"

"Nope, I had my suspicions about you two. I'll admit you two did a good job keeping this secret from me until today," San sits on the toilet. 

"Get to the point, or I'm going to kill Wooyoung," you say. 

"You would kill him? After you've been using him?" San asks. 

"He used me remember? So, I would. I'm not going out like this," you say. You release the safety because time is running out. 

"I want Gangteez, and you leave town. We can act like this never happened," San offers you an opportunity to start over. 

Of course, he wants to run Gangteez. After you have brought them to new heights and levels of money. San wants to capitalize on your hard work. 

"Hongjoong is locked up. If he finds out about Wooyoung and me, he isn't going to care," you add. 

"Oh, he's going to care, and he will kill you," San insists.  

"Fine, you can have it," you huff.  

"You have an hour to pack your stuff. Leave your burner phone and your keys. I will handle Hongjoong," San gets up from the toilet.

San walks to the door, and he stops at the door. "Oh, and Wooyoung can't go with you, either."

"You are not getting your fairytale," San adds. 

"Wooyoung, let's go," San says. 

Wooyoung hops out of the tub and grabs a towel. He snatches his clothes off the floor and bolts out of the bathroom without looking back. You don't get a sorry, or I love you. You can't believe he left just like that. 

You stand up and get out of the bathtub and grab a towel. You cover your body and dash into your room. You lock your bedroom door and place your gun on the dresser.

You go over to the window. You watch Wooyoung and San head to the car. 

"Really, Wooyoung?" You shout, and it isn't like he can hear you. You dry off your body and moisturize quickly. 

Your hands are shaking. You want to process everything that happened, but it's not enough time. You text your housekeeper and give her very detailed instructions because there is no way that you can go through that front door. 

You head over to your closet and grab the first tracksuit you spot. You toss it on the bed and go over to your dresser. You grab a bra, thong, and t-shirt. 

You still can't believe Wooyoung fucking played you. If he didn't want to be with you, all he to do is tell you he's done. Staging a stick-up isn't how you end things. 

You can't figure out why, but it's too late to think about it. 

Is Wooyoung really going to leave you? There wasn't any point of you running off from Gangteez unless you had Wooyoung by your side. 

Did he mean what he said earlier about using you? There's no way that's true. Now, because of one mistake, you are going to lose everything. 

The risk you took doesn't mean shit if he's not going to run off with you. 

Now, because you made a wrong move by fucking him at home, you have lost everything. 

You go into your closet and get on your hands and knees. Your hand touches taps against the flooring until you feel the one tile that can be removed. 

You flip it over and grab a couple of stacks of money to support your travel. You grab your spare burner phone. 

You power it on and call your emergency number. 

They answer on the first ring, and you hurry up and grab the emergency suitcase you have tucked away since Hongjoong left. 

You go to the back of the closet and push the wall. You go to the hidden elevator into the ground. 

"I've fucked up bad. You need to come to get me. Send someone for me."

"Done." 

They end the call, and you ride the elevator to the basement. You just have to wait it out until San leaves.

****

Wooyoung gawks out the passenger window waiting for you to walk through the front door. He squeezes his burner phone, and he flips it open again. He knows after what was said that you're probably mad at him.

He deserved your anger and your silent treatment. This was his time to walk in the sun with you. He should have chosen you in front of his best friend. 

Instead, he raced out the door without saying sorry or we'll talk later. 

Wooyoung doesn't know how he will make this right, but he wants to figure out a way to prove to you that he's serious. 

He's partly afraid that San would have killed you. You don't deserve that.  

"This bitch has five minutes left, or I'm putting a bullet through her fucked up brain," San spews his long-lasting hatred for you. 

Wooyoung is still trying to piece everything together, and he focuses on San texting, someone. 

"Why do you hate her so much?"

"Because she's a fucked up person."

"So, am I."

"Nah, it's different."

"How'd you know I was here?" Wooyoung finally speaks up for the first time since he left you in the tub.  

"I watched you get in her car. I was curious, so I followed you here."

"Oh, so why can't we just go home."

"I need to make sure she turns everything over to me. I can't believe she brainwashed you. Never in your life have you ever crossed anyone."

"She didn't brainwash me. I didn't cross anyone," Wooyoung hisses. San doesn't understand what you mean to him. 

"Yes, she did. What was talking about a strap?" San raises an eyebrow.

"I get fucked with a strap-on."

"In your ass?" San asks. He narrows his eyes and tilts his head. 

"Yeah. I love it," Wooyoung replies and blushes. 

"Okay, I'm not even going to ask anything else. Hongjoong brought you into Gangteez when you didn't have anyone," San reminds him. 

"I know. It wasn't on purpose. You act like I've been plotting on her or something."

San leans back in his seat and stretches his arms. "So, did you hit it raw?"

"That's none of your business. You always have to take away everyone I love."

"You keep falling for crazy hoes. She put a gun to your head and threatened to kill you."

"She wouldn't have killed me."

"How do you know?"

"She loves me."

San snickers and slaps his thigh. "If she loves you so much, why'd she let you leave? Not once has she texted you or called. She played you."

The clicking of the garage door catches Wooyoung's attention, and he sees your black SUV  jet pass them. 

"I wasn't checking my phone. I was looking at the time."

"Well, she's gone now. Let her go," San says. 

Wooyoung crosses his arms and stares straight through the windshield. 

***

"What happened?" Your former leader sits across from you in a leather chair. Their legs are crossed in their expensive gray suit with a half-empty glass of Whiskey. 

Not much has changed about their office. Still bland as fuck without any pictures or personality in the room. Just two couches, bare walls, and a glass table. 

Your hands tremble, and you cover your face. How could this happen to you? You take a deep breath and sigh. "I started sleeping with Wooyoung."

Their eyebrows rise at your admission, and they chug their drink. They place it on the glass table, which makes a slight echo. 

"Jung Wooyoung. I never expected that. Maybe San or Mingi. How did this begin?"

You swallow hard at your weakness. "It started with late nights going over the numbers. Those turned into sitting in the car talking until the sun rose, and then it turned to him becoming my submissive."

"So, who caught you?" Your former leader's gaze fixates on you. 

"San, we were bathtub at Hongjoong's house."

"That's pretty disrespectful, don't you think?"

"I know, but Hongjoong treats me like shit, and I feel seen when I'm with Wooyoung."

"So, now what? You're going to run off into the sunset with Wooyoung?"

"I don't know. You know I would never come to you unless it was the last fucking option," you breathe out. 

"Why would you move so sloppy like that?" They petition you almost and wish you had an answer.  

"I don't know. I'm in love with him," you confess, and your breath is shaky. You can't believe you've fallen so hard for him that you would let your guard down.  

"So, let me get this right. You fell in love with him, Wooyoung?"

You nod. "Yes, but now I can't go back."

"You're literally blowing up our whole plan over some dick. Did you have your eye on him the whole time?"

"I did from day one. But, you told me to go after Hongjoong. I fell for Hongjoong because I thought I needed a man who would tell me what to do. When he got locked up, I realized I don't like that."

"So, what do you want to do?"

"I need to get out of the country, and I want Wooyoung to come with me."

"You know this is going to start a war."

"I know. But, he's worth it."

"Alright. You know this is going to cost you."

"How much do you need?"

"I don't want money. You know what I want. I need information," they say. 

You roll your eyes, and you realize this is costing you more than you can offer.

***

"She just sent a text and said everything is in the garage and says you know the garage code."

"Okay," Wooyoung gets out of the car and walks to the garage. He enters the code, and he sees everything you left for him. 

He grabs it, and he stops in his tracks. He walks further into the garage and opens the freezer. He sees a burner phone and shoves it in his pocket. 

He closes the garage and walks back to the car. He hands San the duffel bag. 

"What are you doing to tell Hongjoong?" Wooyoung inquires. 

"She left a note that she couldn't do it."

"This is very thought out."

"Whatever, let me do it my way, or I'll tell him what you've been up to."

San arrives at Wooyoung's apartment and hits the unlock button. "Thanks to your bitch, I'm about to run the city," San gloats, but Wooyoung doesn't care. 

"Good for you," Wooyoung voices and gets out of the car. He heads upstairs to his apartment. 

He opens the door, hoping to smell your sweet vanilla scent but he doesn't smell anything. He closes the door and reaches into his pocket to pull on the burner phone. 

He expects a saved number, but there isn't one. So, he must wait for you to contact him. 

Will San make a good plan, or will he snitch on him? Wooyoung walks into his kitchen and opens the fridge. 

The burner phone rings, and his heart flutters for you. He swipes the green button over and answers. 

"Mistress, where are you? Come get me. Listen, I lied earlier in-" 

An unfamiliar voice interrupts his excitement. He expected you to be on the other end. 

"I know you've been fucking Y/n. So, let's cut to the chase."

"Who are you?" Wooyoung searches his brain, trying to figure out who this deep voice belongs. But, it's not registering. 

"Let's not worry about that."

"Listen, where is Y/n? I need to speak to her."

"Aww, you are in love with her."

"Just let me speak to her."

"It's funny how she has you wrapped around her finger, and you have no idea who she really is."

"I do know her. Now, tell me where she is."

"That would be too easy. You think you're getting your fairytale story?"

"No, seriously. Who is this?"

"We will see you very soon. Meet us on Treasure St. at the abandoned warehouse. Alone."

"What time?"

"Thirty minutes. We don't like to waste time."

***

You peep out the window from the second floor and see that Wooyoung is here with fifteen minutes to spare. You aren't sure if he will be down after discovering everything. 

But, if he showed up after what happened earlier, maybe you two can move forward. 

"I guess he does love you," My former leader whispers, and we watch him enter the building.  

"I love him, too."

"You know how I feel about distractions."

"He's not a distraction."

The door opens, and one of your former leader's guards pushes him into the room. Your eyes sparkle when you see the love of your life.

Wooyoung races over to you but stops when he sees who is standing beside you. 

"Y/n? What the fuck?" Wooyoung's jaw drops, and his eyes peer from you to your former leader. It's a complicated situation. 

"I know. I know. It's fucked up. I have a lot to explain," you attempt to soothe things over. You move over to Wooyoung and stand in front of you. 

"I will leave you two to talk. I'll be in the car waiting, Y/n," my former leader says and heads out the door. 

"Why are you here with him?" Wooyoung's right leg is tapping, and you already know he's upset. You move closer to him and hold his waist. 

"Baby, please. I need you to calm down."

"No, you put a gun to my head today, and now you're here with him. What's going on?"

"No, he's my brother," you groan. 

"Bangchan, is your brother?" Wooyoung covers his mouth, and his eyes widen at your revelation. 

"Yes."

"So, you were going to set up your brother?"

"Yeah. I knew he didn't care about the corners, so that it wouldn't matter. It was just to get Gangteez to build trust with me."

"And the gun thing?"

"I wasn't going to pull it. I'm sorry for that, but I knew San wouldn't kill you. I was trying to protect myself."

"Wait, Mistress. So, you've been lying to me.. hell, you've been lying to Hongjoong."

"My brother wanted me to get closer to Hongjoong to take him out. I fell in love with him. Then I cut my brother off. But, today is the first time I've talked to him in years. I legit thought San was going to kill me."

"So, why am I here? Because I'm not working for Bangchan."

"My brother is going to get us out of the country. We can start over."

"You are related to our enemy, and you want me to breeze past that?"

"Listen, either you want to be with me, or you don't."

"I want to be with you."

"So, be with me. Why did you say you were using me."

"I lied. You know, I just said that to mislead San. He doesn't understand what we have. Plus, I thought he would have killed us both. You know he's crazy."

"Exactly. So, let's leave together. No telling how much Hongjoong knows, and I have no way of finding out."

"Y/n. This is a lot. So, you expect me to leave Gangteez after finding all this out."

"Yeah, you said you would. Were you lying?"

"Before I found out what you did. We've only known each other for three months, and you want me to abandon my brothers for you. After you lied."

"Jung Wooyoung. I'm not a perfect person, and neither are you. We're both criminals. What can you expect?" You caress his face. 

"Are you playing with my head?"

"No, I want to start a future with you. Have your baby. Start fresh and leave the drug game behind. This is our chance."

"You want to have a baby with me?"

"Yes. I want a fresh start. I'm in love with you."

"This isn't a setup or anything, right?"

"I promise it's not. You know we can't be together here because Hongjoong will have us killed."

"Let's go," Wooyoung declares, and your heart melts hearing there he wants to be with you.

***

Wooyoung looks down at you as he sits on the bed. He stares out of the window as you two coast through the clouds. You are both on the way to your new life. A new beginning and leaving everything behind. 

Wooyoung's back arches when your lips connect with his inner thigh. He strokes your hair and runs his finger across your bott9omlip. Your eyes are full of lust, and he can't help but feel special. 

You are the woman of his dreams. You are beautiful, your melanin always glows in the sunlight, you're bossy as fuck, and you dominate him exactly the way he needs. 

"Wooyoung, you're mine forever," you whisper against his thigh and run your tongue along the intimate place your lips just touched. 

"You're so damn bad, Mistress. I'm so addicted to you," Wooyoung moans out when you cover his length. 

You take him all in, and you want him to relax. The last eight hours have been nothing but chaos, and he deserves to chill after sacrificing everything to run off with you. 

"God, I love you," Wooyoung's moans fill the room of your current bedroom. 

His cute moans and shaky breaths tell you everything you need to hear.  

Wooyoung comes for you, and you swallow everything.

The plane lands, and your car awaits you to take you to your hotel. 

You grab Wooyoung's hand, and you grin at him. "We're home, baby."

You get to settle in your hotel. Thankfully, you have clothes for you and Wooyoung in there. But, other than that, you don't have much. 

"So, how much money do we have?"

"A half a million. But, don't worry. We can relax for a month and then get regular jobs like regular people to keep a low profile."

Wooyoung is quiet, but you aren't sure why. You look at him sitting on the couch. "What's wrong?"

"I just need to tell San that I'm okay. I know he'll worry about me."

"Baby, we're leaving everyone in the past. If he knows where you are, that puts us both at risk."

"Please, I at least owe him that."

"Okay, go ahead. I'm going to grab a few things from the market downstairs to hold us for a few days.

"Alright."

You head out of the room and downstairs so you can hit the street. Your gun is tucked in your purse. You grab a basket and fill it with paper plates, towels, soap, loungewear, and a few bottles of alcohol. You also grab a few pairs of flip-flops because it's hotter than you expected. 

You see a familiar face, and you freeze in your place. 

"Y/n, long time no talk," he calls and walks over to you. 

"Did Bangchan send you?" You groan at your brother's new sense of wanting to protect you. 

"Of course, he did. You know I must protect my favorite," Changbin tucks a curl behind your ear. 

"I can protect myself," you walk through the store and add more things to your basket. You go up to the counter, and the cashier rings up your items. You can sense Changbin's presence behind you. 

"Awww, you're looking out for your little sub. That's cute," Changbin eyes your items. He grabs your bags for you. 

"I care about him."

"More than you cared about me?" Changbin asks from behind you. 

"It's different."

"You know Bangchan still doesn't know what happened to us," Changbin mentions. 

"Good, it is none of his business."

"Or maybe he did, and that's why he pushed you onto Hongjoong."

"Maybe," you say. You get back to the hotel lobby and walk through it, and head to the elevator. 

"So, how will you introduce me to your boyfriend?"

"As my bodyguard."

You put your key in the door, and Wooyoung sits on the bed with a towel wrapped around his waist. 

"Hey, babe. I'm not sure if you know my brother's friend, Changbin," you point to him. 

"You didn't tell me I would have to be around more SKZ members."

"It's not like that. He's my bodyguard for a little bit. My brother wants to make sure we're okay here in Cuba."

"You don't need a bodyguard. You have me," Wooyoung says. 

"I know, baby. It's not my choice," you say. 

"Plus, I speak the language too. So, I'll be able to help y'all get set up with a place and stuff," Changbin says. 

Wooyoung doesn't respond, and you already know that Changbin is bothering him.

You reach into your purse and grab your phone. 

"Put Wooyoung stuff over there on the couch for me, Binnie," you instruct and go to the contact section. 

"No problem, Mommy," Changbin says and puts everything on the table. 

Your eyes gaze over to see if Wooyoung notices anything. Wooyoung's eyes are glued to Changbin, and he's stalking his every moment. 

You ignore Changbin's comment, and you hand him your phone. "Put your number in my phone so that I can reach you."

Changbin types into your phone, and his phone rings. "Now, I can call you, too."

You roll your eyes. "Changbin, leave, please. I need a shower and sleep. Thank you for carrying my bags."

"Call me if you need anything."

Once Changbin is out of the room, Wooyoung looks at you. "You fucked him.. before? Right?" 

"What gave you that impression?"

"Your body language with his."

"Yeah, years ago. It's not a big deal."

"He called you mommy."

"Fine, he was my first sub."

"Will he be a problem?"

"No, we're not like that."

"He still wants you. I felt it. I felt like I was the third person looking in."

You walk over to him, and he gets up off the bed. "Baby, please. I left everything to be with you. I love you."

"As did I. I love you, more."

You grab his towel and pull it off his body. You grab his butt and hold it while you kiss him. You want to reassure him that it's only going to be him. 

"It's okay to have doubts. But, I'm in love with you and you only."

"Can I taste you?" you whisper against his lips. 

Wooyoung nods, and you turn him around. You slap his ass and bend him over the bed. You plant kisses all over his cheeks. 

You love the way his body reacts when you embrace his ass. You realize you have no strap, and no lube. Your mouth waters, and you coat your fingers with saliva, and you finger his ass. 

You still kiss his beautiful round cheeks, and he moans out your name. All you want to do is please him. 

You stick your tongue and flick against his hole a few times and shove your tongue inside of him.  

"You like that, baby?" You ask him. 

"Mhmm.. Yes, mommy."

Mommy? You pull out of him. "I don't like that name," you tell him. "Don't ever call me that again."

"Yes, mistress. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Anything but that."

You return to tongue fucking your lover, and you stroke his dick while you please him. Wooyoung is panting your name. Your hands are stroking his length while you're deep inside him. 

"I love it when you wax for me," you compliment him. 

"Anything for you, Mistress," Wooyoung whines. You stroke his balls and tease his hole. You go back to fingering him, knowing that right now he needs to be fucked hard. 

"Mmmm... yess just like that. Mistress. Feels so good," he says, and his legs quiver underneath you. You know your beautiful lover is going to cum.

"Yess.. cum for me."

Wooyoung's body shakes, and he comes into your hand. You lick it off your hand. Wipe the rest against his lips. He runs his tongue to savor the taste of himself. 

"I'm going to shower," you say. 

You kiss his forehead, and you go into the bathroom. You turn on the water and wait for the shower to heat up. 

You stare into the mirror, and you smile as you brush your teeth. You see a text message from Changbin.

Changbin: I can't stop thinking about you... Can you tie me up like old times and beat me?

You sigh and groan at the text message. Wooyoung comes into the bathroom, and you close the message in a hurry. He kisses you on the left side of your neck. 

"Let's go out to the club tonight. Have a good time?"

"Yeah, that sounds like fun. I'm sure Changbin will have to come."

"I don't care. He will just have to watch us. Plus, I saw in your suitcase that you have your backup strap and a few bottles of lube." Wooyoung wraps his arms around you, and you sway a bit. 

"Yay! I forgot I packed it. I don't know why I thought I didn't. You wanted to get fucked, didn't you?"

"I do," Wooyoung grins. 

"After the club. I got you," you say. 

"Or you could we get a quickie going in the shower," Wooyoung says. "I need you, mistress."

"Fine."

***

You dance in the middle of the floor with Wooyoung, and his hands are glued to your waist. You never get to have these experiences with him. 

Being in public and being close to him is a moment you've craved for months. 

You are grinning and vibing to the music while he's keeping up with you.

"You want another drink, Goddess?" Wooyoung asks. 

"Yeah, rum and coke." 

"Alright, be right back," he shouts behind you. 

You sway to the music, a new pair of hands replace him, and you look down at familiar silver rings. 

"Mommy, I've been bad, and I need to be punished," Changbin whispers.

It's the liquor and the way he's moving his body with yours that has you a bit stuck. 

You snap out of it and pull away from him. The last thing you want to do is hurt Wooyoung. 

"No, I'm with Wooyoung, and you know that," you remind him. "Plus, I don't like being called Mommy anymore."

"What can I call you?"

"My name," you say. 

Changbin pulls you closer to him and sways the song. His muscular hand is on your waist, and you enjoy the music. His touch is starting not to feel foreign to your skin. 

"We can have our old thing again. He won't have to know. Just like how your boyfriend, didn't know?" Changbin jogs your memory of the past. 

You step away from him. "Nah, this is different. I love him," you say. 

"How long until you break his heart? You don't need love. You thrive on lust," Changbin says. 

"You don't know me."

"Of course. I knew you weren't into Hongjoong and only using Wooyoung to get away from him. Why do you always have to create chaos," Changbin tells you.

You step back out of his grasp and shake off whatever spell he's trying to use to pull you in. 

Wooyoung steps in front of Changbin, and kisses you. You are snapped back into your reality. Wooyoung is what you want, and you will not fall for Changbin's bullshit. 

"Here's your drink. You okay?" Wooyoung whisper against your ear and nibbles on it. 

"Yeah, baby. Don't worry."

"Good. What was Changbin talking about?"

"Bullshit."

You sip your drink, and Wooyoung searches your eyes. You can see the worry on his face, and he rolls his eyes. 

"Oh, did you ever talk to San?"

"Yeah, I told him I was good."

"Was he upset?"

"Of course, but he's just happy he's running Gangteez."

"Does Hongjoong know?"

"Nope, he says he's not going to tell him."

"Oh well." 

You go back to dancing to the music and see Changbin dancing with a woman out of the corner of your eye. 

You smile at them because, hopefully, he will meet someone else to take you off his mind. 

Wooyoung turns around and starts twerking on you. You are holding his waist and enjoying him throwing it back on you. He's working his body on you, and you see people watching y'all, but you don't care. 

"Yess, throw that ass, baby," you encourage him. You see someone coming towards you, and you pull him up. 

"You can't do that shit here," A man stutters, and you get in his face. 

"We can do whatever the fuck we want. We're not doing anything wrong," you say. You stand in front of Wooyoung and argue with the drunk stranger.

Changbin comes in between the two of you. He gets in his face and speaks to him in Spanish. You aren't sure what he said, but the man raises his hands and backs away. 

"You good?" Changbin asks you. 

"Yeah, I had him, though." 

"You can't start shit with strangers." 

"No, he was mad because Wooyoung was twerking on me."

"Oh, I thought he was being rude to you." 

"Let's get a shot on me. Come on," Changbin leads the way. You grab Wooyoung's hand, and you two follow him to the bar. 

The bartender places three shots in front of you. You all put your shots together and then down them. Changbin walks up to Wooyoung. He whispers something to him, and Wooyoung smiles. 

You watch them start conversing, and you order two rounds of shots. You hand them shots, and everyone throws back the double shot. 

"I think me and Wooyoung got off to the wrong foot," Changbin says in the circle of you. 

"Right, you definitely did," you say. 

"Well, How about I watch y'all fuck?" Changbin says, and Wooyoung starts laughing so hard that he grabs his stomach.

"Don't fall for it, Wooyoung. He's not joking," you say. 

"He told me you used to step all over him. We never do that," Wooyoung says. 

Your world feels like it's turning upside down. You don't need them bonding over sexual experiences. 

"That's because I'm in love with you, and I'm gentle with you," You grab his shirt, and you pull him into a kiss. You get into each other for a couple of moments. 

"Oh, you're gentle now? That's shocking," Changbin says, and you pull away from Wooyoung. 

"Love makes you do crazy shit," You say, and see a bit of shock on Changbin's face, but he quickly smirks. 

"I was once her side dude, too," Changbin announces, and you groan internally. You suck your teeth. 

"So, why didn't you end up together?" Wooyoung asks.

"She disappeared, and a few weeks later, I saw her at the club on the arm of Hongjoong," Changbin says. 

"Damn, that's crazy," Wooyoung says.

"Everything happens for a reason. It's no hard feelings, though," Changbin says. 

You step away and order another round of shots. Things feel weird between you and Changbin. You can't tell if he's trying to fuck you, or he wants to kill you. 

"Mistress," Wooyoung grabs your hand and kisses it. He can tell when you are uncomfortable. He noticed how your body tensed up each time Changbin spoke. 

He's not worried about Changbin at all. Even if you decide you want to fuck him, he knows it won't mean anything. 

You didn't fight for Changbin, nor did you try to get with him after. So, Wooyoung knows deep down inside that you are only serious about him.

"You want to leave?" Wooyoung asks you and kisses the inside of your hand. 

He doesn't want you to be uncomfortable. He thought he would talk to Changbin since he's forced to be around him. 

"No," you shake your head and hand him a shot. He hands it to Changbin, and Changbin heads off into the crowd. 

"You probably think I'm a fucked-up person," you turn around and face him. 

"No, we're criminals remember?" Wooyoung grins, and you both start giggling at his comment. You needed that joke because you were close to breaking down in the club. 

"Right. Changbin is in the past."

"Well, he said he's only going to be here for a month. So, if you want to fuck him to get it out your system, I'm cool with it," Wooyoung holds your waist. 

"Not you being a cuck."

"I'm not, but we're criminals remember? We don't follow society's rules."

"True. But, I'm not thinking about him right now. I just want to get settled into our new life."

"Well, if you change your mind, let me know."

You kiss his forehead. "You're precious. Let's go back to the hotel."

***

You wake up, and you see that Wooyoung is gone. A wave of panic runs through you, and you run into the bathroom. You call his phone, but it goes straight to voicemail. 

The door opens, and Wooyoung's laughter hits your ears. "See you later, bro."

"Where did you go?"

"Changbin and I went to the gym. His body is crazy. I'm trying to get like him."

"But, I love your body the way it is." You hug him and kiss him. 

"I know, but the gym was nice. Plus, we got to talk. I told him how I called you Mommy, and you flipped on me."

"I don't know how I feel about y'all talking about your sexual experiences with me."

"It feels good, you know. To hear another man who is comfortable in sexuality talk about being submissive. I couldn't share this with anyone in Gangteez. But, if you want me to stop, I will."

You hear a knock at the door, and you walk over to it. You look through the peephole, and you don't see anyone. You look down at the note. 

You grab it and close the door. 

I will see you soon, princess. 

Shit, no one else calls you princess, so you already know Hongjoong is coming to. So, who double-crossed you? You look at Wooyoung. 

"Hongjoong is coming," you say. 

"Fuck," Wooyoung replies.

Part 4

[juiceinpanties]

10 Things You Hate About Eddie Munson, pt. 2

Pairing: Eddie Munson/afab!reader

Rating(s): Chapter: PG; Fic: E

Tags: eventual smut, penetrative sex, oral sex (both m and f receiving), fingering, subbie!Eddie, masturbation (m and f), fake dating, van sex, secret relationship, antagonistic relationship to friendship to lovers, casual sex, not-so-casual sex, phone sex, drunk reader

Summary: Your best friend, Nancy Wheeler, is absolutey dying to date Steve Harrington, but her parents have the weirdest rule: Nancy can't date until her friends (e.g., you) do. Nancy begs you to date someone, anyone, and eventually you agree. Meanwhile Steve offers to pay Eddie "the freak" Munson to ask you out. What could possibly go wrong??

Notes: This is, quite obviously, a 10 Things I Hate About You au, with a slight twist. Throw in some fake dating, a 90s setting, and here we are. Thanks to @tonybourdain​ for dragging me in and continuing to enable me.

Please note the tags. This chapter is rated PG, but future parts will be smutty!

Feedback is always welcome and appreciated and PLEASE reblog! Completely blank blogs that just like will be blocked because I'm gonna assume you're a bot. I've been here a long time.

In case you wanna read on Ao3 instead

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4

Eddie pulls up in front of your house at 5 till 8. Good start so far. You're reluctant to take his van, but you already wrestled with it well before he showed up, so once he gets there you're resigned to the idea.

He rings the bell and smiles when you answer. "Mom, Dad, my date's here. See you later!" you yell over your shoulder. You grab his arm and drag him down the walkway.

"Uh, don't I need to meet--?"

"Nope, let's get going."

He isn't sure whether he's relieved or annoyed, but eventually he settles on relieved. He opens the door for you, a nice gesture you appreciate, and offers you a hand to help you climb in. You accept it, but only because you're wearing a skirt.

Eddie, ever the gentleman, does not check out your ass as you climb in. You don't notice what he is or isn't checking out, but if you knew, you'd be grateful.

Eddie has the radio blasting. You immediately crank the knob, then reach into your bag and pull out a tape. Eddie does a double take. "You brought...tapes?"

You shrug. "Always prepared," you say as you push it into the slot and turn the volume up again.

"Oh no! No no NO!" he says and hits eject.

"What?! I love that song! It's a classic!"

"Tiffany cannot be played in my van. It's not allowed. No!"

You smirk and buckle your seatbelt. "You knew it was Tiffany within two bars. Wow."

He glares at you before putting the van into gear and pulling out. "I'm a musician," he grumbles. "What the hell else do you have in that bag?"

Condoms, breath mints, $20, and lip gloss, but you aren't going to tell him that. "Odds and ends. I like to be prepared, like I said."

"Hmm." Girls amaze him. Purses are amazing. He wants to carry a purse. Just to have all his shit, right there. Tapes and safety pins and...whatever. "Convenient," he says.

"Hm?"

He shakes his head. "Nothing." He glances over at you; you're holding a little mirror in your hand and carefully applying lip gloss. He licks his lips and his eyes flick back to the road. "Pretty color," he says. "Looks nice on you."

You snap the wand back into the tube and drop it in your bag. "You don't have to compliment me, Eddie. We aren't really dating."

"It was a for-real compliment for a fake date," he says. "Trust me, princess: I know the score."

You're both quiet the rest of the ride, each lost in your own thoughts. Each of you is wondering if this whole thing isn't some stupid, epic mistake, but for different reasons. Eddie because he has to go to a fucking prep/jock party, you because...well. Just because. You have your reasons.

(And they have NOTHING to do with the crush you nursed on Eddie all through middle and a big chunk of high school. You got over that ages ago. It's not a factor.)

He finds a place to park near Sharon's house and cuts the ignition. "You ready for this?" he says.

Your mouth quirks. You lean in and press a shiny pink kiss to his cheek. "Don't wipe it off," you tell him. "Now we're both ready." You hop out before he can react, and with a deep, fortifying breath, you make your way into the party with Eddie Munson at your side.

---

The party is kind of lame and people are staring at you and yeah okay maybe you had one or two too many drinks, but you're not drunk. You're not! Tiny bit tipsy at worst. Where the hell is Eddie? It's hot in here and you want cheese fries.

"Hey!" you say to some rando you don't even know. "Where's Eddie?"

"Who?"

You roll your eyes and push rando away. "Never mind." You wander the crowd looking for a familiar head of bushy brown hair, and finally you spot him smashed in the corner looking like your dog after she had puppies and wondered what the absolute HELL are these?!

"Hey!" you call. You stagger to him and poke him in the arm. "You look miserable. Cheese fries?"

"Are you calling me cheese fries?" he says with a confused frown.

"No, doofus, I'm asking if you wanna go get cheese fries. Get outta here? Leave? Flee the scene?"

"Oh fuck yeah! Hey, how much have you had to drink?"

You hold your fingers up a smidge apart, then spread your hands. "I dunno. Some guy kept handing me cups."

"Some guy? Who?" He looks around, scouting the crowd over your head, but no one stands out.

"Y'know Grover?"

"Grover? There's a Grover at our school? Or do you mean US President Grover Cleveland?"

That makes you giggle uncontrollably. Eddie grabs your arm as you start to tip, and you sag against him. "Noooo not president! I mean Grover the guy! Blue guy! Sesame guy!" You squint as you struggle to remember. "Sesame Street! Thas it." You hum a few bars. "Sunny day, chasin the clouds away--"

"Yeah, I know Grover from Sesame Street," he says before you can launch into the full song. "Come on, let's get you home. I think cheese fries can wait."

"You're Grover!" you cry.

"Huh?" He freezes in the act of securing an arm around your waist to stare down at you.

"Grover! From Sesame--"

"No, yeah, we've established which Grover. But why?"

You giggle and reach up to poke his nose. "Blue. Fuzzy. Monster grrrr! But sweet. Not scary. Monsters scary but not Grover! Also Fozzie Bear."

He frowns. "Babe, you are drunk and I am so fuckin lost."

"Bears are scary!" you say as he starts you toward the door. "But he wears a hat and a tie and tells shitty jokes. Silly ol bear. That’s Pooh! But you’re not chubby. Fozzie or Grover, that’s you."

"Okay, yeah. I'm a Muppet. Thank you." He rolls his eyes a little, but on the inside he feels sort of...warm? Hm.

"Yup! Soft and squishy boy." You poke his side, making him wince. "Not chubby, but kinda squishy. Squish cheeks, squish squish," you say as you poke his cheek. He bats your hand down. "Grover boy!"

"Please never ever tell anyone that. I'm scary as hell."

You giggle and make a face. "Oooo so scared."

"Okay, come on." Arm around your waist, your arm around his shoulders, he manages to drag you a few feet. You are not cooperating.

"Oooo let’s dance!" you say, pushing away from him.

"No, nope, I don’t dance."

"Daaaaance with me!!" You pull him with you into the crowd and start to grind against him. It's. Distracting, and for a moment he lets himself be distracted. Then he grabs your shoulders and gently pushes you back a few steps.

"You said you wanted cheese fries," he reminds you.

"Yes!" You poke his nose. "Squishy Grover find me cheese fries!"

He frowns down at you. "Seriously, though, how much? You are fucking wasted!"

"Dunno. Daaance!!"

He sighs and wraps an arm around your waist to pull you against him and lift you off your feet. "Dance this way, princess," he says, sternly.

You wiggle away from him, and as you spin you spot Nancy and Steve. "Nancy! Grove, it's Nancy!" You beeline toward her and Eddie follows with a long-suffering sigh.

Nancy's expression darkens as Eddie approaches, and he quails. You collapse against her and hug her tightly. "Nannnnncy! Look, I brought Grover!"

"What did you give her?!" Nancy hisses at him. "She's completely wasted!"

He holds his hands up in surrender. "Nothing, I swear! She found me like this. She said some guy kept giving her cups."

"Guy?" Steve says. "What guy?"

"She didn't know, or wouldn't tell me, but I think it was more than just beer."

Steve glowers. "Be back," he says and heads for the kitchen to bust some heads.

"Get her home!" Nancy says to him. She gently untangles you from around her and hands you over to Eddie. "Safely!"

"I'm not an asshole," he says, scowling. "That was my plan."

"Good," she says. "I'll call you later," she says to you. "Or maybe tomorrow."

Eddie lifts you again and half carries/half drags you out to his van. He loads you in and gets your belt buckled.

"You're so sweet, Grove," you murmur and squish his cheeks again. "Freshman me is dying."

He frowns and goes around to his side. "Why is freshman you dying?" he says as he starts the engine.

"Big crush!" you say. You wave your arms. "BIG crush! Oh man Eddie Munson, so cute and weird metal boy with a guitar!" You sigh and lean against the window. "Went away though."

"Ha." He clears his throat. You had a crush on him!? And it went away?! No, you're just drunk. Don't know what you're saying. "Yeah, that happens," he manages.

You lean forward and shove the tape back in. "I think we're alone now!" you sing at the top of your lungs. It's not even that part of the song. "You put your arms around me and we tumble to the ground alone now!"

He can't help but laugh. "Alright, Tiffany, you got it." He turns the volume down a bit. "Let's get you home. Nancy's little but she's kinda scary."

"Mhmm," you murmur. You're running out of steam and slumped back in the seat. "Scarier than you, Fozz."

He huffs. "I really fuckin hope you remember nothing when you wake up tomorrow. A goddamn Muppet."

You just grin at him and reach over to poke his cheek. "Squish." Shortly after that you pass out, and Eddie is incredibly glad he can sneak you into your house without your parents noticing. Otherwise you'd probably both be dead, and he'd never be drunkenly called a Muppet again.