#if you wanna try and guess who these are the final options for go ahead

[hysterical-random-things]

[babydollmarauders]

SNOW ON THE BEACH — LUKE HUGHES

luke hughes x fem!reader

part of the Midnights Fic List.

summary: in which shy, introverted y/n meets extroverted frat boy Luke and he takes a liking to her, even though everyone thinks they’re an odd match.

specific lyrics: “it’s like snow on the beach, weird but fuckin’ beautiful.”

notes: i really wanted frat boy Luke in order to really have them contrast each other, but i also didn’t wanna take away the hockey element or split up the UMich boys, so… Hockey House is a frat now. also, i don’t think i like this one, i feel like i could’ve done so much better but like halfway through writing this, my brain short-circuited and i couldn’t think of anything.

the library is packed. i should’ve expected it, with it being so close to finals week and all, but it still disappointed me nonetheless.

this was my favorite place to escape and read when my obnoxious dorm-mate had her friends over. it was quiet and usually pretty empty. so i could usually sit and read for a few hours until i was sure none of Alex’s friends were still there. none of them knew how to use an inside voice, and with our dorm just being one big room, they constantly thought that meant i would want to join in on their conversations. which were mainly gossip about the hockey team. so, coming in and finding every space in the library full, ruined my plans. i don’t want to go back to my dorm and be subjected to them debating which UMich hockey player has the cutest smile, so i guess that leaves me with one option; find a seat.

i let loose a sigh and scan the room for who seems to be the quietest. i hate small talk. i find a table with only one person sat at it, a guy with one airpod in and a textbook laid out in front of him, and decide that’s the one. i walk over, fully planning on just motioning to ask if i can sit, but when i come to a stop in front of the table and he doesn’t even look up, i know i’ll have to speak up. i take a deep breath before i let out the quietest ‘excuse me’ known to man. the boy still doesn’t look up from the textbook, and i don’t blame him, he probably didn’t even hear me.

“excuse me.” i say slightly louder. this time the boy finally looks up, but i’m struck on what to say. suddenly, all the mentally rehearsed words have left my mind. this may be the cutest boy i have ever seen.

“can i help you?” his voice is soft. not judgmental or rude like what i would’ve expected from him after i came over and interrupted his studying just to end up staring at him. i shake myself out of my thoughts and give a light nod.

“do you mind if i sit here?” i motion towards a chair diagonal from his. “everywhere else is full.”

the boy nods.

“oh, yeah, go ahead.” i give him a small and grateful smile before depositing myself in the chair. pulling my book and a few highlighters out from my tote bag before hanging it up on the back of my chair. i open my book to where i left off, setting the bookmark on the table. but before i can start reading, the boy speaks up again.

“sorry to interrupt but, you’re reading that for a class?” he asks. for some reason, i take a look at the front cover of my romance novel before talking.

“oh. no. i’m reading this for fun.” i tell him. my voice is quite, my tone soft.

“oh okay. i guess i just assumed you were here to study since everyone else is.” he lets out a breathy chuckle as he shrugs.

“no.” i shake my head before explaining- “i’m here to get away from my dorm-mate and her friends. they’re too loud for me to focus and they keep trying to get me to weigh in on their debates.”

“what are they debating?” he asks.

“well, when i left it was which Wolverines hockey player has the cutest smile.” i tell him, rolling my eyes.

“and who did you say?” he seems curious, and almost amused.

“no one.” i shrug. “i don’t know what any of them look like.”

he lets out a quiet laugh.

“well you know what one of them looks like now.” he says. my brows form a v and i’m about to ask him to clarify but then it hits me. oh. he’s a hockey player.

“oh.” is my awkward response.

“i’m Luke Hughes.” he smiles at me. well, i have my answer for the next debate now.

“i’m y/n.” i tell him. “nice to meet you.”

“you too.” he finally looks back down at his textbook, and i’m relieved to be free of any more small talk.

the next hour or so passes by silently, and i manage to finish the last 75 pages of my book without any interruptions. i close my book, and put my stuff back in my tote bag, at the same time that an alarm goes off on Luke’s phone. he turns it off and starts packing his stuff up as well. we stand simultaneously, and he sends me a quick amused expression. my steps to the exit are slow, and Luke falls in line with me, slowing his steps to match mine.

“my frat is having a party on Friday, you should come. collect some more data for the next debate.” he smirks, and i rack my brain for a nice way to say that i don’t do parties.

“i’m not really a party person.” i say.

“then what kind of person are you?” he asks. his eyes fall down my body before he looks back up to my face.

“um, the reading type, i guess? i don’t really like doing the whole people thing.” i confess. he nods in understanding.

“well, if you change your mind, come. and if you need to escape your dorm again, i’ll be here tomorrow, same time.” he winks before splitting off, walking the opposite direction as me.

my entire walk to my dorm, i rethink every word we shared, wondering if i sounded stupid. i mean, i would assume not because he didn’t seem put off by me, but who knows, maybe he’s just a good actor. he was really cute though, gosh i hope i didn’t unknowingly embarrass myself.

opening the door to my dorm, i’m disappointed to see that Alex and her friends are still here. they don’t usually hang out this long on a wednesday evening. and i have to hold back an eye roll when i realize that it doesn’t sound they’ve changed their topic of conversation at all since i’ve left. logically, i’m sure it has and they just circled back onto this topic, but i honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it was all they were talking about the past couple hours.

“y/n! you didn’t answer before you left, so please, settle this for us!” one of them, Jess, says as she spots me. “which UMich hockey player has the best smile? i say Ethan Edwards, Alex says Rutger McGroarty, and Becca says Mark Estapa!”

my mind wanders back to the boy i was conversing with not too long ago and before i can think twice, i blurt out- “Luke Hughes.”

“you think so?” Becca asks “i feel like he rarely ever smiles. it’s so hard to get one out of him.”

“really?” i ask. they must be exaggerating, he smiled at me earlier. although, i think he was just being friendly.

“yeah! i have a class with him this semester and i swear he frowned at me when i tried to introduce myself. i mean, he’s still hot, but still.” Becca replies, shrugging.

“oh.” i say. what does that mean? if he wasn’t friendly to her when they met, then why would he smile and be friendly with me?

“oooh y/n is blushing! i think she likes him!” Alex coos.

“i don’t like him.” i turn away, letting my hair fall in front of me to hide my apparently pink cheeks. i set my tote bag on my desk chair and slip my shoes off before taking a seat on my bed.

“i think she does!” Jess joins in on the teasing, and now i’m regretting having left the solitude of the library. “a bit of an odd match, you two.”

i’m not sure whether i should be offended by her statement or not, but for some reason i am. i don’t plan on dating him, but hearing her say we wouldn’t match together makes me feel insulted.

“what is that supposed to mean?” i retort.

“she didn’t mean anything by it.” Alex defends her friend. “she’s just saying, Luke is an extrovert, he likes to party and let loose, he has a lot of friends. and you’re… the opposite. i don’t think i’ve seen you go out once in the entire school year that we’ve shared a room. you keep to yourself. like, we’ve been trying to include you so that you’re not lonely, but you always say you’re going to the library. you and Luke just don’t seem like you’d fit together.”

“i didn’t ask you to include me. i like being alone. people are draining.” i say. i don’t like their pity on me. it’s not like i don’t have friends. i do. we’re just all introverted and our hangouts between classes is enough social interaction for us. we don’t care for going out partying on weekends or anything. if we do want to hang out on the weekend, we’ll usually do a movie night at Casey and Ellie’s apartment. but the way Alex explains it makes my life sound pitiful, and it makes me defensive, so before i can stop myself, i speak again. “and for your information, i’m going to a party on friday.”

the trio gasps, as though this information is scandalous.

“oh my god, are you going the party at Hockey House?” Becca asks. ‘hockey house’, the nickname for the frat house in which most of the UMich hockey players live. the frat is comprised solely of hockey players, so i guess the nickname makes sense. “for Luke?”

“yes, i’m going to the party. but no, not for Luke.” i tell them. why did i say i was going to that party? i hate parties. i even already told Luke so.

**

friday evening has come, and i can’t even back out of going to the party because Alex, Becca, and Jess have decided we should carpool together. so now i’m stuck in this commitment.

when Becca and Jess arrive to pick Alex and i up, i become aware that i’m the only one not wearing a dress or skirt of some kind. instead i’m dressed casual, in jeans and a tank top, paired with an oversized cardigan to keep me protected from the evening breeze. but it’s too late to change now.

arriving to the party is a hassle on its own, with the girls fussing over whether they look good enough to bag a hockey player, and having a hard time finding a parking spot. and when we finally walk into the party, i immediately want to leave. music is blasting from multiple speakers, everyone is holding a stereotypical red solo cup, and the house is packed. i’m quickly forgotten about by the other girls, them walking off to get drinks and stop to have conversations with a few of the hockey guys. i still don’t actually know any of the players names, besides Luke.

i scan the room, but i’m not entirely sure what i’m looking for. or who. all my friends are probably laying in bed right now. before i can even figure out who i’m looking for, i hear my name being called.

“y/n!” i turn my head towards the voice and find a guy from my ‘intro to business’ class coming towards me. i think his name is Dylan, but it seems like everyone just calls him Duke. “never seen you at a party before!”

“yeah, it’s not usually my scene.” i tell him with an awkward smile.

“i figured. you give me more of the ‘reading in my room’ vibes.” he laughs.

“am i that obvious?” i joke. he laughs again and nods.

“you look pretty out of place. let me introduce you to some of my friends.” he takes ahold of my wrist and pulls me towards a group of guys in the kitchen. i’m immediately uncomfortable, they all seem intimidating, and i’m not great around boys. we get closer to the group and Duke begins to introduce me. “guys, this is-”

“y/n! you came!” i look over to see Luke, and i can’t help the smile that breaks out on my face when i see his wide grin. he slings an arm around my shoulders, and Duke’s jaw drops.

“THIS is the y/n you’ve been talking about? the one from the library?” Duke asks. i can feel my face heating up. he’s been talking about me? i hope he’s not saying anything bad about me.

“yup. this is my future girlfriend.” Luke exclaims, and i choke on my own spit.

what?! we barely know anything about each other! all i know is his name is Luke, he has the prettiest smile i’ve ever seen, and he plays hockey. pretty sure all he knows about me is my name and that i have an annoying roommate.

“hm. an odd match.” Duke ponders. there’s that phrase again! but now seeing Luke in his natural habitat, partying and joking with friends, and even just him being so confident, i can’t help but wonder if Duke and the girls are right. Luke and i do seem to contrast each other.

“what’s that supposed to mean?” Luke asks defensively.

“hey, i’m not saying that’s a bad thing!” Duke rebuts. “you guys are just kinda… opposites of each other.”

“opposites attract.” Luke shrugs. i’m kind of confused. does my opinion matter? Luke seems pretty confident that i like him back.

“uh, Luke.” i speak up. he looks down at me where i’m still tucked into his side. “we don’t really know anything about each other.”

“when you know, you know.” he shrugs.

**5 YEARS LATER**

i stare up at my now husband from my seat beside him with watery eyes and a soft smile.

“and i told her, ‘when you know, you know.’” he looks back down at me from his standing position. “and i knew. from the first time we met, i knew this would be the girl i spend the rest of my life with.”

everyone in the reception hall claps as Luke ends his speech. he gives me a soft kiss on the cheek before whispering in my ear.

“you got this, baby.” his hand clasps my shaky one and gives it a quick tight squeeze. i take one big deep breath and stand up, i hate public speaking, but i wrote my speech and i will read it.

“i didn’t know. well, at least not as quick as Luke.” a few people chuckle at that. “but what i do know, is that i went to my first party for him. which spoke volumes for me. and i thought he had the most amazing smile to ever exist.”

i look down at Luke and see the grin spread across his face.

“look, there it is!” i point to him as i look back at the reception hall full of our friends and family and everyone laughs. “i still think it’s the best smile, but i might be biased now. when we started dating, we had people calling us an odd match, i even had a friend compare us to ‘snow on the beach.’ she said we were ‘weird but beautiful.’”

“i used to think it was an insult, but now i look back and realize, our friends were right, we are an odd match.” i look back at Luke and now it’s my turn to smile. he takes ahold of my hand, squeezing it as a few tears roll down my cheeks. i finish my speech while maintaining eye contact with him. “but i like our differences, we balance each other out, and i can’t imagine what my life would be like if i hadn’t liked your confidence so much that night. i’m so grateful that i get to spend the rest of my life calling myself your wife.”

Luke stands, winding his arms around my waist and pulling me in for a sweet, slow kiss. i can hear everyone clapping, and someone lets out a loud “WOOO!”

i can distinctly tell that was Jack, and it makes me interrupt the kiss with a giggle. Luke just takes that chance to pull back and pepper my face in pecks. blood rushes to my face at the thought of our family and friends watching him do this, but he doesn’t care. his confidence is a constant, no room for embarrassment.

yeah, maybe my friend was right; Luke and i are like snow on the beach. at first glance, we’re an unlikely duo, different in a lot of ways, but we make a great couple and our love is beautiful.

[erinnkenobi]

After the Fisher King | Spencer Reid x fem!reader

Chapter two - Chapter three

Pairing | Spencer Reid x fem!reader

Warnings | friends to lovers!?

Summary | You're always ahead of 'em, it seems we got another nerd.

Author's note | English ain't my native language, yet I still writing because I want to share the stories inside my head

You start living alone, since the moment moved to work for the FBI, especially in Quatico at the BAU department, surely that you missed your parents, but it was time for the little bird to leave its nest. Although to make you a company you have a trained female German Shepherd, only the both of you sharing a home. (IN a condominium of houses, kind of a safer option, both of your closest neighbours are an old lady and the other is a solo mom with two kids)

The last case you're with Hotchner team, the team that you belong to, you were the only that look askance at Bruno, you reported that to Gideon and he said:–"You always are inclined to think most people are the ones that you should mistrust and...You always get the right unsub, but now, wait a little and maintain this information for yourself, I'll talk with Bruno now."

When you left the room Spencer was following with curiosity:–"What were you two talking about?"

You just can't ignore and sound rude, so you stop and turns to him.

–I think I might know who is the spy..-he interrupts with ease.

Since you two met you were also a strange "kid" from the rest of 'em, you never drank alcohol, not even used to go to pub's, while on working you always were putting a puzzle together or sketching something that resembles the case the team was working, you're quiet most of time thinking while the others start with brainstorming to set up the unsub profile, but you, you always mistrusted people on these cases, except your team, you're the quickiest to ensure the final answer.

At first it was kind tough to get in with the team, although ye are finally were able to communicate with them, Spencer as both of you has the same age he feels comfortable.

– Who do you think it is?-he's by your side now.

– The headmaster...-you say with a unaudible tone, yet he didn't understood you, so he leans down making you blush.

– I didn't understood, could you repeat again?-he leans his face right by your face side, even being an agent this doesn't means you're free from feelings, you mind went blank for milliseconds but thou swear it was minutes.

Spencer Reid heard you plenty well.

– I said, I think 99% our unsub is the old mate of Gideon, the one that is at the command and I'm talking like that because i don't want anybody discovering beforehand it's time, Gideon asked me to hide it.

Reid thought for a couple of seconds.

– Where is the 1%?

– Really?-you rolled your eyes, but he doesn't smile yet still with his blues eyes gluet at your figure filled with curiosity.

– The 1% is just if I made a mistake judging his character, though I know I'm right.

– I believe in you, yet our team should still work on the case.. I won't tell anybody until its time.

– Thanks?

– You know.- he stands in front of you.-You could have said no, that it was confidential your thoughts.-you chuckle unbelievable.

– Why would I do this?

– Because Gideon asked you to do so.- yup, but as you have a crush on him you wouldn't deny it and if you were one more time right, who knows, you like comoliments.

– Because we're mates and you can say, if I were right, "y/l/n was right since the beginning, again".-he giggles shaking his head.

– I don't know what to say, really, but since you're working with us, sometimes you threaten my position and also Gideon's.-you laugh uncomfortably and he noticed apologising quickly.– Sorry I didn't meat to offend you, what I-I...-he stutters.– I'm trying to say is with you, with us, I have to give my best and be by your side.-you opened your eyes surprised, what was he saying?- How do you do that, always guessing the right unsub with lack information?

– Wanna know how?

– Yeah, tell me your secret and I promise I'll keep it, I mean it and I won't tell Gideon.

It was amazing this interaction, you're the first person Spencer was able to maintain a conversation without making him felt uncomfortable.

—Aristotle once said: "No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness", besides it's all my paranoia telling me, they say, to think outside the box and visualise, however, my paranoia is always thinking at the same time in and outside the box now, I guess that our problem is inside the box.-his face brightened, when he was ready to ask one more thing, Hotchner called Spencer.

You're at the hospital waiting for any news of agent Elle when you got a call from Reid.

–You were right, our unsub was Bruno and Gideon mentioned that you were the first to guess it right, is Elle alright?

–Hmmm, thanks.-you say sheepishly.-And yes, she will survive, Gideon is with her now, Nadir and the children are safe?

–Yes, and Hassan is under arrest.

You were able to smile when he said that.

Case closed

[Time breaks]

–Woah.- when you arrived at home last night you received a phone call from Hotchner demanding you show up at BAU, you thought you would enjoy your holiday travelling around London visiting historical museums and libraries, you paid for your ticket and even told your cousin you would pay if he/she helped you looking after your precious dog and now, for what? No London anymore baby.

At BAU, you sit with them around the table.

–What happened? I was supposed to take a plane to London today.

– I know.-Gideon says.-But Hotchner and I received a peculiar message, I received a head in a box, at the only place I thought I were safe with a note, mentioning your last name.-you opened your eyes in shock.

–What it says?

–Not only it says something as well Hotchner also received a phone call that somehow connect you.

– Then..?

– It says "The magician shall not help..."-Hotchner says coming inside the room, stern look as always.

You huff shrinking in the chair.

– and mine says "y/n shall stay out out out out out" repeatedly more than 20 times.

–Wow.-you smile with no humour.–Why? What does it mean?-you already know why.

– It means our unsub wants you out of this case.-Gideon says.

Garcia show up shameful of her acts, just for playing a silly game it exposed everybody position, except yours, why? Well, you used vpn, you're good at blurring your information, your address and even when you're out making your supermarket shopping.

– He has information about everyone.-poor Garcia.-He invaded my-my system, because I was playing a game, but not of BAU computers, yet in mine laptop, however I need to connect.

Yup, you don't blame her, well because you hide your own information, you house isn't addressed correctly and the unsub couldn't get a good picture of you, he knows that you're smart, he don't want the this case ending soon. He knew with you in, you would be the one going to discovery his profile.

Summing up, Hotchner had to ask you to retire only in this case, but you shouldn't go home alone, so Hotchner told an agent to follow with you back home and stay there. But you have a stubborness and reckless behaviour, which Reid knows as well the rest of the team, besides this, when Elle was shot, the plan to make you get rid of this case went downhill, now you're in and you brought your dog.

–Can I pet, what is the name of your dog?-Spencer asks you, getting you surprised, the dog just stared at you as if asking "Can he, mom?Tell my name".

You alert him:-Just be careful, she's trained, any false move and you got yourself a stump.-Reid hesitate and you laughed.-I'm kidding, just be gentle and it's Nala, you know, Lion King, Simba's wife.

He breathe in relief with a grin, he leans down so he could smooth her fur, she accepted without growling, what's a win.

She liked him, but you wouldn't tell, it's not important now.

The rest of the case went okay, the whole time you were found helping Garcia to check the information and between this time you were able to be alone with Reid deciphering the riddles.

He told you about his mother when he called the sanitarium and requested for her presence.

Your dog was asleep near the couch while you were alone with his mother, you were able to maintain a friendly conversation, talking about medieval literature, Spencer saw it before entering the room question his mother.

When everything settled down, Spencer wanted to talk with you in private which you all willingly agreed, when he asked it was so funny the way he asked while gesturing with his hands, you noticed he was nervous.

–So after all this mad case and the explosion afterwards you still up to a "meeting", where's the others?-you look around the table searching for them, you wondered if he'd invited the rest of the team, yet he did not.

Spencer is with pink tints in his face, you got you answer but you will wait for his.

– Well... I didn't invited the rest of the team, only you.

– And why? Did you want to question me why our unsub dismissed miserably my part on this case?

– No, this I already know the answer, you're like Merlin, the sorcerer, you're able to hide your address ip, so you're also a computer genius.

– You flatten me, yet I'm not into TI and software area, but I know a couple of things.

– Much to manage and hide your localisation from the F.B.I and even CIA.-you rolled your eyes with wit.

– You got me now.-you chuckle.

It seemed as a date, yet you strongly disagreed on that matter, you didn't fit his standard, he kissed an actress cases ago.

[...] Spencer escort you to your house, both of you all the way long speaking of nerd stuff, every single topic he was captivated by you and you for him, whatsoever you couldn't be in love, love is not for you.

–Now you're the only one that knows where I live, don't split okay.-you blinked opening hour door.-It's late and I don't think I can't let you go.-oh boy, his stomach churned, yet yours were in full adrenaline but keep with a cool face.– Come in, Nala already knows you.

He hesitated, but you're good at convincing, since the Fisher King case is not safe to be let alone, him in this case, you have your loyal Nala.

Nala is sleep on her own bed near the TV desk in the living room.

–Doctor Reid, I have only my room, you can stay with my bed, I stay with sofa, I don't mind at all.

– No no no, I can use the sofa and you stay with your own bed, please.-you cross your arms staring at him.

– Are you sure?

– Definitely, no worry with me.

You rolled your eyes again with a sheepishly smile.

–I'll change, do you mind?-Reid just reddened shaking negatively his head.

– No no, I don't and..

– I have men clothes, do you want?-for a moment his shy grin fades as quickly as your humorous expression.

– I bought a couple of jumpers and pants at the shopping mall, so I could use when..when..

–When?-Reid stares at you making you feel small.

– When I feel alone, I mean, I have no time to date or anything else rather work or read something to get me out of this world, with male clothes, bigger than my size, I feel comfy.

Oh he understood, first time that he seems you showing any feelings, everybody thought you were more cold-hearted than Hotchner, always cool in any case, as if nothing could surprise you anymore at such young age. How did you ended at BAU?

Well, as far as you can remember you only studied, an exchange program in the UK for 2 years and the other years at the USA and here we are, working at BAU alongside a beautiful colleague that you don't mind admiring from a far.

–I don't know if I..

– It's okay if you don't want and I swear, they're all clean and tidy.

– I didn't meant that they weren't is just

– Hey, I'm not obliging you, but I have an extra toothbrush, never used.

– Thanks.

Minutes later you appeared with a huge navy blue jumper with a star wars short, free hair nothing on it, his heart skipped a beat.

–Hungry? We didn't eat anything for a cozy night and as you're my guest, milk?

–Hm?-poor man is frozen.-I'd like, please.

You both were all smiley here and there while eating a soft lunch before bed time, it wasn't 00h yet.

–Poor Nala is staring at us.-Reid mentions making you look at her puppies eyes.–Can I give a piece of this bread/crackers?

–A medium to small size, just don't make her get used to it, don't fall for these puppy eyes.

He already fell for it, he fell for Nala's owner as smart as he is, he knows that you wouldn't get any of his feelings towards you, but inly if he didn't make a move...

[03h23 a.m]

You couldn't sleep well, so you get up, the funny and silly things is you're hearing voices and low growls trying to communicate .

The hallway heading to the kitchen, you has a roundy wood table and in there you see a sleeplessness Reid with your trained hunt dog, playing, you stood there with arms crossed staring at them, until they stop playing.

– Can't sleep?

– Yeah...

– Me neither.-you come a cross his chair side.-What are you doing, reading one of my books from my living room shelf?

‐ Sorry, I...

– Reid, we're friends, might not be best-friends, but I can believe you with my precious books.

– Wait.. We can be best friends?

– Hmm, I guess we can.-you smile without showing your teeth.

– I didn't know this was the way to claim somebody as best friends, you know, I thought this bond was supposed to happen without we even notice.

– Well, it can happens too, but I guess I'm making this clear now.-thumbs up, you make him smile again.

You both keep talking the whole night until you two fell asleep on the table near each other company, your hand touching his, his fingers slightly caressing yours, you didn't felt anything, you sleep like a damn rock, however Spencer is an early person, so with less than two hours to get up and go to work, he sees you and his hand caressing your, when he's aware he stopped yet still looking your hands near each other, you mutter something under your sleep.

He is now aware that he's fully awaken.

He doesn't want to wake you up, but he died anyway shaking you.

-Hmmm.-you unconsciously pushed him away.-No more cases for today pleasee, I just want to watch a period movie and feel in luuuv.-you complained with a tired tone.-but I work work work work in a madness world of crime.

-Y/n..-he approaches you again.-Wake up, we gotta go to BAU, you need to change and I'll head home.

You wake up atartled by his close presence, he gives you a smile.

–Morning, agent...I mean, y/n.-he says close next to your face with a husky voice.

Oh lord J.

[ophiocordyceps]

fallen gabe and reconstructed v2's descriptions under the cut for those who arent on artfight and wanna know about these guys

Gabriel:

he/him

After killing the Council and leaving Heaven for the final time, Gabriel was sure he was destined to die, and he was fine with that, feeling as though he had made his peace with his upcoming bout of mortality.

He and the Council were both wrong, however.

Now permanently severed from the Light of god, he effectively sealed his fate as a fallen angel, though what he (and the rest of Heaven) did not know was what exactly that meant.

In Treachery, he would encounter V2, half-dead and unwilling to fight, rather it would go on to strike an initially-begrudging alliance with the angel, bound over a shared goal: to hunt down V1.

While much of the driving force behind this plan was provided by V2, Gabriel still tagged along as it drove the two of them back up through the layers of Hell, and as he did, he would notice his body changing.

Angels, especially fallen ones, are more like strange arthropods than anything else, especially resembling insects. An angel will typically not just outright die when stripped of their light; as an inherently divine entity they still retain a small amount that's enough to keep them alive, however they do end up "falling"--the tight control god once had on their physical form is lost and begins reverting to a more natural and organic state. Gabriel would be no exception to this.

As a proper fallen angel, Gabriel is an even taller (over 8'6") and imposing figure. His halo has become a set of horns and his wings are shattered and split into four long limb-like appendages (think malicious face spider legs but more weaponized). His armor, or rather, carapace is duller and tarnished looking, with the segmentation between plates being more organically divided. He has a pair of sharp, hooked raptorial limbs (like a mantis) connected close to his waist and his legs are completely rearranged into an insectoid form. The front plate of his helmet is largely missing to reveal what at a glance seems to be a void, though also revealing several spider-like eyes around the still completely intact (and untarnished !) cross that once decorated the helmet. The golden spike has split into wasp-like mandibles and large, wing-like lamellate antennae often cover his face in spite of everything else. The [name for whatever the skirt armor plates are] are fused together in the back and extend into a scorpion tail. also his fingers are clawed.

bro is fucked up  !!

optionally, at some point well into the future a few more changes happen over time:

- his bodyplan gets a little less strictly humanoid. playing fast and loose with it

- exposed "skin" gets a layer of fuzzy scales like a moth

- at least one set of the appendages that used to be his wings finally heal into a new set of cicada- or mantis-like wings

- he no longer has the cross from his helmet embedded into his face

- just generally seems way healthier if you know what healthy would look like in an angel ("normal" angels are like god's unethical dog breeds as is)

V2:

it/she Just barely surviving its second fight with V1 out of nothing short of sheer luck or a miracle, V2 was left to drag its utterly broken body out of the scorching heat of Greed in order to try and piece itself together again, physically and mentally. It did not believe it should have survived, only having done so out of chance. It started to see itself as something of a ghost, and there's only one thing your average ghost is after: revenge. Delving deeper into Hell in search of parts and fuel, it, at some point, got ahead of V1 once more and found itself in the frozen wasteland of Treachery, where it would encounter Gabriel. It knew about him, and could accurately guess what they had in common with each other, leading it to try and forge an alliance with him in order to take on V1 one last time, leveraging the fact that both of them had been defeated individually by it previously. It was going to kill its predecessor at any cost. Even if it was taken down with it. Heading back up through Hell, it would form a bond with Gabriel as it tried its best to help him handle his...situation the best it could, going from simply allies to eventually friends (and then even later...uh. great question lmfao). The two would become nearly inseparable by the end of their shared journey. qpp more like the inseparable warrior's bond V2 is fairly short in comparison to Gabriel, only around 5'6" or so, even with the height boost its legs gave it. It's new legs were salvaged from a sentry, and are bird- or dromaeosaurid-like in their anatomy. It's left arm replacement is a tethered saw that can be launched and swung around, built into a swordsmachine-like arm. It's right arm remains intact but it has an extra "skeletal" arm on the same side. All but two of its wing blades are broken off. V2 is also very expressive, having modified itself for the purpose. It has small blade-like structures on the sides of its head that can be moved to convey its emotions, as well as a metal "eyelid" over its optic. Its wings often move and change color in accordance with how it's feeling (red = angry, green = scared, yellow = positive/neutral, blue = negative/neutral) After killing V1, it has a few differences: - its wings are repaired, with all 8 blades intact - it replaces its saw arm with V1's feedbacker (this actually happens before it dies lol) and also reobtains it's knuckleblaster and whiplash - it replaces its skeletal left arm with V1's left arm, giving it anywhere from 3 to 5 arms total Optionally, well into the future: - it builds itself a raptor-like mechanical tail for better balance with its legs. the "feather"-like structures are built to match its wing blades  - if you go REALLY far ahead it eventually develops some synthetic angel wings for itself after studying angel anatomy for a long ass time it is strong enough to pick up gabe. just so you know.

[riddlerosehearts]

decided i'm going to start posting my thoughts on baldur's gate 3 every so often as i make my way through the game, because it'd be nice to have some of this stuff about first playthrough written down somewhere! my tav is a half-high elf bard named elenion (he/they) who's neutral good-aligned, and despite being a bard he's very reserved and is always feigning self-confidence. also, he's a college of lore bard who honestly would've fit the sage background pretty well but i went ahead and gave him entertainer instead lol. i guess that actually gives me the opportunity to see more of the inspiration goals by not having the same background as gale! anyway though, here's a few thoughts about what i've done while still being very early in act 1:

at the point i'm at in the story right now, i was supposed to go look for halsin, but instead i decided to finally find karlach. i feel like i probably should've gotten her sooner, but once i got to the grove i didn't wanna venture too far from the main objectives--and the grove is where you recruit wyll and learn about karlach in the first place.

however, halsin sounds very wise and capable so i guess he can handle himself while he waits, and the mindflayer tadpole symptoms aren't progressing like they're supposed to, so why not just go off and act like we've got all the time in the world! maybe elenion is just easily distracted. they did waste quite a bit of time earlier when they found alfira and felt compelled to help her finish her song. and speaking of, i was not expecting such a beautiful cutscene for that?! or for the squirrels we talked to using speak with animals to be so mean and hate her song 😭 but i hope we get to see alfira again and that nothing bad happens to her, and i hope i don't eventually regret saying that!

also, wyll did say karlach is a danger to the entire sword coast, which makes hunting her down sound pretty important... and elenion has an interest in history so they recognized the phrase "advocatus diaboli" and were able to mention the blood war when wyll first talked about her. so maybe they're also interested in seeing if they can get a devil who fought in the blood war and is now wandering the material plane to answer a few questions before taking her down. anyway, point is we're leaving the druids and our quest for a cure hanging to go hunt a devil.

took me a bit to find her despite wyll's quest leading you to her, though. i have a horrible sense of direction, which i guess is okay because my horrible sense of direction did lead me to accidentally find scratch and now we have a dog!

eventually i did get to karlach, and elenion's mind connected to hers and gave him a much closer look at who karlach is and what she's doing here than he expected. naturally he convinced wyll to stand down because karlach does not seem evil. and then he tried to ask karlach some of the questions he had in mind back at camp, but she won't reveal anything until we hunt down the paladins that are still hunting her. understandable, i guess. i like her though! i should try and make sure to get her earlier on my next playthrough.

encountered mizora for the first time when i rested at camp, and i'm very intrigued by what's going on with wyll and i actually have been since way before i played the game and found out he was a fabled hero who was also a warlock. which is why i also think it's a huge shame that from what i've heard at least, he was given a lot less content for his quest and his romance than the other companions were.

wandered around the world a bit more and ended up freeing a poor guy who was being spun around on a windmill by goblins. then i got the scene with gale where he teaches you how to channel the weave, and it not only had bard-specific dialogue options but also had an option that specifically reflected my character's proficiency in history, which was all really neat to see. god, there must be an insane amount of different dialogue branches in this game. love that there was also an option to be like "yeah that was neat, but i could've done it myself lol" since a bard is already a spellcaster.

the range of these particular dialogue options is killing me LMAO

i had high enough approval with gale to trigger a very obviously romantic scene and then the game is literally like "okay, so do you want to kiss him or do you want his severed head on a spike" 😭 like wtf do you THINK?! i can't even imagine how i'd roleplay a character who would be cruel enough to get this far and lead gale on so much before picking to project an image of his head on a spike directly into his mind. and yet i am so curious about what happens if you do--but not curious enough to reload and try to find out. mostly because i cannot bring myself to be mean to gale.

anyway, i picked the romantic walk option. i thought elenion would consider the kiss thing to be a bit too forward. but that was such a sweet scene and i love flustered gale gets when he realizes how you feel about him. going into this game i really thought i'd wanna try for astarion or shadowheart's romances first, and i do like them a lot and want to keep learning more about both of them, but gale surprised me with how much i already liked him from his introduction. he's just really charming and funny and also fits well with the character i made, so i will definitely keep progressing his romance.

aaand i've been progressing a bit slowly because of irl stuff but everything about this game is so good that i wish i'd picked it up sooner! i've been spoiled on quite a bit of things about the story already, but there's also a lot that i haven't been spoiled on and i can't wait to experience all of it anyway.

[eristic-kaleidoscope]

Laplace's Angel | AIRika | Trial 2.5 | Re: END, KOKONE, Arakiel | Attn: Hosts, Just Erika, Eri

“Yeah, I’ll say it. It’s relevant now. I voted Eri for Aiding and Abetting. 

I literally only did it because I wasn’t sure if there was a consequence for voting at the start, and it was a Hail Mary. Literally. I just did it for no reason. When I saw Byrne or I got it right, I was pretty shocked. It makes sense, though. Eri has definitely commit identity fraud, which means they’re at least somewhere in the remaining crimes. Of those crimes, there’s only five options.

This makes the options left espionage, attempted murder, regular murder, criminal sabotage, and serial murder. Serial murder and sabotage we never got to vote on, because of the stupid motive… but…”

They turn to look and An and Calluna.

“When will we get our rewards for the crimes that weren’t revealed? If we get them now, we might be able to settle a few things.”

They don’t expect much, but it’s worth a shot. If they suddenly earn points for one of their guesses that was never revealed, they can put more together.

“Also? Erika? Someone could’ve just done your makeup for you. Didn’t I literally offer to give you a makeover a few days ago? I haven’t had time for it yet, but it made me think. You wouldn’t need to know much if someone did it for you. If that person really thought ahead, they could’ve made the errors just to fit the deal better… can someone close to her get a better look at the makeup, or try to feel if there’s any bumps?”

They look to Ae-ra, the only person there that wasn’t a suspect, hoping she’ll follow through— but then, they realize something.

“Hey, wait. The hosts also said that they put us with people that they think we’d get along best with. I was probably out with Lapis and Arakiel since we’re all athletes, KOKONE and Kenshin are together because they got along before here, and we have the science corner over there. Ae-ra and Erika are both sweet, so I get that. Not all the line ups can be perfect, but...

Why the hell are Eri and Erika next to each other? Maybe circumstantial, but there's been too many goddamn circumstances today.“

They cross their arms, looking between the two and sighing. They won't dwell on that point for much longer. They don't exactly have evidence that it's because of some relation.

“One or two gummies will kill, right? A prescription bottle of thirty is enough to kill fifteen to twenty people, which has to be enough to count as a serial murder. If someone for some ungodly reason really needed those for themselves, two would be more than enough. It makes absolutely no sense that someone is prescribed fucking thirty.

You wanna help? Be honest. Don’t deflect. Answer us. Did you feed Cosette those gummies, Erika?”

And that’s when they deliver their final blow.

“One last thing?

I don't think Erika could've set off the trap. The shelf was a tight squeeze and would’ve been too difficult for her to get in with her condition— but also, she doesn’t wear black shoes that could’ve left a scuff mark.

And you know what I noticed? Eri wears black boots.

So help me God, if you’re somehow not in this mess, you can beat the shit out of me after this and we can call it even. But I saw how unstable you were getting. I saw how you easily you broke down. As long as someone says the right thing and validates you, you’ll go with anything.

There's no denying the level of talent you have. I understand more than anyone else in this room does how serious your work is, right? You just want to be someone memorable. Someone who will leave a mark on this world. You want everyone to remember your name, to sing your praises, and to never let your memory die out."

Their voice drops a little, and they speak smoothly. As much as it is still an accusation, there's an undeniable level of charm to their voice. It's almost soothing. Since when could they speak like that?

"And I'll give you all that and more if you prove to me, right now, that you're not involved in this mess."

[sungbeam]

𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐨! — two

ep. 02 ☆ big brother *gulps*

1.5k words (whoops sorry) + social media

Xu Minghao literally could not believe his eyes when he saw you walk into the living room of the SVT frat house, clad in a cool leather jacket and dark, pleated skirt. You had your arm tucked into Xiaojun's as the two of you searched for the best way to get from one end of the living room to the kitchen across. 

Christ, you were so goddamn pretty. Minghao couldn't even describe in words how effortlessly you made his heart pound in his chest with a simple look. You hadn't even looked in his direction, actually. Where he was, tucked away and out of people's immediate view in a nook between the window and a bookshelf, there was no way you would even look in his direction. Even if he was wearing an awfully vivid shade of sapphire blue. And showing a lot more skin and very little button than usual. 

Now he was glad for that. As long as he could get your attention though. 

But as he watched you and Xiaojun start moving again, he thought to himself once more that there was no way the two of you weren't an item. 

"Ey! Minghao-ah, hey!" 

Minghao's eyes left your form and smiled as he greeted NCT's Qian Kun, who had found Minghao with his friend Jun—SVT's Jun, not your Jun. Oh god, he really needed to stop referring to Xiaojun as "your Jun". 

"Hey, ge. How are you?" 

"I'm good," he replied, nudging Wen Junhui with the back of his hand. "Me and Jun were about to grab a drink. Wanna come with?" 

The universe was on his side and Minghao had some thanks to give tonight. He nodded, perhaps too eagerly because Jun narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Yeah, I'll definitely tag along." 

"Ah, that's the spirit!" 

When Kun went ahead of them to start the journey to the kitchen, Jun murmured into Minghao's ear, "You're not slick, y'know that?" 

Minghao plastered a smile on his face as he waved to Vernon and Chan, who were on the couch setting up Mario Kart. "Who says I'm trying to be?" 

Jun chuckled, shaking his head. "I hope you actually talk to her this time." 

"I do, too." 

The three of them were somehow able to maneuver themselves into the kitchen with minimal problems and stops. Kun made a beeline for Seungcheol and Wonwoo who were seated at the breakfast table with playing cards. Jun clapped Minghao on the shoulder before following after. 

Minghao channeled every ounce of calm that he could muster, then made his way to the island where all of the drinks were set out. But the one thing he hadn't anticipated was... Xiaojun wasn't there. Only you were. 

You were calmly busying yourself with surveying your options, then picking out liquids to carefully pour out into two different cups. It seemed like you were deliberately choosing things to mix together into your own special cocktail. 

Minghao couldn't believe his luck. 

He cleared his throat, plucking a cup from the bag, and heading over toward you. "Any recipe you're going by?" He asked, reaching for the vodka. Jesus, Hao, can you be any more lame? 

Your head perked up at the sound of his voice, and he could have melted on the spot. "Oh, this? Nah, just playing by ear." You paused, reconsidering. "Or I guess, by eye?" There was a half smile sort of expression on your face, and it somehow had the power to make Minghao's heart take flight. 

You nodded to him. "What about you?" 

"Same here; whatever looks good." He traded the vodka for the jug of apple juice. "I'm Minghao, by the way." And my heart's gonna fall out of my chest any second now. 

"Oh, I know," you smiled. "I'm Yn. Do people call you by your frat name or do you go by Hao?" 

Minghao suppressed a grin. "Either one. But my friends call me Hao." 

You took a pair of chopsticks and began stirring one of the drinks. "Okay, cool. Nice to meet you, Hao." 

"Nice to meet you, too, Yn." Finally. "I don't really see you around often. I'd definitely remember someone as pretty as you." He almost cringed; that was so lame. 

But there you were, making him forget everything, because you were giggling. "Yeah? You're not too bad yourself." 

Were his eyes tricking him or did you just glance down at his very exposed chest? Was that blush? God damn—he was not going to last. How were you this cute? 

Minghao took his finished drink and shifted so he leaned one hip against the counter and faced you. He brought the cup up to his lips for a small sip then licked his lips. "I'm guessing you didn't come by yourself since you have two cups." 

"Ah yeah." You brought one of the two up to drink, shrugging when you decided you liked it. "He's gone off somewhere." 

Minghao asked over the rim of his drink cup. "Boyfriend?" 

But before you could answer, there was a loud holler from the kitchen entrance. You and Minghao turned your heads in that direction, only to see that Xiaojun had come back. Right beside him, however, was Dong Sicheng (more commonly referred to as Winwin), your older brother. 

Great. 

"Look who I found!" Xiaojun exclaimed, hurrying over to your side to accept the drink cup from you. "Thank you, Ynnie. Hey ge." The latter was addressed to Minghao, to which he replied in kind.

You hummed in response, idly sipping your drink while Winwin walked up to the island and stopped on Minghao's other side. 

"Hey," Minghao greeted Winwin pleasantly. 

Winwin smiled warmly at him. "Hey." 

It wasn't that Minghao disliked Winwin. Actually, it was the complete opposite. Minghao respected Winwin so much that he feared not living up to his expectations. They were the same age, but Winwin had made a big name for himself on campus for his acting in the theater, as well as his impressive traditional dance training. Minghao dabbled in that realm as well, but preferred more contemporary styles. He just found Winwin intimidating half the time, even though Winwin was very friendly toward him. 

Minghao looked up and made eye contact with Jun across the room. Jun wagged his eyebrows up and down at him, and Minghao deadpanned. Help me, he mouthed. 

Jun snorted, shaking his head. You're doing great, bestie! He mouthed back, then returned his attention to the round of cards he was currently participating in. 

"Gege! Are you DDing?" You suddenly asked, peering around Minghao to look at your brother. 

Winwin wrinkled his nose, gulping his new concoction. "Uh, no. Kun usually DDs." 

"There's no way he'll DD tonight if he's hanging out with them," Minghao mused, inclining his head to the poker table. "He's gonna get sucked into that shit quickly and he probably won't wanna leave the table until dawn." He had personal experience with that one. Wonwoo was impenetrable. Jihoon was even worse; they should feel lucky he was somewhere else tonight. 

"I'm already drinking," Winwin shrugged, his comment directed at you. 

Xiaojun nudged you with his elbow. "We'll just find Renjun somewhere and get him to stay sober." 

"True," you agreed. 

Xiaojun was grabbing your wrist and hauling you away faster than Minghao could grapple with an idea to keep you to stay. "C'mon, I saw Jieun just down the hall earlier!" 

Your groan echoed in his ears as you left, but as you did, you glanced over your shoulder and sent Minghao a small wave. The corner of his lip quirked upward as he lifted his hand to wave back. And then you were gone. Not even a five minute conversation. 

Beside him, Winwin swirled the liquid around in his cup. "They're so weird sometimes. But at least I can count on Xiaojun to repel all the cretins at these events." 

Minghao raised his brows. "Are they dating?" 

To Minghao's utter disappointment, Winwin shrugged. "Beats me. They never give me a straight answer." He smirked in a sort of laugh, eyes flitting over to Minghao. "Isn't that weird, that I don't even know my baby sister's relationship status? They look like a couple, don't they?" 

"Definitely." He tried to not linger on that too much. 

"Yeah, well." Winwin sighed, sipping his drink once more. "I dunno about..." He paused, suddenly deciding against it, "Ah, never mind." 

On the outside, Minghao was calmly finishing off his drink. But inwardly, he clung to every word Winwin said. "You don't know about what?" Does he approve of them? 

Winwin chuckled, waving his hand around. "Aish, I just don't know." He bit his lip. "They don't seem quite right. What do you think?" 

Minghao's heart was currently a competitor in a Formula 1 race. "I guess I haven't seen enough of them to figure it out. Yn seems happy." 

"Well, that's because they're best friends." Winwin dunked back the rest of his drink. "Poker sounds kind of good right now. I'll see you around?" 

"Definitely. See you, Winwin." 

Winwin saluted. "See you, Hao." 

Minghao leaned his back against the counter again and shut his eyes. That was more nerve wracking than he wanted it to be. But he seemed to get a few things out of that conversation... Though there was one thing that stuck out the most to him: if Sicheng didn't approve of your best friend dating you, then what would he think of Minghao?

a/n: man, if only they knew huh :/

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[theforgottenmcrmy]

Birds of a Feather (Chapter 7/?) | Bradley Bradshaw

Pairing: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Sam “Merlin” Wells’ Daughter OC

Warnings: Explicit Language, References to the Death of a Parent, Really Mild Angst

Word Count: 10,300 ish.

Summary: It was almost as though the universe was dealing him his owed karma. Any possible solution that Pete could devise in order to start addressing the transgressions he’d made against Bradley Bradshaw and Clara Wells was made immensely more complicated by the fact that the two seemed to be as thick as thieves.

DISCLAIMER: Spoilers for Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick ahead.

Masterlist /// Chapter 1 /// Chapter 6 /// Chapter 7 /// Chapter 8

A/N: Not me trying to plant not-so-subtle seeds of Bob and Hangman subplotlines in case I decide to write something for them at a later time.

I’m not going to lie y’all, I struggled with this one a bit. I’m sorry about the wait. It’s a bit of a long one though, so I hope that makes up for it a little. I hope you all have a great rest of the week.💙 EDIT: I am so so sorry, I forgot to reiterate how much I appreciate you all for the support!😭💙 Please forgive me.

 Chapter 7: Divide and Conquer

“Breaking the hard deck? Insubordination?” Natasha redundantly questioned her friend. “Are you trying to get kicked out?” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Rooster dismissed, his eyes focused on the concrete beneath him.

His tone was sharp and cold. At any other time, Natasha might have taken the hint and given Rooster some space. But after the stunts he had pulled that day, she felt he had more than earned a good talking-to. At the rate Rooster was going, his ass would be on a plane back to the USS Gerald R. Ford before sunrise the next morning.

But there was something in Rooster’s expression that made Natasha hesitate, something more than just anger. “Look,” she said then, softer, but only by a little bit. “I’m going on this mission. And if you get kicked out, you’re leaving us to fly with Hangman.”

And Parrot, too. It’d been a rough day for everyone, but if those two didn’t find a way to work out their issues, Natasha would have some serious reservations about sharing the skies with the two of them at all, let alone during a mission.

“Talk to me,” she tried again. “What the hell was that?”

“He pulled my papers.”

… What?

“What? Who?” It couldn’t have been Hangman, that much was for sure.

“Maverick,” Rooster clarified, finally looking up to meet her eyes briefly, before averting her gaze. “He pulled my application to the Naval Academy… Set me back four years.”

Natasha wasn’t sure Rooster’s last statement was a fair one; though he may not have gone through the Naval Academy, he’d technically started his Navy career at the same time he would have, had he been accepted to it. He’d just started his career from a different entry point, so to speak. But Natasha also knew better than to point that out just then. It would only fall on deaf ears, if it didn’t incite her friend even further.

Besides, what Rooster was implying- that was far more concerning than the technicality. First of all, it was a serious allegation, and secondly, there was no immediately obvious motive for the infamous aviator to have done such a thing… if he even had.

She wondered out loud, “Why would he do that?”

Rooster merely looked around their surrounding area. He either did not know the answer to her question, or he simply wasn’t willing to share it with her.

Perhaps he’d be willing to answer another question of hers instead.

“That’s not the only thing going on, is it?” Natasha guessed.

Rooster’s eyes snapped back to hers immediately, and she knew then that she had struck gold.. Bingo.

“What’s going on between you and Parrot?”

To her surprise, Rooster laughed. “You mean today, or just in general?”

“Would your answer be any different?”

“... No.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

Rooster hesitated, visibly conflicted as he mentally weighed his options.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Natasha offered, providing him with an opportunity to bail out and forget she’d even mentioned it. “But if there’s a chance that getting whatever it is off your chest will help you keep your head on straight, maybe you’ll be able to stick around here for more than just a day.”

Despite his reluctance, an amused look flashed across Rooster’s face at her words. After a few more moments of silence, he gave her a small relenting nod.

“I can’t believe you’re actually gonna do it.”

“Do you think she’ll like it?”

“Oh, she’ll love it,” Clara reassured him, smiling giddily as the clerk assisting them began to ring up the rather expensive purchase.

Bob dug into his back pocket for his wallet, and asked her hopefully, “You really think so?”

“I know so,” Clara confirmed, still smiling. “What made you decide to do this?”

Bob hesitated, and their conversation was put on pause as he handed his card over to the clerk. Once the clerk was focused on the register, Bob looked back at her with a conflicted look. “This mission… I don’t know. This time, it feels… different.”

Clara understood exactly what Bob was getting at. Though no mission came without its risks, the one they’d been briefed about that morning still lingered in her mind.

“Plus,” Bob added, his tone sounding suddenly more upbeat, “When you know it’s time, you just know. There’s no sense in delaying it, right?”

“Yeah,” Clara agreed wistfully, musing over his words and half-heartedly thinking about whether they could possibly apply to any aspect of her life. “I guess you’re right.”

The clerk slid some paperwork across the counter for Bob to review and sign, and Clara’s phone in her pocket buzzed. She withdrew the device with familiar ease, and frowned at what she saw on the screen.

Just as she was about to ignore the request and pocket the device for another hour or so, the first text was joined by a second, then a third, and then a fourth.

It certainly was.

Feeling suddenly merciful, Clara decided to spare him any more groveling, and her thumbs rapidly set to work.

Bob shot her a curious glance as she waited for Bradley’s response, which came almost immediately.

…

Clara tried her best as to not alert Bob that she’d received several messages from the source of her worry and frustration throughout the day. But unfortunately, her friend could read her like an open book.

A little bit later, when they sat down for a bite to eat, Bob looked at her expectantly not a second after their waiter was out of earshot.

“Clara.”

The use of her name alone was enough of an attention-grabber. It was almost always “Parrot” for him. But she had a feeling Bob had more reason to use her name than to just spare the surrounding patrons the awkwardness of using their call signs in the general public.

“You know I’m not one to pry,” Bob disclaimed, “But what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” she feigned, hoping he would drop the subject.

“You’ve been in a good mood ever since we left base,” he pointed out. “But you’ve been really quiet the past half hour or so, and it started with those text messages you got.”

Bob was spot on in his analysis- she had been in a good mood since they’d left. Clara knew the change could have been almost entirely attributed to him and his selfless effort to lift her spirits. There were many reasons Bob was a hell of a WSO, but one of the most poignant was that he was very observant. Sometimes, Bob might have been too observant for his own good, but that was neither here nor there.

Clara confessed, “The texts were from him.”

“I figured.”

Their waiter returned with their drinks, temporarily putting on a pause on their conversation, before promptly leaving once more.

“You wanna talk about it?” Bob asked as he reached for his glass of water.

He didn’t specify what “it” was, but there was no need.

Clara hesitated. She didn’t doubt the sincerity of his offer, but there was simply no way Bob understood what all it entailed. “It’s… a long story. I wouldn’t want to bother you with it.”

Bob laughed in disbelief, a gesture which made her smile. “Clara, you’ve just helped me choose an engagement ring. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think we are at the point in our friendship where you won’t be putting me out if you want to talk about something that’s bothering you.”

She hesitated still. Bob could be trusted, Clara had little doubts about that, and had it just been her business, she would’ve given in already. But there was something else very important to consider: coming clean about the backstories that had led to the semi-chaotic events of the day would involve spilling details about pasts other than her own.

Bob immediately noticed her hesitation, and his eyes fell down to his glass of water, a subtle gesture that showed he was willing to ease up. “Listen, you don’t have to say anything… But if you do ever want to talk about it, you know I’m here.”

Clara could tell just how genuine the offer was, and perhaps that was the final swaying point for her, “If I tell you,” she began, “It’d have to stay between us. Nobody else can know.”

“Of course,” Bob replied with an enthusiastic nod, sounding as though he was agreeing with an indisputable fact such as the grass being green, rather than agreeing to keep some pretty heavy secrets that weren’t his own.

Clara let out a small sigh. As she mentally braced herself for what she was about to do, she reached for her glass of Coke, and suddenly wished she had ordered something a little bit stronger.

The angry clouds that lingered over him had finally started to move out, and the fog lifted, leaving Bradley feeling abruptly clear-headed and even more remorseful.

It was about damn time, too. Though the conversation he had with Phoenix before leaving base for the day made some major headway, a trip to the gym afterwards helped seal the deal. Once that was over and done with, he was finally prepared to start making amends.

Thank god Clara had been willing to take some pity on him. Bradley wouldn’t have blamed her at all if she had just opted to ignore his texts. But she didn’t, and that alone was more than he deserved.

He was in no position to nor did he want to make any further requests of Clara for the time being, so Bradley decided he just needed to wait patiently. She told him she needed a few hours, and that was more than alright. He’d wait as long as he needed to if it meant he could have a chance to make things between them even a fraction better off than they had been a few hours before.

At some point though, Bradley’s usual patience wasn’t enough to keep him satisfied as he idly waited in his own temporary assigned housing. After a while, he decided to head over to Clara’s place and wait for her there.

Oddly enough, her car was there. But there were no lights on or other signs of life inside, so he pushed that thought aside.

After pulling into the driveway, Bradley put the Bronco in park and killed the engine. It seemed the events of the day finally caught up with him though, and before he knew it, the cool breeze and soft waves of the ocean in the distance lulled him to sleep. 

An immense weight had been lifted off of Clara’s chest.

The deep conversation at dinner allowed her to get years’ of pent up thoughts and feelings off her chest. She told Bob everything… and honestly, probably more than bargained for. But if that was the case, he didn’t show any indication that he’d minded. It seemed her friendship with Bob had reached yet another level that evening, and it made her realize once again just how thankful she was for having met him.

To put it simply, Bob Floyd was one of the best human beings- in and outside of the Navy. And shame on anyone- Hangman- if they didn’t want to see that.

When Bob pulled into the driveway of her temporary housing, Clara expected the driveway to be empty, with the exception of her own rental car, which she’d driven back before Bob drove them out for the evening.

But there was another car already waiting in the driveway beside her own. And it was a Bronco.

Clara shouldn’t have been surprised; she had ended up telling Bradley around the time she’d be back. But that didn’t mean she had anticipated him to already be waiting for her.

Bob gave her a knowing side-look as he put his car in park.

“Thank you, Bob,” Clara told him as she opened the door and climbed out. “For everything.”

“Of course,” Bob replied wholeheartedly, though he still seemed intrigued- and perhaps a little amused- by the sight of Bradley in the Bronco beside them.

Once Clara had walked around to the front of Bob’s car, she understood why he found the scene so funny.

Bradley Bradshaw was fast asleep.

His head tilted upwards and back against the headrest. His mouth was open ever so slightly, and Clara had the sneaking suspicion that if she got any closer, she would hear soft snores coming from him.

She rolled her eyes and turned to look at her other, more coherent, friend. “Thanks again. I’ll see you in the morning.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Bob bid her, giving her a look of understanding and sympathy.

As Bob’s car backed out of the driveway, Clara walked over to the Bronco’s driver’s side door. “Bradley!” she whisper-yelled, very mindful of the quiet neighborhood they were in.

Bradley remained still, with his aviators still covering his eyes and jaw opening slightly further as he continued to get some Zs.

Clara stuck her arm inside the open window and lightly nudged his arm. “Rooster!”

No response.

“Lieutenant Bradshaw!”

Bradley jolted awake at the sudden loud volume of her voice. “Jesus!” He looked around wildly for a few seconds, trying to gather his bearings. Once his eyes landed on her, they narrowed slightly. “Oh, it’s you.”

“You are at my house,” she quipped.

“You trying to give me a heart attack or something?”

Clara raised her eyebrows in mild surprise. “Please. I barely have enough patience to look at you right now, let alone attempt to kill you.”

Bradley grimaced. “... I guess I deserve that.”

She said nothing in response to that. “Did you still want to talk?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go inside then.”

Bradley followed Clara inside the house quietly. Every movement he made was carefully calculated; the last thing he wanted to do was to piss her off any more than he had already managed to do.

“You want something to drink?” she asked him as he closed the door behind them and locked it. “I haven’t had the chance to get much yet in terms of groceries, but I’ve got water.”

“I’m good, thanks.”

“Suit yourself.”

Bradley walked further into the house, surveying his surroundings as he went. He followed the sound of her voice into the kitchen, where he spotted Clara getting herself a glass of water. She turned off the faucet and took a sip out of the glass, before turning to look at him expectantly.

He knew he was already on thin ice, and that Clara had granted him a huge mercy by letting him come over, but he couldn’t help himself. He asked, “Where’d you go tonight?”

Thankfully, she didn’t seem to be offended by his poor attempt to beat around the bush. She set the glass down on the counter in front of her as she replied dryly, “I was out with Bob.”

“Oh.”

There was a moment of awkward silence.

“Were you going to say something, or-?”

“I’m sorry.”

It was pitiful. It wasn’t anywhere near enough, but it was a start.

Clara crossed her arms and looked at him with interest, silently waiting for him to continue.

“I had no right to treat you like I did, or say what I said. I was way out of line.”

Bradley was. He knew it too, just mere seconds after he watched her storm off out on the tarmac. And following the insightful conversation he’d had with Phoenix afterwards, that knowledge was only further cemented in his mind. Clara hadn’t deserved to be subject to the wrath of his rage, at all. While he had more than enough on his plate to deal with, what with the mission, Hangman, and most of all, Maverick, Bradley had enough sense of awareness to understand that the circumstances weren’t exactly ideal for Clara either.

Unfortunately, his anger had blinded him to that fact earlier.

“I haven’t seen that side of you in a long time,” Clara noted seriously.

He wished more than anything in that moment that she had never seen it again. It was a part of himself that he knew he was nowhere near ready to quash, but he still felt ashamed that she had witnessed it. “I know.”

“It worries me.”

“It… It worries me too.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair tiredly as he searched for his next words. Once he found them, he looked at her hesitantly. The words he found probably weren't what Clara wanted to hear, but at least they would be honest. “All this stuff with Maverick,” the disgust was audibly evident as he said the name of his late father’s aviator, “I thought I moved on…”

It made no sense. He knew he should’ve gotten over it. For god’s sake, it had been years. However, there was no denying it- just the sight of Maverick made his blood boil. The events of the day had more than confirmed that fact. The thought of having to spend any extended time with the man made Bradley’s mind devoid of anything other than resentment-fueled thoughts, and it was further complicated by the fact that no solution to resolving his feelings was immediately apparent. It was akin to the sight of an imposing mountain in the distance, and knowing he had to climb it, and yet there he was- stranded without any gear.

“I thought I’d gotten over it. But I guess I just buried everything instead,” Bradley realized out loud, suddenly feeling more vulnerable than he had already expected to be during their conversation.

Clara’s expression softened visibly. “I’m not asking you to forgive him, and pretend like what happened didn’t,” she clarified. “What he did was wrong. But, Bradley, you know Maverick is not worth jeopardizing your career over.”

“Damn right he ain’t,” Bradley replied easily. Clara’s face shifted to one of slight disapproval, and she waited for his next move, so he took a moment to refocus. “I know Maverick’s not worth it. And there’s something else that Maverick isn’t worth jeopardizing, either.”

“What’s that?”

“Us.”

A silence passed between them. Whatever they were, or weren’t, it was seldom a topic addressed so openly. With the exception of when Clara had broached the topic the previous evening. Acknowledging that there was something between them gave Bradley mixed feelings- part of him felt reassured that the something existed, but the other half of him felt frustrated that it was so poorly defined.

He wanted more. He wanted clarification on where they stood. But he also knew he was likely never going to get it.

“No matter what I do to deal with Maverick,” Bradley said then, desperate to change topic and forget the difficult mental questions he’d posed to himself, “I promise you- I’m never gonna take it out on you again.”

Clara said nothing.

“You’ve always looked out for me,” he continued seriously, “And I know that’s what you were trying to do today. Even if I was too pig-headed to realize it in the moment.”

Clara still said nothing. The look on her face was plain, expressionless. And he watched her with bated breath, waiting to see if she could continue to be merciful, or if she would dull out the punishment he deserved.

After a few moments, a small smile came across her lips, but it was one that reached her eyes. “You were pretty pig-headed today, weren’t you?”

“Yeah, I was,” Bradley agreed readily, letting out a relieved chuckle. “And I don’t expect you to forgive me right away or anything-”

“I don’t.”

“Good,” he said. He meant it, too. “Don’t forgive me right away. I just wanted to get this all off my chest. Maverick’s not worth throwing away my career, you’re right about that. But he’s also not worth throwing away what I have with you.”

Over ten years of friendship, or whatever the hell they were considered these days, down the drain just because he couldn’t keep his cool around Maverick? Fat chance Bradley would let that happen. He still wasn’t sure what he was going to do in order to get his anger in check around their instructor, but he knew that failing to find a way to do that would simply not be an option.

Clara regarded carefully. Bradley could see the hesitation in her eyes as she internally weighed her options. He continued to watch her hopefully, praying that his words had been enough to at least begin to repair the damage he’d done, even if only a little bit.

After a few long moments of silence, she said, “I’m glad you didn’t make me regret letting you come over here to talk.”

Bradley was even more relieved. “I didn’t?”

“No,” Clara confirmed, eyeing him playfully as she reached for her glass of water once more. “But the night’s still young, I suppose.”

He smirked and shook his head, mostly to himself. “How about I just try to stay on your good side for the rest of this detachment?”

She took a sip of water, and set down the glass. “I like the idea of that, but I’m not sure you’re up to the challenge.”

A challenge with her? Short of jumping off a cliff, Bradley knew he was more than willing to take on anything she threw his way. Thankfully, all Clara had dolled him out so far was mercy.

“I know we agreed to put the mission first,” she said then, suddenly serious. “And I still think we should. So, if that means you need to talk to someone, anyone, besides me- you should do that.”

Bradley’s jaw tightened. Was Clara hinting at what he thought she was? He wasn’t sure. And to be frank, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know for certain.

In a perfect world, he would have the courage to be honest with her about everything. She knew most of the mess that was swimming around in his head, but there were still some things, some nitty gritty details regarding feelings, that he still kept to himself. Bradley wished he could be entirely honest with Clara, about everything, but the truth of the matter was, the more honest he was with her, the more he found he was being less honest with himself. Over the years, he had mastered repressing his feelings about her, and had constantly told himself he didn’t care about certain aspects of their unique relationship when they couldn’t have been more important to him. He simply could not risk ruining what they had, even if it made everything more complicated.

“I’m sure Phoenix would offer you an ear,” Clara joked in an effort to lighten the mood, apparently not having paid any mind to his failure to respond immediately. 

Bradley grimaced slightly. “About that…”

“Yeah?”

“... I might have talked to Phoenix earlier today.”

Clara’s expression went blank. “About?”

“Everything.”

Her eyes fell to the counter, and she took another sip of water. “... To be completely transparent, I may have talked to Bob earlier as well.”

“About?”

“Everything.”

Though Bradley couldn’t help but feel a little bit wary about the news that yet another person was privy to the extenuating circumstances involving his and Clara’s business, he knew he had been the one to open the door by offering the same information to Phoenix. But he trusted Phoenix to keep what he’d shared with her closely guarded. And he trusted Clara. So if Clara trusted Bob to do the same, that was more than good enough for him.

A queer moment of silence passed between them then.

“I guess we both needed someone else to talk to, huh?” Clara redundantly half-joked.

Bradley offered a small, tired smile. “I guess so.”

She glanced at her phone, and frowned. “Shit- it’s getting pretty late. I didn’t realize what time it was.”

“I should get going,” Bradley offered politely.

“It’s late,” Clara repeated pointedly. “Why don’t you just crash here?”

He shouldn’t. Surely her offer was nothing more than a cordial one, and Bradley was in no mood to further press his luck. “I’ve got everything back at my place.”

“You could swing by there before heading to base in the morning.”

… But maybe Clara had a point. And since he’d been woken up from an impromptu nap not an hour beforehand, the clutches of sleep were seemingly mighty tempting to Bradley. Clara had never been one to provide empty offers, either.

“... I’ll stay, but only on one condition.”

Clara raised an eyebrow at him, as if shocked that he had the nerve to make a request.

“You and me, the Hard Deck, tomorrow night,” Bradley proposed. “Let me start making some headway on the groveling, please.”

She rolled her eyes defeatedly, and placed the empty glass in the sink beside her. “Fine.”

When Clara began to exit the kitchen, Bradley moved to follow her, but she stuck a hand out to stop him.

“You can wait here,” she explained. “I’ll go see if I can find you some extra blankets.”

“Oh,” Bradley replied with uncertainty. “I thought-”

“That I would let you sleep in my room with me?” Clara answered for him, a teasing look in her eyes.

Maybe, Bradley thought sheepishly. That had been his gut reaction, but once he thought about it, he realized just how foolish the idea was.

“If you hadn’t been such a pighead today, I might have let you,” Clara confessed quietly, which surprised him. “But, you said it yourself- you’re not forgiven. Yet. So for now, the couch it is.”

Bradley followed her outstretched hand she used to gesture across the room, where a rather small couch was placed in front of a TV in the living room. He internally groaned at the thought of trying to squish himself onto the damn thing. 

“Don’t worry,” Clara said, as if reading his mind. But there was something off about her tone- she sounded amused. She was taking too much pleasure in his predicament. “I think it’s a pull out.”

Pete Mitchell had never been one to show up earlier than he was expected, or was otherwise required to. Hell, back in the day, Goose used to make it a personal mission of his to see to it that he made it to wherever they were expected to be, with plenty of time- and then some more- to spare.

But the following morning, Pete surprised a fair amount of people, none more than himself, by arriving on base just as the sun was rising. He’d been given a spare office in a back corner somewhere for use throughout the duration of the detachment, and had decided that was as good a place as any to get some alone time before everyone else made their way in.

Pete looked over the instructional plans for the day with mild interest. Though he had drafted the majority of them the previous afternoon, and had even presented the Vice Admiral with a related written request to lower the hard deck, there had been some small changes he had thought of overnight that needed to be accounted for.

It’d been a rough first day, to say the least. It was rocky at best, and getting his ass chewed out by Cyclone at the end of it was the icing on the cake. Fortunately, his impromptu sailing trip with Penny was definitely the highlight of it all.

But moving forward, Pete knew at least trying to play ball for a little bit wouldn’t hurt in the long run. His briefing with Cyclone and Warlock on the day’s lesson was in less than two hours, and when that time rolled around, the plans had to be air-tight.

Despite the urgency with which he should have been working, Pete’s eyes kept drifting over to the far corner of his temporary desk, where he’d placed the files of the recalled TOPGUN graduates. Warlock had made it a point to give them to him the previous morning, saying something ambiguous about how a third pair of eyes analyzing the files for any of the mission candidates’ potential strengths and weaknesses pertinent to the mission could only help.

… Though he knew he should’ve stayed focused on the task at hand, Pete couldn’t help himself.

He closed and pushed the instructional plans aside, before reaching over and filling the space on the desk they’d just occupied with the personnel files instead. He looked at the top file. Alphabetical order, he realized. Easy enough.

First was Lieutenant Billy "Fritz" Avalone, pilot.

Second was Lieutenant Callie "Halo" Bassett, WSO.

Third was… Sure enough. Lieutenant Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw.

Pete sighed and opened the file. He scanned the contents with mild enthusiasm, despite the fact that he already knew most of the information contained inside. Even after their falling out, Pete did whatever he could to keep tabs on Bradley. Though the young man would most likely be incensed further if he knew about Pete’s due diligence over the years, he didn’t feel that he had had much of a choice. First, he had to know what Bradley was up to- he had to know that he was alright. And second, and perhaps more importantly, Pete knew that there were likely to be two very angry ghosts waiting for him in the beyond if he didn’t keep track of the Bradshaw boy.

But now, he was at an utter loss for answers on how to deal with Bradley and the sudden situation they’d found themselves in. How could Pete even begin to try and set things right with him? Telling Bradley the truth about why he had pulled his papers for the Naval Academy would have been a good place to start, but Pete knew that explaining his reason was not a feasible option.

Pete moved on through the rest of the files, pausing to look at several with a little more depth.

One of them, a Lieutenant Jake “Hangman” Seresin, reminded him so very much about the best- and worst- parts of himself from Pete’s younger days. Though he was currently paired with a WSO, Hangman came back to TOPGUN from a single-seater squadron, which piqued Pete’s interest. He looked at the rest of his file thoroughly, noting the newly added note towards the back of it detailing the situation that led to the decision to pair him with a WSO for this particular training detachment. The entire situation seemed a bit odd, but there would be plenty of time to get into the details of it over the next few weeks, if it proved necessary.

Pete continued to flip and skim through the rest of the mission candidates’ files, until he reached the very last one.

Clara “Parrot” Wells.

AKA, the other thorn in his side.

The thorns were entirely the results of Pete’s own choices, and he could admit that, but they were thorns, nonetheless.

She’d been less than pleased to see him the day before, that much had been obvious. In fact, from Pete’s point of view, the only mission candidate who looked even less pleased to see him than Lieutenant Wells had been Bradley.

Pete sighed for the second time that morning and leaned back in his chair. He drew the file closer to him as he took a closer look at it. As much as he tried to avoid it in favor of the tangible statistics and other information about the young WSO, Lieutenant Wells’ photo in the corner of the file kept catching Pete’s attention.

“You should have been there.”

Pete could easily visualize Ice’s disappointed face over the phone. “I’m sure nobody noticed I wasn’t.”

“But they did.”

Pete pursed his lips as he contemplated his next words.

“Cougar even asked about you,” Ice informed him then.

“What’d you tell him?”

“That you were preoccupied- a special detachment overseas.”

“Is that what you told her, too?”

Ice paused for a moment. “She didn’t ask.”

Pete wasn’t sure what to make of that. But before he could decide whether he felt more guilty or slighted, the reason for his decision to skip the event came back to the forefront of his mind. “Were you right? … Was he there?”

“Does it matter if he was?” Ice challenged him.

Pete ignored his old friend’s attempt to chastise him- getting an answer to his question was of more concern to him at the moment. He repeated, “Was he there?”

“Yeah… he was there.” Ice sighed. “The rumors I heard were true. The Wells kid really is Merlin’s daughter. The two seem pretty close.”

What were the chances of those two even meeting? He ought to have gotten a lottery ticket with those odds. Did the universe have it out for him?

“But that shouldn’t have mattered, Maverick,” Ice continued. “You owed it to Merlin to be there today, and you weren’t. Did you really think he was going to start a scene with you? The kid was obviously there to support Lieutenant Wells… I highly doubt accosting you would have been at the top of his list.”

“You don’t know him like I do,” Pete pointed out, recalling the young man’s anger, which had always been notoriously quick to ignite, and slow to fade away.

“You don’t get it,” Ice countered. “Running from the past and failing to address your mistakes is a dangerous game, Mav.”

Pete smirked to himself, though it was joyless. “You and I both know I’m not one to shy away from danger, Ice.”

“This time’s different,” Ice dismissed. “This isn’t just about what happened with the kid… is it?”

Pete didn’t have to answer. Ice knew him too well.

“Whatever it is, you can’t run from it forever. You’ll have to face this someday, and when that day comes, I just hope you’re ready for it.”

The day had come.

But Pete wasn’t any more ready for it than he was when Ice had given him the ominous warning a few years prior.

With his free hand, Pete grabbed Bradley’s file once again. With his file in one hand, and Clara Wells’ in the other, he glanced back and forth between the two.

Of all possible candidates, how was it possible that two of the extremely selective twelve had such strong ties to his past? … He hoped that it was merely a coincidence, albeit an unfortunate one. Perhaps the two were actually qualified candidates for the mission in their own right- and perhaps Ice had no ulterior motive with his input and influence during the selection of the mission candidates. But knowing Ice, Pete couldn’t rule out that idea entirely just yet.

It was almost as though the universe was dealing him his owed karma. Any possible solution that Pete could devise in order to start addressing the transgressions he’d made against Bradley Bradshaw and Clara Wells was made immensely more complicated by the fact that the two seemed to be as thick as thieves.

…

Perhaps that was the solution. Pete knew he stood very little chance of being able to start setting things right when the two were a united force against him.

But if he could get them aside separately… his chances of reasoning with them had to improve. Without the other there to constantly reaffirm their less than favorable opinion of him, Pete might just be able to say his piece, and let the chips fall where they may. Maybe they’d see his perspective, and they could all move on. Maybe they wouldn’t, and the problems would remain unsolved. Either way, the next few weeks could only get better if Pete at least tried to acknowledge the elephants in the room.

His plan was clear- it was time to divide and conquer.

The first thing Jake noticed upon arriving on base the following morning was that Rooster seemed in a far better mood than he’d last seen him. As he took time getting out of his own Mustang, he watched Rooster climb out of his Bronco with a particular pep in his step.

The second thing he noticed was Parrot’s presence. She appeared from out of nowhere, apparently having parked right on the other side of Rooster’s car.

Hm… It was a bit odd for the two to arrive on base together. At the same exact time.

Anyone else may have written it off as a mere coincidence, but after everything Jake had witnessed between the two over the past two days alone, he refused to do that any longer. Where there was smoke, there was fire.

The third thing Jake noticed, or recalled rather, was the amazing discovery he’d made with Coyote the previous afternoon, right before leaving base for the day. He could still see glimpses of the 1986 TOPGUN class in the back of his mind. The glimpses were only amplified as Jake continued to watch the pair make their way through the parking lot. He had to admit it- Rooster sure was the spitting image of his late father.

It looked like Rooster and Maverick had a bit more history than any one of them could have possibly known about. Well, except for Parrot.

Jake watched as the two walked side by side, heading towards the front entrance. He caught the small smile Parrot gave Rooster as they went along. Parrot definitely knew something about Rooster and Maverick’s history, he decided then.

The thing about Jake Seresin was that his true intentions were almost always misinterpreted. The majority of people he’d come across were so quick to paint him a malicious asshole, and write him off as a cocky son-of-a-bitch. While he could admit to being his fair share of cocky, and even on some days, an asshole, he would protest against anyone who declared him to be malicious.

He wasn’t spiteful. He liked to stir the pot, sure. Okay, maybe he loved stirring the pot. But above all else, self-preservation was the name of the game for Jake.

And flying with people like Rooster, who had physical ghosts of his past haunting him to the point of it affecting his flight performance, would be a no-go for anyone who had any respect and value for their own life. Could any of them count on Rooster to be reliable at all times in the air, when a simple taunt from Maverick had them both spiraling downwards towards the ground mere hours after being thrown in a room together? Emotions had their place in life, but almost anyone could argue that tens of thousands of feet above the air was no place for them. And Jake would gladly be the first one in line to argue that case.

“Ready to go, partner?”

Jake blinked. He hadn’t even realized Parrot had approached him. He glanced beyond her, noting Rooster had already made his way inside the building.

“I’m always ready, Sweetheart,” he teased. Jake never meant anything by it- the term was common vernacular where he was from. But once he first directed it towards Parrot, he had noted the way her face twinged with slight disgust at the use of the nickname. And unless she mustered enough courage to tell him to stop it, Jake knew he wouldn't bother to break the habit.

Parrot nodded, and turned to head over towards the entrance. Jake was quick to follow.

If everyone else wanted to paint him as a cocky asshole, that was fine with him. But if any of the other mission candidates realized just how much their chances of survival increased with him in the air, instead of flying someone like Rooster, well… they might just change their tune about him.

“Time is your greatest enemy.”

Day 4 of training had arrived, and with it, Maverick had decided it was time to switch focus to another aspect of the mission.

Clara glanced at Hangman beside her. His face was blank, for now, but she was thankful for it.

To her surprise, he’d been far easier to get along with over the past two days than he had been on the first. He’d still tried to pull some stunts here and there- he wouldn’t have been Hangman if he didn’t- but for the most part, he didn’t fly too far off the rails, and he actually had taken a few of her suggestions throughout the training exercises. The sudden shift in their dynamic from oppositional to cooperational hadn’t gone unnoticed, and the Vice Admiral had even verbally acknowledged the change just the day before.

But Hangman had been quiet since the first day of training… too quiet. While Clara didn’t want to necessarily look a gift horse in the mouth, a cynical part of her worried that the sudden change of attitude was a guise, and that perhaps he was up to no good. But if Hangman was up to something, she had no idea what that might be.

Unfortunately, Clara wasn’t able to dig into any ulterior motives Hangman may have had; there was a full day of training ahead for all of them. They’d been gathered into an unused classroom. Maverick stood at the front of the room, presenting to them further specific details about the mission that would be at hand for half of them in about two short weeks.

“Phase one of the mission will be a low-level ingress attacking in two plane teams,” Maverick informed the group, directing their attention to the screen behind him, which depicted the terrain of the mission’s location. “You’ll fly along this narrow cannon to your target. Radar guided surface to air missiles defend the area.” He paused briefly, taking a glance back at the group with a solemn look on his face. “These SAMs… they’re lethal. But they were designed to protect the skies above, not the canyon below.”

“That’s because the enemy knows that no one is insane enough to try and fly below them,” Bradley commented airliy.

Clara looked back at him briefly, as did many of the other recruits.

Bradley had kept his word, and had yet to treat her with anything less than kindness and respect since their argument. The last two days hadn’t been much better than the first, in terms of him and Maverick getting along. The mere presence of the older man seemed to agitate Bradley severely, but he had not turned that frustration on her any more. It had only been two days, but Clara was hopeful that Bradley would make good on his promise and refrain from doing so altogether.

They’d gone to the Hard Deck the evening before last, just as Bradley had requested. He bought them drinks, and they had a nice long chat.

Clara wanted to continue to be mad at Bradley, and if only to make him realize just how much his words had affected her. But he’d been more than remorseful, and they both acknowledged several times over that she did not deserve to be the target of his outburst..

She informed him that evening, rather plainly, that he had some ground to cover in order to make up for it, and he’d willingly accepted that. But Clara knew that if Bradley kept his promise, he’d weasel his way back into her good graces soon enough. The good times outweighed their bad times by the hundreds.

Their decision to focus on the mission- instead of them- was still very much in their best interests. But that didn’t mean she didn’t long for more. With her decision about whether to reenlist looming just a few months ahead, she had the sinking feeling that she would not be able to make a fully informed decision unless she knew exactly what they were, and where they stood, once and for all.

Thankfully, the potentially life-threatening mission provided a decent distraction in the meantime.

Maverick stopped, and turned around to face the class heckler- Bradley. “That’s exactly what I’m going to train you to do.”

Bradley looked less than pleased with Maverick’s response. Hangman smirked in his seat beside Clara.

“On the day,” Maverick continued, trying to refocus the group, “your altitude will be one hundred feet, maximum.”

Clara’s eyes widened as she tried to process that information. Hangman was still smirking; Maverick’s statement had been less of a bombshell and more of a welcomed challenge for him.

“If you exceed this altitude, radar will spot you, and you’re dead.”

It was no secret that the mission would place them in mortal danger; most of the ones she’d been on had. But the first few days of training had been filled with little but dogfighting exercises, which had been vexing at worst. At best, they’d actually been a nice change of pace from Clara’s current daily routine in her squadron.

But the reminder from Maverick of the grave stakes of the mission gave her an eerie feeling that was hard to shake. Friends- Phoenix and Bob- could be sent on the mission. Bradley could be sent on the mission. She could be sent on the mission. And it was possible that any one of them would not come back for it.

Maverick’s words faded into the background as Clara glanced at Hangman. He was still smirking, unfazed by Maverick’s daunting words. She shook her head to herself. At least if she was headed for grave danger, she wouldn’t have to worry about Hangman bringing down her already glum mood.

By the time Clara focused back on Maverick, the graphic on the screen had changed, revealing what they’d be up against: fifth generation fighters.

 “... in a head to head with your F/A-18s, you’re dead,” he declared, looking at the graphic of the advanced aircraft somberly, before turning to address the group once more. “That’s why you need to get in, hit your target, and be gone before these planes can even have a chance of catching you.”

Hangman glanced back at Bradley, and even though she couldn’t see his face, Clara just knew his pleasant expression wasn’t concealed when he did so. She wasn’t sure what Hangman was getting at by his action, but she did know that if Bradley was already struggling to keep his composure in check with Maverick being around, Hangman antagonizing him wouldn’t help the matter at all.

Maverick’s jaw tightened. “This makes time your greatest adversary.”

A few hours later, everyone had taken multiple shots at the flight that had been programmed in the nav system. The canyon simulation was extremely narrow, and Maverick repeatedly insisted that speed and time was of the essence. The tight turns and increasing G’s made Bradley’s body feel like an empty soda can being crushed as they made their way through the course.

Maverick had allowed them three hundred feet maximum, and three minutes to complete the flight. It was a bit of a break for them, considering the parameters at which the actual mission would need to be carried out at, but no one had been successful, at least not per the limits that their instructor had imposed upon them.

Once everyone had been through the metaphorical, and physical, ringer, the entire group reconvened in the classroom once again so that Maverick could pick apart everyone’s performance. It seemed that the older man was hard-pressed to find anything positive about anyone’s attempt at the course. Apparently, things should have been completed to Maverick’s satisfaction, or the attempt was better off not having been made at all.

When it came to analyzing the run of Coyote, Phoenix, and Bob, Maverick’s feedback was particularly cutting.

“Why are they dead?” Maverick asked, not looking at any of them in particular.

“We broke the three hundred foot ceiling,” Phoenix answered him, sounding as disappointed in herself as Maverick looked, “and a SAM took us out.”

“No,” Maverick dismissed her, his eyes locking with Coyote’s in a flash. “Why are they dead?”

Coyote looked a bit disheartened too. “I slowed down and I didn’t give her a warning. It’s my fault-”

“-Is there a reason you didn’t communicate with your team?”

“I was focusing on-”

“-One that their family will accept at the funeral?” Maverick quickly clarified.

A moment of silence fell over the room.

“No, sir,” Coyote answered.

Maverick turned his attention to Phoenix next. “Why didn’t you anticipate the turn? You were briefed on the terrain.” When Phoenix opened her mouth to respond, he interjected, “Don’t tell me.” His head tilted in Bob’s direction. “Tell it to his family.”

Their instructor’s questions were fair, but Bradley didn’t care too much for the way Maverick went about his critiques.

Maverick pressed a button on the remote in his hand, and the screen in the front of the room changed. The next group’s simulation- highlighting their point of failure- stretched across the display. The two planes shown were labeled with the names of the individuals who had been inside.

Maverick turned to the group involved as one of the simulated planes crashed into the sides of the canyon. “What happened?”

Even though Bradley didn’t have a good view of Hangman from his seat towards the back of the room, he could just tell the jackass was smiling. Clara was beside him, looking extremely displeased. He’d heard her over the radio during the exercise- her words to Hangman echoing Fanboy and Payback’s: slow down. But Hangman had ignored them all, charging- literally- full spread ahead. Bradley could tell it was taking everything Clara had for her not to say something to her aviator about it right then and there.

“Well, I just flew as fast as I could,” Hangman answered, sounding sickly innocent. “Kinda like my ass depended on it.”

“And,” Bradley interjected, unable to stop himself from doing so, “You put your team in danger, and your wingman’s dead.”

Seresin had to be one of the most dense peers he’d ever had the displeasure of meeting, Bradley deduced. What part of the concept was so hard for him to grasp? Should he execute the plan during the mission exactly as he had, Hangman would be a goner for sure. If Payback and Fanboy were dead, there’d be little chance Hangman- not to mention his backseater- would scrape by if they came across enemy fighters. Without a wingman, they’d be outnumbered in seconds.

Speaking of his backseater, Clara was not bothering to conceal a glare she was giving Hangman out of the corner of her eye. She had insisted to Bradley that Hangman had been more receptive to her input over the past few days, but from his perspective, and if that had been true, their cooperation must have been short-lived.

Hangman looked over at her, but he was still sporting a smirk. He didn’t bother to look back at Bradley as he answered his question with a simple, “They couldn’t keep up.”

Either the AC kicked on, or Bradley would have sworn he heard Clara let out a quiet groan from the front of the room.

“Not listening to your WSO or your wingman is a detriment, not a strength, Lieutenant,” Maverick commented coolly.

He pressed the button on the remote once again, and Bradley’s own simulation run appeared on the screen. His chin raised, and he looked at Maverick determinedly, interested to see what exactly their instructor had determined he failed to do.

There was no simulated crash to show, so the planes, labeled Rooster, and Yale and Harvard, remained stagnant on the screen. Again, there was no simulated crash to show, and yet, Maverick looked at him with just as much disappointment as he had everyone else.

“Why are you dead?”

Bradley shifted, settling back into his seat with relative ease.

“You’re team leader up there,” Maverick proposed hypothetically. “Why are you, why is your team, dead?”

“Sir,” Phoenix insisted on his behalf, “He’s the only one who made it to the target.”

“A minute late,” Maverick conceded. “He gave enemy aircraft time to shoot him down. He is dead.”

Bradley’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t know that.”

“You’re not flying fast enough,” Hangman chimed in tiredly, emphasizing each word. His head rolled over his shoulders to look at him lazily. “You don’t have a second to waste.”

Bradley felt his jaw clench as he contemplated how worth it would be to give Hangman a piece of his mind. Unfortunately for him, he quickly realized that the cost would far outweigh the benefits. Bradley knew he had to ignore the temptation, even if giving his “friendly” rival a verbal lashing was likely to make him pretty satisfied with himself.

Bradley looked back at Maverick. “We made it to the target,” he argued. Though his run had been dubbed as a failure by Maverick, no one else had been able to accomplish that task successfully throughout the entire day. Despite everything between them, Bradley had a last ditch hope that Maverick would at least take it in stride and acknowledge his feat.

But Maverick wasn’t able to do that.

“And superior enemy aircraft intercepted you on your way out,” he retorted, spelling out his point through nearly gritted teeth.

Bradley kept a strong face. “Then it’s a dogfight.”

“Against fifth generation fighters?”

“Yeah, we’d still have a chance.”

“In an F/A-18?”

“It’s not the plane, sir,” Bradley countered. “It’s the pilot.”

“Exactly!”

For the second time that afternoon, a silence fell over the classroom. Bradley leaned forward in his chair, feeling his collected composure began to grumble as he narrowed his eyes even more.

That’s how it’s going to be, huh?

Though Bradley had not technically promised to do so, he had been trying to not let Maverick ruffle his feathers as much as he’d done so on the first day of training. And though she said nothing, he knew Clara had been watching him carefully, as if waiting for his next slip. Bradley was trying, and had been doing so for the past few days. But Maverick wasn’t making the situation any easier by basically implying his inferiority in front of the entire group.

Bradley could already feel his blood churning.

“There’s more than one to fly this mission,” he said icily.

“You really don’t get it.”

Fucking Hangman.

“On this mission, a man flies like Maverick here, or a man does not come back,” Hangman attempted to lecture him. He looked at Phoenix, and offered her a small nod. “No offense intended.” 

“Yet somehow, you always manage,” Bob replied.

If Bradley hadn’t been trying to keep himself together with every passing second, he might have been surprised to hear those words come from the usually soft-spoken Bob Floyd.

Hangman ignored the choice comment, and turned back towards Bradley instead. “Look, I don’t mean to criticize. You’re conservative- that’s all.”

Maverick sighed. “Lieutenant-”

“-We’re going into combat, son,” Hangman pressed on, obviously not knowing when it was in his best interest to keep his mouth shut, “on a level that no living pilot has ever seen. Not even him.”

Maverick’s head turned suddenly; Hangman’s words must have struck a chord with him.

“That’s no time to be thinking about the past.”

…

Though he was fuming, Bradley’s blood suddenly went cold at the subtle implication of Hangman’s words. He looked back at Hangman with unwavering resolve, either daring him to continue, or back down. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Rooster-”

“-I can’t be the only one that knows that Maverick flew with his old man,” Hangman announced theatrically.

“Lieutenant,” Maverick interrupted, “That’s enough-”

“-Or that Maverick was flying with his old man when-”

Words no longer hit Bradley’s ears. Or, if they did, he was not in a capable state to comprehend them. Everything that had happened with Maverick, Hangman, and even Clara over the past few days had finally pushed him to a breaking point. Rage flooded over him as he sprung up from his seat, before promptly leaping towards Hangman.

Everyone else in the room rose from their seats as well, but there were merely peripheries in Bradley’s target-locked vision. Only when some of them tried to place themselves between him and Hangman did Bradley pay them any attention at all.

“You son of a bitch!” he hissed, pointing a finger at Hangman, though he very much wished he’d been close enough to throttle him instead. But Phoenix and Clara were in front of him, pushing him backwards and effectively blocking him from advancing any further towards Hangman. Bradley felt even more pairs of hands on his back, gripping his flight suit preemptively in case they needed to tug him backwards at any given moment.

The first words Bradley was able to hear again came from Maverick, who had joined Clara and Phoenix in keeping him at bay and trying to stop him from lunging towards Hangman.

Maverick warned, to no one in particular, “That’s enough!” 

“He’s not cut out for this mission,” Hangman declared boldly.

Maverick whipped his head towards Hangman. “That’s enough!”

“You know it,” Hangman replied, infuriatingly calm as a cucumber. “... You know I’m right.”

Then, he had the nerve to get right in Bradley’s face as he walked past him to leave the room. If there hadn’t been literally six pairs of hands restricting him from doing so, Bradley would’ve loved to slug the smirk right off of Hangman’s face.

Maverick was breathless from his part in breaking up the fight as ordered, “You’re all dismissed.”

In light of the rather eventful day, including the explosive altercation in the classroom post-training exercise, Clara hoped to have an uneventful evening.

But after a shower in the women’s locker room, which did very little to settle her nerves, Clara ran into someone she didn’t expect, and it was an indication that the night may have a few surprises in store for her yet.

Maverick stood in the hallway, which was empty, save for the two of them, just a few yards away.

Clara gave him a small nod. “Captain,” she greeted, hoping he would let her pass without much fuss. After another long day of training, not to mention the fight that had broken out that afternoon, or even the personal grievance she had with the man, Clara had virtually no interest in having any further conversation with him.

“You know, I didn’t believe it at first.”

Clara stopped mid-step, adjusting the strap of the bag perched over her shoulder. “... Sir?”

“I didn’t believe you were his daughter.”

She involuntarily swallowed, but recovered quickly and regarded Maverick with a guarded expression.

What the hell kind of game was he playing at? The man had barely said more than a word to her individually since they’d both been called back to TOPGUN. And yet, at the very first opportunity he had alone with her, Maverick had chosen to bring up her deceased father, whose funeral he had not bothered to attend.

Maverick must have noticed the change in her expression. “You don’t really look like him,” he clarified, as if the observation that would make this conversation progress any smoother. “I guess I should have put it together sooner- he was a great RIO. And you might just be an even better WSO… But earlier today, when you stepped in to try and prevent Lieutenant Bradshaw from getting his hands on Lieutenant Seresin…”

He trailed off, but Clara continued to stare at him, silently challenging him to finish his thought.

“... You get the same ‘oh shit’ look on your face that your dad used to give me all those years ago.”

Her jaw dropped slightly as she processed Maverick’s words.

“When I saw you today- that’s when I knew,” Maverick continued, giving her a small, sad smile, “There’s no doubt in my mind now: you really are his daughter. Merlin’s daughter.”

Clara stood there in silence, dumbfounded for several reasons. That was the absolute last thing she had expected Maverick to say- and it wasn’t as though anyone else in her life had ever made the same observation. She hadn’t expected his tone to be so fond when speaking of her father, either. It both warmed her steely disposition and confounded her deeply.

She only started to get her wits back to her when a buzzing from her pocket interrupted her spiraling thoughts. Though proprietary would have frowned upon it, she checked the notification immediately, figuring that the conversation with Maverick was informal enough, and that he was not likely to mind.

Clara felt a little overwhelmed, between Maverick standing before her with an indiscernible look upon his face, and the message she’d just received from Bradley. She opened her mouth to respond to Maverick, when another text message came in.

“You should head home for the day,” Maverick said, though there was no possible way for him to have known who the messages on her phone had come from.

Clara offered him a sheepish smile, still not sure what to make of their peculiar conversation. She kept her phone in her hand, but resumed her exit down the hallway. As she passed Maverick, she said, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Captain.”

Once she was down the hallway, around the corner, and well out of Maverick’s sight, Clara responded.

…

On the drive home, Clara contemplated whether she’d share what Maverick said with Bradley later.

On one hand, she felt angry. Maverick had some freaking nerve making comments about her father like that. Bradley would certainly sympathize with her if she told him.

But on the other hand, she felt a small, yet undeniable, sense of pride. She knew Bradley would probably have difficulty understanding why, but she understood it clearly. The man, the myth, the legend that her father had spoken so highly of over the years had finally acknowledged him with the same level of respect he had always deserved.

If she could be half as good a WSO that her father was a RIO, she knew her career would have been one worth having.

Chapter 8

Masterlist

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! 💙 If you would like to be added to the taglist, please feel free to let me know.😊

TAGLIST: @gretagerwigsmuse @unluckymonaghan @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @roosterschanelslut @letusbewildflowers @roses-and-grasses @alanadetigy @caelipartem @fangirl-316 @owenniasstars @luckyladycreator2 @mell-bell @slayry @tallrock53 @actuallybarb​ @annedub​

[slasherhaven]

Bo Sinclair X Reader

Part 1, Part 2

I've been enjoying some Soft!Bo recently, so here's some more!

Soulmate AU: shared pain and shared scars part 3:

Time passed since you first stepped into Ambrose, only a few weeks since you ended up meeting your soulmate in the most unlikely place and getting stranded in the small town. You told yourself you were stranded, tried to convince yourself of that, but it wasn't completely true. Now you thought that even if you got the chance to escape, you wouldn't. You wouldn't leave and if you did...you would probably end up being drawn right back to Ambrose.

Weeks passed. You mourned. You still found yourself saddened by Carly's death, but you had come to terms with everything that had happened. Bo had, in an act of kindness you supposed, demanded that Vincent didn't use any member of your group to create new wax figures. You were supposed to be at home in this town, you didn't need a constant morbid reminder of your past.

Of a night, you had been staying in Bo's room while he slept on the couch. Surprisingly, he had insisted on it. Despite you being his soulmate and practically being destined forgive him, he supposed he should try to make it easier for you. He just hoped it wouldn't take too much longer, the couch wasn't as comfortable as his bed.

The events from your arrival had settled and the town seemed to fall into it's more day to day routine. You had gotten to know Vincent and Lester a little better, but you found yourself more comfortable around Bo, which made sense even if it wasn't logical to an outsider.

Despite spending more time around Bo than the other brothers, you surprisingly didn't talk much. Neither of you really knowing what to say. You wanted to be around him instinctively but didn't know what to say to the man who killed your friends, or even if you wanted to say anything at all.

Today went by as usual, you spending the day down in the garage with Bo, eating lunch and dinner with him, and awkwardly sitting on the couch in front of the brother's little television. Sitting on opposite ends of the couch, occasionally risking glances at him.

You had excused yourself and gone up to bed, changing into one of Bo's tee-shirts. You didn't exactly have a wide selection of clothes just yet but did you have other options of sleepwear? Yes, you did. Still, you chose to wear Bo's tee-shirt. You found it comforting.

Unsurprisingly, you hadn't been sleeping well. It took a few nights for you to get a good few hours of sleep but you were sure that your sleeping had actually become more disturbed than it had been. The bed was comfortable, and smelled of Bo, but you still found yourself tossing and turning, feeling like something was missing.

It was something you had been debating for the last few nights but always talked yourself out of it. Tonight though...you had decided to take the risk. You knew you would end up doing it eventually anyway.

Pushing back the sheets, you climbed off of the bed and exited the bedroom.

When you had arrived, the house had been untidy but you had fixed that during your stay. You had to fill your time with something and it helped make you feel more comfortable. So, now, you didn't feel too worried about walking around barefoot.

You made your way down the stairs and quietly into the living room. Bo mustn't have heard you since he was still sitting with his feet up on the coffee table, eyes on the television, with his temporary bedding piled beside him.

"Bo?" you asked quietly and he instantly turned to you. Under different circumstances, you might have found it amusing that you had surprised him.

His gaze scanned your body, wetting his lips at the sight of you in one of his tee-shirts. "You alright, darlin'?" he had never been shy about pet-names, always calling you by them. You didn't mind. You liked it.

"Can't sleep" you mumbled, wrapping your arms around yourself.

"Wanna sit with me?" he asked and you nodded without having to think about it.

He gave you his signature charming smirk. "C'mon then" he patted the space beside him and you walked over to him.

Bo lifted his arm, laying it over the back of the couch as you sat down beside him, his arm behind you. Some old film was on the television, you had no idea what, but you didn't mind. Bo didn't seem very interested in it either.

"You got any idea what's going on in this?" Bo asked, gesturing towards the television, you just shook your head. "Need better fucking stations" he muttered to himself, making you smile a little in amusement.

"Or you could upgrade from VHS...maybe get a DVD player" you mused. "Do they even sell VHS's anymore?" you asked with a small chuckle, earning a smile from Bo.

"Guess we'll have to save up for your fancy technology" Bo teased, proud of himself when you laughed.

"I think I can deal with it" you shrugged before, not so subtly despite your best efforts, shifting closer to him.

"Good" Bo hummed, his arm lowering from the back of the couch to wrap around your shoulders and pull you closer. You allowed him, resting your head against his shoulder.

The two of you fell silent as you watched the screen, not really taking anything in. Risking your glances at Bo once again, the hand that lay lazily in his lap caught your attention. He was wearing a tee-shirt, ready for bed, leaving his wrist visible.

Gently, you reached out and took his hand in yours, your other hand tracing his scars. "Will you tell me about them now?" you asked quietly, watching your fingertips trace his scars.

"Ain't much of a story" Bo shrugged, watching your expression of concentration.

"I'd still like to hear it. Been wondering since my childhood" you confessed.

"Me and Vincent were very different kids. He was well-behaved and quiet, me...not so much. I got angry, I'd shout, throw tantrums, parents had to restrain me at the dinner table sometimes. I'd try to get out, fucking up my wrists" Bo explained, finding the repetitive touches to his scarring strangely relaxing. It wasn't something he usually liked to have on show, but he knew he could be vulnerable with you.

"That's horrible...I'm sorry" you frowned, meeting his gaze with nothing but sympathy in your eyes.

"Eh, had to do what they had to do" he shrugged dismissively. Surely, he should be apologising to you if anything.

"You did what any kid with behavioural problems does, they should have handled it much differently" you shook your head, brow furrowing in frustration. Who would treat their child like that?

“Ain’t a big deal” he shrugged again. You could already tell that he didn't like talking about this sort of thing and you found yourself hoping he would begin to grow more comfortable with opening up to you.

“Come on, Bo…if you can’t talk to me, who can you talk too?” you asked with a small but sincere smile. You were his soulmate after all. “I know it hurt, I felt it, remember? At least when the pain started for me, I had someone there to calm me and help me. I can’t imagine how distressing it would have been…” your smile quickly faded, expression turning to sympathetic as you squeezed his hand gently.

There was a short silence, Bo not looking at you, and you decided that if he didn't talk, you wouldn't push it further. “It hurt” Bo finally spoke, clearing his throat. “Each time the restraints would get tighter, ‘least that’s how it felt. The more I struggled the more it hurt, but the more it hurt the more I struggled. Just wanted to get out of the damn chair” he told you shortly, sighing as your thumb brushed over the inside of his wrist. And then he looked at you properly, “for what it's worth, I’m sorry you had to feel that too…and everything else.”

“You don’t need to apologise. I was never angry with you for the pain, just angry with those hurting you” you confessed.

Bo smirked a little at the anger in your expression. The hand that you held onto moved, gently grasping one of your wrists as he brushed his thumb over the matching scarring. "Hey, don't you start worrying about me, alright?"

"I'm not allowed to care?" you asked, suddenly hit with the realisation that you did care. You cared a whole lot about this man.

"...you want to care? You go ahead and care, darlin'" he nodded, giving his permission, making you smile.

"Good...because I will, even if you don't want me too" you told him, knowing that now. Accepting that.

"Beginning to think you're warming up to me" Bo hummed, the hand on your shoulder stroking up and down your arm.

"Don't ruin it" you rolled your eyes but still moved closer to him, naturally draping an arm around his waist and laying your head against his chest. "I wanted to ask you something" you spoke quietly after a short pause in conversation.

"Shoot" Bo looked down at you, his hold around you tightening ever so slightly.

"Was wondering if you...wanted to sleep in the bed, maybe, with me tonight?" you glanced down at your lap. You shouldn't have been embarrassed, he was your soulmate, but circumstances were more than unusual. "Don't like sleeping alone...it never used to bother me" you confessed.

"Can't complain about getting back in my own bed" Bo mused before hooking a finger under your chin, lifting your head and making you look at him. "All you had to do was ask, darlin'" he assured you.

The way he looked at you, the intensity of his gaze, made heat rise to your face, but it still earned a smile from you. "Just sleeping, though" you added, not wanting him to get any ideas.

"Just sleeping. I swear" Bo chuckled lowly, the sound vibrating in his chest. It was a nice sound.

"Thank you" you whispered, breath catching in your throat when you realised how close your faces were now.

Bo noticed how you gaze flickered down to his lips before meeting his eyes again, cheeks darkening with a flush. He hadn't been subtle despite putting effort into making you comfortable, you had often caught him staring and he'd only smirk when you caught him looking at you.

Bo didn't seem like the type of guy to sit back until somebody else made a move, he seemed like an initiator type, but you knew that he wasn't going to play into that role right now. You had just talked to him properly, invited him back into his bed. He could be impulsive but he wasn't stupid, he wouldn't risk scaring you away right now.

You had no idea where you got the confidence from, or maybe it was just the innate gravitational pull you felt towards him, but you started leaning in. Eyes fluttered shut as your lips brushed against his.

That seemed to be enough to reassure Bo that you wouldn't run away as he fully closed the space, pressing his lips further against yours in a proper kiss. One that you instantly returned.

You couldn't help yourself, arms looping around his neck as you lent into his chest. Strong arms circling your waist and pulling you closer, practically onto his lap. His kiss, his touch, his mere presence, lit a fire in you. The like of which you had never experienced before. In that moment it truly felt like you were the only two people who existed. Two people colliding in an unlikely little town.

And, in that moment, you knew. Monster or not, soulmate or not, you were supposed to be right here with Bo. It didn't matter if the universe had a sick idea of fate, the past didn't matter, only now mattered. Only him and only you. Finally, you accepted the truth you had been resisting for so many days.

He was yours and, more importantly, you were his.

[memberofthatonefandom]

In Space With Markiplier is So Special to Me and Here's Why

So I don't usually post original stuff on tumblr. I use this place to reblog funny posts and art, but I just had to post this here in hopes that Mark (@markiplier , just to be sure) would someday see it, and also I just needed to scream into the void about In Space and how much it means to me so so much.

So SO many spoilers ahead for parts 1 and 2 of ISWM. Also long as hell post

So I, like many others, went into In Space thinking of it like Heist. I was focusing on finding the "good ending" and making the "right choices" and finding all the easter eggs. But once Part 2 came out, I don't know what changed, but I immediately stopped seeing it like that. I started choosing the options not based off of video length or likelihood of getting a little reference to a past video, but based off of what I thought the right direction was, and what I would do personally in that situation. And the experience became so much more personal once I started looking at it like that. I started connecting with the characters in a way I just didn't with Heist or Date. I was sitting by myself in my room answering questions and responding to characters Out Loud In Character. It was like I was acting but with myself, it was wild. I don't think any other piece of digital media has pulled me in like that before.

I could talk about how much I loved the storytelling in In Space FOREVER, but I want to talk specifically about the moments that got me the most. First off, the first diner scene. Sitting there in this weird space diner with Old Man Mark, my vibes toward him (much like I think the Captain would've been at that point) were extremely standoffish. I didn't trust him, I was on guard, but when he started apologizing and realizing his mistakes and accepting that blame I immediately started feeling for him. I could already see the story in my head of Mark, younger, trying for a lifetime to fix what he thinks you broke only to realize at his old age that it was his fault all along. Fucking incredible. The constant jumping down the wormhole was fun, I went right every time on my first run, but when I got to the first opportunity to warn Mark not to go back during the bomb defusal bit, the vibe just Shifted. Immediately. One of my favorite tropes/things in media is a character who breaks another character out of any kind of time loop, or trance, or whatever, so getting to do that with Mark and watching him realize that he knows you and he calls you Captain on instinct but doesn't realize why at first. That whole scene was just fantastic.

And I wanna break paragraphs again to talk about the entire ending stretch. I will never forget the emotional feeling that I got watching the entire ending sequence for the first time. OBVIOUSLY the sequence with the "Space Was Cool" song meant a lot to me, when I was younger I would always put on music to sleep, and the original song would come on without fail every night, so needless to say that song Means A Lot To Me, but I think a scene that really hit me was the final scene in the diner. The way its just abandoned, all dark except for that one blue light (like Mark described it as being "lit by the final moon" or something similar) and Old Man Mark with his candle. It's so somber as a scene, but somehow so calming. Old Man Mark accepting the fate of the universe now that things are finally, finally going to end. In my head, I always saw (or I guess I always played) the Captain as being understanding. We've come all this way together, us and Mark, and we couldn't stop the universe from collapsing sooner, but we tried and we had a hell of a lot of fun along the way. There's just something about it, the Diner at the End of the Universe as the universe finally ends. And it's all empty now, its just the Captain and Mark here alone together as the universe caves in. And the only way I can describe it is poignant. Like its so sad, but its so calm at the same time. It's just this moment of acceptance. And the way that as the Captain walks toward the warp core, they don't stop to turn around until after the narrator is finished talking. It's almost like they were going to try to defy him one last time by not stopping to look back, before realizing that this very well could be the end of everything if they didn't stop Mark here in the next room, and they really really wanted to take that look back for just a moment. Or at least, that's how I played it. Like I said, my Captain was always pretty understanding, pretty sentimental, and definitely would've stopped to look back at the empty diner.

The final scene in the warp core. God where do I even begin? The timelapse of Mark rebuilding (or I guess building) the warp core, the echoes of your past (or future) conversations with him, the way that all of the Mark's turn to look at you at once before the real one appears. And yes I know everyone else on this god forsaken website was turned on by this scene, but honestly I was mostly just intimidated. Seeing Engineer!Mark, someone who we've seen to be goofy and incompetent, someone who doesn't even take himself seriously, suddenly be so serious that he won't even humor your attempt to take back the crystal from him? It was a little scary, like I said earlier the vibe Shifted instantly. I went from the somber conversation with Old Mark in the diner to a determination to stop This Mark from kickstarting the events that would lead to another infinite loop. So of course I chose to Hold On. Not because I thought it would lead to the "good ending," but because I put myself in the shoes of the Captain, and I knew that at this juncture My Captain would never let Mark fall back into the infinite loop he was about to put himself in, because he deserved to be free of it and know the truth. His heart was in the right place the whole time he just needed to see what he was doing was wrong. And that's why the entire scene of his breakdown hit so hard (and I think the Who Killed music might've done something to help with that). Its a testament to Real Life Markiplier's acting and how much he's improved over the years, because I was really feeling for him in this whole scene. And just the visual of the Captain, sitting there with Mark, comforting him through this horrible realization, as the universe breaks itself apart one final time so that it can go back to where it Should Be. And then waking up on the ship, and having this quiet understanding between the Captain and Mark that something happened and they've been through so much over who knows how long of a timespan, but they made it out on the other side because we didn't give up on Mark. This whole entire sequence. A fucking masterpiece of storytelling and cinematography. And I want to take a moment to commend the entire cast and crew on what a fuckin banger they've made.

But to Mark specifically, if you ever read this, I want to thank you specifically for In Space. It has not only affected me on such an emotional level that it's all that I've been thinking about for the past week since Part 2 came out, but it's also inspired me to get back into filmmaking. I've been deeply interested in it for years but never started really making videos because I was so scared of them being imperfect, but hearing you talk about it on the livestream yesterday really got me thinking, and I really want to start it up again. So Thank You To Mark Specifically for lighting that fire again with this incredible project, and in honor of that, my first Big Video Project might just be a tribute to In Space, if I can find people willing to film it with me.

Bottom line is, In Space with Mark is REALLY FUCKING COOL OKAY and it means a lot to me, and Mark inspires me a lot as an artist and I'll be thinking about this dumb little Engineer man for the next few months maybe longer

[hysterical-random-things]

[ahdraftingco]

this update is for those who were curious what the iud insertion process is like and my personal experience with it!

summary: the insertion took 10min, I didn't feel more than a light pinch inside of me and it's been two days since then and I feel no pain besides a minor cramp (which would probably go away if I took ibuprofen but I haven't felt the need to take any)! so I highly recommend getting an iud if you're interested in long term birth control, it was really easy and I'll detail how I prepped for my appt and the procedure below ♡

so I did a lot of research ahead of time and I ended up picking the paraguard (copper) iud, which lasts up to 10 years and is the non-hormonal option! I chose it specifically because my periods are VERY regular and I didn't wanna mess with my hormones if I didn't absolutely need to! but the hormonal options are great too (and they might even eliminate your period altogether while the copper one has a chance of making your periods worse LOL so I can update on that if my period is significantly worse or not!)

so before I got to my appt, I took 800mg of ibuprofen about an hour and a half ahead of time at the recommendation of my pcp (if Tylenol works better for you, then you can take that instead!) and I think that helped a lot bc like I said, I didn't feel shit LOL

when I got to my appt (I came 30min early), they wanted me to give a urine sample (bc you CANNOT be pregnant when you get your iud inserted) and I have terrible performance anxiety so it took me an hour to pee LMAO this was the hardest part of the appt for me ironically and I actually didn't pee at all that morning to prep 😭 I'm just a shy bitch I guess but I thankfully managed to finally go and that's when my appt started officially

the first half of the appt for me was just discussing all the risks and benefits and the procedure itself so that I was fully aware of what I was getting myself into but the nurse practitioner was SO SWEET and she was so knowledgeable so I felt really comfortable and she even gave me a little heat pack which I put on my tummy the whole appt and she even helped me activate it bc I'm a weak little bitch 😂

here's how my procedure went (I'll try to keep the details not too TMI lol):

1. she performed a pelvic exam to check the orientation of my cervix (which is a quick process where she inserts two gloved fingers inside and then presses down on my lower stomach to check for pain, etc) and since I had a pap smear done earlier in the week and already dealt with this with my pcp, it was like whatever for me lol I didn't really care but I know some ppl would feel uncomfortable with a stranger's gloved touch (I had never met her before but you can always meet them ahead of time if that would make you feel better) so I wanted this part to be known

2. with some lube, my nurse prepped the speculum (which is the standard tool for holding the vagina open) and then inserted it. for me, I couldn't really feel it, it's kind of like a light pressure (if you have not stretched your hymen before, THIS WILL HURT at least it did for me when I did a pap before I ever had sex for the first time lol so I do not suggest getting an iud if you do not have some experience stretching yourself out with either a partner or a toy)

3. using the speculum, she took the time to clean my cervix to keep the process sterile (bc your cervix does have bacteria in it so just to ensure you won't get an infection, it's cleaned with swabs!) and it felt like a series of tickles inside so it wasn't bad at all and pretty quick lol

4. then when the cleaning was done, she looked for my cervix and then used a special tool to hold it still (bc the cervix can MOVE during the procedure so they hold it in place so your physician doesn't have to chase after it LOL) and for me, this was the pinch but it wasn't uncomfortable, I just didn't really think about it and talked to my nurse to distract myself

5. once the steadying tool was in place, my nurse used another tool to measure the length of my cervix to ensure that I did not have an abnormally short/long cervix because your options change based on that but it's rare (I had a completely normal cervix length so we were good to go!) and this was really quick like maybe a minute or two tops!

6. since I was given the go, she prepped the iud for insertion (it's just loaded into a thin tube) and then she popped it in and I didn't even know it happened until I felt the strings and then she cut the strings short so I didn't feel them anymore then she cleaned up a little inside of me then took the speculum out and we were done!

I did have some spotting (it was just like a light flow period day) so she gave me a pad and then I was good to go! The spotting stopped today, so around two days after and now I don't feel anything. I thought that was super strange but my body adjusted to the iud oddly well so I'm happy about that! I asked her about the level of protection and she said that the risk of pregnancy is so low (like 0.1% lol 1 out of 1000 ppl get pregnant). you aren't allowed to do anything with the vagina (like inserting anything inside, etc) for 24 hours but after that, you're allowed to have sex/play with toys without worry!

my nurse practitioner said that for the next 3-6 months, my periods might be irregular so I can totally update on that if anyone cares LMAO I have not had relations but I can also tell you how my partner feels as well since there is a chance that the strings of the iud can be felt so I'm delaying any sort of physicality until those strings have smoothened out a bit (the strings eventually curve away and will no longer be in the way) plus my period is coming in a week so perfect timing to chillax for a bit (I guess I'll just throw all my horniness into my writing 😌💅)

anyways, that's the whole spiel! if anyone has some questions, feel free to reply to this post or send in an ask, I'm happy to help anyone who is interested in safe sex practices ❤️

[filthfix]

Anything - skz

Pairing: Reader x Ot8

Genre: Smut

Word Count: 3.7k

Tags: Birthday sex, turn taking, sloppy 2-7, creampie, cum kink/cum eating/cum covering, neck biting, voyeurism, overstimulation, multiple orgasms, “good girl”, unprotected

Summary: It’s Jeongins birthday and he wants to run a train 😶

A/N: I almost named this ‘All In’... 💀 anyways uhhhh happy birthday Jeongin here’s some absolute filth <3

Four days before Jeongin’s Birthday

Chan throws himself on the couch next to Jeongin whose preoccupied with his phone.

“So.. what do you want for your birthday? I can get you anything.”

He’s being his usual playful self, nudging and pinching at Jeongin earning a light whine of acknowledgment from him. He doesn’t look up from his phone but he stopped scrolling, thinking it over quickly before lowering his phone with a soft click.

“Anything?”

“Yep, name it!”

Chan nods feeling confident.

“I wanna share with you guys”

He says it plainly and at first Chan’s confused tilting his head to the side but then raising an eyebrow when it finally clicks. They all had a brief drunken conversation some time ago about something along those lines and it quickly became an unspoken agreement that they’d make it happen eventually with Jeongin seemed the most interested in it.

“I think I can set that up.” He smirks and pats Jeongin’s leg before getting up and leaving the room.

2 days before Jeongin’s birthday

Your phone rings on your walk around town and you pull it out to see Chan’s ID take up the screen.

“Hey, what’s up?” You answer

There’s hesitation in the air before he speaks

“Are you alone by any chance?”

“Uh”

You look around before crossing a small street

“Yeah, I guess?”

It’s probably as alone as you could be in the middle of town.

“Jeongin’s birthday’s coming up and we were wondering if you could help us with something.”

“Yeah, sure, anything.”

“Uh.. you might want to hold off on saying anything until you hear what I’m asking for”

“What? You gonna ask me to steal for him or something?”

You laugh

“Well, No.. he wants to try something...”

His voice trails off

“Something?” You push

“... are you familiar with the term ‘running a train’ ”

The way he says it mimicked ripping a bandaid off and it stops you dead in your tracks.

“Huh?”

You’re completely thrown off and at first you thought you heard him wrong but he’s quick to confirm it again.

“Yeah.. you won’t have to do any real work, It’s just us all getting off together. You can lay back and relax and we’ll take good care of you.”

“Uh? All? Is this a joke?”

You notice an empty bench up ahead and move the conversation over there, dropping yourself on it haphazardly.

“It’s not.. I’m being serious” he laughs sheepishly

This isn’t something you ever thought would come up and a part of you is afraid to even think about this seriously.. but.. you are the type to want to try everything at least once. This could be your only chance for something like this and they’re probably the best option, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t at least a bit interested. The more your mind paints a picture the more the little slut on your shoulder begs and without a second pause you agree.

“I’ll do it..”

“Really? Are you sure? If you want time to think about it let me know, I’d want you to be absolutely sure and okay with this.”

He sounds genuinely surprised

“I’m sure, I did say anything.”

Chan laughs and you have to bite you bottom lip to hold back the smile forming.

“Okay..” you can practically hear his smile “I’ll text you later about it.”

With that he hangs up and you let out the breathe you didn’t realize you were holding. You throw your head back and bring your hands up, brushing them over your hair. You feel dumbfounded and oddly excited with a million questions running through your mind. Was this a bad idea? Are you going to regret it? The relationship you have with them will definitely change.. without a doubt. They could of asked anyone else too? But why you? Are you even ready? All eight of them??????

The realization of what you’ve just done and are about to do hits you hard and you decide to abandon your original plans for the day and go back home to process this. You huff and jump off the bench, turning quick on your heels in the direction of your house.

Jeongin’s Birthday

Your minds been foggy for the last two days, a lot of alone time and a lot of texting Chan. He’d given you the details of how the night would go and washed away any worries you might of had. He even shared how they all (mainly the younger ones) argued over who was going after who which made you laugh and feel a lot more lighthearted towards the whole thing.

You threw on your favorite underwear set and some comfy clothes right over it. Since it’ll just be tossed to the side you don’t bother thinking too much on it and just check over yourself one last time in the mirror before you’re out the door to their place. 

Reminding yourself that

It’s for Jeongins birthday

-

Once you’re there, Chan’s the one to let you in greeting you with a warm hug. Behind him is Jisung and Hyunjin focused on a quiet conversation between themselves that they break only for a second to throw a wave your way. Chan points between the two, chuckling.

“They’re still not over the order.”

You smile and shake your head at their usual behavior. Chan then puts a hand on the small of your back and ushers you past them to one of the rooms. You’d been over plenty of times before so you’re familiar with the set up and feel pretty calm despite the promise of getting railed but multiple men tonight.

In the room you’re greeted by the rest of them all scattered around and hanging out like they normally do. Jeongin’s seated near a desk and he’s the first one you approach and pull into a hug.

“Happy 20th Birthday.” you coo in his ear

He thanks you with a giggle and tightens the hug. As you pull away your scent lingers and he realizes just how fond he is of you. His face is red and warm but you don’t notice since your attentions drawn to the door, Hyunjin and Jisung finally join the room looking content.

“We’ve decided”

“Okay then..” Chan gives a patronizing snort and then turns towards you with a warm smile

“Whenever you’re ready”

It all seemed to go by so fast from that

He waves to the bed, Felix and Changbin who had been laying on it get up and your feet automatically move towards it feeling all their eyes follow you. You crawl onto the bed and sit on your knees facing them. Chan said all you had to do to tell them you were ready was to get undressed. Your hands held the bottom of your shirt about to lift it. Tentatively, you give one last glance around the room before slipping off each and every item you had on and letting them fall to the floor next to the bed.

Once that last piece is off you hear a sharp inhale from Minho whose hooded eyes rake over your body. You feel awkward at first but having all their eyes on you, bare and waiting for them, satisfies some weird fantasy you weren’t aware of just yet.

Chans the first to make a move towards you, lightly pushing you to lean back on the bed. He hovers over you, one of his hands resting next to your head and the other grabbing your hand and snaking it under his shirt tracing them along his abs. His eyes are locked on yours and when your arousal becoming noticeable he backs up and strips off his clothes to his boxers.

Your eyes glaze over when you take in his body and the growing print on him. He watches you with a hungry expression and settles in between your legs. He licks his thumb and softly presses it to your clit earnings a low moan from you. He rubs slow circles until the confines of his boxers become unbearable and your mewls intensify.

He grabs at his waistband and frees himself in one move. With a few slow strokes down the length of his cock he’s lining himself up with you. You feel him against your folds warm and throbbing and you eagerly move towards him, shuddering when he slips all the way in.

“A-ahh” he gasps

He starts a steady pace, hands gripping at your thighs. Your expressions urge him on and he picks up the pace craving more of your body. You could already feel yourself ready to cum but hold back to enjoy the straight bliss as he slides against your walls. You squeeze around him and he groans in response dropping his hands from your thighs and letting them fall on either sides of your head, this position letting him reach deeper. He mutters endless praises of how glad he is that you said yes and how he wanted this just as much.

The stutter of his hips before he pulls out and cums right over your pussy is what sends you off the edge. You cover your face as each wave hits over and over. Sneaking a peak to the side through blurry eyes you watch Chan put himself away and breathlessly join the others on the wall. Each looking lust blown, hungry, and ready to pounce. You noticed a few palming themselves and shifting in their spots before you attention was stolen by Changbin.

He’s aggressive straight away biting at your exposed neck. You yelp once and then twice when you feel his fingers graze your still sensitive clit. He’s moving between your folds collecting your slickness and Chan’s cum. When he pulls away to coat his cock with it you look at him. He didn’t bother to undress all the way, just enough to let his frustration free. He lifts up his muscle tee slightly letting you catch a glimpse of his abs before he fills you up. He’s thicker than Chan and you feel every bit of the stretch.

“Go ahead make eye contact with them”

He growls, giving a cocky smirk and starting up at a rapid speed. Your head falling to the side involuntary and you catch a glimpse of all of them. You notice Jeongin first, still seated at the desk, bouncing his leg and gripping at his seat a little too tight. His face is fully red and you can hear slight pants coming from him.

When Changbin gives a particularly harsh stroke your attention shifts to Jisung seated on the floor next to the desk. He’s long discarded his clothes and has been jerking away at himself. You catch him stop abruptly and throw his head back, eyebrows furrowed and dick twitching as he clearly tries to hold himself back. Your highs already at its brink again when you lock eyes with Minho whose eyes are filled with the same devilish glare as before.

“Cum” he mouths and you do, probably the hardest you ever came but Changbin doesn’t let up. His hips rocking back and forth harder and harder. Your uncontrollable and overstimulated moans filling the room.

“Look at me”

He demands and you do as he says through now teary eyes. His eyes were as menacing as his strokes were and he give you two last deep pumps before spilling every drop in you.

“Good girl”

He backs out and with satisfaction watches your legs starting to shake. Hyunjin with his bottom lip between his teeth tags in next. He’s shirtless and his pants are tight. He immediately has his hands on your body sensually rubbing up and down your waist. You brace yourself thinking he’d immediately get to it and be just as aggressive but instead he chooses a softer approach.

“Are you feeling good?”

His silky voice asks as his hands stops just about your thighs giving you a light squeeze. You dazedly nod and he smiles.

“You’re doing so well for us.”

You only hum as he takes in your fucked out expression. He’s as playful as ever kneading at your thigh with one hand and unbuckling his self with the other. Once free he taps and slides against your hole collecting the cum leaking out of you and getting ready to push it back in.

“Are you ready, baby?”

“P-please” you purr and he easily glides in.

He’s longer but definitely thinner than the last two and choses a slower more rhythmic pace with you, which was nice and needed following Changbins aggressive assault. He slow fucks the cum into you savoring every pulse and grip of your walls over him. It takes a second for you to cum again this time in small bursts and Hyunjin exhales in approval, taking a small break after you ride your high all the way through to whisper praises and grip at your body.

When you move your hips down to signal him to keep going he meets it with a snap drawing moans from both of you simultaneously. This round his thrusts are more heated and feverish. You’re caught up in watching the way Hyunjins hair falls into his face to notice Jisung approach. Stroking himself over your chest.

“Mmm, wait for me.”

Hyunjin murmurs and Jisung just nods. You’re curious but your second high from him approaches too closely to get to question it. The coil threatens to snap and right as you’re about to let it Hyunjin pulls out prompting a whimper in protest. He strokes himself over you nodding at Jisung before painting your pussy in his hot seed. Jisung follows shortly after shuddering and spilling right over your chest.

Jisung then eagerly trades with Hyunjin his eyes glued to your cum covered body. He quickly aligns himself and slips in with a high whine. He falls on his hands and relentlessly thrusts into you fucking you like a rabid rabbit, the curve of him hitting all the right spots. He watches you bounce and moan under him with his bottom lip tightly bitten. The snugness of you and his already sensitive dick has him struggling to stay up and he doesn’t know how much longer he has before he busts again.

Luckily for you, he’s finishing off exactly where Hyunjin left off and you cum instantly squeezing around Jisung and milking him of his second orgasm in the process. Jisung practically falls to his knees and it takes every last bit of strength to pull away from you. At this point you’ve already lost count of how many times you’ve came and you’re just barely done with them. You start to relax into the bed breathing heavy and feeling fully spent when Minho comes up and taps on your thigh.

“Hopefully you’re not too tired to play with me”

He chuckles and passes a finger against your clit making you jolt. He collects the cum from you, bringing it up to his lips and licking it clean before closing your legs and roughly moving them to the side. He’s familiar with this kind of game and loves when they’re already this far gone when he gets to them. Easier to mold and easier to break. You’re clenching around nothing as he unbuckles and lines himself up. 

He pushes in all the way feeling pure ecstasy as you cry out. He hastily picks up the pace while pressing your thighs down together making you even tighter on him. You could feel him at the pit of your stomach making the joke of getting your guts rearranged seem all too real now.

This is overkill

Invades your mind when another orgasm hits you leaving your vision white. Minho takes this as his que to hit harder and quicker until your mouth is full of his name. It felt like hours of him relentlessly pounding into your overly sensitive cunt before he nuts in you with a grunt.

You feel so full and unable to move, molded into a true fuck doll for them at this point. Minho pulls out cleaning off his dick and uses you as a towel then leaves you without saying anything else. He pats Felix on the back before pushing him towards you. Felix looks star struck and you’re now needier than ever. Making it obvious by spreading your legs for him and rubbing at yourself with one hand, the other messing with the cum on your chest.

He whispers something inaudible and yanks off his clothes. Grabbing you by the waist to push you further up the bed so he could climb in right after. He’s clumsy and slips trying to find your hole and you have to guide him in.

His strokes are sloppy right away, either overly excited or new to this and it was barely hitting the right spots. You decide to help him out and grind back against him meeting each stroke. He stills automatically letting you take over, his face bright red and focused on where you and him meet. You move faster and mutter his name until you hit your peak.

“Y/N,” he gasps “C-can I cum on your face?”

Cloudy minded but still surprised by his dirty request you nod and he quickly moves to your side. His hands move fast up and down the length of his dick right over your face. You open your mouth and stick out your tongue bracing yourself for your reward. A slew of curse words leave his mouth before your face gets warm with his spunk.

You wipe the bit that covered your eyes so you could see again and popped that on your tongue keeping eye contact with Felix as you swallow, noticing the way he practically melts from it.

Begrudgingly, Felix gets up and Seungmin, whose been quiet this whole time, joins in his usual bright smile on his face.

“Poor baby,” He mocks “Tired, huh?”

You’re too incoherent to respond and he’s well aware of that. He laughs and massages your legs making sure you’re okay.

“Please” you beg

“What was that?”

All you could do is point at the tent in his pants and his eyebrows raise. He shrugs and starts to undress. He’s not one to hold back after all.

“You sure you can take this?”

He doesn’t even let you answer just buries his cock in you and waits. You grow frustrated thinking you were finally gonna get what you wanted just to be teased instead. You take matters into your own hand again and lift yourself up then slide back down onto him throwing your head back when he hits the spot. Seungmin shakes his head and lands a hand on your hip gripping you so you can’t move again.

He hums in an almost condescending way.

“Still needy? Or have you been fucked so dumb that this all you know now?”

He tilts his head as you whimper under him. All you seem to be able to do is pant in protest. You feel him twitch inside of you and your eyes squeeze shut at the slight friction from it.

“Can’t even answer.. tsk I think it’s obvious which one you are.”

He finally gives in and moves, slow and meticulously.

“You’re doing so well”

He pants

“And I thought I’d give you a second to catch your breath”

His thrusts get sharper and leave you gasping

“But if it’s not what you want...”

He speeds up

“..who am I to deny”

His fingers snake over to your clit and rubbing rough circles into it in time with the motion of his hips.

“So good”

Just like that you unravel with a loud groan

“Dummy.. couldn’t even wait for me?”

He laughs and pulls out a little too quickly leaving you with an feeling empty. He jerks off over your body drinking in the way you lay like a broken toy. It doesn’t take long for him to finish across your thighs and you thank him relentlessly.

He shakes his head

“No, no, baby”

“Thank you for letting us use your body like this”

In a blink, he’s gone and in his place was Jeongin with his pretty dick in hand.

“I wanna fuck their cum into you”

“So badly”

His voice is dripping in desire. He presses his red and angry tip to your folds collecting the cum and coating himself with as much of it as he can. Once he’s pleased he asks for the okay which you give him without hesitation. He bottoms out instantly digging his nails into your body at the same time. The urge to bust right then and there washes over him but he’s waited too long to be out already. He holds back for a few seconds till he adjusts before rutting into you. You hadn’t expected the level of precision that came from him and cry out as he fucks you raw.

“Hyunjin”

Jeongin chokes out

“Kiss”

He nods at you and Hyunjin without a second of doubt complies lightly shuffling over to where you lay. He leans over kissing you softly on the lips you lean in deepening it. When he pulls away you notice traces of cum left on his lips and he licks it away before winking at you and stepping back.

It takes a few more drags of his dick across you velvet walls for you both to cry out in one last orgasm. You could feel tears fall from your eyes and Jeongin’s quick to wipe them away. He then sits back on his knees with a sigh his now flaccid dick slipping out. He then topples over beside you followed by almost all of them who then coddle and whispering praises at you. 

Seungmin whose reaching for the door laughs.

“I’ll go grab a wash rag”

“And you know.. if you ever wanna do this again I, at least, wouldn't mind.” Jisung quips with a wink as he trails behind Seungmin with snacks in mind. You’re about ready to pass out but manage to laugh and shake your head over the hyper every day every situation demeanor Jisung carried.

[theflyingfeeling]

Far From Home Fluff, part 1

When touring gets rough, a nap might be the solution.

~

They had arrived at the venue of the evening hours ahead of their scheduled soundcheck. In normal conditions they wouldn’t have minded the extra free time – they would’ve cherished it, even – but there was only so much you could do in one of the most populated countries in the world if your plan was to avoid big crowds like the plague in order to not be infected with, well, the plague. That was not to say that loitering around the cramped tour bus was a much better option; however, more often than not, there was not much else for them to do. Aleksi, for one, wasn’t too bothered by the lack of activities, but he knew some of his friends might not take the idleness quite as well.

“Niko.” Joonas poked at Niko who was sitting next to him, looking at his phone. “Niko.” He poked again. “Hey, Niko.”

“What, Porko,” Niko finally asked with a sigh.

“Let’s go to Walmart.”

“We just came from Walmart.”

“I know, but I think I want to try that Mickey Mouse ice cream after all.”

Niko knitted his brows while Aleksi laughed silently as he observed the conversation from the other side of the table.

“Where are you gonna put it? We don’t have a freezer.”

“I’ll eat it?” Joonas answered, as if Niko had just asked him if he enjoyed tequila shots.

“You’re gonna eat almost one and a half litres of ice cream all at once?” Niko looked at Joonas scornfully. Aleksi wished they had brought the massive popcorn buckets with them from the backstage of UMK; his bandmates sure provided more entertainment on a daily basis than your average Netflix show.

“Naww, babe, of course I’ll share some of it with you!” Joonas puckered his lips and made kissy-noises at Niko, who wasn’t fast enough to avoid the sudden shower of smooches that landed on his cheek in the next blink of an eye. Despite crunching his face at Joonas’ displays of affection, Niko didn’t seem to mind terribly though, or at least that’s what Aleksi assumed, judging by the loudness of Niko’s giggles.

Almost as soon as Joonas and Niko were out the door, Olli stood up and rubbed his face.

“Fuck,” he said as he yawned. “I’ma head out for a walk or something, or else I’ll fall asleep and not wake up until April.”

Knowing Olli, Aleksi didn’t think this was an exaggeration in any sense.

“Wanna come?” Olli looked at Aleksi, who shook his head.

“Nah, I’m too comfortable right here,” he smiled and slithered further down his seat.

“Joel?”

“Mmh,” was all Joel answered, not even opening his eyes as he leaned against the window.

Pouting, Olli turned to the door, but seemed to hesitate when his hand touched the door handle.

“Well. I guess I’m going all alone then.”

Aleksi glanced at Tommi, whose eyes were fixed on the phone in his hand.

“I sure hope I won’t get lost,” Olli said a little louder, smoothing the door handle with a finger.

That remark was what finally made Tommi look up from his device.

“Should I come with you?”

As an answer, Olli threw Tommi his snapback and smirked before heading out, Tommi following shortly after him.

Once left alone, Aleksi sighed and turned to glance at Joel sitting on the couch by the window, eyes still closed, looking like he was completely unaware of the world around him.

“What do you wanna do?” Aleksi asked him.

Joel cracked his eyes open slightly.

“Think I’m gonna take a nap.” Without further ado, he got off the couch and slogged past Aleksi to fall heavily on his bed.

As Joel’s blond head disappeared behind the curtain of his bunk, Aleksi let out a quiet sigh of disappointment. He wasn’t in need of an intellectual conversation nor a wrestle match to pass the time, but a little company wouldn’t have hurt.

Joel’s company, if he was to be more precise.

Pursing his lips, Aleksi saw no other choice but to take out his phone and start mindlessly scrolling his feed, although he doubted there’d be anything there he hadn’t seen since the last time he had checked his socials ten minutes ago. Noticing he was correct in his assumption, he put his phone down again and proceeded to stare out the window instead and was soon lost in his wandering thoughts, ranging from the evening’s gig to the cute little dimple on Joel’s cheek.

“Aleksi?”

The quiet voice from one of the bunks brought Aleksi back to reality sooner than he had expected; so soon, in fact, that his head was not quite ready to react before the same voice from behind the closed curtain called for him again.

“Aleksiiiiiii…”

“Yeah?”

There was a short silence, as if the voice behind the curtain was hesitating.

“Come here.”

A smile appeared on Aleksi’s lips the second his lethargic brain got a hang of the words spoken to him. Then he walked to the bunk beds and pulled aside the velvety curtain to find Joel’s blue eyes looking at him through the few strands of blond hair fallen on his face.

As Joel squirmed closer to the back wall, Aleksi climbed on the bed and had hardly set his head on one of the many pillows there before Joel’s chest was pressed against his.

“Take a nap with me,” Joel whispered against Aleksi’s lips.

“Okay,” Aleksi smiled and touched Joel’s nose with his. Joel returned the gesture, and they went on nuzzling each other’s noses until Joel suddenly stopped and caught Aleksi’s lips with his.

It was just a short peck, followed by another equally hasty right after, and another and another and another until Aleksi lost count and was giggling against Joel’s mouth.

Joel’s next kiss had a little more tongue in it, tickling the sensitive skin of Aleksi’s lips that parted as if by command. Although it had been a while since breakfast, Joel’s mouth still tasted of the off-brand iced coffee Aleksi had bought him from Walmart to make sure the man would have at least something in his stomach before they’d start the soundcheck. Savouring the mocca flavour, Aleksi let his own tongue visit the inside of Joel’s mouth briefly before he nibbled lightly on Joel’s bottom lip, which made a breathy laugh leave the man’s mouth. Then, with slightly more force than before, Joel kissed him again, moving his lips against Aleksi’s as small but needy whines started sounding from the singer’s throat.

At some point, Joel’s hands had found the inside of Aleksi’s shirt and were now stroking his back, fingers slipping below the waistband of Aleksi’s pants each time his hand trailed lower down. When Joel pushed his hips forward, Aleksi felt something hard brush against his crotch.

“I thought you wanted to take a nap?” Aleksi raised his eyebrows.

“I did. But on second thought,” Joel’s wet mouth was on Aleksi’s again as their hips started working in unison, thrusting against each other, “I think this is gonna be more fun.”

[the-himawari]

A3! Fushimi Omi - Translation [SR] Brilliance of Blooming (2/2)

*Please read disclaimer on blog; default name set as Izumi

---

Izumi: The preparations are ready, so shall we get started now?

Omi: Yeah, go ahead.

-pause-

Omi: Hello there. It’s MANKAI Company Autumn troupe, Fushimi Omi.

Comment: “Hello, Omi-kun~.”

Comment: “We were waiting!”

Omi: Oh, thanks for the views and comments right away. Now then, I’ve got some ingredients lined up so perhaps all of you can guess already… But I’m thinking I’ll cook in today’s stream.

Comment: “I wrote that in the survey so I’m glad!”

Comment: “What are you gonna cook?”

Omi: Today’s menu is okonomiyaki that you can make easily, even at home.

Comment: “It’s bound to be tasty!”

Omi: First, cut the cabbage. You can shred it too, but I’m chopping it coarsely this time.

Comment: “Such skillful handwork!”

Comment: “My eyes can’t help but go to Omi-kun’s arms.”

Omi: My arms…? Haha, I’ve never been told that before. Now then, after you’ve mixed together all the ingredients aside from the pork, it’s finally time to fry it. Place the pork belly on top to cover the dough and wait a bit. If this was the kitchen, then I’d recommend doing the dishes at this time.

Comment: “As said from someone who cooks all the time lol”

Comment: “The very picture of the ideal husband…”

Omi: It’s almost done. Alright let’s turn it over. Here we go—there!

Comment: “Perfect!”

Omi: Next, pour the sauce and add the toppings… and there you have it.

Comment: “👏👏👏👏👏”

Comment: “I’m hungry!”

Comment: “Are you gonna eat it by yourself?”

Omi: Oh, right. Eating it myself… Since it’s a nice chance, can I go find someone to eat it with together?

Comment: “It’s OK”

Omi: Looks like that’s a yes. Please wait a moment, everyone.

*leaves*

???: Woah, Omi-kun!

Omi: Perfect timing, Taichi.

Taichi: Aren’t you in the middle of your InsteLive right now… wait, I smell something super amazing!

Omi: That’s because I was just frying up okonomiyaki. Would you like to eat it together?

Taichi: For real!? Of course I’ll eat! Woo, lucky!

*comes back*

Omi: Sorry for the wait, everyone. I’ve brought a guest over.

Taichi: It’s Autumn troupe’s Nanao Taichi! I came to eat Omi-kun’s okonomiyaki~.

Comment: “It’s Taichi-kun!”

Comment: “We scored big with someone crashing the stream!”

Omi: Come on, dig in.

Comment: “We await Taichi-kun’s food report!”

Taichi: It looks delish! As expected of Omi-kun!

Omi: Haha, then let’s eat.

Taichi: Itadakimasu.

Comment: “How nice.”

Comment: “How’s the taste?”

Taichi: The dough is fluffy, the pork is crispy, and it’s super tasty!

Comment: “A legit food report lmao”

Comment: “Hey, feed us!”

Taichi: Omi-kun, a request came for you to feed them!

Comment: “Yeah! I wanna see you say, ‘ahhh’!”

Omi: “Ahhh”, huh…

Comment: “I long to be fed.”

Comment: “Please feed us.”

Taichi: That’s all the comments are saying!

Omi: …Okay, just once. A-ahhh… um, this is pretty embarrassing.

Option 1: “Thanks”

Comment: “Thanks for feeding us!”

Omi: Was that alright?

Comment: “It was perfect!”

Omi: I see. I don’t normally feed others, so I wasn’t confident… But it looks like I managed to fulfil the request. I’m relieved.

Comment: “Omi-kun’s a great person!”

Comment: “I want to support him.”

Option 2: “One more time”

Comment: “One more time!”

Omi: I said only once, remember? Also, it was pretty embarrassing, so please let me off the hook with that. Sorry.

Comment: “He’s bashful. So cute!”

Comment: “He’s always cool, so this feels fresh.”

Taichi: It was suuuuper nice! Everyone loved it!

Omi: That’s great then. Alright. I was told to take a picture of myself at the end, so allow me to take some shots.

Taichi: Omi-kun’s a professional photographer, so I’m sure they’ll turn out really great!

Omi: Haha. The bar has been raised, huh? If you say so, then I’ll try my best.

Taichi: The photos you take are always beautiful, so don’t worry!

Omi: I am going to upload a photo to MANKAI Company’s Inste later. Please wait a little until I post it. Alright, then my InsteLive will end here. I had fun. Thank you, everyone.

Taichi: Thanks~! See ya!

-pause-

Izumi: Great job, you two! The okonomiyaki looked delicious.

Omi: I’ll make one for you next time. Thank you too, Taichi.

Taichi: Same here. I enjoyed the meal!

Izumi: Alright then. Omi-kun, think about which photo you’ll post to Inste, alright?

-pause-

Izumi: Yep. All the pictures you took look great, Omi-kun. Have you decided which photo to upload?

Omi: Yeah. I talked it over with Taichi a bit, and I think I’ll choose this one.

Izumi: Great choice! Okay, shall we upload this photo to Inste?

Thank you for today. I’ll post the recipe too.

#Cooking #OkonomiyakiRecipe

Izumi: Ah, you got a comment right away! It says, “I had fun.”

Omi: “We had okonomiyaki at home tonight too,” huh? Haha, I’m glad.

Izumi: It looks like they enjoyed your stream.

Omi: Yeah. At first, I was worried whether everyone would have fun. But I’m glad I did it.

---

previous |

[mystic-sky]

✨part 1 here ✨

Satoru’s only been in love once. Though it wasn’t with you, it wasn’t long before he met you either. The summer before he graduated high school he fell into a deep infatuation with someone. 

He was always a fast guy, even during his earlier youth- having lost his virginity in his sophomore year. He was a curious one, and he had the looks and the charm to scoop as many women as he chose. But he did give love a try with her. She was spunky, but shy at the same time. Outspoken, and he’d never forget how she kissed him first. She scooped him off his feet, somehow wrapping him around her finger- until she got bored. Gradually, there were no more late night phone calls, no more study dates and sneaking out together. She no longer responded immediately to his text messages, and casually rescheduled plans on short notice. Satoru had never been out right rejected before. But his nonchalant attitude lead him to adapt, and just reciprocate everything she had been doing. 

And in came his ex best friend, Suguru, who he no longer spoke to for external reasons.

He couldn’t go anywhere in school without witnessing or hearing the two laughing amongst one another or watching them hold hands. He felt nauseous every time he saw him wrap his arms around her; her sickening smile and her eyes sparkled just for him.

Senior year felt way too long. In the end, she left the both of them high and dry for an American University after graduation. But Satoru saw it as a lesson of sorts. He didn’t think all women were the same, but he certainly didn’t leave himself open to disappointment after this.

And that’s why he wasn’t the least bit surprised when he saw Suguru pressing his lips to your knuckles in the cafe you both first met in.

“Snake,” Satoru muttered under his breath.

He had no plans to walk inside the establishment at all, until he saw your cheery smile over the head of the brunette on his arm through the window. He shifted his gaze towards the source of your happiness, feeling that same sickening feeling from 3 years prior. 

He needed something sweet to rid the awful taste on his tongue. He took the brunette girl on his arm with him, offering to buy her a sweet drink. She happily obliged, simply ecstatic to be in his highly esteemed presence.

He imagined you didn’t even know who Suguru was, or what kinds of things he was capable of. But who was he to try and inform you? The both of you had split long before, and the last thing he needed was you thinking he actually cared about you. 

But he couldn’t stop looking at you. His heart swelled as he remembered when you both first met. It wasn’t even in lecture the way he had convinced you prior- oh no, long before that. It had been in sophomore year of college, the semester before you signed up for the political science course. 

He saw you in the college office, discussing electives you’d possibly be into with your counselor and one of your friends. He thought you were a cute, timid little thing. He gave himself a project, figuring he’d plant the seed and flirt with you in the near future when he had less women in his current line up. He could tell you were a busy one, rushing out of the office just as quickly as you came in. He didn’t even get a chance to make conversation with you. 

He signed up for a political science class, realizing just how low the probability of him ending up in the same class as you was. One semester later, he remembers chanting God is good as you sit idly in the middle of the lecture room when he arrives. 

The seats around you are taken, and he regrets being late on the first day. At least he had 2 hours to admire you from a distance. 

Your friends had came to get you as soon as class ended, making him miss his opportunity again to talk to you. The week after, you showed up late to class. Satoru being Satoru, it was impossible for him to keep empty seats beside himself due to his popularity. He watched you climb the steps and sit all the way in the back, far behind him. You had stayed to talk with the professor after class as a result. And unfortunately, his entourage of women couldn’t be kept waiting. That week he cut them all off. It was getting too difficult to maintain so many relationships along with his multiple sexual partners.

 A part of him thought having multiple partners and women around just wasn’t worth it. He grew tired of having multiple personalities around him. One sexual partner would be the most convenient. He didn’t even care if people thought he was dating that one specific person- as long as people left him alone. To rid himself of his options when he hadn’t even found a new contender for himself yet is what leeched at his brain. He might of been a bit of a sex addict. But there was also a part of him that was sure you’d be into him. All he had to do was try.

The third week you were absent. He almost lost his shit. He never saw you around campus ever, and he didn’t even know your name. This was getting a bit ridiculous.

Then, seemingly God sent, did he happen upon you in the university’s local cafe. He hadn’t known how long you’d been there since he had been studying himself towards the back.

You had gotten up and had been staring out the glass at the rain. A golden opportunity, he thought.

He packed his things, tossing his bag over his shoulder and umbrella in hand. Smoothly, he stood in the same space by the window. You were dazed, in your own little world, barely noticing his presence. He heard you speak,

“I guess I should sit back down,” you muttered quietly. She’s really not paying me any mind, he thought.

“Man, you don’t have an umbrella? That sucks.” He finally spoke, earning a startled look from you. He continued to stare straightforward towards the window pane. 

“Yeah, I know.” You say, sighing to yourself. He could see the slight blush in your cheeks through the corner of his sunglasses. 

“It says the rain is going to stop within the hour on the weather app.” He said, scrolling and tapping away at his phone. “You goin’ to the train station?”

“Oh, yeah.” You say shyly. He watched you nervously tucked some hair behind your ears before he looked straight ahead at the rain.

He also noticed you couldn’t stop stealing glances at him through the corner of his eye.

“Like what you see?”

You blinked at him repeatedly, earning a cocky chuckle from his end.

“Wanna walk with me?” He asked, peering down at you. He assumed it was too forward because he couldn’t read the look on your face after that. Just a series of blinks and a continuous puzzled stare. 

“I don’t even know you.” You said bluntly, and he felt that you meant it disrespectfully.

“Not yet.” He said slyly. “But I’ve seen you around campus a lot.”

Though that wasn’t true, he couldn’t possible tell you that he had been secretly admiring you every Wednesday for almost three weeks now either.

He watched you put a finger towards your chin before speaking.

“Professor Edamura’s class right?”

“Bingo.” He grinned.

“There’s like 120 people in that lecture.” You only took a guess, considering that was your largest class. 

“Yeah. But I think you’re the cutest.” He could’ve been smoother about it. But he was anxious to make his introduction. Only seeing you on Wednesdays sucked. This way, he could make sure you’d be thinking of him for a little while until you saw him again. 

Whose the mysterious tall guy with the white hair, or at least that’s how he thought you’d be thinking of him in his head.

“Thank you,” you say, squeezing your arms around your book and pressing it towards your chest. 

“Oh look, the rain is stopping.” He says, leaning forward, nose nearly pressing against the glass.

“Well, see you Wednesday.” He smiled a cheeky smile, before walking off. He felt you watching him stride down the street, and that’s how he wanted it to be.

Days later, Satoru was sure to be on time to class. He finally got a chance to sit beside you, offering you a wink and a smile. He could feel how shy you were, choosing not to make much conversation with you during the two hours of lecture. 

Luck was on his side yet again, considering he got paired with you for a group project. He offered to meet at his house, fixing up a group chat for the five of you. The other girls in the group talked over you while you made project plans before class ended. He was highly aware that they were trying their hardest to flirt with him, completely unphased by your presence. He felt bad that he couldn’t even really get close to you without other women somehow ruining things yet again. At least he learned your name and got your phone number. 

The next day, and also the night before the meet up, he texted you privately outside the group chat. 

He remembers checking his phone a few minutes later, seeing you’d left him on read. He realized he probably shouldn’t have been so forward. He chuckled at himself before tossing his phone on the bed and going to sleep.

You arrived somewhat early to his apartment, greeting him quietly before he told you to make yourself comfortable. It didn’t take long for the other three to text the group chat explaining that something had coincidentally came up, leaving you all alone with him. There you sat on the floor of his living room, not looking all that pleased to be in his presence. 

“Guess it’s just the two of us,” he chuckled. 

“Don’t look so happy about it.” He watched you roll your eyes.

“I can’t help it,” he says, sitting across from you on a different floor pillow. “I won’t lie. I had been thinking of asking you on a date. I didn’t think I’d get so lucky.”

“And did you text the other girls in our group the same thing the night before?” You say, nonchalantly opening your book. You didn’t even look his way. Your response threw him off.  Why were you acting like you hated him?

“No, they’re incredibly annoying.” He sighed genuinely, hoping he could change your outlook on him even a little.

“You’re pretty cool though. Kind of bummed you didn’t text me back.” He addressed. It sort of ticked him off that you didn’t respond to him. 

“Because I know what you’re up to.” You say, scribbling away in your notes.

“And what might that be?” He takes off his shades, putting them on the glass coffee table. He loved to play with the girls like this; acting so oblivious to his obvious intentions. 

“I’m not going to fall in love with you. I don’t have time for that.” You firmly set your pencil down, looking at him. He was taken aback. He’s intrigued and wants to poke at you some more.

“I don’t exactly want you to.” He chuckled. You looked at him before speaking again.

“So what do you want from me?” You say, placing your palm in your hand and leaning forward a bit to look at him directly. He thought the way you furrowed your brows at him was precious. He was fully aware you were being serious but he thought you were too cute.

“I said I wanted to take you on a date.” He laughs. “Get to know you a bit, but ultimately take you to bed at the end of the night, if you don’t mind. You can decline, I just wanted to show you a good time.”

Satoru may have been a downright whore up until now, but one thing he did manage to do was not lie to any of the women he dealt with. He never made false promises, and he never ever told women he would eventually commit to them. He hated when people tried to hold him emotionally accountable for things. He was typically clear to everyone about what he wanted from the beginning. Anyone who got their heart broken afterwards couldn’t say shit to him. 

“Sure,” you say calmly, to his surprise. You shift yourself around the table, right beside his body.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously,” you took hold of his jaw, delicately planting a kiss. He had no idea you were so confident. It had been so long since someone had kissed him first so forwardly and so passionately. For the first time in a long time he was mesmerized, feeling the summer before senior year of high school all over again on his living room floor. Your lips were incredibly soft and pillowy. He was already hard, wondering just what your sex was like if you kissed him like this.

You shifted over his body, straddling him against the bottom of the sofa. You’d give him exactly what he wanted.

“You better be good at this, or don’t even bother looking at me after we finish this project.” You break from his lips. His eyes widened a bit, staring deeply into yours before speaking. 

“Oh princess, I don’t ever disappoint.” He smirked. He lifted both your bodies off the ground. He sucked in your lips, kissing you firmly as he brought you to his bedroom. 

That night, he gave you the best sex of your entire life. He wasn’t lying about not disappointing you.

Sex with you was more than a memorable experience to him. The both of you had formed this bond having had done it so many times in one semester. You never pried or asked him about his personal life. You never hinted at wanting more than what he was already giving you. He would notice when you were stressed and life would occasionally beat you up. He lent you his ear, hoping to ease you the best he could. This kept up for almost a year, and he genuinely thought you’d get tired of the agreement by now. But here you were still, being exactly what he wanted you to be. You never smothered him, and that made him want to spoil you. 

He didn’t know how to communicate that unless it was while he had sex with you. You told him not to buy you gifts. Maybe he could treat you to dinner but you were keen on keeping things minimal. 

The most intimate moment you both had was probably the night before you both had ended it all.

He hadn’t seen you all week, and took you to dinner before bringing you home to bed like he always did. He wanted nothing more than your skin against his own. The warmth you gave him was intoxicating yet somehow endearing. He couldn’t dare fall in love with you, but his sex told you otherwise.

“Fuck, I missed you.”

Your entire head was hot from the whisper he made into your ear. He knew he shouldn’t have said it like that. The way your sweet and dazed eyes looked up at him- he knew it was starting to fuck with you. You let out a moan as he filled you up completely, grinding your sex towards him from underneath.

“It looks like you missed me too,” he chuckled. He could never forget the sounds your slimy cunt made every time he inserted himself into you. He knew you couldn’t lie to him even if you tried— your body wouldn’t let you.

He heard you moan back how much you missed him too, wrapping your arms around him and pulling him close. This was getting bad and he knew that. But he never had someone hold him like that before- like they loved him. 

“I know baby,” he placed sweet kisses against your face and neck, “I know.”

This memory echoes in his brain as he watched Suguru play with your fingers at your table. He orders his drink, and the dame beside him is talking a thousand miles per minute but he doesn’t hear thing. He somehow tunes out the entire establishment, only focusing on you and the dark haired bastard right in front of you. 

She moves on quickly, he thought. He was thankful he had his signature dark shades on so he could stare at you as much as he wanted. 

Were you both just talking? Did Suguru establish the same friends with benefits situation with you? Or... was he your boyfriend? 

It felt like it was just yesterday you were telling him how much you missed him, how much you needed him. 

Satoru then remembered the bullshit speech you gave him once about how you didn’t have time to fall in love. 

So what the fuck was this?

He knew he could’ve handled the split so much better. But he was scared. He didn’t trust you. He didn’t want to find out if you were capable of hurting him. Were you that fickle? He knew he was one to talk, but he’d never forget the look you gave him that night- like you were in love with him.

But that was only two months ago. He watched the both of you get up, and pack your things. The nostalgic yet sick feeling from earlier grew tenfold in his stomach as he watched you and Suguru join hands. He watched him press a long sweet kiss against your forehead before tilting your chin up to his gaze. Suguru whispered something to you, obviously making you blush and stare at the floor. He presses another kiss to your forehead before leading you out of the cafe. 

Satoru’s chest felt tight, and he hadn’t felt this way in years. Such a green feeling, but mostly terrified that he might’ve been in love with you. 

Just how was he supposed to get you back?

✨part 3 here ✨