#if I knew how much she'd love this spot before I'd have done it way sooner

[nefja]

Golden Vigil

[wileys-russo]

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJKthRAT/

this but with Leah who hates it when you are more than two feet away from her because she needs you right by her side + reader who is always getting sidetracked while shopping and stops everywhere driving her insane

sidetracked II l.williamson

"-and then on wednesday we have to..." leah trailed off as she realised you were no longer walking by her. she quickly turned around, bumping into various shoppers with mumbled apologies as she finally spotted you.

"oi! babe please stop dawdling." your girlfriend sighed, gesturing for you to follow her. "but look lee! new flavours." you pointed to the packets of two minute ramen that had caught your attention, leah swallowing the sarcastic remark which so badly wanted to be spat from her mouth.

"that's nice love. but we really need to get this done, your mums coming over for dinner remember?" leah forced a smile as you again joined her, the blondes hands grabbing the shopping basket off the floor as you resumed walking.

"how could i forget? you invited her without consulting me!" you huffed as you gave your girlfriend a withering side eye. "you ask my mum over all the time without consulting me!" leah argued back, nudging you along with her elbow as she noticed you start to become sidetracked by something on the shelves.

"its always while you're at training leah that doesn't count." you scoffed, grabbing a few packets of pasta at her request. "no! put them in properly." the blonde warned as you lingered behind her intending to toss them in like basketballs once she'd given you some distance to shoot.

"baby you are seriously no fun to go shopping with." you grumbled dumping the pasta into the basket as the older girl pinched you for the comment. "shopping is an errand it's not supposed to be fun love." leah chastised tiredly, again grabbing the back of your top and tugging you back up as you squatted down to read something.

"when you're in love everything can be made fun! lots of couples enjoy doing errands like shopping together, stroppy." you poked her sides as the taller girl scowled at you which only widened your smile of amusement, knowing very well how much leah detested grabbing groceries.

"what time's the match again on sunday?" you asked, the blonde still not playing but back in full training so you both knew it was only a matter of time. "well kick off's at four but i'd like to get there by three at the latest so i can watch the girls-" leah again stopped mid answer noticing you were no longer beside her.

spinning around she spotted you hunched over with your eyebrows furrowed, reading the cooking instructions on a box of taco shells. "in for ten and out for ten leah, you are calm and you will stay calm." leah closed her eyes and mumbled herself an affirmation as she made her way back toward you, her frustration levels rapidly rising.

"can you believe these only take two minutes to cook? i guess they're like giant corn chips after all." you shrugged, eyes still scanning the box before leah wordlessly took it out of your hands and put it back on the shelf.

she held out her hand again without a word as you took it, linking your fingers as you filled the silence with your usual chatter, your girlfriend humming every now and then as she continued to grab what was on your list.

"can you go and get a dozen eggs please sweets?" leah sighed, nodding toward the other end of the fridges as you ducked off to grab them. leah meanwhile stocked up ham, moaning in annoyance as her favorite brand was out and she'd need to trial another.

"oh for fuck sakes where's she gone now?" leah glanced to where she'd sent you, noticing eggs but a distinct lack of you as she hurried off with a groan.

she checked aisle after aisle, but still nothing, and with each one her irritation grew more and more.

until finally she saw the back of your head and charged toward you. hearing footsteps come closer you glanced up, a smile curling onto your lips seeing the blonde hurrying over.

"lee baby look they have-" you started as your girlfriend reached you, taking the eggs out of your hand before placing the basket on the ground. "what are you..." you frowned as she messed around with her keys which hung off her jeans.

"there! now, you can no longer be side tracked or run away." the taller girl hooked the two of you together by your belt loops using the carabiner on her keys. "i wasn't running away! i don't need this." you huffed as she fixed you with a stern glare normally only reserved for her team mates when in captain mode.

"leah this is ridiculous." you whined, trying to unhook it as she smacked your hands away. "considering it has taken us over an hour to grab about twenty things babe, yes you do." leah huffed, grabbing the basket in one hand and grabbing your own with her other, tugging you along with her as you smiled awkwardly to those giving you strange looks.

"leah this is embarrassing." you hissed, again trying to unhook the two of you as she once more smacked at your hands. "oh but babe are you forgetting something?" leah smirked as the two of you finally reached the check out counter.

"when you're in love everything can be made fun, no?"

[practically-an-x-man]

Prompt:

"It's days like this that make me wish I had stayed in bed."

Hm... there are a few different characters who could fit this sort of angst, but I'm gonna go with Quinn for this one

____ Out to Lunch

Word Count: 2.0k Content Warnings: mentions of chronic pain, hurt/comfort, swearing

____

Quinn winced as she took another step down the street, leaning heavily on her crutches. She'd been walking too long, with too little a break, and she knew it. Partially it was the weather, too - wanting to rain but not quite summoning the moisture for it, which just left everything uncomfortably muggy and sent her joints into hysterics.

"Alright, love?" Billy asked from beside her, a crease pulling between his brows in concern. Quinn shrugged, not quite an affirmative.

"I've had worse."

It was true, but she was in a lot of pain regardless. Each step brought shooting agony up her legs, and her spine felt like the Leaning Tower of Pisa- which was to say, crumbling architecture at a very unpleasant tilt. She'd surpassed her daily quota of physical exertion at least an hour ago, and now she was paying the price for it.

"Dunno why One picked us for the fuckin' supply run," Billy muttered, Quinn's pain bleeding into him in the form of annoyance.

"Probably 'cause I pissed him off at that last briefing."

"Ugh. Dick."

"It'd have been done an hour ago if he'd sent someone else, too." Quinn pointed out, "And 'e knows it. It's a punishment that doesn't look like a punishment."

"I repeat my earlier statement. Dick." Billy huffed. He tossed his head, even as his eyes roved the storefronts and pedestrians they passed along the street.

Almost unconsciously, like a bell had chimed in their head, Quinn spotted a potential target. Their fingers slipped easily into the man's pocket, drawing out a thick wallet and tucking it into the sleeve of their jacket without so much as a heartbeat's pause.

"Not bad, Q." Billy murmured, hardly loud enough to be heard, "I saw that one too."

"Practically daring me to take it," Quinn agreed, pausing to adjust their crutches and using the motion to slip the wallet into a hidden pocket in her jacket. The weight of it was oddly comforting, the success even more so. Even on one of her worse days, her fingers were quick and confident. The pedestrian hadn't even spared her a glance. She'd never lost her skill.

A moment or two later, Billy's pace quickened as an idea struck him. They'd always found that awfully cute, the way they could read his thoughts in his movements like that. He turned to face them, walking backwards a few steps so they could see his smile. His green eyes shone in the sunlight.

"There's a good Greek place down the street," he said, "Can I take you to lunch?"

"I'd love tha-"

She took another step, but her crutch caught on an uneven sidewalk panel. She lurched forward at one, momentum twisting her body in an awkward way. Billy's eyes flashed with surprise, and he surged forward to catch her before she could topple. He moved quickly - quickly enough that she didn't go down - and briskly steered her into the nearest alleyway to look her over. His hands lingered on their waist, a firm grip that kept them from curling in on themself.

"Q?"

For a few long moments, she was in too much pain to speak. Their breath came in sharp gasps, and fire arced up and down their body in artillery bursts. Every muscle in their body locked up, like they'd been shocked with a bolt of electricity.

"Love?" Billy tried again, one warm hand pressed to her waist to keep her upright, "Talk to me, Aces."

"Fine." she managed, leaning her weight against the brick wall behind her to try and get the strain off her legs. She exhaled a tremulous breath, trying to pull herself together. Pain had scattered her thoughts like dandelion seeds to the breeze. She couldn't remember what they'd been talking about before.

"How can I help?" Billy asked, speaking fast. She could see the adrenaline wrought into his posture. His hands stayed steady on their waist, but one foot tapped restlessly against the sidewalk. He was a mover. He needed something to do.

Quinn shook their head.

"Just... hang on," they mumbled, face twisted in agony, "Holy shit that hurts. Fuck, man. It's days like this that make me wish I'd stayed in bed."

"Wanna take lunch to go, then? Head back?"

She grit her teeth. No, she wanted to sit down and enjoy a nice, private meal with her lover while she had the chance. Because she hardly ever had the chance. They never went into town like this. Either they were off on missions, or One forbid them showing their faces in public, or Quinn was simply in too much pain to consider so much time on her feet.

She wanted to take this chance to act like a normal couple. At least... semi-normal.

But she doubted crying into her souvlaki would go over well.

Billy saw the answer on her face before she said a word.

"Alright, uh, just hang here for a minute." he said, his hands finally drawing back from their waist, "I'll pick us up some food. What do you want?"

"I- I dunno," Quinn muttered. They were in too much pain to have an appetite, at least for the moment. That crease reappeared between Billy's eyebrows, but he nodded.

"Alright, I'll pick something for ya," he promised, then leaned in to peck her on the cheek, "Stay here, yeah?"

Quinn nodded, the action still tight with pain. Billy hesitated just another moment, his eyes flicking up and down her figure, and then he disappeared into the crowd.

And she waited.

Nobody spared her so much as a second glance. That was big cities for you - people saw a six-foot-three pink-haired punk propped up in an alley and weeping, yet they didn't even bat an eye. There was only one person who ever had, Quinn thought. Billy. Years ago. He'd found her in an alley a lot like this. He'd picked her up from the gutter, long before all of this.

For whatever reason, it was that thought that sent the tears falling.

They'd never wished for a normal life. That all sounded hopelessly dull, repetition into madness. For the most part, they very much enjoyed the life they had, all its excitement and risk.

But once in a while, they just wished they could have a normal day. Not a normal life- just a normal day. Twenty-four hours where they could go out to lunch, where their supply runs were for groceries instead of explosives, where they could hold Billy's hand instead of gripping their crutches.

Twenty-four hours where it didn't hurt to walk down the street.

Billy had to be so sick of this.

She wasn't the person he'd once known. They used to claim the rooftops together, all hairpin turns and leaps so daring it felt like flight. Now... here she stood. Leaned against a building like a coat rack with a broken stand, drowning in pain. She'd never be able to keep up with him again. Not like she used to. There would be thousands more days like this, and he'd be stuck taking care of her.

It was unfair in so many ways. He'd never complained, not once, but she knew that things were different. They could never go back to the way things were.

Did he really want to spend the rest of his life doing this? Changing plans with no warning, forced to surrender his rare chances at a normal afternoon, devoting his already-limited free time to taking care of her instead of doing something he wanted to do?

"Whoa, hey, you alright?" Billy's voice, shockingly tender, startled them out of their thoughts, "Need me to call Five?"

"No, ah-" Quinn started, shaking their head and swiping one hand across their eyes, "I just... need to get off my feet."

"Alright." Billy said, but didn't move right away. Instead he rustled through the bag of food, coming up with a Styrofoam container and flipping it open, "Loukoumade for the road?"

"Loukoumas," Quinn corrected, plucking one of the fried dough balls from the box and popping it into her mouth. Billy took one for himself, then closed up the box and tucked it back into the bag.

The walk back to the car was shockingly quiet. On Quinn's end, the pain sparked back to life the instant she started to move, and she was mostly focused on just keeping her steps steady. She wasn't quite sure what had Billy so quiet. Maybe he was still concerned for her.

Or maybe he's annoyed, her brain chimed in, Maybe he's not speaking because the restaurant was nice and he wanted to sit down, and instead you're making him eat his lunch in an old, sandy trailer in the middle of the desert.

They reached the car in near-silence. Billy held the door open for her, acting the part of a perfect gentleman. He set the food and Quinn's crutches in the backseat, then slid into the driver's seat.

He didn't drive. He just looked at her, fixing her with eyes the color of springtime. A moment later, his hand snuck over to rest on her knee.

"You sure you're okay, Q?"

"Aren't you tired of it?" they blurted, unable to hold the words down. Billy tilted his head.

"Tired of... what?"

"Just... all of this. The canceled plans. The fact that I can't keep up anymore. Just... dealing with me."

Billy opened his mouth and closed it a few times. He looked more confused than anything else.

"C'mon, love, you know I don't care." he finally said, speaking fast but with total earnestness in his voice, "Besides, they're not canceled plans, they're just... adjusted. And I'd rather have lunch back at the Graveyard where you're comfortable than cooped up in some stuffy Greek place. The hostess was glarin' at me anyway. They'd've gotten sick of us in there. And I've got that soda you like back in my trailer, too. The cherry kind. And booze. Don't forget the booze."

"You know I don't just mean lunch." Quinn pointed out, "I mean all of it."

"I know. And I'm tellin' you I don't care. We've been through this, Q. A dozen fuckin' times. Have I ever told you anything different than I'm telling you right now?"

"Well- no. I guess not."

"So wouldja just trust me on this?" he huffed, looking a little annoyed even as his eyes sparked with thinly-veiled concern. Irritation was easier than worry, they both knew that much. Neither of them had ever been the soft type. "I mean, hell, it's not like I'm just gonna wake up one morning and decide I'm done with you. We've made it this far, innit? I'm stickin' with you."

He squeezed her knee, his grip just firm enough to be comforting.

"It just... doesn't feel fair." Quinn sighed. It didn't, and it never would. She'd never be able to do enough to match the care he offered her. Even in this, she couldn't keep up.

"I mean, I'm the reason you've got to deal with One. I brought you into this whole mess." Billy shot back, a faint glimmer of humor shining through the words, "We're totally even. Hey- our food's gonna get cold. S'it alright if I start driving?"

"Yeah. Go ahead."

But he paused an extra moment, and stretched across the center console to steal a kiss. Quinn couldn't help but melt against him, emotions be damned.

"Hey, I love you, Q," Billy said as he pulled back, then shot them a broad and almost laughing grin, "Busted-up body or not."

It startled a laugh out of them, and Billy's grin widened for a moment. He dropped back into his seat and started the car, all heavier emotion cast aside just like that. Quinn tossed theirs out along with it. There was no point dwelling on it. Not with this, at least. Billy was right - they'd been through this a dozen times if not more, and he always said the same thing. He always stayed rooted to her, not faltering for even a heartbeat.

She'd never met a person quite as loyal as him.

[married-in-midwest]

Unavailable Part 3 (the real one)

So the "Unavailable" story really can't end the way I initially ended it. She's just too good of a girl to lose her gift. So here we go.

As she started to drive, her husband answered the text and had just wanted her to pick up takeout. She called him back and they talked for a bit. "Sorry for calling so many times. I figured your phone was muted so I wanted to catch you before you left."

She thought about that phone vibrating. Being held against her. She giggled just a bit and knew she couldn't think about "Him" and have an intelligent conversation.

"Oh the calls were just fine. My client didn't mind at all. I'll be home in a bit. "

When she picked up the order, they said 10 minutes. She felt like someone would be able to tell. Everyone was normal. As she stood there thinking about him, she jumped when the food was ready. Her mind was back in that room. Had she really zoned out to that extent?

Back in the car, she sent him a message. She was just going to go back tonight. Open the box. Wear whatever he wants her to wear. Whatever it is can't be much. And right now that's exactly what she wanted. To be naked for him.

He answered. "No you aren't. A promise is a promise. Words have consequences.

Also let me know when you're home safe. I slipped a bottle of arnica cream in your purse. It will help with the bruises.

But leave a small area on your ass untreated. I want you to remember what a good girl you were this evening, every time you sit down.

Next time I'll apply it for you. 😘 "

A promise? Shit. She had made him promise that he wouldn't try to fuck her. Why had she done that? Would she have agreed to meet him without the promise? Probably not. Internally she had needed that plausible deniability. Even tho when she arrived at his room, she knew without a doubt he would try, and she would probably let him.

"I changed my mind. "

"Promises don't work that way babygirl. Go home enjoy your evening. By the way, if I can't have you tonight, neither can he."

"That's not fair. This isn't fair. I'm going to cry.'

"How cute. I expect a picture if you do."

She was going crazy but what could she do other than go home. She took a moment to put her gift in the spare tire compartment. Wondering again if she could get away with opening it. No. She would stay a good girl.

After she got home, a bit nervous and feeling like somehow he knew. The dogs knew. Her friends would know.

Was she blushing? She wasn't sure.

She quickly opened the app and let him know she was home.

"Thank you for letting me know. Go be a good girl."

"Yes Daddy"

She walked inside, flustered but trying to act natural.

Her husband kissed her on the cheek. Pulled a stool out for her. She declined.

"I've been sitting all day. I'd rather stand."

Truth was that her ass was still stinging.

"How was the meeting?"

"Fine"

"Get everything you wanted?"

"Everything I asked for yes."

"You should have asked for more."

She ached at that thought. Quietly she said, "Yes I should have."

At that moment she had bent over slightly... revealing her bra a bit.

"Oh your wearing that set I bought you. Can't wait to take it off of you. I love those panties."

She had a bit of panic at she stood there, knowing she hadn't even protested as they were taken off of her. The pretty set was a Valentines gift. And how will she explain she lost her panties? Things get lost in the laundry right???

She would have let her husband do anything to her at that moment. But she wasn't allowed to tonight. The thought that HE was now telling her when she could let her husband have her. She was soaked. But said, "Let's try in the morning. I'm not feeling great tonight."

She locked herself in the bathroom and applied the arnica on her sore bottom...except that one spot. She thought about messaging him and asking for permission to fuck herself. She needed to hear him again. But she didn't dare ask. If he said no she'd die.

As she came, wishing she could feel him thrusting inside her, or at least close her eyes and pretend as her hubby filled in. She cried.

She opened her phone, then Tumblr, this ridiculous app that he knew was just a place she looked at flowers and other pretty things.

She sent him a teary, exhausted but not quite satisfied selfie.

"Aww there's my good girl. I hope you fucked yourself silly. Feel free let him fuck you in the morning. "

She could have asked. But she was still a good girl.

Somehow that made everything better.

She took a shower and pulled sweats on and slept like a baby that night.

[shadowphoenixrider]

The Rescue Gambit (5/5) Home Safe

(Previous: Escape)

"You all have my warmest thanks for rescuing Gambit." Professor Xavier spoke, turning to the group of mutants standing before him in his office. "That was an incredible feat of teamwork and use of your powers, worthy enough of my X-Men."

The group shuffled around shyly, Drifting winking out of existence in her embarrassment whilst a blush rose on Shadow's face.

"Thank you, Professor." She replied. "I-It was the least I could do, being the only one here and all."

Xavier's smile was kind and proud.

"Your hard work and determination has paid off today, Shadow. Do not sell yourself short. Since we took you in under our protection, you have grown and flourished in all the ways this school was formed to achieve," he said. "But I see now that my team and I don't have the sole credit for this." He smiled. "You've surrounded yourself with like-minded, incredible individuals that you can turn to whenever you require support." A sparkle of humour in his light blue eyes. "Your own X-Men."

"I-I wouldn't go that far..." Shadow chuckled nervously. "We're just...Just a group of friends who help each other out. Family, really." She glanced at Ebak, who smiled. "Some maybe a little closer than others."

Xavier nodded.

"Quite so. Again, you have my appreciation for your rescue. I am very proud of all of you, even if you aren't considered my students here."

He looked over the crowd, assessing.

"However, after your performances today, and if you wish it, I can offer you all the chances to stay and train here, much like Shadow has. Although, as I told her when she first came here, this is not a hotel, and you will be expected to pick up any tasks assigned to you."

His gaze rested on Ber.

"Ber. I am aware your situation is slightly more...complicated than the others. You may be under different tutelage, but consider this school open to you at any time." A smile played on his lips. "Wolverine would surely appreciate the chance to spar with a bear."

Ber smiled shyly.

"I'll keep it in mind, sir," he said softly, glancing at Shadow. She smiled at him, reassuring.

Xavier looked to Drifting, her powers sputtering for a moment before she re-appeared.

"Miranda. I am glad to see you have gained control of your powers by yourself. However, if you wish to become surer and more certain of them, this place has a spot for you."

Drifting nodded, mumbling an affirmative.

"Russell Lemon-" Xavier turned to the next in line.

"I'd love to stay here." Lemming spoke. "But my powers...Like I told Cyclops- Mr. Summers earlier, in comparison to the others, they're useless."

"The ability to manipulate one's perception of time is certainly unique." Xavier said patiently. "But not one that is useless." He glanced briefly to Shadow. "Shadow told me of how you used it to get guards to leave their posts in frustration, and you used it yourself to stay calm and focused whilst waiting for a possible call for aid. There might be depths to your power that you don't even know about yet, which with time and practice, you might be able to plumb, if you stay here."

Lemming frowned thoughtfully as Xavier turned to Myst.

"Janus Bradshaw." A flicker of annoyance flashed over the young man's face at his true name. "I have been aware of you for quite some time. It is a pleasure to finally have a chance to speak."

Myst blinked.

"You have?"

"Yes. Powers over reality like your own are uncommon, but easily detected. And, as you can imagine, very dangerous to be left unchecked." Xavier shook his head. "I am sorry I have not managed to contact you sooner. There were...other things occupying me at the time."

Shadow glanced at the professor, running through all the missions she knew the X-Men had done before she'd joined them. She drew a blank.

"Regardless," Xavier continued, "the offer stands now. If you wish to take it."

"I'll think about it." Myst muttered.

Xavier nodded, and looked to the last one in line.

"Ebak." A smile played on his lips. "It seems rather redundant to ask you if you've considered my offer after so long since we first met, but I shall reiterate anyway. The door is still open to you, should you wish it."

Ebak glanced to Shadow, and then to the others, before back to Xavier. A crooked smile tugged at his lips.

"As much as I'd like to make sure that one is safe," he said, nodding to Shadow, who pulled a face at him. "I need some more time. Give me time to clear up stuff happening at home, and I'll gladly take you up on it."

Xavier nodded.

"Do you have a current timeframe?"

"About a month, maybe a bit more." Ebak replied. "I'm sure you can understand." He arched his scarred eyebrow.

"Of course. As always, there is no rush." The Professor said, pulling back from the group to address them as a whole again. "The offer stands open to you all. Take some time to consider it before letting me know of your decision. Until then, the Mansion is open for the rest of the day. Stay here and recuperate. That will be all."

They nodded, and a chorus of 'thank you's went up as they filed out, Shadow included. Most of the group decided to go grab a bite to eat downstairs, but Ebak held back with Shadow.

"You really considering it?" She asked. "Staying here?"

"Sure, why not?" Ebak said, lifting his shoulders. A smirk grew across his face. "Why, is it something to do with that Cajun you've got your eye on?"

"I don't know what you mean." Shadow replied, looking away. "If you're talking about Gambit, we're just friends. I'd gather a rescue party if it was any of you who needed help!"

"Uh huh." Her brother's grin widened. "Just friends. Sure. By the way, do you kiss any of the others on the lips?"

"No?!" Shadow exclaimed, a blush darkening her face when she realized his game. "H-Hey, he kissed me first!"

"And considering he still has a face, you liked it." Ebak pointed out, his smug grin widening further. "Want to rethink your answer?"

"We're just friends!" Shadow insisted. When he arched his eyebrow at her, she sighed. "Okay...maybe we're friends with benefits. But it still stands - there's nothing going on between us but that!"

Ebak glanced around, before gently placing his hand on her back, leading her to a side-room, out of the eyeline and earshot of anyone else.

"Shadow, listen. You might be able to fool yourself, but not me," he said. "What I saw between you two was not just close friendship, like what we have. And whilst I can't speak on a 'friends with benefits' situation, I'm fairly sure that there's more there than just wanting to get into his pants." He cleared his throat. "Not that I entirely blame you on that."

He became serious once more. "Look, Shadow, if you're worried I'm going to be upset because I'm your adoptive big brother and that's what brothers do - I'm only going to be upset if he hurts you or breaks your heart. I admit, I don't much like the way he was acting with us back there, but he does seem to care for you." He gently took her hand, squeezing it. "I want you to be happy, Shadow."

She sighed, grabbing her arm with her other hand.

"You're right, I..." She took a breath. "I do have feelings for him. More than just...you know. I just...I just don't know if he returns them. I mean, you've seen the guy, the way he is. He could walk into a club and come out with the most beautiful people on his arm, easy as anything. I...don't see why he'd see anything in me."

"Well, that's nonsense." Ebak smiled. "You and Drifting are some of the most beautiful women I know. You're funny, smart, witty and a great friend. If he can't see that, then he doesn't deserve you." He looked thoughtful. "I think he does, though. See it, I mean. As much as I want to hit him sometimes, he seems to care about you, in his own way." He rubbed his scruffy chin. "Why don't you ask him?"

"Ask him?"

"Yeah. Be honest with him. Ask him 'hey, I'm getting some feelings for you, are you feeling anything towards me too?'" Ebak's eyebrows furrowed as Shadow wrapped her arms around herself. "I know it's scary, but you're gonna have to do it, Shad. You don't wanna leave it too late in case someone else crosses his path and actually starts showing a proper interest in him. You know what happened to Ber..."

"I know, I just..." Shadow took a shuddery breath. "Fuck, El. I thought I was done with this after I left Tom. Then I go and fall for one of the X-men! Fuck...!" Ebak stepped closer. "I'm just...I'm so scared if it goes wrong. I had to completely sever myself from Tom to try to get over him. I can't...I can't do that with Gambit. The fallout would be catastrophic."

"I know." Ebak said, gently urging her to look into his eyes. "But you don't know if that's actually going to happen. And you can't - shouldn't deny yourself the prospect of something good and wonderful just because it might go wrong." He smiled. "Do you remember how we met? That call for a group of pilots? If you'd never accepted the call, you never would have come down and met us. And we never would have met you. One little choice led to all of this. The step into the unknown. You've got to take that chance again."

He clasped her hands in hers. "But whatever happens, we're here for you. Always." A sly smirk pulled at the corner of his lips. "Although if he does break your heart, I've got the perfect weapon to break his knees!"

Shadow couldn't help it, she laughed.

"Ebak!"

"What? I'm just saying! Don't want him getting ideas that he can mess around with our Shadow..." He rambled, smiling broadly when she hugged him. He held her close, squeezing her gently.

"Thank you," she said as she pulled back. "I'll definitely think about it. Asking him, that is."

"Sure." Ebak nodded. "Just make sure it's sooner rather than later, okay? With everything the X-Men get up to, there might not be a 'later'."

"I know, I know." Shadow nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Good." Ebak grinning, stepping away. "Now, let's go and see what our idiots are up to."

---

As the excitement of new faces, being in the X-Mansion and having managed to blag a take-out for everyone faded, Shadow secluded herself in the library, appreciating the cloak of quiet that fell over her.

A light drizzle had begun, and she leant against the window, watching the tiny rain-drops slide down the glass, listening to their soothing pitter-patter.

The soft noise of fabric shifting sounded at the edge of her hearing, before she heard a deep rumble behind her.

"It just Gambit, chère," he spoke, just before his hands settled on her waist. "Mind if he gives ya some company?"

"No, it's okay." She gently touched his hand, turning around to face him. A soft smile played on his lips, a fondness to his gaze that warmed her. "How are you feeling now?"

"Better den new, all thanks to you." Gambit smiled. His hands moved from her waist to her forearms, slowly sliding down them to take her hands in his. "Really appreciate ya comin' to get me, Shadow," he said softly. "De others woulda come at some point, but Gambit didn't expect ya bring ya own crew. Thank you."

Shadow smiled shyly, glancing away from his dark gaze.

"You're welcome. I'd've done it if it had been any of my friends in danger, too. You're, we're family. We have each other's backs, make sure no-one gets left behind."

"Family, eh?" A smile played on his lips, and something flickered in his eyes, too faint and quick for Shadow to identify.

"Yeah." Heat began to rise into her face, and she hoped she wasn't blushing. "Ebak's the first to be all but my brother, but the others...they're close enough to be kin too."

"Family be more den blood." Gambit agreed, rubbing his thumb against her hand.

"Take it, Shadow." Ebak's voice echoed in her ears. "Take your chance."

Shadow swallowed, wetting her throat.

"Hey, Remy...?" She asked.

"Hmm?" He hummed, fixing her with a gentle stare, his black eyes deep pools of midnight ringed by ruby.

"I..." She began. "I..."

The words weren't coming. It was as if she'd forgotten how to speak, the English language so close and yet so far away. She grasped desperately for something, anything to fill the silence before Gambit became concerned and started asking questions - questions she felt like she would die from if she was forced to answer.

"I, I was really worried about you." Shadow managed to say, emotion swelling in her chest and spilling into her voice, weighing it down. "I was so scared that you would be-"

"Hey hey, it's okay." Gambit pulled her close, resting her head against his chest. "Gambit here now. He safe now."

Shadow wrapped her arms around his warm, muscled body, listening to the deep beat of his heart under her ear. The drum-beat of life.

"I know. When I saw you like that, what they'd done to you..." She shook her head.

"I been worse." He chuckled. "Like dat first time we met, remember?" He pulled back to look at her. "Maybe Gambit look worse dis time, but back den he felt worse. It hurt to breathe 'til ya put ya healin' hands on me, mon ombre."

He cupped her cheek, smiling. "Looks like we be even now, afta I brought ya in afta de storm."

Shadow uttered a half-laugh.

"You're still keeping count of that?"

"Course." Gambit said. "Always a good idea to be keepin' an eye on ya debts. Never know when ya gonna have to pay up." He leaned forward, his hair grazing hers. "Luckily our tab be settled now. Nothin' to owe each other." A small smile. "Not gonna have room for dat in de field anyway, with ya bein' our battle medic."

"That's a good point." Shadow nodded. Gambit made his own little half-chuckle, changing the subject.

"Sorry our time together didn't go as planned, chère." He smiled apologetically. "Will ya let Gambit make it up at ya?"

Shadow giggled, smiling back.

"Okay, sure, but next time you get any info from a source about an illegal operation smuggling God knows what, you'll pass it on to Cyclops and the others and let them deal with it, alright?" She raised an eyebrow at him. Gambit chuckled, holding his hands up.

"Gambit learned his lesson, chère! Next time we bring de rest of de team for somethin' like dat." A cheeky grin. "Perhaps we could bring some of ya friends too?"

"Well one, that's an army, not a team." She commented. "And two, they're not nearly as trained as I am. Ber might have more combat savvy, but they're all as untrained as I was when you first brought me here. You saw how they all froze up in front of that Sentinel." She glanced away, squeezing her arm. "As did I."

"Mmm." Gambit hummed, nodded. "Danger Room does its best, but dere be somethings you can't fake, an' one of dose things is one of dem. Lucky for us it seemed to be damaged. Fully functional one coulda ended very badly for us."

"Yes." A shiver ran down her back at the implication. I could have led them into a death-trap. "All the more reason you shouldn't rush into infiltration missions like that. Especially without your gear."

"Oui, Ma." Gambit commented, grinning as Shadow shoved him playfully.

"Twat." She admonished him teasingly, a deep chuckle rolling out from his throat.

A brief silence settled over them, the sound of the rain hitting the window starting to intensify as the drizzle became heavier, clouding the grounds beyond in a grey mist.

"Ya know, mon ombre..." Gambit spoke, his voice sinking into a deeper register that send shudders through her, his hands trailing down her sides. "Gambit never gave ya a reward for rescuing him." He stepped closer, his pupils widening alongside his grin. "How about Gambit take ya upstairs so he can show you his gratitude properly...?

Electricity sparked over Shadow's body, heat flashing in her chest at the promise in his words, delicious in its temptation.

Yet...she gently took his hands, meeting his dark eyes.

"As much as I'd love that, Remy, I'd...I'd prefer just to be with you, if that's okay?" She asked, running her hands down his arms, disturbing the waves of his arm hair with her fingertips. "Today has been a lot. I just want to relax."

Gambit's thick eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise. But a slow blink wiped all traces of lust from his obsidian eyes, his smile warm from honest affection rather than a sly tease.

"Bien sûr, mon ombre." He rumbled. "Whatever you want." He reached up, brushing some curly hair from her face. "Shall we find somewhere out of de way den?"

"Sure." Shadow smiled. "Is there a place here where we can sit down and watch the rain?"

"Gambit can find one for us." He smiled, taking her hand. "C'mere."

She followed with only the gentlest tug, falling into easy step with him as they moved into the darker, quieter sections of the library.

Near one of the bookcases, Drifting flickered back into view, uttering a sigh of relief that they hadn't noticed her. She too had been looking for a place to decompress, only to stumble into...that.

"'Just friends', eh?" She muttered, shaking her head. "Sure, Shadow. Sure."

You're not fooling anyone.

(Previous: Escape)

[itzpris15634]

Going Back (ft. Blythe and Roger)

Consider this a continuation to 'Butterflies' and 'The Things That Don't Matter'

===

Her week in Suburbia was just the break she needed. A little vacation from work, and a chance to revisit her favorite spots from her childhood. Her neighbors' wondrous cooking, her favorite boutique, and the local tailor shop. The big tree in the middle of the neighborhood where she liked to sketch. Catching up with old neighbors and friends. And the house for God's sake. Garden, bedroom, living room- all the photos, little decorations, and all the memories they held. Everything.

Blythe loved it all. She missed it all.

But knew she couldn't stay in Suburbia forever. She still had her whole life in Downtown City to go back to. Her friends, her job, and the cozy little apartment she got to call her own.

And while she'd prefer to be leisure with the time she had left, she had lots of preparations to make.

-

Blythe tugged and pulled at the zipper, groaning as she tried to zip her suitcase closed. But it was no use.

Oh, why oh why did I buy so many things while I was here?!

"Dad! Can you- ugh-! Please, help me out over here-!" Blythe cried out, hoping her father could hear her.

Footsteps sounded. The door creaked open.

"Blythie? What's wrong?" Roger's concerned face peeked through the door of Blythe's room.

Blythe relented, letting go of the zipper and stumbling back onto the floor, "Help please. I… can't get this thing to close…"

"Really?" Roger kneeled down next to his daughter. He opened the suitcase wide, "Maybe you didn't fold your clothes properly?"

"Nuh-uh, that's how I folded them when I was packing to fly here!"

Roger already got to work on taking every bit of clothin out of the suitcase, placing them on Blythe's bed, "Strange. And are you sure that was exactly the way you folded them? With this exact amount of clothing in it? Because I recognize a few of these from our shopping spree in the Beeline Boutique yesterday…"

Blythe's face flushed a little, "I uh… Look, Beeline Boutique was having a sale, alright Dad?"

Roger cracked a smile "You and your fashion, Blythe. I get it. You know, you really liked that place as a kid. You'd beg me to let you go in there."

"Yup, me and my fashion, Dad!" Blythe repeated.

"Either way, look, here's a way you can pack your clothes so you can fit even more into one space."

"Do teach me. Please?"

-

Thicker clothes were folded flat and normal. Thinner, delicate things were rolled up. Father and daughter got to work, folding and rolling clothes into the suitcase. Not many words were exchanged other than little instructions.

Blythe broke the silence that settled between them.

"Dad?" She said.

"Yes, honey?"

"How much time do I have before I have to leave for the airport?"

Roger glanced at the clock, taking note of the time, "Only 4 PM. I'd say that it's still quite early, Blythie. We have a couple of hours to spare before I drive you there."

"In that case… could we go around town again? One last time?"

"Really? Well of course! Anything you want, really."

===

Day 31: memory lane

Better late than never, right?

I'm gonna have to do a bunch of polishing on the fics before I post them on AO3. Spelling mistakes, totally wrong information, and overused phrases/words/punctuations galore. Lots of things I could have done better.

(Especially Pepper and her thoughts during 'By the Neck' because holy shit. Look, I was really tired when I wrote that, aight? …I was really tired when I wrote a lot of those ahahahaha-)

Soo yeah :)) I thank you greatly for reading and interacting with my little fics, and especially if you've left little comments! I love reading those.

[kaizenkhaos]

So I thought I'd write a little something based on @harringroveera post about Steve asking Robin about a certain thing XD

Due to the mature themes, I've kept the fic under the Read More. Nothing too heavy, just a bit of little smut where our pretty boy may like what he's getting through the post ;)

"Robin, is it gay to get a dick pick from your arch nemesis?"

Of all the things Robin thought would come out of Dingus' mouth today, this was not one of them. It was a Tuesday, school night, so it had been busier during the rush between school close and dinner time, but now it had calmed down. The occasional pensioner and couple gracing their presence but otherwise the store was pretty empty save them. Hence them taking their usual pondering spot whilst taking a break from sorting out new stock. The remainders of which was stacked neatly on the counter in alphabetical order. Something which Robin had done painstakingly to help them later whilst Steve had updated a bunch of membership records. Keith wouldn't have seen the beauty of it, seeing it as a waste of time, but Robin knew better. And every time Keith had thought it up, she'd shown him. Yet he still thought his way was better.

Not that that mattered when Dingus here had just dropped that bombshell on her lap.Time to pass it back.

"No, it's only gay if you get off on it."

She'd have not said that to anyone else but Steve who she knew would now take it in the spirit it was intended in. Months ago though? She'd have shot some snarky remark back at it, still mad at having to work with a priveleged guy who was only slinging ice cream because he was mad daddy had cut his allowance. Little knowing the real reason for his appearance at Scoops until later on.

"Okay, then I have something to tell you."

For the second time in a matter of minutes, Steve had said something which felt like bombshell volleyball was now undergoing and she wasn't wearing the correct outfit of it. Baffled, she turned to him. Where on earth was he going with this? Wait….was this what he meant by helping non babes alike? Had it been a code which she, Robin, master of code breaking, decoder of Russians, hadn't seen, let alone cracked? Steve knew about her after all. The bathroom hadn't ever been the choice of place she'd have envision for such an event. But the timing had not also been much in her favour and it had been both a gentle way to let Steve down and a platform for her to say what she'd been meaning to say to him all long. When they'd been talking about girls.When she'd finally realised she'd gotten him all wrong and he wasn't that guy anymore. He was a friend and she'd wanted to tell him this. She'd wanted to show him herself as much as he was showing her himself.

"What did you do now, Steve?" The question fell out of her mouth before she could stop it. Not sounding as gentle as she'd have wanted, given what the answer could be, but Steve was used to her directness. So as much as she felt a pang of guilt, the worry about how she'd come across wasn't there anymore. The look Steve gave her proved that she didn't have to worry about that. Oh no, she had something else to worry about.

She knew who Steve's arch nemesis was. They all did and she had a feeling that she was not going to like the next words that fell out of Steve's mouth.

And oh was she right about that one…

Two weeks ago

Receiving mail wasn't something that Steve got often these days. Gone with the days of love letters in his locker and the occasional badly written death threat which was usually either some usurper or Tommy H playing a prank. The second ones more being able drowning him in beer than girls then anything at all serious. The former being empty threats which were easily dealt with. Now, usually, the only things poking themselves through his door was bills for his parents, the occasional small package of craft stuff for his mom and the occasional letter for him. Reminders of car insurance and that sorta stuff making their presence known. Rarely had he received a hand written note or envelope, the handwriting both strangely familiar and not through the door. But that day had broken with tradition and baffled, Steve had stared at the envelopes for a few moments, opening the door to see if the deliverer was still about and then slowly closing it to the empty drive. Probably just the mail man anyway. What the hell was this?

He'd made his way up to his room, two steps at a time as he ripped open the envelope and padded into his room. Instead of pulling out a note, it was a polaroid and as soon as he pulled it out, he stopped in place. Just like his heart did before it started to hammer through his chest and he paced quickly over his head.

It had taken him a moment to notice what it actually was in the picture. The angle not making it 100% obvious at the start and the size making it mind boggling to boot.But once he got it, man had he got it and slumping down on his bed, back rigid as he sat 90 degrees upright, as if his whole body was standing to attention, as well as that now straining for attention inside his pants. The bulge as obvious as a full moon in a clear night sky as he turned the polaroid over. Stupidly hoping that the sender would have left some kind of mark. Nope. But apparently it was taken this morning. Which meant whoever had sent this indeed must have hand delivered it. Otherwise it wouldn't have gotten to him so fast. Must have been Tommy H then. Man, that kinda kill his boner. Kinda. But it soon grew again when his mind whisper something to him he wished it hadn't. Didn't Tommy H's have that little mark on the side? This one did and there was another dick he was familiar with in a way he really shouldn't be. And no, not because he'd had it himself, but because he'd sneaked so many glances at it back at school. When the motor mouth hadn't been running and he'd been cleaning himself rather than shooting off.

Hargrove…..

Would he do something like this? Maybe. The guy did like swinging his dick around after all. Probably had slept with half the town by now. He certainly, like Steve hadn't been in the past, short of suitors. And it had felt like every day, he'd seen the blond with someone new. Showing them off, making them laugh. Going over to his stupid muscle car and driving off into the sun set with them. Sister in the back who looked less and less impressed the higher the number got.

The dickhead had gotten right under his skin with all of this and worst of all, had gotten into his head too. And it was on his other head that he himself concentrated on now. Dropping his jeans and pulling himself out of his pants. Too desperate all of a sudden to even be bothered to get him off. The polaroid sat in his left hand whilst the right got to work. Steve leaning back and cursing his rival under heated breath as he rubbed circles on his tip. Staring feverishly at the massive shining cock which had slotted itself through his door. Fucking asshole. Yeah….yeah this would be something he'd do. Look at my big cock. Look at it and weep whilst you think of all the girls I've fucked with it. Ha ha Steve. Mine is bigger, mine is better. Fuck you Hargrove. You don't know that and besides. Even if you are bigger and wider and smoother looking and whatever, it's all about technique. A guy with half the size, hell even a quarter could still pleasure a girl immensely if he knew how to use it. Heh. Would that be hilarious? If Hargrove was all talk and no stick action? Didn't know how to use what he'd been blessed with.Foolish thing. Of course he did. He was probably as good with his balls as he was on the court. Fucker.

And this would not be the only time this would happen. Oh no. Every two god darn days. LIke clockwork. And somehow the darn guy got them delivered without him even freaking seeing. One time he thought he'd caught him but it turned out to just be the mailman. Having to deliver these dirty deeds and being absolutely none the wiser. Like he'd never know that Steve would perform the ritual of seeing the writing and getting hard before he even hit his bed, whacked himself off and left himself feeling all cross eyed. Revving himself up and finding himself even wanking off to some of the tracks he'd heard Hargrove blasting out his car like the Public Nuisance No 1 that he was. Metallica, the Scorpions, Ratt. Fuck this guy and his stupid hair and stupid car and stupid music. A thought that had occurred to him so damn often since he'd had the nerve to show up here and even more so since he'd been sending these pictures.It had been two weeks. And two days ago, he'd decided to do something about it.....

"Please tell me you didn't..."

"Well I...."

"Steve..."

She knew he had by the look that now dawned on his face. The way he bit his lip and looked to the side as she studied each and every bit of his face. The way his brows slightly furrowed, laced with a bead of sweat that was hastily becoming a line. The way his nose scrunched a little in the way the girls apparently found sexy and adorable. The way he chewed on his lip she'd seen so many girls staring at in that way she'd looked at girls' lips too. More hidden of course, not all of them made it as discrete as she did.

"I mean....he doesn't know for sure it's me. It's not like I'd just walk up to his door or anything."

It's not like he'd tried to deliver the package and Max had opened the door or anything. It's not like he'd walked away praying Max's curiosity didn't get the better of her and she didn't look into the reason he was sending her brother a "letter". His heart had been racing all the way home when he'd driven off. But he'd needn't have wondered. She didn't know; she'd come into the video store and all he'd gotten was a look of curiosity and suspicion from her, not a look of mortification or disgust.And just today, he'd received another photograph.

A polaroid which had shown the dick at full mast and those perfect hips he'd dreamt of riding one. And the first time ever a note had been written on the back.In the same hand his address had always been written neatly on with."Game on, pretty boy" the note said, ending with a wink which had sent Steve's blood pressure rocketing skyhigh and leading to one of the best orgasms he'd had in a long while.

Game on indeed..... This was only the beginning and who knew where it would end.....

[purplesaline]

Trigger warning for medically assisted death

I learned something today. As a Canadian I'm incredibly lucky that we have access to MAID (medical assistance in dying). Not to say it doesn't have it's issues, which it does and I have no problem being very loud about those issues, but when you have a family member suffering from terminal cancer and they've exhausted all possible treatments that have a chance if prolonging their life those issues don't really come into play. That's not what I learned by the way, just a little bit of background.

What I learned is that gathering to be with your loved one while they die is very similar to a funeral. In fact, for me at least, it's more effective than a funeral.

Funerals are supposed to be a way to allow people to say goodbye to someone who has died, to get closure. More often than not there wasn't a chance to do that before the person died. It allows you to get together and remember the person and grieve, and for a lot of people that works really well. It's never really helped me much though. Between my ADHD "Now" and "Not Now" time blindness and object stasis (it's not really onject impermanence bit that's a discussion for another time), and my belief that there is no after life, we just.. end, a funeral doesn't provide me any of that closure it seems to for most people. The only thing a funeral does is cause me pain because I'm overwhelmed by seeing so many people emotionally hurting.

But gathering as a family today with my mom, getting to say goodbye to her and have her say goodbye to us, having the support of other people who loved her as much as I did while we watched her fall asleep and then stop breathing, and then going back to the house with everyone to eat and help each other co-regulate? That was as much closure as I think my weirdly wired brain is ever going to be able to get.

I don't have much experience with death. The only two people in my life who have died were very old (80+), so I didn't know how I would handle being there today. I thought it might be too hard, seeing everyone be so sad. I wasn't worried about my own grief, I long ago accepted this outcome and I'm very happy she had the option to die with dignity and go out on her own terms, but I was worried about how I'd cope with other people's grief.

It wasn't hard though, it was quite the opposite. It was one of the easiest things I've ever done. I think a large part of that was that no one was uncomfortable seeing other people upset (like they usually are), and we were all really happy for her and grateful so there was no resentment or denial, just sadness and relief.

Actually I take that back. Lance was very distressed to see so many people upset and not be able to fix it. I had him in his vest for the first time in years (mom was in the hospital and I didn't want to leave Lance in the car case while I could have managed without him it was so much easier with him there. I took a couple of decompression breaks and we went and visited some of the other patients which always makes me happy).

But other than Lance no one else was uncomfortable and it was really just an incredibly cathartic experience and I'm really glad I chose to go (mom gave us the option. She said she'd like us there but it was okay if we didn't want to be). I knew I'd regret it down the line if I didn't go, and that instinct was spot on.

I'm sure that not everyone will find the experience as positive and healing as I did, but if you ever find yourself in the position to choose whether or not to be there with someone as they die and you're one the fence about it I hope this helps you make a more informed choice, whichever option ends up being the best one for you.

For me, this experience granted me a peace above and beyond my acceptance of her death that I wasn't expecting, and I'm really grateful for that. If I was a spiritual person I'd even say I was blessed.

I love you so much mom. You fought so hard and I'm so glad that your last moments got to be peaceful ones.

[lowkeyerror]

The Gardener

Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Word Count: 3.1k

Warnings: smut, mommy!kink, age gap, strap-on, dom!wanda

Summary: Y/n was the gardener's daughter, she used to help her father to yard work for Wanda. Now she does some of the work on her own. Wanda has a thing for the college aged girl and finds a way to get what she wants.

Masterlist

Everyone wants something. The spectrum of want can scale from inconsequential to primal. Some wants can be so intense that they almost mimic needs.

Wanda's want for Y/n was primal. So primal that in her mind it wasn't just something she wanted, it was something she needed, something she craved.

Y/n was the gardener's daughter. When Wanda first met her, the young woman was accompanying her father, simply helping with the lawn.

Wanda couldn't help her gaze as Y/n began to work up a sweat in the hot sun. She loved every second of it. They shared a few words when Wanda brought out some water for the girl and her father.

In the conversation, Wanda learned two important things about Y/n. The first thing was that Y/n was a community college student, and the second was that she would be taking over her father's route.

So every Thursday, Wanda would watch Y/n fix her front yard. She'd always offer the girl some water and a snack, just as a common courtesy.

Wanda found herself always slipping into the shortest shorts when she knew she'd be seeing Y/n.

She'd try to strike up a conversation with the girl, but Y/n wasn't much of a talker. So she just usually ended up rambling to the girl.

She wanted Y/n, and she was willing to go to extreme lengths to get her.

" Y/n, sweetheart, how much extra would it be for you to start doing the backyard too?"

Y/n took a generous gulp of the water Wanda had brought her." I'd have to see the yard first, Miss Maximoff."

" Oh, when you get a chance, do you think you can take a look?"

Y/n gave a curt nod," I'm just about done out here, I'll ring the bell to let you know."

Wanda bit her lip," Actually, would you mind if I joined you out here?"

Y/n shook her head," I don't mind at all, Miss Maximoff."

Wanda took a seat on the porch as Y/n continued to clean up the flower bed she was working on.

" So Y/n, how are classes going?"

Y/n took a large breath and Wanda took note of that," I'm actually struggling a bit with my English course. Thinking about getting a tutor."

Wanda's eyes lit up," Well, you know, I was an English major. I could help you if you wanted."

" Really? I wouldn't want to impose or anything."

" Of course, sweetheart. It's nothing."

Y/n stood from her spot in the dirt. She swiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. Then she dusted her hands on her knees and smiled at Wanda.

" Let's check that backyard."

Wanda led the girl through her house. Y/n had never been inside her house before. Wanda's bookshelf caught her attention almost instantly. It was huge and filled to the brim with novels.

" You weren't kidding about the English major thing."

Wanda shook her head," I'm actually a professional editor."

" I didn't know that."

Wanda looked back at the girl and gave her a sly smile," There's a lot you don't know about me, Y/n."

When they got to the yard, Y/n began to survey the area. It was a decent sized yard. It wasn't completely grass, there was concrete outlining the rectangular pool that sat in the middle of the yard.

" So the yard and the pool, right?"

" You don't have to do the pool, sweetheart. I know it's a hassle."

Y/n shrugged," It's no problem, Miss Maximoff. Since you offered to help me with my classes, I'll do the back for free. We'll call it even."

Wanda took a few steps to get closer to Y/n," I can't possibly have you do all this work without charging me for it."

The pout on Wanda's face made Y/n swallow," There's no need, Miss Maximoff."

Wanda cautiously reached over to trail her fingers up the sides of Y/n's arms. She looked at the girl through her eyelashes," Are you sure there's no other way I can repay you, sweetheart?"

" Uh- n-no Miss Maximoff."

Wanda smiled, closing even more space between the two," You don't sound to sure, baby."

The nickname brought a heat to Y/n's face and the tip of her ears. Her voice cracked as she confirms" Baby?"

" Yes?" The older woman chuckles, making Y/n even more nervous.

" Miss-"

" Wanda."

Wanda could see Y/n's mouth dry in real time," W-wanda."

The redhead's cup landed delicately on the younger girl's jaw," If that's too hard for you to remember, you can just call me mommy."

The word fell out of Y/n's lips like a whisper," Mommy."

" You're such a quiet little thing, sweetheart. But when you do speak, my god you're so charming, I can barely contain myself. Let me repay you, I promise you'll like it."

Y/n tries to nod in Wanda's grasp. The older woman shakes her head with a small smile on her face,” I’m going to need you to say it out loud for me, baby.”

Y/n’s brow furrows, and she frowns just a bit,“ I…” Wanda releases her hold on the girl’s jaw. Y/n clears her throat as she struggles to look Wanda in the eyes.“ I want you.”

Wanda presses the girl a little further,“ You want me to do what ?”

Y/n tilts her head to the side, “Whatever you want?” It’s a question, the uncertainty is worn on her face. It’s not that Y/n is uncertain about what she wants to happen, but she has no idea how to express it.

Wanda chuckled to herself and took the girl’s hand. Y/n allowed Wanda to lead her to the bedroom. When they were in there, she stood awkwardly by the door, while Wanda worked further into the room.

With her back turned to Y/n she began to pull her shirt over her head,” You know Y/n, I can give you a little tip on your writing, right now. A good essay, at least to most educators, starts with taking a stance. Being definitive about whatever it is the essay topic is. You either agree,” she pauses once the shirt is all the way off.

She reaches around her back to unclasp her bra, purposefully struggling a bit. Y/n takes careful steps towards her, hands unsteady as she reaches for the clasp of Wanda’s bra. She unhooks it and the bra falls to the floor. The topless woman spins around to face her,” Or disagree.”

Wanda plays with the hem of Y/n’s shirt, her hand sliding under to feel the smooth skin underneath,“ Your argument must be a statement, none of that indecisiveness. While I can see that adorable little look across your face and melt, I’m not too sure your professor will do the same. Let’s practice. What do you want from me? Right now, in this moment, where my hand is climbing up your torso and my breasts are hanging right here for you to see. Tell me.”

Y/n’s mouth opened, but no sound came out. Wanda could see the girl racking her mind for anything, a word, a sentence, something that would satisfy her.

“ What if I say something dumb?”

Wanda’s featherlight fingers grazed over the other woman’s nipples, eliciting a light gasp from her,“ The only wrong answer is silence. I’m not going to judge you. You’re safe with me, sweetheart.”

Y/n nodded, more to herself than Wanda,” I want… I want you to take my shirt off.”

Wanda retracts her hand from under Y/n’s shirt, only to help pull the shirt over her head. Once she does, she gets a view of Y/n’s body. It was perfect in Wanda’s eyes, she could get drunk off of the image in front of her.

“ What’s next?”

“ Can I touch you?” Y/n’s eyes wander to Wanda’s perky breasts, wishing for nothing more to feel them, grope them, taste them, anything.

Wanda smiles sweetly at the girl,” C’mere.”

The older woman once again is guiding Y/n. This time only a few steps over to the bed. Wanda takes a seat, pulling Y/n to stand in between her legs. “ Kneel for me, baby.”

Y/n doesn’t hesitate as she drops to one knee and then the other. She was now eye level with Wanda’s breasts. Her hands twitch, but she waits for Wanda to give her the green light.

“ Go ahead and play with them for me.”

Y/n hands gently cover Wanda’s beasts. Y/n takes a deep breath before kneading them with her hands. She applies the perfect amount of pressure, causing Wanda to briefly close her eyes. Y/n moves them in circles, catching Wanda’s nipples between her fingers, making sure to tug at them a little.

Y/n could hear a shaky breath leave Wanda’s mouth. Spurred on by the noise, she leaned further into the woman. Y/n’s mouth hovered over one of Wanda’s breasts. Though her eyes were closed, she could feel the hot air against her chest.

Instead of saying anything aloud, Wanda allowed her hand to rest on the back of Y/n’s head. It wasn’t an aggressive force, but she was pushing the girl’s head forward. “ You can take mommy’s tity in your mouth. I already gave you permission to play.”

It’s Y/n’s eyes that close when she begins to suck on one of Wanda’s nipples. Her tongue swirls experimentally around the bud. Her tongue is limp in her mouth as she cascades over the sensitive area. Her other hand pinches the other nipple, trying to stimulate it as much as possible.

The hand that lies in Y/n’s hair, begins to tighten its grip. The change in pressure is enough to jolt Y/n, causing her to bite down on Wanda’s nipple. The redhead nearly tosses her head back as a throaty moan left her lips.

Y/n switches to the other nipple, giving it the same attention. This time incorporating slight grazes of teeth and nibbles; that seem to satisfy Wanda.

The older woman moves slowly as she pulls Y/n’s head away from her chest, only to pull her towards her lips. Wanda's lips move expertly against Y/n’s, taking her time to drink in the taste. She could only describe them as sweet as her tongue slid into Y/n’s mouth. The girl tried her best to keep up with Wanda and did well enough.

Soon Y/n was lying on top of Wanda, elbows on the bed to keep her from completely squishing the woman. The kiss broke, only for Y/n to remove her sports bra. Y/n chased Wanda’s lips, but the woman pushed her away. She wanted the opportunity to gaze the woman’s chest.

Y/n whimpered when Wanda used her fingers to rub Y/n’s already erect nipples. She sat up a bit to toy with them. Y/n squirmed at the contact, not being used to the amount of pleasure.

“ You’re so sensitive, sweetheart. I know someone has had to touch you like this before. Surely I can’t be the first.”

Heat spread to Y/n’s face immediately as she scrambled for words,” It’s just, it’s been a long time.”

Wanda rolls over, so that she is now on top of Y/n. Her hand quickly slides down the girl’s abdomen. Down into her pants, under her panties, to feel just how wet the girl is. She nearly gasps at the flood happening in Y/n’s panties.

“ Mommy, won’t ever keep you waiting too long. Especially when you’re flooded so nicely for me.”

Y/n lifted her hips as Wanda pulled her pants down, eager to help the woman. Once Y/n’s pants were down, Wanda got off the bed, causing the girl to whine. Wanda simply smiled before dropping her own pants and climbing back on top of the girl.

“ Now, tell me what you want again,” she couldn’t help but grind down on the girl as she spoke.

“More,” Y/n could barely come up with the word.

“ More what?”

Y/n’s brain was beginning to fog. Everything felt too good. The weight of Wanda on top of her, her wet pussy, the cool breeze teasing her nipples, her brain couldn’t keep up.

“ Please.”

Wanda took note of this, but couldn’t fully give in to Y/n;s request. The older woman repositioned herself, so that her knees straddled Y/n’s head. Her own cunt sopping wet as well. She pulled her panties to the side,“ If you don’t speak clearly in your papers, some things can be misinterpreted,” she fully sat on the girl’s face,“ Remember that, next time I ask you. Clarity is virtuous.”

Wanda's rock her hips back and forth on Y/n’s face. Once she feels the girl stick her tongue out, her movements become increasingly fast. She becomes a moaning mess as Y/n begins to slobbering all over her cunt. Her own fingers tease her clit as Y/n’s tongue works the entrance.

“ Fuck, you’re such a fast learner, sweetheart. Eat mommy’s pussy, like a good girl.”

The words cause a series of grunts to pass through Y/n’s mouth, sending them directly into Wanda’s core. The woman on top reaches one of her hands back to play with Y/n’s pussy. The amount of slick allowing Wanda to easily slip two fingers into the girl.

Y/n whines into Wanda’s pussy as the sound of her being finger fucked fills the room. Her pussy is loud and wet as Wanda moves her fingers at a steady pace in and out of her. It’s not until Y/n begins to solely focus on sucking harshly on Wanda’s clit that the woman on top slows her movements.

Wanda hastily climbs off the young woman. Y/n begins to stumble after her, trying to bring her back to the bed.

“ I’m not going anywhere, baby, lie down.”

Y/n does as she instructed, her legs shaking with anticipation, as she watches Wanda goes through a box at the top of her closet. When doesn’t quite see what the woman pulls out initially.

“ Wanda,” Y/n whines, the lack of contact driving her insane.

“ Fine, get over here sweetheart,” Y/n scrambles to her fet almost falling when they hit the floor. Her legs unsteady from Wanda’s fingers.

She doesn’t give Wanda any space, standing right over her shoulder.

Instead of asking Y/n to turn around, the woman spins the girl on her own. Y/n has no idea what Wanda is doing until she feels a slight pressure on her pussy. Y/n peers down and blinks as she notices a sizable attachment strapped to her body.

“Now go lie back down, please.” Wanda playfully smacks the girl's ass as she walks back to the mattress.

With her back against the mattress, the strap points straight up into the air. Part of her wonders how it can all fit inside someone.

“ You did such a good job, tongue fucking mommy. I was curious to see if you’d do just as well with a nice big cock,” Wanda creeps towards the girl, straddling her waist but not the toy. “ I have to ask you one more time, to make sure you really understood our lesson, what do you want me to do?”

Y/n’s chest heaves up and down, her jaw clenches, and she catches Wanda’s eyes,“ I want you to take care of me mommy. I need to see your pussy swallow this big cock. I need your juice to slide down the shaft and create a pool that I can feel on my pussy.”

Wanda's eyes darken at Y/n's words. She spreads her legs so that Y/n gets a good view. Then she slowly sinks herself down. She moans as she begins to feel full.

Y/n grunts when Wanda sits down fully on the dick, the friction from the harness sends pleasure through her body.

Wanda begins to bounce up and down. Y/n watches as the strap gets covered in Wanda's cream with each bounce.

Her hands reach for Wanda’s waist. She grips at the woman's sides and begins to move her at a faster pace.

“ Oh fuck, you fill me up so good, baby.”

Guiding Wanda wasn’t enough, Y/n takes matters into her own hands, thrusting swiftly into the woman. She cries out in pleasure as the sound of her ass clapping against Y/n's skin, echoes against the room.

Y/n was getting close. Between the view of Wanda on top of her, their sticky skin slapping together, and the friction of the harness against her clit, she was going to explode.

" I- I need…" Her sentence trailed off at the end.

" What do you need, baby? Mommy can give you anything you need," Wanda breathes out as Y/n’s thrusts sped up.

" I'm going to cum," Y/n groans

as the feeling begins to coil in her stomach.

She became acutely aware of the beads of sweat pooling all over her body.

" Ask," is all that leaves Wanda’s mouth. It takes everything in her being to not close her eyes, but instead meet Y/n's.

The girl has her head thrown back, taking deep breaths in and out of her mouth. Tears begin to stream down her face.

" Mommy, please," she cries out.

Wanda leans down to meet her lips, sloppily kissing her. Between the kisses, she says," Cum with me baby."

Y/n's movements stop erratically. Her nails dig into Wanda’s sides as she spasms under the woman. All at once, the girl goes slack.

She stays still as Wanda wipes her tears away," So pretty."

Wanda slowly gets off of the girl. A pool of her own cum dripping onto the strap. She sighs, unhooking the harness from Y/n. She tugs it down the girl's legs, Y/n lifting her hips minimally to help.

" You did so good, baby," Wanda kisses Y/n's cheek.

It hits the floor with a thud, but neither of them pay too much attention to it. Instead, Wanda cuddles up to Y/n, wrapping her hands around the girl's waist.

" My legs feel like jello."

Wanda laughs," Wait until next time, when I put that pretty dildo in you."

Y/n whines and buries her head in the crook of Wanda's next," Stop."

They lay there in each other's arms for a few silent moments.

" I should get going," Y/n says, but makes no motion to move.

Wanda lightly traces patterns on the girl's stomach," You can stay for the night. If you want, that is?"

They turn, so they're staring into each other's eyes. Y/n has a small smirk on her face," Didn't you say something about being direct?"

Wanda rolls her eyes," You're a fast learner."

She places a gentle kiss on Y/n's lips," Stay."

" Whatever you want, Miss Maximoff."

[chosonore]

infatuation

infatuation [noun. strong but not usually lasting feelings of love or attraction]

pairing: kamo choso/f!reader

summary: in a spurt of recklessness, you hire an escort to help you learn about relationships and intimacy. what you didn't expect was to fall in love with him along the way. [part of the kamo escorts collab]

wordcount: 23.3k

content/warnings: escorts au, slow burn, language, smut!!!, fluff, soft dom!choso, reader is very oblivious and painfully awkward, awkward firsts, dry humping, handjobs, oral sex (m + f receiving), fingering, uh somewhat public sex, loss of virginity, oral fixation, praise kink, lowercase is intended [VERY VERY UNEDITED]

a/n: hello here it is and finally done!!! i've been sitting at this for a week straight now and while i'm not super happy with it, it would've been a shame to just throw it out tbh. writing improvement is a slow progress after all! i'm dedicating this to @sukirichi who always hyped me up while i was writing this, happily welcomed me to the collab and who always supports my writing and i really appreciate it. thank you, from the bottom of my heart! (argh i have so many cut scenes that i ran out of space for dividers, sorry! hope the reading flow still makes sense though)

"that's what you were so worried about?" nobara looked at you incredulously, as if you grew two heads and asked for her firstborn. "you were scared that guys don't like you because you've never dated anyone?"

you let out an embarrassed whine, pushing at her arm in an attempt to get her to shut up. it wasn't your fault that she jumped to (multiple and very wrong) conclusions when you'd called her and maki, asking them to meet up so you could ask for advice. even maki looked mildly amused, patting your head apologetically. you were well aware of how ridiculous your issue sounds - the topic of dating had always made you anxious. you came from a very wealthy family that always sheltered and protected you from everything. you were their precious little girl after all; your father would rather drop dead than have you mingle with people who didn't treat you well and didn't deserve you. they meant well and it had never been an issue until you moved out to attend university (your parents had acted like you were leaving to travel the world and would never return, when really, you only moved two hours away from home).

even though nobara, maki and you had quickly become friends after you'd met at an event, you were wary to tell them about your background. it worried you, knowing how some people would treat you differently just to get on your good side and use you, so you opted to skirt around it as much as possible. it took you months until you opened up to them when you finally mustered up enough courage and trust to do so. they kept your secrets ever since, always protecting you and looking out for you. you were truly glad to be their friend. the two of them had grown suspicious when you kept declining their invites to join them for parties or to simply go to a bar and you were slowly starting to feel more and more guilty until you couldn't take it anymore and just confessed, asking them for advice.

"so that's why you're nervous even around inumaki," nobara concluded, propping her chin up in thought. "i didn't think your parents would be this protective. do they know that you want to start dating now?"

"no…" you confessed, fidgeting in your seat. "my dad, he um- he means well and usually has a good radar when he says that a guy doesn't deserve me. but i thought it was time to venture out on my own. it's good to have some experience, right?"

"i mean you're not wrong but i don't want you to be asking for advice simply because you feel pressured about dating since everyone else is doing it," maki retorted, giving you a concerned look.

you quickly shook your head. it wasn't that you felt pressured about not having any experience yet. you didn't necessarily want to admit to them that you were a hopeless romantic and liked the idea of being with someone; in the end, it was your own decision to venture. men made you nervous, you didn't know how to act around them and the thought of approaching a stranger by yourself was too scary. maybe it was a better idea to find someone to show you the ropes first, you felt embarrassed about your lack of knowledge and skills and - it wouldn't hurt to have some kind of dating training, right?

"i mean, technically, you could just ask one of the guys to take you out on a fake date. i'm sure megumi wouldn't mind," nobara was already pulling out her phone, making you grabbing her hand in panic and furiously shaking your head.

"i don't want to get them involved in this! it would make things pretty awkward and that's the last thing i would want. isn't there any other solution?" you explained quietly, playing with the hem of the dress. you felt bad for rejecting all their suggestions but you simply didn't want to be a burden to your other friends either.

"well," nobara and maki looked at each other grinning. "you could hire a fake boyfriend."

"really? you can hire tho-"

"escorts, y/n, escorts," nobara pushed her phone over to you, pointing on the screen. frowning, you read the little description. kamo escorts. you'd never thought about hiring someone, let alone knew enough about the topic. judging from nobara's face, she seemed to be well versed and it made you slightly suspicious.

"it's the easiest way for you and you have enough money to pay for their service. it's convenient, you can adjust it to your schedule and they'll send someone who fits your preferences. you choose the spot for your date and they'll make it happen, right? it's perfect and you don't have to worry about getting anyone involved," she explained, tapping at the bottom of the screen. "just give them a call, they'll walk you through the entire process. if you don't like it, you can find someone else or just abort mission."

"what do you mean they'll send someone who fits my preferences?" it did sound like an easy process, almost too easy. something was bound to go wrong, you could feel it. "i don't even know what my preferences are, so how could they possibly-"

"y/n, you might be blind but we are not," maki flicked your forehead playfully, she was more perceptive than you. "if you want, you can call them right now and we'll help you with the preferences, okay? maybe that'll ease your nerves a little."

"now?" you squeaked, eyes widening in horror. you weren't prepared at all; when you invited them over you were only planning to gather advice and then act on it.

"yeah! come on, it'll be fun and it's not like they can see your face," nobara grinned and was already dialing the number, moving away from you agilely before you could snatch the phone out of her hands. you wanted the earth to swallow you, why did they think that this was a good id-

"good evening, thank you for calling kamo escorts. my name is ijichi, how may i help you?" a male voice sounded from the phone, you instinctively dove behind the couch but maki was quicker and pulled you back with one fluid motion. curse her strength and speed.

"yes, hi, my friend here would like to hire an escort but she's too shy to do so, so we're helping her with the entire process. i hope you don't mind?"

"if it helps to ease the nerves, not at all."

nobars nudged you, holding the phone out. you pouted at her, shaking your head like a stubborn child. she rolled her eyes and pushed the phone into your hand forcefully, making you panic as you didn't want ijichi hearing your wrangling.

"um, yes, i- i'd like to hire someone but- ah nobara already mentioned that! it's for… for dates! i just need someone to go on dates with me."

"i see. is this a formal event?"

"n-no! i just need dating training of sorts, so casual is fine… if i do need to attend a formal event in the future, would that be a problem?"

"not at all, simply let us know when booking. our escorts are trained to be able to adapt to any situation and event, there is nothing you need to worry about, miss. do you have any specific preferences?"

"uh i-"

nobara leaned over your shoulder. "she prefers more mature guys! someone who's caring and attentive, someone who's not too outgoing and loud, it has to match her energy! since this is date training, there's probably going to be a lot of awkwardness so we'll need someone who is patient too. someone who can act like the best boyfriend to ever boyfriend. as for looks, i think she's fine with everything- although wait, maybe dark hair. yep, dark hair."

you couldn't believe her, she practically directed the entire call for you as if she'd made a plan beforehand, knowing that it would come to this. there was no doubt that she'd had this in mind, this was nobara after all. maki, on other hand, was watching you amused; she didn't usually engage in whatever shenanigans nobara was up to but she was always a bystander who very much enjoyed your reaction just now.

"miss, do you agree with the listed preferences?" ijichi asked after a moment of silence. you could hear him typing and occasionally scribbling on paper.

"yeah, yes, that's fine. is it possible to book him on weekends? i don't know if this is going to work out just yet so maybe once a week on fridays? i've never done this before so yeah."

"that is doable, yes. if you wish to engage in sexual relations, you may discuss it with your escort. these services come at an additional cost, of course."

"i don't-"

nobara interrupts you again, smirking at you cheekily. "it would be beneficial, so please take that into consideration when choosing the escort!"

"alright, thank you," ijichi went silent for a minute while he was organizing the files and schedules. "there are some possible candidates with whom i have to check with first. i will get back to you, should they agree to the job. after that we can exchange personal information and contacts so we can discuss the matter further."

"okay um. thank you, mr ijichi, i appreciate your help," you thanked him bashfully, giving him your number before thanking him again. you were already so deep in thought that you didn't even listen to his reply. now you've really gone and done it. were you crazy? what if your parents found out? they'd riot and be immensely disappointed in you. getting some dating experience through dating an escort, only nobara could ever come up with something like this.

"how do you feel?" maki inquired and rubbed your shoulders in concern, seeing how quiet you suddenly grew. weakly shrugging with your shoulders, you grasped the fabric of your shirt and nervously fiddled with it. the entire ordeal filled you with anxiety, a myriad of thoughts circling in your brain. it was the first time doing something "reckless" and it left you feeling nauseous.

"i'm not sure." you hesitated. "i'm curious to see how it goes but it just makes me really nervous. how do i act around him? and what if he finds me weird?"

"i don't think he's going to think you're weird just because you get nervous around guys. and besides, ijichi said he'd find the perfect guy for you, yeah? don't worry about it too much. if you don't feel comfortable after the first date, we'll figure something out."

"i guess so… um, but you guys don't mind accompanying me to it? just to make sure it's not some weird guy?" upon seeing your hopeful face, the two girls couldn't say no - of course not, you were their precious, innocent friend. as amusing as this situation was to them, they wanted nothing more than to support you and see you happy as well. you had already done a tiny step out of your little, sheltered world and much more was to come.

the ring of your phone nearly scared you to death, making you drop the book you were holding. quietly cursing, you picked it up and placed it on the table before answering the phone. who was even calling you at this time? everyone knew you were busy in the evening, slaving away on your assignments. it must be really important to interrupt your workflow like this- you almost dropped your phone in shock when you recognized ijichi's voice on the other side. admittedly, you forgot about the entire ordeal and didn't expect him to get back to you so soon. "good evening, ms y/n. i'm calling you regarding your inquiry so we can finalize all the details."

"u- uhm yes! thank you for calling!"

although ijichi was kind and patient, you were still nervous as you scribbled the details on a piece of paper. your escort's name was choso, he was a few years older than you and his schedule was very flexible. there wasn't more info, ijichi had announced that choso would call you as soon as possible. dread filled your stomach - it was nerve wracking to meet new people, not to mention someone you hired to be your fake boyfriend for the day. and now that you knew he was calling, all focus and concentration was thrown out the window. silently, you sat at the table and stared at your phone, waiting for the screen to light up. maki and nobara didn't need to know about this new development just yet as you wanted to navigate this on your own before telling them.

not too long after, your phone rang again, an unknown number flashing across the screen. it had to be him. even though you mentally prepared yourself for minutes, the anxiety came back full force. with trembling hands, you picked up, holding your breath as you waited for an answer. a deep, rather dulcet voice greeted you from the other side. you liked the sound of his voice, it almost put you at ease if it wasn't for your mind that constantly reminded you what was going on. you hastily introduced yourself to him and told him why you were requesting his services. the entire time, he was silent and let you speak - although you appreciated that he didn't interrupt you, every second that was passed in silence agonized you.

"hello y/n, my name is choso and i'll be your escort for the time being. ijichi told me you were looking for someone to pose as your fake boyfriend?"

"ah, uh yes sort of! i don't… have any experience when it comes to boyfriends and that kind of stuff. and i- i just wanted to learn what it's like to d- date and- and," your voice got smaller and smaller, until it was a mere whisper that was filled with all kinds of embarrassment that you felt. you couldn't help it, hopefully choso was still able to decipher what you were explaining. "you know, k- kissing and all that stuff. i've never done it with anyone before."

"i see," choso paused for a second, making your heart race. "i can't say i've had this situation before but i'm confident in my skills to guide you through this. before we first meet, let's set some boundaries so you feel comfortable at all times, okay?"

you hummed and nodded, although he couldn't see you over the phone. choso sounded like what nobara had described your ideal type - ijichi really had delivered and chosen the best possible match. choso knew what to say and how to steer the conversation in such a way that it didn't make you feel helpless or anxious. and you, in turn, felt like you could trust him with this issue.

"y- yes! uhm when i first called ijichi, a friend of mine helped me with the process and requested someone who was comfortable with sexual relations but… uh, to be honest, i never thought of requesting them. i'm not entirely sure if i want to do it either… i want to approach this in a slow manner, as slow as possible."

"alright, i can work with that. as for our first meeting, have you picked a time and location?"

you sighed in relief. choso seemed like a really nice and understanding person, leaving most of the options up to you. you knew it was part of his job but it felt nice to know that he was so forthcoming and accommodating. for the first date, you’d chosen a nice restaurant that had good reviews and little private booths. even though there was no way your father would ever magically appear and find out about your escapades, you were still trying to be secretive and cautious. the restaurant was situated in a widespread estate with beautiful gardens, the perfect spot to take stroll after dinner. in all the romance books you’d consumed, these type of dates seemed to be very popular - you thought to yourself why not? as you discussed your plans with him, you briefly wondered what he looked like. it felt weird asking him about it and you'd meet him soon anyways. maybe he looked like what you thought his personality was - like a prince charming? the prince that your dad had always assured you would come along. a small giggle left your lips at the thought of it; it was silly to believe it would turn out to be the love of your life. though it made you giddy thinking of your prince charming.

“is everything okay?”

“ah sorry, everything’s fine! i just had a silly thought a moment ago, that’s all,” reassuring choso quickly, you rubbed your cheeks in embarrassment. he must’ve thought that you were going crazy. “anyways, thank you for um, everything. i feel more comfortable now that i’ve discussed the details with you, thank you for being so patient. i look forward to meeting you!”

on the other end, choso hesitated, startled by your sudden enthusiasm when you were rather shy and timid before. it seemed that you were willing to open up a little more. he was curious himself, never having dealt with such a case before. usually, only experienced people who were looking for eye candy to accompany them to fancy events would hire him. he couldn’t imagine what you were like before meeting - it was nicer to get to know you in person after all, for the sake of a date setting. still, how were you able to afford the services? considering you were most likely a college student, he couldn’t fathom what lengths you went just to gain some experience. though he supposed, he shouldn’t judge you too quickly.

“i look forward to meeting you as well. see you on saturday, y/n.”

for hours you’d gone back and forth between outfits - casual? or more cute? maybe a mix of both? maki wasn’t much of a help either, mostly just giving you a thumbs up for every outfit while nobara had something to criticize about every outfit. you sighed, tossing yet another shirt onto the heaping pile of clothes. it was hard trying to impress someone that you didn’t know. the last item on your list was a simple, flowy dress and it seemed to be the best fit. you didn’t want to agonize over the choices any longer, seeing that the date was inching closer and closer. maki looked like she was bored out of her mind as well, scrolling through her phone as she was lounging on your couch with nobara. “are you sure you’ll be fine?” maki questioned you again. she was relieved about your good mood, how you were less apprehensive about the entire ordeal. when you first told them about choso after the phone call, you sounded slightly excited and were gushing about how nice he had been. you were hopeful that you could learn a lot from him. however, maki couldn’t help but worry about you, constantly making sure you were feeling okay.

“i’m sure i’ll be fine, don’t worry! we agreed to just have dinner today and let me test the waters… we’re really just doing whatever i feel comfortable doing for now,” you explained to the two of them, smoothing out the dress before grabbing your bag. “so yeah, i’m ready, i think. i mean if anything was to happen, i’ll let you know right away. i really have to go now though, you guys coming?”

nobara made a noise of protest, not wanting to get up from your bed which promptly earned her a nudge from maki. you giggled at your friend’s antics, grasping her arm to pull her up. as lighthearted and happy as you acted, you tried to hide your nervousness in front of your friends. worrying them did no good. as the three of you made your way to the restaurant, you checked your phone to see a text message from choso who asked to meet you in front of the building. you agreed, telling him that you would be there soon. the phone pinged again, choso had sent you a simple smiley. it made you grin a little, earning a suggestive glance from nobara whom you gently shoved.

"text us if anything happens, yeah? we can also pick you up afterwards so don't worry about it," maki reminded you again as you rounded the corner of the street, stopping mere meters in front of the restaurant so you could say goodbye to them. again, you reassured them that you would do as they suggested. you would be fine, because after all, choso was a professional. waving at your friends’ retreating figures, you slowly walked towards the entrance and let your eyes wander. the streets were busy, you couldn’t immediately make out anyone who was waiting in front of the restaurant. not that you really knew what choso looked like, you just hoped your search wouldn’t get more difficult with people waiting in the front. glancing at your reflection on the windows of a parking car, you made sure that you looked presentable and approachable.

“y/n?” your soul nearly left your body as you got startled by a deep voice behind you, now suddenly being aware of the figure behind you. whirling around, you almost hit the other person with your small bag with the swing. your eyes widened and you apologized profusely, fussing around to make sure the person was okay until you paused. wait a minute. this person knew your name. abruptly leaning back so you could look at the person’s face - they were very, very tall - you incredulously stared at them before spluttering: “c- choso? you’re choso?”

the taller male nodded, gently grasping your shoulders to steady you. on your bare skin, his hands felt scalding hot, making you painfully aware of how close you stood to each other. choso, for a lack of better terms, looked nothing like you’d expected but you couldn’t complain. he was attractive, very much so. he almost fit into the bad boy category, the type of men your dad would never let you close to. you felt inexplicably drawn to choso, like a moth to flames and you just couldn’t look away. he stared back at you, dark eyes glinting with concern as he took in your form. as your voice had suggested, you appeared to be a rather shy and timid person, looking at him like a deer in headlights. choso thought you were adorable, the way you were holding onto the sleeves of his shirt to not fall.

“i’m so sorry, i didn’t mean to hit you! you just really scared me there,” you apologized again, letting go of the fabric in embarrassment. luckily, he didn’t seem to mind, patiently waiting until you were composed again.

“don’t worry about it, i’m okay. it’s nice to finally meet you. should we head inside?” he offered you his arm which you gratefully took and followed him inside. truth to be told, you were starstruck by him, still too flabbergasted to say another word. thankfully, choso had picked up on your speechlessness, silently chuckling to himself as he led you to your private booth. you sat across from him, quietly thanking the waiter as he handed you the menu. eyes flitting back and forth between it and choso, you fiddled with the hem of your dress. what would you even talk about? you felt awkward, not knowing what to ask him; your confidence had suddenly vanished with the earlier incident.

“you look like you’re about to faint,” choso teased you, giving you a cheeky smile. “i’m not gonna bite you, i promise. i’m supposed to be your fake boyfriend, right? ask me whatever you want, just act like we’re good friends. it’ll get better with time.”

you nodded eagerly, face heating up at the mention of boyfriends. how does one even act around them without prior experience? let’s not dwell on it for too long, you thought to yourself. fidgeting on your seat, you pointed at the menu. "do you already know what you'll be getting? a lot of people online recommended their signature dish so i thought we could try it… but all of their dishes sound really good!"

“how about we order different dishes and try from each other then?” choso suggested in response, amusedly watching how your eyes lit up at his idea. you nodded quickly, delving back into the menu to find your desired dish. glancing over to his side to see what he was looking at, you then pushed your menu over to him, pointing at the dish you would be ordering. choso nodded in understanding, skimming the pages until he found a dish that complimented it. not wanting to let you wait any longer, he gave the waiter a sign, ordering for the two of you. across of him, you stayed quiet, still contemplating what to ask him.

“feel free to ask me anything,” choso reminded you again, propping his chin on his hand and leaned closer to you. “when you first get to know someone, dates are really just to spend time with each other and getting to know the other person. if there’s something you two have in common, you’ll just go from there and bond over it, yeah?”

humming in thought, you nodded and looked up at him. “so uhm… what do you like to do in your free time? i’m still in uni, so i spend most of my days studying. but i really like reading when i’m free and i also volunteer at an animal shelter. the pets there make me really happy!”

“my job takes up the majority of my time, so i try to spend time with family and friends as much as possible. my younger brother has gotten me into surfing and paddle boarding, i really enjoy doing that. what do you study, if i may ask?”

“i want to become a veterinarian in the future! it’s been my dream ever since i was younger, so yeah… you said you have a younger brother? i have an older sister but we don’t have much in common since she’s a lot older than me. but um surfing! so you spend a lot of time at the beach, right? i haven’t been there in a long time.”

“if you still wish to continue after today’s date, we could go to the beach next time? i can teach you, it’s not that difficult.”

surprised, your eyes widened at his suggestion. he seemed to be confident that there would be a next time and you couldn’t even deny that possibility. so far, you were easing into the conversation more and more - the process was more natural than the whole setting suggested. though he still made you nervous, he had been nothing but respectful of your space and friendly. not to mention that you were attracted to him as well; if you hadn’t hired him, you could imagine actually getting close to him.

"i- i'd love that." as you told him more about yourself and listened to his stories, you didn’t notice how much time had passed until the waiter suddenly appeared in front of you, presenting you the dishes. your mouth was watering at the sight of the delicious dishes, you couldn’t wait to dig in. quickly thanking the waiter, you then took a bite from the dish after he left. you sighed in satisfaction, taking your time to properly taste the first bite.

“this is so good, you need to try it!” you gushed, pushing your plate closer to the middle of the table. choso chuckled, sharing his plate with you as well. as you took in all the side dishes, he'd already taken it upon himself to pick up a smaller piece with his chopsticks, nudging it towards you. you looked at him confused, then back at the small piece of food. was he trying to-? carefully, you leaned in and let him feed you, confusion and hesitation immediately melting at the taste. the food made you happy, but the unusual intimacy and closeness that he just showed you wasn't lost in between the myriad emotions.

as you had dinner, the previous conversation continued. choso was a few years older than you, has been working in this industry for two years now and preferred coffee over tea. he disliked early mornings and liked to sleep in until noon. his most precious and valued object was a polaroid camera, he wanted to have photos commemorating important occasions or moments that were special to him. all these little details made you feel like he was less of an escort that you'd hired but more of a friend. much to your surprise, the conversation ran smoothly and there were no awkward, silent gaps. you supposed it was only natural; you felt comfortable with him so it was easy to talk. had it been any other guy who didn't understand you or your intentions so well, you probably would've closed up.

"do you want to take a stroll around the estate? i heard the gardens are really beautiful," you asked choso, a hopeful glint in your eyes. dinner was finished long ago, silence filled with light conversation and teasing from choso’s side. you weren’t sure where to go from this or how to suggest being… more intimate. choso had suggested you would go slow - but how slow was too slow? and if you were to go with the flow, when would be the right time?

“i would love to,” choso’s reply pulled you out of your thoughts, focusing your attention back to him. lost in your thoughts, you nodded and called a waitress over to pay the bill. you felt choso’s gaze on you, making you queasy. what did he think of you? or this entire ordeal? you wondered. as he stood up and moved behind you, you nearly jumped out of your skin when he placed his hand on the small of your back, guiding you out of the restaurant. the touch was unfamiliar, heavy and scalding even through your clothes, but not unwelcome. a strange feeling welled up in your chest, crawling its way up your throat, constricting it in such a way that it distracted you from coherent thoughts.

seeming to notice your conflict, choso stepped to the side, offering you his hand. you glanced at it, hesitating. “boyfriend experience, remember?” he grinned at you, patiently waiting until you took his hand. his hand was much bigger, almost entirely engulfing yours as you intertwined your fingers. gently swinging your arms back and forth with the flow, choso lead the way through the paths of the garden. having looked forward to it, you suddenly found yourself too distracted by him. the flowers and trees were beautiful and so were the statues but he was the one that caught your attention.

“my hands aren’t sweaty, are they?” you asked after a moment of silence, stopping to face choso. he laughed and shook his head, flicking your forehead gently.

“stop worrying about things too much, you’ll be fine. you don’t see me complaining, do you?”

“i mean that’s true… but i can’t help it! there’s just a lot to uh, think about…” your voice trailed off, you let his hand go to cover your face in embarrassment. choso inched closer to you, grasping your hands to pry them off your face. remaining stubborn, you pulled them back in, a giggle breaking from your lips when he tried again, playfully pinching your cheeks.

“want me to take your mind off said things?” he asked with a low voice, inching in further until your back hit a tree trunk behind you. he was so close, too too close. weakly, you pushed at his chest, trying to get him to back off. the sudden closeness that threw you off - your heart was racing at a million miles an hour, the endless possibilities dancing around your head. “how so?” your voice came out quiet and breathless, as if you were anticipating anything, something… his touch perhaps?

“do you feel comfortable with me?” without hesitating, you nodded in agreement. choso didn’t question you any further, simply gave you a knowing smile before diving in and pressing his lips against yours. instinctively, you stiffened, hands clenching around the fabric of choso’s shirt. breath caught up in your throat, you struggled to ease into it. you pulled away from him, squeezing your eyes shut in shame.

“i’m sorry that-”

“don’t apologize,” choso comforted you quickly, clasping your hands in his and intertwining them. thumbs gently rubbing the back of your hands, he lifted one of them to press a kiss against your knuckles. you blinked perplexed; your heart fluttered at the gesture. “don’t overthink it, there’s no science to it, yeah? just follow the flow, whatever feels good. we’ll go from there.”

giving you a moment to collect yourself, he leaned back in, silently waiting for permission. again, your breath hitched but this time, it wasn’t the nervousness. it was his eyes that drew you in, demanding all of your attention. dark, with unknown depths, that glimmered with mischief. ever so slightly, you tilted your head up to meet his lips. his warm lips pressed against yours, slowly testing the waters and letting you set the pace before deepening the kiss. now less hesitant, you kissed him back with more fervour, losing yourself in the feeling. it felt awkward and strange now that you let him guide you, leaving more space for you to ponder about the feeling that it evoked inside of you. you were glad he was holding your hands, otherwise you wouldn’t know what to do with yourself. the kiss brought forth a pleasant, tingling feeling - the sort of feeling that pulled you in, lulling you in warmth.

when choso pulled away, you almost mewled in disappointment, chasing after him. he let out a breathy laugh, cupping your cheek. “how did that feel? was it okay?”

“y- yeah, i liked it. felt very strange at first but once i was able to ease into it, it was… more natural and felt really good,” you explained to him shyly, leaning into his hand. longingly, you gazed at him. would it be weird to ask for another kiss? you wanted explore the feelings more, the intimacy of it, wanted to feel more of him. as if sensing that you were craving more, choso leaned in again, stopping a few centimeters in front of your face. with a sudden surge of boldness, you closed the distance between you, leaning up to kiss him. choso's arm snaked around your waist, pressing you closer to his body. gradually your body felt hotter, a dull ache accompanying it, spreading across the expanse of your stomach.

before you could act on the urge, choso pulled away again, pressing an apologetic kiss to the corner of your lips. "sorry, i don't want to get too carried away and we're… uh in public," he laughed at your horrified expression upon realizing your mistake. "i take it that you're still comfortable with this? do let me know if it gets too overwhelming for you.”

“n- no, it’s fine! it was uh, an interesting insight. i just wasn’t expecting to really get into this, considering- considering i hired you for this and don’t really know you.”

choso hummed in agreement. “i guess there has to be at least a smidge of attraction for it to work, yeah?” you looked at him stunned, trying to decipher the look in his eyes. you couldn’t place it; couldn’t place the feeling of longing that was emerging in you. when he looked at you like that, it was difficult to remind yourself that he was just an escort that you hired for your personal problems. when he looked at you like that, it filled you with warmth, making you want to pretend that he really cared about you as if you were in a relationship.

“yeah… yeah, i guess so.”

nervously, you were twiddling with your phone, contemplating whether to text choso or not. after the last “date”, you felt confident enough in continuing your… relationship of sorts. he was great at guiding you, always making sure you were comfortable and moving at your pace. you did let him know that you would book another session, you just hadn’t set up a date or time yet. and casually texting him felt awkward. hey, how’s your day? oh by the way, i wanna book another session so we can make out haha? maybe calling was a better idea. there was no plan ahead, never did you think you would even get this far.

the dial tone made you nervous. you chewed on your bottom lip as you waited for him to pick up, bouncing your leg up and down. maybe he was busy? it was early in the afternoon after all, he was probably already out with other clients. “hello? y/n?” choso sounded groggy, his voice raspy and deep as if he’d just gotten up. it sent electric shocks right down your spine, raising goosebumps across your skin. never had you thought about a man’s morning voice before, but choso had you wondering, imagining. you spluttered: “oh hey uh are you busy? i’m not interrupting you with something, am i?”

“not at all, i just got up,” choso admitted with a quiet chuckle. “everything okay? are you calling in for another appointment?”

“ah, yeah! i thought that we worked quite well and there’s still a few more things i want to learn with you, if you’re up for it? if you’re comfortable with it too, of course!”

“mhmm, i wouldn’t mind,” choso pondered from the other side. sounds of rustling and a few clangs resounded before you could clearly hear his voice again. you were glad that he agreed to it, meaning that you weren’t entirely… hopeless in that department. for days, his words were ghosting around in your head, a constant reminder that he seemed to find you attractive as well. not that he showed it, staying professional despite the nature of your relationship. it was nice to imagine that someone would look at you like that, at your shy and timid self.

choso was meticulous about his work, working on every detail and concern until he was satisfied. even though he looked so easy going, from time to time he had to admit that he was a perfectionist and easily frustrated when something didn't go the way he expected. so when you rolled around, so innocently asking for help, it threw him off. the feelings of confusion grew when he first met you, unable to pinpoint the origin of this urge, possessive and demanding, reaching its tendrils out to you. the way you reached out to him for help, the fact that you wanted to continue, wanted him to teach you. it thrilled him to the core when it really should not. he had to remain professional. but he was curious, so curious. indulging a little wouldn't hurt, right?

to choso's surprise, the next venue you'd chosen was the own comfort of your home. you were barely acquaintances, more like strangers, and yet you felt confident to invite him here. at the phone you had told him that your friends thought you had weird ideas about dates due to only seeing glorified versions of them on tv shows and movies. it embarrassed you enough to take their advice, inviting choso over for a movie night as opposed to visiting another fancy venue with him. prior to the date, you went through movie suggestions and rented the ones that you thought were interesting and enjoyable for the two of you. despite your put together attire and look, your apartment did not reflect the sentiment. it was a little chaotic; books and paper stacking up in every free corner of the apartment, pens strewn across surfaces and here and there choso could spot memorabilia and photos.

you gave choso an apologetic look when you let him in. despite your best efforts to clean up, you were still not happy with the outcome. tidying wasn't your strong suit but you tried to make it as accommodating as possible. choso assured you that he didn't mind at all, telling you that it added to the charm of the apartment. it was unusual to have someone other than your friends or family in the apartment - your home was your sacred space that you rarely ever showed anyone else, let alone someone you had hired. choso took a seat on the couch, turning to look at you as you went to grab some glasses and drinks.

"i uh, told my friends about my plans and they just told me i have weird expectations of dates," you explained choso, placing the items you'd grabbed on the coffee table and rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly. "they said it would probably just be better to have a simple movie night since a lot of people do that. and it would… make things a lot easier i- if we go fu- further…" the implication was hanging in the air, you didn't dare to speak them out. choso gave you a knowing smile, patting the empty space beside him. gingerly, you sat next to him, squeaking in surprise when he snaked an arm around your waist and pulled you to his side. with wide eyes, you stared at him, still trying to wrap your head around the casual close proximity with the taller male.

wordlessly, you started a random movie, trying to focus on it. throughout the duration of it, choso would ask you questions about your day, how uni was going or whether you felt comfortable. you couldn't focus, not with him being so close. how you made it through the first movie you didn't know. you were hyper aware of choso's wandering hands, the ghost touches his fingers left, how he absentmindedly rubbed your legs that were resting on his lap. straining to keep your eyes on the screen, your neck already felt stiff from the tension.

"i can tell that you're distracted, you know?" choso hummed, hands squeezing your legs gently to catch your attention. pretending to not be affected by it, you shook your head. you didn't want to show him that you wanted to proceed, not yet.

"i'm trying to concentrate," you shushed him quietly, playfully pushing at his arm but still not looking over to him. silence. you assumed you'd convinced him that there was nothing wrong until you felt his hands innocently move a little higher, rubbing the top of your thighs. clenching your fists, you stayed put, unwavering in your resolve. choso's hands wandered, alternating between featherlight touches to using more pressure. he kept his eyes on you, gauging your reactions to him. you brought your hand up to cover half of your face. it was embarrassing, the way your breath came out laboured in response. without warning, arms were hooked under your knees, dragging you across the couch and seated you on his lap. you made a noise in protest, now finally paying attention to him. choso wasn’t sure why but it had bothered him that you were so adamant on keeping your attention on the movie as opposed to keeping your eyes on him.

choso wasn’t sure why but he craved your attention, wanted you to look at him only. his resolve crumbled when you looked at him with wide eyes, grasping the sleeves of his shirt to steady yourself. he couldn’t help but kiss you, swallowing your surprised mewl before you returned the kiss. pleased at your eagerness, he gradually deepened the kiss, licking at the seams of your lips. you gasp in surprise and parted your lips slightly, whimpering in anticipation. it felt unfamiliar and yet thrilling at the same time, fueling and flaring up the dull ache in the pit of your stomach. before choso could go any further, you pulled away and hid your face in the crook of his neck. “what’s wrong? did i go too far?” he questioned concerned, rubbing your back in soothing circles.

“no, no, not at all,” reassuring him quickly, you awkwardly turned in his lap, legs still thrown over it. “i uh just wanted to try to take initiative myself, figure things out without getting hints from you… if that’s okay?”

a sigh of relief left choso’s lips. silently, he gave you his approval and leaned back, watching as you shuffled clumsily. finally, you straddled his lap and placed your hands on his chest. in the dim light, you couldn’t make out his face expression - choso was glad that you couldn’t, otherwise you would have been able to see how much it was affecting him, how he was slowly losing his composure and control around you. but this was about you, he was there to help you explore this type of intimacy. releasing another shaky breath, you then leaned in and softly kissed him. you kept a languid tempo, slowly and surely cracking his restraint. trying to mirror what he’d done earlier, you pushed further, timidly licking into his mouth as he parted his lips.

seemingly not being able to hold back anymore, choso pushed against you with equally as much fervour, gripping your chin and tilting your head ever so slightly. his lips moved against yours, sucking your bottom lip, eliciting a whimper from you. again the ache in the pit of your stomach was flaring up, uncomfortable and yearning for relief; you moved against his lap, pressing your body against his when your crotch dragged against the bulge in his jeans. choso groaned, hands flying to grasp your hips and steady you.

dazed, you gave him a confused look. choso cleared his throat, lifting his hips ever so slightly so you could feel his arousal again. when the realization hit you, your face heated up - you were surprised to find out that he felt aroused… by you.

“oh.”

“yeah.” choso retorted dryly, hands rubbing at his face in embarrassment. “fuck, i’m so sorry. it wasn’t meant to get out of hand like this, i don’t know how far you planned ahead for today but i-”

“uhm if you don’t mind…” you hesitated. but curiosity simply got the better of you, you wanted to see him breathless and feel as hot and bothered as you did. “could i uhm. you know? give you a handjob? only if you don’t mind because i want to know how to please uhm, please people.”

choso swore under his breath. you had no idea how painfully hard you were making him. quietly encouraging you, he leaned in to kiss you again and guided your hands to his jeans. you fumbled with the button and zipper, hands trembling slightly. it took you a few tries until you were finally able to unzip his pants, a giggle left your lips at the thought of how clumsy you were. your hands gently rubbed at the tent in his boxers, breath hitching as choso’s hips jerked. gaining some courage, you slightly put on more pressure and watched fascinated when choso’s fingers digged into the fleshy skin of your hips in anticipation. slowly, you pulled the waistband of his boxers down until it revealed his cock. choso hissed at the cold air that was biting at his skin.

carefully, you wrapped your hand around the shaft, marvelling at how the skin felt on your hands. sensing your cluelessness, choso wrapped his larger hand around yours and guided you into a slow rhythm to get you used to the movement. sucking in a deep breath between his teeth, he praised you: “you’re doing good, y/n. fuck, you’re being such a good girl.”

your heart soared at the praise. eagerly, you leaned up to kiss him, still stroking him in slow movements. choso moaned against your lips, the deep sound spurring you on, eager to hear more of his reactions. when you finally felt more comfortable continuing on your own, choso pulled his hands away and instead settled them on the small of your back, sliding them down until they were resting on your bum. you wrapped your other hand around him as well and paid attention to his reactions, adjusting the pressure and pace accordingly. choso buried his face in the crook of your neck, whispering sweet praises in between his moans. eventually your name left his lips; it set your entire body in flames, desperate want clinging onto your bones.

“fuck, i’m close,” he groans against the skin of your neck, hips rutting up to meet your movements more frantically now. you weren’t entirely sure what to do, opting to simply match the pace. shudders wrecked through choso’s body as he came, warm cum painting your small hands and running down your fingers. he was panting, leaning back against the couch and watching you with hooded eyes. the sight in front of you stirred something inside of you - choso’s flushed face, the slight sheen of sweat on his skin, his kiss-bitten lips. with curiosity, you inspected the liquid on your hand. lazily, choso grasped your wrist, holding them away from you. “‘m sorry. do you have a tissue?”

you tilted your head, tugging on the sleeves of his sweater with your other hand. “uh i- i’ve heard from others… um. can i try?” you asked quietly. choso’s grip on your wrist weakened; he gave you an incredulous look, as if you few two heads. out of all things, he didn’t expect you to suggest that. fuck, he felt the blood rushing right back down to his cock. just the thought of you, doing that - it was enough to make him cum again. “go ahead, if you feel like it,” choso whispered in a low voice. dark urges overcame him again, begging him to give in, to make you bend to his will, to submit, to-

his thoughts came to a screeching halt when he saw you unashamedly pop a finger in your mouth, licking the come from it. there wasn’t any reaction from you really, you gave him a sheepish smile afterwards and gratefully took the tissue he offered you. he helped you wipe your hands, diving in for another kiss. “sorry, i think i just short circuited,” choso laughed embarrassedly, another kiss was pressed to your temple. “that was just… uh- fuck.”

“r- really?” you stammered, hiding your face in your hands. “it’s okay if it wasn’t that great for you, it was my first time after all, i-”

choso hushed you, going for another open mouthed kiss, eliciting a whimper from you. “yeah, really. fuck, the things i want to do to you,” he shook his head, not wanting to get sidetracked again. “but this is about you. we’ll only go as far as you’re comfortable. did you feel like you learned enough for today?”

“mh- hmm. thank you,” you leaned your head against his chest, closing your eyes as a sudden tiredness washed over you. choso’s fingers dancing across your skin were slowly lulling you into a comfortable slumber. “what is it that you want to do to me? will you show me one day?”

choso cursed, shivers running down his spine.

“if you want to, of course.”

-----------

now that you’d met choso a couple of times, it was pretty obvious that you took some liking to him. after that fateful day, nothing else had happened as you wanted to work on easing into relationship dynamics and feeling less insecure about things - choso had been nothing but sweet and mindful about it, even went out of his way to find suitable locations for your dates. somewhere along the way you had started to text more casually, the strictly business type texting long forgotten. gradually, the two of you opened up to each other, the lines between escort and client slowly blurring and intertwining.

choso had promised to pick you up after your shift at the animal shelter for your next date; for today he had suggested you come over to his place for a change. the thought that he was willing to let you in his home, let you have a glimpse into his personal life, it made you giddy with anticipation. despite getting closer to each other, he remained a mysterious person and you didn't want to pry. after all, you were merely his client. but what if you were more- patting your cheeks to put some sense back into you, you leaned down to pet the dogs. unbeknownst to you, choso had already entered the building and watched you with a soft smile as you gave each of the dogs their deserved belly rubs before you left.

you didn't take any notice of him until some of the dogs perked up and carefully trudged over to sniff at the stranger. turning around on your heels, your eyes widened as you took in choso's tall figure. you quickly apologized, telling him that you would be joining him right away to which he simply shook his head and reassured you that you were fine. your co-workers were eyeing choso curiously, one of them wiggling their eyebrows at you. in response, you waved it off, too embarrassed to set the record straight. choso looked so awfully much like a boyfriend in this moment - the way he was dressed in casual clothes that accentuated his physical features so well, the soft smile he gave you as he offered you his hand to take, the way he sounded genuinely interested and curious when he asked you about your day.

silently, you took his hand and followed him out of the building - you could feel your co-workers’ inquisitive gazes like laser beams on your back. while they were never particularly nosy about your personal life, it was unusual that someone would pick you up from work; much less someone that you seemed to be romantically interested in. surely, they would grill you the next time you would return to work. “they think you’re my boyfriend,” you explained to choso sheepishly, glancing down at your intertwined hands. choso squeezed your hand and nudged your side gently. “am i not?” he winked at you cheekily, making your face heat up. he had asked in such a serious voice that you’d briefly questioned yourself.

“n- no, not really,” you replied quietly, looking away from him. choso reached around you to open the car door for you. in the window reflection you could see his face expression; it was rather somber, almost as if your words had hurt him in a way. the emotion was gone from his face when you blinked. maybe you had just imagined it. getting close to him on that level was unattainable, no matter how you twisted it. it just wasn't right.

the car ride was mostly quiet, only the sound of choso's car playlist accompanying you. somewhere along the way he had reached out to intertwine your fingers, resting his hand on your thigh. holding hands was almost natural to you now, the way his hands automatically sought out yours whenever possible. in response, your heart was racing, filling with the all too familiar feeling of yearning. whether you were simply yearning for the intimacy and closeness of a relationship or for him, you weren't entirely sure. while choso had told you about himself for the sake of the fake dating, there were still unknown facettes. it was impossible for you to get to know all of him, not when he was selling a fantasy to you. and yet, you found yourself craving more of him, beyond what he was willing to show you.

choso parked his car in the garage, turning his body sideways so he could look at you. "you okay? you look like you were quite lost in thoughts," he hummed curiously, rubbing circles on the back of your hand. what could you possibly answer to that? hey i'm questioning our fake relationship and it's going beyond what i expected? abruptly, choso hoisted you across the seat onto his lap as if you'd weighed nothing. "a penny for your thoughts? or should i take your mind off things?"

"i- i think i would… rather not talk about it," you whispered quietly, gaze skirting away from his eyes. choso frowned, slightly irritated - he had a small inkling why he reacted this way but banned the thought to the back of his head. he understood that as a client, you wouldn't disclose details of your private life to him. but he found it difficult to circumvent your dropping mood when he couldn't tell what was going on.

"i understand," choso was about to open the door when you suddenly cupped his chin and dove in for a kiss. he was caught off guard - rarely did you ever initiate kisses, usually shyly asking beforehand. feeling bold, you pressed you pressed your hips down, grinding against his crotch. choso groaned, gripping your hips to guide you while thrusting his hips up to meet yours. he enjoyed how you shuddered at the newfound pleasure, the delicious friction making your toes curl. "does baby want me to take her mind off things?" he murmured with a raspy voice, peppering kisses across your jaw.

"please," you mewled needily, hands grabbing onto his shoulders, fingers digging into his skin. choso complied, sliding his hand up to tangle in your hair and gently pulled at it, tilting your head back. you were panting by the time he was moving down the column of your neck, nipping and sucking at your skin. lower and lower, until he reached the top of your breasts; with swift movements, he yanked your shirt and bra upso , pressing open mouthed kisses to them before wrapping his lips around your nipple. your voice cracked as you moaned his name, hands flying up to bury your hands in his hair. distracted by the ministrations, you didn’t notice choso’s free hand sliding down your front until you feel the coldness of his hands on your skin. you squirmed, giggling at the cool sensation - the giggle died abruptly when he dove lower, fingers rubbing your clothed pussy languidly.

“c- choso! we’re still in the g- garage, people can see!” you stuttered scandalized, tugging at the tips of his hair to grab his attention. choso simply hummed, carrying on as if you hadn’t just told him your concerns. rubbing circles on your clit, he watched with satisfaction how your legs were trembling, writhing in pleasure. just the sight of you - hickeys on your neck, slightly swollen lips, shirt pushed up to reveal your tits, his hands down your pants - it was so arousing and thrilling, he almost didn’t want to stop.

“the windows are tinted and no one’s around at this time… do you really want me to stop?” he murmured with a low voice, fingers pushing your panties to the side to gather the slick up on his fingers. “look at you, how much you’re craving it. the want is written all over your face, baby. do you want to stop now?”

before you know it, choso’s hand is suddenly hovering over your face, fingers glimmering with your arousal. you shot him a dazed look, confusion evident on your face. “open,” he instructed softly, slowly and carefully sliding his fingers in your mouth. almost instinctively, your hands gingerly grasped his wrist. your lips wrapped around them, tasting the liquid curiously. his breath hitched, blood shooting down his groin - fuck, you were going to kill him. tentatively, he thrusted his fingers, slow enough so he could gauge your reaction to it. you didn’t know what it was - the taste of yourself, the weight of his fingers on your tongue, the way he was looking at you with hooded eyes and a hungry expression on his face; it made you squirm, eagerly for more. choso immediately took notice of your sudden mood shift. barely noticeable, your hips were rocking back and forth as you sucked on his fingers, cleaning them of your slick.

with a pop, choso removed his fingers. you whimpered his name, gasping in relief when he slid them back down, moving your panties to the side. his thumb found your clit, rubbing the little nub gently in slow circles. as if he was in no hurry and unbothered by the prospect that someone could actually spot you, he continued his ministrations. your legs jerked, threatening to close when you felt his fingers prod at your entrance. excruciatingly slow, he sunk a finger into you. the feeling was unfamiliar, almost uncomfortable at first. seizing up, you clenched around the finger. “relax, ease into it,” choso whispered reassuringly, capturing your lips in a kiss. “it’ll feel good, i promise.”

choso inserted a second finger, letting you get used to the feeling of them. the kisses he was peppering on your chest were distracting you from the burning stretch, creating a confusing mix between pain and pleasure. “how are you feeling?”

“f- feels good, i- i-” you were struggling to form coherent sentences, too focused on how he was lapping at your nipples, sucking and kissing them gently. “y- you can continue…”

steadily, choso started to thrust his fingers into you - gradually, the burn was disappearing and replaced by a delicious stretch, pleasure that was spreading throughout your body and setting your nerves on fire. desperately clinging onto his shirt, you hid your face in the crook of his neck. choso placed a kiss on the crown of your head, whispering sweet praises and telling you what a good girl you were. it felt good, so good but something was missing, you needed something, maybe more. you started begging and despite blabbering nonsensical things, choso understood what you were asking of him. his fingers hit a peculiar spot inside of you when he curled them, making you jerk in surprise. “o- oh!” again and again, choso was hitting the spot, making you writhe on his lap.

something was building up in the pit of your stomach, like a tightened coil that was about to snap at any time. panicking slightly, you grabbed choso’s hand and tried to close your legs, wiggling away from him: “h- hey wait, i-” another moan broke from your lips when choso sealed your lips with his and wrapped his arm around your waist, locking you in place. “it’s okay, let go, baby. cum for me,” he whispered against your lips, sinking his fingers in you one last time. and then the coil snapped, the high crashing over you like a riptide, so blinding and intense that it took you a while to come down from it. your thighs were still trembling by the time you came back to your senses, ripples of pleasure still cursing through you.

you slump against choso's chest, exhausted from the intensity of your orgasm but feeling wonderfully blissed out. choso removed his hand from you, licking your arousal from his fingers before wiping them off on a paper towel. he brushed his fingers through your hair, pressing a kiss on your forehead. "how are you feeling? can you move?"

"my legs feel like jelly," your voice came out muffled, face still pressed into his chest. "'m feeling good though. that was… really nice."

"i'll carry you upstairs," choso declared matter-of-factly, hoisting you up so he could carry you. you slung your arms around his neck, pecking the side of his neck. his scent was faint but calming, lulling you into a sense of home and comfort. you wanted to stay close to him like this, just having him hold you in his arms. a myriad of emotions welled up in you, swallowing all your doubts until all that was left was the budding blossoms of your feelings for him, nurtured by his soft touches and adoring treatment. you wanted to cherish him, keep him close for as long as you could, as long as you could still have him.

"thank you."

"for what?" choso sounded surprised.

"taking care of me? i mean i pay you for it but i still wanted to let you know that i appreciate it."

“everything for you, baby,” choso replied softly, tightening his grip around you. as you got to his apartment, choso placed you on the couch and knelt down, hands wrapping around yours. “do you want to get changed? i’ll lend you some of my clothes, you can get changed in my room or in the bathroom if you want to freshen up.”

he was so so considerate, you couldn’t believe someone as nice as him existed out there. as you agreed, choso disappeared in his room; the sound of opening doors and drawers as well as rustling resounded from his room. you took the opportunity to observe his home. it was a small but cozy apartment, despite being sparsely decorated. in the back of the living room, you could spot some bags and boxes, presumably choso’s surfing equipment, as well as posters and photos cluttered on a pinboard. here and there, some little figurines and trinkets were spread across the apartment. although it was cozy, the apartment lacked some kind of presence, some warmth. you assumed that it had to do with choso’s job - he probably was rarely home between work and spending time with friends and family.

“here you go,” choso handed you a big sweatshirt and some shorts as he came back, patting your head teasingly. “go and get changed, i’ll start preparing dinner, yeah?”

you hid in the bathroom and got changed, neatly folding your clothes and stacking them on the counter. inspecting yourself in the mirror, you admired the size of choso’s sweater - it was a simple and cream coloured sweater that was entirely dwarfing and engulfing you. the sleeves were way too long and the hem almost reached your knees. but it was soft and comfy, coming close to choso’s hugs. you pulled the shorts up your legs, awkwardly securing them by tucking them underneath the sweater. choso had set up some boiling water and was silently chopping vegetables by the time you left the bathroom and tip toed towards the kitchen. “can i help you with anything?”

“no it’s okay, take a seat. do you want anything to drink? water? tea?” reluctantly, you sat at the small table on the side, pouting at him. choso simply laughed and shook his head, bringing a glass of water over. your heart jumped in surprise when he kissed your forehead as he placed the glass on the table. “i’ll take care of you for today. boyfriend duties, remember? the past times you’ve always taken us out on restaurants and incredible locations and now it’s my turn to show you the boyfriend magic.”

sudden dread filled your stomach. how could choso be so warm and kind-hearted to you, when you weren’t even in a relationship? you keep having to remind yourself that this was what he was doing for a living, that you might possibly never know the real him. that this might just be a mask that he kept on for the sake of your requests. you didn’t reply, deep in your thoughts as you stared at the glass of water. choso returned back to his previous task, cooking dinner in silence. your chest felt heavy with uncertainty and disappointment - you tried your best to push the emotions down. they were irrational, you knew full well what you were getting yourself into when you asked for his service.

thankfully, choso didn’t seem to have picked up on your sullen mood, even throughout dinner - you let no emotions shine through when you conversed with him, choosing to keep it lighthearted. you offered to wash the dishes, not wanting him to lift another finger when you could help him in return. as you scrubbed the bowls, choso creeped up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist, placing his chin on your shoulder. “you wanna watch a movie? or go to bed already? you’ve had a long day at work after all.”

“hmm, yeah. i think i’d prefer going to bed, if that’s okay for you?”

“i could never say no to cuddles,” choso hummed, capturing your lips in another kiss. you whimpered against them, not being able to resist him. he moaned against your lips, grip on you tightening. “please don’t tempt me, it’s so hard to say no to you,” he warned you with a strained voice.

your face grew warm at the memories of a few hours ago. you couldn’t believe you let him do that, let him finger you in his car in the garage. no one had seen you and you were thankful for that but you wanted the ground to swallow you whole at the thought of someone possibly snitching on you. your father would lose his mind. “is- is it not what you want?”

“of course i do, but not today. baby steps, remember? we have all the time in the world. and i can assure you that i very much want you,” with one last peck on your lips, he removed himself from you and disappeared in his room. he wanted you. your heart was soaring at his confession. you were relieved to know that he was craving you as much as you were yearning for him. maybe you would indulge, just for a couple more times until you would inevitably have to cut off the relationship. you felt at peace with your decision, you told yourself. nothing good would come from false hope.

after washing up, you joined choso on the bed, shyly crawling towards him as he opened his arms and welcomed you. he pulled you into his chest, nearly crushing you with his weight. it made you giggle and squirm in his arms, trying to wiggle out of his hold. choso was having none of it, peppering kisses all over your face as he trapped you in place. gasping for air in between your carefree laughter, you weakly pushed at his head, squealing when he dove in to blow raspberries on your neck. he showed mercy and let up, instead curiously inspecting your neck as he pulled the neckline of your, no his, sweater down. something dark was glinting in his eyes as his eyes zoomed in on the hickeys he had left on your neck and chest - he felt strangely satisfied, pleased with his work of art. a sliver of possessiveness overcame him as he traced the trail of red marks on your neck, humming quietly.

“something wrong with my neck?” you questioned confused, not having spotted the hickeys yet. choso shook his head, simply laid back on his side again to look at you. “not at all. was just inspecting the hickeys i left on you.”

“you left marks?” you gaped at him, mildly shocked at the revelation. though he was preoccupied with your neck earlier, you didn’t expect him to actually leave so many marks, much less ones that were visible. “is… is that a common occurrence?”

“for couples? i think so. but i can’t speak for everyone; if it was me, i would do it frequently. stake my claim on you, let everyone know that you’re mine,” choso replied and casually draped the blanket over the two of you, as if he didn’t just admit to doing something he would normally do with a lover. did he think of you as his? you struggled to decipher his actions, not being able to match it with a specific reason.

“that’s uh-” your stuttering was interrupted by another horrifying thought. “oh god, i can’t let my parents see this, they will kill me.”

choso shot you a confused look. you hadn’t told him about your parents yet or how you were hiding this from them.

“my parents… especially my dad, are very cautious about letting me venture out in romantic relationships. it’s mostly because he didn’t feel like anyone was good enough for me and because he didn’t want me to get hurt. sometimes i felt like those princesses locked up in a tower, you know? so i decided to explore and uh, hired you. i didn’t want to burden my friends with having to help me gain some experience,” you explained to choso, eyes widening when he suddenly grabbed your hand and pressed a kiss to it. he winked at you cheekily before leaning over you to turn off the lights. you felt him press a gentle kiss to your lips but you couldn’t make out his face expression in the dark. choso preferred it like this, so you couldn’t tell the vulnerable look on his face, the ache of knowing that he could never fully be yours.

“then i’m glad i get to serve a princess such as you.”

----------

“you’ve been spending an awful lot of time with choso,” nobara commented as she took a sip from her coffee, reaching out to grab one of the muffins you had ordered. you looked away in embarrassment. it’s been nearly two months since you’ve started to meet up with choso. your dates became more frequent, even the casual texting continued. and yet you hadn’t really told your friends about your progress or how you felt about him, either brushing it off or giving them vague details. it was only natural that nobara and maki grew suspicious, vowing to grill you about it the next time you would meet up. “have you done the deed?”

“n- no! not yet,” you answered hastily, the topic still making you feel bashful. though you had talked to choso about it; he had agreed and hinted that you might go all the way the next time you would meet up. it was weird, scheduling something like this. but you felt more at ease knowing that it was approaching and you could somewhat prepare your nerves for it. “we talked about it though… next time, maybe?”

“i see,” maki nodded slowly, deep in thought. “you’ve been skirting around this escort thing a lot. is there something you’re hiding from us?”

“nope! not at all!”

“y/n… we’re looking out for you as friends. i know you told us that you trust choso and that he’s the nicest person you have ever but is there something more?” maki gave you a gentle nudge. the serious look in her eyes told you that you better not give her a lame excuse. even nobara, who was usually playful in nature, looked mildly concerned. as much concern as she could muster up anyways. sheepishly, you stared at your mug, watching the milk swirl with your hot chocolate. surely, they would tell you to stop seeing him, to stay away. because catching feelings for someone whose true feelings and self you could never uncover… should have been something you could have prevented. if only it hadn’t been so easy to give in, so easy to develop feelings for choso.

“uhm. i just realized that i like him, like a lot. i know i shouldn’t and should have circumvented the issue somehow but now i’m stuck with my feelings. and it’s just confusing. before you get mad at me, i’ve already decided to cut it off after our next date. i can’t dwell on it for too long because realistically, nothing is going to happen.”

wordlessly, nobara gave you a hug, patting your back to soothe you. “is he really that great though?” maki lightly swatted nobara’s arm and gave her an eyeroll. her comment made you laugh, she knew how to lighten up a situation.

“i think so. very gentleman-like and just takes good care of everything. i really appreciate how well he’s been taking care of me this entire time. he just is the perfect boyfriend, you know?” nobara nodded but you could tell from her face that she was trying to put the puzzle pieces together. it made you laugh again, pinching her cheek playfully. you didn’t want to worry your friends too much. they always helped you in every situation and now it was time you would take care of everything yourself.

“i can’t believe this entire time we were trying to find you a perfect partner and you’ve gone and went the whole nine yards, boyfriend experience and heartbreak all together,” maki joked and ruffled your hair, giving you a reassuring smile. “you know we’re there for you if you need emotional support in this, right? we might not be much of a help while you go through the fake breakup but we can help you take your mind off afterwards.”

you sniffled a little at the thought. your next date was fast approaching and you were grateful to have such great friends, who would always look out for you and be understanding even if you made dumb mistakes. your next step would be to learn how to mend a broken heart.

everything had to be perfect. the entire evening you had been on the move, busy cleaning your apartment and room and spending time in the bathroom making yourself look presentable. you still felt nervous exposing all of you to choso, never had anyone seen you naked before. the thought of it had made you so anxious that you’d called nobara who promptly suggested you wear cute underwear and something comfy to ease yourself into it. chances were that choso didn’t really care and wouldn’t judge you anyways; he had always been generous with compliments, always telling you how pretty you looked, how cute you were, and what a good girl you were for him. you didn’t think you could feel so fired up from praises nor did you think that you would be craving to hear them so much until choso came along. the feeling of euphoria that overtook you whenever he praised you, along with the pleasure he gave you whenever you were fooling around - it was a deadly combination.

knocks at the door made you perk up, hastily racing over to the door to let choso in. he chuckled when you immediately wrapped your arms around his waist and buried your face in his chest. “hey baby, missed me much, huh? i missed you too,” choso admitted, softly combing his fingers through your hair. you peeked up at him from below, closing your eyes as you leaned into his touch like a cat. “mhmm, missed you a lot,” you mumbled, humming in content as choso pecked your lips briefly before waddling inside the apartment with you in his arms, closing the door behind him

“what am i going to do with you?” he mumbled amused and sat down on the couch, pulling you onto his lap. he squished your cheeks between his hands, kissing your pouty lips with a broad smile. “you always make it so hard for me to leave.”

your heart sunk at his last words, remembering how you were planning to proceed by the end of this date. surely, it couldn’t be so hard and he wouldn’t think much of it since it was all business anyways. and yet, you couldn’t help but seize up with dread, not wanting to hurt him. if, and only if he would actually be affected by it. you placed your hands on his, sticking your tongue out at him. you teased him: “you leave but you always return, right? doesn’t that give you something to look forward to?”

“yeah, always come bouncing back…” choso trailed off, a faraway look on his face. you couldn’t tell what he was thinking - each emotion that surfaced was only fleeting and quickly wiped from his face expression as if it never existed in the first place. perhaps he was keeping his heart as guarded as yours, for baring the most vulnerable parts of yourself could be your downfall. he ran his hands along your thighs, rubbing the bare skin gently, fingers teasingly slipping under the hem of your shorts. your breath hitched in your throat, expecting him to move his hands up further. but by now, choso knew how to play you like a fiddle, what drew beautiful moans out of you, what made you whimper in anticipation and how to build up tension. he knew how to tease you and use it to his advantage; knew well that you would follow his instructions like the good girl that you were, never disappointing him. “gotta take care of my princess, hm?”

choso dipped down, brushing the strands of your hair out of the way, showering it in kisses. you mewled quietly, tilting your head to the side to allow him more access to your neck. he was still murmuring between kisses, telling you how sweet you were, how he was going to make you sing his name, how he was going to take care of you. the whispered praises were getting to your head, you easily melted into his touch. “c- choso,” you gasped, already drowning in him as his presence clouded your senses, wrapping around you as if nothing else but him existed. “please touch me.”

“your wish is my command,” choso lifted you up as if you weighed nothing, carrying you to your bedroom with ease. gently, he dropped you on the bed, simply hovering over you without saying a word. the look in his eyes knocked the air out of your lungs; you loved his eyes, his dark brown eyes that were filled with so much warmth and love, now darkened and filled with lust. he observed you, waiting for you to make a move - you stayed still, tense with anticipation. with every single intimate encounter you had with him, you gradually learned that choso enjoyed being in control, overjoyed when you were obedient and remembered what he had told you. he liked having you at his mercy, being the first and only one to discover the expanse of your body, to pleasure you in ways you were yet to familiarize yourself with.

choso’s tapped your lips, carefully sliding two fingers in when you willingly parted your lips and sucked on them. the weight of his fingers on your tongue, the dazed look on his eyes as he watched you - it was all so erotic, so arousing. you lifted your hips, grinding against his thighs for some kind of relief. it drew a slightly irritated click of the tongue from choso, gently pressing his fingers against your tongue. but he enjoyed the view, seeing how you wanted him so much, how you were seeking relief by humping his thigh. you could already feel yourself soaking through your panties and your thin shorts, arousal smearing across choso’s thigh and leaving a wet spot on his jeans.

pulling his fingers out of your mouth, he slid them down, lower and lower, smearing your spit across your skin. his fingers stopped right at the buttons of your blouse, playfully rolling them between his fingers. slowly, he unbuttoned the blouse, pushing the fabric off your shoulders to reveal your bra. you squirmed, suddenly feeling shy and embarrassed about being so exposed in front of him. “you’re beautiful,” choso reminded you. “don’t hide from me. i want to see all of you.”

reluctantly, you kept your arms at your sides, instead clenching your fingers around the fabric of your comforter. teasingly, his hands dragged across the tops of your breasts before dipping lower. “look at you, how soaked you are already. you’ve even left a spot on my jeans. i haven’t even touched you properly yet… has my princess missed me this much?” he mused, gently rubbing circles across your skin. he was careful not to move anywhere close to your crotch, resolutely keeping his hand near your navel.

“yes, please touch me,” you mewled, grasping his hand to guide him towards the hem of your shorts. his hand splayed across your mound, rubbing in deliberately slow movements, making you sigh in relief. choso tugged on your shorts, dragging them down your legs with ease. you clenched your eyes shut, hiding your face behind your hands. choso stayed silent for a few seconds and simply admired you in the dim light of your room. he could tell that you'd chosen a nice set of underwear to impress him - you looked so cute in it, like a present waiting to be unwrapped. he took notice of the dark patch on the crotch of your panties, how they were clinging onto your skin and how your arousal was glistening on your inner thighs.

"you look breathtaking," choso complimented you, gently removing your hands from your face. "i told you not to hide, didn't i? give me all of you, baby."

you blinked a few times, sheepishly thanking him. his praises overwhelmed you, making your chest swell with pride. but still, you didn't know how to react when he was singing your praises, too bashful to reply coherently. choso removed your panties in painstakingly slow movements, leaving trails of kisses on your inner thighs up to your ankle. throwing your panties to the floor, he then pulled your legs over his shoulders. you watched him bewildered, not sure what to make of it. the position made you feel oddly exposed; all of your senses were heightened, strained to focus on choso only. the oversensitivity caused your hips to jerk when choso’s breath hit your pussy, keen on receiving attention. the swipe of his tongue on your slit was something you didn’t expect - the sensation was new, uncharted territory, so different from his fingers. it drew a whimper from your lips, making your toes curl against his back.

languidly, he was lapping at your folds, taking his time to get you used to the feeling. it wasn’t until his tongue dragged across your clit, lips wrapping around it to suck gently, that whines and whimpers spilled forth from your lips. your hips automatically lurched forward, rocking against his face. you couldn’t wrap your head around the pleasure it provided you, how it rendered you into a babbling mess with only his name on your lips like some mantra. needing to busy your hands otherwise, you clenched your fingers around his hair, subconsciously pressing his face into your pussy. choso groaned against you, the slight burn turning him on beyond relief. you felt like you’re floating, higher and higher, rapidly approaching your high and it was still a feeling you’re trying to get used to, a feeling that you readily welcomed and craved.

it was a combination of all the touches that bring you closer to the edge; how he was sucking at your clit before flattening his tongue against your clit, paying close attention to it, how it was repeatedly and rapidly dragging across your folds. it made you sob, begging him to make you cum. choso pulled you even closer, fingers digging into your thighs as he lapped at your swollen clit, again and again until you come with a loud moan, barch arching from the bed, heels digging into choso’s shoulder blades. clenching your eyes shut, you attempted to push his face away from you, now feeling too sensitive. your legs were trembling uncontrollably, you gasped for air as your high washes over you and slowly ebbing away. choso sat up on his knees and only then you see the arousal smeared across his chin and lips. the sight sent electric shocks up your spine, breath hitching in your throat. he looked so fucking hot like this. he gave you no time to be embarrassed about it, wiping the slick off his skin and licking it off his hands.

“c- choso, what-” you croaked, voice all raspy from your relentless moaning. choso didn’t reply, instead kissed you open mouthed - the taste of your arousal was still present on his tongue. in the back of your mind, you thought about how dirty it was and yet so thrilling, eliciting a hunger for him. desperately, you were tugging at his shirt, trying to get it off. you were struggling, huffing in frustration as he didn’t budge. choso laughed, pecking your lips apologetically before taking it off along with his pants. even in the dim light you could make out the bulge in his pants, a testament of much he wanted you. the sight made you salivate, your pussy clenching around nothing. he took notice of your dazed look, grabbing your chin to tilt it up. “are you sure you want this? do you want me?”

you nodded quickly, eyes widening at his question. “of course, i want you, never wanted anything more. please, choso.”

“you have me, all of me,” he retorted, a tender look in his eyes. again, your heart clenched. just one more time you would get to see him like this, pretend he really was your lover. but when he looked at you with so much adoration in his eyes, it was hard to believe that there wasn’t a spark between you. unbeknownst to you, choso had always looked at you with stars in his eyes, hoping that you would return the sentiment. no matter how hard he was keeping his feelings at bay, the cracks were widening, allowing more and more feelings to seep through. with each touch, each word that you exchanged, the dam was weakening and threatening to spill everything that he was keeping inside.

choso gently pressed you back down onto the mattress, fingers fumbling with the condom that he’d pulled out of his jeans. you watched with fascination as he put it on, not being able to take your gaze of it. he grinned, deciding to indulge you, pressing his cock against you. arousal was still leaking from you, allowing him to easily slide against you. deliberately, he nudged the head against your clit until you couldn’t take it anymore. you wiggled your hips, signaling him to do something, do put you out of your misery. choso glanced at you for permission, suddenly seeming to be nervous himself. you gave him a small nod, leaning up to cradle his cheeks and kiss him. choso began to push, slowly slipping past your folds and- the stretching burn, it was there again and made you tense up.

choso grasped your hands, intertwining them and showered your face with kisses, whispering sweet nothings and encouragement. the feeling was familiar and yet strange at the same time, the girth of his fingers were nothing compared to his cock. it was a tight fit; you were aware of him, so aware of him. muffled, you heard choso telling you to relax, that he didn’t want to hurt you, to take your time. he was still pushing, distracting you from the uncomfortable pain with kisses. with one last thrust, he’s pushed the entirety of him in you. faintly, you could feel pain gradually ebbing away. the fullness of him, the throbbing; you clenched around him, a quiet moan leaving your lips as choso’s hips jerk in response.

“you okay? can i move now?” he whispered against your lips. you nodded, feeling choso smile against your lips. your breath hitched in anticipation as he pulls out ever so slightly before thrusting back in. you let out a whimper at the sudden thrum of incoming pleasure, hands squeezing his. choso thrusted his length in and out of you slowly, still wanting you to get used to it. the drag of it against your walls, the way his cock ever so slightly bumped against that spot inside of you that made your body sing - you sobbed out his name, hips tilting up to meet his movements. choso had no qualms obliging to your unspoken wants, upping the pace once he’s made sure you felt comfortable.

slowly, his inhibitions fell apart upon seeing you desperately cling onto him, moaning out his name as he pulled out and drove back in, deeper than before. you saw stars when he hit the spot inside of you, burying himself inside of you completely. it’s been a short amount of time but choso was quick to figure out what made you shake in pleasure in particular, memorizing every little nudge and wiggle that would have you gasp out his name. the closeness, the intimacy, it easily beat everything else that you’ve ever done before but it was now that you realized that no one could compare to choso. while your initial goal was to simply learn and gain some experience, somewhere along the way, you veered off the path. perhaps your goal was never to find out what it was like engaging in sexual activities but rather to experience it with someone you loved. it was then that you realized you didn’t care about these things unless you could experience them with choso.

while choso was no stranger to having people in his bed, the sight of you was one he would never be able to get out of his head again. how your moans and whimpers were getting more frequent with each thrust, how you were sobbing his name whenever he hit particularly deep inside of you, how your small hands were holding onto his, how you clenched around him whenever he praised you. he wanted to keep you for himself, to impale himself in you in such ways that you could never look at other people the same way anymore. “i- i’m close,” you hiccuped between sobs, back lurching from the bed. “choso, p- please, i wanna cum, i-”

“i’ve got you, princess,” he assured you, diving down to kiss you feverishly. relentlessly, his hips pistoned against yours, desperate to make you cum. choso couldn’t hold back any longer, he was close, so close. wanting to cum with you, he reached down to rub your clit. your reaction was almost instantaneous, legs pressing against his side as you came, his name on your lips like a prayer. he came with you, burying his face in the crook of your neck as groans left his lips, mixed with your name and curses. his hips stuttered as they pressed against you one last time, staying in place until he’s spilled all of him in the condom. you felt like you were floating, still dazed from the intensity of your orgasm. absentmindedly, you wrapped your arms around his neck, hand absentmindedly playing with the hair at his nape. choso let out a noise, akin to a cat’s purr, nudging his head against your hand. his gesture made you giggle and you strained your neck to press a kiss against his forehead.

slowly, choso removed himself from you, letting out a breathy laugh as you protested. you made grabby hands at him but he simply tutted, disappearing in the bathroom to dispose of the condom and came back with a wet towel. it felt comforting, the warmth of the towel as well as his gentle touches, lulling you into a sleepy state. it didn’t take long for him to join you again once he was done, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into his chest like the countless times he’s done so before. “how are you feeling? i didn’t hurt you, did i?”

you shook your head, trying to find the right words. in the end, nothing came into your mind to appropriately tell him how mind blowingly good he made you feel so you just settle with: “felt good, really good. didn’t hurt, jus’ felt uncomfortable at first. but you made it okay, it’s okay when it’s with you.”

“i see,” choso let out a relieved breath, laughing as you blinked at him stunned. you looked adorable, still floating and coming down from your high. “i’m glad i was your first, glad i could do it justice. just wanted you to feel good.”

“mhmm, thank you,” you slurred sleepily, arms wrapping around his waist. you felt so warm and loved, not wanting to let go of the feeling just yet. “can we do it again some other day? you promised to show me what you still wanted to do to me.”

“y/n, sweetheart, when will you be coming to visit us again? i know it’s your summer break right now and you’re busy but we thought it might be nice to go on a short family trip. what do you think?” your mother pleaded over the phone. you could see her pout on the screen, her attempt at guilt tripping you into visiting more. truthfully, you felt bad about not having been able to see your family so much - the amount of assignments and final exams was swamping you and you just wanted to get through them before going on vacation. that and the fact that you couldn’t properly look them in the eyes anymore ever since being with choso.

you just couldn’t let go of him, nor could you admit your feelings to him, in fear it would make him uncomfortable. it was irrational, reckless even, to keep paying for a service you technically didn’t need anymore. simply to keep a person you had feelings for around for longer. nobara and maki didn’t know about this either, you knew they would have your head as soon as you confessed. it was irrational and you knew it. and yet it was so hard to let go. with every waking moment, you craved choso, his tenderness and loving gaze, the warmth of his arms, the domesticity that the two of you shared, how natural it seemed when you spent time together. and so you kept returning to him, over and over again

“i’m sorry, mum, i’m just really busy right now. but i promise i’ll let you know when i’m free, okay? i’m sure we can find a fitting date for the trip,” you attempted to soothe your mother, giving her an apologetic smile. she rolled her eyes at you playfully but shrugged it off, knowing that you didn’t mean anything by it. before you could tell her goodbye, your mother suddenly stopped you, waving at the screen.

“sweetheart, one of my friends- her son, i told him about you. he’s a very nice young man and i think you would get along well. when you come visit us, i’ll introduce him to you, yeah?” she explained, a giddy smile creeping onto her lips. “i’ve told him a little about you and your father doesn’t mind either. he has a good background too, i’m trying not to swoon.” she giggled as if she was the one who was to be set up on a date with him.

your eyes widened ever so slightly at her revelation but what shocked you more was that choso had seemingly heard what your mother had said. he was still sleeping when your mother had called you, so you hid in the kitchen to talk, not wanting to disturb his sleep. he stood in the doorway, blinking at you confused. you made sure to turn a little so your mother couldn’t see him. “mum, i told you i’m not really interested yet and want to go at my own pace-”

“honey, i know but the opportunity was just there. i couldn’t pass it up and you can still reject him, no? just try to meet him at least once.”

you sighed. “we’ll talk about it again when i’m home, okay? but don’t put too much hope in it, please.”

“i know, i know. i’ll talk to you again another day. love you, sweetheart,” your mum said goodbye to you and hung up. you groaned, tossing your phone to the side and buried your face in your hands. choso was not supposed to hear any of that. even though you two weren’t really in a relationship, and he had assured you that he wasn’t sleeping with anyone else, keeping his work at accompanying clients only, you still felt like you were somewhat betraying him. you felt choso’s presence moving behind you, then his arms wrapping around you, his chin being placed on your head. you couldn’t see the slightly irritated look in his eyes, the jealous glint that told you he didn’t want you to look at anyone but him.

“your mum seems to be eager to find you a partner,” he commented amused. you groaned, swatting at his arm.

“i don’t know why they’re suddenly so persistent after not deeming anyone as suitable for years,” grumbling, you turned slightly, pressing a kiss to choso’s chin. “i’m not really in the mood to go on dates just yet, so she’ll have to deal with it.”

“not in the mood for dates?” choso echoed, pinching your cheek. “not even with me?”

you whined, burying your face in his chest. you didn’t want to let him see how his words excited you. “no, i’m always in the mood for you, for dates with you.”

“that’s good to know. we’re going out later after all,” choso laughed, combing his fingers through your hair. “i did promise to take you to the beach and teach you how to surf.”

one of the reasons you didn’t come visit your parents immediately when your summer break began was because you’d already planned a short trip with choso. weeks ago choso had proposed you’d go to the beach together and you were thrilled by the idea, not having been by the sea in years. you’d rented a little cabin by the beach for the two of you while choso had prepared everything for the car ride. the car ride would be rather long but you weren’t worried about it at all - in the beginning, you’d been apprehensive, rather awkward with him. he eased you into everything, showing you not to be scared of relationships and to just be yourself. conversation was easy with him as if you’d been long term friends, with no worries or restrictions. for weeks, you’d looked forward to the trip, to spend more time with him.

the car ride was filled with laughter and calming music, you shared stories and secrets with each other, you fed him the snacks that you’d made the night before. you felt blissful, happily ignoring all the consequences that might be coming your way - you wanted to enjoy your time with him as much as you could. the dance that the two of you were engaging in, it was romantic and felt so domestic, while skirting around the important issue. inspecting your intertwined hands, you clasped your other free hand around his, rubbing the skin gently. choso shot you a concerned, questioning look but you brushed him off, assuring that nothing was wrong. “i’m just happy to be sharing this uh… boyfriend experience with you, really. i wouldn’t wanna do it with someone else.”

choso shot you a wistful smile, lifting your hand to press a kiss on it. “i’m glad you feel that way. you deserve only the best, someone who treats you like the princess that you are.”

the feeling of the grainy sand below you, wind blowing your hair in every direction, sun on your skin, water splashing against your shins - you felt like suddenly all your worries were washed away. you were still running through the shallow water, giggling as you saw choso catching up on you. upping your speed, you jumped through the water until he managed to grab you by your wrist, pulling you into his chest. he lifted you up, twirling you around in his arms a few times before setting you back on your feet, leaning in to kiss you. “you can’t just run away like that, all our stuff is still stranded over there,” he scolded you, playfully flicking your forehead. you glanced behind you, seeing how choso had already placed all the towels, cooler and bags on the beach chairs.

“it’s okay, we have the beach to ourselves anyways,” you retorted cheekily. choso couldn’t argue, instead rolled his eyes. the beach house that you had rented for the weekend was on the outskirts of the city, a rather quiet spot that also had a private beach. the paranoia that your parents might possibly spot you somewhere was running deep and so you didn’t want to risk anything. choso could teach you how to surf in peace, without any bystanders or crowded spaces. but now that you were sitting on the beach chair, you noticed that choso’s mind seemed to be elsewhere as he clumsily fumbled with the bags. you gnawed at your bottom lip, hoping that your earlier conversation with your mother wasn’t on his mind.

“you okay there? can i help you with anything?”

“huh? yeah,” choso answered after a second of processing, shaking his head. “uh i just get distracted looking at you. you look good in that bikini.”

“oh shut up,” you retorted but hid your face from him, still growing bashful even though you were used to him complimenting you out of nowhere. he shot you a wink, resuming his work. “but… choso, you can talk to me if anything bothers you, you know that?”

“yeah, i know… but don’t worry, i think this is something i have to figure out for myself first before i tell anyone,” he padded over, kissing your forehead. “but i appreciate it.”

deciding to drop the topic, you joined him, watching how he demonstrated his surfing skills. if he didn’t want to talk about it, you would respect it; and maybe, just maybe, he would open up to you about it. you watched as choso surfed through the waves, the sight filling you with bright happiness. he looked so happy to be surfing again, the usual tired look on his face wiped away as if it had never been there in the first place. he looked like he was truly at home, comforted and surrounded by the crashing waves. you understood what he meant by being distracted - choso looked good in his trunks as well, the water drops that were rolling down his body, his exposed upper body, the way his loose, slightly damp hair was falling over his face. you very much enjoyed the sight and almost felt creepy for staring so much.

as per usual, choso was a wonderful teacher, remaining calm and patient while he gave you instructions, comforting you when you weren’t doing so well and was always right by your side encouraging you. you hadn’t had this much fun in a while, especially not with someone other than from your close friend circle. it was easy to lose the track of time when being with him, all your thoughts and anxieties washed away like the seashells at the shore. by the end of the day, you were utterly exhausted, your muscles feeling like jelly. as you laid on the bed, you still felt like you were rocked and swayed back and forth by the waves. it was relaxing, almost lulling you into a deep slumber if it wasn’t for the sound of the running shower and choso’s humming. you opened the window, before returning to bed, wrapping the blanket around you. the sound of waves sloshing against the shore echoed through the room, making you feel like you were actually sleeping at the beach.

it didn’t take long for choso to return; you felt the bed dip beside you before you heard him. pretending to be asleep, you waited until he said anything but were instead greeted with a kiss on your nape. you squirmed a little, the feelings of his lips tickling the sensitive skin. a giggle broke from your lips, unable to stay silent any longer. “did i make you wait for too long?” he asked quietly, grabbing you by the hips to turn you around to face him. you shook your head and gave him a smile, leaning in to peck his lips. “no but i did miss you. did i tell you that i now get what you meant by being distracted? you looked really hot in your trunks and so serious while giving me instructions.”

“ah, really?” choso hovered over you, placing his hands beside your head. you’d only offered simple compliments but he was already so fired up, making you grin. “you can’t just tell me that and expect me not to do anything. don’t you know that i’m always hungry for you? i’ll ravish you right here.”

“what if i want you to ravish me?” you bravely retorted, your voice slightly cracking at the end. rarely were you ever bold with him but at this moment, you might as well indulge him. as an reward for teaching you how to surf and being so patient about it. choso clicked with his tongue, pleased with your reply. before he could move, you suddenly felt an urge to go further, wanting to be the one to initiate intercourse for once. you placed your hands on his chest, pushing gently. he looked at you confused, cocking his head to the side. if it wasn’t for the hungry look in his eyes, you would’ve cooed at how adorable he looked. “uhm can i… suck you off for today? i mean you’re always the one who- who makes me feel so good and i know you said you liked it but i just wanted to return the favour…”

choso short circuited at your request, momentarily leaving his mouth wide open as he stared at you. “y- yeah of course, if that’s what you want,” he spluttered hastily, sitting up on his knees. feeling giddy, you shuffled off the bed, positioning yourself at the edge of the bed and waiting for him to move. choso gulped, slowly moving towards the edge. he leaned down to kiss you, your hands snaked towards the waistband of his sweatpants, some doubt overcame you again, slowing your movements. sensing your hesitation, he patted your head and ruffled your hair. “you don’t have to do it, if you feel too nervous about it.”

“no, i want to, really,” you assured him, grasping the waistband and dragging it down. choso lifted his hips slightly, helping you remove his pants. his boxers followed soon after. gently, you wrapped your hands around his semi-hard cock, giving it some gentle strokes. choso exhaled shakily, leaning back on his hands as he kept his watchful eyes on you. you leaned in, flattening your tongue against the underside, running your tongue over the underside, tracing it until you reached the cockhead. gingerly, you gave it a few kitten licks before wrapping your lips around it. hands still stroking him, you delved in, taking as much as much as you could. choso tilted his head back, moaning loudly. it spurred you on, eagerly you bopped your head against him, paying close attention to the sensitive head as you licked and sucked at it. curiously, you licked the slit, tasting the precum on it. the taste was unfamiliar, nothing like you’d ever had before but you weren’t sure what to make of it. but you weren’t grossed out by it, thankfully.

choso’s hips jerked when you touched a particularly sensitive spot, not being able to control his own body anymore. usually, he was more composed, holding himself back for the sake of you - immediately, he stopped and apologized, staring at you with wide eyes. “fuck, i’m so sorry, that wasn’t meant to happen. did i hurt you?” he cupped your cheek, guiltily examining you.

“‘m okay, don’t worry about it. it just surprised me a little, that’s all. but if it’s what you like… i uh, don’t mind,” you reassured him.

“f- fuck, you can’t just say that because i will and-”

“like i said, i don’t mind. i want to make you feel good too.” reluctantly, choso nodded and relaxed again, letting you proceed. you were eager to make him cum, enthusiastically moving your head along the shaft. you welcomed choso’s shallow thrusts, glancing up to watch his reactions. his skin was beautifully flushed, eyes were closed, groans muffled as he bit his bottom lip. you struggled to take his cock in deeper, instead wrapping your hands around the parts you couldn’t reach. when choso’s thrusts got sloppier, you could tell that he was getting close.

“y/n, fuck- i’m gonna- wait, you-” unable to finish his sentence, he moaned, hips stuttering again as you swirled your tongue around the sensitive tip. you suckled on his length eagerly, hands pumping the base faster and choso couldn’t keep it in any longer, coming with a loud moan. you continued suckling on the tip, helping him through his orgasm until he’s spilled all of him in your mouth. sitting back on your knees, you removed yourself from him.

eyes wide and glossy, you looked up at him as he pulled away slightly so he could look at you. choso brushed your hair back, then lifted your chin up, tapping your bottom lip. "show me," he said in a low, hoarse voice, patiently waiting until you opened your mouth and showed him. showed him his cum that was still pooling on your tongue. a few seconds passed until he finally reacted - just the sight of you on your knees, obediently following his orders and showing him your work had his insides stirring with something dark, possessive. "swallow," he whispered, adoringly cupping your cheek as you eagerly swallowed. your face felt hot, whether by embarrassment or pride, you didn't know. quietly cursing, he pulled you up while leaning down, meeting your lips halfway.

unceremoniously, choso dropped you on the bed, making you giggle quietly as you bounced on the mattress. hovering over you, he captured your lips in yet another kiss. you wrapped your arms around his neck, hugging him to your body. choso pressed his groin against yours, experimentally rolling his hips to elicit a reaction from you. burying your face into the crook of his neck, you couldn’t help but writhe from the pleasure - and even though you’ve been sleeping with each other, you still felt too shy to ask him for… more. how could you express what exactly you wanted when you were craving all of him? when you wanted to engrave everything into your brain; the feeling of his body against yours, his touch, the sweet as well as the dirty words he whispered into your ear. it was almost unfair how easily he could draw a reaction from you, as if he’d memorized every little aspect about you already.

choso nipped at your neck, about to leave a mark when you frantically pushed at his chest. “no visible marks, i told you!” you reminded him, almost feeling bad when you saw his disappointed face. but rules were rules, you didn’t want your parents to find out you were sneaking around with someone; you were barely able to look into their eyes as is. he huffed against your neck, burying his face in the crook of your neck in frustration. seconds passed without a reaction before he finally sat up on his knees, hands reaching out to tug on your shirt. “but everywhere else is fine, hm?” he mused, dragging his warm hands across your chest to your shoulder to push the fabric off.

“i- i guess,” you spluttered, barely having any time to react as he’s already moved on, lavishing your breasts with kisses while leaving a trail of hickeys on them. you whimpered, hips rolling up against his. through your panties, you could feel the outlines of his cock; the anticipation of him filling you up made you salivate. choso was quick to remove your panties and rolling a condom on upon hearing your desperate whimpers that were urging him to move faster. no matter how many times you’d already slept together, he could never get enough of you - you made him feel like a teenager again, like he was constantly insatiable and hungry for you. judging from the look in your eyes, you seemed to feel the same way.

choso angled his cock against your entrance before sinking in, moaning in unison with you. he grasped your hands, pinning them against the pillows as you reached out, trying to touch him. you sobbed in disappointment, just wanting to feel him but choso was having none of it. the complaint was quickly forgotten when he started thrusting, the sound of his hips smacking against yours filling the room. he was diligent, hitting that spot inside you over and over again, enjoying how your legs that were wrapped around his waist were trembling. you were drowning, drowning in him, in the pleasure he so graciously provided you. choso painted your chest with marks, placing them dangerously close to where they would be peeking out underneath clothes. he knew you didn’t want anyone to see them but fuck, he wanted people to keep their hands away from you, wanted them to know that you were his.

you sung his praises, hips quickly bucking against his as he buries himself in you to the hilt. he filled you up so well, always dragging against your walls so deliciously. almost feral, choso fucked you harder, putting all his frustrations and emotions into the strength of his thrusts. it left you feeling breathless, clenching around him hard as you climbed higher and higher. never had choso fucked you like this before, like he was trying to prove something - you sobbed, tears springing forth from the intensity. it felt good, so good and you wanted to cum so bad, wanted to release. the pleasant warmth was spreading throughout your body, almost unbearably hot as you neared your climax. it erupted within you explosively, leaving you writhing in a babbling, incoherent mess. for many moments, your orgasm wrecked through you, making you see white and stars. in your euphoria, you didn’t notice how choso had cummed with you, whispering sweet praises in your ear as he rode you through your high. you didn’t notice how he disappeared, returning with a wet towel as per usual, how he kisses away the tears at the corner of your eyes. through your hazy mind, you could tell that he wrapped the blanket around you before disappearing again.

it took you a while to return back to your senses, marvelling about the sex you just had. what had possessed choso in that moment? could it be because you’d offered to suck him off? or was he so pent up the entire day? the click of the door made you lift your head towards the source of the sound, cooing when you saw choso padding towards you. he yawned quietly, crawling under the blanket and wrapping his arms around you. "exhausted?" you questioned him, nuzzling into him.

"mhmm, i feel like i could sleep in until noon tomorrow," as usual, he ran his fingers along your spine, drawing shapes on your back. sometimes you thought you could feel him spelling something out on your skin but the touches were always so fleeting that it was impossible for you to make it out. whatever it was, he must've been too wary or scared to share it with you. you were reminded of your earlier conversation - choso still hadn't said anything so you wanted to bring it up, not wanting any issues to arise between you.

"choso? do you want to talk about what was wrong earlier? i know you said you wanted to think about it, but i was wondering…"

choso interrupted you. "are you going to go on a date with the guy that your mum mentioned this morning?"

you shot him a bewildered look. so he had been thinking about it. you hesitated, not sure what to tell him. should you be upfront and tell him how you feel? or give him a mild version, so he didn't feel cornered by you?

"i'm… i'm not sure yet. the thought of going on a date with someone else is kind of daunting but i think i'll do it just so my mum's happy."

"i see." uncomfortable silence seeped between the two of you. you could tell that choso was irritated, the frown on his face clearly indicating it. and yet, he didn't elaborate, leaving you to figure out what he meant by that. not daring to move, you stayed still, waiting for him to continue. choso sighed, placing his forehead against yours. "i think this is selfish of me but i can't stand the thought of seeing you with someone else. i wish… i wish it was only me that you looked at."

"you don't want me to go on a date with him?"

"yeah. i- i can't tell you why that is. it's selfish and dumb, hence why i didn't want to tell you. and it's not something that you should worry about. i'm just your escort after all, there's nothing more between us."

his words stung. even though it was the truth, the words still stung, driving a knife right into your heart. it was the very thing that nobara and maki had warned you about. but here you were, heart breaking in a million pieces. perhaps it was the fact that choso didn't tell you the reason, didn't seem to trust you with it, that made you recoil immediately. the walls around your heart were immediately put back into place, safeguarding you from any further harm. he wasn’t obligated to tell you anything and you knew that - there was probably also another reason why he felt that way. any further digging would probably make him recoil as well, it wouldn’t do you any good. whatever was growing between you, it had to stop now. choso simply saw you as a client, probably had been this entire time. again, you were reminded of the fact that he might have been acting this entire time, none of the affection he showed you ever being real.

“i- yeah… i guess,” you replied dejectedly, looking away from him. “i’ll figure it out with him, don’t worry. i’ll just keep my mum happy with it, there’s nothing more to it.”

choso bit his lip, refraining from replying to it any further. you already knew more than you were ever supposed to, he should have never let it slip that he didn’t like seeing you with other potential love interests. it pained him to keep this hidden, keep it a secret from you - but the less you knew, the better. he couldn’t imagine you being okay with being in a relationship with him while he was still an escort, nor did he think that your parents would be thrilled about it. from what you’d revealed to him, he could tell that they treasured you and wanted to minimize any possible harm as much as possible. and that included hand-picking a suitable partner for you. he might never be what your parents envisioned for you and he might never become your love interest so every session that you booked was a blessing to him.

sighing, he placed one last kiss on your cheek before wishing you a good night. but even when he closed his eyes and tried to sleep, he was wide awake, not being able to stop the onslaught of thoughts.

weeks passed without you ever contacting choso again. your resolve would have never been this strong, hadn’t nobara intervened. while you were moping and still feeling restless, helpless even, she made sure to delete his number and made you take care of the bills before cutting off contact entirely. normally, she would have commented on it - but seeing how you were struggling through your first heartbreak, she decided to let it be. and because maki wouldn’t have hesitated to have her head if you’d ever snitched. maki had encouraged you to take your mind off things, dragging you along to some of the sports classes she attended. it did lift your mood ever so slightly, much to your surprise, it was more fun that you’d originally anticipated. maki attended so many different classes that seemed so intense that you were scared to join at first. in between the classes, you spent more time with your friends. gradually you opened up to them, explaining them the entire issue with choso and how you had struggled to let go. you told them one by one, until it was finally time to let megumi know.

out of everyone, megumi scared you the most - not because he was intimidating or violent but because you knew how he would react. he’d most definitely be upset about it because he was protective over his friends, not wanting them to be harmed in any way. you’d pleaded that at least nobara should tag along to knock some sense into him, should he snap - but megumi’s reaction surprised you. when you finished your story, he was awfully quiet. you assumed he was boiling in anger, reaching out to appease him but he was frowning, making a contemplative face. “uh listen, i think that choso’s yuuji’s brother.”

“he’s what?” nobara’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. megumi had recently started going out with someone that he’d met during work and though he hadn’t introduced you to said person yet, you did know that his name was yuuji.

“yuuji’s brother. i haven’t met him yet but he’s been complaining about his brother for weeks now,” megumi explained, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. “choso’s an escort, right? it has to be yuuji’s brother. i’ve stayed over at yuuji’s place a couple of times… yuuji was venting, asking me about advice on how to get his brother out of a rut. apparently, choso’s been affected by this uh… somewhat breakup as well. yuuji’s suggested to him that he should reach out to you to talk but he said something about his work and your parents...”

“huh. what an interesting coincidence…” nobara mumbled but narrowed her eyes at you. “but you’re not going back to him, right?”

all the blood in your body froze. why had choso brought up your parents? they had never been a part of your relationship, you had only told him how overprotective they were and how they liked choosing your partners and friends for you. could it be?

“no, i don’t think so. i’m… very conflicted about our feelings to each other. it was stupid to give into my feelings for him in the first place. i hired someone to act as my fake boyfriend, someone who does this for a living. i think they know better than to catch feelings for their clients,” you sighed frustrated, shaking your head. there was no way in hell this situation could ever turn back around, even if you now knew that choso had also been affected. and still, he never reached out to me, you thought bitterly.

“i think you should talk it out though, if he does reach out to you,” megumi chimed in, awkwardly patting your shoulder in an attempt to comfort you. “from what yuuji’s told me, it does seem like his feelings are genuine. he didn’t outright push you away, right? who knows what could happen?”

in the end, you couldn’t help but confess to your parents. secrets were bound to be revealed one way or another and you figured it was better you opened up before they found out from someone else. the uncomfortable silence that spread through your apartment created a gloomy atmosphere; the tension was thick and palpable, making you shuffle in your seat in unease. your father hadn’t uttered any word while your mother had completely lost it, not understanding why you hadn’t instead chosen one of the boys she’d always introduced you to.

“all this time you were seeing this boy? and not once did you let us know. i could have asked my friend if they knew someone, their sons are so nice-”

“mum, i already told you i wanted to find someone on my own without having my options being presented to me on a silver plate. and you’re always so disappointed when i end up rejecting them after going through all of the hassle,” you interrupted her, giving her a defiant look. it wasn’t often that you opposed your parents like this but you felt like it was needed - your mother didn’t understand you, nor did she try. you were an adult, for fuck’s sake. you were very much capable of making your own decisions and mistakes to learn from.

“and yet you went to hire an escort! why didn’t you go and meet some of your classmates? i don’t understand why you went such lengths and then even ended up falling in love with them! how would you even pursue a relationship with them?” your mother seethed at you, knuckles blanching from how hard she was gripping her handbag. your father placed a hand on hers, whispering some soothing words in her ear.

“darling, i think y/n knows well that she’s made a mistake and is hurting from it. we don’t need to add to the stress, do we?” he assured her, then looking at you. “y/n, you know that i’m disappointed in you as well. but i don’t blame you for it, i think it’s partly my fault that you felt the need to hire an escort just to… gain some experience. i did take away all your possibilities of a relationship after all…”

“don’t encourage her! this problem won’t just be solved by you spoiling her again, do you know what kind of consequences it could h-”

a loud knock interrupted your mother’s rambling. you were confused - you didn’t expect anyone else for today. it was too late for someone to bring packages. who could it be? you excused yourself, padding towards the door to see who it was. you swore that you briefly suffered from a heart attack when the door swung open to reveal choso. he stared at you equally as stunned, seemingly not having expected you to open and greet him. “w- what are you doing here?” you asked, hating how shaky your voice sounded. how your heart soared, having missed his presence around you. the feelings had never been properly buried, only hidden by a thin layer of pretense that was now quickly being washed away.

“i’m sorry for just turning up unannounced… i was hoping- hoping to be able to talk to you for a bit? i wanted to explain myself,” choso replied, unaware of the two persons in your apartment that were straining their necks to be able to get a look at him.

you groaned. why now? the timing was just too comical, fate must really hate you. “i’m sorry, my parents are here right now. maybe, another t-”

“aha, so this is the boy my daughter has been sleeping with,” your mother appeared behind you, snarling at choso maliciously. panicking, your father had followed her quickly, holding her back by her arm. “you have some nerve appearing here as if nothing happened, what is it that you-”

“darling.” your father cleared his voice, shooting daggers at her. “there’s no need to be rude.”

swiftly, he introduced himself and your mother to choso, politely shaking his hand. choso remained calm, as usual, and introduced himself as well. if he was shocked by the entire ordeal, he sure didn’t show it. his face remained a perfect poker face, no emotions seeping through. “i wanted to talk to your daughter, ma’am. i assume she’s told you about our relationship and how we broke apart. there is no ulterior motive here, i just wanted to explain myself and talk it out.”

“that’s-!”

your father interrupted your mother again, not giving her another opportunity to spit venom at choso. “i think that is a good idea. though she has not opened up about everything, i can tell that she is hurting as much as you are. i believe a discussion would be very productive. but what is your intention? what are you going to do once you’ve explained yourself?”

suddenly, you felt like you were forgotten or invisible in the entire discussion. were they ignoring you? you were standing right there and yet no one was addressing you. you huffed, trying to pull their focus back on you. “nothing’s gonna happen, dad. there was nothing for us to work with and there won’t be.”

choso felt like he’d been slapped. he didn’t know what to make of your reaction but he came here for one reason only: to give you the closure that you deserved and he wasn’t going to leave until he accomplished just that. “i intend to apologize to her. judging from your wife’s reaction, you don’t seem to like me very much. i can’t imagine you would ever accept me, i know i don’t live up to your standards. i don’t deserve your daughter, she deserves so much more than what i can offer. and i’m aware of it. but if she’s willing to have me, i’ll try my very best to live up to your standards, to prove myself to you. i just want to be with her and make her happy. i’m in love with her and that’s what i intended to tell her.”

your heart stopped at his confession. all this time, choso loved you? megumi had been right all along. choso returned your feelings and he was here, so close and yet so far. dread filled you as you realized your parents could possibly drive him away, make him disappear from your life with just a snap of their fingers. you cherished choso more than you were aware of, the adoration running deep in your veins even when you were trying to reject him.

“i see. that’s reason enough for me. we’ve already let her have a piece of our mind, i don’t think she needs more telling off. my little girl has grown so much and it’s time to let her make her own decisions, growing and mistakes,” your father shot your mother a look. she’d calmed down, choso’s explanation seemingly having brought her back to her senses. she looked away, not wanting to look him in the eyes. “we’ll let you deal with this. but know that if she does take you back, i won’t go easy on you, alright? the bars are high and i don’t intend to lower them just because you love her. prove to me, that you’re worthy of her.”

“i will,” choso sounded so sure and confident that it made your father grin - you sure had found someone who took great care of you and wasn’t afraid to stand tall in front of your father. and that he liked, someone who wasn’t scared to back down from a challenge, someone who would be the perfect partner for you. as your parents said goodbye and left, he gave choso a pat on the shoulder before exiting the apartment, leaving the two of you to your own devices.

you didn’t know what to say, how to start. standing in the hallway was awkward but you couldn’t move just yet, instead wanting to hear what he had to say first. “you love me?” you croaked, your voice failing you. now that your parents were gone, you could freely show your emotions, not being able to hold the tears back any longer. choso panicked, fussing over you as you started to cry. furiously, you wiped the tears away with the sleeves of your sweater.

“i do. i uhm wish i had found a better way to tell you this. i figured that you probably thought that everything we did was simply a facade but i promise you that it was all real. i don’t know when exactly but i started falling for you along the way and it was hard… to remind myself that you were a client and i was just there to provide the service to you, you know? i had no right to get mad at you if you decided to go and see other people. and i wasn’t sure of your feelings for me, it was…” choso trailed off, struggling to find the right word but you knew what he meant and nodded, signaling him to continue. “i just didn’t want to tie you to me when you… when you might not like me back or even want to be with an escort.”

you sniffled quietly, wrapping your arms around him immediately, with such a speed that it almost knocked the air out of his lungs. confused, choso wrapped his arms around you, tucking your head under his chin and rubbing your back soothingly. he was relieved that you didn’t push him away at least and let him explain everything in one go. he felt more at ease now and was at peace with the decision to immediately leave and never butt in your life again in case you rejected him.

“all this time, i also loved you,” you mumbled, an upset frown on your face. “i- i just kept thinking that you’d never return my feelings and that you were just playing boyfriend because i hired you to do so and-”

you hiccuped, another sob tearing from your throat.

“when you told me not to go on that date and immediately followed it with you only being my escort and nothing more, it hurt me so much and i know it was stupid and childish of me to react in such a way but… i was just spiraling, i love you so much and didn’t know where to place the anxieties and negative feelings.”

choso shushed you quietly when your sobs grew more frequent and you let him pick you up, clinging onto him as he walked over to the couch and sat on it with you on his lap. “shh, you’re okay, we’re okay,” he mumbled against the crown of your head, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “i’m sorry i hurt you so much, i was not aware that you already liked me back then and that my words would have such an effect on you.”

over and over, choso apologized quietly until you calmed down, slumping against his chest. you stayed silent, trying to piece your thoughts and feelings back together so as to present him with a coherent and logical question. your mind was in shambles and you hoped that choso would at least get what you were hinting at. “so w- what do we do now? where do we- we go from here?”

“as i’ve already told your dad… if you’ll have me, i’ll make it up to you, all the hurt that i’ve caused you. i love you, so much. i want to be your boyfriend, and this time officially.”

“i like the sound of it,” you mumbled, tilting your head back to look at him. “will you be my boyfriend?”

“it would be an honour, princess.”

with a kiss, choso sealed the deal, easily catapulting you back on cloud nine. who would have thought that the escort you’d hired to be your fake boyfriend would turn out to be the prince charming you had always hoped for, surpassing even your wildest dreams and expectations. choso was everything you wanted and more - he was the person you wanted to wake up to every morning, the person you wanted to come home to. he was the person with whom you wanted to spend your life with, the person that loved you so unconditionally and never expected anything in return. you were lucky that he chose you, that he loved you back. out of all the persons in the universe, it was him.

he was perfect and he was yours.

p.s.: if you've made it until the end: thank you so much for reading!

[helloalycia]

overstepping [one] // jane banner (Wind River)

summary: after getting several voicemails from your colleague and best friend with her asking for your backup, you attempt to call her back, only to get no answer.

warning/s: mentions of rape, murder and injuries.

author’s note: this is a two parter because i finally watched Wind River and it broke my heart but also lizzie was v cute and i felt the need to write this, hope you like it x

part two | masterlist | wattpad

"C'mon, work you stupid phone," I complained for the millionth time, before standing on the chair to get a better signal.

When I saw the bars in the corner of the screen increase, a grin appeared on my lips. I loved my parents, but the fact that they lived in a remote cabin in Tennessee with zero signal was not my favourite thing.

When the bars remained, my phone decided to actually be helpful and receive all the messages, calls and voicemails I missed. I did a brief flick through, noticing nothing was too important that couldn't wait for me to return to work. As an FBI agent, I rarely got time off. And now that I had taken a two month vacation to spend with my parents, I was adamant on enjoying it, even if I was missing work a smidge.

Next were the calls, which I noticed were mostly from my colleague and close friend, Jane Banner. I furrowed my brows, realising she'd left me several voicemails, too, which was strange since she knew I was on a break from work. What could be so important?

I sighed, glancing down at my uncomfortable position standing on the chair and leaning above the wardrobe. It was the only place in the house with decent signal and the only other place that wasn’t in the middle of nowhere was twenty minutes out. Telling myself I'd just listen to one voicemail to make sure everything was okay, I played the earliest message.

"Hey, Y/N. I'm sorry, I know you're on a break, but I just had to talk to you," it began, and Jane sounded troubled. "I was in Vegas, as you know, but I've been called out to a reservation in Wyoming where this poor girl was–" She paused, releasing a shaky breath. "She was raped and left to die out in the cold. I thought I could send in another team to take a look – y'know, usual protocol. But the coroner won't rule it a homicide and you know what that means."

I swallowed hard, knowing exactly what that meant. If it wasn't ruled a homicide, no backup would come and we had to move onto the next case. But if this girl was raped and left to die, the rapist was still out there and wasn't getting caught by the FBI.

"I can't just leave it and go," Jane continued quietly, with that recognisable passion for her job evident in her voice. "I have to do what I can. But I... I can't do this alone. It's not like other cases, Y/N. It's different out here. And there's only so much their police department can do. I know you're on a break, but I was hoping that, maybe, you could come out here and help me? It's the Wind River Indian Reservation. That's it, I guess. Bye."

The message ended and I found myself chewing on my lower lip anxiously, unable to think about anything other than Jane now. She'd worried me with that one voicemail alone – I couldn't imagine what the others said.

She was usually so good at dealing with cases, but this seemed different. She sounded shaken up, attempting to put on a brave face by the sounds of it. What was so different about this case? She didn't need me. She was capable.

Curiosity got the better of me and I played the second message, ignoring the discomfort in my arms as I stretched to maintain the signal. It was left a day after the first one.

"Hey, so I just remembered that you said you don't get much signal up there with your parents," she began apologetically. "I don't mean to– shit, it's so cold..." There was a pause, a noise in the background, then she continued, "Sorry, just turning up the heating. Anyway, I was saying. I don't mean to intrude on your break. I just– I'm hoping you'll find signal and hear this because I could really use your help. I think we've got a lead on who may have done it. It was hectic today. Really could've used that backup."

She chuckled dryly at her attempt at a joke, but all I felt was guilt. She sounded exhausted within a day of being there.

"I hope you get this," she finished with a sigh. "I should go. Got a busy day tomorrow. Hope you're doing okay. Bye."

I wasted no time in playing the next message. Three days into her case.

"I don't know why I keep sending these," she began with a hoarse voice, and my heart clenched at the sound of it. "You clearly aren't getting them in time. But it's easier talking to you like this than not at all."

It went quiet, so quiet that I thought she may have finished and forgot to hang up. But then she spoke up again, a whimper escaping her lips.

"It's so hard," she admitted. "We've covered worse cases, but this one... everything about it makes me uncomfortable. Something doesn't feel right. I've got a lead – we think it might be the boyfriend who did it and we're gonna see him tomorrow. But I don't know."

I frowned, squeezing my phone tightly because I didn't recognise the girl speaking as my friend. This girl sounded broken and I wondered what she could have discovered that made her like this.

"I've got the police department with me for backup," she said with a sniffle. "And Cory, he's a hunter whose been helping me with the case. They're all gonna be with me tomorrow. But I wish you were here, too. You always make things easier."

The lump in my throat wouldn't disappear no matter how many times I swallowed it. She made things easier, too. Always. And all I wanted to was be by her side and be there for her like she always was for me.

"Sorry about this," she said with a watery laugh, and I could imagine the embarrassed smile on her face as she did. "I sound like such an idiot. Never mind these messages. Just enjoy your break. I shouldn't be worrying you like this. See you when you get back."

The message ended and I checked to see if there were anymore, but to my disappointment, there wasn't. That message was from a few days ago and she hadn't sent anything since which was concerning in itself.

Trying not to panic for no reason, I called Jane. Hopefully everything was okay and I was being stupid. She was a fully-trained FBI agent. She could take care of herself. Right?

The call rang and rang, but nobody picked up. One missed call. No biggie. She probably heard it and couldn't find her phone or something. So, I tried again.

More ringing and no answer. Okay, no big deal. Just try again.

Another call and no answer. The chewing on my lip became more intense. Why the hell wasn't she picking up? Was she still working the case?

I waited an hour, trying again at ten minute intervals, unable to fight my concern. But there was no answer every time and I realised that I couldn't sit and wait for her to call back. Not after how she sounded in those voicemails.

No, I had to go there. She needed backup.

—

Wyoming was way colder than I could have prepared for.

I mean, technically, I prepared for nothing. I bid my parents a goodbye, threw some random clothes in a bag and caught the next plane over there. I tried for Jane's phone constantly, knowing she was never one to ignore me for this long, but there was no point. She wasn't answering, which could only mean so much.

When I reached the reservation, I had no idea where anything was or what I was looking for exactly. I just knew that as soon as the taxi dropped me off in the centre of town, I didn't know where to go.

There were a lot of locals hanging around, so my first port of call was to ask them if they'd seen Jane around – or Agent Banner, as she may have introduced herself. I showed them a picture of her on my phone, described her with vivid detail, but they just stared at me like I was crazy. I was starting to believe I was at one point, until I stopped by the convenience store.

As worried as I was for Jane's whereabouts, the chill in my bones was real. Especially my hands, which I was certain would fall off any minute. So, I decided to buy some gloves and also ask the cashier if he'd seen Jane around or heard anything of her. Whilst I was doing that, a customer caught my attention, probably having overheard my conversation.

"Did you say Jane Banner?" he asked with a quirked brow, interrupting my purchase. "The FBI lady, right?"

I nodded quickly, facing him. "Yes, that's her! D'you know where she is?"

He nodded casually. "Yeah, she's in the hospital. That big shootout that happened a few days ago, right?"

My stomach dropped. "The what?"

"The shootout," he repeated, not aware of the concern in my face. "At the drill site. A bunch of officers were killed and the FBI lady was one of the only one left standing." He tutted as he shook his head. "Very lucky that one."

A shootout? The hospital? Only one left standing? No wonder she hadn't been answering her calls.

"Can you– do you–" I stopped, clearing my throat and trying to stop freaking out. "Which hospital?"

After getting the address from him, I caught a taxi to the only hospital in town and prayed to God that Jane was okay. The one thing she'd asked for was backup and I couldn't even give her that. If I'd just looked at my messages sooner... fuck.

Getting past the front desk and to Jane's room was no issue at all. A quick flash of my FBI badge was enough for the receptionist to give me the details and wave me through. My heart was constricting in my chest the longer it took. What if it was really bad? What if that customer's intel was outdated and Jane was– no. I couldn't afford to think like that.

Upon finding Jane's room, I spotted an older man leaving through the door, being careful to close it behind him. I didn't recognise him at all.

"Excuse me," I called, earning his attention. "Is that Jane Banner's room you just came from?"

He seemed surprised, glancing over his shoulder to make sure I was speaking to him, before nodding. "Yes. Sorry, who are you?"

I pulled my badge from my pocket and showed him, though I doubted anyone would take me seriously when my eyes were watering at thought of Jane being severely injured.

"I'm her friend," I said, swallowing down the lump in my throat before lowering my badge.

"Oh, you're the backup that didn't come," he said with realisation.

My eyes flickered to the floor guiltily. He wasn't exactly wrong.

"I didn't mean it like that," he added quickly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

I shook my head, lifting my eyes to meet his. "It's okay. I should've... I should've been here." It went quiet as he didn't know what to say, so I looked to him halfheartedly. "I assume you're from the police department, one of the ones who helped Jane."

"Not exactly," he said, before putting out his hand for me to shake. "Name's Cory. I'm a hunter by trade."

Returning his handshake, I recalled Jane's voicemail. "Oh, yeah, she mentioned you... thank you for helping her out."

When I couldn’t, I added in my head.

He offered me a small smile and I couldn't find it in myself to return it. I must have looked like shit, since he gave me a pitiful gaze.

"You want me to catch you up before you go in?" he asked, nodding to Jane's door. "She's okay by the way."

I nodded, sucking up a breath. My nerves were eating away at me the longer I didn't see Jane – half of me was terrified of what I'd find, and the other half was afraid she'd be upset or angry because I left her to it, even when she pleaded for my help.

Cory and I took a seat down the hall and he proceeded to explain about the case and how they found the guy who raped that poor girl. The shootout was the worst bit, making me shiver with discomfort. Apparently, Jane had gotten blasted with a shotgun, puncturing her torso and neck despite the vest she wore. All of the officers with her were killed and by the sounds of it, Jane almost was, too. But Cory managed to take out the criminals and the rapist himself. When he was finished telling me, I had no words.

"She's a bit shaken up, but her surgery went well," Cory reassured with a short nod. "Does she know you're coming?"

I shook my head, voice thick with emotion. "She wouldn't answer her phone. I guess I know why now."

Cory nodded, rubbing the back of his neck before sparing me a consoling glance. "She talked about you a lot. I think it'll cheer her up seeing you. You should go."

My eyes met his, teary and stinging with unshed tears. "Thank you so much."

He shrugged bashfully, but he didn't realise all that he'd done. I gave him a small, tight smile before standing up with a sigh. No point dwelling anymore – I had to see her.

Pushing my selfish feelings aside, I sucked it up and approached Jane's room. She would either want to punch me or not, but either way, I had to see if she was okay. And so, when I opened the door slightly, heart racing in my chest, said heart jumped in my throat at the sight of her.

She was laying on the bed with wires stuck in her and, only from what I could see, bandages were covering the side of her neck. I thought she was sleeping at first, but then her head tilted towards the door curiously, and bright blue eyes widened with disbelief.

"Y/N?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "What are you– how did you get here?"

I closed the door behind me and hesitantly approached her bedside, unable to stop my eyes from soaking in the sight of her. She looked so feeble and vulnerable and unlike how I saw her last. Then, Cory's words came back to me and I began to imagine the worst scenario of her getting shot, blood seeping from her wounds, the life draining from her eyes...

"Y/N," she called, and I looked to her startlingly, hoping I didn't look as troubled as I felt.

"Sorry," I said, clearing my throat. "I, er– the messages. Voicemail. I heard them and tried calling you back, but..."

She pursed her lips, exhaling with a wince and looking up at the ceiling, as if suddenly remembering she left messages in the first place.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner," I said quietly, guilt seeping back in.

"No, no, don't be," she said, and I just about noticed the pink dusting her cheeks. "It's not your fault. I shouldn't have interrupted your vacation like that. I know you said you wanted a break and–"

"Jane, no, don't even say that," I cut her off, reaching for her hand in an instant. She looked my way, eyes flickering between mine nervously. I squeezed her hand gently and said, "I should have been here. You needed me and I– I didn't come. Maybe if I had, this could have ended differently."

She tried to smile, but I could see the discomfort in her eyes. "It's not that bad, honestly. It just looks bad."

I pressed my lips together, eyes falling to the bandage on her neck. Even though it was big and covered her wound, I could still make out the bruising around it from the impact of the shell. I didn't imagine the torso wound looking any different, and that thought alone made me regret leaving her alone. It was very much as bad as it looked; I knew that and she knew that.

Her lips trembled as she avoided my eyes, her own tearing up. I pushed away my guilt momentarily and changed the subject.

"So, I met Cory. He seems like a great guy."

She didn't say anything as she seemed lost in thought. Either that or she was trying not to cry in front of me. I hoped it wasn't the latter, since the last thing I wanted was to make her feel uncomfortable.

"You know," I said, when she wouldn't speak, "I'm pretty sure I told you to stay safe before I left for my vacation."

At my poor attempt to lighten the mood, she cracked a small, tight smile, but a smile nonetheless, and my racing heart slowed down momentarily.

"I'm glad you're okay," I said, now that I had her attention again, and she looked my way with a softened expression. "Kind of okay. But you know... okay."

Thankfully, she knew what I meant and her hand tightened around mine.

"I'm glad you came," she returned, and I couldn't look away even if I tried. She was always able to trap me with a single gaze.

With a tug of her hand, she motioned for me to sit on the edge of her bed, so I did. And then she began to ask me about my vacation, what I'd been up to this past month, how my parents were... basically anything and everything except for the case. And it was understandable, since she was reminded of it all the time. If I could be a form of escapism for her, so be it. It was the least I could do.

We spoke for hours until the nurse came in to let me know visiting hours were over and I'd have to come back tomorrow. With a regretful sigh, I got up from my seat on her bedside and stretched my limbs.

"Where are you staying?" she asked, a slight frown on her lips.

I smiled awkwardly, realising I didn't think that far ahead. "I'm not gonna lie, I don't know. I came straight here. There's gotta be a hotel or something in this town, right?"

She nodded and flicked her hand to the shelves on the other side of the room. "You should stay in my room in the inn. Key's in my bag over there."

"Oh, I don't have to do that–"

"Y/N, it's not like I'm going to be staying there anytime soon," she cut me off, smiling halfheartedly. "Please."

I chewed on my lip and nodded, giving in. When I grabbed her keys from her bag, I stopped by her bedside and gave her a supportive smile.

"I'll back first thing in the morning, if you don't mind," I said, and she finally gave me a smile that reached her eyes.

"I'd like that."

I nodded, resting a hand on hers and squeezing comfortingly. "Goodnight."

—

Though I knew Jane was okay, I still couldn't stop myself from thinking about her all night. The sight of her wounds and the broken expression on her face was enough to keep me awake. And the guilt that came with it all... why couldn't I have just picked up my damn phone?

As promised, I returned to Jane's hospital room the next morning, this time bringing some breakfast snacks from the hospital cafeteria since I knew the food would be much better than whatever they were serving her. Judging by the content expression on her face when I gave it to her, I was right.

When she finished eating, she was able to sit up slightly and move over on her bed, urging for me to join her and watch some TV with her. There was no way I was going to turn down that offer, so I slid next to her and kept a packet of sliced apples between us as we watched whatever was playing on the TV.

About halfway through watching, she spoke up randomly, taking me by surprise.

"When are you leaving?"

I tore my gaze from the screen and realised she was staring at me with intense green eyes.

"When you're well enough to," I answered truthfully.

She looked down to her hands. "You don't have to stay with me. You can go."

I studied her profile, knowing it was the wrong time to appreciate how stunning she looked even when she was makeup-free, sporting a bed head and tired.

"Do you want me to go?" I asked softly, afraid I may have overstepped.

She was quick to shake her head slightly, finally lifting her gaze to meet mine with glossy ones. "No."

I nodded, trying very hard not to smile, cleared my throat and grabbed her hand. "Then I'm not leaving. I'll be right here until you get better and I can take you home."

A ragged breath escaped her lips as she nodded in response. We both looked back to the TV and I noticed she didn't let go of my hand, her fingers warm to the touch and giving me goosebumps at the contact. But I wouldn't have had it any other way.

[smiletimeisrunningout]

"Good luck, he's a giant," she chuckled, but her smile had a touch of bitterness, "He's the only man who scares me. I mean, among the ones that physically hurt me. He was just... I was just a girl, I wasn't-didn't have experience yet, you know? I didn't have a chance." She still has nightmares about that one, which is interesting. She'd have expected the emotional betrayals pre-stabbings to earn that spot. But no, good old brute force it was.

"Is it truly so surprising?"

She nodded, but the rest of his explanation and confession wasn't any less dumbfounding. He had fantasized about a future teaching kids in her kingdom? Had he just admitted he also had intimate fantasies on top of it? She feared asking him more would offend him, because it would be the same as admitting she hadn't thought she would occupy her thoughts for more than second, besides of course crossing his mind as a friend and as a woman to bed. Because she should have known. She had chosen to look away out of cowardice and hadn't noticed, but she should have at least expected it from someone so innocent. "I'm learning so much about you today," she chose to say instead, still flushed from the earlier revelations. "I admit I'm not... the most perceptive woman in matters such as... this. Friendship... friendship is far easier."

"I would fall upon my own sword before harming you"

"That's too much," she retorted with a tremolous smile, letting him know how much she still appreciated it. And even so, she couldn't even joke about him being hurt. "Well... I got... I fell in love of course, and that's... that's when he started being... mean." There was no better word for it, her eyes filling with tears of humiliation at the thought of it - how many times she had been offended at the idea of being mean to anyone? It was just wrong. "It was never... direct at first, it was more like... letting me know he... was disappointed in the way I acted, rolling his eyes, telling me I spoke too much, I was too loud, too... arrogant in the way I acted, like I could fight better than anyone... and I loved him," she repeated weakly, "So I-I tried. I tried to be... a little better, and he rewarded me with praise and then... I don't know how it came to be, but he could tell me just how annoyed he was at me for just... being me and I'd apologize and try to be better and... I'd bet for a chance to do better, you know? I was just... so scared he'd leave me," she wiped a tear and attempted a smile, but that one didn't quite work.

"I tried... so hard... to make him happy, to... make him proud... I... wore the prettiest dresses and... did what ladies did, and learned how to be more proper, but I could tell he was still distant... so I thought I'd spend the night."

"Because I knew we were going to marry and be happy, I just knew I'd be... I'd have what my parents have, and I wanted to prove how much I loved him, I hoped... he'd be happy," she couldn't have sounded more judgmental, more bitter, at the thought of her stupid, stupid dreams. So blind to the fact that the boy was trying to get away from her. "And I did, and... the next morning... the next morning is when he told me the truth." Her voice wavered more, turning smaller and smaller, "He told me... it was a bet. They had made a bet, the boys. That he'd... tame the princess." She let go of his hands to wipe her face, but then had to keep her hands on it, to hide, even only for a couple of moments, "And he did. Because I would have done anything... But that's not the worst part, the worst part..." she let out a sob, but forced the words through, now or never, "Was how sorry he was, because-because he realized-he said he realized how nice I was... how kind and loving I was, and he felt bad. And he tried. He tried to love me. Can you imagine?" she let out a horrified small laugh, glancing at Ben, "Someone pitying you, pitying, and telling you how bad they feel for you, so much that they tried so hard to love you... and they couldn't? He had to tell me the truth even if he risked his neck, because of how bad he felt for me. I gave him... everything and I couldn't-I would rather he hated me. I would rather have him delight in the pain than..." Pity. She could never, ever, accept the humiliation behind it.

Benjamin blinked, both horror and revulsion shadowing his pitying gaze. The more Emma spoke, the angrier he became; not at her -- no, no, never her -- but at the faceless man who'd somehow been capable of trying to tear her still-beating heart from her chest.

Swallowing back his nausea, he released a shaky exhale as Emma's hand found his own.

"I'm thinking that if I had told you the stories behind my scars you would have probably understood me better," she said, "but maybe it will kill the rest of you more."

"Perhaps," he lowly agreed. "But I'm definitely adding this man to my kill list." He flashed a feeble smile to show his jest, though there was certainly a modicum of truth to his words. If he ever met the people responsible for her pain, her hurt, he would slay them without another thought or regret.

To his surprise, Emma appeared genuinely startled by his admission. "You can't-we can't-would you? Wh... Wait, give me a moment."

If this were any other situation, any other topic, Benjamin would have laughed. Instead, he tensed up at her side, uncertain if he'd enchanted or upset her with his words.

Once a deep, rosy hue entered Emma's cheeks, it soon became mercifully clear that she felt a certain shyness over his confession. "You have... thought of that? Of... of coming home with me, of... being... together with me?"

The corner of Benjamin's mouth turned upward, equally shy and boyish as he shrugged. "Is it truly so surprising?" he asked. "In wartime, a man has very little to sustain himself, but...that fantasy, rest-assured, has sustained me for many a lonely, restless night." The pink in his cheeks deepened. "And I don't just mean in an intimate way. I've thought of meeting all the orphans you've spoken of so fondly...of teaching them how to read, and play games, and yes, maybe even how to cheat at said games." He grinned. "Teaching was once a solitary daydream for me, but every time I've pictured myself with those children, I realized my mind had conjured you right there by my side."

Emma once more seemed unsure of herself. She finally wasn't running -- no, if anything, she was pulling him closer -- and Benjamin wordlessly obeyed, drawer nearer while their hands remained entwined.

"When I met him, when I met Arian... I acted like a boy," she softly began.

Benjamin listened, his heart tight with the fear for her inevitable heartbreak, and the more she spoke, the more his features softened with fondness. She was remarkable, resilient, a beacon, and he ached from seeing her light scattered so aimlessly.

Seemingly oblivious to his observation, Emma continued, "He told me I was strong and beautiful, that I'd be a warrior like my mother, and he started courting me with sweet words and gifts. He trusted me with personal matters, made me feel needed and even stronger and... I started seeing him after curfew. Innocently, I was just a girl, but so that we could spend hours talking. And we did. And..." She paused, a serious look lancing her features. "You cannot tell anyone what I'm about to say."

With his heart jangling between his ribs, Benjamin gently took Emma's chin between thumb and forefinger, encouraging her to meet with his gaze. "You have nothing to worry about with me," he softly encouraged. "Nothing. I would fall upon my own sword before harming you...I swear it. Not one word exchanged between us will ever leave this tent."

[peakyblindersxx]

whiskey business - john shelby x reader (part 8 of ?)

gif by @thesoldiersminute can i send you a cake or something cause fuCk!!!!!!!!!!! he's beautiful

a/n: to everyone still reading this fic, my sweet angels, ily!! this fic is so near and dear to my heart and @stxdyblr-2k has just done such an amazing job with it i can't even thank her enough. as per the last part, this one is also mostly her, just me editing but i hope you guys love it as much as i did!!! don't worry, there's gonna be a lot more :) and i apologize for being not as active, i'm gonna try to get a couple of requests up that i'm really excited about this week tysm for being patient with me <3

love, abi xxx

read part one two three four five six seven | my masterlist

prompt: ada has some talking to do, and you're not about to deny her.

warnings: fluff, semi-angst, tommy being the cocky mf he is (let's be real, it's only acceptable cause he's so damn fine), john being cute and in love and jesus i am head over heels

tagging: @datewithgianni, @mayaslifeinabox, @deepdonutkid, @springsoulofengland, @lilymurphy03, @operation-spot

You had planned to go to Ada's after work, but she obviously had other ideas. She didn't even bother walking in and asking to speak to you; instead, choosing to bang on the window closest to your desk and yelling at you to "fucking hurry up!" Your boss opened the door for you expectantly, not offering you any protection; he was firmly in the Shelby's ever growing pocket and as long as he could go home to his children, his sickly wife and their six bed in the country, with a full time nurse and nanny, he had no interest in crossing Thomas.

"Ada, I was coming to see you after work, I swear."

"I know. I was going to let you but..." She trailed off. "We need to talk. I don't know what the fuck is going on with you. John said he'd seen you last night and you asked after me."

John had indeed seen you last night. It was strange waking up with him, used to leaving almost immediately after he was finished with you. Your small bed could barely comfortably fit you both, having to intertwine your limbs with John's to not fall off the edge. You had awoken to John pressing a kiss to your forehead before lazily trailing his fingers between your legs, waiting for you to open your eyes before settling between your thighs, tongue swirling around your clit, making you cum before sunrise.

"Do we have to do this in the street?" You practically begged, the shouting having attracted onlookers.

"I wanted to talk to you before anyone else in the family gets to you because I need you to be honest."

"Ada-"

"No, I'm doing you a favour here, so you fucking listen. Right now, between you and I, no bullshit. No tactics. No white lies. You have to tell me exactly what we're dealing with." She looked frantic, scared for some reason.

You nodded, walking her down the side street, careful not to link arms with her. You knew she was doing you a favour; this wasn't about forgiveness or friendship, much more was at stake here.

"To what extent was Thomas involved?"

That took you off guard. Ada read the confusion on your face and sighed impatiently, her subtle plea for you to keep up.

Shit. You remembered your conversation with John, how she thought this was her brother's way of pushing her out of the company.

"Don't spare my feelings. What did my brother say to you?"

"He said it was in our mutual interest that you didn't find out. He didn't care who John slept with but cared who you trusted so I had to trust him. He said there was no point in upsetting you over one of John's conquests who he'd tire of in a month."

"That all?"

"Pretty much, I didn't know Arthur knew. He never talked to me about it, did laugh at Thomas' digs now that I think on it-"

"Did you know Isaiah and Michael knew?"

"I thought they were aware but no one ever talked to me about it."

"Of course they wouldn't." She hissed, frustration causing a nerve on her neck to jump.

Ada and you had spoken for years about the rampant misogyny of her brothers and any men you two came into contact with. Although you were both far more reserved than you used to be as rebellious and adventurous thirteen year olds, you'd both grew increasingly angry at how you were treated. She'd long written off her brothers as womanisers, who saw women as purely sexual and entertaining, objectifying them. You both long despised how they dehumanised women. She was amazed that Thomas had attempted to settle down and managed a somewhat loving marriage, but resented him for his carelessness and need for power which inevitably killed his wife.

"Ada, I just want to say..." You licked your lip nervously, unsure of how to continue.

"You need to talk, Y/N. No bollocks."

"Before last night, he'd never been to mine or called. I always went to him."

The muscle in her jaw tensed.

"You slept with him last night then?" You met her question with silence and she rolled her eyes. "The second he said he saw you I knew you had, he wanted to tell me that he was going to continue seeing you and that he hoped I'd be able to accept it one day."

"We never intended to hurt you. It was meant to be fun at first, but now..." You cut yourself off with a sigh, unable to admit you'd fallen for her brother.

"Isn't fun for me. It's fucking embarrassing." She paused, lighting a cigarette, nervous to offer you one, conflicted within herself. She raised her eyebrow, prompting you to continue, the mannerism so similar to her brother’s.

"It should never have happened. I am never going to be able to fix this, I'm so fucking ashamed for doing this to you, Ada."

She sulked, silently drinking in your words.

"Obviously it's not going to be the same, yeah? I'm really fucking upset. I'm so fucked off with you but Poll's really worried about a coup. She thinks you're being used as blackmail against John to keep him on side with Tommy while he expands."

"Makes sense."

"You're part of a much bigger game, you know?"

You nodded. "Yeah, and I knew I would lose from the start. Fucking tragic, Ada."

"My brothers keep pushing, keep growing the business. They keep chasing this prize but I don't think it even exists."

"If it does, it isn't worth it if this shit is the cost. I didn't mean to play into his hands."

"You couldn't have known." She said with a shrug, " 'Siah thinks John loves you."

"He told me last night." Several times, this morning also. You would never tire of hearing him moan those words into your neck or being yelled from your front door as he left for the office.

"You love him, don't you?" She said bluntly, a statement more than a question, your face suddenly hot with embarrassment.

Everything you'd suppressed for months, everything that you'd hidden, every time you lied smiling, every knowing glance from a stranger, every degrading comment from under Thomas' breath.

"I do, an awful lot."

She pauses, relighting her cigarette, "The worst thing about the entire situation is it could've been fine if someone told me. I wouldn't have loved it, obviously, but-" Ada sighed, rubbing her temple with her free fingers.

"I thought you'd hate me."

"How could I? I'd be more angry that you'd drop your standards for my brother. Seriously? Him? Mate…."

"Come off it, I've always thought he was charming. He's funny, smart-"

"Don't gush over my brother, it's grim. I'm just so fucked off you all lied to me." She peered at you through her cigarette smoke. "If you love him and he loves you..." she pressed her lips together as she tensed her jaw, "I could get over it. If it'd make you both happy. But that's going to take a long time. A long time."

"Ada-"

"Look I have meetings and shit to sort, I have to run." She interjected, checking her wristwatch, adjusting the cap which sat atop her trendy short haircut. You caught her arm before she could turn away.

"Thank you. For understanding."

She shrugged you off, "I don't get it, I'd never do that to you. But you also don't get to choose who you're attracted to. I'm really hurt, but I do love you and John a lot. He mentioned that after last night you helped him, got him cleaned up. I have to believe that you both do love each other. So I have to believe that this is a good idea for you both and not stand in your way."

"I love you, Ada. Can we hang out soon, just us two?"

She shook her head. "I need some time, I'll be in touch, yeah?"

You nod, stretching out your pinky finger. She sighed and linked it with hers, as you'd done since you were children, a silent signal to each other after a fight that you still had the other's back.

"Right, I've got to get back to this meeting, Tom is getting done by Polly for nearly getting John killed. I need to be there in case one of the lads needs patching up."

"Your aunt has a nasty left hook, I'll give her that."

"She'll be pleased you think so, she wanted Tommy to slice you to bits for crossing me."

"Fuck’s sake, thanks for the warning, I'll keep my head down. Good luck with the meeting."

Ada nodded and you watched her walk away, a Blinder suddenly appearing by her side seemingly from nowhere. This city was crawling with them. They clambered into Ada's car as you watched the car disappear into the distance before walking back to work. Thankfully, with your head still attached to your shoulders.

*******

Ada arrived at Thomas' estate, following the swell of shouting voices to his exquisite library. It was eye roll worthy and typical Tommy to choose the location of his post-fuckup debrief to be where he had the best view of the gardens, river and rolling hills. She could bet he'd sit in a corner and stare at the view, zoning out their aunt's lecture.

An armed blinder she vaguely recognised opened the door. Thomas was making a statement today with the armed guards, she noted. Her brothers really were fucked up. Arthur was an alcoholic killer who couldn't understand that Thomas would betray them all eventually, Finn was letting the tokyo and the razor chasers that circled him distract him from keeping the family together, John was apparently in love with her best friend, and finally, Thomas nearly got Arthur and John murdered last night with his foolishness. At this point only herself and Polly were holding everyone together, keeping everything silently moving along.

The door opened, and she was the last to arrive, Polly glaring as she murmured an apology, standing next to Finn. His eyes were bloodshot, grey-purple smudges under his eyes, he'd obviously had a heavy night. The last thing the poor lad needed was Polly's shrill yelling and the blinding sun streaming through the large immaculately crafted windows, which he'd tried to block with the brim of his cap. John caught her eye, acknowledging his sister with a nod, which she returned with a small tight smile.

Ada couldn't bear to think about the reasoning behind her brother's smug interjections in between Polly's rant to Thomas who was listening wordlessly, smoking.

Y/N and John? It didn't make sense. They had a similar sense of humour, sure, but she was far too intelligent for him. He also had a swarm of children, while Y/N preferred a wild night out only staggering home at daybreak.

It made far more sense for Y/N to end up with Michael, or if it had to be a brother, Finn. They were younger, so had less responsibilities and commitments so they could keep up with her. But John? Of course she knew he was believed to be the Casanova of her brothers, he was kind, he was an excellent father, yet he could never keep anyone around long, usually John was chasing someone new after a month or so. That's why the revelation that John had been involved with her best friend for almost half a year had taken her completely by surprise. Maybe that was why she was open to them being together. That had to be it. This relationship was completely out of character for John; she needed to believe that he was serious about his feelings towards Y/N and wasn't going to fuck her over. Because if he did, John would be a dead man.

"I don't know why you're all bleating at me. Yeah, I overlooked some details in the planning of last night's meeting-"

"Such as warning us that they were really fucked off because you'd helped bomb their warehouse." John pointed out.

"What do you want me to do? Apologise? Grow up, John." Tommy snapped back.

"They had loaded guns against their heads, they deserve an apology." Ada interjected, John giving her an appreciative flash of smile. She did love her big brother. Despite the fact that she'd pretty much only been yelling at him for the past month, John never dismissed her feelings and only apologised. It was confusing to admit to herself, but when Isaiah told her that he was confident John loved Y/N, she felt a wave of relief. At least he cared about her; it was the bare minimum but the Shelbys were notorious for not even meeting the bare minimum for acceptable social interactions.

"They didn't fuckin’ get shot." Thomas stated, his voice matter of fact and condescending.

"Do you ever hear yourself speak?" Polly spit back at him. "They didn't get shot this time. But it was too fucking close."

"It won't happen again, Polly." Tommy sighed. "What else can I say? Sorry lads, take the weekend off?"

"It's a good start." Arthur countered, "You're also paying for the extension on my house and my wedding."

"Fuck’s sake Arthur I was joking. But fine. Sure."

"You can't buy your family off." Polly scoffed at him.

"Think of it as compensation, a settlement." Thomas coolly corrected his aunt. "What do you want, John? A fucking farm?"

John hesitates while Finn whispered suggestions to him, Ada meeting his stare, John raising a brow to her in question. She sighed and nodded her approval.

"You can pay off my mortgage Tom, give me the kids' birthdays off-"

"So you'd never come into work then?" Finn cut in, Ada elbowing him in the ribs. She usually enjoyed Finn's remarks but she knew where John was heading; she could barely breathe.

"Tom, you're also to leave Y/N completely alone. If you have a problem with her, you come to me about it." He said firmly.

Arthur and Tommy traded knowing looks, obviously more aware of the ins and outs of his relationship than Ada was.

"Also if you're paying for Arthur's wedding I want the equivalent in cash." He adds.

Tommy shrugged. "Whatever. As long as we can move past last night and focus on today's order of business."

John nodded, satisfied. He knew Tom wouldn't care, but just saying out loud that he was involved with Y/N and having his family aware was a relief. He hadn't realised until he finally admitted how stressful keeping his relationship a secret was. Now, he could stop worrying about Tommy interfering.

Polly rolled her eyes, lecturing the brothers on their lack of moral backbone to allow themselves to be bought off, but dismissed them. She caught Ada's arm in hers on their way out, pulling her far from earshot.

"So Y/N and John are together now?" She asked, her face firm and scowling.

"Polls, I talked with her, she's aware of what she's done. She apologised and meant it. What more can I ask for?"

"Her not to have fucked him in the first place."

"She said that. Look, Polls, they're happy right? John seems happy-"

"He always is when he gets a leg over."

"You know she looked after him last night? Fixed him up after the meeting."

"Meeting? It was a fucking set up." Polly hissed but her face had softened. "She cleaned him up?"

"Antiseptic, bandages and all."

Polly looked subtly impressed, although she'd never admit it. "He went to hers? Not yours?"

"He wanted to talk to her." Ada shrugs, "I saw her this morning and-"

"What do you mean? You bumped into her?"

"I went to her work." Ada admitted, her aunt shooting her an exasperated glare.

"Why do I bother? Nobody listens to me."

"I had to talk to her, I'm glad I did. She reckons she loves him, he told her last night that he loves her, so..."

"We are talking about John? Our John?"

"I know Polls, I'm as amazed as you."

Her aunt huffed, unimpressed. "Are you okay with it though?"

"I guess, I just want them to be happy. I've told them to give me time with it."

"She was a good friend growing up, but people change, sometimes for the better, often for the worse."

"Poll, it's Y/N; she's my best friend. At the end of the day, we'd do anything for each other."

"Sweet Ada, you're going to be so miserable if you keep letting people walk all over you." Polly said wisely, kissing her goodbye affectionately. "I hope you're right. If she makes you cry again I'll kill her myself."

"Thanks, Polls."

She knew her aunt wasn't joking.

[thewidowsghost]

Daughter of the Sea - Chapter 1

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

(Y/n) stands in the kitchen of her mother and step-father's apartment, making the bean dip Smelly Gabe liked so much.

(Y/n) fixes her gaze on the counter but then she lets out a yelp as something hits her in between her shoulder blades.

"Hurry it up, girl!" Smelly Gabe snarls.

"Yes sir," (Y/n) murmurs.

A few minutes later, Gabe stalks into the kitchen, takes the dip without so much of a thank you.

(Y/n) fixes her gaze on the shoe on the ground before she moves to her room. She climbs into her bed, getting under her covers. (Y/n) turns, facing the wall.

She closes her eyes, falling to an uneasy sleep.

(Y/n) watches, disconnected from the others in the dream, as one of her brother's teachers turns into something that reminded her of a demon, or something similar that she'd read books about. The woman had bat wings, claws, and a mouth of yellow fangs.

Then (Y/n) looks around, her eyes widening in shock as she sees her brother holding a bronze sword.

Percy swings the sword, the demon exploding into yellow powder, vaporizing on the spot.

A hand on (Y/n)'s shoulder has (Y/n) jolting awake. "Honey? Are you okay?" Sally Jackson asks.

Catching the wide-eyed look of horror on (Y/n)'s face, Sally wraps her daughter in a hug.

(Y/n)'s breathing steadies, and she breathes in her mother's familiar scent - chocolate, licorice, and all the other things she sold at the candy shop in Grand Central Station.

"Did you get all your work done?" Sally asks softly, her thumb brushing over a slightly visible bruise that had appeared at the base of the back of her neck.

(Y/n) hums in reply.

. . .

The next day, (Y/n) is once again lying in her bed, not wanting to have to deal with Gabe throwing more shoes or glass bottles at / near her.

. . .

Percy walks into the apartment, dragging his suitcase behind him, hoping his mom would be home from work. Instead, Smelly Gabe is in the living room, playing poker with his buddies. The television blares ESPN; chips and beer cans are strewn all over the carpet.

Hardly looking up, he says around his cigar, "So, you're home."

"Where's my mom? (Y/n)?"

"Mom's working," Gabe says. "The girl's in her room. You got any cash?"

"That's it. No Welcome back. Good to see you. How has your life been the last six months?

Gabe had put on weight since the last time Percy had seen him. Gabe looked like a tuskless walrus in thrift-store clothes. He has about three hairs on his head, all combed over his bald scalp.

"I don't have any cash," Percy replies.

Gabe raises a greasy eyebrow. Gabe could sniff out money like a bloodhound, which is surprising, since his own smell should've covered up everything else.

"You took a taxi from the bus station," he says. "Probably paid with a twenty. Got six, seven bucks in change. Somebody expects to live under this roof, he ought to carry his own weight. Am I right, Eddie?"

Eddie, the super of the apartment building, looks at Percy with a twinge of sympathy. "Come on, Gabe," he says. The guy just got here."

"Am I right?" Gabe repeats.

Eddie scowls into his bowl of pretzels. The two other guys pass gas in harmony.

"Fine," Percy says. He digs a wad of dollars out of his pocket and throws the money on the table. "I hope you lose."

"Your report card came, brain boy!" He shouts back at Percy. "I wouldn't act so snooty!"

Percy slams the door to his room, which isn't really his room. During school months, it is Gabe's 'study.' He doesn't study anything in there except old car magazines, but he loves shoving his stuff in Percy's closet, leaving his muddy boots on the windowsill, and doing his best to make the place smell like his nasty cologne, cigars, and stale beer.

Percy drops his suitcase on the bed. Home sweet home he thinks.

Gabe's smell is almost worse than the nightmares about Mrs. Dodds, or the sound of that old fruit lady's shears snipping the yarn.

Percy sits, lost in his thoughts.

Then he hears his mom's voice, "Percy?" She opens the bedroom door, and his fears melt. "Oh, Percy," she hugs him tight. "I can't believe it. You've grown since Christmas."

Sally had brought Percy a bag of 'free samples' the way she always did whenever he'd come home.

The two sit together on the bed. While Percy attacks the blueberry sour strings, she runs her hands through his hair, demanding to know everything that he hadn't put in his letters. She doesn't mention his getting expelled. She doesn't seem to care about that.

Percy tells his mother that she is smothering him, but secretly, Percy is really, really glad to see her.

From the other room, Gabe yells, "Hey, Sally - how about some bean dip, huh?"

Percy grits his teeth. My mom is the nicest lady in the world. She should be married to a millionaire, not to some jerk like Gabe.

(Y/n) pads into Percy's room, and the dark haired boy brightens at the sight of his younger twin.

"I've got the dip, Mom," (Y/n) says softly. Sally gazes at her daughter for a moment, her gaze sad.

"Wait, (Y/n)," Sally says, and (Y/n) turns back to face her mother. "I've got a surprise for the two of you," she says. "We're going to the beach."

Percy's eyes widen. "Montauk?"

"Three nights - same cabin," Sally replies.

"When?" (Y/n) asks, looking excited.

She smiles, "As soon as I get changed."

(Y/n) can't believe it. Mom, Percy, and I hadn't been to Montauk in the last two summers because Gabe had said that there wasn't enough money.

Gabe appears in the doorway behind (Y/n) and growls, "Bean dip, Sally? Didn't you hear me?"

Percy wants to punch him, but he meets his mother's eyes, and understands that she is offering him a deal: Be nice to Gabe for a little while; just until she's ready to leave for Montauk.

"I've got it, Gabe," (Y/n) says.

"Sorry, honey," Sally says, looking at her husband. "We were just talking about the trip."

Gabe's eyes get small. "The trip? You mean you were serious about that?"

"I knew it," Percy mutters. "He won't let us go."

"Of course he will," Sally says evenly. "Your stepfather is just worried about money."

(Y/n) turns to face Gabe, smiling as kindly as she could. "What if I make a seven-layer dip that'll last the whole weekend?" she asks. "Guacamole. Sour cream. The works."

Gabe softens a bit, then turns back to face Sally. "So, this money for your trip . . . it comes out of your clothes budget, right?"

"Yes, honey," Sally replies.

"And you won't take my car anywhere but there and back."

"We'll be very careful."

Gabe scratches his double chin. "Maybe if the girl hurries up with the seven-layer dip . . . and if the boy apologizes for interrupting my poker game."

Maybe if I kick you in your soft spot, Percy thinks. And make you sing soprano for a week.

"I'm sorry," Percy mutters. "I'm really sorry I interrupted your incredibly important power game. Please go back to it right now."

Gabe's eyes narrow. His tiny brain is probably trying to detect the sarcasm in my statement, Percy thinks.

"Yeah, whatever," Gabe decides; he goes back to his game.

"Thank you, Percy," Sally says. "Once we get to Montauk, we'll talk more about...whatever you've forgotten to tell me, okay?"

For a moment, (Y/n) can see anxiety in her mother's eyes, but then her smile returns, and (Y/n) figures that she must've been mistaken.

. . .

An hour later, the three are ready to leave.

Gabe takes a break from his poker game long enough to watch (Y/n) and Percy lug the bags to his car. He keeps griping and groaning about losing her and (Y/n)'s cooking - and more important, his '78 Camaro - for the whole weekend.

"Not a scratch on this car, brain boy," Gabe warns Percy as he loads the last bag into the car. "Not one little scratch."

Like I'd be the one driving. I'm fourteen, Percy thinks.

Watching Gabe lumbers back towards the apartment building, Percy gets so mad that he does something he can't explain. As Gabe reaches the door, Percy makes the hand gesture he'd seen Grover made on the bus, a soft of warding-off-evil gesture, a clawed hand over his heart, then a shoving movement towards Gabe. The screen door slams so hard it whacks him the the butt and sends him flying up the staircase as if he'd been shot from a cannon.

. . .

(Y/n)'s POV

Our rental cabin is on the south shore, way out at the tip of Long Island. It is a little pastel box with faded curtains, half sunken into the dunes. There's always sand in the sheets, spiders in the cabinets, and most of the time the sea is too cold to swim in.

I loved the place.

Mom, Percy, and I had been going ever since Percy and I'd been a baby. Mom had been coming even longer. She'd never exactly said, but I know why the beach was special to her.

It's the place where she'd met my Dad.

As we get closer to Montauk, Mom seems to grow younger, years of worry and work disappearing from her face. Her eyes turn the color of the sea.

We get there around sunset, open all the cabin's windows, and go through the usual cleaning routine.

Mom, Percy, and I walk on the beach, feed blue corn-chips to the seagulls, and munch on blue jelly beans, blue saltwater taffy, and all the other free samples Mom had brought home from work.

I guess maybe I should explain all the blue food.

Gabe had once told Mom that there was no such thing. They had had this fight, which had seemed like a really small think at the time, but ever since, Mom went out of her way to eat blue. She baked blue birthday cakes, mixed blueberry smoothies, bought blue-corn tortilla chips, and brought home blue candy from the shop. This - along with keeping her maiden name, Jackson, rather than calling herself Mrs. Ugliano - is proof that she isn't totally suckered by Gabe. She did have a rebellious streak, just like Percy.

When it gets dark, we make a fire. We roast hot dogs and marshmallows. Mom tells Percy and me stories about when she was a kid, back before her parents had died in the plane crash. She tells us about the books she wanted to write someday, when she had enough money to quit the candy shop.

Eventually, it seems that Percy gets the nerve to ask about what is always on our minds whenever we come to Montauk - our father. Mom's eyes go all misty. I figure she would tell us the same things she always did, but neither Percy or I ever got tired of hearing them.

"He was kind, Percy," Mom replies. "Tall, handsome, and powerful. But gentle too, like you, (Y/n)." Mom says and I soften. "You have his black hair, Percy, and you both share his green eyes.

Mom fishes a blue jelly bean out of her candy bag. "I wish he could see you two. He would be so proud."

I wonder how she could say that when I'm the girl who cowers from her stepfather. The girl who hides in her room to get away from said stepfather.

"How old were we?" Percy asks, pulling me from my thoughts. "I mean . . . when he left?"

Mom watches the flames. "He was only with me for one summer, Percy. Right here at this beach. This cabin."

"But . . . he knew us as babies."

"No, honey," Mom replies. "He knew I was expecting twins, but he never met you. He had to leave before you were born."

I try to square that with the fact that I seem to remember . . . something about my father. A warm glow, maybe a smile.

Percy and I had always assumed that our father had known us as babies. Mom had never said it outright, but still, I'd felt that it must be true. Now, to be told that he'd never even seen us . . .

I feel angry at my father. Maybe it is stupid, but I resent him for going on that ocean voyage, for not having the guts to marry Mom.

"Are you going to send me away again?" Percy asks. "To another boarding school?"

Mom pulls a marshmallow from the fire.

"I don't know, honey," her voice is heavy. "I think . . . I think we'll have to do something."

"Because you don't want me around?" Percy says and I flinch, avoiding both his and Mom's gazes.

I glance up to see that Mom's eyes had welled up with tears. "Oh, Percy, no. I - I have to, honey. For your own good. I have to send you away."

"But you never send her away," Percy says and I look up, eyes wide with surprise.

Mom looks at Percy, eyes wide with shock.

Finally she says, "I have to keep both of you away from each other as much as possible. I thought you'd finally be safe."

"I tried to keep you as close to me as I could," Mom says. "They told me it was a mistake. But there's only one other option, Percy, (Y/n) - the place your father wanted to send you two. And I just . . . I just can't stand to do it."

"Our father wanted us to go to a special school?" I ask.

"Not a school," Mom replies. "A summer camp."

My head spins. Why would my dad - who hadn't even stayed around to see me and Percy be born - talk to Mom about a summer camp?

"I'm sorry, (Y/n)," Mom says, seeing the look in my eyes. "But I can't talk about it. I - I couldn't send you two to that place. It might mean saying goodbye to you for good."

"For good?" Percy asks. "But if it's only a summer camp . . ."

Mom turns towards the fire, and I know from her expression, that if we asked any more questions, she would start to cry.

Word Count: 2413 words

[hinatastinygiant]

Chapter Fifteen

The Third Division

Pairing: Draken x Fem!Reader

previous | next | in too deep

You ride on the back of Chifuyu's bike until you and the three others arrive back at Toman. Inside, the lobby is filled with everybody celebrating their victory with drinking and laughter. However, as you walk in, all the talking dies down.

"Just keep your cool," Draken whispers to you as you walk through the crowd. "Mikey's probably going to be pissed."

"How will knowing that he's going to be pissed possibly help me keep my cool?!" you whisper sternly back at him.

"You'll be fine," he assures you, still looking straight ahead as Mikey comes into view.

You approach Mikey who crosses his arms and looks at you with those dead eyes almost as if he can see right past you and doesn't even care whether or not you exist.

"You got some balls coming back here so soon," he says plainly.

"This is where I've wanted to be since the first time I stepped inside. I've never had any malicious thoughts against Toman despite how hard my brother tried," you attempt to explain before trailing off. It's not hard to see that Mikey doesn't really care what you say to him right now. Whatever his decision is, he's already made up his mind.

"You can no longer be part of Toman in our first division," he concludes.

"Mikey, don't you realize what she went through to help us? She was on our-" Draken begins before Mikey groans.

"Can you just let me finish? Y/N, did you know that your brother used to be part of Toman?" he then asks after a brief pause."

You're quite honestly shocked since he hardly ever told you about the things he did in the past. "I knew he was in and out of different gangs but he never told me much. I only really knew that he hated you guys but never explained why," you admit.

Takemichi scoffs and mutters something under his breath at your comment.

"Your brother formerly held the position of third division captain, a role I never should have even given him," Mikey grumbles. "But since you are no longer a member of the first division you are free to take your brother's old spot."

Left completely speechless by his words, you have no idea what to say except to let him keep talking.

"I trust you'll do better with the position than he did, yes?" 

"Yes, of course," you nod as you quickly accept the job. "Thank you so much. I will."

"Alright," he hums as he attempts to hide a smile creeping up his face. "You may go now then."

Just as the party reconvenes, you run up to Mikey and throw your arms around him. Though you're definitely not some kind of hug freak, you don't know how else you can better show your appreciation to him.

"I really do apologize for everything my brother has said and done. I'll do whatever I can to promise my loyalty to Toman from here on out," you whisper to him.

"Don't bother," he replies. "As third division captain, I trust you'll help things run smoothly. You already promised you wouldn't make me regret my decision."

"Right," you nod as you release him from the hug.

"No, go enjoy the party. I think someone's waiting to talk to you..."

When you turn around, Draken seems to be waiting for you. You wave goodbye to Mikey and walk to where Draken soon pulls you aside from the crowd.

"Y/N, I've loved Emma for so long, but I'd know what she'd say if she could talk to me right now. It'd probably be something quite similar to match the look Mikey shoots me every time I'm with you. However, neither of them piss me off nearly as much as you do..."

"Where is this going," you sigh as you narrow your eyes at him. "Did you drag me all this way to insult me?"

"What? No, not at all. I'm trying to say that I can't imagine not having feelings for you or lying to you about it. I know everything is a bit complicated, but if you'd want to, I'd like to ask you to be mine before it's too late."

"Yes!" you almost shout as you throw your arms around him. Behind him, at the nearby bar, you see Mitsuya smile and raise his glass to you. You smile and when you release Draken from the hug he kisses you so gently you'd think you were dreaming this whole thing.

"Do you have any business at this party?" you then ask.

"No, I don't think so. What do you mean?" he replies confused.

"Well if you don't want to be here the two of us could go somewhere else..." you hum.

Draken grins as he leans down to whisper in your ear. "I've got a room on one of the upper floors that'll definitely be way quieter than staying here."

"Hm, that sounds like fun," you smile. "Show me the way."

previous | next | in too deep

Taglist: @6-022-10-23 @bontensbabygirl @lonnie19 @captainsbaby @thisbicc

[beverlyonvinyl]

wasteland, baby! - JJ Maybank

summary; after a jealousy-fueled fight with your Kook ex-boyfriend, Rafe Cameron, the hot-tempered JJ has a long awaited meeting with you on the dock.

warnings; swearing, underage alcohol/drug consumption, plenty of angst, fluff.

word count; 1.5k

song; wasteland, baby! by hoizer

[ gif via pinterest ]

wasteland, baby / i’m in love / i’m in love with you.

The Boneyard was crowded with all walks of life tonight. Slimy Tourons looking for a girl to hook up with before they left town, rich Kooks getting drunk off of just a few beers, and the almighty rulers of the Outer Banks, the Pogues. Party animals by nature and fighters by chance, whether a nosy Kook got in their business or a Touron took something too far, a Pogue was always up to throw punches.

One of the Pogues stuck out, a particular blond-haired boy that was consistently sporting some kind of gnarly bruise or cut. The infamous JJ Maybank was always getting into of trouble, typically for a good cause. He's a ticking time bomb, and he can't keep his hands to himself.

The sandy-haired troublemaker was currently surrounded by a small arena of people, unbeknown to his circle of close friends that were sipping on bitter alcohol on the opposite side of the moonlit beach.

"JJ has been gone for like, twenty minutes," a girl with caramel skin and the most annoyed expression on her face pointed out to her other friends. "He probably found a girl."

The boy across from her looked behind him, he was a bit more sober than his reckless buddies.

"Kie... are they screaming his name?" He asked, still gawking at the large swarm of people behind him.

Another girl chimed into the conversation. "I bet someone is—"

"Is he in a fight?" Kie set her solo cup down on the ground and stood up. "What is his deal?"

The ringleader of the Pogues, and the boy who had thrown this party in the first place, came striding over to his other three friends with a freshly filled cup in his hand.

"John B.," the other boy stuttered. "JJ is beating the shit out of someone..."

His drunk and tired features expressed enough that he was done dealing with JJ's outbursts. Honest to god, everyone was tired of it. Picking him up from police stations, icing his bruises, making sure he didn't break something, he was acting out more than he ever had previously.

"Go deal with it," John B. gestured to the girl that wasn't Kie. "He'll listen to you."

Y/N raised her eyebrows at her best friend, contemplating if what he was saying was the truth, or just bullshit to get out of meddling with JJ's antics.

"I'm not getting between him and whoever he's kicking in the ass," she took down a gulp of her beer. "He's dangerous when he's angry."

"You make him less angry," John B. countered. "Now go fix it and I'll get the rest of these assholes off our beach."

Y/N headed for the crowd of onlookers, kicking up the sand with her worn, green Vans. She could hear another voice barking back at JJ, and unfortunately she recognized it.

She pushed her way through some brainless Tourons in cheap shark tooth necklaces, shoving them to the side and ordering them to scram. This was between her, JJ, and the guy that had got beaten to a pulp.

"Fucking Rafe," she sneered, watching JJ throw another punch to her ex-boyfriend's bloody face. "What did you do this time?"

JJ turned his head, his cerulean eyes piercing into hers. Rafe took this precious moment to breathe, for JJ's very violent assault had offered him little time for that.

"Everyone out!" Y/N yelled at the last few nosy people that surrounded them. She watched Rafe catch his last breath before he took another blow to his jaw. "Stop it, J."

"What?" He pushed Rafe's limp body to the side and looked at the frustrated girl standing above him.

She disregarded JJ's questioning look and crouched down next to her quivering, former lover. He was still very much alive, lord be damned if Rafe Cameron ever lose his life to a weed-smoking, beer-slugging, couch-surfing Pogue like JJ, but he had stil been pummeled horribly.

"Tell me what you did to make him hurt you," she muttered in Rafe's ear.

Rafe chuckled at her. Once his beaming girlfriend that thrived in country clubs and sundresses, she traded her perfect Kook life for a life full of treasure hunting and disappointing her parents.

If only he hadn't started with the cocaine.

"Just told Kelce some stories of how good you were in bed," he smirked at her with dark eyes.

JJ came stomping back towards them, open lighter in his tight grip. "You're fucking disgusting..."

Y/N narrowed her eyes at him. "Wait for me on the dock."

He let out a huff of aggression, not feeling free of the anger he had towards Rafe. His heavy boots hit the frail wooden planks of the Chateau's dock, and he couldn't help but let his thoughts drift to maybe, just maybe, Y/N wanted her dickhead of an ex-boyfriend back. Maybe they were out in the Boneyard reminiscing of old times when they would go to the country club and sneak kisses when their parents weren't watching. Maybe she wanted to help Rafe get clean so they could be together again.

JJ looked out at the calm water, such a contrast to the storm he was feeling in his chest. When he felt that strike of hurt, that pain and fury within him, he took it out on the nearest thing that crossed him.

"I'm sorry about that," a small voice hummed from behind him.

He turned around to see Y/N's figure framed by the blue moonlight.

"I should be the one that's sorry," he mumbled.

She sat beside him on the splintering dock. "J, I would've cut his face up with a beer bottle if I heard what he said."

He laughed at her a little. "So what'd you say to him?"

"That I'd cut off his dick if he talked about me like that again."

JJ looked at her in pure admiration. He knew when he first met her that she was locked up in the gates of the Kook lifestyle. Rafe always made him jealous, whether he spotted them holding hands while he was busing tables or sharing a drink while he was at a party with his friends. It dampened his mood and he wasn't afraid to show it... until she became a Pogue herself.

It would be an instant crime to make a move now. Pogues don't mess with other Pogues.

"I've always liked you, Y/N," he observed the way her eyes sparkled, even though it was dark.

She backed away from him every so slightly.

"No! Wait— not like that," he put his paw-like hand on her shoulder, cold rings creating a vibrant contrast against her hot skin. "As friends."

"Oh," she glanced down at the water. Endless nothingness.

There was a string of tension between the two rebellious teens that just couldn't be cut. Every time he saw her it made him dizzy, and getting drunk or high in her presence seemed to be a risk. If he let out even a whisper of how he felt, she'd hear him.

Y/N took his chin in her delicate hand, bringing his face towards hers in a moment they had both long awaited. His golden strands of hair fell in his entranced face. The ice had melted from his doe-eyes and the curve was back in his lips, formulating the smile that she chased after.

"I've always liked you too, JJ," she ghosted her lips over his. "Not as a friend."

He tried to stutter something out, tripping over his own tongue, but he was cut off by her plush lips on his own. The pungent liquor that she had been downing in the wake of her boredom met the smokiness that laced his breath. His warm hands found her waist, wrapping her in an embrace that he didn't want her to get out of. Maybe he would wake up in a cold sweat on John B.'s couch, this whole ordeal just a result of attempted manifestation, but he just wanted to indulge in her soft skin and sweet nothings. Even if they were a figment of his imagination.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured against her mouth. "Closer."

She whined at JJ's words, propping herself in his lap and kissing him harder. He had been waiting so long for this to happen, and now that he was getting it, he couldn't believe it was real. It was better than he had imagined it late at night when his heart and body ached for her. This was a new kind of euphoria.

If the world was ending, he would have no idea.

“Why didn’t we do this ages ago?” Y/N breathed against him as she left little pecks along his jaw.

JJ melted like a burning candle into her touch, praying that the flame in her that had ignited for him would forever stay lit.

“The Pogue rules,” he answered.

She cupped the side of his flushed face with her hand. She had never seen him so malleable for as long as she’d known him.

“I’d break all the rules for you,” she hummed. “I’m in love with you, that’s it.”