#intimidate her and didn't intervene.

[dukeofthomas]

Why Jason Todd doesn't believe in Batman's idea of ''justice'', or his way of doing things.

[edenesth]

The Way to His Heart [16]

Pairing: general!Seonghwa x wife!reader

AU: arranged marriage au (Joseon era)

Word Count: 3.3k

Summary: Life has been hell ever since your mother's passing many years ago. Despite being from a prominent family, you've never received the privileges associated with it. It only got worse with the arrival of your stepmother and her daughters. When the intimidating General Park was in search of a wife, your father seized the opportunity to dispose of you, simultaneously securing a connection with the powerful general—killing two birds with one stone.

Part 15 | Fic Masterlist | Part 17

What's the meaning of this, Your Highness?

As you entered the grand hall, discomfort painted across your features, Jongho and Eunsook trailed closely behind, exchanging concerned glances. The announcement made by the palace staff had only made the prince's intentions abundantly clear to them.

The head maid, not wanting you to feel alone, stepped up beside you to check on you, "Are you feeling alright, mistress?" She inquired. Jongho nodded in agreement from your other side, suggesting, "Yes, perhaps we can leave early if you are not feeling well."

"Miss Jang! Are you not feeling well, my lady?" Yeosang's deep voice interrupted, your eyes widening at his appearance. As you began to perform the formal bow, he quickly halted you by gently grasping your arms, "No need to be so formal with me," He said softly, "If you're feeling unwell, you can come and rest in my chambers."

Jongho and Eunsook froze at the fourth prince's suggestion, dread washing over them. They could only hope you would decline the invitation, but they knew it wasn't their place to intervene. The idea was simply inappropriate; as a married woman, retiring to another man's private chambers was scandalous. If news of this spread, it would undoubtedly tarnish your reputation and bring dishonour to the general's name.

To their relief, you didn't hesitate to shake your head, "Oh dear, no, Your Highness. Thank you for the offer, but I was simply taken aback by the grandeur of everything. It's my first time attending such a prestigious event, and perhaps I just need a moment to take it all in."

That wasn't entirely untrue, as you finally seized the opportunity to marvel at your surroundings. While your husband's estate was luxurious, it paled in comparison to the opulence of the royal palace. Palace servants bustled about, ensuring everything was flawless. However, you couldn't help but notice the absence of banquet guests, which surprised and unsettled you.

Yeosang fought hard to conceal any disappointment, maintaining a composed smile at your response, "Ah, yes, indeed. How inconsiderate of me not to offer you a tour of the palace first, especially after the delightful tour you provided me at General Park's estate. I believe it's only right for me to return the favour now."

You blinked, "B-but the banquet—"

The prince grinned, cutting you off, "As you can see, you've arrived quite early, my lady. The other guests are not here yet, so I might as well keep you entertained until the event officially begins."

The assistant and head maid were deeply uneasy about the situation unfolding before them as they watched you, left with not much of a choice, agreed unsurely to the so-called tour. It was evident to them that this must be part of Yeosang's scheme. Jongho had ensured your departure from the estate was precisely timed; you couldn't have arrived too early.

"Fantastic! Now, if you'll just come with me," His Highness beckoned as the three of you began to follow him. Just as you started to move, he turned around smugly with an additional suggestion, "Oh, actually, your staff can stay behind if they'd like. That way, we can converse more freely, just the two of us, as we did back at the general's estate. What do you say, Miss Jang?"

It took everything in Eunsook to resist the urge to firmly remind the prince that you already belonged to another.

Similarly agitated by Yeosang's persistence, Jongho silently prayed that Seonghwa had received his letter. Despite being well aware of the impropriety of distracting the general during wartime, after much consideration and discussion with the other guys, they concluded that your husband deserved to be informed of the situation.

Fortunately, you offered a reassuring smile to your two chaperones before turning to address the fourth prince, "I'm sure that would not be necessary, Your Highness. I prefer having them close just in case I require any assistance."

As they witnessed your resolute refusal of the offer, Jongho and Eunsook felt a surge of pride. Truthfully, they had been anxious since Hongjoong had confided in them about the doubts you were harbouring regarding Seonghwa. But they dared not bring it up, wary of your potential reaction. Though a part of them had worried you might be swayed by Yeosang's charms, your firm stance reassured them of your unwavering loyalty to the general.

However, they couldn't shake off the sly glint still evident in the prince's eyes. He seemed oddly pleased despite your rejection to spend time alone with him. That troubled them deeply, and the two exchanged worried glances, silently contemplating what else he could possibly have in store.

With a light chuckle, His Highness replied, "Very well then, I suppose they could come along. This way, my lady. I know a few places you'll find intriguing."

Unlike your husband's staff, you were entirely unaware of Yeosang's intentions. Even then, there was just an inexplicably ominous aura to his demeanour that unsettled you, further intensifying your longing for Seonghwa. The banquet had barely even begun, but you already felt mentally exhausted, wanting nothing more than to rely on the general as you always had.

I miss you, Park Seonghwa.

Before you could dwell on thoughts of your beloved and his well-being, you suddenly recognised the surroundings. The enchanting cherry blossom garden, where you had first met the prince, spread out before you, "Do you remember this place, my lady?" He asked, his tone soft with nostalgia, "It has become my favourite spot in all of the palace since meeting you."

"How could I ever forget, Your Highness?" You replied, momentarily causing Jongho and Eunsook's hearts to sink until you continued with a genuinely innocent smile, "This garden is the only place I've had the pleasure of visiting so far."

Although your response should have let him down, Yeosang found his heart melting at your sincerity. It only served to deepen his admiration for you, knowing that you weren't one to offer insincere compliments or put on a fake smile just because of his status. You were simply yourself, and he found that utterly captivating.

As the four of you neared one of the garden's tallest and most exquisite cherry blossom trees, you found yourself gazing upward in awe at the falling petals, taking in the breathtaking sight. The beauty of the place was undeniable, and you couldn't help but imagine spending hours strolling around and admiring the flowers if this were your home.

His Highness watched you beneath the gently falling pink blossoms, feeling his heart swell with warmth. The scene before him was like a painting, and he longed to preserve it in his memory forever. Just standing there with you, experiencing this moment, filled him with an overwhelming desire to give you everything he had. It was a new and unfamiliar feeling for him, this deep sense of affection for another person. For the first time, he found himself completely enamoured by someone's presence.

"It truly is a sight to behold, isn't it?" You nodded wordlessly in response to the prince's question, reaching out to catch some of the delicate flowers before he continued, "You know, perhaps it's not too late to change your favourite flower from lotus to cherry blossoms."

Though his words seemed simple and harmless, they carried a subtle yet unmistakable implication. This was apparent to the assistant, the head maid, and, for once, to you as well. Deep in thought, you pondered the best way to respond to his suggestion. Somehow, you sensed a deeper meaning in his words from the determined look in his eyes that were almost silently urging you to choose him.

With a soft smile, you caught a falling flower, "Thank you, Your Highness. Cherry blossoms are indeed beautiful, but I still prefer lotus flowers. You see, cherry blossoms may be stunning when they bloom, but they also fall quite fast. To me, the lotus represents endurance and resilience, as it thrives in adverse conditions and blooms beautifully despite its surroundings."

This time, you hoped the prince understood the subtle implication behind your words. The short lifespan of cherry blossoms symbolised fleeting happiness, whereas the lotus embodied strength and perseverance through difficulties—a sentiment you hoped would mirror the love shared between you and Seonghwa.

Jongho and Eunsook exchanged a subtle glance, their smiles growing wider as they registered the meaning of your response.

Meanwhile, Yeosang's composure faltered ever so slightly at your polite rejection. The light in his eyes dimmed momentarily, but he quickly regained his composure, masking any hint of disappointment, "Understood, my lady," He replied with a gracious nod, "You do make a good point. Since we've already been here before, let us move on to the next location then."

As he guided you through various parts of the palace, you found yourself fascinated by the history and beauty of each location. The royal library, with its towering shelves of ancient texts, stirred a sense of awe in you as the prince shared stories of his lessons there. The astronomy tower offered a breathtaking view, and you marvelled at the cityscape from above.

In the kitchen, where the aroma of freshly prepared dishes filled the air, His Highness confessed with a mischievous grin that he often snuck in for a late-night snack. You couldn't help but chuckle at his antics, finding his playful side endearing.

However, as Yeosang led you past the main hall where morning assemblies with His Majesty were held, Jongho's earlier worries resurfaced. Despite the seemingly innocent nature of the tour, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease gnawing at him. Each step further into the heart of the palace felt like a step into unknown territory, and he feared what might happen next.

The assistant's breath caught in his throat as he realised the path the fourth prince was leading you down, the daunting sight of the palace torture chambers coming into view.

No, not this place. Anywhere but here.

In the warzone on the other side of the nation, General Officer Song grappled with his own internal conflicts as he tightly gripped the letters from Jongho and Prince Yeosang. He felt a strong reluctance to deliver them to his superior.

The truth was that General Park had sustained injuries in his recent and one of the more challenging battles. While the situation had calmed down and most of the enemy troops were either strewn lifelessly across the battlefield or had retreated to their camps, Seonghwa's injury had been kept secret to prevent causing panic within their army, following the general's direct orders.

Mingi stood in the makeshift office tent, the letters weighing heavily in his hands. His mind raced with thoughts, torn between his duty as a military officer and his concern for General Park's well-being.

On one hand, keeping the letters hidden seemed like the logical course of action. They were in the midst of a war, and any distraction for their most crucial member could be detrimental to their efforts. Having Seonghwa away from camp for personal matters could compromise their military strategy and the safety of their troops.

Yet, on the other hand, he couldn't shake the feeling of responsibility towards the general and his relationship with Lady Park. If he withheld this crucial information and something were to happen between you and the prince, he would bear the blame. The thought of Seonghwa's potential anguish at being kept in the dark about his wife's situation weighed heavily on him.

With no time to spare for further contemplation, a soldier from the medical team entered the tent, "Officer Song, the general's condition has stabilised. You're permitted to see him in his private tent now."

Acknowledging the news with a nod, the military strategist expressed his gratitude, "Understood. Thank you, soldier. I'll head there immediately."

Not wasting another second, Mingi made his way over to General Park's tent, his concern for his friend overriding any other thought for now. As he pushed aside the tent flap and stepped inside, his heart lurched at the sight before him.

The usually formidable military commander lay in bed, his complexion pale and his once-strong demeanour replaced by one of weakness. Seonghwa's hand was clenched tightly around the bandages covering his abdomen, his expression a mixture of pain and discomfort.

"Hyung-nim," Officer Song's voice was filled with worry as he approached the bedside, "How are you feeling?"

Suppressing a wince, the general released a breathy chuckle, "I'm fine, Mingi," He reassured, though his tone lacked conviction, "I've never seen you look this bothered before. It's almost funny."

The taller man scoffed in response, "And I've never seen you in pain like this before. But this isn't funny."

Seonghwa waved off his friend's concern with a weak smile, "Don't worry, it's just a scratch," He insisted, though his tone contradicted his words, "One of those sneaky bastards on the battlefield played dead. I let my guard down for a moment, and he took advantage of it."

Mingi's eyes widened in alarm, "And he managed to graze you?"

Nodding grimly, the general replied, "Yes, it could have been worse if I hadn't reacted in time. But it's strange. The wound shouldn't hurt this much, considering it's just a graze. Perhaps it's my age catching up with me. After all, I'm not as young as I used to be," He admitted ruefully, "But it's nothing serious. Just a minor setback."

Relieved that his superior seemed to be in stable condition, the strategist decided it was best to allow his friend some much-needed rest. With a reassuring pat on the shoulder, he advised, "You should probably rest up. We can't have you bedridden for long. I'll keep watch for now."

As he moved to leave the tent, the general posed a question, stopping him abruptly in his tracks, "Wait, Mingi, did anything happen while I was being treated earlier?" The taller man froze, his hand pressing on the papers he had kept in his pocket anxiously. He debated whether to reveal the contents of the letters now or wait until Seonghwa was in a better state.

He hesitated, grappling with the weight of his decision. After a moment's pause, he opted to keep the letters from your husband. Turning to offer a strained smile to the general, he denied any incident, "No, nothing happened. Don't worry, hyung-nim."

Seonghwa nodded slowly, his brows furrowing slightly, "I see."

A heavy silence hung between them until the strategist broke it with a forced cough, "I should probably head out now."

Before he could move, the general's voice cut through the air with accusation, "Do you honestly think me a fool, Officer Song? I offered you a chance for honesty, yet you persist in deceit. I may be injured, but I am not deaf. I heard the messenger loud and clear. Now, hand me my letters."

Mingi cursed inwardly, realising his mistake in attempting to deceive the great General Park. Sputtering, he reluctantly retrieved the crumpled letters from his pocket before handing them over, "I-I'm sorry, hyung-nim... I didn't mean to—"

Seonghwa shook his head in disbelief, snatching the papers from his friend's grasp, "I know you only did what you thought was right, just as you always do. But we both know you're a dumbass when it comes to anything outside of war strategising."

The taller man sighed as he observed the general's expression darkening further with each word he read from both letters. His fists clenched tightly as he digested the contents of the prince's letter, the paper tearing at the edges from his grip.

This son of a—

Jongho's prayers seemed to be answered as his master finally received his letter, but merely reading it wouldn't be enough to fix any of the damage the fourth prince was about to inflict.

As you gazed at the looming building ahead, an odd sense of dread filled your stomach, signalling that it probably wasn't a place any of you should be near. Yeosang's grin only heightened your apprehension, "Do you know what this place is, my lady?" His question struck fear into the assistant, who now realised the prince's strategy. Casting an anxious glance at Eunsook, his eyes conveyed the hopelessness of the situation. Previously confident in your faithfulness to your husband, they now harboured doubts.

Blinking rapidly, you croaked out, "I'm afraid I'm not too sure, Your Highness. But perhaps we should head back to the hall; we've been gone for a while now."

The prince shook his head dismissively, "You're always so thoughtful, my lady, but the banquet can wait. Come on, aren't you curious? This is a place General Park frequents. Surely, you'd be interested to learn what he does here." Your blood ran cold in an instant, sensing the conversation was taking a dangerous turn.

"I'm sure Assistant Choi has become quite familiar with this place by now, haven't you? You're always here to pick the general up after he finishes his sessions." Yeosang remarked, amused, as he observed the younger man struggling to respond.

Smirking, he went on, "Welcome, Miss Jang, to the palace torture chambers. I thought it'd be enlightening to show you where your... husband typically conducts important duties. You must have been curious about his activities during his working hours."

The revelation hit you like a tidal wave, freezing you in place. This was where your family had suffered, where Seonghwa had overseen their punishments, as San had explained. The weight of the truth settled heavily on your shoulders, sending a shiver down your spine as horror and disbelief mingled within you.

Jongho and Eunsook exchanged a look filled with desperation. They silently prayed for some miracle to whisk them away from this awful place. Oh, how they wished their master could appear now, but they knew it was nothing more than a wistful hope.

Your silence seemed to fuel Yeosang's discourse, "We should be thankful for General Park's services to the nation, of course," He continued, his tone dripping with faux gratitude, "Only the lord knows how many war criminals and spies he had tortured behind these walls to protect us."

Feigning contemplation, he added, "And if I remember correctly, he was also here when the Jang family underwent their physical punishments. Though I'm sure the general must have already informed you of that," He glanced at Eunsook, who lowered her head, her eyes shut tightly in fear of your reaction, "Especially how he made sure to spend extra hours with the former minister post-punishment."

Extra hours...?

Your heart plummeted to the lowest pit of your stomach as his words sank in. Did your husband do more than just supervise the punishments? The implications gnawed at your mind, and a thousand questions raced through your head. What else could Seonghwa have possibly done to your father? Dread washed over you in waves as you struggled to comprehend the truth behind the prince's insinuations.

« Preview of Part 17 »

"General Park! Where is he?!" The military doctor rushed into the main tent in a panic after realising Seonghwa was nowhere to be found in his private tent.

Mingi looked up from his documents, "My apologies, I should have informed you earlier to prevent any unnecessary alarm. The general mentioned feeling slightly better and had left camp to return home briefly for a family emergency."

"He left?! Is he making the journey back to the city alone?" The physician squeaked, eyes widening in alarm.

Officer Song nodded, his brows furrowed, "Yes, doc. What's wrong? You're scaring me."

Gulping nervously, the doctor retrieved the dagger used by the enemy earlier, "We found it unusual for such a small wound to affect the general so severely. We ran some tests on the weapon and..."

Mingi began to rise from his seat immediately, anxiety was evident in his expression, "Tell me, what did you find?"

"This dagger was laced with poisonous viper venom. It's potent enough to cause damage to his internal organs. He's lucky it was just a graze, but even so, we can't be sure how much venom has entered his system. He requires thorough treatment to prevent the poison from spreading."

Shit, shit, SHIT.

I AM SO SORRY! Okay, I know I said there would be drama in this part, and believe me when I say this, I fully intended to include it in this part in the beginning... but I am planning to end the story in part 20. So, after careful calculations, seems like it's only right to put the climax in part 17.

Also, it's official! There will be spinoff stories for the other members, I'm so excited! I hope you are too! As always, thank you for reading and please let me know your thoughts! <3

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[buckyalpine]

Hiii! I love your stories and I would like to put a request?

I watched videos about social experiments of men forcing themselves on women to see if someone would interfere. There is this one where a guy in a bike, saw it and then fixed his hair to look intimidating and intervened.

Can you do one where reader is a reluctant participant of the experiment with her classmates and they kind of force her to the role is the girl? Then just so happens Bucky was walking around and saw it and just fixed his hair first to look more intimidating before he intervened.

Then they try to tell him its an experiment but Bucky didn't exactly liked it because reader is still upset so he goes and take her away.

It can be fluffy and has a smut on the end or its your choice! Anything would be great because you are a great writer.

I hope you can see my request! Take your time too. No rush love! 💕💕💕

OKAY THIS IS SO CUTE We love protective Bucky. Now make it protective College!Bucky. Readers "friends" are awful in this. Bucky is everything here. We live for that fluffy, emotional smut. Also I'm so sorry because I'm 10000% sure when you said take your time you didn't mean take over a year to respond. I hope you see you bb

"C'mon y/n, it'll be fine!" Danielle whined, dragging you along with the others, ignoring the discomfort on your face.

"Why can't one of you do it" You frowned, tugging at the hem of your skirt, shifting uncomfortable while your friends continued to drag you towards the park bench. They begged you to be a participant in a social experiment they were doing for class and insisted you wouldn't have to do much. They didn't tell you you'd have to sit through someone pretending to harass you the entire time, waiting to see if people would intervene.

"Because it'll look more real this way. One of us can't do it" She rolled her eyes, making adjustments to your hair while her group members set up a camera in the bushes out of sight. They roped in one of the football players on campus, Johnathan Walker, to take on the roll of the man harassing you just to keep it more interesting, wondering if people would stand up to a more well-known figure, especially one that was clearly physically stronger than most.

"It's not that big of a deal. All you have to do is look scared while John pretends to keep asking you out on a date. Maybe some cat calling. either way its all fake so you just have to act. Ugh, don't worry, Y'know he'd never actually ask you out, seriously, enjoy what you can here"

You sighed, your stomach already flipping with anxiety while she laughed, running off to hide, throwing a thumbs up to indicate they'd started filming.

"Hey pretty girl" the blonde winked, taking a seat beside you on he bench, inching closer to you when you shifted away. "What's a girl like you doin' sittin' all alone" He threw his arm over the back of the bench to get you closer, trying to pull you right beside him. You stiffened, looking as uncomfortable as ever but you weren't acting.

"Just waiting for someone" You made up an excuse, giving him another pained smile while he nodded, asking you for coffee next, talking louder than necessary, hoping to gain some attention from people walking by. You shook your head, getting up to walk away, the smirk on his face growing, clearly really enjoying this.

"Hey, come back" he called after you, grabbing your arm and pulling you to his chest to keep you from running off. His hand moved from your arm to your waist, sliding down until it rested just above your ass. More passer byers started to notice but no one stopped, every person glancing without wanting to get involved, especially when it came to the football star and a girl no one really knew.

"John, stop" You whispered just enough for him to hear, your throat tightening when he gripped you harder, smirking at your struggle.

"C'mon darlin', don't be like that" He laughed, grabbing your ass, your heart starting to hammer in panic. You pushed against his chest, desperately hoping someone would intervene but he only continued to hold you closer.

-

Bucky ran his fingers through his hair after just taking it down after a workout, his black hair tie sitting on his wrist. He took a long sip from his water bottle while walking to class, noticing a few hushed whispers among people as he passed the campus park along with a small crowd watching something from a distance.

"Please let me go"

He frowned at the scared pleading voice he heard, making his way over to make sure no one was hurt. His jaw clenched seeing the sweet girl he recognized from one of his classes clearly in distress trying to get away from Walker without a single person trying to help. He saw red watching Walkers hands roam, pulling her back each time she tried to run away.

-

"Just one date, it won't hurt-

"Get the fuck off her!" A voice boomed across the park making John flinch, his hand dropping as if you'd suddenly burnt him. Everyone's eyes shot up to a very angry James Barnes marching straight towards you and John, the blonde swallowing nervously, stepping away from you.

Danielle stopped filming, worried Bucky would actually throw John over the bench, his hardened eyes and clenched fists a bad sign.

"Guys! Hey, relax it's just an experiment-

"About what?! Actually harassing her? You're disgusting" Bucky hissed, glaring at Danielle, shutting her up instantly. Bucky stepped in between you and John, his large frame sheltering you from your supposed friends. "Can't you see she's actually scared and uncomfortable. You should've stopped as soon as she asked you to"

Danielle's cheeks reddened from embarrassment, too scared to say anything back to the man who towered over her, slinking away when he turned to John instead.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, I should beat your ass for what you just did to her" Bucky growled while John tried to straighten his shoulders, getting pulled back by his bestfriend before he could open his mouth.

"He's captain of the wrestling team and coaches MMA, just shut the fuck up and walk away" Lamar hissed in Johns ear, throwing Bucky an apologetic smile, dragging his friend before things could get worse. Your friends packed their things and scrambled away leaving your shaken, biting onto your lip to keep from crying.

"Hey, you okay?" Bucky cupped your cheek, his thumb wiping away the tears that slipped out, his glare sending off anyone that tried to stop and stare.

"I'm-I'm fine" You said shakily, forcing a smile. "Thank you Bucky"

"Of course y/n" He spoke softly, wishing he could wrap you up in his arms so you'd feel protected. His heart broke seeing you continue to tremble, slipping his hand in yours, giving it a firm squeeze. "Tell me what you need, do you want me to walk you home?"

"Yes please" You whispered, grateful you had Bucky by your side, his stoic face, scruffy beard and shoulder length hair keeping everyone else far away while he kept you close to his side.

"Lets go" He nodded with a smile, knowing the way to your place after he'd walked you home plenty of times after you'd worked on papers together in the library. You pressed yourself into his side, your body relaxing when he moved to wrap his arm around you, strong, corded muscles holding you firmly. The walk to your place wasn't long; as soon as you reached the door, you felt a pang of sadness, already missing Bucky's protective warmth.

"What else do you need sweets, do you want me to get you anything? Coffee?"

"Could you-" you nervously fidgeted with your fingers, feeling silly for the request, deciding to drop in instead. "Actually its okay"

"Hey, no, please tell me, you know you can ask me for anything y/n" His baby blues pleaded with you while your eyes flicked to your feet.

"Could you stay for a little while? I- I just- I'm still-

"Of course doll, I'd love to" Bucky hushed your nervous rambling, happy to keep you company until you felt better. His cheeks blushed as he entered you home, already doing a poor job of keeping his composure together. He couldn't help the way his heart skipped a beat when you gave him a shy smile, the secret crush he had on you making him feel soft and fuzzy. He'd had a crush on you from the first day you were assigned as study partners for a project and it had only gotten worse ever since.

He toed off his shoes, dropping his duffle bag by the closet while you both made your way to the living room. He didn't let you get up, telling you to stay put on the couch while he went to grab you some water. You put on one of your comfort shows, curling up into his side while he wrapped his arm around you, the scent of his body wash and something distinctly him making you feel warm and safe. You hadn't realized you kept kneading into his side like a kitten while Bucky chuckled, pulling the throw blanket over you, letting your legs sit across his thighs.

"Feeling better?" He whispered against your hair, still stroking your back an hour later. You nodded, having crawled into his lap at some point during the evening, your head resting on his chest, listening to his heart beat.

"I like this" you smiled, toying with his chain, the simple action making Bucky nearly swoon.

"Me too, doll" He kissed the top of your head softly, "Anything else I can do for you? Just name it, I can make you dinner, we can build a pillow fort, have a sleep over" He teased playfully, making you giggle. You nuzzled yourself further into his hold, wanting the night to last forever.

"Stay with me tonight?" you whispered, peering up at him through your lashes before flicking yours eyes away, worried you'd crossed a boundary. Bucky cupped your face making you look at him, his thumb sweeping across your bottom lip.

"Are you sure, sweets?"

"Please" you nodded, forgetting how to breathe when his eyes bounced to your lips before meeting your gaze again, his self restraint slowly crumbling. He bit his lip, squeezing your waist a little harder than intended to hold himself back, eyes growing wide when your soft mouth pressed against his. His lashes fluttered shut, hands moving to hold your face, desperately chasing more of your sweetness.

His tongue slipped between yours lips, lacing with yours as the kiss grew more heated, groaning as he moved you to straddle his lap with ease. He didn't intend to take anything further, happy to spend the night kissing you while watching movies, his arms wrapping around your body.

"I need you" You broke away panting, your hands clutching onto his Henley, seated again his thick erection impossible to hide under his sweats.

"How do you need me, sugar" Bucky rasped, unsure if thats what you needed, doing his best to keep his hard length from rubbing against you. He let out a shuddered breath when you shifted, bucking your hips in the process, wriggling on his lap. "Doll, you gotta stop that, or else I'll-

"Need you closer" You whimpered, your arms wrapping around his wide shoulders, burying you face into the crook of his neck. His heady scent made you want to sink your teeth into him, having never felt more protected, needing to feel all of him.

"Are-are you sure?" He squeezes his eyes shut, feeling your soft lips pepper kisses up his neck to his ear. He wouldn't have a single problem if you decided to say no, still doing his best to hold back.

"Yes, please Bucky need you"

"Can't have our first time together on your couch, baby" Bucky let out a breathless laugh, wrapping your legs around his waist, hoisting you up with ease, making his way up the stairs to your room. He laid you down before settling on top between your legs, lost in holding you again. Clothes were thrown off one by one between needy, desperate kisses, until you were both left completely bare. Your slick was sticky between your legs, covering your thighs, too impatient for anything else, just needing Bucky to fill you right up.

Bucky could feel your arousal coat his length, keeping it slotting between your wet folds as he dipped his head down to take your nipple in his mouth, giving it a gentle tug while cupping your other breast. His hips rutted on their own. taking his time to love on you, dribbles of precum wetting your clit.

"Bucky, please, closer?" You pleaded, spreading your legs further, gasping when his tip caught against your entrance, your nails digging into his thick shoulders. His fell around your face like a soft curtain, gently tickling your face.

"You sure you want this, you can say no baby" He said sincerely, stroking your hair, ignoring the way your cunt was pulsing and throbbing against his dripping cockhead, greedy for him to put it in you.

"I want you Bucky. I-I've liked for for so long" You shyly confessed, biting your lip while he cooed, tipping your chin up to meet his eyes.

"I liked you too, y/n" He whispered, his cheeks blushing at your sweetness, giving yourself to him, and trusting him when you were at your most vulnerable. "So much love, been crushing on you forever"

He held the base of his cock, the both of you gasping as he pushed the tip in, your pussy instantly welcoming him inside you, pulsing for more.

"That's it, open up for me baby, good girl" He whispered against your skin, inching his cock in, the delicious stretch causing your back to arch off the bed, pressing your chest further against his. "S'good, taking all of my cock doll"

"Wan-want all of you Bucky" you moaned, squeezing your thighs around his waist as he bottomed out, his balls pressed against your ass. "Oh my god!"

Bucky started to move, giving you slow, gentle strokes, his body weight grounding you while you took everything he gave you. He'd wanted to make love for you for ages, bringing his hands to lave with yours, pinning you against the bed while moving faster, his cock swelling further.

"You-you feel so good sweets, fuck you're so precious"

"I am?" You whimpered, your voice melting into a moan as he hit that sensitive spot that made your body tremble, pleasure and emotion causing tears to slip out.

"So precious to me baby" He wrapped his arms tenderly around your body, kissing your tears away, his pace growing sloppy. "My precious doll. I'll protect you from anyone" His voice dropped an octave, fucking you with the utmost passion, pounding you hard and fast. "You're mine now, not gonna let anyone every hurt you"

You hiccupped a sob, your cunt pulling him back in, fluttering around his throbbing cock making it impossible for him to last any longer.

"M'gonna cum doll" Bucky whispered, his back pulled taut, giving you deep strokes, the head of his cock sensitive, "You gotta cum first baby, m'gonna cum so hard for you" His hand slipped between your bodies, rubbing quick circles around your clit, pleasure crashing down hard and fast.

"BUCCKYY" You cried out, your body shuddering as you started to clench around his cock, causing him to moan loudly, stilling as he cock hardened.

"Oh fuck baby, m'cumming!" He spilled himself into you, giving you a few more sloppy thrusts until he was milked dry, collapsing on top of you while you carded your fingers through his soft locks. He spent the rest of the night cuddling you, until you fell asleep in his arms, with your legs tangled together until the sun rose.

He loved how you looked, as the sun streamed through the blinds, a soft pout on yours lips as he traced over your featured, admiring each one. You peeked an eye open before closing it again, giggling when he pinched your side.

"What else can I do for you, baby" Bucky gave you a cheeky smile, making your face heat up, smiling into his chest.

"More cuddles please?" Your voice was muffled, sighing contently when he pulled the covers higher, closing his eyes again.

"Wouldn't have it any other way"

[yeeterthek33per]

Taken (Steph Catley x Reader)

A/n requested, hope y'all enjoy. 18+ Minors DNI. Smooty warning. As usual, the star marks the safe limit.

"Steph, come on, we're gonna be late for YOUR team's party if you don't hurry up."

The defender had spent the better part of an hour in the bathroom, and now you were both running late to a party that Steph had asked you to come to.

She knew she was gonna cop it from you and her own teammates if she didn't hoof it, but she had to look good. Especially if she was walking in beside you.

Hence why she was wearing a sleeveless button-up blouse and jean shorts. Something that would definitely show off muscles to compliment your own.

When she steps out of the bathroom, her point is only proven.

She grins, looking you up and down, and you blush slightly under her gaze and roll your eyes at her antics.

You're wearing black denim jeans, a yellow crop top that leaves your stomach exposed, and a black leather jacket over your shoulder.

"Come on, we have to go. I'm meeting your other teammates for the first time, I do not want to be late."

At this point, the pair of you had been together for about seven months, having moved in without much communication to her team aside from Caitlin, who you'd spent time with together on several occasions.

So it took until now for you to actually be able to meet them in person.

You both head out to the car, grabbing your keys along the way. Steph is quick to open your door for you before jumping in the drivers side.

"Ever the gentlewoman." You give her a teasing smirk, and she smiles, pecking you on the lips before starting the car and backing out of the driveway, her hand resting on your thigh for most of the drive.

The moment you walk in, there's cheering from the girls as Steph finally makes an appearance.

"Ayyy Stephyyy, she's in finally, and who's this with her?" It's Katie who yells out first.

"Yeah, Stephy, who's this? She's looking fiiine!" That earns Stina a glare from the defender and a chuckle from you.

"Oooh, Stephy brought the girlfriend, be nice guys, she's a keeper!" It's Caitlin that has you blushing a little behind Steph.

"Girlfriend?!"

"Stephy, when did this happen?"

And various other shouts are accompanying them all at once.

Steph just laughs, shaking her head.

"Alright, alright, alright. Everyone, this is Y/n, we've been together seven months. Play nice, nobody scare her away."

You chuckle softly at the brunette leaving a kiss on her cheek as you're quickly dragged away by Beth and Katie.

Caitlin slaps an arm around Steph and drags her over to sit with Viv, Manu, Frida, and Lia. Much to Steph's protests at being separated from you.

In the kitchen, you're being bombarded with questions from Katie. Occasionally, Beth intervenes and tells her to calm a bit before handing you a drink.

You're definitely a little nervous, but once the alcohol is flowing through you, Katie's not so intimidating anymore.

You spend some time just downing drinks as a mini contest with the irish girl, and you can tell straight away that the alcohol you're both consuming is probably not a healthy amount.

About two hours later, the three of you have been laughing at stories you've been sharing, and at one point, there's tears leaking from your eyes, you're laughing so hard.

There's a knock at the door about twenty minutes after that, and Katie is suddenly dragging you to the door with her, practically jumping with excitement.

"Ooh, ooh, I know who that is. It's Leah, you're gonna love her, she's a party girl like me. Blonde and tall and definitely a terrifying captain when she wants, but absolutely let's it rip at parties."

Something clicks in your head, and you go to respond before she rips open the door.

"Oh I know Leah, she's-"

"Leaaaahhh! You made it finally! My god woman, you gotta start getting here earlier. You missed all the fun with -"

Leah grins at you, a cheeky but confused smile on her face when she spots your slightly tipsy self standing at the door.

"Y/n? Oh, I know you've been having a good time then, Katie. This one will drink you under the table."

"You know each other?"

Leah gives you a cheeky wink.

"You could say that."

"Also, wait, there's no way she could outdrink me, I'm Irish."

"Katie, I love you, but she could end your liver if you tried that."

"Meh, I do that on my own accord."

Steph spots Leah walking in with you from the entryway, the music a little loud to hear what you're conversing about but she watches as the blonde puts an immediate arm around your shoulder and kisses your cheek as you grin and pat her face before heading to the kitchen again with Beth.

She feels a wave of heat course through her chest. Why were you so suddenly touchy-feely with her teammates? Why Leah in particular?

She pushed it down, rubbing it off as you were just friendly with the blonde and a little tipsy, if anything. She knows you'd never cheat on her.

Throughout the night, she watches you joke and muck around with the three girls. Occasionally, you converse with a couple of the others. But she focuses on the comfortability you suddenly have around the Arsenal captain.

She tries her hardest to push down any lingering jealousy, focusing on her conversation with Lia instead.

"And so she was talking to me like I knew her. So, the poor thing, I had to stop her and ask, and I just felt so embarrassed."

-------

"Are you kidding me? She just freaking flopped like that?" You giggle, nodding at Katie as Leah huffs lightly, poking you in the ribs.

"You missy, need to stop telling everyone that, who brought you here anyway?"

"Oh, that's another thing I haven't gotten around to telling you yet."

Leah raises a brow at you questioningly. A playful look of hurt crosses her features.

"What haven't you been telling me?"

" I know you've been busy with your injury, and I didn't wanna dump it on you suddenly. But I kind of maybe am possibly dating one of your teammates..?"

Leah raises both brows now.

"Sorry, what? When did that happen? I know I was injured, but jeez, sis, why not tell me sooner? Who is it? I want to know."

"What so you can fight them? Hell no."

"Noooo, me fight them? Neverrrr."

She leaves a sloppy kiss on your cheek, and you shove her lightly.

Steph watches this happen from the couch, and she has to bite back a growl coming from her throat.

Caitlin can see the look on her friend's face and has to hide a knowing smirk. Steph was pretty good with you, but possessive was a trait she picked up quickly, especially with you.

You were kind of oblivious to it, though, making the hilarity of the situation that much better.

Steph can see you laughing with the blonde, and she spots you leaning on the taller girl's shoulder.

It's about five minutes of that before she snaps.

She watches you kiss Leah on the cheek and give her a wink.

That's the last straw for Steph in the other room. She couldn't watch handsy mccaptain continue, and you clearly weren't even fighting it. The fact that you were participating was worse. What is going on with you?

She grabs you by the hand to drag you outside. Leaving behind a bewildered Leah, a hysterically laughing Katie and a knowingly smirking Beth and Caitlin.

Leah just turns to the others.

"I-what? Is it Steph?"

Beth just nods with a small "I probably wouldn't go and ask them now though."

-------

Back in the car, you're completely bewildered by Steph and her actions.

She looks absolutely mad, and she won't look at you. You barely got a "We're heading home early, I need to do something" out of her before you were both in the car headed back to your shared home.

"Seriously babe, what is going on with you?"

The alcohol running through your system is starting to fade off a bit.

"I could ask you the same thing."

Just as you go to reply to that. The car turns into the driveway, and she's out of the car, waiting for you to join her. Her arms over her chest, waiting impatiently.

You're completely and utterly confused by that.

You get out of the car, and you walk up to the door while Steph unlocks it, and the moment it's open, you're dragged inside and pressed harshly into the wood of the inside of it.

It makes you gasp, and Steph is pressed entirely to you, hand grasping your hip and the other in your hair.

Her lips meet yours hard, practically knocking the air from your lungs, and you can taste the strawberry daiquiri she'd been drinking just ten minutes earlier.

The kiss is rough and feverish, and it makes you dizzy and dazes you enough to momentarily forget the whole thing that just happened.

Her teeth tug at your lower lip, and she tugs st the collar of your jacket, pushing you into the wall perpendicular to the door.

Your chest heaves when she pulls away, trying to suck back in air as she kisses and nips her way down your neck, pushing your jacket off your shoulders.

"Baby, I-"

"Shut up."

*It makes you moan softly. You love it when Steph is this demanding and rough with you, and you're practically keening every time she tugs on your hair, holding your head back against the wall.

She pulls away just enough to whisper in your ear.

"Not a word out of you except 'Yes' 'No' 'please" and 'thank you' and anything otherwise I ask. Got it?"

"Yes"

"Yes, what?"

It sends a shiver down your spine, and you have to bite your tongue to not immediately moan at the sentence.

You'd both discussed this one for a while, but it never came into any situations til now.

"Yes, ma'am."

You can see the way her pupils dilate, and her breath catches in her throat.

"Good girl."

You preen under the praise, and your hands are trying to pull her closer to you. She doesn't budge, though, and instead, she lets go of your hair to pin your hands to the wall.

Her lips meet yours again feverantly, and she begins to tug at your crop top before her hand slips under it to grab at your breast and you arch softly under her touch.

You kick your shoes off intermittently, and she does the same.

At that, her leg slips between yours, pressing right into you, and you grind down on her with a whimper.

She whispers against your lips.

"So needy baby girl. Go ahead, try and get off like that."

If it weren't for the fact that your eyes were squeezed shut, they'd probably roll into the back of your head.

You roll your hips against her thigh, moving with a heavy amount of desparation and need. It just isn't enough contact, though, and you quickly find yourself whining in frustration, leaving Steph smirking as she watches you try to cum from grinding on her. Her hands release yours, and she grabs you by the jaw, walking you away from the wall and down the hall to your shared bedroom.

She presses you back into the wall again. Murmuring a "keep going."

Try as you might. You just aren't getting anywhere, and you're just about sobbing in pent-up frustration.

That's when she decides to have a little mercy on you and quickly relieves you of your crop top and flicks at the button on your jeans to open it.

You're pushed back onto the bed with a small thud, and Steph tugs at your pants to pull them off you.

Your breathing is completely ragged now, and the look in your girlfriend's eyes has you whining as she watches you writhe beneath her when she kneels either side of your right leg.

She quickly pins you again, this time she holds for second.

"Keep your hands there sweet girl. You move them and we stop, you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am. "

You do as you're told and keep your hands latched onto the bedding above your head.

She sucks a few marks into your collar before kissing her way down to your nipple as her hands slip down between the two of you.

She grasps your thighs to spread them a little, where she looks up to watch your face as you clench your jaw.

She moves one of her hands to dip beneath the edge of your underwear, and she pulls back from you to watch as she pulls the dampened fabric from you.

Her eyes darken, and she growls a little, noticing the underwear you're wearing. Red lace.

"Were you expecting this baby girl? So desperate for me to fuck you, so needy huh? So fucking needy for me."

All you can do is whimper below her, squeezing your eyes shut once again. Holding your tongue so as not to beg her to fuck you, which would be out of line.

She can immediately tell, though, and she grins darkly.

"C'mon baby girl, tell me to fuck you, tell me how needy you were for me. How needy were you, tell me how you're such a brat as to test me like that so I could fuck this needy little pussy."

The words barely register in your brain before you're answering.

"So needy, please I need you to fuck me, fuck me til I can't remember my own name, only yours. I was such a brat. Only for you ma'am."

The words are out, and it only spurs the brunette on. She growls and finally pulls your underwear off you, leaving you bare to the cool night. You whimper, lifting your hips to meet her hand as she grazes her finger gently over your slit.

You're completely wet, and it makes her groan seeing you completely at her mercy. Her fingertips dip between your lips finally, stroking your clit and applying just enough pressure to dip inside you and back out again.

"Such a good girl for me now, aren't you?"

You moan out but when you don't say anything, you yelp at the slight spank she leaves on your thigh.

"Answer me."

"Yes."

Another spank makes you jump.

"Yes, ma'am!" It's basically a cry out, and you're thankful your neighbours house is more than two kilometres from your doorstep.

"Good girl."

Steph bends down to kiss down your chest and stomach, one particularly harsh bite has you gasping and you nearly move your hand to grasp her hair but you stop yourself.

Her mouth moves lower to your hip bown, tongue dancing into the groove where your leg meets your body and then across to just above your clit.

You have to clamp your jaw shut to avoid demanding her to move, do anything.

"I want you to scream nothing but my name and please, baby girl. My mouth is gonna be a little occupied so I want you nice and loud for me."

You moan at that.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good."

And with that, she swipes her tongue over your clit and shifts so her hands hold your legs open for her.

"Fuck, Steph!" She smirks against you, her tongue delving right into you, taking you in and sucking up your wetness, your taste exploding on her tongue.

Her lips wrap around your clit sucking it harshly and at the same time, she pushes two fingers into your entrance, setting a harsh pace, pressing right in your g spot with a curl making you see stars.

You cry out as she completely devours you. Her left hand moves to urge your legs up and over shoulders, your right staying put to allow her space to move, but a nudge from her elbow has it following the other leg.

Your thighs clench around her head, and when you start to shake around her, she doubles down. Your orgasm hits you hard and fast, and your moans echo around the room.

Knowing Steph's stamina, this would be a first of many for you. As you come down from that high, she nudges you further back onto the bed.

"So good for me, baby girl." It's said in a breathless whisper, and when she kisses you, you can taste yourself on her tongue.

"You can move your hands, baby."

With that, your hands are instantly on her. Running up under her shirt to feel the skin of her back before moving them to wait at the buttons of it.

She hums in thought for a second before urging you on.

"Go ahead."

She sits back on her haunches as you pull the buttons open one by one, enjoying the feeling of you stripping her.

She shrugs the shirt off, tossing it to only god knows where in the room. From there, you tug open the buttom on her jean shorts and unzip them. She stands off the bed to kick them off.

The dark red lace makes your mouth water a little, and as she crawls back onto the bed, your hands find the front clasp of the bra. You wait for permission, and she raises a brow, looking down at you from her position, kneeling, straddling your thighs.

"What do you say princess?"

"Can I please take these off you?"

She taps her chin for a second.

"Hm, I think you can try better than that baby girl."

"Ma'am, may I please take these off you? I've been such a good girl for you, please can I take them off?"

She leans down to peck your lips.

"Much better princess. Go on then. Take them off."

You don't wait for much else. You unclip the bra, and she slowly lets it fall from her shoulders to her hands before tossing it.

She watches as your pupils darken and you have to resist the urge to grab her straight away. Instead, she goes back to standing, and you follow.

Tugging at the elastic waistband of the panties, you slip them down her legs, and she steps out of them.

A whine gets caught in your throat at the sight, and you look up at Steph with pleading eyes.

She chuckles and runs her fingers through your thoroughly tousled hair. Her other hand cups your cheek, her thumb running over your bottom lip, pulling at it slightly.

She lets it dip between your teeth, and you do as silently instructed and suck it gently, letting it press into your tongue as you hollow your cheeks.

Steph groans and then pushes you back onto the mattress and moves to sit on your stomach. Your hands settle on her hips, and she looks down at you with a dangerous look in her eyes.

"You want to touch me?"

Instantly.

"Yes Ma'am."

"How bad?"

"God so bad, please."

She chuckles darkly and shuffles a little further up your chest.

"How about taste me?"

"Fuck, please, I want to taste you, please let me feel you."

"Good girl." It's a little more breathy, and she moves to hover over your head. You know better than to move without permission, though.

"Well? You want to taste, huh? Taste how wet I am for you. Do it."

That's all the permission you need, and you tug her down to sit on your face. Tongue lapping at her almost immediately, a breathy groan leaves you as you finally get a taste of her sweetness.

Fun fact: Did you know, the more upset a woman is, the sweeter she tastes when she orgasms?

Whatever had her upset earlier has her tasting like sweets to you to when she cums.

And that's exactly what you're gunning for as you fuck her with your tongue.

Her hips rock against you as she moans your name out into the cool air. Her hands are tugging your hair, and praises slip from her lips that only encourage you.

Her movements stutter, and she cries out, one hand steadying her on the bed, the other still clamped tight in your locks while you suck on her clit to bring her down.

Suddenly, it all clicks as her breathing slows to a calmer form. As she slips off your face. The memories of tonight set in over the top of the haziness and a smirk plays at your lips.

Her dragging you out directly after you kissed Leah on the cheek, her words about you intentionally testing her, being a brat, the immediate anger turning to heated passion as you get in the door.

It all makes sense now.

What Steph is not expecting to hear immediately after her orgasm is your soft voice in an almost cheeky tone whispering your safe word.

"Pudding."

Her head whips up at that.

"What's wrong? Shit, was I too rough? Was I-." She catches herself at the look on your face. There's a smirk there and a mischievous look in your eyes.

"Were you jealous?" The undertone of your accent makes her shiver.

"I- no! I was not jealous! You were the one testing boundaries. I mean, I wasn't- she was touchy and-"

You chuckle softly and sit up to grab her face and kiss her. She kisses back but is slightly confused when you pull back. It's a much softer but still mischievous look on your face.

"Baby, it's cute that you were, but you definitely shouldn't be jealous of Leah."

She frowns slightly, a round of protests ready to leave her lips, but you lift a finger to them. You urge her back until she's leaning against the headboard and you're in her lap.

"I'm serious, baby, don't be." And you lean down slowly to whisper in her ear. "Fun fact. Us Williamsons really differ in how we look, so it's kind of hard to tell that we're sisters."

At that, the words process and her eyes close as she lets her head thump against your chest, and you start giggling softly.

She feels the vibrations of you laughing, and she looks up at you again, her cheeks having completely gone just about as red as the uniform her and your sister share.

She whines at you.

"Seriously, baby, that's who your sister is? You couldn't have mentioned that earlier? That your sister is my captain? Oh god, I've completely gone and embarrassed myself in front of her, too."

You can only laugh harder, tears coming to the corner of your eyes as she facepalms.

You slow your laughs enough to run your fingers through her hair and console her, though less meaningful than she likes.

"It's okay baby, you didn’t know, and honestly, I would have told you sooner if it wasn't for the fact that she didn't even know you existed til now. Well, that you existed as my girlfriend."

Her face only heats up more, and she just completely melts against you. To the point where she's just completely non functioning as she processes your words over and over.

"Baby!"

Your laughter slows, and to your credit, you do whisper small apologies against her hair.

"So you're saying she never even knew we were dating before I went and dragged you from that party without a word to the other girls?"

"Welllll..."

"Baby, please, this can't get much worse, can it?"

You can't even keep a straight face at that.

"I'd only told her about me having a girlfriend on the team about five minutes before you grabbed me. I didn't actually tell her who it was."

"Oh my god, Y/n! For fucks sakes! Seriously?!"

"I mean, yeah?"

She huffs and pushes you back onto the bed with a small groan. She rubs at her face.

"Glad you're finding the whole thing funny, I don't think I can ever face her again!"

You give her a few minutes but shes still just sitting there with her head in her hands.

"You okay?" Its said in a half teasing tone and her answer comes back a resounding and muffled.

"No."

She drops her hands and tackles you back onto the mattress, and you squeal as she does so, and her hands pin your shoulders to the bed.

"You're so gonna pay for that."

"Oh yeah?"

"Most-fucken-definitely."

Her lips slam back onto yours, and your hands almost slip up to grab her hips, but her hands grab them, slamming them back onto the mattress again.

"Oh, you don't get to touch for the rest of the night, little brat. That privilege is gone now."

You whimper under her hard gaze. And as she sits up a little, she whispers a soft "Stay."

You nod, and she gets up to reach into the closet, pulling out one of your ties.

You gulp as she walks back towards you, swiftly climbing back onto the bed and telling you to go back up by the headboards. Her hands manoeuvre the tie around both of your wrists and tighten them, locking them in place against the headboard.

She then gets up to go digging through the closet again, pulling out a box you know thoroughly by now.

She pulls out another tie when you go to plead with her, telling her you'll be good, and she ties it around your head.

"Not another fucking word, brat."

It makes your head fuzzy, and everything goes back to being hazy again.

She pulls out a small bullet shaped object that you know well what she's going to do with. And then she pulls out the strap and a dildo you hadn't seen yet. It's red and sparkly and makes you shake a little.

"If you cum before I say you can, you won't cum for two months. Hear me?"

You nod slowly.

"Good."

The last time you'd disobeyed that, you were surpisingly proven wrong in thinking she would cave, but no, she edged you for a whole month.

You knew better than to try and finish yourself and risk getting caught because she would only add weeks on to the punishment. Touch starvation can be a cruel but effective persuasion.

Hell, Steph wouldn't kiss you during that first time you were punished unless you got on your knees and begged for it.

That was established on the first day the two of you had started experimenting with this.

The thought of having to do that again makes several shivers run through you.

"I say, we go for ten minutes, no cumming. If you can make it until then, I'll let you finish yourself off."

--------------

It's about four in the morning by the time your exhausted body is let down gently onto the mattress again. Steph is covered in a thin layer of sweat, and her hair is up but sticking to her forehead.

Her chest is heaving beside you. She'd taken the tie off you earlier to "Let you feel me fucking you. Mark me all you like baby girl, those hands dont leave me while I'm fucking that sweet little pussy."

The gag had come out much before then. For much more... visual purposes.

Your throat was sore and ran dry about thirty minutes ago. Your lips are swollen, and you're covered neck to knee in hickies.

Your ass cheeks were red raw and sore and your centre certainly felt thoroughly fucked through.

Steph's stamina never ceased to amaze you sometimes.

She tosses the strap into a corner off the room and takes very careful steps off the bed to go get water and a cloth, thoroughly pleased with herself at that.

She takes a drink and offers the bottle to you while she wipes you down.

You drink the remaining water in slow sips, watching through hooded but loving eyes as your girlfriend carefully cleans you up.

She walks to the laundry to dump the cloth and throws the bottle into the trashcan beside the bed. She goes to the bathroom to wipe herself down too and then staggers back to the bed and under the sheets, in beside you, thoroughly spent for the night.

You curl into her, letting her arm fall onto your waist, pulling you closer to her.

She kisses you softly. Gentler than she had been all night. Soft praises are muttered into the kiss. Followed by sweet nothings in your ear as you fall asleep on her chest.

Her lips press one final "I love you so fucking much, Baby girl." Into your skin as you drift off completely, letting the early morning hours take you into unconsciousness.

---------------

The next day at training is almost unbearable.

At least for Steph. You're back at home still under the covers, though now showered and in pyjamas while she's at the field, getting absolutely shredded by her teammates.

Leah isn't even doing anything. It's all Caitlin, Katie, Beth, and Lia ripping into her about the various marks on her neck and thighs and the slight limp in her run as she completes the various drills with them.

All the blonde captain does is watch on with an amused look on her face, even though Steph can't quite meet her eye the whole time.

Eventually, she does corner the brunette after training alone.

"Look, I'd give you the whole, 'hurt my sister, and I'll bury your corpse speech', but judging by the look on your face, you'd probably do that for me. I am just gonna say this, though. Might wanna consider using a better quality concealer than doesn't melt with sweat."

With that, the English captain gives the poor girl a cheeky wink and lets her go.

At least the captain knows her sister's taken now, though... right?

[lovelyladyabsinthewrites]

Homelander being obsessed with his sister HC

Warnings: siblingxsibling implications, Homelander being such a narcissist that he falls in "love" with his own sibling, dubcon, manipulation, stalking, basically all the horrible parts of HL come out to play, MC has blonde hair and blue eyes like HL, different plot than 'All I Ever Wanted, All I Ever Needed'.

II III IV V

Cuz you know all this man wants is a family after being depraved of it from the moment he was born

He’s been alone, starved of physical and emotional comfort

HL just wants SOMEONE to call his own

And when Vogelbaum tells him that he’s not alone in the world, that he has someone in the world, he insisted that he meets this new sibling. What was Vought planning? Why was their newest supe baby sharing his DNA?

Visiting you in Vought's secret nursery, there was an immediate shock of electricity shooting through his brain Already at several months old, you could see his face clearly and gurgled happily, reaching to the young man. Homelander stamps his claim on you immediately. Whatever the scientist had planned for you, HL would intervene. Looking down at your sweet, chubby face was enough to win him over to your side

It would take over him, he’d become a man possessed. He tried to finish all of his tasks as soon as he could so that he could visit you in the nursery.You were now his top priority

His psychotic tendencies were already starting to show early on which worried many of the executives and scientist that were in charge of your well being. They decided that they would not make the same mistake twice. Adoptive parents were looked into. Homelander caught wind. He wasn't opposed, though he'd miss being able to see his little sister easily. Having two actual parents to love her was way better than being monitored and doted on by simple staff.

There were certain mandates that HL insisted on: he'd get the last say on who you went to and he had the right to visit you whenever he wanted.

His jam packed schedule made it harder to visit you regularly though. Stillwell always had him busy either with the marketing team or getting his face out there with missions and other acts of service. You were always on his mind though.

He'd send your adoptive parents mountains of presents for you and wrote you volumes of letters (though at 4 years old you were unable to read). He made sure you'd want for nothing even if your adoptive parents were already well off.

Friction arose when the occasion of your 6th birthday came up and Homelander wanted to take the day off. Madelyn refused his request, claiming that he had more important things to attend to. That was possibly the first time Stillwell was the receiver of his intimidating glower. There was nothing more important than you. Stillwell reminds him that if any of their enemies were to find out about your existence that you could prove to be a weakness to HL rather than the blessing he found you to be. Through association, he could potentially be endangering you with his visits.

Deep down, he knew Stillwell was right. The greater the hero he became, the more he'd be putting you at risk if anyone found out. So until you were old enough to protect yourself, Homelander made the painful decision to keep his distance.

For fourteen years he kept a wide berth from you, his one true weakness. In that time he climbed to the pinnacle of stardom. All of America loved him. Including you and your family.

But you didn't remember much of when you were younger. Didn't remember the bond you share with him. You admire him as the hero you know as Homelander. Not as your brother, not even as John. No, your brothers were the ones your parents had after you were welcomed into their family. Two little brothers who followed you everywhere because they were in such awe that their big sister was a supe. You flew them around, let them show you off to their friends, and protected them from bullies. They were your number one fans.

By your twentieth birthday, Homelander came across your application into the Seven that Madelyn had been hiding. While he hadn't seen you in fourteen years, he still tried to keep his information on you up to date via Vought's archives. Since you were a supe, you went to special 'doctor's appointments', but they were all Vought orchestrated to see what you were really capable of.

He watches your try-out video incessantly, marveling in the beautiful, vivacious young lady you'd become. The little girl he'd last seen was gone. Not a hint of her could be found, only the way her smile made her eyes so bright. She was charismatic with the people interviewing her. Perhaps he unblinkingly stared at her video a little too much. Not aware of the connection, Maeve pointed out how often he'd watched that video. He doesn't want to tell Maeve the truth. Stillwell's warning ringing in his ears that no one should know how the two were related. But you were a hero of your own now. Grown up and more than capable of wielding your powers to protect yourself. Reluctantly the words leave past his lips but he did take some satisfaction from the rounding of her eyes.

"This secret is not to be shared with anyone else." His fingers snatch her arm before she leaves his presence. Maeve pivots on her heels, glaring at him as she tries to wrench her arm free.This only spurns him to tighten his grip. "Do you understand? If I find out that you put her in danger because you couldn't keep your fucking mouth shut, I'll kill you."

HL does everything he could to get you into the Seven but in the end Stillwell held the last say and decided to go with Starlight.That wouldn't be the end to his obsession. Not in the least bit. Now he made it a priority to meet you. He was nervous but once you began to spout praises toward him, HL relaxed. You were excited that THE Homelander was giving you the time of day. "So you remember me?"

That caught you off guard. "Remember you?"

Those two words cause his smile to falter and something dark drop to his stomach. His mouth forms your name, your civilian name that you hadn't told him prior. "Surely. . . you remember me. . . You can't forget about your only. . ." He seemed to be losing himself in panic. You didn't understand the tears that were pooling on his lower lids as he advanced toward you and grabbed you by the shoulders. You're so shocked that you don't even make a move away from him. Just staring widely at Homelander. "I'm your brother. You don't remember me?"

Not giving you any time to reply, HL propels the both of you into the sky.

It's not easy keeping a supe held captive. But being one of the strongest on earth, Homelander managed perfectly fine.

"Don't freak out." Homelander tells you with a gentle smile, like he was warning a child. "Of course I'm gonna freak out!" Your eyes burn with what you know to be one of your shared abilities with HL, laser beams. "You literally just kidnapped me after saying you're my brother!!"

"YOU KNOW WHO I AM" His switch in personalities makes you jolt. He slams his fist into the wall behind your head. "Stop saying you don't know who I am!!"

You were strong, yes, but compared to Homelander? You knew fighting him would only result in your defeat. He drags you through his apartment until you're in his bedroom where you immediately become more frantic and resist his pulling. HL hastily grabs a box from under his bed and begins throwing several pieces of paper at you. "You don't remember any of these??!!" They're children's drawings along with a few sloppily written words. Your parents had similar drawings that you had done when you were little. You didn't remember drawing any of them though.

He's pacing his room now, muttering to himself :"I only left so you'd be safe.""Didn't think you'd forget me.""How could you forget me?""I should've known better than to listen to Madelyn."

You're looking for a way out while he's distracted. You could fly through his window, get the fuck out of there. But it would take HL mere seconds to catch up with you. While you're trying to come up with an escape plan, you can't help but notice the shuddering in his shoulders. You not remembering him truly wounded HL "I-I'm sorry Homelander-"

"John." Slowly he turns to face you once more, his eyes red from a few tears that had trickled down his cheeks. "You used to call me John." His face is utterly broken. You don't know how to handle his constantly changing moods but can't find yourself to leave. Your empathy gets the best of you when you reach down to pat him soothingly on the back. His hand springs toward your face, snatching your jaw in a bone crushing hold.

"I won't make the same mistake again. I'm not letting you go."

[onskepa]

This one is a bit of a sad one but what if tonowari lost a sibling in the first war with the demons and his neice was left without parents? He took her in of course and does his best to love and care for her / same with ronal and the kids. She loves them really she does but she doesn't feel settled until she meets kiri and the Sally's. Kiri and reader get along not just because they are out of place but naturally connect and find comfort in each other.

its been awhile since the last kiri fic. I will make this a tiny bit emotional because why not? So enjoy~!!

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Satare

Kiri was exhausted, tired mentally and physically. Riding her ikran for hours was really uncomfortable. And being in the same position was not any better. Now here she is, surrounded by reef na’vi and being picked on by some snooty skxawngs. They are worse than lo’ak. Though, the tsahik is way worse. Calling her and her family not real na’vi. Pointing their obvious flaws and dares to say they have demon blood. 

Her mother was ready to fight the tsahik if it wasn't for her dad to intervene. Not like he made the situation any better. Though, kiri didn't understand why but, when the tsahik sees her dad, she looks rather offended. Like something about him bothers her in a personal level. It was the mercy of the olo’eyktan, tonowari, that accepted their uturu. 

“Tonowari, you cannot be serious, after what he did to-” the tsahik spoke before tonowari interrupted her.  

“We will not discuss that here” he spoke. 

“My son ao’nung, my daughter tsireya and my niece satare will teach your children the ways” tonowari told her dad. Kiri looked over at the children he mentioned, the snooty skxawng was unfortunately the olo’eyktan’s son, the kind yet shy looking tsireya was looking at lo’ak. The last one, satare, her eyes were staring deep into kiri’s soul. It almost scared her. Something about her, something in satare was calling out to her. 

“Here are some freshly caught fish, fruits and seaweeds. They taste better when roasted slowly” tsireya happily instructions the sully family as she gifts them a basket full of metkayina foods. A welcoming gift. Beside her was satare who remained silent. 

The sully family accepted it gratefully, making good impressions. 

“In three moons there will be communal dinner, it would be a wonderful chance to get to know the rest of the clan” tsireya happily informs. 

Jake nods, “perfect” he says. 

He seemed skittish a bit, trying his best to mask her nervous feeling. Kiri can see through it, she knows her dad. Why is that? Tsireya so far doesn't seem intimidating, not like her mother. If anything, she is sweet and very attentive. Could it be the other girl? Satare? She is literally just standing beside tsireya in silence. Yes, she has a weird aura around her but nothing about her screams scary or dangerous. 

“Hm, we will let you settle in. Tomorrow begins your training” 

With that, both girls left. 

“That girl was weird” lo’ak said bluntly, neteyam hits his arm. 

“Shut up, tsireya is being nice” 

“No, not her, the other girl, satare i think that was her name. She just stands there quietly. Its freaky” lo’ak continues. It means what he is saying but oddly enough, he is right. For the short time they have been on the island, no one in their family has seen or heard satare speak. 

“Maybe she is just shy, not open to new people” neteyam suggests, being optimistic for a moment. 

Neytiri and Jake share an unreadable look. 

“Ok everyone, huddle up, there are some ground rules we need to settle….” 

It is hard, it really is. Kiri is just beginning to love her new home, the sea and all that is offers. Only for her little happiness to be shot down by ao’nung and his followers calling her a freak. She is thankful lo’ak and neteyam were there to defend her, but it just got worse. Seeing her brothers get in trouble and have bloody knocks and noses made her feel bad. 

Most of all, letting ao’nung’s words get to her. 

“You are not a freak….” 

A voice, soft and calm. Soothing like that of the calm sea. 

“Don't listen to my cousin, he says things to impress his friends” 

Kiri turns to see satare. 

“Oh, I…well” she starts to speak, not knowing what words to say. Its like her voice was stuck in the back of her throat. 

Taking the chance, satare sits beside her on the sandy shore under a nice shade. Kiri sits up straight, her nerves scrambling in her mind, trying her best to not look like a idiot. 

“Hey, it's ok to relax around me. I don't bite, "Satare soothes with a light chuckle. 

“Sorry, it's just….wait, how do you know what I…?” 

“Your eyes, your eyes says it all” 

Kiri felt somewhat exposed. She wasn't trying to hide her emotions but her eyes being a dead give away. 

“Oh…” was all kiri can say. 

“Im satare, i'm sure you already know that” satare says trying to continue the conversation. 

She pulls up her legs, letting her chin rest on her knees. 

“You are really good at swimming, holding your breath longer than your siblings. Already handling an ilu faster, you looked like you belonged in the water” satare lists. From the very first lessons, satare noticed just how well kiri was taking it. She didn't need further instructions. Like a natural. Taking in the beauty of the sea, admiring the creatures and all life. Everyone appreciates life, but kiri was different in satare’s eyes. 

“Oh, thank you….I just….” 

This satare girl really knows how to make her mind go blank. 

“Tomorrow my aunt and cousin will teach you and your sister some techniques on the other side of the island. To collect certain things, you might like it” with a small smile, satare left just like that. Not saying goodbye or anything. Maybe lo’ak was right, she was a little odd.

Ronal wasn't blind, she knew what she saw. That kiri girl was odd, stood out from her family in the oddest ways. She knows she can't currently point out anything, needs someone else or a form of proof. But that girl, even with her demon blood, is not normal. 

Who can control animals at their own will? What large school of creatures follows the bidding of a person so easily? 

Ronal will have to investigate it further, figure out just what is up with that sully girl. 

Be it good, or bad, ronal does not like it. She could be a threat to her clan, her family, its already bad enough satare has taken interest in kiri. Ronal cant forbid satare from seeing kiri, can't restrict her. Tonowari will not like it. 

Satare, her dear niece. Basically a second daughter to her, was enjoying life only for the cause of her loss, dares to come. Seeking uturu, ronal was ready to say no, to push them away from her island. Away from satare. 

Ronal doesnt care how legendary or respected toruk makto is to the world, in her eyes, he is the reason satare is like the way she is. He killed her family. 

Days became weeks, weeks turned into months. The sully family were getting used to their new lives and clan. Their diets changing, as well as style. Getting more involved with the clan as the members become more welcoming. 

In jake’s and neytiri’s eyes, their children are enjoying it. Which is good. A good step into their safety. 

Even their most anti-social child, kiri, is becoming good friends with satare. Almost like soul sisters from what they see of their interactions. 

For jake personally, he is still nervous to be around the girl. Does his best to limit his time around the village so as to not cross paths with her. For a long while he wonders, does she know? Did tonowari ever told her? Ronal knows from her constant scowls and hisses. Kiri so far never mentioned anything note worthy. 

Neytiri knows her husband's hesitance and understands. 

Seeing satare brings sad memories. Being constantly reminded of what happened. 

If they could, jake and neytiri would do anything to bring them back, bring satare’s parents back and into her life again.

“They arent your real parents, are they?” Satare asks kiri one day, out of nowhere. 

They were out near the shore as they weaved some nets. Enjoying each other's company. 

“Is it that obvious…?” kiri asks. Satare has a weird way of guess things right. 

“Its how you talk to them. You are clearly closer to your dad than you are with your mom. You talk more with your dad than with your mom, you love them. But I can tell who you trust more with your secrets” 

Kiri looks down at her net, setting it aside and fully turning her attention to satare. “I love them, but, yeah. You are right, they adopted me when I was a baby, my real mom is dead. But she was good friends with my parents, she was a teacher to my adopted mom and a good mentor to my dad” 

Satare lets out a pleased hum, “thats nice…” 

“What about you? You spend a lot of time with your cousins and aunt and uncle. Are your parents travelers?” kiri asks, curious of satare’s family life. 

“Warriors” satare responded rather flatly. 

“Oh, they guard the outer areas of the islands” kiri asks more as she looks at where the border was at. Not noticing the harsh weaving satare was making to her net. 

“No, they used to be almost like guards to my uncle and aunt” 

Kiri turned her head slowly, seeing a darkened look into satare’s eyes. 

“Used to…?” 

“They are dead, kiri” 

Kiri placed a hand over her heart, feeling a pang in her chest. So, she is an orphan too…

Does that explain why they get along so well? 

“What happened…? Was there an accident?” kiri couldn't help but ask. It was a touching subject, but she for some reason had to know. 

So, satare looked straight into her eyes, almost the same way she did back when kiri arrived months ago. 

“Your dad killed them”

Kiri ran so fast towards her home. 

The sky seemed to reflect her emotions, it was clouded and gray. It seemed very likely it might rain. Perfect to disguise her tears. 

She didn't understand, her dad? Her dad who led many na’vi clans to victory? A hero in everyone's eyes? Killing satare’s parents? It didnt make sense. And she needed to know why. 

“DAD!!” she shouted as she entered her home. Neytiri and jake were inside cooking when they were startled by her voice. 

Quickly neytiri guided kiri inside trying to have her be near the fire to warm her up. “Ma’kiri, what is wrong? Are you hurt?” she asked her daughter, feeling panicked of her sudden action. But kiri ignored her, all attention on her dad. 

“Dad, did you kill satare’s parents?!” 

Jake widens his eyes, feeling surprised, a bit shocked, but mostly surprised. 

“Who told you?” he asks, kiri wept loudly. 

“So its true?!” 

Neytiri and jake share a look, a silent conversation happening between them. 

“Why?! I dont understand! Why would you-” 

“He didnt” neytiri cut her off. Defending jake. 

Kiri turned to her, not understanding, but jake grabbed her hand to comfort her. 

“Best to calm down first, otherwise you won't get what we will tell you” 

So, after a little while did kiri calm down, her mind clear and ready to listen. 

“I won't lie, I do feel guilty. This was during the war, and we needed every clan near and far to join the fight. Tonowari was hesitant to join the war party, his people had nothing to do with the conflict. He was right, but his brother was eager to join…” 

Fire cracked and flared in the pit as the fish were being roasted. Satare stared at the golden blazes as she thinks back to what she said. Regretting telling kiri her inner secret. Most likely now she created a crack between kiri and her fathers relationship. She didnt mean to, kiri kept asking when she could have said no. Yet satare let her mouth run wild. 

“I'm such an idiot…” she mutters to herself. 

“I think you are rather smart” 

Turning around she sees her uncle, tonowari, enter their home. She gives him a welcoming hug but tonowari senses something is wrong. 

“Is something on your mind satare?” he asks. 

Satare always had a neutral look for a long time, her face and eyes are hard to read. Always hiding her emotions but tonowari can still read her like a painting. A trait she inherited from her grandpa. 

“uncle….I did something foolish….” she muttered. Together they sat down near the fire, tonowari’s arm over her shoulder as to comfort her. 

“Speak my niece, what foolish thing do you claim you have done?” he asks. 

“I….told kiri that her father, jake suli, killed my parents…uncle, I fear I have ruined their relationship. I said it before I could stop myself” tears were closing to form. Her eyes are getting shiny and red from the stress and worry she feels. 

Tonowari hugged her tightly, doing his best to soothe her, he shouldn't have let ronal put those words into satare’s head. He should have stopped it before it began. But years of hearing it, its no wonder his niece believes it a bit. 

“Sshhhh, satare, listen to me” he starts to say, letting his eyes meet satare’s. 

“Your father, your mother, neither of them were killed by toruk makto. They chose to join the war, they chose to fight alongside him, to join him. They fought with all their might, they did that to give you a future where there are no demons, no threats. They wanted you and other children to live in peace. What they did was to protect you. Im sorry that I couldn't stop them. Just know, jakesuli had nothing to do with their deaths. He is innocent” 

Tonowari places a soft kiss on his niece’s forehead and hugging her once more. 

He sees his brother in satare, from her stare to how she speaks. 

Satare lost her parents during the war, but tonowari also lost his beloved brother. Seeing jake is being reminded of what they lost. As a brother, tonowari would shout and say things, but as an olo’etkyan, he would give his thanks and utmost respect. 

“The best thing we can do is to move forward from the past….”

After being explained, kiri understood so much more. 

Now she has so much to say to her dad, to satare. One person at a time. 

Which is why satare goes first. 

“Hey…can we talk?” satare asks her suddenly the next day. So, together they walk into the small jungle in the center of their island. Satare taking the lead. 

Kiri was nervous through the walk, not knowing what satare would say, fearing of losing her friend. 

“Im sorry….for saying that to you. I shouldnt have said it, I must have ruined your view on your dad…" Satare apologized. Kiri quickly shook her head. 

“No no, he actually explained to me what happened….but….Im also sorry for pushing it. I know talking about it is really hard. I even have a hard time taking about my biological mother” 

Satare looked over at kiri, her eyes once again looking straight into her soul. 

“Is fine, I guess we all have our own struggles and problems. Like my uncle said, best thing we can do is to move forward….so, that's what I want to do. Step by step” 

She walks closer to kiri, a small smile forming. 

A smile that kiri hasn't seen since their first meeting. 

“Step by step….” kiri repeats. 

She chuckles, letting the tension leave her body. A small smile of her own matching satare’s. Taking the first move, kiri hugs Satare, feeling her heartbeat, feeling her warmth. 

Satare hugs back, enjoying the warm comfort kiri provides. Step by step, together they can move forward from their own losses and perhaps together they can mend what their families are still guilty of. Only time will tell. 

Okie, this one was cute and a bit sad to write, idk , im thinking of making a part 2 to this but who knows! So until then, I hope you all like it! Until next time! See ya!

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Satare = connection/relationship

[shotmrmiller]

cbf!Price?!?!

You mean your older brother's even older friend?

You'd been born in the US to an American mom and a British dad; but his job moved you all back across the pond. New country, new school, new people--it had been hell for you and your brother. But the family next door were so welcoming, especially their only kid, John.

Who always called you 'sunshine', gave you piggyback rides at rugby matches so you didn't get lost in the crowd, and never said "Hello" but, "There's my favorite girl".

The same cbf!Price who was your scary dog privilege when you fell in love with the underground punk scene and wanted to go to the sketchiest concerts.

When he'd enlisted, you'd cried for days, but couldn't bring yourself to tell him why you were so heartbroken, no matter how many times he asked, brows furrowed with concern. "Its only a couple months, luv, then I'll be on post just down the road. We'll still have our weekends."

And he kept that promise, as much as he could, even after you moved out of your parent's home to attend university.

It was forever on the tip of your tongue; the words you so desperately wanted to say, had to bite back, otherwise they'd destroy that precious friendship....

.... I can only imagine the myriad of unfortunate ways he might accidentally hear you whispering his name and those words....

with my brash personality, im fucking him the day he's to leave for basic. js.

no regrets around here.

--

ohmygod! imagine him being captain now, and he brings you to meet the boys.

Johnny whistles low the moment he lays eyes on you. "Steamin' Jesus, Captain. Tha' yer friend? She single?"

John does not answer him.

Kyle is kind, sweet, and courteous. Suspiciously so. It gives John flashbacks of how he acts towards women he wants to bed.

Right.

Simon's just his big, quiet self. He's intimidating, but you're not afraid—after all, you grew up with your bully older brother and John.

John notices his eyes gleam when you talk at him, yes, at, because Simon doesn't respond. But he listens. And he's been listening a little too intently, staring at your dainty hands gesture animatedly.

That's enough, he thinks.

"Time t'go home, love." You pout but wave goodbye at the boys and head towards his vehicle.

Johnny opens his mouth to speak but John quickly intervenes, that unless he wants to start fucking pushing, keep his thoughts to himself.

"I'll see you all at base tomorrow."

On the ride home, you tell him that they were all very nice. John's grip on the steering wheel tightens and says that as nice as they are, they go through women more than they do magazines.

"Oh." Did he imagine the disappointment laced in your voice?

"Do you?" What?

"I don't do it often."

"Oh." He turns his head to look at you, but you're staring out the window.

His heart races and elation thrums through his veins. You definitely sounded upset. John looks straight ahead and speeds up to take you home.

His home.

There's only you for him, and if you won't take the first step, then he will.

--

side note: what if he didn't return those feelings? christ id eat my fucking phone. im running away!!! no one look at me how embarrassing!!! his eyes soften, and he's like, "Oh. I'm so sorry, love. You and I practically grew up together."

That really stings. And then he brings his little girlfriend over to meet you and your brother, and you stiffly shake her hand and go to your room to cry.

Someone softly knocks on your door, and you don't move to open it, just yell at whoever is at the door to fuck off in a warbly voice. John's muffled I'm sorry deepens the crack in your heart.

"'S'alright, John. I'll be okay."

You did this to yourself, anyway.

The marriage invitation comes in the mail and you tear it to pieces.

Since you were young, you dreamt of being Mrs. Price, but now, that's all it'll ever be.

A childish dream.

[bluemusickid]

Please write us some jealous pedro

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x Fem!Reader

Warnings: smut, a lil angst (you know me lol), feelings of jealousy, unprotected p in v sex (don't be silly kids, wrap your willy), oral sex (f receiving), 18+, minors DNI

Author's note: UFFF I have a jealousy kink (if that's even a thing). Hope you like this anon; ngl i'm a lil rusty and nervous putting out new stuff, heh. Yes ik it's a cliche plot but trust me, it is the BEST trope and I would DIE if this happened to me lmaoooo.

Jealousy. An ugly word, and an ugly emotion. No one wants to be jealous, but it just happens. And when it does, hoo boy. It can either go very right, or very wrong.

Pedro didn't consider himself to be a jealous man. He prided himself on being someone who was secure with himself and his emotions, not allowing malice and grudges to hold him back. He had to, especially in his line of work and the industry he was a part of.

That was until he met you.

You, with your beauty and grace and perfection. He had never met anybody like you, who had turned his world on it's head. Which is why the break up was a shock to him; but he knew in his heart that it was the best step. He was no good for you, and he couldn't give you the time you needed to be properly courted and loved.

But it hurt when you left, when he was told by your friends about how you were broken and hurting. And it hurt him even more when he learnt that you had moved on and begun dating. It was irrational, true, but he felt possessive towards you. You were his and his only and he would do anything to get you back.

Which is how he found himself tucked in the corner of the jam packed club you and your friends were in, partying away. It took a lot of bribing your best friend Ashley, who very reluctantly told you their whereabouts (and also the consequences of hurting you again which involved kicking his ass). At first, he couldn't recognise you at all. A seductress stood in your place, wearing a little black dress which accentuated all your luscious curves. Your eyes were ringed with kohl and your red lips, oh dear God; Pedro nearly came at the mere thought of kissing you and smudging that lipstick. He came here to try to win you back but all he could think about now was fucking you into the next week.

He was just about to set his plan into motion, when a blond haired jackass approached her, placing his hand on the small of her back. Pedro's heart sunk when he thought that it must be your new...guy. But then he saw the look of mild surprise on your face as you took in the stranger, trying to place some distance between the two.

Blond jackass was trying to pull his best moves, flashing those baby blues and grinning at you like a weirdo. He could tell that you weren't interested at all, but simply being polite. Tutting, he was about to take a swig of his drink when he saw the bastard caress your hand, trying to get closer to you.

Although he'd promised himself that he wouldn't intervene just yet and let you enjoy your night, Pedro found himself making his way through the crowd, his focus only on getting to you as fast as he could.

"Hey baby." he crooned softly in your ear, leaving a kiss on your cheek as he put an arm around your shoulder. A subtle way of saying Back off, prick.

Wide-eyed, you stared at him in confusion till it dawned on you what might have happened. You turned to look at Ashley, who wisely averted your gaze and focused on her conquest of the night.

"What are you doing here?" you asked dryly.

"I'm here to party with my girl." he grinned, his eyes sparkling with a teasing glint.

"Well I was just in the middle of talking to this VERY nice gentleman here...umm.."

"Justin." the blond stumbled, a little intimidated by Pedro who was staring daggers at him.

"Justin, of course! We were just about to hit the dance floor before...well, you already know."

Pedro was livid at the thought of you even talking to that jackass, but he couldn't let you know that you were winning at this game. He was determined to ride this out and have you come back to him.

What he hadn't anticipated was that ugly face of jealousy that would pop out of the woodwork as he saw the both of you dancing together, your bodies too close together for his liking. The last straw was when he saw that fucker Justin run his hands over your body, pulling you to him.

Pedro didn't think straight as he strode towards you, grabbing your arm and yanking you away from the crowd towards the back exit. He knew that the consequences wouldn't be the best, but he simply couldn't bring himself to care. He needed you, right there, right now.

You found yourself pinned to the wall next to the back exit, his arms caging you in. Staring into his beautiful brown eyes, you see them darken with a mix of emotions. At first, you thought it was pure anger and annoyance, but then it hit you; he was scared. Of what, though? He was the one who wanted to end things in the first place.

"Why?" you softly asked.

"Why, what?" he said, huskily, his face dangerously close to yours. You could feel his eyes on you as you trained your eyes on his wonderful lips, only remembering how they felt on you and how they had the power to bring you to your very knees.

"W..why did you...go..?" you gasped as he softly kissed your cheek, the action felt in your very bones. The man hadn't even touched you properly and you were already putty in his hands.

Running his nose against yours, he left a soft kiss on the other cheek, then on your forehead, your nose, and after a beat, he crashed his lips to yours, derailing your train of thought. Hesitant at first, you found yourself drowning into the kiss, pouring all the hurt and love you felt for him into it. You wound your arms around his neck, pulling him closer as the kiss turned even more heated. You were disappointed as he pulled away, much too quickly for your liking.

"I had to." he mumbled, his lips making a path from your jawline to your neck. Sighing, you turned your head to give him better access winding your arms around his waist. Warning bells were ringing in your head, but you couldn't bring yourself to care. He was all you wanted, a breath of fresh air in your life. It nearly crushed you when you'd broken up, and you knew that this was a bad idea. But the way he was leaving open mouthed kisses along your neck, his hands roaming over your body, lighting you up from within; it made all your trepidation evaporate as a more volatile emotion took its place: lust. It was coursing through your veins as you pulled his hips towards yours, desperate for some sort of contact.

You could feel his smile against your skin as he hitched your leg onto his hip, his erection pressing into you.

"I'm still mad at you." you grumbled, gasping as you felt him thrust against you.

"I know." he panted "I'm sorry. This is all my fault, and I am truly very sorry. It was the biggest mistake of my life, pushing you away. I want you, need you to know that I can't live another second without you. I love you."

Your heart swelled at that. That was the first time he'd properly said those words to you, and it made you feel 10 feet tall. You beamed, eyes moist with tears.

"Take me home."

--------------------------------------

Pedro was great in bed, something that was a constant in your relationship when you were dating. But a jealous Pedro? Whew.

Gone was the gentle lover who would lovingly stare into your eyes as he made sweet, slow love to you. No, this time, he made you understand the true meaning of the phrase "legs shaking".

It started off as pretty innocent, him hugging you from behind and leaving soft kisses as you tried to open the door amongst all the distractions. As soon as you entered, though, it was like a switch had flipped. You found yourself pinned to the wall next to the door, Pedro's lips crashing against yours. Lips biting, tongues meshing, teeth briefly clashing; it was pure lust in every bit of that kiss.

And now, here you were, on your bed, Pedro's lips still joined to yours as he reacquainted himself to your body, his hands smoothing over you. He had nearly torn your dress off in haste, as you pulled off his sweatshirt, hands moving to his belt. You needed to taste him, feel him on your tongue; it had been so long. But before you could do that, he pushed you back down on the bed as he moved lower, right to your core.

You held your breath as he tore off your panties, his breath quickening seeing your wet folds. To see you as turned on as him, if not more, made him want to bury himself inside you right then and there. But not yet. No, he wanted you to lose your mind. Was it a punishment? No, not really. It was more a reminder.

"Oh, my sweet girl. She's missed me, huh?" he whispered, leaving a soft kiss on your lips. You groaned, your hips canting ever so slightly. He hadn't even made proper contact and you were already sensitive.

He chuckled at your enthusiasm as his fingers circled around your swollen nub. If only you knew how much I need you, babe, he thought as he lowered his mouth to your core.

You gasped as he left a tentative lick before attaching himself to your clit, his fingers moving inside you in tandem with his mouth. You arched your back off the bed as you struggled to keep your legs open; the only thing keeping them from closing were his broad shoulders. You could feel yourself get closer to orgasm, and you were sure that it was going to be intense. And you were right; your walls constricted around nothing as you felt the dam break, a litany of his name leaving your lips as you tried to catch your breath. You looked down at him to urge him upwards, but all you saw was his mischievous grin as he lowered himself to your core yet again, not even giving you time to calm down.

"W..wait..Ped-ro..I c-can't.." you stuttered as his fingers worked their magic on you.

"Yes, baby, you can. Make me jealous again and this is the price you'll pay." he rasped wickedly as his tongue made you see literal heaven. You'd quite frankly lost track of time and the number of orgasms he had coaxed from you, your throat drying up from screaming his name and fingers yanking on his hair. You were sure that Mrs. McNally next door would be nosy and ask you a million questions, but you didn't care.

Pedro kissed his way upwards to your mouth, stroking your hair gently till you caught your breath. Staring into his eyes, you saw pure love and admiration, something you had always craved to see from him. Pulling him to yourself, you kissed him softly, pouring all your love into that one kiss.

Pulling back, he looked at you, silently asking for permission. You reached down between you, pumping him and running a thumb over his sensitive head. He groaned loudly, thrusting himself into your hands as you swept your tongue over him, the salty tang turning you on like nothing else.

Pushing you down, he took himself in his hand as he slowly sunk into you inch by inch, till he bottomed out. The feeling could only be described as out of this world, and the both of you groaned in unison as you became one. Pedro had to concentrate on not coming then and there, as your tight wet heat enveloped him in the best way possible. He began to move slowly at first, and then speeding upto a rhythm that was unlike anything you had experienced before. There was no other way to put it except that he was pounding you into the mattress. You moaned loudly, fingernails scratching his back as you bit onto his earlobe, trying to contain your feelings of extreme pleasure.

Sitting up, he pulled your hips off the bed hitching your legs over his hips, changing the angle of his thrusts. You yelped, the sudden position change making you see stars. He was hitting your g-spot square on, to the point where you couldn't even distinguish between pleasure and pain.

"This pussy is mine. This body is mine, YOU are mine, you understand?" he growled through gritted teeth. "No one gets to look at or touch what's mine."

"Seeing you in that little dress tonight; it took all of my self control not to throw you to the ground and fuck you in front of those men, just to show them who you belong to. To show that blond jackass that only I can fuck you this good."

You whined, his words going straight to your core. Your legs were shaking, and you weren't sure if you could take another orgasm, but it seemed that Pedro had different plans for you in store.

He bent forward, pushing your legs back till your knees met your chest. You yowled, yanking on his hair as you approached your peak, legs shaking and quivering. You screamed something unintelligible as you reached your apex, your walls squeezing Pedro, who grunted at the feeling.

"You feel so good, sweetheart. Like silk. Makes me never want to leave this tight pussy." he rasped.

You could sense that he was close too, as you wrapped your legs around him, urging him on. He moved urgently, his hips a blur as he reached his end explosively, pouring himself into you. He moved inside you slowly, till every last drop poured out. He collapsed on you wearily, tucked into the crook of your neck whispering sweet nothings.

There was nothing said as he spooned you, holding you as your body still trembled from all the stimulation. There would be lots of time to talk tomorrow. But for today, you silently thanked the green eyed monster.

-------------------------------------

A/N: EEEEEEEP I FINALLY DID IT YEAAAH BABEHHH. To say i'm nervous would be the understatement of the century, but I truly hope y'all liked this. Reblogs go a looong way, so pls do reblog if you liked this! Love and hugs to all!

[nekohime19]

Macaque study # S3 SPECIALS

Macaque in season 3 was a whole ride, really. The specials are quite literally the following of season 3 and it ties up quite nicely everything that has been already established beforehand!

So I would like to creates this time frame of Macaque in season 3 before we dive in the specials :

EP 1 : Macaque being established as a villain working for LBD yet we see he's nervous and frantic which is unusual for him.

EP 2 : Macaque as a threat that follows the team (and thus was not defeated the previous episode, it establish him as a recurrent villain this season)

EP 4 : Macaque goals does not align fully with LBD, he's about survival and he's playing a two-faced game by trying to balance the scale between LBD and MK.

EP 8 : Macaque first betrayal of LBD after learning of the samadhi fire but she gets a hold of him and chains him.

EP 9 : Macaque being desperate and his second betrayal of LBD, he goes after the samadhi fire for himself.

EP 10 : Macaque achieving his goals of freedom and fleeing away from this mess + MK proving Macaque wrong about heroes.

-> All in all, I do think season 3 was really tied up nicely concerning Macaque developpement. Like I said in my first study, LMK is a short series with not a lot of time, so every appearance is pivotal. We cannot have multiple episodes of Macaque hating LBD to really dig into our heads that he's not on her side, one or two scenes are enough for that, they have to be enough. You can feel like Macaque development is fast-paced but in reality it's just the kind of show LMK is, every appearance is meant to add layers. Here everything follow a logical order : you cannot have Macaque's first betrayal in EP 8 without establishing that his goals do not align with LBD beforehand (EP 4).

Now let's delve into the specials!

By theory, Macaque shouldn't return. He has everything he wanted this season : freedom. Yet he does return. He saves MK from the possessed Wukong by portalling him away.

This lil action tells us two things :

First, Macaque never left. He presumably stayed close to MK to watch the events unfold and when MK was put in danger he decided to intervene. This shows that Macaque does care about MK enough to stay behind even if he has the choice no to, but at the same time Macaque doesn't feel confident enough to reveal himself until MK is put in danger. And even then he doesn't show himself, perhaps because a possessed Wukong is quite intimidating and LBD is still near.

Second, Macaque portals MK where Mei is training with Red Son. This is not a coincidence. Clearly he meant for MK to be in a safe environment with known faces. And it also shows that it's not just MK that Macaque has been keeping an eye on after his flee but the whole team.

This scene serves us as an audience to indicate that Macaque did not leave but at the same time he's not fully on the team yet, even if he helps he does not reveal himself.

We see Macaque again some time after when the team are all together. It's interesting to see that Macaque chose to appear from Red Son shadow.

At the moment Red Son was the most isolated person of the team, while everyone was at the front of the frame, he was in the background.

Macaque chose to appear in Red Son shadow specifically because :

First, he came as an ally and didn't want to appear threatening. It would have spooked the team way more if he suddenly appeared in front of them. He was also perhaps more nervous than he appeared and wanted to put some distance between him and the team.

Second, it held significance. Red Son is here as a “reformed villain”, or at least he's here to help. Having Macaque emerge out of Red Son's shadow is a way to portray the same intentions : Macaque wanting to help.

Macaque : I hope I'm not interrupting. But if you're making a plan to defeat the Lady Bone Demon, I know a guy who might be able to help.

He makes his intentions clear by calling out the team plan, and offers them what I'll call a “peace offering” to be more easily accepted. We know that the not-mayor will not be of any help to create the plan (as we can see in the next episode) but Macaque, here, was more looking for a “proof of his goodwill” than a truly helpful hostage. By giving the team the henchman of the Lady Bone Demon he's proving how he's not on her side anymore.

The not-mayor reveals himself to be quite useless. And we got this shot of Macaque :

We can see how he's completely cut from everyone. He's cut from the circle, alone to the side of the frame, yet he's also tied up. I think it physically represents Macaque right now. The team is still suspicious of him, they tie him up, but at the same time he's not being interrogated nor being circled by the team. His place is ambiguous, in a weird in-between.

I think it's telling how it's Macaque who provides the inside information that the team tried so hard to pull out of the not-mayor. Macaque, out of anyone here (except the not-mayor), is the one who knows LBD best. He spent a lot of time with her. Moreover we already established that Macaque is a good observer (we can see how throughout season 3 he successfully gets a lot of the team characters simply by observing them), so we can easily assume that as much as he observed the team, Macaque also observed LBD.

And then, perhaps because he showed he was willing to go against LBD, MK includes Macaque in his plan to defeat her. And this is Macaque answer :

Macaque : Look, I brought you the Lady Bone Demon's lapdog but I'm not up for being a hero, kid…

I think it's pretty telling that Macaque is not fully on board with being a “good guy”. He spends so much of his life painting himself as the darkness to oppose Wukong's light, so much time building his act as a villain, even if he wants to oppose LBD, he's still reluctant to join the team and call himself a hero.

Even when MK proved how wrong Macaque's idea of a hero was, it's difficult to change the way you see things overnight. Macaque spent much of his rebirth hating heroes because of what happened with Wukong. He blamed everything on Wukong's status as a hero. So calling himself a hero stings for him.

And MK knows this, perhaps that's why we get this exchange :

MK : Stop you keep playing at being this bad guy, acting as if you're just in it for you. But I know, deep, deep down, you're not that guy. Help us. Make it right.

Macaque : I'm not a hero, bud.

MK : Then be a warrior.

MK just got it. He knows Macaque has been putting on an act since the beginning. He's acting as if he's only caring about himself yet he comes back to save MK even after he has the choice to flee far away from this. MK calls out everything we established about Macaque those previous seasons, how everything Macaque showed was just part of a performance to either enact his vengeance or appear more intimidating in stressful situations.

MK's words “Make it right” are pivotal in Macaque redemption processus. It can be interpreted as MK asking for help but it's also a way to offer Macaque a chance at proving his goodness, at setting the records straight. MK offers Macaque a chance to right his wrongs.

And while MK is doing his lil speech, Macaque is not trying to put on another mask either :

Macaque is genuinely surprised that someone calls out his act, or even picks up on it.

Yet still Macaque looks away and refuses, not because he doesn't want to right his wrongs but because calling himself a hero would be too much for him. It would question everything he is, everything he built those last years, and Macaque is not ready to abandon everything about himself and become a “hero.”

That's why MK's next words are Macaque saving grace. Because that gives Macaque familiarity. He doesn't have to cast away everything he is, or even the entire identity he built, instead he can be something familiar while still trying to right his wrong.

He can be a warrior.

It's important that Macaque doesn't jump on the occasion of being a good guy. It wouldn't have felt genuine otherwise. The fact he has the occasion to right his wrong but still doesn't call himself a hero provides a balanced in-between.

Macaque : What can I say? I'm dramatic.

Yes. Yes you are. Look at how dramatically you put your cape on!

Both Macaque and Red Son preparing themselves in the same shot is not coincidental. It's an emphasis on both their journeys to get here. If you don't see Red Son as a villain, you can't see Macaque as one either, there are differences between the two but at this very moment the show portrays them in the same way : the redeemed villains.

Macaque and MK confrontation with LBD is very important because Macaque is not just helping MK in a roundabout way, he's directly confronting the one who tormented him all season (LBD), the one he preferred to flee rather than fight before the specials.

LBD : MK the Monkie Kid and the Six-eared Macaque, here to embrace oblivion?

Macaque : The opposite actually. I'm kinda on this whole living streak thing right now, so we were hoping maybe you could call off this whole end of the world thing? Would really help us out.

We can see Macaque is still trying to diffuse the situation but this time it's interesting to notice that instead of doing it like he used to (with sarcastic quips and threatening smiles) he adopts an attitude closer to what Wukong would have done. Wukong is always the one to joke around and make light of a situation. Macaque actions and words are closer to what Wukong could have said if he wasn't possessed. Perhaps Macaque is trying another method to handle stressful situation without his villain persona now that he's in the good guy team, or in his way Macaque unconsciously imitates Wukong because Wukong is the only example of a hero he has.

This similarity between Wukong and Macaque in this particular scene is further emphasized by this action :

I don't have the exact episode in which Wukong twirl MK above his head the same way Macaque does in this scene but I know it happens in season 1.

I think the fight between Macaque and Wukong is quite interesting because the sequences is the exact same as their fight in s1 ep9, yet Wukong uses something he never used before : his laser eyes. It does makes me think that LBD is pushing Wukong to be way more violent than what he is and forces him to use power he doesn't naturally wants to (like his laser eyes that are particularly destructive). That could explain why Macaque is so easily defeated and so soon too, because Wukong is pushed beyond his limits and forced to abandon his fighting ethics.

I do love that to defeats LBD everyone in the LMK cast have to steps up and join forces together. But what I really love is the two scenes we got that emphasize Wukong and Macaque in particular. How they acknowledge the other despite everything that happened between them :

First we get their shared look and nod when everyone is coming together to merge their forces and power up MK's mech. This simple look speak volumes of how easily they can understand each other, they're on the same wagelenght even after years of being ennemies, it speak for itself of their bond.

The second is when they're side by side to push the staff on LBD, it's a nice way to hint at their rekindling relationship. They are in this together despite being ennemis since the start of the show.

Even if not everything is good between the two of them, far from it, this wordless acknowledgement that we see in those two scenes, of them fighting side by side, really ties up Macaque redemption quite nicely.

Then, after LBD defeats, we get the after-fight party that nicely ties up the series.

And obviously we get a fight between Wukong and Macaque.

Macaque : You're done with that right?

MK : actually I -

Wukong : Actually he was saving that for me. Cause you know, I'M his mentor *agressive eating*.

Macaque : Still the same Wukong. Doing what he wants with no regard for other.

Wukong : Oh yeah, yeah I'll keep that in mind next time you scheam with the ennemy and almost get us all D.E.D.

MK : You know you two are the same right?

Wukong/Macaque : I'M NOTHING LIKE HIM!

Macaque wanting MK's bowl of noodle because perhaps he doens't feel comfortable enough to ask Pigsy for one and MK is the only one in the team he feels comfortable talking too right now is one of my personal headcanon.

So first, I think that might be the first healthy fight between Macaque and Wukong. Instead of any of their other fights where they hid their true feelings between mask of nonchalance, here they are openly expressing their anger and frustration to the other. We can see Wukong is still salty about Macaque taking his place as MK's mentor, mayhaps he felt like his place was endangered. Macaque answers with a comment on Wukong's selfishness. Wukong, probably hurt by this, reply with a comment on Macaque working with LBD and endangering them all. Unlike before, all their bickering are direct and more in tune with the present. They're not trying to purposefully hurt the other by digging at past insecurities (Macaque fear of not being enough, Wukong unhealthy way of coping), instead they comment on recent events (Wukong stealing MK's noodles, Macaque working for LBD). Which I think is an improvement, no matter how tiny it is. It shows that they're not trying to hurt the other as much as before, they're not going at the other throat, even if they're still frustrated and angry.

Also, MK is so right when he says they're the same, it's even more funnier because they have the exact same expressions on their faces.

Wukong : Hey! Where do you think you're going!?

Macaque : Don’t know, somewhere I could do a bit of scheming probably. See you around MK.

Wukong : Eugh, I hate that guy so much. Acting like he's so cool!

I do like to think Wukong is questioning Macaque about where he's going because he doesn't want to see him go, 😌.

Macaque callback to Wukong comment minutes earlier is a funny lil quip to annoy him before disappearing. Also his soft tone when addressing MK does really shows he cares about the kid in his own way.

Wukong last line is so funny because no one said Macaque was cool, you're betraying your own thoughts here Monkey King.

All in all, I do think Macaque redemption was handled really well. Each episodes showed us a new layer of his character. His evolution, based on his actions alone, was logical. No matter how much you think Macaque hurts the team, you cannot erase the fact he saved MK twice this season, and keep doing so in later seasons. But I think we also have to remind ourselves that Macaque character arc is not finished yet!

Also, the voice over talking about “redemption” and having one of Macaque first genuine smile in the entire series is so heartwarming for me. The fact MK also draw Macaque smiling 🥺🥺

That was my study of Macaque in season 3 specials! Hope you liked it. If you have any more theories or if you simply disagree you can talk about it, I'll be glad to hear about it.

I'll post my study of Macaque in season 4 in another post!!

S1 / Previous / Next

[spookypete-94]

Intimidating

reader goes out to the bar with TF141 after a successful mission with her boss Laswell. Receives some unwanted attention that angers ghost, but reader quickly shuts it down.

It was not the first mission that you had gone on with the Task Force, but this was by far the most dangerous one. So when Laswell called you and told you to be at the local bar at 1900 in casual clothes, you were all over it ready to let you lose.

Opting for plain black t shirt and jeans, gathering your things and out the hotel door. You knew already that you were going to be late. You just had things to finish first. Being all work and no play most times, but that was going to change tonight. The insistent vibrating of your phone in your back pocket telling Laswell was impatient for your arrival.

Omw, you sent trying to calm her down.

Finally, told you your report could wait till after

Yeah, yeah. Get to sleep my hangover off tomorrow now since its done

Man, I bet your real fun at parties, Laswell sent back making you snort a small laugh. You could hear the dead panning sarcasm in Laswell's tone

Bout to find out.

Entering the bar, the lot of them waiting at a table already. Soap choosing to wave at you to make sure you had seen them. Waving back at them to confirm you did, but going to the bar first to get your drink.

The bar was rather busy, and people lined up the entire length of it. Looks like it was game night, all the TVs on for it, probably causing the bar to be packed. Choosing a place to wedge yourself in, waiting to catch the attention of the bartender.

Doing so left you open at the mercy of the people around... A man closing in on you eyes you as an easy target and choosing a corny pick-up line.

"Aside from being sexy, what do you do for a living?" He leaned over into your ear. Instead of answering him, you flipped your hair over your shoulder, blocking the view and your now word raped ear from the guy doing it again. Hoping he would get the hint that you were not interested.

"Rum and coke," you said to the bartender, still not paying attention to the Douche Canoe trying to flirt with you.

Laswell and the Task Force noticed this unwanted attention... All seeming to turn their head and hands unconsciously placed on the table, readying themselves if needed. Laswell placed her hand on Price's arm, "Calm down, she's got this." Laswell's eyes drifting across to all of them. Ghost, on the other hand, was already half up, ready to intervene and send his fist to this unknown man's skull.

Ghost valued you, found your ability to learn and listen great on the field. But he was only starting to understand now what the issue was. He was jealous... he didn't like this man being so close to you. The idea of anyone sweeping you off your feet made his blood boil and skin burn.

The man only got closer to you, pushing your hair aside and leaning in once more to whisper in your ear. His hot breath now misting your skin- he rank of beer.

"Come on, baby, what's your name? Tell me yours and I'll tell you mine so you can use it later tonight."

"Don't fuckin' touch me," you snarled seeing the bartender approach with your drink in hand. Taking a large step to the side the man stood up, his voice louder.

"Bitch!" He said, trying to bully you for the comment to him... clearly this man was way too drunk.

Ghost for sure up now, side stepping the table already making large strides on is way to you.

The next move you made, though, as the man leaned in and said something that they all could not hear. You squared up to him, saying something in a rebuttal that made him put his hands up and back away. Ghost's head slightly turned to the side, wondering what you just said to scare him off.

The scowl was off your face, seeing that Ghost was standing in the middle of the bar. Your eyes brightened up seeing his large figure, and heart doing somersaults in your chest... or it was your stomach... you couldn't quite decide. He seemed to make you feel a lot of things.

"Sorry," you muttered meekly, walking next to him back to the table. Oh, how he wanted to put his arm around you, claim you as his own. Instead, he turned to look at the man with a look that could kill. The man's complexion is now pale and mouth still slightly open. Douche Canoe turned around and faced the bar that now seemed to have thinned down near him - no one wanted to be around him after his gross stunt.

"What happened?" Laswell asked, wanting to know how ypu put the guy in his place.

"Dude's drunk, needs to go."

"Well, we can see that. What did you do to make him stop?" Laswell asked. "It has to be a good one."

"He asked me if my scars and tattoos made me feel intimidating. Implying that he thought I couldn't do shit if he did what he wanted." You said sitting down, thinning out the other things the guy said to you, deeming them not appropriate. All eyes of the men on you, upset you had just been treated that way.

"And?" Gaz said wanting her to continue.

You sighed, settling down in the chair, Ghost sitting next to you.

"Told the fucker, 'No, but the 9mil in my waistband does'."

Gaz gives a wicked smile, while Soap snorted his beer up his nose that he was sipping on. Price sighed while giving a half assed smile - he wanted to portray that it wasn't a good thing to say in public, but honestly, he found it amusing.

"Told you she had it handled," Laswell said, giving a laugh as she did, scooting back up to the table.

But the only expression you cared about at that moment was Ghost's. You didn't have to look at him but knew his brown coals were burning into the side of your head. He was proud that you stood up for yourself, threating this man, but he would rather have gutted him for his disgusting behavior to such a sweet girl like you.

The night went on, finding that the drinks came easier, blurring what everyone was doing. Ghost's arm had snaked around the back of your chair, pulling you closer to him. No one seemed to notice but the two of you. You leaned into his shoulder and the crook of his neck, your hand resting on his upper thigh under the table. Everyone was listening to jokes and telling wild stories, the most fun you have had in a long time.

Finishing about what you thought was your 3rd or 4th drink, Ghost got up. Saying something about needing to go to the bathroom and would get everyone another round. Little did you know, he was waiting for Asshat Douche Canoe (ADC)- the name he had earned from his stunt earlier, given by the group.

You watched ADC put on his coat, refusing to turn and look in your direction, still shook up from what you had said... and Ghost is not too far out behind following him out the door.

You had an inkling in your head of what Ghost was going to do, but already had ideas running through your mind of how you were going to thank him for it.

Simon Ghost Riley Masterlist

[kurokawaia]

❛ The Balance ❜ ─ 02

Yandere!JugramHaschwalth X Fem!Quincy!Reader

WC; 2.3k+ | !MDNI! | TW/CW; yandere themes, eventual smut, eventual pregnancy, kidnapping, coercion, reader is a virgin, reader acts dumb/oblivious, kind of an airhead guys so if you don't like that then don't read it, she's shy and timid!

⋆·˚ ༘ *𝒮𝒴𝒩𝒪𝒫𝒮𝐼𝒮; Yandere!Jugram kidnaps the reader with the help of the Bambies. {Y/n} becomes pregnant with his child but wants to abort due to the circumstances, trying to keep it a secret. Jugram finds out, becomes furious, insisting on a marriage (coerced). She escapes to the human world, but Jugram tracks her down, discovers her plan to abort the child, and forcibly takes her back.

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 - m.list | bleach m.list

he present seemed to blend into a waking nightmare. The ornate palace loomed around me, its grand halls and opulent decorations contrasting altogether too sharply with the humble modesty of my flower shop. Everything here is cold and impersonal. These grandeurs seemed almost suffocating as the feeling of bad omens seemed to keep building up inside of me, and fear would gnaw at my insides, urging to attack like some relentless parasite.

I had been torn from my town, pulled out of my life as easily as a flower from the ground. That day, so easy to remember—five women in white outfits with gold trimming, faces set in cold determination as they took me against my will. My begging went unheard; neighbors and friends too frightened or simply too indifferent to intervene.

But now I was confined within this palace that was a gilded cage, and I didn't feel safe at all inside it. The vast corridors just seemed to go on forever, each one more labyrinthine than the last. The tapestries were of battles and triumphs by Quincies long past, their eyes following me with a judgmental glare, though they were only tapestries.

Fear became my friend. Every creak on the floor, every murmur of conversation from afar, it sent my heart racing. I had become a stranger in this place, within people whose intentions I could not fathom.

I wandered the halls, as if without plan, with the image of the blond man who entered my shop still stuck in my mind. Those eyes and that mystery of a presence just made everything fit, and part of me feared that he might be behind the scenes of my abduction, while another part hoped he might be unwilling in this sordid game.

I stood in a grand room: the ceiling was far above, and the light of the dim, eerie chandeliers dropped to the floor. Fancy-smooth couches and lace tables sat in the room; to me, it felt more like a prison than a sanctuary.

I turned a corner and froze. Standing at the end of the hall was the man from my shop—that blonde stranger whose name I still did not know. He had a rather different look now; he was much more imposing, his presence felt in every inch of the space around him. The white trench coat with dark green fur, the golden belt buckle—they looked all the more intimidating in that alien setting.

My breath caught in my throat, my body straight as an arrow in the grip of my fear. His eyes fixed on mine—that pervasive shade of blue and green—locked onto mine; the very intensity of his gaze took over me. It was even more daunting now in this high palace, where he seemed to order the air around him.

"Why am I here?" I stammered out, my voice quaking with fear mixed with confusion. "What do you want from me?"

One step closer, slow and deliberate, the man continued to walk toward me. Each step, it felt like he devoured an inch of space, which palpably grew smaller with each beat of my heart, increasing my fear.

"You are here because. your abilities are useful," he said, his voice calm, yet underlaid by something a little too possessive, and it made my skin crawl. "I have brought you here to keep you safe, to ensure you are always by my side."

His words only added to my fear and confusion. I tried to back up a step, but my legs seemed to turn into lead, as if nailed to the spot by the very intensity of his presence.

"But why me?" I asked; my voice was barely audible. "I don't understand."

His gaze did, however, waver for a moment; the fire did not. "Because," he said softly, "you are special to me. You may not understand now, but in time, you will see."

Jugram loomed before me, his gaze rigid and still on my face, waiting for some reaction. "Come," he said, commanding and soft. "I'll take you to your room."

Every fiber in my being urged me to run, flee from this place and this man who had stolen me from my home. But alas, fear that weaves into my bone is what truly holds me rooted to the spot. My alien surroundings, the towering figure of Jugram, and not knowing what lay ahead—all served in totality to find that few remnants of any courage held were found. The only alternative left for me was to follow him—hopefully in understanding my situation better.

Down a series of progressively grander corridors he led. The silence was oppressive between us, no sound other than the echo of our footsteps on the marble floor. In my imagination, I was working out all kinds of escape scenarios. But each time, when it really came down to it, the sheer size of the palace and the lurking unknown danger beyond every corner quashed my resolve.

The oppressing weight of that great palace upon me, I could not help feeling, as we walked. Priceless art lined the walls; intricate frescoes decorated the ceilings. It was a place designed to awe and intimidate, a reminder of the powerful place the people in its walls had.

Suddenly, Jugram halted abruptly, and my mind was lost in thoughts until it was too late. I walked right into his broad back, and as a result, stumbled back with a soft 'huff,' my eyes wide in fear of what his reaction would be. My heart was pounding, and I chewed on my bottom lip, bracing myself for whatever was about to come next.

But Jugram seemed uninterested in my mistake. He focused all his attention on the man opposite him, eyes glowing with tributes of respect and calculation. Tension filled the air between them, and naturally, I found myself holding my breath, waiting for whatever blow was about to come.

"Bazz B," was all Jugram said, his voice purposeful and controlled. "What brings you here?"

Bazz-B nodded minutely. "Jugram," he replied, his tone no less placid. "His Majesty wishes to see you in the council chamber. There is business that needs your attention urgently."

A flicker, just for a split second, of irritation in Jugram's eyes could be seen. "As you wish," he said. "I shall be there in a few moments."

When Bazz-B turned the corner to leave, Jugram pivoted. The weight of his gaze was heavy and intense as he tried to bore right into me. My teeth had my full lip worrying them, and fear gripped my heart at what he might do.

"Watch where you are walking," Jugram told me flatly.

I looked down at the floor, feeling awkward and overwhelmed by his presence. The tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, which was a reaction to the amount of fear and stress that had pinged inside. "I'm sorry," I mumbled, my voice barely audible as I struggled to hold the tears back.

Jugram's expression softened, ever so slightly, though his stern demeanor remained. "Just be careful," he said, his voice a bit gentler. "You are important here, even though you do not yet understand why."

His words only confused me further, and tears spilled over despite all I could do to rein them in. Jugram looked for a moment longer before he turned away, cloak swirling around him as he moved in the direction of the council chamber.

He cast the final look; his face was unreadable, before turning to Bazz B. "Take her to the room and make her comfortable," he ordered, in no mood for debate.

He just nodded. Bazz B's eyes flicked briefly to mine before he gestured for me to follow him. I reluctantly tore my gaze away from Jugram and fell into step behind Bazz B. My mind swirled with questions and fears.

I had that uncomfortable feeling of being watched the whole time, of being but a pawn in a game I did not understand. The corridors sprawled—different corridors one from the other—that they looked like mazes designed to make one lose their sense of direction. I had no other alternative but to put my trust in Bazz B.

Finally, we reached a large ornate door. Bazz B opened it and stood aside to let me in first. The room beyond was luxurious, rich in fabrics and elegant furniture. The contrast with the simplicity of my life back home, in proportion to the fact that everything had apparently changed, was just tremendously at odds.

"You will be safe here," he spoke surprisingly gently, "and if you need anything, there are servants who can assist you."

I crossed the threshold, my eyes quenching on the affluence surrounding me. A large canopy bed dominated the space with plush pillows and silk sheets, both welcoming and intimidating. A fireplace snapped warmly in the corner, casting a soft, flickering glow across the rich tapestries suspended from the walls. The furniture was in dark, polished wood, each piece a work of art in its own right.

For all the luxurious radius of the hotel, a chill seemed to grip me. I asked Bazz B, shivering a bit, "What am I doing here, and what does Jugram want from me?"

Bazz B's look softened, and for a second in those eyes, I saw a shine of empathy. "I don't know," he replied, not unkindly.

It did so small to abate my anxiety, but still, I nodded, knowing well it would be useless to pressure him for more answers. I could feel the discomfort in the way Bazz B noted, "Take rest."

Swallowing hard, I felt a lump forming in my throat, and tears were not too far from welling up in my eyes. "Thank you," I whispered, almost inaudibly.

With a nod, Bazz B turned and prepared to leave. "If you ever need anything, ask one of the servants. They are all here to serve you."

The door clicked shut behind him, and the grand room left me in its emptiness, the silence almost weighing on me. I approached a window and gazed out on the far-stretching gardens below. The beauty of the scene did nothing to calm the racing thoughts in my head. I was a stranger in this place, caught in a web of intrigue and power beyond my imagination.

I sat on the edge of the bed and finally allowed the tears, which I was withholding up to that point, to cascade freely. My life was upside-down, and I was clueless about the future. All that was left for me was to hope that, with time, the answers would manifest themselves and that somehow I'd make my way through this new and horrifying world.

The grandeur and the luxuriousness of these rooms decorated made it foreign, yet intriguing. There was curiosity, bundled with apprehension, which left me no choice but to take a tour of my new surroundings. I wandered around, with light touches of fingers on rich tapestries and polished wood.

An ornate vanity dominated one wall, the surface littered with all sorts of dainty, unknown items: intricate perfume bottles, silver hairbrushes, and elegant jewellery boxes. It seemed like every piece belonged to a different life, one into which I had been set against my will.

To the far end of the room, my attention was captured by a bookshelf filled with books in large volumes and thick leather-bound whose titles were embossed in gold. I ran my fingers along the spines and felt what seemed like old leather, the texture of it, marveling at what secrets and stories might be held within.

My eyes, roving about still in search of the spirit of adventure, fell on a door that I had not before seen. My heart pounded in my chest and I approached it, really not knowing what in the world I was going to see on the other side. Swallowing my apprehension, I turned the handle and slowly pushed the door open. A huge wardrobe; but instead of female clothes, I expected to find male attire. Suits, dress shirts, trousers—all were hung on hangers, every piece meticulously in place.

My throat started to knot as my eyes caught the sight. The realization slapped me in the face that these were Jugram's clothes, and a bad feeling crept over me. Why was his clothing inside this room he had taken me into? What did this mean for me?

Was this. his room?

Kicked into gear by the panic that suddenly surged, I carefully wandered over to the door and turned the handle in the hope that it would be open, but it was locked. I felt even more trapped, and then, upon realizing my position, a wave of helplessness started to take over. My hand just idled there on the doorknob for another second, shaking a bit, before I let go.

I closed the wardrobe door softly, retreating to the center of the room. It all felt so grand, overwhelming, insignificant in the fact that I did not belong. Every ornate detail, every expensive piece of furniture seemed to mock my situation, how far I was from the simplicity and safety of my former life.

I went over to the bed and sat down on its edge, whirling into deep plush comfort. The silk sheets and soft pillows on the bed formed a contrasting note with the tempest in my soul. I placed an arm around one of the pillows, feeling its softness as a form of solace.

A weight of the day's events and its occurrences weighed upon me. I lay back, sinking into the soft bed, embraced by it. I tightened my hold on the pillow, but found my mind so clouded and tired to bring some sense to everything.

The flickering light of the fireplace messed around with the shadows on the ceiling, adding to the surreal ambiance: Yet in the crease of fear and confusion, there began to creep in that strange sense of safety. In the room, it was warm, and the bed was soft—a little comfort, a small reprieve from the turmoil.

As my eyelids grew heavy, I was holding onto my pillow, with the last anxious thought dissipating, and then the sleep truly had me—releasing me from the confusion of the new reality.

Do not copy, steal, modify, etc.Relogs and like are appreciated.

m.list | bleach m.list

taglist :: @sahara-solaris-solace

lmk if you want to be apart of the tag list <3

[leggerefiore]

How about some good old fashioned fluff? How would all the various team leaders react to their s/o coming up behind them and tickling them while they’re in the middle of giving a speech to the grunts? I think it would be cute! (Except for Ghetsis I honestly think he’d just yell lmao)

i only did four.... I struggled to think of how Giovanni and Lysandre would handle it. Ghetsis scares me🥲.

cw: fluff,

characters: Maxie, Archie, Cyrus, Guzma

The leader stood in front of his subordinates quite flagrantly. A passionate speech came from the man as he made perfect movements to invigorate his team to continue working towards their goals. Loud cheers erupted during pauses. The energy in the area was electric. He stood there, looking both elegant and commanding. Perhaps something odd for him, perhaps something common. Either way, your mind drifted.

Temptation entered your consciousness. Everything about him seemed put together in that moment, surrounded by respect and admiration. You ran forward, startling the higher-up members who stood near their leader. Your hands went to tickle his sides…

☀️Maxie🌋

🪨 The Magma Leader tensed up and fought back the urge to laugh. He speech bad abruptly stopped, and his grunts had begun to look around nervously. Courtney shot a death glare at you while Tabitha just looked bored. Before you could be forcibly extracted by the purple-haired woman, Maxie managed to grasp your hands with his own before his demeanour was shattered. Your hands were held in place as he finished delivering his speech. A team chant was shouted. Soon, the grunts dispersed to the duties. The admins seemed to understand and disappeared as well. More so, Tabitha dragged off Courtney for everyone's safety.

🪨 Maxie turned around and shot you a harsh look. Your hands had finally been released. His cheeks had a dusting of pink to them. “… I prefer to keep things orderly,” he reprimanded you, “I do not take disrespect lightly. Especially in front of my entire team.” You were not intimidated at all by the redhead. While any of his grunts likely would have broken under the sheer intensity of the moment, you were his romantic partner. This was not anything unbearable. No, instead, you leaned forward and tickled him again. A howling laugh escaped him as he threw his head back enough to disorient his glasses.

🪨 He soon forced away your hands again and placed his arms defensively over himself. “Dearest!” he snapped at you, face nearly matching his hair, “Stop that!” You could only enjoy his dishevelled look. Maxie was truly adorable at times. “… Do I need to remind you that I am above you?” Your dare for him to try had you pulled away to his room within the hideout.

🌧Archie🌊

💧 Loud laughter came from Archie as his words came to an abrupt end. He was completely caught unaware by your attack and had no time to react. Shelly rolled her eyes at your actions and crossed her arms. Matt looked like he was ready to rush over and remove you from Archie. Grunts just watched in bewilderment. Eventually, however, he captured your hands and restrained them. His speech continued on, fervour and passion bleeding through with ease. The grunts cheered when he finished, giving applause. Dismissal followed, letting everyone disperse back to their assigned tasks. Shelly corralled Matt away before he could intervene.

💧 Archie let you go and turned around to face you. At first, he gave you a bewildered look before giving a guffaw. “You got me,” he relented, “Didn't expect you to come out while I was givin' a speech.” His head shook. You could not help but grin. Of course, Archie was a good sport about these kinds of things, and he was pretty open to his team. He pulled you closer to him. Leaning into him, you felt comforted by the smell of the sea that came from him. A foolish move, however, as it left you open. His hands pressed into your sides, and his fingers began to tickle you. Laughter came from you as you struggled to make him stop.

💧 You did, however, catching his hands with ease. A chuckle came from Archie. He rubbed his beard against you, trying to tickle you that way. A whine coming from you drew the exchange to an end. “Sorry, Luvdisc,” his light tone helped ease you back down from the sudden rush from the tickling, “I had to get you back.” He pecked a kiss to your temple. You then attempted another attack him. He caught you this time.

🌌Cyrus🛰

☄️ The Galactic Boss froze. No laughter came. Just awkward, uncomfortable silence. Mars and Jupiter both glared you down while looking purely indignant by your actions. The grunts nervously looked around while Cyrus stood eerily still, having been stopped during a particular passionate moment of his speech. Saturn actually held a look of mild amusement between his otherwise present distaste. You unconsciously recoiled back, a bit distressed by the reaction from the blue-haired man. The speech was continued, passion returning to hammer in the words' effectiveness. After the speech, everyone was dismissed to their duties or breaks. The commanders seemed to give varying looks at you. Cyrus simply demanded that you follow him.

☄️ In the silence of his locked office, his fierce gaze pierced you. For a man who declared himself emotionless, his feelings were plain in his expression. He did not sit – no, he remained standing stiffly at his full height. “I despise such trivial actions,” his tone was stern and harsh, “I do not stand for having any interruptions to my plans.” You were almost intimidated by this man. He was truly powerful in various ways, after all. But, you knew him personally. Cyrus was just upset. Moving towards him, you wrapped your arms around his torso and grinned up at him. The affection was allowed, albeit with a strange look from Cyrus. Then, you tickled your fingers along his back, hoping to catch him off-guard.

☄�� No laughter came from him still, though. His face seemed to gain a little bit of colour, and an odd cough came from him. Quickly, however, your hands were restrained. Cyrus glared down at you. “… Foolish,” he admonished you. You were pulled tightly against him, little to no room remaining between your bodies. “Beloved, that was a stunt I cannot allow you to repeat,” something odd was present in his eyes, “Perhaps you need a form of punishment.” You swallowed. Suddenly, you found yourself following him to his personal nap room.

🕶Guzma💀

□ The Skull Boss tensed up for a moment. Plumeria tilted her head at you while grunts seemed shocked by the developing situation. A few muffled laughs came from Guzma while he desperately tried to stop himself. Your deft hands continued to tickle his side. At some point, he managed to grasp them before you made him actually burst into laughter. He shook his head and hastily finished his speech. No one really made any comments about the situation as they were dismissed to go to whatever they were doing. Plumeria even wandered off, apparently not wanting any piece of the situation. He switched into his usual head-grabbing action as he scolded himself.

□ Then, his attention turned to you. A few steps away from him now, you felt pretty contented with the reaction he had given. “Babe,” he said simply, “The fuck?” You gave a laugh. His hands were firmly on his hips. Those grey eyes of his were small. He shook his head. You just wandered closer to him again. Bringing your arms under him, you hugged him as an apology. He grumbled a bit but hugged you back, pulling you more into him. There was a certain ease to being in his arms. Your mind could slip into a peaceful place far too easily. Too easily to notice where his hands had gone to. Laughter came from you as you struggled to stop the Skull Boss's hands. He looked at you smugly as you squirmed against him.

□ Eventually, though, he stopped. You were freed. Stepping away from him, you attempted to regain yourself. That had almost been too much. A chuckle came from Guzma. “Payback,” he replied simply, “You good? I didn't think that would knock the wind out of you.” You playfully whacked his chest. He caught you in an actual hug this time and pecked a kiss to your hair. “Cutiefly,” Guzma mumbled out at your pouting at him. You proceeded to try to tickle him again. He could not escape in time.

[oneshotnewbie]

heyy!! can i request athena grant x reader where in reader is a doctor and maybe there was some emergency in the hospital that required the police to be involved?? thank u and have a good day!!

Authors note: Unfortunately, I didn't know if you wanted Athena and the reader to possibly be together because you didn't describe it further, so I just went with the idea of the two being together. I hope it's okay ♥

ᕚ---ᕘ

You stood nervously in the middle of a secluded examination room, your expression focused as you quickly put on the disposable gloves and prepared yourself for the task at hand. You were assigned an aggressive patient, tormented by pain and under the possible influence of drugs. His gaze is wide open between the gathering of nurses who are trying to hold him down on the stretcher, his pupils dilated and his movements uncontrolled while gesticulating wildly. The man seemed out of control and full of anger, sending a shiver of fear down your spine.

Various utensils were scattered on the floor, and the medical ultrasound machine lay overturned on the floor and yet you approached the patient with calm determination but caution, trying not to be intimidated by his aggression. A tense atmosphere filled the room as you struggled to take the necessary medical measures.

Drawing up a syringe with your shaky hands and keeping it ready to calm the patient down, you knew you had to proceed with caution to avoid escalating the situation as the man uttered unintelligible profanities and tries to break away. In a state of delirious rage, he vehemently resisted the touch and in a sudden rush of aggression, he reached for you and hit you with a powerful punch in the stomach. "Go away! Leave me alone!"

You stumbled back, feeling the sharp pain in your side, but despite the shock and injury, you remained calm and focused. With practiced hands you continued to try to treat the patient, still holding the syringe in your fist, while at the same time he tried to protect himself. "Please calm down, Mr. Johnson. We just want to help you." Another push from him made you fall violently into one of the standing cabinets, the needle of the syringe piercing your thigh.

“Damn,” you groaned, looking down. Luckily the sedative had not come loose due to the impact and was still completely in the syringe, so you had nothing to worry about. However, the relentless beeping of the machines near you worried you.  With a short scream, you quickly pulled the needle from your leg and threw the used syringe into the sink before standing up and looking at your colleagues. "Get the police in here. They should put the guy in chains, it is too dangerous for us.“

One of the male nurses nodded at you and let go of the guy on the lounger. He quickly ran out of the room and let the other sisters fight the man with all their might. Without further ado, he came back with two officers and surprisingly, you looked into the face of your girlfriend and her long-time partner, Officer Rodriquez. „Doctor, how can we support you?“ she asked professionally with a smile on her lips, and you breathed a sigh of relief as you pointed at the young man. A small grin appeared on your face too at the sight of her. She was wearing her uniform, the taser holster already open just in case while gloves were up to her wrists to intervene safely whenever you needed her. "He is very aggressive. We have to give him an injection, but he fights back with all his might."

It was only when you pushed yourself up from your leaning position and hobbled along to the syringes to put on a new one that she noticed that a blood stain had formed on your thigh; showing through your blue pants. "You are hurt, are you okay?" There was concern in her voice that you could clearly hear. Both Athena and her partner cautiously approached Mr. Johnson, trying to calm him down while you prepared the injection of a sedative. However, Athena's gaze was focused on you, demanding an answer. "I am okay, nothing happened."

The police officer was not really convinced by your answer, but would deal with you later and care for you. Officer Rodriguez spoke soothingly to the man, diverting his attention as he helped the nurses hold him on the gurney while you cautiously approached him behind Athena. With the help of the two police officers, you finally managed to calm him down and give the injection. Slowly, Mr. Johnson relaxed, twitching briefly before his anger subsided and his thrashing became weaker until he finally fell into a more peaceful sleep.

Your people exhale in relief as you continue to keep an eye on the patient, watching his heartbeat slow down. "One of you must remain here with the nurses to provide them with protection should he wake up again," you stated as you freed yourself from the utensils you had been using and successfully threw your gloves into the trash can. Before you left the room, you addressed your employees. "He needs to be monitored around the clock. Call me as soon as anything changes in his condition. Give him fluids, a liter of saline to start with."

The door closed behind you and you walked towards a free room to treat your wound. However, before you had even reached your destination, an arm sneaked around your waist as a kiss was planted on your temple. "Hey, 'thena." You whispered, giggling and leaning against her side. Supportively, she helped you into another room where she ordered you to sit down while you told her what you needed to patch yourself up. "How many times have I told you that once you get an aggressive patient, you do not do anything until you call the cops into the room?"

“Often enough,” you admitted, placing a hand over your furrowed brow before standing up and gently brushing your pants down your thigh. "But the work must be done, even under these extremely difficult circumstances." Her head shook several times as she walked towards you and placed the things you needed on the cupboard. Athena took a seat in the chair in front of you and began cleaning the wound with disinfectant.

You clenched your teeth, let out a painful hiss, and squeezed your eyes shut as the cotton pad dipped in alcohol glided over your skin. "'thena, you know that I am actually the doctor, right?" you muttered under you breath and clawed into the foam with all your strength. "Babe, but you know I do not care, right?"

[nanasdumbworld]

Lovefool (pt.2)

Miguel O'Hara x Venom! f!reader

Summary ; The alien who took Miguel's best friend body, falls in love with him.

Warnings ; Unrequited love, mention of blood, implied injuries. Pure angst.

A/N ; i decided to keep female pronouns for venom!reader :)

Miguel had been looking for (Y/N) for hours. He couldn't find her anywhere, not even Lyla could.

He had sent Peter, Gwen, Hobie, Pavitr, Miles, and Jessica to search for her in different universes. He had a feeling she was in danger, she wouldn't just disappear like that.

"Lyla, send more backup" He said without taking his eyes off the screen. The drone that he had sent to (Y/N)'s earth, traveled through each of the many streets of New York.

The drone detected (Y/N)'s mask near an abandoned warehouse, but there was no trace of her. Miguel felt a strange pressure on his chest. The drone entered the building and when scanning the place inside, it found different blood stains, on the walls, on the furniture, and on some broken windows.

"Take a blood test and bring it back" The drone obeyed and took the test to his office, at the same time, the spidermen and spiderwomen from the search arrived.

Peter walked over to Miguel and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, buddy. We didn't find anything" he said with a sad expression. Everyone was quite worried about (Y/N). They all felt a bit guilty that they couldn't find anything.

"Keep looking" he blurted out without facing the team behind him. Peter came down from the platform and barred the group from leaving Miguel's office. The blood test was ready, everything indicated that was her blood and there was a lot of blood in the place. The pressure in the chest that Miguel felt grew stronger, he really feared for her well-being, just thinking that she could be dead ate him up inside. He was really pissed, he blamed himself for not paying enough attention to her, he blamed himself for not taking care of her as he should.

A noise alerted him. He quickly went out to the lobby, he saw a strange creature fighting with Hobie and Miles. Seeing that the two boys are at a disadvantage, he intervened. Just one hit was enough to knock out the creature. Everyone present, including Miguel, surrounded it. In his view, the thing was a hideous yellow and red alien. Pavitr touched it with his finger to verify that it was really knocked out, receiving a light slap from Miguel.

"Take that thing to the lab, now"

-➳♥

Slowly opened her eyes. A white light blinded her eyes, causing her to narrow them. She tried to move, but realized she was strapped to a gurney.

"Where am i?" She could barely speak. At the moment of standing up, she broke all the ties and her head hit a ceiling lamp, letting out a small "ouch". The person who was making sure she didn't escape, pointed a stun gun at her. "Don't you dare move or I'll shoot you" the alien laughed.

"Woah, easy, man. I'm not going to hurt you" She stretched out her long arms, trying to calm him down.

The man spoke through his watch to his boss. Still pointing at her. "Miguel, this thing has already woken up"

"This thing? I have a name in case you didn't know-" a voice interrupted her.

"Go back to your stretcher, now." A masked man in a blue spandex with red details appeared in front of her. His talons freaked her out.

"Calm down, you too, Dark Garfield. I only came to talk to one person, I come in peace" Upon hearing the nickname, Miguel rolled his eyes. "Who do you wish to speak to, creature?" he approached her, facing her, while his mask faded, revealing an intimidating Miguel O'Hara. They were almost the same height, he only beats her by a few inches. Although she physically couldn't blush, she felt her "cheeks" burning. For some reason that man made her feel nervous.

"I want to talk to you. Who are you, what is this place, and why does my host has you in her memories?"

taglist: @lostaudfound @I3Iaze @coeircedpup @syd-vixious @vodoo-heart @scaraza @cicithemess2000 @levisbebe

[deliciousangelfestival]

Secret Sorrows || 4 -B.Barnes

Summary: Former special ops, Bucky, seeks solace in a cold refuge to escape his past. However, his haunted history catches up, unraveling mysteries that persist relentlessly.

Series Masterlist

Thank you to anyone who gave a like, reblog, and left a comment. It motivated me to write more. 

Main Masterlist || support: Ko-fi

Monday. It was the first day of the week, a day that dawned not just for the adults who had to rise early for work, but also for the children.

Ethan grumpily buttoned up his school uniform shirt, realizing it was time for him to continue his studies. His mood soured further as he watched his aunt, who didn't utter a word to him, only stroking his hair before slipping into her car.

He crossed his arms and puffed his cheeks in frustration. Couldn't she at least say something to him?

From the rear window of the car, Bucky caught sight of Ethan's grumpy expression, likening him to a disgruntled hamster.

"I thought you liked to study?" Bucky asked, noting how diligently Ethan applied himself to his studies. Despite being just seven years old, Ethan focused intensely like his aunt.

If it weren't for the butler placing their meals in front of them, Bucky mused, both Ethan and Y/N might only eat once a day.

Ethan replied, "It's great, but I don't like the kids. They're childish."

Bucky nearly choked on his surprise. Of course, the other children were childish; it was an elementary school.

As their car arrived at the private school, where attendance was reserved for children with influential parents or those who had made significant donations, the security measures were top-notch, with some students even accompanied by their own bodyguards. Bucky noted with a raised eyebrow that the school even employed a sniper.

Straightening his shirt and adjusting his bag, Ethan muttered, "Here we go."

Offering reassurance, Bucky said, "I'll be nearby if you need anything."

"Okay," Ethan replied, his tone tinged with uncertainty.

Entering his classroom, Ethan was immediately surrounded by classmates offering their condolences. Bucky observed from a distance, noting Ethan's warmth and camaraderie with his peers, silently relieved that Ethan had good friends by his side.

Soon, Bucky discovered the reason behind Ethan's reluctance to attend school. In fencing class, a taller boy from another grade, Greyson, regarded Ethan as his rival, though Ethan didn't share the same sentiment.

Greyson constantly challenged Ethan, but Ethan, still grappling with some underlying trauma, found himself unable to respond.

Sensing Ethan's distress, Bucky intervened, only for Greyson to call upon his own bodyguard, escalating the situation further.

The clash between the bodyguards began. Bucky, unfamiliar with fencing techniques, relied instead on his instinctual combat skills. Despite Ethan's doubts about Bucky's abilities in fencing, Bucky couldn't afford to lose this battle today.

Disregarding the rules of the sport, Bucky unleashed his full capabilities, catching Greyson's bodyguard off guard. With a swift motion, Bucky's final attack sent the fencing sword hurtling through the air, narrowly missing embedding itself in the thick wall.

The spectators, including Greyson, watched in awe and fear, while Ethan's admiration for Bucky only grew.

Greyson, now intimidated, pointed a trembling finger at Bucky. "I’ll tell my father."

Bucky simply stood tall, his expression unyielding, ready to face whatever consequences lay ahead.

Because of Greyson, Bucky found himself in the same situation again, standing before Y/N. This time, however, she wasn't preoccupied with signing documents; instead, her focus was entirely on him. Bucky knew this meant he was in big trouble.

The situation reminded him of the time he and Iris were called to the supervisor's office and punished together.

Y/N placed her hands together before her lips, her expression unreadable. She had been on a conference call from abroad when she heard about Ethan's situation.

The silence made Bucky nervous until she finally uttered some words. “The last time it was the swimming coach, and now do you want to tell me why the senator is blaming my nephew's bodyguard for making his son cry?”

Bucky responded, his tone respectful but firm, “With all due respect, those children trying to bully Ethan are not just kids, but devil spawn.”

Y/N's secretary, Marie, coughed awkwardly upon hearing Bucky's words, while Y/N remained silent, her lips quirking into a small smirk. “You're always a troublemaker, aren't you?”

Bucky raised an eyebrow in confusion. Why did she say “always”? Once again, she left him feeling puzzled.

Y/N continued, her tone surprisingly lenient, “I'll let it go this time. The senator didn't make this a big deal since he knows Van Alen is one of his main sponsors.”

Bucky had expected her to be angry, but her reaction caught him off guard.

“If something like this happens again,” Y/N warned, her voice firm, “handle it quietly.”

Bucky smirked confidently. “Of course.” With that, he left her office.

Marie couldn't help but glance at the closed door. “You're too kind to him. Is it because he's handsome?”

Y/N shot her a glare that silenced Marie immediately.

Returning her attention to her work, Y/N picked up a pen and began signing a document. “Is everything prepared for dinner?” she asked casually.

Marie checked her tablet. “Yup, the food and beverages are ready, including your and Ethan's outfits.”

Ethan paced back and forth, his expression troubled, his mind consumed with worry about his bodyguard. Spotting Bucky, he rushed over to him. “Bro, is my aunt mad at you?”

Bucky shook his head. “Not really.”

A relieved sigh escaped Ethan's lips. “You're my bodyguard, but I always worry when my aunt calls you.”

Bucky couldn't help but chuckle softly at the boy's concern. Then, his gaze fell upon a semi-formal dress adorning a mannequin inside Ethan's wardrobe.

“Are you going somewhere? I didn't see it in your schedule,” Bucky inquired, curious about the unexpected attire.

Ethan turned to look at the mannequin. “Oh, my aunt has a guest coming for dinner.”

“Who?” Bucky asked, intrigued.

Ethan shrugged his shoulders. “Don't know. Usually, it was my parents who welcomed the guests.” His voice quivered slightly as he mentioned his parents, the pain of their absence still raw.

Bucky felt a pang of sympathy for the boy's loss. “Do you want to join the dinner?” he offered, hoping to provide some comfort.

Ethan nodded eagerly. “It's the only time I get to be with my aunt.”

Bucky sighed inwardly, his heart aching for the strained relationship between Ethan and Y/N. When would things get better for them?

********

At dinner time, Bucky discovered that Y/N had already welcomed the guest, and it was time for Ethan to join the table. As they approached, both Bucky and Ethan finally saw who the guest was. Bucky had expected someone older, but to his surprise, the guest was around the same age—a young man named Duke August Walker.

Ethan murmured, “He’s Duke August Walker,” informing Bucky of the guest's identity. August Walker was an oil tycoon whose company collaborated with Van Alen.

He had become acquainted with both families, and there were rumors of his interest in Y/N, which she had apparently declined.

Bucky's eyes widened slightly in recognition. August Walker— the name stirred memories. Bucky remembered him from their school days; they had attended the same school. He recalled their encounters, but their paths had never crossed closely.

Observing Y/N and August chuckling together, Bucky couldn't shake off a twinge of jealousy. He didn't understand why he felt that way, but the sight bothered him.

Walker noticed Ethan's arrival and greeted him warmly. "Hey there, big guy," he said, fist-bumping Ethan.

Ethan reciprocated the greeting politely before taking a seat near Y/N. Meanwhile, Bucky remained standing outside the dining room, still able to overhear their conversation.

Y/N engaged Ethan in conversation, their interaction warm and familial.

Observing their aunt and nephew interaction, Walker commented, “Now I understand why you didn’t answer my call.”

Y/N shot him a look. “You have a problem with that?” she countered.

Walker chuckled, unfazed. “No. In fact, I’m impressed you’re starting to act like a normal human.”

Ethan's grip on his utensils tightened as he hissed at August, clearly displeased by the remark.

Walker laughed softly before changing the subject. “Do you have any plans to send Ethan to Vanguard Academy?” he asked Y/N.

Bucky's breath hitched when he heard that name—the same Academy he and Iris attended. It was the place that had become his sanctuary when he felt alone in the world. There, he learned valuable lessons about skills, friendship, love, heartbreak, and betrayal.

The mention of Vanguard Academy stirred up a mix of emotions within Bucky. He disagreed with the idea of Ethan attending the academy, feeling that he was too young for such an environment.

While the academy catered to students from kindergarten to high school, most of the younger students lived in the same area. If Ethan were to study there, he would have to be separated from Y/N—a prospect that Bucky found unsettling.

As for Ethan, he had heard about the academy from his mother. He had seen her photo from her days as a student there. Although his mother didn't speak much about the institute, it was evident that she harbored some dislike towards it.

Ethan didn't want to live far away; he was afraid, especially after hearing his Aston family's grandfather mention their plans to send him to Vanguard Academy a few times.

Y/N responded to Walker's suggestion with firmness. “He doesn’t fit into that place. Who do you think you are to even consider sending my nephew?”

Walker raised his arms defensively. “Whoops, don’t get mad. I only mentioned it because Iris seemed to have the time of her life there.”

Y/N wiped her mouth with a napkin, her expression unreadable. “Do you want to discuss my nephew or business?” she asked pointedly.

Walker shifted uncomfortably. “You’re really different from Iris. But your business instinct is top-notch,” he remarked, attempting to steer the conversation back towards business.

The remainder of the evening passed in a flurry of business discussions between the adults, their voices filling the room with a serious undertone. After Duke August Walker departed, Y/N decided to check on Ethan.

Ethan, feeling the weight of sleepiness settling upon him, ran eagerly to his aunt, his arms outstretched in a silent plea for comfort. The weariness seemed to dissipate from his demeanor as he looked up at her with hopeful eyes, seeking solace in her presence.

Y/N raised a quizzical eyebrow at Ethan's sudden request for a hug. "What are you doing?" she inquired, her tone laced with curiosity.

"Please, give me a hug," Ethan implored softly, his voice tinged with a hint of longing.

Y/N regarded him with a mixture of confusion and tenderness, unsure of what had prompted this sudden need for affection. Nevertheless, she couldn't resist the innocence in his request.

Before she could utter another word, Ethan rushed into her embrace, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. His warmth enveloped her, momentarily melting away the worries of the day.

Y/N's initial stiffness softened as she returned the embrace, though uncertainty still lingered in her movements. She wasn't accustomed to such displays of affection, especially from Ethan.

As they stood in the embrace, Ethan's voice barely above a whisper, he confessed, "I miss my mother."

Y/N felt a pang in her heart at his words, her own emotions mirroring his sorrow. She wished she could fill the void left by his mother's absence, but she knew she could never truly replace her.

In an attempt to offer some comfort, Y/N gently stroked his back, her touch tentative yet comforting. "Go to your room. I’ll read a bedtime story for you," she promised, her voice soft and reassuring.

Ethan's eyes brightened with gratitude at her offer. "Really?" he asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.

Y/N nodded, a small smile gracing her lips, and Ethan hurried off to his room, eager to prepare for their nightly routine.

Meanwhile, as Bucky helped Ethan select a book from the shelf, he noticed a slip of paper fluttering to the ground. Curiosity piqued, he bent down to retrieve it, and his heart skipped a beat when he realized what it was—a photograph.

This was a photo of him and Iris back at the academy. And why did Ethan have this photo?

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Ruthless Grace | Austin Butler x OC (part 7)

(gif source: bin1es)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

plot summary: Amidst the grime and squalor of Victorian England's winding cobblestone alleys, a young woman's life hangs precariously in the balance. Violet, a poor peasant girl with long raven locks and piercing gray eyes, possesses a haunting beauty that belies the harsh realities of her existence. Tragedy struck two years prior when Violet's mother succumbed to illness, leaving her to fend for herself and her father – a cruel, selfish man consumed by vices of alcohol and gambling. On one fateful night, Violet's father drags her unwillingly to that very den of iniquity, and there she learns a horrifying truth from the club's greedy, perverted owner: to repay his mounting gambling debts, her father has sold her into sexual servitude. Violet's vehement protests fall on deaf ears, until an unlikely savior emerges from the shadows. Lord Austin Butler intervenes with a bargain of his own. This dangerous man offers to pay off Violet's father's debts in exchange for her accompaniment, and Violet is torn from the only life she has known. While Austin's demeanor remains shrouded in mystery and detachment at first, Violet gradually glimpses his softer, even playful side as time passes within the manor's walls and an unexpected connection blossoms between the unlikely pair.

pairings: austin butler x oc

word count: 3,724

warnings/notes:

Chapter 7: A Dance of Threads

As they entered the parlor, Mr. Pembroke's gloved hand rested on the ornate doorknob, holding it open for them. The room was filled with the scents of lavender and sandalwood, and luxurious silk drapes adorned the windows. A grand piano stood in one corner, its polished wood reflecting the soft glow of crystal chandeliers. On the plush velvet couch sat a petite woman with chestnut curls cascading down her back. Her eyes sparkled as she caught sight of Austin, and her rose-colored lips curved into a luminous smile. She gracefully stood up, giving a slight curtsy in greeting.

“Lord Butler,” she greeted.

Austin's tall frame bent at the waist in a fluid motion, releasing Violet's arm before taking Evie's delicate hand in his own. His lips touched her knuckles gently, a gesture of chivalry. "There's no need for such formality, Evie," he coaxed with a charming smile. He turned to Violet, his voice like smooth honey as he asked, "Would you judge me if I didn't adhere to strict etiquette?”

Violet's head shook with a nervous twitch, her lips curling into a slight smile. "No, no," she replied quickly, trying to hide her nerves. Her eyes flicked towards the elegant woman standing before her, dressed in impeccable fashion. This was Evelyn Rosewood, renowned modiste and one of her host's oldest friends. As Violet took in the intricate details of Evelyn's dress and perfectly coiffed hair, she couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and intimidation in the presence of such talent and grace. She instinctively straightened her posture and smoothed out the wrinkles in her own dress, suddenly feeling self-conscious about her appearance compared to Evelyn's.

As Violet approached, Evelyn's hand was extended towards her, a warm smile gracing her lips. Her teeth were impeccably straight and gleaming white, adding to her already stunning appearance. The sound of her voice was soft and gentle, like the rustle of leaves in a gentle breeze, immediately putting Violet at ease. "Miss Everly, it is an absolute pleasure to finally meet you," she said with a soothing cadence. "I have heard so much about you from Austin, and I must say, I am excited to help bring out your natural elegance.”

Violet's hand shook as she hesitated, her fingers hovering just above Evelyn's outstretched hand. She took a deep breath and finally made contact, feeling the gentle warmth of the older woman's palm against her own. "Thank you, Miss Rosewood," she murmured, barely audible. Her rough, calloused hands were not accustomed to such delicate touch and expensive jewelry. “I am not accustomed to such…finery.”

Evelyn's laughter rang out like the tinkling of tiny, silver bells, bringing a smile to Austin's face. She gestured towards a table covered in luxurious fabric swatches and elegant dress designs. "Let's find something that not only fits you, but truly celebrates you," she said.

As Austin watched, it seemed as though Violet was shedding her defensive barriers under Evelyn's gentle and skilled touch. Austin could see the transformation happening before his eyes, like witnessing a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.

Evelyn's elegant fingers glided over the intricate patterns of the luxurious fabrics, each one more opulent than the next. She led Violet to a table overflowing with materials fit for a princess. Violet's breath caught as she ran her hand over a midnight blue velvet, its surface shimmering under the soft glow of the room's lighting. Evelyn smiled and nodded at Violet's unspoken question. "That color will accentuate your eyes perfectly," she murmured.

As Evelyn took Violet's measurements, she spoke in a soothing tone about the designs she had in mind. "We'll create a fitted bodice to emphasize your posture and draw attention to your slender figure," she explained, her fingers deftly marking out lines on the fabric.

Violet leaned in, her whole being focused on every word that escaped Evelyn's lips. The room was filled with the scent of freshly-cut roses and the soft glow of flickering candles. As Evelyn spoke, she gestured gracefully with her delicate hands, highlighting each design element with precision. Violet felt like a canvas being painted upon, her emotions shifting with every brushstroke of Evelyn's words.

Across the room, Austin observed silently, his intense gaze fixed on Violet. She could feel his eyes on her, like a comforting warmth spreading through her body. With each step he took, his powerful presence filled the room, commanding attention without saying a word. The sound of his shoes echoed against the marble floors as he moved closer.

"You wear it beautifully, even before it has been crafted," he murmured, his deep voice sending shivers down her spine. His clothes fit him perfectly, accentuating his broad shoulders and confident stance. The rich fabric whispered against his skin as he reached out to touch one of the pieces on display.

Violet couldn't help but blush under his intense gaze, feeling like a bird caught in a trance by a skilled predator. But as their eyes met, his smile was warm and reassuring, calming her nerves and making her heart flutter like a butterfly in flight. The air between them was charged with an electricity that neither of them could deny or ignore.

"Thank you, Lord Butler," she responded. She nervously smoothed out her dress, trying to maintain her composure under Lord Butler's intense gaze. His piercing blue eyes remained fixed on hers, unblinking and unwavering. As he took a small step towards her, the fabric of his silk coat rustled in the quiet room. The air seemed charged with electricity as they stood in silence, the tension between them almost palpable. Her heart raced and her palms grew clammy as she struggled to hold his gaze.

"Please, call me Austin.” As Violet stared into Austin's eyes, she noticed the sincerity in his gentle plea. He extended his hand towards her with an open palm, as if inviting her to get closer. She couldn't help but feel drawn to him, his name simple yet holding a hint of mystery that intrigued her.

With each syllable of his name falling from her lips, she felt a sense of familiarity and warmth fill her. "Austin," she repeated softly. A small smile tugged at his lips. A small smile tugged at the corners of Austin's lips as he returned her gaze with fondness

Evelyn crouched in front of Violet, her nimble fingers meticulously arranging the delicate lace and silk fabric around her form. Austin leaned against a nearby column, his intense gaze following every movement of Evelyn's skilled hands. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the grand windows, casting a warm glow on the soft folds of fabric that surrounded them. As Evelyn stepped out to retrieve a forgotten lace trim from her carriage, the room was suddenly filled with a hushed stillness. Austin and Violet were left alone, breathing the only sound in the otherwise silent space.

A hesitant silence hung between them, until finally Austin broke the stillness with a gentle voice. "You seem to be adjusting well," he observed, his words filled with both curiosity and concern.

Violet turned towards him, her heart still fluttering like a delicate butterfly in the aftermath of their quiet intimacy. The warmth of his hand lingered on her skin, sending shivers down her spine. Her cheeks bloomed with a rosy blush as she shyly whispered, "Yes, thank you.” The midnight blue velvet cloak draped over her shoulders felt like a regal embrace, its soft fabric caressing her skin and instilling her with an odd sense of empowerment.

A glimmer of relief lit up Austin's tired eyes, softening them and revealing a hint of vulnerability. He released a small sigh, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders."I'm glad. I must admit, I was concerned about how you would find life here... after everything."

"I appreciate your concern, Lord—Austin." A soft, warm smile spread across his face as she corrected herself, addressing him by his proper title. She couldn't help but feel a flutter in her chest at the sight of that charming smile and the way his dimples appeared when he laughed.

"It is unusual," she said, the soft timbre of her voice betraying a hint of fear, “When whispers paint a different picture of you."

A look of deep contemplation washed over Austin's face, his hazel eyes drifting towards the grand piano situated in the corner of the room. Its smooth ebony surface gleamed under the soft glow of the chandelier, intricate carvings along its legs and fallboard hinting at its antiquity and value. With a graceful stride, he made his way towards the piano, his movements fluid and confident as if he had played on this very instrument countless times before. His long fingers gently ran over the keys, eliciting a series of delicate notes that filled the room with a melodic charm. "May I?" he asked, turning back to her with an earnestness that was impossible to resist.

Violet's eyes were fixated on his hands, moving with fluid grace over the piano keys, sending shivers down her spine. “Please.”

Austin gracefully lowered himself onto the piano bench, his fingers hovering over the ivory keys with a practiced ease. He ran his eyes over the black and white pattern just once before he began to play. The melody that poured forth from his fingertips was hauntingly beautiful, each note ringing out with a sense of deep longing and sadness, but also with a glimmer of hope. It seemed to tell a story, one of struggle and hidden dreams, and Violet couldn't help but feel drawn in by its emotive power. As the music swirled around her, she felt as though it were building a bridge between their hearts, connecting them in a way words never could. She was completely captivated.

As the last note faded into the night, Austin turned to face her, his features softened and unguarded. Violet's eyes met his, her own emotions reflecting the rawness in his deep blue gaze. "That was beautiful," she murmured, unable to tear her gaze away from him. A magnetic pull drew her towards him, a sensation she couldn't quite explain but one that felt inexplicably right.

Austin stood up and closed the distance between them. His deep voice was laced with both tenderness and intensity as he spoke."Violet, I never intended for you to be drawn into my world." He paused, his piercing gaze searching her eyes for a glimmer of understanding. "But now that you are here, I find myself hoping you might stay."

Before Violet could respond, the sound of the door clicking open interrupted the charged atmosphere. Evelyn stepped back into the room, her arms laden with spools of delicate lace and a contented smile on her face. She paused momentarily as she noticed the proximity between Austin and Violet, an expression of mild surprise flickering across her features before she swiftly masked it with her customary warm grin.

"I do hope I'm not interrupting," Evelyn said, her voice laced with a hint of mirth as she moved towards a nearby table to lay down her materials. "I found just the right trim for your gown, Violet. It’s a vintage lace; very rare."

Austin stepped back from Violet, clearing his throat slightly as he composed himself. "Thank you, Evelyn," he replied, his tone casual but his eyes still holding a flicker of intensity from his earlier words.

Evelyn glanced between them, a knowing look in her eye, but chose to focus on her fabrics instead. "The lace is quite exquisite, really," she continued, unfolding the delicate material for Violet to see. It was beautifully intricate, threaded through with hints of silver that caught the light as it moved. "It'll complement the velvet wonderfully."

Violet was drawn to the lace, appreciative of its beauty but also grateful for a reason to steady her emotions. The cool threads felt comforting under her fingertips. "It’s beautiful, Evelyn. Thank you.”

"Of course, my dear," Evelyn replied, her voice soft and soothing. "It’s my pleasure to assist in adorning such a willing canvas."

As Evelyn continued to discuss her design ideas with Violet, Austin quietly exited the room.

***************************

Days later, Violet found herself aimlessly strolling through the dimly lit hallways of the manor, her mind consumed with thoughts of Austin. The gentle touch of his hand on hers earlier in the evening had sparked a whirlwind of emotions that she couldn't quite grasp. The manor was silent except for the soft breeze brushing against the ancient stone walls, and she moved almost unconsciously, drawn deeper into its depths.

As she passed by a partially open door, a tense and sharp voice stopped her in her tracks. It was Mr. Pembroke's voice, filled with both worry and accusation, in a stern tone that Violet had never heard before.

"You should never have brought her here, Austin," Mr. Pembroke stated firmly, his tone both worried and accusatory. "She is too... tempting for you. This proximity— it’s dangerous."

There was a heavy silence, and then Austin's voice replied, low and strained. "I know what I am doing, Pembroke.”

“Do you? I have seen the way you look her, how delicately you treat her. What happens when the hunger becomes too strong? When you can’t resist the smell of her—”

“Enough!” Austin slammed his hands down on the desk in front of him. “I would never hurt her.”

“Not intentionally. But I have been by your side a long time, my lord. The thirst—”

Austin paced the room, each step echoing like a distant drum in the quiet night. His jaw was set, his eyes haunted by battles fought in the darkness of his own soul. "You think I am not aware?" he said quietly, stopping to face the window. "You think I do not feel it gnawing at me every moment she is near?"

Mr. Pembroke sighed, his expression softening as he watched his master struggle with his inner demons. "I know you do, sir. And I fear for you both." He paused before adding solemnly, "Especially for her."

Violet's heart seemed to seize within her chest, her emotions tangled as tightly as the vines that crept along the manor's old stone walls. She had come in search of solitude, a place to ponder the peculiar warmth she felt around Austin—how his slightest smile or the mere touch of his hand could set her adrift in turbulent seas of feeling. Yet here she stood, invisible in the shadowed threshold, eavesdropping on a conversation that she knew would alter everything. Fear prickled at the base of her neck, sharp and cold as the draught that danced through the corridor. The chilling words hung in the air like a dense fog, seeping into her very bones. How could someone so composed and formidable grapple with such overpowering vulnerabilities?

As she stood there, cocooned in the thick shadows just beyond the flickering light from the room, her mind replayed every encounter with Austin. Each smile, each thoughtful gaze he had directed at her now seemed laden with an unspoken gravity that pressed heavily on her chest. The realization that his struggle was far more profound than she could have imagined ignited a fierce protectiveness over him, mingling strangely with her own survival instincts. A part of her yearned to burst into the room, to confront the palpable tension. Yet, another part, gripped by an almost paralyzing fear, urged her to flee—to run from the manor and its dark secrets that seemed as ancient as the stones themselves.

Caught in this tempest of thought and emotion, Violet shifted slightly, her foot brushing against a loose floorboard. The sharp creak shattered the silence like glass. Instantly, the voices ceased. The eerie quiet that followed was suffocating. Violet's breath hitched in her throat, and for an agonizing moment, time seemed suspended.

Then Austin spoke, his voice cutting through the stillness with unnerving calmness. "Who is out there?"

The air in the corridor grew colder, a palpable tension swelling as Violet's heart pounded in her ears. She felt pinned in place, her instincts at war between the urge to reveal herself and a desperate wish to vanish into the shadows. Slowly, with a sense of inevitability etching through her bones, Violet stepped forward into the dim light spilling from the room. "It's me," she said quietly, her voice barely more than a whisper but loud enough in the haunting silence.

Austin turned sharply at the sound of her voice, his expression transforming from suspicion to something undefinable. His eyes, usually so commanding and unreadable, now betrayed a hint of vulnerability. Mr. Pembroke looked between them, an uneasy expression etched upon his features.

"I... I didn't mean to eavesdrop," Violet stammered, her eyes darting nervously between Austin and Mr. Pembroke. "I was just—

"There is no need for explanations, Miss Everly," Mr. Pembroke interjected smoothly, though his eyes held a warning glint that suggested the gravity of what she might have overheard. "These walls are old; they carry sound misleadingly."

Austin stepped closer to her, each movement deliberate and controlled. There was an intensity about him now that seemed almost palpable, a dark aura that both frightened and compelled her. "Violet," he began, his voice low and resonant, "what you heard—"

"I understand it's none of my business," Violet interrupted quickly, not entirely sure if she spoke out of fear or a protective urge towards Austin’s privacy. “I didn’t hear much truthfully.”

Austin’s gaze lingered on her, his eyes searching. For a brief moment, there was silence again, thick and unyielding, as if the world held its breath. Then he softened, the tension leaving his body if only for a moment. “Very well,” he said with a forced smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Mr. Pembroke, observing the delicate interplay of emotions crossing Austin's face, cleared his throat discreetly, a subtle but insistent reminder of the propriety that governed their actions. "Perhaps, it would be best if I attended to some matters elsewhere," he suggested, his voice measured and bearing an undercurrent of urgency. "I shall ensure that everything is in order for tonight's gathering."

With a final nod that seemed to convey a multitude of unspoken thoughts and warnings, Mr. Pembroke excused himself, his footsteps echoing down the grand hallway with a rhythm that mirrored the ticking of the ornate grandfather clock at its end. The old clock, a sentinel in time, chimed softly, marking the hour. Austin watched Mr. Pembroke depart with an unreadable expression before turning back to face Violet. The room seemed smaller now without Mr. Pembroke's commanding presence, yet charged with an electric intensity as if the walls themselves were leaning in to listen.

In the vacant quiet left by Mr. Pembroke’s departure, Violet felt as though she was truly seeing Austin for the first time—the complexities of his nature suddenly laid bare. There was something deeply compelling about his troubled solitude, and despite her apprehensions, she felt an undeniable pull toward him. She decided to break the silence. “Gathering?”

Austin, glad for the change in subject, nodded. “Yes. An annual ball I am all but forced to throw every year for the socialites around the area. More of a formality than anything.” He gestured to the vast hall outside the room, where servants were already starting to arrange decorations. "It's an obligation, but one that provides a... welcome distraction."

Violet nodded, absorbing every detail, her curiosity piqued. "It sounds... extravagant." She paused, then added with a hint of playfulness that surprised even herself, "Will I be expected to attend this grand affair?"

Austin's expression shifted slightly, and for a brief moment, his guarded reserve faltered. "I would be honored if you joined me," he replied earnestly, then hesitated. "But only if you wish. You are under no obligation to participate."

The invitation and its cautious delivery spoke volumes to Violet. It was a glimpse into the duality of Austin’s existence—caught between the obligations of his status and his more genuine impulses. Her heart fluttered at the sincerity in his voice, pushing her earlier reservations momentarily aside.

"I think…I would like to attend," Violet responded softly, her decision surprising both Austin and herself. "If my lack of social decorum wouldn’t be an embarrassment to you.”

Austin walked closer to her taking her hand. He placed a delicate kiss on her fingers. The touch of his lips was light, yet it sent a shiver racing through Violet's body, her skin tingling with a mixture of alarm and exhilaration. She looked up at him, her piercing gray eyes wide and searching.

"You could never be an embarrassment," Austin murmured, his voice low and imbued with an intensity that made her breath hitch. "I assure you, the pleasure would be entirely mine." His gaze held hers, steadfast and revealing a hint of vulnerability that she had not seen in him before.

Violet felt the walls she had meticulously built around herself tremble under the weight of his words. Here was a man marked by power and shrouded in mystery, yet offering her a kindness that felt both genuine and heart-stirringly tender.

"Then I shall prepare myself to be your most charming guest," Violet replied, the corners of her mouth lifting into a tentative smile. The atmosphere between them was charged now, the air thick with something unspoken but palpably present.

Austin's grip on her hand lingered, a silent plea in his touch before he reluctantly let go. "One more thing," he started, the timbre of his voice turning grave once more. "At the ball...stay by my side." His words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken warnings and a fierce protectiveness that caught Violet off guard. It left her pondering about the mysterious attendees of the upcoming event and the secrets they might hold.

"I will," she vowed, her words a mere breath, almost drowned out by the faint crackle of the fire in the far recesses of the chamber. As Violet's thoughts whirled with uncertainties about the impending gathering — pondering who might attend and what hidden perils awaited necessitating such proximity to Austin — a rush of excitement tingled through her. The idea of standing beside him among enigmatic high society figures sparked an intoxicating blend of apprehension and fascination within her.

Stay tuned for part 8!! Click HERE to view!

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