#it did force us to clean the kitchen completely which was good

[pickled-flowers]

No more floods in 2024 please 😭

[alisonsfics]

words unsaid

pairing: carmy berzatto x reader

summary: after months of flirting and unconfessed feelings, you and carmy get in an argument when a customer gives him her number.

word count: 2.4k

warnings: swearing, angst, carmy being completely unaware of everything

After wiping down your stations for the night, you and Carmy headed to the lockers to grab your bags. You both were exhausted after a hectic night.

“You have any plans for the rest of the night?” Carmy asked, curiously. You shrugged, looking over your shoulder at him as you fiddled with your locker. “You mean besides eating leftover pizza and then passing out from exhaustion?” You joked. You heard a small chuckle from Carmy.

He noticed you were tugging at the locker and the door seemed to be stuck. “Here, let me help you with that.” He offered.

You stepped out of the way and let Carmy take a shot at it. He jiggled the handle a few times and then was able to tug it open. “My hero,” you teased, as he walked back to his own locker.

If you had turned around, you would have seen the pink tint on Carmy’s cheeks.

“Anyway, did you want to maybe go grab a drink. I mean, only if you’re okay with postponing your pizza plans. Those sounded important though,” he teased you. You were one of the few people that Carmy would actually joke around with.

You jokingly scoffed at him. “My commitment to my leftover pizza is none of your business, Berzatto,” you responded, trying to maintain a serious tone. Once again, the sound of his soft chuckle met your ears.

“Hey, guys. Our last table wanted to personally thank their chefs.” Richie said, sticking his head around the corner.

Carmy gestured towards the door, politely letting you walk in front of him. Richie guided you both to the booth that currently seated three women. They were the only remaining customers from the dinner service.

Richie quickly introduced you both to them, and then he headed back to help with clean-up.

You noticed that two of the women seemed to be smirking at their other friend. “The food tonight was absolutely amazing.” One of them perked up and complimented you both.

You politely smiled, letting Carmy take the lead since he was the owner. You saw his posture shift as he went into customer service-mode.

“Thank you very much. Thank you for coming to visit us tonight. We’re glad you liked it.” He said, putting on a polite smile.

Carmy didn’t see it, but you noticed the two women quickly raise their eyebrows at their other friend. She then directed her attention to Carmy.

You knew where the conversation was going, and you hated how it tugged at your gut. You felt a heavy weight on your shoulders, and it took a lot for you to fake a smile.

Carmy was an attractive guy, and he was a chef, which was a pretty good recipe for success. You saw customers fawn over him constantly, but it never got easier.

That being said, Carmy wasn’t technically yours, but he was. He wasn’t your boyfriend by any means, and you weren’t his girlfriend. But, he dropped everything any time you called, and he’d do anything for you.

Your relationship was sometimes flirty, but neither of you had ever taken it further.

“Yeah, the food was really excellent. You’re an amazing chef. I definitely have a reason to come back.” The woman said, coyly.

You forced yourself to bite the inside of your lip, so you could keep your pleasant facade. You noticed their check sitting on the table and decided to use it as your excuse out of there.

“Thank you again for coming,” you said, smiling, grabbing the check, and heading back towards the kitchen. The woman looked like she finally realized you were standing there.

Carmy quickly thanked them again and followed right behind you.

Once the kitchen doors closed behind you, you turned to Carmy. “Being a chef does it every time, Berzatto,” you teased him.

Instead of being met by his usual grin, you saw him tilt his head as he tried to figure out what you were talking about.

“What do you mean?” He finally asked, when he couldn’t figure it out. You waited for a second, almost thinking he was playing dumb. “She was hitting on you, Carmy.” You told him. His eyes widened as he looked at you. “No, she wasn’t,” he argued.

You looked down at the check you were holding, which confirmed your suspicion when you saw a phone number written across the bottom of it.

“Really?” You asked, sliding the check into his hand. Your hand grazed his as you did, which almost made Carmy short circuit. He looked down at the check in his hand and saw the phone number clear as day.

“So, what am I supposed to do?” He asked you. From his perspective, he was asking how he was supposed to let her down and tell her he wasn’t interested. You didn’t take it that way.

“Well, if you’re interested, you call her.” You explained. He was speechless. He stood in front of you, not having a single coherent string of thoughts in mind.

“Wh…what—what do you mean?” He stumbled over his words.

You were practically fuming. You thought that you and Carmy had a thing going on, but he seemed to be pretty interested in asking this girl out.

“Are you interested? Do you want to go on a date with her?” You asked, your tone coming out a little more hostile than you intended. You were just jealous and even more unsure of where your and Carmy’s relationship stood.

“I…I don’t know,” he stammered, taken aback by this whole situation. He was getting love advice from the girl he wanted to be with, but was getting love advice for a different girl.

“Well, you’re the only one who can figure that out,” you huffed and quickly walked away from him. You knew if you continued the conversation for another minute, you’d start crying.

You grabbed your work bag and slammed your locker shut. “Woah, you okay?” Sydney asked from beside you. You hadn’t even noticed she was standing there. You took a deep breath before responding.

“Not really, you wanna go get a drink?” You asked her. She could tell that something had really gotten to you. “Yeah, of course. Is it about Carmy?” she asked, quietly. You just nodded, biting down on your lip and trying not to tear up.

“It’s okay. C’mon, let’s get you out of here,” she said, wrapping her arm around you as the two of you walked out the back door.

Still stunned from the whole encounter, Carmy walked into the office to hopefully clear his head. He sat in there for thirty minutes, continuously replaying his conversation with you in his head. He knew you were mad, but he wasn’t sure why. He was also thrown off by why it seemed like you were encouraging him to go on a date with the other woman.

After wracking his brain for answers, he still had nothing, so he headed towards the back alleyway to smoke a cigarette. He found Richie doing the same thing.

“You okay, cousin?” Richie asked, clearly being able to see how on edge Carmy looked. “Fuck no,” Carmy mumbled.

“Is this about your girl?” Richie asked, having already gotten a text from Sydney that explained what happened. “She’s not my girl, Richie, but I think we’re in a fight, and we’ve never been in a fight before. I just don’t know why she’s mad.” Carmy explained.

“You don’t know why she’s mad?” Richie asked in shock. Carmy looked at him with a confused look and shook his head.

“You two have been flirting and hanging out more and more. Then, you tell her that you maybe want to go on a date with this other girl. You don’t think she’d be hurt by that?” Richie asked him. Carmy didn’t understand why everybody was suddenly an expert on his relationship today and why he was so out of the loop.

“What do you mean, we are just friends.” Carmy argued, not being able to admit anything to the contrary, “wait, how do you know about our conversation?”

“Sydney told me. She’s busy trying to cheer Y/N up because she’s pissed at you.” Richie said, quickly brushing past it, “how does the idea of her going on a date with someone else make you feel, cousin? Like when you watch those customers that stare at her,” he asked.

Carmy hesitated. He knew the answer. “I fuckin’ hate it, but I’m just being protective. We’re friends, and I care about her.” Carmy replied, still in denial.

“Cousin, do you really think colleagues go out for drinks after work and get coffee together before work as often as you guys do? You know all her favorite movies, and her favorite flowers, and the words to all her favorite songs. And that big dinner you made for her birthday,” he told Carmy. Hearing all of it like that made Carmy realize how special your relationship was, but he was having trouble admitting it out loud.

“I’m a chef. I make food for people. It’s what I do.” Carmy argued, not even believing his own excuse.

“Yeah, because it’s like your fuckin’ love language, dickhead. How did you not see this?” Richie asked.

Carmy didn’t know what to think. “So are we like together?” He asked, stunned. Richie shook his finger at Carmy.

“Not until you finally grow a pair and actually make a real move. Ask her out to dinner, tell her how you feel, give her some grand gesture.” Richie told him.

Carmy stood still for a moment, processing what he had just heard.

“Where are her and Syd right now? I need a ride.” He told Richie, desperately. Richie quickly grabbed his car keys, and they both headed out the door.

“I know we’re not dating, but I just don’t understand why he didn’t say he wasn’t interested. Like, surely I can’t be imagining all of the flirting and how sweet he’s been.” You rambled to Sydney, taking another sip of your drink. Sydney nodded along.

“Maybe he felt like he was put on the spot because I’ve seen how he looks at you. He really cares about you but just has a shit way of showing it.” Sydney mentioned.

You looked down at the bar, slowly stirring your drink around. The front door of the bar quickly opened, slamming against the wall. Both yours and Sydney’s gaze went right to the loud noise.

You both saw Carmy burst into the restaurant. His eyes searched around until they landed on yours. He rushed towards the end of the bar where you and Sydney were sitting.

He stopped in front of you and caught his breath for a minute. “I am so fucking sorry. You are my everything, and I really fucked it up. And I don’t even know what I was saying.” He started to ramble.

You were shocked to say the least. “Carmy, you wanna go talk outside?” You suggested, assuming some privacy for this conversation was probably a good idea. He quickly nodded and held out his hand to help you down from your seat.

Sydney gave you a reassuring smile, and then you felt Carmy’s hand on the small of your back as he followed you outside. Now that he had a better grasp on your relationship, he felt much more confident, which made him more affectionate. And you loved it.

He rushed in front of you, so he could hold the front door open for you. You both saw Richie waiting outside. “Syd’s inside. Can you give us a minute, cousin?” Carmy asked him. Richie quickly nodded and headed inside to freak out with Sydney that they were so close to getting you two together.

“I didn’t mean any of that earlier. I was just confused, and it felt like you wanted me to ask that girl out. So, I was questioning if you felt the same way I feel about you.” He apologized. He had to stop himself from grabbing your hands. He wanted to, but he wanted to apologize first.

“Enough of what I want. Tell me before I waste anymore of my time. Carmen Berzatto, what do you want? Do you want to be with me?” You asked him. You felt like you were being harsh, but you wanted everything to be out in the open.

“I want to be with you so fuckin’ bad.” He said. One of his hands wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer to him. He used his other hand to cup your cheek and close the distance with a kiss.

Richie and Sydney saw the kiss through the window and had to stop themselves from cheering.

You stumbled forward a little since Carmy had pulled you towards him so quickly. He tightened his grip around your waist, while smirking into the kiss. You let your hands rest on his forearms, feeling his biceps flex under your fingertips.

The kiss was rushed, fueled by months of pent up feelings and the fear of losing each other that you both had experienced. Neither of you wanted to let the other go.

His lips tasted like spearmint as they moved effortlessly against yours. There was a loud clap of thunder above you both, and the sky opened up as it started pouring.

You both pulled out of the kiss in shock at the freezing rain that was hitting your skin. You both just grinned at each other, knowing how picture-perfect this moment was.

“You wanna go inside?” He almost had to yell for you to hear him over the rain. You just shook your head. You wanted to enjoy every single second.

He grabbed your hand and spun you around in a circle, watching as the rain droplets flew off the ends of your hair.

You were smiling and giggling. You grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him back into a kiss. “You are perfect,” he mumbled as he kissed you.

He finally pulled out of the kiss when he noticed you shivering. “This is magical, but I’m not gonna let you get sick.” He said, wrapping his arm around your waist and leading you back inside where you were met by the smiling faces of Richie and Sydney. They both immediately pulled you into a hug.

“You know how hard we had to work for this to happen because you both wanted to be in denial for months that you’re head over heels for each other.” Sydney teased you both. You just smiled at Carmy, and all you could think about was how the rest of your coworkers were going to freak out when they heard.

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[luvyeni]

THEY PUNISH YOU 𖹭 엔하이픈 ( reaction ) !

genre yandere 𖹭 warning — parings enhypen x fem reader | back to library .

request. hear me out.. enhypen!yandere punishments could you make them lowkey crazy.

「 authors note 𖹭 」 this is probably the darkest thing i've written , if this isn't something that makes you uncomfortable please don't read.

﹙ 𐙚 : heeseung﹚ .ᐟ

heeseung will punish you by fucking with you mentally , you try to leave? go ahead, he'll let you leave , but not without consequences. see on the outside to everyone else heeseung is very influential , he gets around, and I mean to everyone , your friends , family hell even your teachers or employers , he completely isolates you from everyone , so with no friends, family or work , no where to go— you come back to him basically on your knees begging for him to take you back , which he does with a smirk on his face.

"everyone hates you now , so you come back to me, that's okay baby I'm all you have , remember that next time you leave."

﹙ 𐙚 : jay﹚ .ᐟ

jay doesn't have time for your bullshit; he'll tie you up and leave you in your room and go about his day , you're there to make him look perfect and if you aren't perfect, then he really doesn't have any use for you. he won't be bothered with you at all , he'd make sure the maid fed you and gave you water , but that's it , he wanted nothing to do with you until he felt like it was necessary , when he needed you to look perfect. he'd come back with a pretty dress in his arms , throwing it on the bed , telling you to get dressed.

"you're to clean up this act for tonight , if you don't embarrass me then I'll consider letting you out of your room."

﹙ 𐙚 : jake﹚ .ᐟ

jake would never hit you; no he would never hurt you , he'd hurt himself and force you to listen because he knew that would mess you up more than anything he could ever do to you. "jake open the door!" you slammed on the bathroom door , you tried to leave and jake caught you , grabbing a knife from the kitchen , running into the bathroom before you could even do anything. "get away , this is your fault." he screamed back. "you have to learn once you go i go , you hate me anyway just leave let me do it." you begged the boy to get out. "please come out , please." you tugged at your head. "please im sorry i won't leave." as soon as he heard that he opened the door , blood dripping down his arms. "jake." you held his arms in tears. "you won't leave right?"

"if you leave i'll do it again and it will all be your fault."

﹙ 𐙚 : sunghoon﹚ .ᐟ

sunghoon scares you, so normally all he has to do is give you a look and you're apologizing to him , begging him to forgive you. but let's say it's in the early stages , before he broke you in , you try and leave and the look on his face send shivers down your spine , before you could apologize , his hand was already going across your face , dragging you by your hair to your room , your screaming doesn't phase him as he tosses you around on the bed locking you up.

"you'll fucking learn , unless you want to end up like this again."

﹙ 𐙚 : sunoo﹚ .ᐟ

sunoo isn't another one who wouldn't hit you . the thing about sunoo is he is able to easily manipulate you, your brain is already screwed up into thinking what he's doing to you is okay , like you're his girlfriend and he loves you— so that's what he uses as punishment , he gets you by withholding it from you; his love. he ignores you, pretends like you're not even there , it hurts him but it drives you mad , until you're sobbing for him. "pl-please sunoo." you sobbed as he walked past him , completely ignoring you. "whatever i did i'm sorry please forgive me." he smiles , leaning down to where you were on your knees. "does that hurt baby?" he asked.

"good now you know how it feels when you hurt me."

﹙ 𐙚 : jungwon﹚ .ᐟ

whatever you did; he'll let it go, he'd pretend like it never happened, until he doesn't. the thing about jungwon is he loves psychological torture much like heeseung, so he'll continue on like normal , like hasn't already planned for this , boarding up the windows , soundproofing the walls so no noise came in and no noise came out , and when he feels like the time is right , he'll snatch you from whatever you're doing and throw you into the dark soundless room with nothing but padding for a bed. you'll beg and plead with him to explain what did — but he just doesn't , he'll leave you like that until he sees fit. the only time you see him or the light is when he slides food through the little door he made, and when you beg him he just laughs and mutters one thing before shutting it.

"you don't remember baby , that's too bad I was gonna let you out had you acknowledged what you did."

﹙ 𐙚 : ni-ki﹚ .ᐟ

ni-ki is all of them combined; but unlike sunghoon or jay , ni-ki enjoys inflicting pain on you; twisting your arm , making you scream in pain , that makes him smile a bit , so he's looking for anything you do that he hates so that he can punish you. you talk back? that's a tug on your hair. you don't reciprocate his love? that's a twist of your wrist. god forbid you try to leave , the last time that happened you were left with a broken arm and a smiling ni-ki every time you whimpered in pain , he'd just laugh at you telling you to do something else , maybe lift something, he'll know you'll drop it , it gives him another reason to hit you.

"you just don't listen do you? come here."

[forzalando]

what if?

unrequited love, best friend!lando blurb request from @foreveralbon! liyah gave me the choice of which side the unrequited love came from and unfortunately, i chose to break lando’s heart. please forgive me. i tried to find a pic where he looked a little sad but i don't want him sad so i strayed completely from the vibe of this blurb. also yes, if anyone was wondering, i named the male oc aaron because of aaron hotchner. can't tell if i love or hate this so go easy on me lol pairing: fem!reader x best friend!lando (platonic), fem!reader x oc male word count: 2.1k summary: it’s finally time for your friends to meet someone special. you’re in love with him, and lando has to come to terms with that. tw: unrequited love, heartbroken lando

Your phone buzzed from across the room, a familiar ringtone echoing through the air letting you know that Lando was finally returning your call.

“I sincerely hope you haven’t been avoiding me because you’re planning on ditching my dinner party tonight,” you scolded as soon as you picked up the phone.

“I would never,” Lando gasped. “I was on the sim and had my phone on silent – do you need me to bring anything? How many people will be there?”'

“Oh, not too many at all, I’ve got everything I need. I asked Max, Pietra, Carlos, Rebecca, Charles, and Alex. Oh, and Maxie is coming and bringing someone, can you believe it? I’m so glad he’s finally moving on from Kelly. Oscar and Lily can’t make it – he’s got a family thing, but he promised a double lunch ‘date’ when they’re back in Monaco next week.”

“Geez, why are all of our friends in loving relationships or dating except us, huh? Look at us, the old spinsters!”

You didn’t miss the sadness in his voice even though he tried to mask it with a joke, which made your next admission even harder than you thought it would be.

“Actually, I have someone I want you to meet,” you said quietly.  “His name is Aaron and he’ll be here tonight.”

“Really?” Lando coughed, hoping to mask the sound of himself choking on air. “It must be pretty serious for you if he’s meeting all of us – how, um, how long? Have you been seeing him?”

You knew he’d ask and you didn’t want to answer, afraid that he would be upset you’ve kept this from him for so long. You’ve always shared everything with him for the past five years, but for a few subjectively good reasons, you’d kept this a secret until now.

“Please don’t be mad,” you mumbled. “I’ve been seeing him for about seven months but I wasn’t hiding it on purpose or anything, I swear, I just didn’t want to ask you to prioritize meeting my boyfriend during the season. It was too soon to introduce you over summer break, now was just the best time.”

You heard Lando exhale on the other end of the line – whether it was a sigh of annoyance, relief, or anger, you couldn’t tell.

“I get it, don’t worry,” he forced out. “I know I’m never around. I’m excited to meet him, I’ll see you in a bit, yeah?”

Before you could say anything else, Lando ended the call.

Lando hadn’t taken his eyes off of you the entire evening – introductions had gone perfectly, all of your friends seemed to love Aaron, conversation was flowing smoothly, but it was painfully obvious, at least to you, that something was up with Lando.

You’d barely gotten through dessert when the onslaught of relationship questions started coming your way – mainly from Charles, if you can believe it. Aaron had started on cleaning up the kitchen and Charles didn’t hesitate to bombard you as soon as Aaron had left the room.

“So, how did you guys meet? How did he ask you out? Tell me everything.”

“Charles!” Alex scolded. “Don’t interrogate her, she’ll tell us if she’s ready!”

You smiled in thanks at Alex, although you knew she was just as eager to hear you tell the tale.

“Actually, I have Lando to thank,” you smiled at Lando, turning your attention towards him for a brief moment. “The day we met, I was supposed to be having lunch with him but he got caught up in a meeting and was running way late. Aaron saw me sitting alone and thought I’d been stood up, introduced himself, and then gave me this cheesy line about how someone was missing out on a date with the most beautiful woman in the world.”

Rebecca sighed and fixed her gaze on Carlos – “why aren’t you that romantic?”

“I’m perfectly romantic,” Carlos countered. “Remember when I – ”

Pietra interrupted and shushed him abruptly, “Y/N isn’t done talking, you can defend yourself later.”

“Anyway,” you laughed, “I told him that I was waiting for my best friend and he offered to buy me a drink while I waited, but Lando had texted about five minutes before that he was on his way. So, I turned him down, but he left a note with the hostess and asked her to give it to me when I was on my way out. It was just the next day’s date, a time, and the name of a wine bar nearby signed with his name. I showed up and the rest is history, he charmed me.”

“I didn’t know it was Lando you were waiting on,” Aaron chimed in, walking into the dining room. He stopped next to Lando’s chair, holding his hand out for a handshake. “As a lifelong McLaren fan, I never thought I’d be thanking Lando Norris for arriving late, but thank you. You changed my life that day.”  

Lando slowly shook his hand and with gritted teeth responded, “Yeah, man, no problem. Glad I could help, seriously.”

From the looks on everyone’s faces, it was now clear to you that you weren’t the only one who noticed something was wrong with Lando.

He’d barely said a word all evening, and from the tone of his voice, it definitely was a problem and he was not glad he could help.

“It’s a little stuffy in here, I’m going to get some air,” you announced, rising quickly from your chair. “Lando, come with me? Aaron, I’ll finish up in the kitchen later, why don’t the rest of you get comfortable in the living room?”

Begrudgingly, Lando followed you out to your patio. It was surprisingly chilly for mid-December and the sudden gust of wind that pulled a shiver from you wasn’t helping at all. You had barely stopped shivering when you felt Lando’s jacket drape across you, his hands smoothing the shoulders down before he took his place next to you against the balcony.

“There he is,” you crooned. “My kind and considerate best friend.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

You turned your head to face him rather than look at the view, your eyebrows furrowing together and a sick feeling creeping into your stomach.

“Do you not like Aaron?” You asked quietly, the frown on your face deepening. “Everyone else seems to love him, did he say something to you? You were a little…off just now, are you mad he’s a McLaren fan? I promise you, he is not dating me to get to you or any other crazy idea you may have concocted. He didn’t even know we were friends for the first three months.”

Lando didn’t answer you, his eyes still trained on the Mediterranean Sea in the distance. He was picking at his fingernails – something he only did when he was anxious or upset.

“Please say something,” you pleaded. “I, gosh I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I'm in love with him, Lando. If you have reservations or concerns, please be honest with me. Your opinion means a lot to me, more than I thought it would.”

The silence was deafening – still no response for what felt like ages, the sick feeling in your stomach growing more prominent with every passing second.

“You love him?” Lando finally spoke, looking down, out, away – anywhere but at your face.

“Yes, I do. Like, a scary amount. I’m terrified, actually, but in the best way. I never thought I’d find love like this, Lan.”

“Well, that’s a problem, isn’t it?” Lando laughed, a humorless laugh, and backed away from the railing to sit on one of your deck chairs – his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

Before you could voice your confusion, he looked up at you, a sadness in his eyes you’d never seen before.

“He’s annoyingly wonderful and perfect for you, Y/N,” he began. “As soon as I walked in tonight, I knew. He barely let you lift a finger, remembered facts about everyone in there and was sincerely happy to get to know everyone. He gravitates towards you, smiles whenever you speak, always wants to be near you, and holds you like you’re the most precious thing in the world to him. He treats you how I would treat you if I were lucky enough to be in his shoes. And the way he looks at you? I know that look,” he paused, closing his eyes tightly. “It’s the way I look at you.”

The sick feeling in your stomach turned to dread and you felt your heart squeezing in your chest, a mix of a gasp and a sob climbing out of your throat.

“Lando, I – ”

“It’s ok,” he smiled, staring directly at you with watery eyes. “I love you. I know it’s one-sided, and that’s ok. I promise you, it’s okay. I just needed you to know, and not because I thought it would change your feelings for him or to confuse you, you just deserve to know. I’ve kept it from you for far too long and I wish this wasn't how or why I finally told you.”

Tears spilled from your eyes, your hand shaking as you reached for Lando’s, gripping it so tight you thought you might leave a bruise.

“I’m sorry, Lando,” you cried. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know, I – I never would have made you come or said those things if I had known.”

Guilt crawled its way into the mix of emotions swirling inside you. Some of your friends and family members had alluded to his feelings for you over the years, but you always ignored them, insisting that you were just friends, best friends, but you secretly sometimes felt that there may be some truth in it. You wished more than anything in that moment that you had taken that feeling more seriously.

“I didn’t want you to know, it’s my fault you didn’t know,” Lando insisted. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

“If you need some time, some distance, I can respect that,” you offered, though the thought of Lando agreeing to that was unbearably painful.

“No, no, I’ll be ok. It’ll take some time for me to move on but I’d rather deal with the pain of being close to you while I get over you than not have you in my life for however long it takes. All that matters to me is that you’re happy, and if Aaron makes you happy, I can live with that.”

Selfishly, you sighed in relief, squeezing the hand you were holding before pulling away from him. Your friendship would feel different for a while, but you could manage different; you could manage anything as long as Lando remained a fixture in your life.

“I think I’m going to go,” he whispered, rising from the chair and sliding his hands into his pockets. “I’ve made things awkward enough for one evening, don’t you think?”

You started to assure him he did no such thing, but when you saw the smirk on his face you knew he’d said it to try to relieve the heaviness that had settled over you. You handed him back his jacket, smoothing the shoulders down once he’d put it on just as he did for you earlier. Small, tentative smiles graced both of your faces before you pulled him into a gentle hug, hesitating just enough to allow him to back away if it was too much for him.

He squeezed you once tightly and then let go – the quickness of it expected, but the fact he accepted it at all gave you hope that everything would be ok.

You watched him as he reached for the door handle to go inside, but he paused and turned around just before he grabbed hold.

“Would it have made a difference? If I had told you before you met him?”

You weren’t sure which answer would hurt him more, but you were always honest with him and that wasn’t going to change now.

“No, Lando, it wouldn't have. I do love you, I always have and always will, but I'm not in love with you. I've never thought of you in that way, I'm sorry.”

He nodded once, accepting your answer, and then he was gone. You were being truthful, and Lando knew without a doubt that you were, but he also knew in his heart and soul that you would always and forever be his biggest “what if?”.

-----------

taglist: @scuderiahoney @lam-ila @anaviieiraaa @nebarious @chocolatepoetryfun

if you would like to be tagged in any of my fics please refer to this post or send a message to my inbox!

[luneaticlab]

AMORE (Chapter 1)

Pairing - CEO!Jungkook x Secretary!reader (female)

synopsis- Never in a million years you thought you'd end up with your boss, in bed.

Word count- 1.4k

IMPORTANT NOTE - Hey guys, this my first fic. I promise I'll improve. love and feedback are always welcomed.

•I do not own any of the pictures•

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

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

"come again?"

hesitantly, you repeated the words you said to your bestfriend a few seconds ago "The last time i got laid was 13 months ago..?"

"Girl, are you fucking serious?" Lena, your bestfriend not-so-aggresively threw her hands in the air.

"What's wrong with it? You know i'm not the type to have one night stands and shit" you justified defensively, delicately caressing your 5 month old persian cat, fluff.

"Dude you are in your twenties, you are hot, rich and single, what's wrong with having some fun before you settle down?" all you did was roll your eyes, ready to nag her about hygiene during sex.

"Don't tell me you still have a crush on your jackass boss" alice appeared from your kitchen, a cup of hot choco keeping her hands warm.

you were taken aback, yes, you did have a crush on your not-so-jackass boss, maybe you still do, no one knows, you are too busy with work to think about that. But something about him just makes your thighs clench.

His thick thighs which you would die to sit on, his tiddies who always threaten to come out(thanks to the buttons which do not let them), and his freaking jawline which you want to hold so bad when he kisses you.

Just to be clear the chances of this happening is 0.01% .

He's the typical rich, young, hot bachelor desired by multiple women and owned by none. Somehow you always managed to keep a very professional relationship with him so far. But what's life without some thrill?

"Jeon jeongguk? go ahead , have sex with him then. A rich man is a rich man" Lena suggests as if she's telling you to pick out some roses from the neighbour's garden.

"sure, find me a now job by tomorrow then" Lena chuckles at your reponse.

"Girl, its not that hard, he's a man and he might have needs too, if you really want him on the top then maybe wear some sexy clothes at work, you guys see each other everyday"

"Yeah yeah i'll think about it" you shrugged off the topic, not wanting to discuss it further.

:.。..。.。o○:.。..。.。o○:.。..。.。o○:.。..。.。

"fuck!" You finally found your release , turned the vibrator off, took a shower, slouched on your bed releasing a lazy sigh

Yes ,the vibrator did wonders when you got it for the first time, but you've become too used to it, you knew you needed more and by more you meant jungkook's dic-

you pushed your sinful thoughts out of the way and forced yourself to sleep.

:.。..。.。o○:.。..。.。o○:.。..。.。o○:.。..。.。o○:

next day , 7.39 a.m

You got out of the shower, fresh and clean. Done with the skincare and your usual makeup (nude lips are mandatory!) .you were about to pick your grey sweatshirt, Lena's words resonating in your ears.

Fuck it, it's now or never.

you put the sweatshirt right where it belonged. Took out a white tube top which covered half of your tits, wore a black trouser matching with the blazer of the same colour of the trouser. A black nano belt bag from celine completing your look. Quickly wearing your jimmy choo high heels, you stepped out of your apartment, you felt confident.

You were aware of the stares you were getting at the office, you weren't surprised, not your fault you look good with a minimum effort.

You spot your coworker Diana at the cafeteria, she waves at you , her look telling you that she's got something for you

"Hey y/n, I've completed the list of the guests we are going to invite at the company's gala, Do you mind passing it to Mr.Jeon? I got some last minute work to do." She asked holding your hand

Bingo

"Sure, why not , I was about to give him his espresso anyway." you smile at her politely before taking the file.

Quickly making your way upstairs, you fic your hair before you knock his door.

'"Come in"

"Good morning Mister Jeon, the list for the guests for our company's gala dinner has been finalized." You said as you placed his espresso and the file on his table.

He looked up to see you, "Alright, thank you y/n, I hope you didn't forget we have to go to daegu today."

You caught him stealing a glance at your chest.

"Ofcourse sir" you smiled curtly before leaving his office, swaying your hips on purpose while doing so.

Jeongguk and you had to go to Daegu today for the monthly inspection of the company's factory there.

Being Jeongguk's secretary was undeniably challenging, but the salary was enough motivation to continue doing your job.

・。゜・。・o゜・。゜・。・o゜・。゜・。・o゜

3.39 p.m

"Mister Jeon, we are ready to leave." You said as you peeked out your head from the door into his office.

He nodded while fixing his blue Ralph Lauren coat as he walked past you , you followed him behind, making sure everything is on the right place.

You looked at him from behind, good Lord he was so damn hot then you looked at yourself. You guys would make such a power couple in your opinion.

"Did you have lunch sir?" You asked knowing he might not have eaten given the fact that he absorbs himself too much in his work once he starts.

"I didn't have time to"

"I figured, I ordered chipotle for you, will you be okay with a burrito bowl ?" Jungkook liked having light meals on work days and he gets carsick easily so chipotle was the best option.

"Yes, thank you y/n i appreciate it." He said gratefully, flashing you a small smile which you could write a whole thesis on.

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

You were driving the car and the ride was smooth, you guys talked about work related stuff. Until,

"How have you been lately, y/n?" Jeongguk asked out of nowhere.you glanced at him for a second before replying "I've been good, pretty much the same since 2 years. working on weekdays, staying at home on the weekends. Oh, and I've got a new roommate – a furry one. Adopted a cat a few months back. It's nice having someone waiting for me at home, you know?"

You have no idea why you are giving a detailed explanation instead of the typical 'I'm doing good' but it is what it is.

"Any special someone in the picture?" He asked, a hint of uncertainty laced in his voice.

You glance at him again in surprise before refocusing on the road, this guy is really picking his moments. "No special someone right now sir, how about you?" He started this.

He chuckled a little,"Not at the moment, not into relationships anyway."

well damn, at least it was worth the try.

You catch jungkook looking at you a lot of times during the ride.

"We have reached, sir." You both get out of the car and head towards the factory.

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

7:51 p.m, Daegu.

It was pouring cats and dogs.

"I think we should book a hotel and stay there for the night". Jungkook suggested while looking up. All of the workers were leaving and driving in this crazy rain is dangerous.

"But i don't have any spare clothes."

"Should we buy them on the way?" Jungkook asked finally looking at you.

"I think we should."

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

You guys found the nearest hotel, and went to your respective rooms.Jungkook chose a package of 1 night+ dinner because you guys didn't eat anything after lunch.

"Let us change then meet at the dinner hall yeah?" Jungkook said looking at you, your clothes were a little drenched, the droplets on your half-exposed boobs were visible and he can see your bra underneath the white tube top.

"Sure , sir"

You guys literally shoved your faces in the food because the meal was ten out of ten and ya'll were hungry as hell.

When you entered the elevator, jungkook looked at you for a second before speaking " Good day today"

You smiled at him. Damn that smile, he couldn't control himself , he brought his face closer to yours, literally a gap of 2 centimeters between. "Can I kiss you?" He asked , it came like a whisper.

"Please" You practically whimpered.

Just like that, his lips were on yours.

To be continued

[silentcryracha]

❍ ‗ Cleaning with Lee Know ‗ ❍

Pairing : Lee Know x f reader

Summary : chapter two of a cute standalone miniseries. It's what it says in the title

Genre/ Warnings : scenario/imagine/headcanon, drabble, it's fluff, minho runs the house like the mf military, but he's also best boyfriend #2 so it's okay, pet name 'kitten' used endearingly and not sexually (you're his fourth cat why lie), a lil suggestive but no smut

Word count : 780 words

A/n : none

ps: There could be grammar errors. Do NOT repost on other socials. Leave feedback if you feel like it, otherwise enjoy! ♡︎

masterlist

series masterpost

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Living with Lee Minho was mostly fine. It really was. More than fine, actually. He is a great cook, he takes care of the pets, he's clean, he's tidy. What more could you ask for in a partner? Especially when you shared an apartment.

The thing is that, when it came to cleaning specifically, he was strict with it. Not constantly, like he wouldn't yell because a couple of plates were still in the sink after dinner or because you forgot to clean the cat's litter.

But let's say, once every two-three weeks he would just wake up super early and just completely overthrow the house upside down. Seven am sharp, headphones in his ears, a pair of gloves and by eight the house would be already a mess.

The kind of mess that you have to create before eventually fixing everything back up, but a whole war zone nonetheless.

He would let you know that he planned on doing this a bit earlier, but he wouldn't force you to work with him. But yes, of course you were helping, otherwise what kind of shit girlfriend would you be?

You were lucky enough that you found a man who's basically the whole package, better treat him right. Besides, working with four hands is always going to get thing done faster than two.

He didn't wake you, so by the time you woke up at least an hour had already gone by. Which kinda bothered you, but it was also sunday so...it's gonna be fine.

You got up, preparing yourself for the absolute mess you were going to find, and sure enough, you were right. Suddenly you felt something against your leg, which made you look down quickly.

"Oh hi, my darling, good morning" you cooed at one of the red and white cats, and as soon as he meowed you knew it was Doongie. You smiled, bending down to pet him a bit as he purred.

"Poor baby, did your dad already disrupt your beloved beds? It's okay, I'll make sure to clean those first."

At that point you walked in the kitchen, seeing Mr. Clean himself scrubbing the sink while humming softly to himself. As if he felt your presence, he turned his head back giving you a small smile.

"Good morning kitten" the pet name always made you smile, so you walked up behind him, giving him a back hug and a kiss on the neck. Then backing up, coughing jokingly.

"Ew you're already all sweaty" you whined as you took off his headphones.

"Well it's hot as fuck outside and working does, generally, make you sweat." he replied, throwing the sponge in the sparkling clean sink and wiping his forehead with the back of his arm.

"I know, I know. I sweat twice as much, unfortunately. Except that you have the good genes so you basically don't smell. And look annoyingly attractive." he laughed as he walked to you, who were standing in front of the fridge taking out the stuff to make coffee.

"You don't smell bad either. I actually quite enjoy your scent" he jokingly sniffed your neck, tickling you, which made you giggle and push him a bit.

"You're such a cat. That, or the pheromones must be working overtime" you poured the water to make the coffe.

"Whatever, you smell good and only you could get me horny at-" he glanced at his wrist watch, "Eight twenty in the morning. Call it hormones, black magic, whatever" you laughed.

"Well it was you who decided to get the whole house upside down...so now you gotta wait for the reward." he whined jokingly as you smirked.

"Well then we better hurry up, just in time for a nice afternoon...nap"

---

As you usually would, you ended up splitting the chores or the parts of the house. Sometimes you'd have the task to clean the floors while was cleaning all the shelves and surfaces, so you'd go back and forth around the apartment, sharing a kiss or usually him a playful butt slap.

Other times while you cleaned the bedroom, he'd clean the bathroom so you would communicate through very loud and mostly-purposefully off key singing while the background playlist played from the tv in the living room.

Yes, he would run the list of chores like the military, but at the end you could both enjoy a fresh, clean and amazing scented house. And usually some good delivery to reward yourselves. And also because at that point you'd probably be too exhausted to cook or annoyed to already get the newly cleaned kitchen dirty.

So you'd save the energy for *other things*;)

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

[recuira]

after hours

after hours : a live action buggy x fem!reader fanfiction

for some odd reason, you have no idea who he is. and he fucking loved that.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

chapter one chapter two chapter three chapter four chapter five

chapter six | drunk. drool. darkness.

her pov;

I felt like an idiot. Like a fool.

When I came downstairs the following morning, with a pounding headache nearly blinding my vision, I spotted my mother collapsed on the couch rather than in her own bed. The kitchen was surprisingly clean, as well as the dining room table. She definitely didn't tidy up after that disaster of a night, so who did?

I walked past the stairs and into the kitchen, attempting to search for any kind of medicine to hopefully soothe the aching headache I had. I sorted through a kitchen cabinet before finding a small bottle of painkillers my mother was prescribed when her illness was first diagnosed. I placed two tablets in my mouth and dipped my head underneath the sink faucet, pouring a bit of water into my mouth to swallow the pills. Stepping back, I grabbed a pot from the stove, glaring at my sleeping mother.

I dropped it on the tiled floor.

In a split second, she shot up awake, groaning. "What the hell was that?!" She spat, grabbing her head while also covering her eyes.

"Good morning," I said as I forced a smile. I placed the pot back atop of the stove. "What happened last night?"

"Why the fuck should I know?" She cursed, laying back down.

"Where'd Buggy go?"

"Home?"

I frowned. I wasn't going to get any answers from her.

I ventured back upstairs into my bedroom where I could let my eyes settle in the cold and darkness. I closed the door behind me and approached my bed but before I climbed on it, I noticed a small green blur in the corner of my vision. Turning my head, I found the small turtle stuffed animal laying on the floor.

I treated my stuffed animals like they were living. To let them touch the floor rather than my own bed would be a sin.

Why was it on the floor?

Then it hit me.

Buggy threw it there.

I sat on my bed, holding the plushie close to my person. Last night, after dinner, I stormed up to my bedroom to be alone and to calm down due to the big fight my mother and I had. Then he came into my room to console me. Then-

"Oh my god."

I couldn't believe it. I practically threw myself onto him. Then he turned me down and after that, my mind drew a blank. I recalled vague bits here and there but the most clear occurrence was that of him leaving. Did I kick him out? Or did he leave willingly?

I touched my mouth with the stuffed animal. The feeling of his lips on mine was something I couldn't forget. For such a rough and rugged man, his lips and touch were so soft. I smiled to myself before falling onto the bed, my eyes drifting to a close.

Before I thought more about all of this, I needed to get rid of this headache.

-=-

I felt so stupid. Like a clown.

As I remembered more about the event, the more my self-esteem dropped. I never, in a thousand years, would have ever imagined myself getting drunk on red wine and then throwing myself onto a man with a red, clown nose. I frowned. His nose wasn't the issue. I liked him. I really did. He was kind and thoughtful for someone who used to be a bloodthirsty pirate. He went out of his way to please me which no one has ever done before.

And how do I thank him?

By making out with him and then kicking him out after he didn't reciprocate. I invite him over for dinner then throw him out.

This is why I hated alcohol.

It made stupid people do stupid things.

I was completely embarrassed with myself- so embarrassed, in fact, that I didn't reach out to Buggy for an entire month. How could I possibly be able to face himself after such an incident? Would I not mention it? Do I shake his hand and apologize and ask him to never bring it up again? Or do I kiss him again and see if my effort will mean something to him this time?

No, I'm an idiot. I ruined such a great friendship due to a few too many glasses of cheap red wine.

I blamed my mother for this entirely- and myself, of course. But if it weren't for her selfish and conniving personality, Buggy wouldn't have been invited for dinner. He and I would still be talking. I would see him everyday like I had been.

I vowed to my mother that as soon as I made enough money, I was moving out and cutting all ties with her. She simply laughed at me.

And so, for the past month, I kept my promise and sought out to look for jobs. Nothing dirty, of course.

I landed a waitress gig at a small run-down pub that hardly housed any customers other than drunken pirates and businessmen. I've only been here a few times before and it was the same pub I met Buggy at. Ever since that night, I haven't returned until today. The owner told me that the blue-haired piratehardly inhabited this bar which I was thankful for. I still needed to properly digest everything and when I was ready to confront him, I would. I just hoped it would be soon.

I was surprised to see that he didn't reach out either.

Maybe I scared him off.

As I cleaned off one of the tables, I tried to ignore the loud yells from behind me. Surprisingly, there was a huge flood of new patrons. My boss told me there was a soccer game and that's why everyone decided to eat and drink at the same place.

I didn't mind it too much. It meant more tips.

The rest of the night went by fast and just as we neared closing, I sat by myself in a corner booth, counting the change and money I made in just a few hours. One hundred and twenty berries. I smiled to myself, recounting to see if my math was correct.

Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen-

The bell above the door jangled as someone walked inside. I kept my head low and proceeded to count before I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"We're not closed yet, Y/N. Go assist that customer, please." The man pointed at a booth. "Now."

I huffed and stood up, slipping the loose change into a pocket in my apron. I grabbed the notepad and a pen and started towards the booth.

With a closed-eye smile, I greeted the patron. "Hello, what can I get for you tonight?

"Y/N?"

I opened my eyes and there he sat. "Buggy," I whispered.

I nearly cringed.

His long blue hair was tied in a loose ponytail with the same striped bandanna wrapped around his scalp. His makeup was streaking down his sweaty face. The buttons of his striped vest were misaligned with the wrong slots. His blue-painted fingernails were chipped. And the worst of it, he wrank of liquor.

He was swaying in his seat, his arms resting across the table.

"H-Haven't-" hiccup! "-seen you in a while," He smirked. "You miss me?" His words slurred and his green eyes were nearly swollen shut. I frowned at this and took a seat beside him, nudging him to the other side of the booth. He giggled and his arm lifted before slinging over my shoulder.

"What's going on?" I whispered, hoping my boss wouldn't see me.

"What? Nothing!" He murmured.

"You're shitfaced. Why?"

"I dunno'. Got bored..." Buggy hummed and smiled up at me. His fingers began to mess with my hair. "Yer' working now?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Well, I wouldn't know! I haven't seen you in years..." He pouted.

"It's been a month."

"Whatever. Get me a beer, will ya?"

I laughed. "No! You're already too far gone. I'll get you a water." I pulled myself away from him and stood up, making my way behind the counter. Pouring him a glass of water, I watched as he proceeded to hiccup, playing into the drunkard stereotype all too well. Why was he like this? I've never seen this before. Why did he drink so much? As I approached him, he reached for me. I whacked his hand away and slid the cup toward him. This time, I sat across from him.

He glared at the drink before chugging it all, some water dripping down his stubbled chin. I crossed my arms and examined him. He was a complete and utter mess. It almost disgusted me to see him in this light. Someone I respected so much was now stooping to the same level as my mother.

"Buggs, what's happening here?"

"What?" He tilted his head. "Yer' supposed to be my waitress. You haven't taken my order yet," The pirate grumbled, reaching to grab at the paper menu. He squinted his eyes as he read it. "Get me a sandwich. With... uhm, oh! Meat, cheese, and lettuce." He met my gaze and smiled widely, exposing every single tooth.

"Not until you tell me what's going on," I demanded, pointing down at the table. "Is this some ploy to get back at me?"

"W-What? Back at you?" He snickered. "Yer' cute, kiddo."

"Don't call me that."

"Cute or kiddo?"

"Both."

"What would you rather me say?" He smirked and leaned forward, gesturing his hand for me to get closer. I did, also leaning in. "Your- hehe, your tits look amazing in that top?"

I gasped and pushed him back. "Fuck you!"

"What?! Which would you rather me call you?" He pursed his red-stained lips together.

"By my fucking name, you idiot."

"Okay! Y/N," He started, letting out a soft burp. "Where's my sandwich?"

"You'll get it once you start talking."

"I've been talking! I can't win with you." His eyes rolled. "Women."

I hit him atop of the head this time and he yelped, immediately shrinking down as his arms hovered over his head.

"You're the one who kicked me out! Why are you still acting so mad... I'd think you'd be happy to see me again, but- but, I was wrong..."

"I am happy to see you but-"

"You are? Really?" The look on the clown's face broke my heart. He was so surprised, so shocked to find out that I missed his company. “I-I’m glad.” His head dropped for a moment and he looked down at his lap. “I’ve been, uh, g-going through a lot.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about it.” He let out a loud hiccup then clutched his throat. “That one hurt.”

“Why can’t you tell me?”

His broad shoulders shrugged back. “Maybe I will. I just need something- uh, something to eat.”

Getting something in his stomach might help him sober up fast but my mom always told me that the only way to sober up was through time. “I’ll get you something to eat.”

“Now?”

“Yes, right now.”

I got up from the table and began to walk toward the kitchen but a floating hand grabbed at my wrist. It gave my arm a tight tug before I looked back at Buggy. I raised an eyebrow but he just gave me a toothy grin then let go. Venturing into the kitchen, I let the chef know that it was the last meal of the night. He was reluctant because it meant he needed to put out his cigarette but he gave me a firm nod and told me to wait a couple of minutes. I agreed with him then went to peek on the blue-haired clown. He rested his head on his hands, his eyes closed. His long eyelashes casted a dim shadow over his eyelids. His lips parted, a small drop of drool running down his chin. Was he asleep?

Before I could admire him any further, the chef tapped on my shoulder and handed me the tray of food. A sandwich sat upon the plate with potato salad to the right of it. I thanked him and brought the meal to Buggy. I set it in front of him then took a seat.

“Buggy?” I nudged his shoulder. “Your food is here.”

“I’m not hungry.”

What? “What? You just said you were.”

“I lied. I want to go home.”

“Then why did you come here?”

“Because the other bar kicked me out ‘cause I had too much to drink,” He mumbled into his arm. “I wanted to drink more but then I- I saw you. So I wanted to stop.”

“You stopped drinking because of me?”

“I was drinking because of you.”

I furrowed my eyebrows together. What was he babbling about now? Before I could protest, he reached forward, grabbing half of the sandwich with a severed hand. He raised his head and took a bite. He chewed for a few seconds then swallowed. He ate the half then slid me the plate. So much for not being hungry.

I smiled to myself and started to eat, taking the last sip of the glass of water I had brought to him. I finished eating then wiped my mouth with a napkin.

Taking a few bills out of my pocket, I placed it on the table to cover the meal.

But then it hit me.

I could pay him back.

“Buggy, I have great news,” I exclaimed with a wide grin and pulled the loose change out of the apron pocket, the various coins rocking against the table before falling flat. The pirate sat up, a yawn escaping his mouth.

“What?”

“I can pay you back now! I have more than enough!”

“I don’t want you to,” He whispered, sliding it toward me. “I have more than enough. You’re the one who needs it, not me.”

“But you said I could pay you back. That was our deal.”

“Y/N-“

“Take the money, Buggy. Please.”

His green eyes met mine for a split second before he reluctantly gave in. He swiped the money toward him and folded the bills before hiding them away in his pocket. I smiled at him, taking the change he didn’t want to keep.

I looked at him, staying quiet. Was he already sobering up? He was talking normally now; he was hardly slurring his speech. “Can I walk you home?”

He cocked a grin. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

“Please?”

“Yeah, sure. Alright.”

I clocked out of work and helped Buggy out of his seat. On the walk back to his abode, Buggy leaned against me. My arm wrapped around his shoulders as I guided him down the street. He stumbled with each step and if it weren't for me, I was sure he would've fallen. The man relied on me heavily.

The front door opened with a loud bang. A wave of cold air brushed over me and I shivered. The pirate buried his face into my neck. A red blush washed over my face before I helped him onto his bed. He giggled to himself and extended his foot. I raised an eyebrow.

"Take my shoes off, please." He whispered, his body falling back to lay flat on the bed with his leg still straight out.

I knelt down and slipped each of his boots off. I set them to the left of the nightstand. Standing up, I closed the front door and dropped my backpack beside it. I approached the man and took a seat upon the edge of the bed, turning to look down at him. His eyes were closed. "Buggy, I'm gonna get going now. We can talk tomorrow, okay? When you're sober," I spoke, my voice barely above a whisper. “Do you need anything before I go?” I was met with silence. I let out a small huff, my hand resting on his leg. I caressed it. I then pulled my hand away but before I could stand up, his hand took my wrist and he gripped it, tightly. I looked back at him. He was now sitting upward.

"Please, no. Please stay the night," He begged, lunging forward. His head fell into my lap and his arms wrapped around my waist. "Don't leave again. Please."

I froze. My eyes grew wide, my arms levitating above the man.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I nodded my head even though he couldn't see me. "Okay, okay." I dropped my hands to rest on his back, tenderly stroking the fabric of his vest. He let out a satisfied hum and remained completely silent. While it wasn't the most comfortable position, I stayed still because it was cozy for him.

I've never seen him in this mood before. I thought alcohol would make him an angry man, maybe rather devious or feisty, but no. It made him sad. It made him vulnerable. Alcohol took his rough exterior and melted it away, revealing a soft side I've never seen before.

His face nuzzled into my thigh.

I listened to his light breathing and brought my hands up to run through his thick blue hair. I was surprised his hair was so long. It was nice, though. It was silky smooth as well.

"Y/N," Buggy whispered into my leg.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry for disappointing you."

A frown stayed on my face. I felt my eyes and nose sting. "What?"

"I've done nothing but trouble you. I'm sorry. I didn't realize I would be this much of a burden in your life. I thought I could help but-"

"What are you going on about?"

His head raised and revealed a soaking wet face. A stream of tears ran down his face, his makeup smearing even more than before. I gasped. He sniffled and grimaced. "I look so stupid, don't I?"

"You don't, Buggers. I'm just trying to figure out why you're crying," I whispered, raising my head to cup his cheek. He leaned into my palm and gave me a small, sincere smile. This was hurting my heart.

"We haven't spoken in a month."

"I know, I know. It's my fault, I-"

"Did you just not want to see me anymore?"

I instantly shook my head. "No, no, no. That's not it at all." I wiped a few tears away with my thumb.

"I thought I fucked up so badly," He started, taking a deep breath. "When you came onto me like that, I felt time stop. Literally nothing else mattered to me in that moment other than you. I didn't even fucking care if my heart stopped beating. If being with you was my last moment alive, I'd die a happy man." I sucked in my lower lip, my eyes burning more. "But it felt wrong. You were drunk, p-probably for the first time in your life. I didn't want to take advantage of that. You weren't thinking straight at all. I-I didn't want you to-to regret it the next morning."

"Buggy-"

"You have no idea- no fucking idea how badly I've wanted that. Since the very moment I've laid my eyes on you, I realized there was nothing more I could ever want. You're perfect. A literal angel." I wanted to tell him he was wrong but he continued to speak, making my heart both ache and jump. "My life was so dark before you. I was blinded by greed and-and hatred. I was a cruel man. But seeing you smile, I forget what for, but your smile erupted something in me. I didn't care anymore. I didn't care about anything else in life other than you. I did some fucked up shit and I feel like you have a right to know." He swallowed then turned his head, facing away from me.

"What do you mean?" Those words scared me.

"Look in the nightstand. There's a book, I think it's the second one. Open it and see for yourself." He sat up and pulled away from me, wiping his nose and eyes. "No more lies or secrets. I want to be completely open and honest with you about everything. If our friendship continues, then I want honesty. You deserve that."

"You're scaring me, Buggy," I murmured and leaned forward, reaching for the drawer. I yanked it open and sorted through the stack of novels. I grabbed the second one and set it in my lap. "Can I just say-"

"No, please look. I need your opinion on me after you see this."

I was horrified.

What was so revolting in this book that he felt the need to hide?

I looked at him, frowning, before dropping my head. I admired the cover of the novel before peeling it open. My eyes widened.

"Read it out loud," The man instructed as he toyed with his bottom lip. He stared at me, not even seeming to blink.

My thumb dragged over the paper to smooth out the crumpled words. “She has the kindest smile. Her generosity is beyond that of anyone I know. She makes me believe in the good of humanity again." I repeated as I read the sentences scattered on the small note of paper. I smiled to myself. "Did you write-"

"Read the next one."

"I've never wanted something so badly in my life. To say I yearned for her would be a complete understatement. I longed for her, I yearned, I desired- In simple terms, I wanted her. I mean, how could I not? She was an angel. She was a siren. I would purposely listen to her enchanting song, allowing my boat to crash, just if it meant I could be graced by her presence, by her beauty. I was obsessed with her. If she found out my thoughts, my desires, she would never let herself be seen with me. I wouldn't blame her, though. I was obsessive. It was unhealthy, I knew that. But I didn't care. I wouldn't say I loved her because I didn't know what that felt like. I've never experienced it. But perhaps I did love her. I didn't know, I couldn't tell. All I knew was that she was the only treasure I wanted. Not the One Piece, no. Not even that could match up to her alluring person. If I had to travel every sea in order to find her, battle every sea snake in order to touch her, I would. I would in a heartbeat." I felt my lower lip quiver as salty tears began to cloud my vision. I used my free hand to rub my eyes before I continued. "A-And she caused me to see the world in color. Everything was so bland and dry but the second I saw her, I could see the blue in the sky and the pink petals of cherry blossoms. I could see the light at the end of a tunnel. If I was drowning, I know she would be able to rescue me just from her words of encouragement."

"Do you get it now?" He asked, placing his hand on my knee.

"You like me?" I asked, hesitant.

"What? Really?" He said with a weak laugh. "Of course I do. But I've known you for so long, Y/N. Much longer than you knowing me. I've followed you before, s-stalked you."

I gasped. Oh. I didn't get that from the writings. "You did?"

"Yeah, I did. I've been scheming for months. Trying to figure out how to talk to you o-or get you to say hello to me. Then at the bar-"

"I said hello to you. Were you there because of me?"

"Yeah, it wasn't mere coincidence."

"Woah," I said in awe, my facial expression or tone of voice hiding how I was truly feeling. "That's- wow."

"If you want to leave, I understand. It's a lot, I know. But I promise I've never properly stalk- well, I-I don't know. I just saw you and I knew I needed to know you. I needed you in my life."

"When did you first see me?"

"A fish market. You were giving a kitten some of the scraps."

"I don't even remember that," I admitted with a light chuckle.

"I'm not a creeper pervert or anything, I swear. I've-"

"Buggy, stop panicking. I'm flattered, if anything. I don't hate you. I don't think differently of you either."

He leaned into me, his red nose touching the tip of my own. He wore a wide smile on his face. "Really?" I nodded my head and rested my hand atop of his.

"It's a lot to take in but I'm not creeped out. I just- I had no idea."

"There's a reason I still have a bounty,” He remarked.

I laughed softly. "Very true."

"Do you understand why I was so worried? I thought all of that progress was wasted. I did want to, I really did. God, I wanted to, but-" The man continued to ramble on before I pressed my palm to his red-painted mouth. He wiggled his eyebrows.

"I'm glad you didn't stay. Genuinely, I would have regretted it. Not because of you, but because I would want to remember a moment like that. I never want to drink again so I can be fully aware of everything we do together," I said as I removed my hand. "I didn't contact you because I was embarrassed with myself. I felt like an idiot. I thought I completely ruined everything. I also wanted to properly deal with my emotions. I wanted to figure out what I felt."

"And what do you feel?"

"The same as you do, though maybe not as extreme."

The pirate cracked a cheeky grin and nudged me.

"But I don't want to rush anything, please. If we do decide to do anything," I cleared my throat. "I want to take things slow. I moved too fast that night and look what happened."

"No, no, yeah. I feel the same way. No rush."

"Do we have a deal?" I extended my hand.

"A deal for what?"

"To do this but take things slow."

"To do what?"

"Buggy, you know what I mean."

"I want to hear you say it."

I huffed and pulled my hand back before he quickly grabbed it and gave it a firm shake. "We can go further with our relationship. How is that?" I smiled.

"Hmm, what do you mean? I'm a little slow, you'll need to spell it-" I kissed him for a split second then pulled back. The expression on his face was priceless. "That's pretty self-explanatory,” He hummed, grinning.

"Good."

"Can I do it again, though?" His hand reached to cup my chin.

"Once," I whispered.

Buggy closed the gap, tilting his head to be able to kiss me properly. It was short but sweet. When he pulled away, he fell against me, his forehead resting on my shoulder. My arms enwrapped his figure and I pulled him close. "Are you tired?" I asked, playing with his ponytail.

"Mhm," He responded, a soft yawn parting from his lips. "You're still staying the night, right?"

"Yeah, I am."

The blue-haired man pulled away from me and swept his legs over the side of the bed "I'll sleep on the floor, I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

I grabbed his arm. "Nonsense, it's okay. I get the left side, though."

Buggy grinned, nodding his head. "Yes, ma'am."

I peeled my shoes off, setting them next to his as he began to unfold the sheets. He pulled the blankets back and climbed underneath them. I crawled beside, pushing my legs under the thin blankets. Turning to face Buggy, I tucked my arm under the pillow.

"I'm sorry for being like this, by the way. For being drunk."

"It's okay, just try to stop. If it's okay."

"It is," He whispered while stretching his arm out, slyly letting it sling over my waist. I smirked.

"You were kind of funny, though."

"How so?"

"Slurring your words, repeating yourself, tripping everywhere."

"What can I say? They don't call me a clown for nothing."

"I think the nose and makeup gave you that reputation."

"Nose?" He cocked an eyebrow upward.

"D-Did I say nose? I meant, uh, your hair!"

"Mhm, sure." Buggy tugged me toward him, my face coming into contact with his chest. He let out a groan as he made himself comfortable. "I hope this isn't moving too fast. I'm cold."

"No, this is perfect," I replied with a sheepish smile.

My eyes closed and I shrugged my shoulders back while exhaling a sigh. I was cold but the warmth of his body soothed my goosebumps. I rested my forehead against his abdomen and felt myself beginning to drift off. His chin plopped upon my head and his hand combed through my hair.

"What do you want to do tomorrow?" He whispered, his voice raspy as exhaustion took over.

"We'll figure that out when tomorrow arrives. For now, I need sleep."

"Do you work tomorrow?"

I shook my head, whispering a simple 'no'.

"Sorry, I'll let you sleep."

I smirked to myself and tucked myself closer into him.

"Sweet dreams, Y/N," He mumbled as he kissed atop my head.

With those words and the sound of his heartbeat and breathing, I found myself falling asleep. I ignored the stench of alcohol coming from his person and focused on everything else I enjoyed about him.

In one last resort to get comfortable, I turned over, pressing my back against his front. My legs entangled with his and his arm slipped underneath my own. He held my hand.

The last thing I remember was him placing a kiss on the back of my head and then I fell unconscious.

[silentglassbreak]

I have a request for when you have time and only if you vibe with it haha

How about: Mona, somewhat tall, dark hair, light blue eyes, loves a tattoo when she can afford it, loves jewellery (fingers full of rings, chokers). She's been friends with the band for a while, can be a bit shy but fun and lovely to be around. She's gotten out of her first relationship a while ago, one where she never felt really appreciated or loved and the other person didn't really bother with her enjoyment during sex ever, so much that she wondered if sex just wasn't for her. But Noah, oh Noah, doesn't even need to do much but she feels hot and bothered. So what if Noah finds out and vows to provide her with an amazing experience, finding out she's actually quite kinky along the way. The kinks are up to you if you'd like I'll love it all haha. Maybe they're also in love with each other and just realising it now, maybe it's just a fwb situation, completely up to you, I can't wait to see what you'll come up with, your writing is amazing! 💜💜

Something light and easy, just for funsies. ☺️ After Writing Notes: This was fun. I enjoyed having something more lighthearted. Hopefully it is what you were hoping for.

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: smut, dirty talk, kink (nothing too wild), oral sex (both receiving)

Blackbird

"This had better be good if you're calling me at six in the morning..."

I rubbed my eyes, my deep frustrations seeping out in my words.

"It is!" I huffed, waiting for him to continue. "We're home!"

I raised an eyebrow. "I'd hope so. You've been on the road for like...three days?"

"Right, but we're home! And we want to go get breakfast!"

Still failing to see what any of that had to do with me, I tossed my arm over my face. "So...do that?"

"Okay, so you'll meet us there?"

"I beg your pardon?" I opened my eyes, knitting my eyebrows together.

"You'll meet us at Reggie's?"

I growled into the receiver. "You're out of your God damn mind if you think I'm getting out of bed anytime before ten, Nick."

"C'mon Mona! We talked about getting together as soon as we got home!"

"Uh, yeah, I figured that meant after you had taken some time to fucking recover!"

He giggled. "We're all caffeinated and hungry. Thought it would be a good time!"

"It's not."

"I'm buying!"

"I'd rather die."

"Too bad. Get dressed and meet us in an hour, please!"

Opening my mouth to protest, I felt the line go dead.

There were moments I truly regretted being friends with Nick Folio. He was a morning person.

Lifting my head off of the bed, I scrunched up my nose and pouted for a moment, gathering enough of my bearings to pull my legs off the side and stood up.

My arms reached over my head, my spine cracking and stretching. I walked over to the kitchen, pulled the refrigerator open and yanked the iced coffee from the shelf. Quickly, I mixed myself a beverage and drank half of it in three solid gulps.

Once the caffeine began burning it's way through me, I drug myself into the bathroom and stared at my reflection.

Well, it could be worse, right?

My icy blue eyes were only so puffy today, my hair freshly washed the night before. My shirt was clean as well, which was an improvement over the last couple of weeks.

I hadn't mentioned to any of the guys that I had been moping for the last two weeks straight. Sixteen days, more specifically.

Since Vinny decided he 'wasn't ready for a committed relationship'. Aside from being devastated, I also found it interesting given we had been dating for over a fucking year.

Fucking producers, man. Snakes - every last one.

I was blindsided by the breakup, and I had let myself feel it full force. My method was to be in pain, depressed, and disgusting for as long as it took for the heartbreak to fade away. If that meant not leaving the house, barely eating, and showering every three days, then so be it.

I did, however, know the boys would be home today, and had to prepare for that. My best friends for a good nine years now, I knew there was no getting out of seeing them as soon as they touched ground in California. I maybe expected a little more time to sleep in, but not much.

It was too early to care about appearances, so I brushed through my dark, chocolate-toned mess of hair and tossed it into a messy ponytail. I pulled my favorite band t-shirt over my head, a Bring Me shirt I got back at Warped Tour in 2012, and slipped into a pair of plain black leggings. My flip-flops would have to do, as I had no desire to hunt down two socks, let alone matching ones.

When I locked my front door, I winced at my nails. I had been biting and pulling at my cuticles for days without even realizing. I needed to get acrylics ASAP. I made a mental note to see if the nail salon had any openings after breakfast.

My deeply tinted sunglasses hid my eyes from the outside world. I hadn't bothered with any makeup this morning, not having the time nor the patience for it.

I hummed idly to my music as I drove the short ten minutes to Reggie's Diner, zoning out mostly. I pulled into the space in front, noticing none of their vehicles were there yet.

Of course.

Fucker wakes me up early, pulls me from the hole I had crawled into, and doesn't even show up on time. How predictable. I pulled a foot up onto the seat, balancing my chin on my knee while I waited.

The music streamed through my speakers, and the lyrics hit me in the chest.

"I guess this is goodbye. I guess we got what we deserved. Hold on to your heart, it's almost over."

"Ugh." I turned the volume down to zero, not wanting those kinds of emotions sinking in.

Before I could dwell too long, a loud, sharp knock came on my window, and I jumped nearly a foot in the air.

Standing in my driver's side window, Folio was pressing his forehead against the glass, making cross-eyed faces. I turned to the windshield, where Nicholas was lifting his shirt up to flash me. Jolly stood next to him, rubbing a palm over his friend's bare stomach, thrusting his hips like a complete moron. To my right, Noah stood at the opposing window, mouth pressed against the glass, puffing out his cheeks.

Tears nearly welled in my eyes at the absolute absurdity of these idiots. God, I fucking missed them.

I scanned the menu for no reason at all, already knowing exactly what I planned to order.

"French toast and an over easy egg, right?" Noah's elbow bumped me, his own menu open in front of him.

I pursed my lips. "No, I actually thought I'd get the waffles with bacon this time."

"Yeah?" He raised an eyebrow, and I cracked a smile.

"Nah, I'm getting French toast."

He snickered, nodding his head. "You always do."

"Yeah, well you always get raspberry lemonade so..."

"What's wrong with lemonade?!" He dropped his menu, eyes scanning me.

"Nothing." He huffed, narrowing his eyes. "Raspberry lemonade though?"

He opened his mouth to retort, but we were interrupted by the waiter. Each taking turns placing our orders, Noah went last, ordering a peach lemonade. I rolled my eyes, and folded my arms on the table, listening to them idly chat.

"I have a feeling that once I get food in me, I'm going to nap for at least eight hours." Jolly chuckled, fiddling with the salt shaker.

"Dude, me too. I think I'm just running on hopes and dreams right now." Nicholas added.

"How was the drive from New York?"

They all groaned in unison. "Fucking long." Folio commented.

"It felt like we were driving through Colorado for a fucking year." Noah tossed his head back.

I bumped him with my shoulder at his theatrics. "Your guys' bus is so bougie, it couldn't have been so bad."

"Once you've been in it for months like we have?" He raised an eyebrow at me. "I never want to see another tour bus again."

They all nodded together, affirming noises under their breaths.

"Don't you leave for the second leg of the tour in, like, eight weeks?"

There was a beat of silence before they all cackled. "Fuck, dude. Don't remind me!" Folio dropped his face in his hands.

Everyone fell into side conversations as we waited for our food. I was listening to Folio tell me about the people he had the opportunity to meet while they were traveling, but I felt my mind wandering, my eyes following, eventually settling on Noah.

Somehow, since I had last seen him three months ago, he managed to get even more muscular. His arms were bigger, and his hair was slightly longer than it was before he left. He had a fresh tattoo on the small patch of open skin on his upper arm, ink still vibrant. He was listening to Jolly, smiling at whatever he was telling him that was so entertaining.

"Mona?" It occurred to me that I missed what Folio was saying to me.

"Huh?" I looked back at him. "Repeat that?"

He smirked. "Space cadet?"

I rolled my eyes. "It's early." He mimicked me, rolling his eyes as well. "What did you ask?"

"I said, how's Vinny?"

My heart sunk, and the lump that I had just managed to swallow reformed in my throat. My face must have given something away, because the entire table fell silent.

"Oh, Vinny..." My stare fell down to my plate, pushing what was left of my French toast around. "He's fine."

Nick lowered his face so he could force me to meet his eyes.

"Everything okay?"

I nodded, biting my lip and trying like hell to smile. "Yeah, all good."

"That's not believable." Nicholas spoke up, pointing a finger at me. The glare I shot at him could’ve sliced right through his skin, had he not deflected with his own. “Care to explain?”

I set my fork down, folding my hands in my lap and folding my shoulders in. I could feel Noah leaning just a fraction closer to me, and my skin was warm where I felt his hoodie pressing against me.

“I don’t, actually. Thank you, though!” I tried to sound as chipper as possible, but it was falling on deaf ears. These morons knew me better than anyone.

“You guys fighting or something?” Jolly piped up between bites of hash.

I shook my head. “Nope.” Dismissive was not a skill I possessed.

“Do I need to fuck him up?” Folio did his best to look intimidating, and this made me cackle.

“No, Nick. No need.”

A bump to my arm made my eyes glance up at Noah, his face concerned. “What’s goin’ on, Mona?”

What was it about that fool that made me crumble like clay?

I sighed hard, leaning back in my chair, and averting my eyes to my plate, fingers now fiddling with my napkin. I could tell they were all looking at me, and it was a heavy feeling.

“Vinny broke it off.”

I don’t think I’ve seen four jaws fall at once before, but there’s a first for everything. I felt Noah tense up next to me, and it took all I had not to lean into him. He didn’t need to be fazed, it wasn’t a big deal…right?

“The fuck?!” Nicholas dropped his fork on his plate. “Why?”

I shrugged in response, pursing my lips. “Who knows.”

“Kicking his ass sounds pretty good, now.” Noah’s words were meant to be humorous, I’m sure. But his tone said otherwise, low and venomous.

When I chanced a look up at him, his eyes were narrowed into dangerous slits, focused on me. My hand gripped his arm, squeezing gently.

“It’s really no big deal, guys. Just wasn’t meant to be.”

“He didn’t give you a reason?” Folio sounded more concerned than angry.

I groaned, leaning my elbows on the table and rubbing my eyes. “Fuck, I guess? He said he wasn’t ready to commit or some bullshit.”

I heard at least two of them suck their teeth in disapproval.

“What horse shit. You guys were together a year.” Jolly wiped his mouth on his napkin.

“It was over a year.” I said, my voice small.

“Didn’t he ask you to move in with him like, three months ago?” Noah sounded like he was in disbelief.

“He did. I turned him down because I was afraid of something like this happening.”

“Mona?” My eyes fell on Folio, his hand now on my shoulder. “When did this happen?”

My face fell, then. I knew they weren’t going to like my answer.

“Like…” I took a breath. “Two and a half weeks ago?”

“What?!” Yep, about what I expected. “Mona! Why didn’t you tell me?” Nick was nearly out of his chair.

“Why would I?” I tried not to look at him, but I knew he was burning a hole in my face.

“Oh fuck, I don’t know.” He scrubbed a hand over his mouth. “Maybe because we’re your best friends!”

I rolled my eyes. “Who were on tour! You guys didn’t need my petty drama while you were working.”

Noah scoffed, turning his body toward me. “And we could’ve just brought you out to finish tour with us.” He glanced around the table, silent agreement from the other guys. “It’s not like we haven’t before.”

He had taken my hands, which felt so tiny in his huge grip. I couldn’t help but smile at him, and then at the rest of them.

“Guys, as amazing as you all are,” I pointedly looked at each of them. “I’m a big girl, and I don’t need my boys coming to my rescue over a little heartbreak.”

Noah’s fingers squeezed me, bringing my attention back to him. “We know that, but we like doing it. So next time, tell us, okay?”

I leaned my face into his chest, his arms circling me in a tight hug. I smiled, feeling safer than I had before they left. When he released me, I smiled at them.

“I love you guys.”

“Mona!” I turned, my keys in hand to unlock my car. Noah was jogging in my direction, the rest of the guys already in their own ride.

“What’s up?”

He stopped in front of me, looking almost like he was losing nerve the longer he stared at me. He tucked his hands in his sweater pocket, now smiling at me sheepishly.

“I just wanted to know, do you have plans today?”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Uh, just going to get my nails done. Might grab some groceries later. That’s it, though.”

He nodded, kicking his shoe against the asphalt. “Okay, think you’d want to see a movie later?”

This wasn’t out of the ordinary. I had my designated activity that I typically did with each of the guys.

Jolly was a ‘go out to a fine dining restaurant’ type of guy, so he would take us out at least once a month to a new place, and we would spend the evening critiquing the food and atmosphere - as if either of us had any right. It was hilarious.

Nicholas, being the tattoo artist he was, loved the days I took the time to spend in the shop, helping him clean up and hang out. He had very little time to tattoo these days, and when he did, his books were full. I would sit with him, help him sketch, and bring food to the shop. He usually gave me little bangers here and there while we had time, and it helped my tattoo addiction, and my budget, tremendously.

Nick, unsurprisingly, was the nature freak. Luckily for him, I loved to fish. We’d hop on his bike when the weather was right, and head up to Big Bear a few times a year, or hit the piers for saltwater fishing. I never caught much, but he always told the other guys I did.

Noah, however, was a movie guy. Horror, sci-fi, comedy, didn’t matter. If it was in a theater, he wanted to see it. I was all for that. I had a serious affinity for popcorn, and loved to listen to him whisper to me during the movie, or bitch about it on the drive home. Maybe I enjoyed the occasions where I got chilly, and he let me wear his sweater? Or maybe I just liked being alone with him?

When I first met the boys, Noah had instantly stuck out differently than the rest of them. He was stunning, reserved, funny, and glowed like the sun. He had a smile that made my knees buckle and a hug that could swallow me whole. Voice of a siren and talent like none other.

Of course, I had an immediate crush on him.

Something about the way he spoke gave me such pause, my ears yearning to hear every word, hanging on them as they came out. The way he moved, gestured, breathed...it made my skin tingle.

However, when Noah and I met all those years ago, he had a girlfriend. It was disappointing - to say the least - but I respected it, and continued on as his best friend. I put the feelings to bed, and accepted the group of four misfits into my life without hesitation, arms open. Did the feelings eventually relax? Sure.

Something I appreciated about mine and Noah's situation was that I had the opportunity to get to know him better than I ever would have, had we entered into any kind of relationship. I saw him at his very best, but also at his lowest depths. I watched him free fall through his depression. Held his hand while he fought through the shadows within his own mind.

Noah, like myself, had a dark and violent past, so we were always closer. The guys constantly made comments about it, saying we were kindred spirits, begging to be together. It was all very Shakespeare, and we typically brushed it off. We laughed at their silly jokes...but over the years, there had been more than a few long and awkward stares between us.

He never told me he had feelings for me. The words never left his mouth. But did he walk with his arm around me sometimes? Hold my hand at the scariest parts of the movies? Bring me snacks and nap with me when I was sick?

Every. Time.

Until Vinny.

Once Vinny came into the picture, Noah had to take a step back. He had been single for three years - me for four. He had ample time to make some kind of move. He never did. So we sat in comfortable solace. And then Vinny came in, swept me up, and 'ran off with me', as Noah put it. He was upset, but would never admit it. Our movie dates stopped. Sick days were cancelled. And my shoulders were always so cold...

Over a year, Noah and I had been as platonic as brother and sister. It was painful at first, but I think we both got used to it. We hadn't seen a movie together in fifteen months...

"Mona?"

I was pulled from my thoughts and brought back to a very sheepish looking Noah, who looked as though he was about to tell me to forget it.

"Yes! Of course I'll go to the movies with you!" Maybe that came out a little too excited.

It was worth it, however, to see the way his face lit up. "Yeah?" He nodded, hiding his teeth in his smile. "Alright, cool."

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hide my own enthusiasm. "What're we going to see?"

"Tarot is out, have you heard of it?"

My eyes deadpanned at him. "Looked terrifying."

"Perfect!" He turned to walk away. "I'll look up showtimes?"

I shook my head. "Just pick me up at nine? We'll figure it out from there?"

This made him smirk. "You got it." He began walking back toward his brothers, and I turned to my car door. "Oh!"

I whipped back around.

"Do you need me to bring you a sweatshirt?"

I felt the warmth pool in my gut. Oh, the game was so on.

"Nah." I waved a hand at him. "Yours will do."

-

Was this a date? It wasn't. I was sure it wasn't. It couldn't have been. Not possible. We were best friends. I was reading into this.

Noah had seen me with strep throat. Bought me tampons. Held my hair back while I vomited. There was no way he had feelings for me. He probably viewed me as his gross younger sister. Or his weird cousin who stole his clothes a lot. There was no way.

But I still found myself dialing Nick, staring down at my two outfit options, chewing the skin of my lip to a pulp waiting for him to answer. It took three back-to-back calls before his groggy voice mumbled into the line.

"I'm sleeping."

I rolled my eyes. "I need your help."

"Mona, I'm tired."

"Yeah, well, I was tired at six this morning. Sucks to suck. I need your help." I was now actively pacing my bedroom.

"Ugh, hang on." I could hear him moving around, likely sitting up in bed. A loud groan came on the other end. Stretching. "Alright, whose dying?"

"Nick, I don't know if this is a date."

He spoke through a yawn. "Your thing with Noah? You guys used to always do that shit."

I scoffed. "That was before."

"Before...what?" I could hear the sound of a door opening, and then closing.

"Before," I took a second, but wasn't even certain of what I was thinking anymore. I growled. "just before!"

"Well, that makes a lot of sense, huh?"

I could hear his voice echoing, and then the sound of water running. Wait...not water...

"Are you pissing on the phone with me, you freak?!"

He chuckled at that, still sounding exhausted. "You wake me up? You deal with the consequences."

I made a noise of disgust. "Wash your hands before we finish this conversation."

I could hear the sink running, and then he picked the phone back up.

"I honestly don't get what you're freaking out about, dude."

"Of course you don't get it. You're a cool, nonchalant, unbothered dude! Whereas I'm over here thinking way too much into this and having an anxiety attack!"

"Alright, alright. Calm down." He huffed back down onto his bed. "Talk me through it."

"Okay." I took a deep breath, turning to look at my bed. "I don't know what to wear. Usually, during movie nights with Noah, I wear sweats and a baggy t-shirt. I like to be comfy in the theater, especially since he takes us to the ones with the...uh..." I snapped to think of the word. "recliners! The chairs that lean back? So do I just go with normal attire? Or, do I dress up nicer? Show him I'm interested in this being more than just a typical movie date? Show off a little? Will that give him the wrong impression? Will he think I'm trying too hard? But if I bum it out, will he think I'm a slob and have let myself go since the breakup? I don't know what to do. Don't even get me started on makeup."

"Holy fuck dude, you are freaking out."

My heart was racing at the rate my mouth was moving, but Folio's voice made me snap my jaw shut. I only talked that fast when I was losing my mind.

"Listen," He breathed loudly, likely sinking back down into his pillows. "I get why you're nervous. But this is Noah."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I'm aware."

"So that means, the beauty about going on a date with him is that he knows you better than anyone. Even me. So you can be yourself."

"It's a date."

"No shit. Noah has been pining over you since the day you both met. Wouldn't shut up about going to the movies with you all day. It's a date."

All of the blood drained from my face. "Oh."

My heart had froze. Thinking it to myself was one thing, but to hear someone else say it...

"Don't start spiraling. This has been almost a decade in the making. It's going to go fine. Just be you. Wear your comfy clothes. No makeup. Hair loose. You're stupid cute like that."

I felt my cheeks heat up. "Nick, knock it off."

He snickered. "Listen, babe. I may not be the one in love with you, but I can appreciate a fox when I see one."

I almost dropped the phone as my stomach lurched. "You said what just now?!"

Realizing his error, Nick's voice jumped several octaves. "No! No no no! I didn't mean it like that! It's a figure of speech!"

I felt my chest tighten. "Oh fuck..."

"Nope. Mona, listen to me! I was just using the phrase to prove a point! He's not in love with you!"

"He's not?"

"No, I mean...he is...well, he's never..." I could feel the vein in my neck threatening to burst. "Shit."

I sat on my bed, wiping my now damp palms on my pant legs.

"Listen, don't listen to me. I'm half asleep and I smoked before I went to bed, so I'm still a little faded. Just..." He took a hard breath. "Just be you, Mona. Regardless of how deep he feels for you, I know he's excited to just hang with you. He's kept you at arms length for over a year, out of respect. Now that he's allowed to get close again," I could hear the smirk in his voice. "I'm not sure he'll let you get too far anymore."

Something about that calmed me. That's why I called Folio. Despite my near-stroke, he knew how to talk me off of pretty much any ledge that I found myself inching toward.

"Okay. So comfy clothes, hair down, no makeup?"

"Right. But wear your jewelry."

My eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Yeah?"

"You know those rings you wear? And the choker? He thinks they're sexy."

I waited impatiently at the bottom of the apartment building, fingers pulling at the long sleeves of my shirt. Although I fully intended to snitch his hoodie, it was still too brisk to go completely unprotected.

His truck pulled up at five till nine, right on time. I hopped into the passenger's side easily, and cherished the familiar smell of him. I missed it something awful.

"Hey!" I looked over at him. Clearly, he had the same idea as I did, wearing his joggers, plain black hoodie, and his hair still wet from a shower. He looked so clean...edible. My mouth watered at the idea.

"Hey!" He reached over to pull me into a half-hug, letting his hand linger on my arm. His eyes glanced over me, lingering maybe a second or two longer on my neck. My black 90s style choker sat tight on my skin. He ran his fingers down my arm to my hand, running his thumb over the stone of the ring on my index finger.

Thank you, Folio.

"Multiplex has a showtime in thirty minutes?"

I smiled brightly. "Perfect!"

The drive was short, and we were bounding into the building, arm in arm, same as always. "We're getting popcorn?"

He smirked. "And candy."

After obtaining our goodies, we made our way into the theater, finding our seats. Before he leaned his back, he shrugged out of his sweater, dropping it in my lap. I looked over at him, and he only threw a wink at me. I slipped it on easily, sinking deep into the fabric.

The movie was scary...but it wasn't great. The story was very over-done. Teenagers in a place they shouldn't be. Fucking with stuff they shouldn't be. End up cursed and killed one by one.

Sounds like Evil Dead, right? Nope.

Cabin In The Woods? Nope.

Talk To Me? Nope.

Tarot, ladies and gentlemen.

I would admit, the jump scares would get me. During the first one, where the priestess jumps at the girl in the attic, I physically jumped, which caused Noah to grab my hand, and physically pull me into his side. I hid my face under the sleeve of the sweater, only watching from the top of my field of vision. The next jump, I nearly scrambled into his lap. He laughed at me for that.

By the final jump scare, I wasn't watching the movie anymore. My legs were over his lap, and his hand was tracing up and down my back. My ear pressed to his chest, I could hear his heart beating fast. Although he continued to watch the movie, laughing at the deaths, and chewing popcorn, I could tell Noah was just as nervous as I.

During one particularly horrific scene where a girl was being sawed in half...alive...I had to turn my face away from the screen.

"It's alright, they're barely showing anything." He whispered into my hair.

"You know I have a thing about being cut up alive." It gave me the creeps. Nightmare-fuel.

He chuckled. "I'll tell you when you can look."

The moment lasted far too long, the girl’s screams ringing in my ears as my fingers clutched at his shirt. After the scene had flipped, I let my body relax.

"It's over, baby."

The word.

He never called me that.

Mona. Mo'. Babes. Darling. Lady. Rick (Don't ask).

But 'baby'?

Never. Not once.

I pulled my face away from the soft cotton of his shirt, and instead of looking at the screen, I stared at him. Face lit by the lights of the movie flashing, I could see his eyes staring back down at me.

I couldn't have imagined the energy change. The voices in the background faded into a dull blur, not interesting me enough to see anything but him.

His lips were shiny, as if he had licked them. Maybe it was the butter from the popcorn.

I didn't care, because in that moment, they were mine for the taking.

Without any forethought, I grabbed his face, and pressed my mouth to his, feeling how soft his lips were. God, I had been missing out.

His arms tightened around me, leaning down to press himself against my body. His tongue pressed into my mouth, and my eyes rolled back behind my lids. I breathed into him, letting him feel everything I had been holding back for almost a decade.

Oh wow. Noah. It was always Noah.

Something inside my soul woke up. Something in my brain sparked to life and roared like a once-dead battery recharged.

Noah was it. He was what I was missing.

When we finally disconnected, his eyes looked about as blown as mine, breathing heavily. I just let my lips crack in a smile, my hand catching in his hair and knitting into the loose strands.

Our beautiful, incredible moment, was interrupted suddenly by a bright light flashing directly in our eyes. We looked over at the source, seeing a worker stood, flashlight pointed at us.

"Guys," He walked closer, voice hushed. "I get this movie is rated R, but you've got to go somewhere else to do all of that."

I sunk back into my seat, and Noah did the same. We both blushed hard, looking at each other, and giggling in embarrassment. We finished the last of the forgettable film in our respective chairs, our fingers still interlaced on the arm rests.

"Your aim sucks." His finger picked up the M&M out of his lap, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Yours is no better, dork." I giggled as I popped one in my mouth.

The overlook of the city lights glittered beside us, below the hill we parked on. The hatch of Noah's Navigator popped open, we sat in the back across from each other.

Since leaving the theater, we hadn't had any physical contact. I'm almost certain we were both too nervous. I wasn't sure how to get that magic back, but going home and parting company sounded torturous, so I recommended we go back to our spot.

It was customary to park here, just up the road from his house, secluded and quiet. We usually sat and debriefed the film we had just watched, but that didn't take long. We both agreed it was too stereotypical, agreeing it was only a 4/10.

After that, I recommended we play twenty questions...to stall, of course.

"It's your turn, punk."

I rolled the candy around in my mouth, and pursed my lips. "Mkay." I thought for a moment. "How many girls did you sleep with on this last tour?"

I wasn't sure when the questions turned dirty, but he seemed unfazed by it.

"Two. But they were meh." He poised his hand to toss another chocolate, and I opened my mouth.

"Yeah? Not the best?"

The candy missed and struck my nose, which I caught in my hand when it fell.

"Pretty much."

I nodded, ignoring the pull I felt in my stomach. I had nothing to be bothered by, so I ignored it.

"Your turn."

"Mm," He tossed another candy, making it onto my tongue this time. "What's your favorite position?"

I chuckled. "That's so stupid."

"Why?"

"Because, how many are there?"

He leaned against the siding of the truck, putting a handful of M&Ms in his mouth. "Kama Sutra says there's over a hundred."

I shook my head, giggling. "Well, I don't really have a favorite."

He rolled his eyes. "Everyone has their favorite."

"What's yours then?"

"Nope." He held up a finger. "Not your turn."

I shrugged. "Fine." I mulled it over for a moment, looking out at the lights. "Probably cowgirl. I'm old-fashioned."

He eyed me, as if he was suspicious. "Hmm," Popping the last candy in his mouth, he crumpled the bag in his hand. "I don't believe you."

"Why not?"

"It's too boring."

I raised my eyebrows. "You think I'm boring?"

He laughed. "No, I'm saying I don't believe you are."

"Because...?"

He shrugged then, almost looking cautious. After a moment, he pulled his knees up, resting his arms on them and interlocking his fingers. "I overheard Vinny talking once. He said you were a real freak in bed."

Something about that made my spine straighten and my blood run cold.

"Did he now?" My eyes were glaring at him.

He didn't falter. "He did. And I almost knocked his teeth in, but I don't doubt it."

"Why is that?"

His lips turned up in a small smile. "I just have a feeling."

His tone was menacing, and something about it made me swallow hard. I was caught between feeling mortified and turned on. Noah was always so relaxed and collected. I had never seen him look so...hungry.

"And you?"

"Me, what?"

Matching his energy, I sat up and leaned back on my arms. "Are you kinky? Or vanilla?"

I could see his lips twitch, caught off guard by my flip of power. "Define kinky?"

"Well," I leaned forward, leaving very little space between our faces. "do you have any dark things you like to do in bed? Anything...taboo?"

I could see his eyes watching my mouth as it moved. "I don't know."

Letting my tongue trace over my bottom lip, I smirked. "No? You've never had the chance to do anything different?"

He raised an eyebrow, now looking confused. "I mean, I'm not into like...feet, or anything, if that's what you mean?"

My eyes widened, and I couldn't stop the harsh, blistering laugh that busted out of me, making me lean back. Tears fell from my eyes, and I almost choked in the process.

I heard him laugh too, kicking a leg at me. "Hey, sorry I'm so vanilla."

I continued to cackle like a hyena, but sat up, holding my ribcage. "I'm sorry. Jesus, that was hilarious."

He rolled his eyes, clearly uneasy about his answer, but his smile was so warm, I couldn't help but reach out and grab his hand.

"It's your turn."

He sucked his teeth. "I thought it was yours?"

I huffed out the last of my laughter. "Fuck, I lost track."

"Alright, I'll go." He sighed, face now turning serious. "Was Vinny good in bed?"

His tone wasn’t playful, but I was still recovering from my fit of giggles. "Fuck no."

His eyes popped open. "Seriously?"

I wiped at my tears, sniffling. "Not at all, dude. He thought doggy style was kinky. He also referred to my chest as 'voluptuous'. Nothing kills a mood faster, let me tell you."

Now he was laughing, and I tossed my water bottle at him in response.

"It's not funny! He was awful!"

"So why'd you stay over a year?" He asked through his laughter.

"Cause." That was all I was giving on that subject.

"Did he at least make you come?"

Shaking my head, I made a gross face. "No. I usually finished after he would leave."

"Ugh, that's sad."

I rolled my eyes. "You're telling me. Guy thought eating pussy meant making out with it..."

Noah stilled, his eyes getting dark. "What a shame. Some guys have no finesse."

I felt small under his eyes, suddenly needing to switch topics off of me.

"My turn."

He just nodded in response.

"I want to go back to this kink thing." He stretched his legs and linked his hands behind his head, waiting. "Do you like it rough?"

"To me? Or to someone else?"

"Either?"

He smiled. "Both."

"Biting?"

He thought for a second. "Only sometimes."

"Choking?"

He snickered. "Yes."

Feeling brave, I sat up on my knees, slipping the hoodie over my head, and continued my interrogation.

"Dirty talking?"

"Give me an example."

I inched toward him, crawling on my hands until I was hovering over his legs. "Do you like telling her she's a good girl?"

"I suppose." His hands fell to his sides, palms up. "If she's being one."

Cocking my head to the side, I brought a hand up to his knee. "And do you like it when she begs?"

I watched as the Adam's apple in his throat bobbed. "Yes."

Slowly, my hand trailed up his thigh. "And what if she calls you names?"

His eyes scanned my face. "Like what?"

I smirked. "There's a lot of options. Sir. Master." I let a finger trace where I knew his anime tattoo was. "Daddy?"

Visibly, his sweats jumped when I said it, making my eyes shoot up to him, a demonic smile crossing my face.

"That's the one, isn't it?"

Sitting up quickly, he got in my face, his voice deadly serious.

"You know, you've asked me seven questions now. I think it's my turn."

I leaned back, moving to sit on my ass again, now under his heated stare. I just nodded.

"How long have you been thinking about me?"

My voice caught in my throat, confused. "W-What?"

He moved closer, looming over me. "How long has it been since you started picturing us together?"

I could feel his breath on my face, which made it impossible to construct a lie.

"Years."

"Have you ever thought of me when you were touching yourself?"

Oh God.

"Yes."

"Did you ever picture me, when you were with Vinny?"

It was suddenly really fucking hot out here.

"Yes."

His teeth flashed at me, ravenous.

"Do you want me to do all those things to you, that he never could?"

"Jesus Christ, Noah." It came out only as a breath.

"That's not an answer."

"Yes."

"Do you want me to lay you down right here? And eat your pussy until you're falling apart? Until you can't fucking remember how to breathe?"

Insert cause of death here.

"Y-Yes."

"You sure?" His lips were level with my ear now, voice so dangerously quiet.

"Yes," Finding the last of my spunk, I tilted my lips up, and let my eyes fell on him. "Daddy."

Somehow, I hadn't noticed that he had pulled his keys from his pocket, and suddenly, the hatch was closing. I only had a chance to look at it for a split second before I was being pushed onto my back, my sweats being pulled down off my hips. I giggled at the sudden change of energy, knowing I had flipped a switch in Noah. He leaned over me, suffocating me with a warm kiss, pressing himself down on my body.

He lifted off of me just enough to look me in the eyes. "You sure?"

He repeated his previous question, but this time with a touch less heat behind it. He was looking for permission.

Always the gentleman.

I brought my hands to either side of his face, forcing him to look me in the eyes.

"Noah," I pressed a quick kiss to his lips, and smiled. "I've never wanted anyone more than I want you in this moment."

His cheeks warmed under my fingers, and he gave me the most terrifying smile I had ever seen.

His hand slipped down into my panties, fingers slipping lazily between my lips, and I wriggled, gripping his shirt.

"Oh." My voice stuttered, and he licked a stripe up the side of my neck.

"Don't worry, baby. I've got you." One finger circled around my clit, and I pressed my hips up for more contact. "You've got yourself so worked up already."

Breathing becoming more difficult, I let my eyes fall closed. His hand slipped away from me to pull my panties down to my thighs, and I felt his body weight move off of me.

I opened my eyes to see where he went, but almost fell unconscious at the sight of him perched between my legs, hands bracing my knees. Without warning, he lifted me, arching my back upwards to lift my core to his face.

His lips latched to my sweet spot, and my vision almost went white. "Fuck!" I screamed, but he just opened his eyes to look directly at me.

He flattened his tongue, pressing it to my pussy with long strokes, pulling moans out of me at a rhythmic pace. My hands scratched at the floor, trying to find anything to grab onto.

Finally settling on latching onto his arms, my nails dug into the back of his skin as he tormented me, face pressing further and further against my core. I let my fingernails rip down the skin on his forearms, panting and thrashing against him. He let out a deep, guttural grown in response.

"Noah, fucking hell. I'm going to come."

He pulled his face away, replacing it with his hand, pressing a finger inside me and pressing it into that spot that had me almost crying.

"Ask me nicely, baby."

"Noah, please. Please!" I was desperate to feel his mouth on me again, trying like hell to not buck too hard.

"Nope. You know what I need, pretty girl."

Confused, I wracked my melting brain for what he was looking for. His finger laid on a pressure that made stars fly in my field of view, making it hard to concentrate.

Until, I realized...

"Please, Daddy, I want to come. Please." I couldn't seem to get enough air into my lungs.

He smiled, looking inhuman. My head rolled back and forth, wild.

"Mm, no problem, baby." And he was back on me, the tip of his tongue drawing my climax closer. His finger still pressed into me, and I'm fairly certain a second slipped in at some point.

It was so much, it was so beautiful. I was going to actually explode.

"Ugh, Daddy. That's it. I need it. Fuck, please. Don't stop." At this point, I was just babbling. Whatever I could to ensure he didn't stop.

When his lips grabbed onto me, an impossible suction that had my head swirling, I felt the orgasm crash into me, a sharp scream escaping.

Carefully, he set me down, and his fingers slipped out. When I cracked my eyes open, I caught the slightest glimpse of him sucking them into his mouth. I had never seen anything so raunchy, and it made my muscles twitch, already wanting more.

He sat back against the hatch, chest rising heavily, and stared at me.

He was gauging, and I could tell. He wanted to ascertain whether I was about to regret what just happened.

He's insane if he thought I could ever regret that.

Noah looked wrecked. His sweats bulged violently, begging for relief. I sat up slowly, letting the blood flow come back to the rest of my body. Carefully, I sat up on all fours, and crawled toward him. He didn't say a word, just following me with his eyes.

"That was amazing." I smiled an appreciative grin, looking up at him through my lashes. "How could I ever show my gratitude?"

I could see he was stunned, so I took the initiative to reach for his pants, pulling them down in the front, letting his erection free to stare me in the face. Taking a few long seconds to appreciate it, I looked back up, eyes innocent.

"Would you like it if I choked on your cock, Daddy?"

His pupils were so dilated, I swore his eyes were completely black. He nodded slowly, reaching a hand up to run his thumb down my cheek, and hooking my chin, forcing my mouth open.

His other hand now grasping my hair, he pressed me down onto his dick, my mouth swallowing it down as far as I could before I felt my gag reflex hit. A harsh choke came out of me, and his hand loosened.

I just inhaled a breath and swallowed him down again, picking up a pace.

A long, sweet moan erupted from his chest, his head falling back as he watched me work.

"Jesus, Mona." His other hand gripped the side of my face, catching a tear rolling down my cheekbone. "So fucking beautiful."

I felt his cock hardening, knowing he wouldn't last long this way.

"You enjoy being obedient, don't you?"

I smiled around his cock, stopping to lick a long stripe down the length to his sack, catching some of the skin between my lips for a second.

"Ah, fuck." His mouth had fallen open, eyes rolling back. "Going to swallow my come, pretty girl? You're so fucking desperate for it."

His hand shoved me down onto his cock harder, pressing himself past my tonsils and straight into the back of my throat. I coughed harshly, but he didn't let up, head leaning back and eyes rolling with it.

"So close, baby. So fucking close."

With every ounce I had, I hollowed my cheeks and sucked him as if trying to drain his life force right out. His fingers tangled in my hair ripped at my scalp.

"Fuck, I'm-" But he was cut off by his own release, his chest tensing and hand holding me in place, head pressed firmly against my gag reflex, the come hot as it hit me. I relaxed, letting my muscles swallow it down without incident.

Noah's body slumped back, and his hand loosened. Fighting for breath, I leaned my face against his leg, just gathering my thoughts.

It took me a moment to notice he was running his fingers through my hair, smoothing the knots he had created. I hummed against him before sitting up, and letting my eyes search his face - exhausted.

He looked so pretty like this. His hair was sticking to his forehead from sweat, his veins in his neck slowly relaxing, and his arms loose and sprawled out.

He caught me staring, and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

I just smirked, shaking my head. "Nothin'."

After about thirty minutes of semi-awkward silence and cleaning up as best as we could in the back of a vehicle, Noah and I made our way back to his place. It was late, so we made every effort to be silent as we made our way up to his room. It wasn't until he was putting the key in the lock of his door that we heard the voice behind us.

"Use protection."

Folio's voice made us both freeze, and our eyes looked back to where his door was closing across the hall. An embarrassed smile flashed over my face, and he just chuckled quietly before pulling me into his room.

It was familiar. I had been here hundreds of times, so I made myself comfortable, dropping my bag on his computer desk and kicking my shoes off next to all of his pairs. When I turned around, Noah was sitting on the bed, hands on his knees, and a look I didn't recognize on his face.

Concern? No, fear? I wasn't sure.

"What's wrong?"

He was chewing on his bottom lip, and I walked over to him, slotting into the place between his legs. His eyes, so fucking big, so sparkly, stared up at me. They looked soft. Vulnerable.

"I like you, Mona."

It was a very regular statement. There wasn't a certain word or emphasis that made it special. But it was. Because now things had changed. Noah wasn't just Noah anymore. He was something different. And the words may have been ordinary, but they sounded as if they should've been spoken in a confessional.

It was warming, and they made me smile.

"I like you too, Noah."

His fingers came to grip my waist, squeezing me gently. "I've liked you a long time."

Nodding, I placed my hands on the tops of his shoulders. "Same."

He shrugged hard, looking up and down my being, working out what he wanted to say.

"I want you to be happy."

I was a little confused. "Okay?"

His fingers pressed in harder. "I want to make you happy."

Remember getting butterflies when you were little? When a rollercoaster dropped? Or a cute boy smiled at you?

"You do make me happy."

He moved his hands to grab my own, and held them between us. "I want to be with you, Mona."

It was silly, I'm sure, but I was fucking giddy. Internally I was kicking my feet and squealing like a mouse. Disgusting.

"Noah?" His eyes were fixed on me, so he just twitched his brow in response. "Are you saying..." I swallowed theatrically, feigning anxiety. "you want to go steady?"

The smile that flashed across his face was blinding, all thirty-two teeth flashing like a beacon. I giggled, unable to hold back after making such an idiotic joke. He just followed suit, pulling me into a hug, his face pressed into my chest.

My arms wrapped around his neck and I rested my cheek on the top of his head.

"You're so stupid." His voice came out muffled against my breasts.

My chest shook, now laughing harder. "You like me."

He pulled back, and his hand reached to pull me closer by the back of my neck, pressing his lips against me softly. When he pulled away, his words came out as the softest whisper.

"So much."

[nejiverse]

MISUNDERSTANDINGS

[Hayakawa family series]

In which Denji and Power get the wrong idea..Pregnant! Fem! Reader

Cw: kissing, misperceptions

700ish words

"Mm~ Just there Aki".

Power and Denji turned their heads to each other and furrowed their brows.

"Did...did you hear that?", Denji muttered. Power nodded her head and they both stood up from the table, moving closer to Aki and Y/n's shared room.

"Ahh~ Not so fast baby!".

The pinkette gritted her teeth and brought her hand down to the door knob. "That stupid Topknot's gonna get it now!", she exclaimed as she was about to barge in, but Denji placed his hand on hers, stopping her from doing so.

"Y-you can't just do that!", he stuttered. The boy knew better than to just walk in on them.

"So you want me to just stand here while he tortures Y/n?!", she pointed an accusing finger at the boy beside her who was thinking of something completely different to was Power was thinking.

"Wait torture? I thought—", Power forced open the door midway Denji's sentence and what they were thinking far differed from what they saw before them.

Aki was merely giving Y/n's back a massage, a much needed one 'cause she felt as stiff as an iron bar.

'Phew, so it's not what I thought it was', Power and Denji both thought in unison, sighing in relief.

Aki stopped his actions and sniffed the air, the smell of smoke filling his nostrils.

"Where's that smell coming from?", Y/n inquired as she was about to climb off the bed. Aki put a hand on her shoulder and went to check if out for himself.

He saw that it was coming from the stove top, someone had pushed the kitchen roll onto the stove.

Aki's eyes widened before he quickly reached for the salt and used it to smother the tiny flames.

"Oh no", Power whispered, biting her fingernails.

The blue haired man turned his scrunched up face to them, on the verge of kicking them out of the house.

"Now which one of you did this", he spoke through his teeth in anger.

Both of their shoulders jerked at the hostility that seeped out of his words. They've tried their luck one too many times, so much so that Denji swore he saw his life flash before his eyes then and there.

"I'm sure it was an honest mistake, love", Y/n insisted, walking out of the room.

Aki huffed. "Nice try but you're not getting them out of this one", his words made his wife frown.

"I don't even care who did it anymore, I want these floors so spotless that i'll be able to see my face in it", he brought out cleaning supplies for the two, Power nearly collapsing on the floor once her eyes came in contact with all the sponges and soaps.

"But..whyy", Denji whined.

"If you still want a roof over your head, I suggest you swallow those words".

Y/n patted Denji and Power's backs. "Sorry you two, I tried my best", her lips turned downwards in defeat. "The least I can do is help".

Aki raised an inquisitive brow at her and took the sponge out of her hands, turning her body around and pushing her back towards the room.

"You Y/n, are going to bed".

"What?? But i've slept plenty!", she responded.

"Weren't you complaining literally ten minutes ago about not getting enough sleep?", damn he caught her, she tended to contradict herself…a lot.

"And besides my little princess needs a break from all the noise", he added while he rubbed smooth circles around her protruding belly, laying his chin against her shoulder.

Y/n placed a hand on his own with a sweet smile on her face. "You're going to be such a good father", she giggled.

Aki's cheeks took on a shade on light pink at the unexpected compliment. "You think so?".

"I know so", she placed a hand on his chin and kissed him passionately.

Hayakawa family series masterlist :)

a/n: feel free to suggest ideas for this series 🫶

[transsongtaewon]

Myeongwoo was busily chopping away at cabbage. He found it rather dull, but at least he could appreciate the craftsmanship of the knife. It was very good knife, since he was the one who made it.

"Myeongwoo oppa?" Yerim stuck her head into the kitchen.

"Yes?" His focus didn't sway from the cabbage, fully cut now. He moved the piles into the salad spinner and set it in the sink.

"You and ahjussi are friends, right?"

He paused in his cabbage cleaning endeavour. "I'd like to think so."

Privately, he thought that 'friends' was putting it a bit lightly. He wouldn't cook three meals a day for someone who was just a friend. But he also couldn't say they were more than friends, necessarily.

"Why do you ask?"

What steps beyond 'friends' were there? Lovers, maybe. He inwardly recoiled. Definitely not that. Family? He didn't really care about his biological family and he didn't feel the need to put someone else in that spot, either.

"Just because." He couldn't see what Yerim was doing behind him, focused on his cabbage. "Do we have any leftovers?"

"I'm working on dinner right now." How long was he supposed to wash cabbage for? "You can check in the fridge if you want."

The door opened and she dug through the shelves. "Are friends usually as close as you and ahjussi?"

"Maybe. I don't know." It wasn't like Myeongwoo had extensive experience in the friendship department. It was entirely possible he was overthinking a regular, boring friendship. Well, not boring. He sometimes wished Yoojin was more boring, maybe then he would almost die less often.

"I mean, how long did you know each other before you wanted to move in with him?" By the sounds of it, she had located a box of pre-cooked ramyun noodles and was now eating them completely unseasoned. Teenagers.

"How long did you know each other before you made him your legal guardian?"

Her answer was muffled by noodles, but he was reasonably certain it was "Touché."

She did have a point. Everything including Yoojin had gone very fast. Myeongwoo knew why, but that didn't make it that much less odd. He definitely didn't mind it, of course. He just acknowledged it may look weird looking in from the outside.

"Myeongwoo oppa, did that cabbage to something bad?"

He was startled out of his thoughts. He really had washed it for too long. It had turned somewhat over-shredded and more than a bit soggy.

"Ah, I just got distracted. Thank you." He spun it to dry, as gently as possible. Which wasn't very, if he wanted to actually make use of the centrifugal forces, but at least he tried. "Was there anything else you wanted?"

"Nope! Call me when dinner is done!" She dropped her chopsticks and Tupperware in the dishwasher and left the kitchen as quickly as she had entered.

In the end it didn't really matter if he and Yoojin were friends or lovers or a secret third thing. They just cared about each other, deeply, and no one else had to understand what was between them. Maybe not even they themselves.

Myeongwoo started to wipe down the countertop to prepare it before moving on to cutting meat. Dinner would take a while yet.

Written for Sctir Pride Week Day 7: Friends

[doctorgerth]

a/n: So when I tell you this piece went on a JOURNEY! I think I ended up with 3 different versions of this? I started 1…immediately didn’t like it and started 2, sat on it for dayssss, and then literally started all over with 3 (this version) last night? Hopefully it turned out okay agshdbd I had fun with it regardless!! Wanna see if Killer gets smooched? Read to find out!

pairing: Killer x GN!Reader

word count: 1.8k

candy heart prompt: Ur Cute - A moment alone

KILLER + UR CUTE

You were approaching upon the third week in a row that you’ve stayed and helped Killer clean up the mess hall after dinner. If he hadn’t known any better, he would have assumed you enjoyed spending time with him as much as he enjoyed having your company around.

Cleaning was a way to destress for the Massacre Soldier; a time when all was quiet as the rest of the crew went to bed with full bellies or to finish off their own various duties for the night. The only sounds were the waves against the boat and the gentle creaking of wood as he wiped the tables and mopped the floors. A moment of peace in an otherwise chaotic lifestyle.

When you had first offered to help Killer with cleaning up, he almost wanted to reject it simply out of habit. Clean up duty was and always has been Killer’s thing, completely voluntary. But when he realized this meant he’d get to have you all to himself for an hour or two, he quickly found himself agreeing to your assistance.

Now, as silly as it may sound, he couldn’t imagine tidying up the mess hall without you. Talking or not, Killer simply enjoyed having you around. Not once has he felt as if you were encroaching on his peace as he has on multiple occasions with his rowdy friends. Rather, you were a part of it; you were equivalent to peace as you had a miraculous way of making him feel relaxed whenever you were around.

He joined you at the sink, grabbing a spare rag to dry off the dishes you had washed and discarding them in their various places. He couldn’t deny that there was something incredibly domestic about the whole scenario, nor the way it made his heart drum loudly in his chest when you smiled at him sweetly as you two helped one another. Did you feel it too?

When you turned off the sink and dried your hands, a low rumbling sound emitted from your stomach, making you cough awkwardly.

“Are you hungry?” he asked simply. The instinct to feed you kicked in, full force, “Want me to whip something up for you?”

“No, we just worked so hard to clean. I’d hate to mess that up.” Dinner was a few hours ago, but clearly your body was craving a late night snack. You blamed it on the loss of energy from cleaning, and that Killer’s cooking was too tasty for his own good.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest, “Well, how about for the both of us then?”

You raised a brow at him, “You didn’t eat again, huh?”

He shook his head. He had a bad habit of not eating until after everyone else. It took a moment for his body to cool down and prepare for food after working so hard in the kitchen. He adored that you knew that about him, though you often scolded him for it. Even still, you cared for him, and that was enough.

“You sure you don’t mind?” you asked.

“Wouldn’t offer it if I did.”

You had a way of knowing when Killer smiled behind the mask. There was always a distinct upwards tug at his neck, just under the bottom line of his mask, when doing so. Your heart fluttered in your chest when you noticed that signature pull, imagining a handsome smirk on those purple lips of his.

Killer knew by now. He had to. Everyone else quickly picked up on and teased you endlessly about your little crush on the Massacre Soldier and how often you were helping him clean alone, just the two of you. Was he aware and just taking pity on you? He’s always been friendly with you, which certainly didn’t help in staving off your infatuation, but he hadn’t done anything to show he was interested. Not that you could tell, anyway. You were probably just another crewmate to him, and you’d have to come to terms with that.

You helped Killer rummage through the pantry and fridge to retrieve spaghetti pasta, oil, garlic, parmesan, parsley, and pepper, knowing pasta would be his meal of choice. His favorite recipe was easy to whip up, but you always liked to ask, “Can you show me how to make it again?” just because you adored his patience and how happy he was to teach you. You wanted to show that you were interested in his hobbies and habits. To subtly reveal that you were interested in him.

You listened intently as he explained the directions to you for the seventh time now and by this point, you knew the recipe like the back of your hand. How would he feel if you were to try to cook it for him some day? The thought of cooking for him made you giddier than you’d like to admit.

When the pasta was ready, he grabbed a single plate, a sly excuse in order to avoid dirtying up another dish, and two forks. He scooped it on the plate for the two of you to share and you didn’t waste any time in digging in — Killer’s pasta was always to die for. You hummed appreciatively when the flavors hit your tongue and he grinned once more, unable to handle how cute you were.

Soft conversations were exchanged as you shared the plate. After some time, fullness was beginning to settle comfortably in your bellies, but when you looked down, a single spaghetti strand remained on the plate. He caught you eyeballing it.

“You can have the last bite. I don’t mind,” he offered.

You shook your head, “No, you should have it. Last bite should always be for the chef.”

“But you’re my sous chef?” That thought hadn’t meant to convert to words passing through his lips, but he was glad they did as your flustered reaction was a sight to behold. He rather enjoyed making you stammer and flush as you did him so often.

“Well, how about we share it then?”

And there he stood, stammering and flushed, “Are you sure?”

What was so embarrassing about cutting a strand of pasta in half to share? You nodded, and as you were about to reach towards the plate with your fork, Killer took the strand between the tines of his own fork, and brought the pasta to his mask. You were about to tease him for stealing the last bite, until you noticed he only took a little bit of it into his mask, leaving the rest to dangle from the hole closest to his mouth.

Oh.

You were entirely embarrassed now, skin undoubtedly hot to the touch. It was normal for crewmates to share spaghetti like this, right? With a shaky fork, you gathered the other end of the spaghetti and brought it to your lips, leaning in closer so as to not break the noodle. Neither of you moved for some time as you stood inches from one another, connected by a single strand of spaghetti.

You felt a small tug as he audibly slurped the noodle, shortening the pasta as well as the distance between the two of you. You followed suit with nervousness, feeling on the verge of combustion now that you could feel the heat radiating off him and caressing your already burning skin. His close proximity was making you lightheaded. He slurped again, and suddenly, your nose was brushing against the cool plastic of his mask. It was hardly enough to cool you down.

The final slurp would be the last bite, the last pull towards one another, and Killer waited patiently, begging for you to take the chance. He was sure his heart was going to beat right out of his chest, wondering if maybe this was a mistake, if maybe you were uncomfortable, until you closed your eyes and took the rest of the noodle into your mouth, planting a kiss so quick against his mask it nearly gave him whiplash. For that brief second, he could feel the heat of your lips through the mask hole and though it was more than he could’ve ever dreamed, he selfishly wanted more.

“I’m sorry, maybe I…” you quickly backed away into an apology, wiping at the oil that stained the corner of your lips. The click of his mask caught you by surprise, cutting your sentence short as his mask hit the floor and his blue eyes stared into yours. You’d seen Killer without his mask multiple times now, each time more stunned by his attractiveness, but never had his blue eyes stared at you so intensely. It made your heart beat uncontrollably; a deafening thrumming in your ears. On a ship full of hundreds of crewmates, sailing across an ocean full of thousands of ships, in a world full of millions of people, in this kitchen, it felt like it was just the two of you.

His hands reached up to caress your face, and you were too captivated to even blink, not wanting this moment to end any time soon. Or ever.

“Can I have another?” he whispered breathlessly.

The nod you gave was a little more eager than intended, but you’d wanted to kiss those lips of his for so long now, even if this were all just another dream, nothing could stop you from saying yes, yes, yes.

His lips were on yours instantaneously. As long as you had waited for this, he was sure his wait was ten times longer, ten times more agonizing, but now he had you and it would be damn near impossible for anything to take you away from him. Not if he had anything to say about it. You felt safe pushed up against him, held firmly by his hands now gripping at your waist as he pulled you into him, desperate to be even closer. You felt elated beyond comprehension to have his warmth fully wrapped around you. His lips felt like heaven moving against yours, kissing you with slow precision, tasting you with intent, staining your lips the same shade of purple that adorned his lips. You’d wear the color with pride.

“It’s about damn time,” a bellowing voice echoed through the mess hall, pulling you two apart for a brief moment. Kid leaned against the doorway with a shit-eating grin, “Placed a lot of money on you two. Thanks for securing my win.” He closed the door as quickly as he’d opened it.

Killer shook his head with a groan and rested his forehead against yours, “Dumbass.”

You laughed, “Guess everybody’s been waiting on this, huh?”

He pecked your lips, convinced he was addicted to them by now. He was far from done with kissing you yet, “Not nearly as long as me.”

“Well, don’t let me keep you waiting,” you smiled against his lips, melting into him as he closed the distance between you two and deepened the kiss once more.

The two of you would become a little less productive at cleaning up the mess hall together now that kissing was on the table.

a/n: Our first "loser"!! 🫣 At least Killer leaves the event with a full heart knowing he got a smooch (or two, or three, or...). We won't see him in Round Two unfortunately, but we'll definitely see him again someday! Thanks for reading. 💕

[gatorbites-imagines]

Kinktober day 29

Jason todd + pet play

I dont care what people say Gotham knights Jason Todd is beautiful to me.

Lmao finally sat my ass down and wrote something, this isn’t super long or super steamy, but I hope yall still enjoy it.

 Kinktober list

It took Jason months before he ever thought of admitting his most shameful kink to his lover, and even then, it had happened by accident. It had come to the surface when (Y/N) had been fucking Jason doggystyle, a hand on his hip and another in his hair. They had been going at it for most of the evening which is what Jason blamed for his defenses being down,  because when (Y/N) told him to howl in some form of dirty talk, Jason had.

Jason had thrown his head back and howled and barked as he came, his entire body quivering and shaking as he came all over the bed, followed soon by his partner. (Y/N) had cleaned them up and when they were cuddling, he had cuddled Jason close, who was still floating off somewhere else. Jason had arched into his hands as (Y/N) caressed him, whines leaving his throat as his lover muttered praise at him, his spent cock giving a feeble twitch as (Y/N) called him a good boy and a good pup, the other man having seemingly picked up on Jason’s behavior.

Jason had avoided talking about what had happened for days afterwards, avoiding his lover as much as possible and growing red in the face when (Y/N) as much as looked at him too long. The other man seemed to finally have enough because he pushed Jason onto the bed and sat on top of him until they had talked. During the entire conversation Jason had been covering his face, his face completely red the flush crawling all the way to the tips of his ears as he tried to force down the embarrassed tears.

(Y/N) had been kind and understanding, but had wanted the truth from Jason and for the man to stop avoiding him. In the beginning they didn’t do much with the information, but it had lifted a weight off Jason’s shoulders to not keep it a secret any longer. Though (Y/N) did begin to use it in his praising, calling Jason his good boy, his puppy, and scratching behind the other man’s ear. Jason always leant into the scratching, a faint floaty feeling spreading throughout his body at the action.

As time passed both men started to slowly add more and more things to their relationship that would help Jason explore that part of himself. From (Y/N) petting and praising Jason, to Jason buying a choker that would feel like a collar on his neck without being a collar. At times Jason would find himself kneeling on the floor beside (Y/N), leaning against his leg and getting pets and scratches after a stressful day.

There came a night when Jason finally mustered up the courage to ask (Y/N) to collar him, wanting his partner to be his owner and to care for him the way Jason knew he needed. Not even a day later (Y/N) had gotten his hands on a collar made of high-quality leather, and they had slowly worked Jason into a more pup like headspace before putting it on him. The feeling of the leather against his throat made Jason feel floatier than ever before, and it felt as if he lost the ability to speak and could only bark and whine as he slipped further into headspace.

It was Jason himself who bought the rest of the gear he felt comfortable using, a harness for his chest, a hood, and a pair of pants with padded knees so he could crawl around, all in black and red colors. (Y/N) didn’t ask questions when two dog bowls appeared in the kitchen, but just started placing Jason’s food in one and filling the other with water when Jason felt the need to be in headspace.

Jason whined softly from where he was kneeling on the floor, looking up at his owner with his best puppy eyes as he pawed at the other man’s knee. Reaching down to pet him, (Y/N) could help but smile at the way Jason tried to beg with his eyes, the blueness standing out brightly against the blacks and reds of his gear. Sighing (Y/N) sat back and pat his knee, telling his pup to get up there then if he wanted it so bad.

Moving quickly Jason crawled up onto the couch and into his partners lap, curling up like a good pup and shutting his eyes, twisting, and turning his position until he was comfortable, laying with his stomach turned upwards. Seeing what his pup wanted (Y/N) began scratching his tummy, making the pet in his lap let out a happy bark. With a last happy huff Jason got comfortable and half dozed off, wriggling a little ever now and then as he gave tiny wags as he kept being pet. Maybe it wasn’t so bad that he had accidentally revealed one of his bigger secrets that night, he thought, not bad at all.

[messrmoonyy]

I saw this on your Tess NSFW headcanons and I want to scream!!

Dare I say… gun kink. Knife kink. HEAR ME OUT

YES YES YES !! PLEASE give us Tess x female reader - gun kink or knife kink. It would destroy me!!

Thinking about Tess fucking you at gun/knife point aaaagh!

Down the barrel

Tess Servopoulos x fem!reader

A/N- I have been waiting patiently for someone to give me the excuse to write this but look. Look. I just I have no words for this okay and I will be retreating into a dark hole in the ground and just peeking my head out to see how people react to this cause. Fuck me. It’s filthy in every sense of the word and I don’t really know what to say here. But anon you asked for 13/10 feral so. That’s what you get. I edited this a fair bit, chopping shit out cause I was like ‘this is too much they’ll send me to therapy ‘ but yk. Here we are. Goodnight.

Warnings: 18+ || god this is gonna be a long warnings list: tess. I think this could dip into being dark!tess if you squint, smut: gunplay ( no one is hurt ), degradation , praise cause come on now. It’s me. You should know by now my degradation and praise kinks go hand in hand when it comes to tess , thigh riding, reader talks/thinks about dying/death but is not actually harmed, and Tess makes some threats but of course she doesn’t actually do it, and. Look. The gun goes places a gun shouldn’t go. And I have no other explanation to give you, Tess and her Dacryphilia are out in full force, mentions of death and violence, reader is desensitised to violence and is low-key unhinged lmao,

Word count: 4.1k

Masterlist

Reblogs and comments are always greatly appreciated <3

Sometimes you liked to think about what life was like before the world fell apart. How different you were now compared to then. How desensitised. Pre apocalypse you hadn’t know death, or struggles or violence. You hadn’t actually ever laid eyes on a gun in person before, which was saying something for fucking America.

So it was sometimes a little odd to think about, even funny maybe, just how much had changed. How much you had changed. Of course the world had, it had fallen to shit. If you had told pre outbreak you what your life would soon become you’d have laughed. Joked that it was clearly something from science fiction. But no. It was real. The world had changed. And so had you.

Even just in that one singular day you had seen more death than you had in all the time pre outbreak combined. And it scared you sometimes, how little it now bothered you. How easy it was for you to take another life if it meant saving hers. Or upholding honour. But she was just as bad. Maybe worse. She never thought twice about taking the life of another if that person had hurt you, had touched you, had even looked at you wrong. She didn’t care. It was easy.

And you loved it. Craved it. Some deep visceral, primitive feeling that lived in your chest and begged for her to never stop. To stay possessive, to be so completely and utterly devoted that she would kill in the most violent of ways to keep you. And she did. She always had. And she knew that you would always return the favour.

You never wanted it to stop. Never wanted that desperate, obsessive streak you both had for each other to leave. You needed her constantly. Needed her completely. You wanted her with you all the time, embedded in your skin like shrapnel. Swimming in your bloodstream like whiskey.

You watched her intently as she sat opposite you, kitchen table littered with rounds and bullets and a box of stolen firearms that were hers. That had been miss sold and she had been determined to get back. And of course, she had. With your help.

She was cleaning the gun in her hand, an alcohol soaked rag wiping away any traces of blood that remained. Blood of the man that had crossed her, that had sold on the goods that were meant for her. Of the man that had dived on you in some hopes she wouldn’t dare touch him if he had you at his mercy, wouldn’t risk it. Wouldn’t shoot him when he could so easily push you in front of the bullet.

But he underestimated her. And he underestimated you. As so many poor, unfortunate souls did.

Pre outbreak you couldn’t imagine what it was like to stab someone, but present you had done it with ease. No care. No tears. You had stabbed. She had shot. Again and again and again. Because how dare he even think about laying a hand on you.

His blood had stained your shirt, soaked through to the tank you still sat in now. Specks of it littered Tess’ face, adorned her skin like freckles.

And it made something twist deep in your belly, made your chest heave with shaking breaths as you watched her. That burning, desperate ache that came when she showed just how much she cared. Just how far she would go to keep you safe.

It fascinated you to a degree. At how disgusted your past self would be to know that someone killing for you was making you so wet. Arousal swirling in your veins as you watched her there, her perfect hands cleaning away spots of blood like it was something completely normal.

You shifted slightly in your chair, attempting to ignore the ever growing ache between your thighs. You’d murdered someone together less than an hour ago and yet there you were, turned on by the way she’d handled it. How she handled the gun across from you.

She seemed to feel you watching her, her eyes flickering up to look at you across the table. You didn’t need a mirror to know what you looked like. You’d seen it enough when she forced you to watch yourself in the bathroom mirror as she railed you from behind. Knew your pupils were blown, your cheeks flushed red, chest heaving with shaking breaths. It wouldn’t take her long to figure exactly where your head was at. She could read you like a book. She knew what made you tick.

She could tear you apart and put you back together again, could push you to your limits and know exactly when to stop. She was just as fucked up as you were. It’s what made you such the perfect pair.

She looked away again, giving one final swipe of the rag to her gun before speaking.

“ c’mere “ she didn’t look up as she said it, eyes looking for any spot she may have missed in her cleaning. Turning it from side to side to examine it. You were on your feet in an instant, always obedient to her every command no matter what it was, rounding the table to stand beside her.

She still didn’t look up right away, sighing a little when she deemed the metal clean enough again. She shifted in her chair slightly, leaning back and patting her leg. You didn’t need to be told twice.

Her eyes trailed up from where your legs straddled her thighs, up to your face in a slow ascent. She held your gaze and reached forward, slipping her hand past the waistband of your leggings and cupping your damp underwear for a second. She scoffed and shook her head, withdrawing her hand as quickly as she’d put it there

“ fuckin knew it could see it in your eyes“ you squirmed in her lap and she folded her arms over her chest, eyebrow raised as she looked at you “ how long have you been wet? “ you didn’t answer her, fiddling with a loose thread on the hem of her shirt “ I asked you a question “ she sat up and you gasped as she pressed the cold metal of the muzzle of her gun to your forehead “ don’t be a fuckin brat. Answer. The question “

You had to force yourself not to move, your cunt aching with a desperate need to be filled as she held the weapon to your head. You should be terrified. Scared for your life that she could take in a second. But you weren’t. You were as far as you could possibly be from it.

You were soaking your underwear, thinking every disgusting, vile thought of what you wanted her to do to you with that gun to your head. And you had no shame.

And besides, if you were going to die… what a good fuckin way to go.

“ a while “ you finally answered, making her shake her head again and bring her face close to yours

“ you’re fuckin sick, you know that? “

“ yes “ you breathed out, arching into her in some silent request for her to touch you. Anything more than the fleeting touch to your damp underwear moments ago.

She moved the gun down, nudging the cool metal of the muzzle under your chin. And you smiled. You fucking smiled. A giggle bubbling past your lips in a way that probably made you look a little manic, but she didn’t care. You didn’t care. She looked like she wanted to tear you apart and devour every single morsel of you. And you knew she would, knew you’d set her off and she was going to break you down, not stopping until you were a useless wreck of a woman.

And you wanted it no other way. No. Needed it.

You might be sick but so was she. You knew she was just as turned on as you were. She loved power, especially power over you. She was getting off on holding you at gunpoint as much as you were.

“ you. Are a little. Fuckin psycho “ she said quietly, a small laugh leaving her own throat as she pressed up under your chin harder.

“ says the woman with a gun on me?“ you were pushing, egging her to snap. That deep craving in your chest so strong it was taking your breath away. You needed her. Desperately “ maybe you’re the psycho here. You ever think about that? “

“ fuckin attitude on you “ she said with a scoff, dropping the gun and gripping your chin in between her fingers now. There was a smirk planted on your face as your heart hammered in your chest, curious as to what she would do next “ are you that stupid that you’ll act like a brat when I could blow your fuckin brains out any second? “

The smirk was still planted on your face and you shrugged, pushing her again. Pressing her buttons. Urging her to test you. Testing her.

“ sounds like a good way to go “

Her eyes moved across your face, reading you, before giving a small nod. Seeing the look in your eyes, noting the way you silently told her to ruin you. To do what she pleased with you.

“ open your mouth “ you did as you were told in an instant, letting out a breathy laugh as she pressed the gun against your tongue. Your lips wrapped around the barrel without further prompting, fingers wrapping around her wrist. She was watching you intently, a mild sense of awe on her face and a smug smile tugging at her mouth “ well look at fuckin you “

You were determined to put on a show, the fact that your brain was already starting to retreat making it all the more easier. When she got you in that state of pure and utter submission to her every will and command, there’s nothing you wouldn’t do.

You moved your head, sucking the barrel as if it were the strap currently hidden in a box under your bed. Your tongue tingled with the mix of metal and the alcohol she’d used to clean it. It wasn’t exactly pleasant but it still made you drool, still made your cunt ache just with the realisation of how truly pathetic you were.

“ that’s my girl “ Tess brought her spare hand to the back of your head, taking control of the way you moved “ that’s my good little slut “ you choked on a moan, fingers tightening their grip on her wrist as she pushed your head further. Your lips pressing against the trigger guard, muzzle brushing the back of your throat in a way that made your eyes water.

And you almost hated the way your hips moved without you meaning to, grinding down on her thigh in some hope it would do something to elevate the throbbing in your clit.

Tess sighed, still guiding your head so your lips dragged across the barrel, and shook her head slightly.

“ you’re unbelievable “ she whispered, a mock sense of disappointment in her words “ I killed someone for you earlier. With this exact fucking gun “ you knew. You were fully fucking aware of what she’d used it for. You’d watched her do it. Had felt that fluttering feeling in your chest as she had “ but you liked that. Didn’t you? Hmm? You get off on it “ you hummed an answer, choking again as she pressed against the back of your throat again and held you there.

Your hips were still rolling against her and you were mildly surprised she hadn’t stopped you yet. But the simple fact that you were getting off to her seemed to be riling her up too much to completely care. Drool was running down your chin, your fingers were still gripping tightly to her wrist, your jaw ached. You must have looked a sight.

“ that’s it, take it for me. That’s a good little slut “ the roughness of her jeans combined with the friction your own clothes provided was bliss. You were like an animal in heat, grinding against her in an increasingly desperate fashion “ you. Are so fucked up baby girl “ you couldn’t deny it and you made no attempt to, in fact you smiled as she withdrew the gun from your mouth “ haven’t even touched you and look at you “ you looked down at where you were grinding your soaked cunt against her leg, the evident damp spot on her jeans “ naughty little girl that likes to play with guns “ she hummed seemingly more to herself as she watched you, tracing the muzzle across your jaw.

“ mhm “ you grabbed at her wrist again, bringing the gun back to your mouth a pressing a kiss to the barrel with a giggle. She narrowed her eyes as she watched you, a small breathy laugh leaving her. You dragged your tongue up the length of the barrel, eyes locked on hers.

You laughed again as she moved to press the gun to your temple, eyes fluttering closed as you gripped the table behind you and honed in on the way your clit throbbed as you moved against her strong thigh.

“ that’s my good little slut “ she wrapped an arm around your waist pulling you closer to her, her gun pressing harder against your temple in a way you were certain would bruise. Her lips brushed against the shell of your ear and it sent a shiver down your spine “ you gonna come with my gun against your pretty little head? “ you nodded feverishly, arms looping around her neck as you increased your pace.

“ yes. Fuck yes “ she tutted lightly, pressing a trail of soft kisses against your neck.

“ I could pull this trigger any second and you’re about to fucking come? That’s fucked up baby “ you whined as she said it, some kind of disgust at yourself at how your cunt clenched around nothing at her words “ don’t worry baby I’d never. It’d be such a waste of such a pretty girl. Pretty girl. With a pretty cunt. Pretty tits. Such a waste, don’t you think? “

She lifted her head from your neck, gripping your jaw as your chased your orgasm. The never ending string of whines and moans that had been leaving your throat increased in pitch, your hips stuttering as you got closer and closer

“ my pretty girl “ she cooed, pushing your head lightly with her gun as if to remind you it was still there. As if you could possibly forget. As if it wasn’t the sole reason you’d been wet in the first place “ my pretty, fucked up girl. Show me just how pretty you look when you come with my gun to your fuckin head “ two more rolls of your hips was all it took, your fingers twisting into the collar of her shirt as your orgasm wracked your body “ there you go, good fuckin girl “

It was like something out of a fucked up sex tape. The pathetic sounds that you made filling the apartment.

She didn’t drop the gun even when you levelled out your breathing again, body twitching slightly through the aftershocks as she flexed her thigh muscles beneath you. She traced it across your jaw, down your neck, trailing it down your chest and tugging your tank top with it until it snapped back up into place, brushing it over your sensitive nipples as they poked through the thin material.

She always looked at you the same way. Like you were something special. Something to be worshipped and appreciated. Which was funny in a way when she was the one that acted like a god, that had you down on your knees begging for her guidance and care.

Tess begged for no one. And nothing. She took what she wanted and exactly when she wanted.

“ stand up. Not done with you yet pretty girl “ you couldn’t imagine what else she possibly had in store for you as you stood, letting her grab at your hips and pick you up. She shoved some things out of the way and sat you on the edge of the table, placing the gun down for a second to wriggle you out of your leggings and underwear in one go. She picked up the gun again, tapping it against your knee “ legs apart, that’s it good girl”

She nudged her fingers under your chin, holding your face in place as she leant forward to kiss you. You sighed dreamily into her mouth, hands pulling at her shirt lightly. She was gentle, careful, as she nipped at your bottom lip, tugging it lightly between her teeth.

You shivered as you felt the metal press against your skin again, pulling away to smile as she nudged it back against your temple.

“ shall we see just how fucked up this pretty little head is? “ she said, her voice low and lips brushing yours as she spoke. You nodded. Not even entirely sure what she was suggesting, but you’d trust her with your life. Literally. She had your life resting in her hands. All it would take was one movement of her finger, one trigger pull and you’d be gone. Just a mess of red on the walls.

She kissed you again, pressing her mouth to yours harder than before. The kind that would leave your lips swollen and red when she was done with you.

She moved the gun down again, trailing over your chest, prodding at the soft flesh of your belly. Your breath hitched as you realised what she was doing. You pulled back and looked down at where she was trailing the gun up and down your inner thigh.

“ fuck “ you breathed as she trailed the muzzle over your sticky lips before nudging it between the slick folds of your cunt, brushing against your sensitive clit in a way that made you shiver “ Tess “

“ what if we just… “ your breath hitched again as she pressed the gun against your clenching hole, tilting her head to the side like some kind of cat. Curious of her own actions. You gripped her shirt in your fists, eyes locked on the firearm in her hands as she pushed it further.

“ holy fuckin shit “ you breathed out, unable to tear your eyes away. It wasn’t exactly comfortable but you couldn’t stop the way your walls clenched around the cool metal of the barrel, a desperate sob of a moan escaping your throat. It was almost too overwhelming. Too much but also not enough. She wasn’t even moving but the sensation and simply the realisation of what she was doing to you was enough to make you want to come on the spot.

“ my dirty fuckin girl huh? You like that?” You nodded instantly, a desperate primal desire scorching through your veins.

“ move- move it please. Fuck I- Tess “ Tess smiled and pressed her mouth close to your ear as she started moving the gun, dragging the heavy metal against your slick and sensitive walls.

“ how does it make you feel knowing I’ll be walking around with this gun after it’s been inside of you huh? What do you think people would say? If they knew what a dirty fuckin slut you were? “

You couldn’t think straight, brain scattered as you tried to focus but failed. Her hot breath against your skin, her fingers pressing and caressing the back of your neck, the heavy drag of the gun inside of you. You could feel your arousal dripping onto the table beneath you, couldn’t stop the noises leaving your throat no matter how hard you tried.

Tears were streaming across your cheeks and she smiled, she’d always loved when you broke and cried.

“ so pretty when you cry “ she said, her voice low and grip on the back of your neck tightening so you wouldn’t look away from her.

Your nails were scratching at her now, trying to keep her close and beg for something your brain couldn’t put into words. You felt despicable, twisted and unhinged.

She had a gun buried in your fucking cunt.

A gun that she had used to blow a guys head open a couple hours ago.

And now was inside of you. Stretching your dripping hole in a way you weren’t used to, the original burn now twisting into some deeply delicious ache instead.

It was too much.

She’d barely been inside of you for a few minutes and you were already coming again, sobbing and shaking as your nails dug into the flesh of her arms. Your walls clenched almost painfully around the intrusion in your cunt, holding the offensive thing in place as you practically screamed through your release.

She held onto as your whole body shook, riding you through your world shattering orgasm until you were well and truly wrecked. Tears streamed across your face, you muscles burning from how tense you had been as your climax peaked.

“ that’s my girl, that’s it. Steady baby steady “

If she hadn’t been holding you, you’d have fallen. Your legs were shaking as you collapsed against her chest, hands gripping at her shoulders to keep yourself up right. You winced as she careful withdrew her gun, leaning over and tossing the gun onto the table, a gentle hand on your back as she did.

“ alright baby, nice and easy “ her voice was tender, quiet, as if she were scared to startle you. You gave a small nod, still gripping at her as if she were going to evaporate beneath your fingers any second. She soothed a hand up and down your spine, holding you as your shakes began to slow and you tried to regain a normal rhythm to your breathing “ Let me clean you up Yeah? “

She helped you down from the table and lead you through into the bathroom.

“ I’m so tired “ you said with a small sigh, leaning against the sink. You felt like every ounce of energy had been drained from your system, muscles aching from unknowingly tensing them as she worked you up.

“ I know. I know baby. We’ll take a shower then go to bed, okay? “ You’d both gotten accustomed to showering together, simply because you were all on rations for water. The water never reached any temperature higher than bordering on lukewarm, and the water would automatically shut off after 5 minutes anyway. So it worked easier to just share. But you were quite thankful for her being there with you in that moment.

She stripped you of your remaining clothes so gently it were as if you were made of China, her voice soft as she whispered a never ending string of praise as she did.

It was strange to think only a couple hours ago that same woman had shot a man in the head.

“ you hurt? “

“ no “ you whispered, voice croaky and hoarse “ aches but I’m fine “

She brushed the backs of her fingers against your cheek and along your jaw, smiling softly when you leaned into her touch.

“ you did so good “ she said, her voice as soft as her touch “ so fuckin good baby. Proud of you “ you twisted your head to press a kiss to her wrist, a silent thank you “ didn’t think you take it that well. But you’re always so good for me aren’t you? “

When you stepped into the shower she reached behind you and turned the tap on, not wasting the precious time with the water and gently guiding you under the mostly cold stream.

She worked quickly but kept her touch soft as she helped you wash the sweat and the blood and the sticky mess that was spread across your thighs, making quick work of herself too before the water shut itself off.

The journey between leaving the shower and getting into bed didn’t register in your mind fully, too tired to really process anything anymore. Brief flashes of wrapping you in a towel, pulling one of her shirts over your head, climbing into bed beside you.

You let yourself melt into her embrace as she held you against her chest, her hand running through your wet hair to free it of knots.

No matter how rough and brutal she could be, she could always switch to that caring side in a flash. A few hours ago she’d killed someone. A few minutes ago she’d threatened you with a gun to get you off. And now she was cradling you like you were the most precious person alive. Because to her you were.

“ sure you’re okay? “ she asked after a few moments as you were drifting into sleep.

“ I’m good. Promise “ you lifted your head from her chest and cupped her face gently “ I’m. So fuckin good “

The ache in your chest felt satiated for now, though you knew it wouldn’t be too long before it reared its head again. And she would be there to assist you with it. Because yes, perhaps you were as fucked up as she’d said you were. But she was just as bad. And that was how it would always be.

[defire]

Chapter 29: Fun Times

Content: Dissociation, slavery, suicidal, caught/threats, slapping, knife cut

Next morning, Nife was forced to go back to work, despite her awful physical condition. Every step was pain as Nife limped in. She leaned into the sink and supported her weight with her elbows, picking up another plate and focusing on the scalding water.

It was better than the pain inside that reminded her of yesterday's hour of shame and agony.

Every movement sent a fresh streak of humiliation down her spine. The sense of self she'd had inside had been stripped down. It hurt to think. It hurt to imagine fighting anymore. There was the cuff, the whip, the cane, the humiliation, the chores, there was nothing left of her in her life anymore.

She was starting to slowly realize that at some point, there was only one way left to fight. The thing you're never supposed to consider.

Nife had snuck some of the pastries from the table for Iridiss, and she made herself focus on the smell as her friend slipped little bites of sweets into her mouth, careful that the servants didn't see her. Nife had planned on splitting the pastry with Iridiss, but realized when she looked at it that she wasn't hungry at all. It was slightly comforting to see Iridiss enjoying it, though. It was better than throwing it away, which is what they were supposed to do–pastries were too good for slaves, apparently. They said they didn't want the slaves getting any ideas.

Right, because slave brains only run on sweets.

The kitchen was steamy and damp as a small crowd of servants and slaves cleaned up after an uneventful breakfast. The environment reminded Nife of her nanny's stories about the tropical feeling Gapp used to have, crowded with trees and rained on generously, until the rot had begun. At some point the city was going to crumble completely, but of course the population insisted on being there when it did.

Nife had been unusually quiet, since her voice was still gravelly when she talked, and it hurt to use her throat. She hated hearing it because it reminded her of how much she'd screamed, and why.

"Sorry about yesterday," Iridiss said, rinsing off the food next to her. "I tried to keep you outta there. Cause I know y'used to hang with them."

"And nearly earned yourself a beating." Nife played along. Iridiss was making it sound like she didn’t know about everything they did to Nife before she found her broken and alone last night.

Iridiss laughed. She knew Nife well enough at this point to know she was pretty much always joking. Nife no longer had to smile to get people to laugh, which was good, because she couldn't force the corners of her mouth up any more, let alone take the dead, wet look out of her eyes. She'd passed a mirror in the hallway on the way back to work that morning, and her eyes had looked like two pits of darkness. Truly, the eyes were the windows of the soul.

"Instead, you got that lil lordling in trouble." Bud said with blissful stupidity.

"Alright, that's the last straw," Nife said. "I'm killing myself."

Bud and Iridiss laughed, and a natural smirk came to her mouth unbidden as she heard chuckles from the other slaves in the area. Her stomach ground against her.

It was starting to just get hilarious, the way nobody believed her when she was telling the truth.

A genuine, silly little chuckle shook through her body, and when she looked up at Iridiss with that smile, the other girl's shoulders relaxed.

"Oh, Life, seein ya smile." She shook her head.

Nife's shoulders lightened too, like a big load was taken off them. She began to feel a slow, but overwhelming wave of relief filling her.

"Maybe it's time to be selfish." She said out loud.

"Yeah!" Iridiss jabbed her playfully with an elbow, piling another dish into Nife's sink, which was emptying faster as her forehead relaxed and all the pain seemed to disappear from her body, which was gradually filling with both relief and adrenaline.

"If ya don't take care of yaself, nobody'll do it for ya." She said. "I'm so happy–started to really love you, ya know."

"Thanks." Nife said. She elbowed Iridiss back, who laughed again.

The laughter of the others poured joy into her heart as she felt that the end of her pain was getting closer, one way or another. A spark of light like a star shone at the end of the darkness in her mind.

At the same time, she felt a sinking in her stomach. She didn’t want to give up on what she'd had with the Souls. But it was slipping away.

A couple weeks of drudgery passed like a dreadful blur as things began to smooth into a routine for Nife. If she tried to think about how much time had passed, the despair would turn into panic. That was two more weeks of her bond with her friends dying.

It was Thursday. Nife wore herself down to exhaustion through that day, forced to do her normal allotment of work despite her injured state. Her rib had stopped hurting when she breathed, but her knee still forced her to walk with a limp, and it seemed to be stuck in a permanent state of healing and reinjury from the work she was forced to do.

Iridiss went to their quarters a little sooner than the rest of them–she was always getting on Enimee's bad side, so Nife offered to finish up in the kitchen so that she could get some extra rest. 

"Wantcha hang out after?" Iridiss said.

Nife had learned that "wantcha" was a mixture of the words "why don't you" and she loved it. She agreed to spend some time with Iridiss, knowing the girl would want someone to sit beside her on her bed, lean against, and show letters from her brother. She hurried to finish cleaning.

As Nife was on her way, she heard a word that made her hesitate and listen. The word was "evidence".

She paused in the hall just past the sitting room, slowing down and softening her steps as she did, so that they didn't hear her suddenly stop. Her pausing wouldn't be noticed, especially not by the two Banes in the living room–Striker and Creack.

"She'll give her to me if I have that evidence." Striker said. "Think about it. Me on top, you with perfect freedom to pursue every line of research you want. Wouldn't you prefer me to her?"

"Yes." Creack said.

Nife knew that Lady Wry would hurt Creack if he didn't show up to her social functions, and Creack hated socializing when he could be researching in his chambers.

"So where are they?" Striker urged. 

He wasn't audible at this point, but Nife was reading his mouth through heat, as she did so often now. She'd begun to be so good at it, she didn't always even need to hear bits of the conversation, as long as she was close enough to see them clearly. The key was to follow the tongue in their mouth, which was always much warmer than the teeth.

"But... she'll know it was me."

Striker leaned toward Creack, who flinched back, protecting his personal space.

"I'll protect you." He said. 

Creack rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, turning his head away, as he often did when he was nervous.

"Besides..." Striker said. "I can hurt you a lot worse than she ever could."

"I know." Creack said quickly, leaning back further into his seat away from Striker. "I know. It's–" He swallowed. "–I left it in his room. Second drawer. I didn't want anyone to know I'd ever found it. Everything is there exactly as it always was."

A servant came down the hall and Nife lowered her head, keeping her eyes down as the servant passed her, shoving her out of the way unnecessarily as she passed.

"Damn middle management." Nife muttered.

The minute she was out of earshot, Nife broke into a run for Keerenn's quarters. As long as Striker hadn't heard her stop, and as long as he didn't outright run to catch her, she should be able to find the evidence, hide it somewhere else, and have something she could use against Lady Wry to get her freedom.

No need to kill myself if I can get free, Nife thought.

Creack and Striker had rooms in this hall, and after passing those rooms and a large guest bedroom, Nife reached the dead man's room. She reached for the doorknob, then flinched as she realized Striker was striding up to her, impossibly fast on those long legs, looking as if it was the easiest thing in the world to walk as fast as she could jog.

[I'm not sure if I shared this drawing yet, but this is my rendition of Nife, younger, I'm not really good at consistency in my art but you get the idea]

"What are you doing, Nife?" He said. "Aren't you going to run from me?"

Nife froze. She lowered her eyes and retreated from the door, biting her lips in consternation.

"As if I could run." She said, wishing she could curse at him. "Where would I run, your lordship? The lavatory? The window?"

He just smiled and kept coming closer, those silent steps squishing in the plush hall rug.

"Well, don't go anywhere," He said. "I want you for something. You going to do as you're told this time?"

"I would never disobey your magnificence." Nife bowed slightly to conceal the deep eye-roll. "What could your lordship possibly want from me today? I am profoundly at your service."

His smile deepened slightly.

Fuck.

He'd nearly reached her. 

She found herself unconsciously retreating.

"Trying to get another step ahead of me, aren't you?" He said, grabbing her hand across the knuckles.

"Not possible, your lordship." She nodded at his long legs.

He chuckled.

"Sometimes I like you, Nife." He said.

"I'm so flattered." She said dully. "But wonderful as your company is, I have duties to attend to..."

Striker didn't let her leave, gripping tighter onto her hand until it hurt. The touch gave her a feeling of spiders down her stomach.

"By the way, what did they do to you after that dinner when you threatened Glen?" He said, pulling a key out of his pocket as he spoke. He was clumsy with his left hand. "You acted like you'd broken every bone in your body." He chuckled.

Nife shrugged.

"They respectfully asked me not to do it again, lordship," She said. "What do you think?"

Striker tilted his head back and let out a short laugh, then released her hand and trailed his fingers down her back, which was still bumpy with swelling. She hissed in breath at the touch and flinched away.

"Don't go anywhere." Striker said, unlocking the door.

He took her by the wrist and pulled her in after him, then closed the door. The first thing she noticed was the smell of rotting flesh. It nearly took her off her feet, and her eyes watered with disgust and nausea.

She looked around, eyes widening as she saw the state of the place.

When they said she'd preserved it exactly as it had been, they meant exactly. A massive brown bloodstain had colored the whole side of the rug brown, and splatters of it were all over the room and on the blanket, the wall, some on the desk. Also on the desk was a paper, clean and old, with slightly fading ink and an unusually sloppy signature on it. 

The smell of death was coming from the bed, which was messed up like someone had slept in it over and over without ever fixing it or washing the sheets.

Her eyes wandered over to the window, as they often did, and she noticed that the lock was broken and the window sill was scuffed like it had been climbed through many times. While she was making judgments on the late Keerenn Wry's habits, Striker was opening the drawer and pulling out a paper.

"It's funny," He said, eyes roving over the paper. He smiled victoriously and slid it inside his coat, then turned to her again. "Every time I'm in this room, I notice how clean that piece of paper is. Even though the desk is splattered with blood. And see the creases? It was folded into someone's pocket before being set here."

"Oh wow, the rumors are true!" Nife said.

Striker glanced at her to see if she was actually that excited, and she burst into resentful laughter at his expense.

"Everybody knows." She said.

He turned on her, moving much too close into her space–for a Bane. Time among the slaves had gotten her much more accustomed to this. She met the man’s gaze bitterly.

"What the hell do you think you know?" Striker said.

She shrugged. Then, realizing that wasn't going to be enough for him, she added,

"Even you admitted it... She killed him."

"But there's proof." He said. "Do you not understand how valuable this is to me?"

It was even more valuable to her, and the fact that he had it meant that she needed to make her move as soon as possible. But he was holding the evidence. She'd have to steal it.

"You're part of this now," He added.

"And whose fault is that?"

Striker tilted his head at her, nodding, stepped back to put the paper on the desk, and then turned back to her.

"I'm going to slap you now."

Nife couldn't suppress a small wince. Of course he was. His fingers twitched, half-raised. 

"I'm going to slap you, and then I'm going to explain why you're so important to this plan, and you're going to listen to me." He said, grabbing her by the earrings and yanking her face-to-face with him. She was close enough to see how well he took care of his skin, which was clean and well-shaven.

Then he let go and slapped her.

She kept her eyes down, clutching at her stinging cheek. It wasn't the first time she'd been slapped today for "mouthing off". 

"Getting off yet?" She murmured.

He bristled.

"Sorry." She cringed back. "I didn't mean to say it. Look, I–I'm still here. I'm not running. I'm in your plan. I’m not trying to provoke you."

He had raised a fist, but at that, he lowered it, holding his breath for a moment as if to control himself. He shook his head hard at her.

"No one can provoke me." He released his breath. "I forget you're only fifteen. You don't know anything." He sighed. “I’m not a villain, Nife; I’m trying to restore our city.”

"Well, that makes me feel better about being slapped." Nife said.

He let out a short laugh.

"I may be vicious, but at least I appreciate your humor, unlike my sister." He said. "Now, if she is convicted of murder, the estate would go to me. You'd rather have me as your master. Wouldn't you?" He added.

"...I think I'd rather die, actually."

She jumped back as Striker drew a dagger and stepped toward her, blocking the door as she was opening it, by pressing his knee against it. He came up close enough that their thighs touched and Nife felt her lip curl in resentment. He pressed the point of the dagger to the base of her throat, where it dipped in under the adam's apple.

She found a tiny chuckle of anxiety release from her as she leaned back instinctively away from the blade, chest and throat tightening so much that her voice cracked. Her shoulders and head pressed against the door. He placed a hand on her neck, thumb gently pressed against the underside of her jaw, tilting it back.

"You'd rather die?" He said.

"You only just figured out you can't control me?" She smirked bitterly. "You're slow."

He didn't answer. The ornate dagger stung as he twisted the tip, drawing blood.

"Ouch–hell." She said through gritted teeth. "Go all the way or not at all, asshole."

"I don't trust your word, so, I'll have to do this." He said. Then he spoke, and his words echoed in her mind like an undefeatable compulsion. "Don't talk about this until I tell you to."

Then he let her go. She found herself panting for breath as he wiped the dagger on the bottom of his shirt.

"Well this has been fun," She said.

"Go." He said.

She left.

She didn't talk about it, and found herself unable to. An unearthly compulsion to shut her mouth came over her when she tried. There was some twisted magic about that.

First chapter: next chapter:

Taglist: @tildeathiwillwrite @mimostic @fleur-a-whump @a-n-j-a-maria per Tumblr's content policy, this is the non-nsfw version, but you can find the canon Dance of Death on Amazon and ao3 (which I'm updating shabbily as fast as I can). Also if you want, it would mean so much to me if you leave a review or comment while you're there.

[wreywrites]

Happy WIP Wednesday!

Have another bit of the TBB AU!

Still don't know where the AU starts other than Tech not dying!

I'm flying by the seat of my pants!

Enjoy!

*******************

“I’m fine sharing with Hunter. Not like we don’t just have bunks in the hallway on the Marauder.” Echo swept the cards into a pile and passed it to Zara to shuffle. “Hope we don’t all have to go on a run on the old girl. Tight fitting us all in already, plus you. Unless,” he side-eyed Crosshair sitting at the workbench and cleaning his rife piece by piece and raised his voice a little, “Crosshair wants to share his bunk.”

Crosshair glared up wordlessly.

Echo chuckled. “We’ll sling another hammock. Or put you up with Omega, she’s got a little more leg room than the rest of us.”

Crosshair gave Zara a leisurely up-down, drawling around the toothpick, “Though, I’d say you wouldn’t take up much of that, would you?”

“Kriff you, personally.”

“I would literally rather be water boarded.”

Echo looked sharply at him and Zara felt a lurch of surprise in the Force.

“Haven’t—Have—?”

“And I have been water boarded.”

Echo nodded and went back to the cards.

Zara frowned. “I—I don’t know—how… Uhh…” She cleared her throat.

“It wasn’t fun. Which puts it on a level with—”

Echo cleared his throat just as Omega came in with a plate of pancakes courtesy of Wrecker.

“What’s not fun?” she asked, sliding in next to Zara.

“Fu—” Crosshair said at the same time as Zara started to say “Tor—”

“Reprogramming maintenance droids.” Echo glared pointedly at Zara, then at Crosshair.

“Yep,” Zara said. “No fun. None at all.”

“So horrible I’d rather be water boarded.”

“Really, Crosshair?”

Crosshair smirked back at Echo, then stood up. “Deal me in.”

“Kriff, now I would rather be water boarded. He always wins Fours.”

Echo scooted to the next chair, putting him and Omega across from each other. “Not if we play partners. Omega and I have been working on our hand signals.”

“Yes!”

Zara frowned as Crosshair sat down at Echo’s newly vacated chair across from her, twitching this morning’s toothpick to the other corner of his mouth and giving her a menacing smile.

****

“You are—!” Zara groaned through her teeth as Omega swept another pile of cards into her and Echo’s cache. “You’re losing on purpose! Just because—!”

“Because you implied that I cheat?” Crosshair purred. “What kind of petty asshole would I have to be to do that?”

Zara swung a reckless kick at him under the table, which he must have anticipated, as he was already scraping his chair back from the table, legs braced wide.

“You know,” Zara growled, conceding her loss and returning to the cards as Crosshair’s chair slid back to the table, “I agreed to stay on purpose, and I was prepared to like all of you—to get along, even—and you’re just being—Oh, damn it all to—!”

Omega gleefully swept another pile of cards to her side of the table as Wrecker’s head poked out of the kitchen. “You guys good out here?” He glanced around at them.

“Zara’s a really sore loser!” Omega giggled, dealing out the next round.

“I thought Jedi were all about inner peace and serenity and—”

“Oh shut up!” Zara snapped at Crosshair, glowering at her cards. Echo and Omega were both laughing now.

Something bumped her foot. She glared at Crosshair. He glared back. Four quick bumps, a pause, then what felt like a foot leaning against hers three times in a row, dot dash dot dot—

How long had it been since she’d used dadita? And how the hell did he know it?

But it did preface a remarkable change in their ‘luck.’ He wasn’t necessarily better at cards than she was, but he was certainly better at math.

“What?” Echo spluttered at the eighth round in a row of complete annihilation. “How could you know I had that?”

Zara shrugged back at him. “Always save your fours.”

A corner of Crosshair’s mouth twitched up in a smile.

[vixen525]

In Blaine Sight

A borrower style small person discovers there's things more dangerous than humans.

Warning for: Violence, Fear, Blood

Most of this will be posted to my side blog, but I will start duping some stories here on my main.

--------

Blaine had been fond of where he had lived before. The previous apartment building had quite a thriving community. Sure, he was the sole resident of the walls of apartment 5, but he could easily go to the floors beneath the hall to visit the other little people. They even had long established trading spots, neutral zones where everyone could exchange resources, as different apartments had different benefits. But then came the dog.

Moving to a new home was always a challenge, but the last place no longer worked for Blaine. The small man sighed as he hauled the heavy pack up. Why did they have to get a terrier? That little dog had sniffed him out immediately and took a snap at him! The world was so dangerous when you were in the same size range as a mouse. It had been lonely since he had taken up residence in a new apartment building. He knew it took time for other little people to get established in a new building. No mouse holes as shortcuts and modern building methods made it harder to establish new paths. But he was up to the job. He liked to keep busy. 

He started near an outlet. One he had chosen very carefully, the one behind the refrigerator. Easy access to the kitchen while being hidden behind the large appliance. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Good sign. Meant it was in use. He took a small peek into his new territory, though the huge fridge which kept him safely hidden also blocked his view. He took note of the fine layer of dust on the floor. In use, but not regularly cleaned. Perfect. He pulled out the bent nail he had attached to some wood to use as a pickaxe and got to work.

Weeks later Blaine had not only made a small opening to access the main apartment, but had set up several climbing areas and spots to peek out once he knew where picture frames, shelves and the like were positioned. He’d seen the people living here a few times. Rather different. If they weren’t terrifying huge humans he might call them good looking. Both had dark hair, although the pale one’s had a different texture to it than the other guy.  Had a familiar look, reminding him of some people seen on tv. The pale one seemed to prefer going out at night. Blaine had watched for when they ate so he could steal scraps off their plates in the sink, but that one hadn’t eaten at home even once. But the other had good taste in food. That one looked to be part Asian, if Blaine remembered the right words for that look. He didn’t always know all the human terms. Blaine managed to snag a grape that rolled under the fridge while they were snacking. Fresh fruit was wonderful to have. Another time Blaine got a piece of roast quail off a plate in the sink. It was amazing! He was already fond of that one. Had good taste in food and didn’t wash plates off immediately. 

Of course, he would never let them see the fact they had a third roommate in the walls. Humans were too dangerous. He’d heard the stories from other little people, rodentfolk, and such. Some said the big folk would even eat bitty folk like them. Of course that was almost certainly a lie, but he very much believed they would capture them, experiment on them, even keep them like a pet. Humans were curious and he had seen some of them fascinated by rodents, lightning bugs, and other small creatures. It didn’t always end well for the creatures. 

Still, even if he couldn’t trust humans it was almost… comforting to not be completely alone. Little people usually did these sort of expansions into new locations with a few folks, not just one. But Blaine had been forced to move immediately. At least so far Blaine enjoyed the work, and listening to the roommates on the outside of the wall made him feel not alone.

Maybe once he got more paths and openings established other little people would be willing to move in. Blaine liked the idea of being the reason there was a new, safe place for his kind to live. He was already starting on a new pathway leading to a higher area! He was actually making a sloped path to the counter so it would be easier to get food up and down from there… 

He was actually starting to examine an outlet to see if it could be altered to double as a hidden door when he heard the roommates in the kitchen talking. He was pretty sure it was the one called Ty talking, “Hey Finlay, the popsicle sticks disappeared from the craft supplies I was going to give to the neighbor down the hall for her kids. Have you seen them?” 

As Blaine peeked through the hole near the outlet, he heard the pale one shouting back, “Dammit Ty, I’m calling you by your new name. Stop calling me that. I told you before it’s just Finn now. And I haven’t seen the dang popsicle sticks. Why you wasting money on that anyway? I thought we were supposed to be laying low a while.” 

Ty rolled his eyes, “Sorry Finn, your change was much more recent. And laying low doesn’t mean I can’t be nice. I was hoping giving them some craft materials would keep them busy so you wouldn’t be as likely to get headaches from that sensitive hearing of yours.”

Finn seemed to pause at that, reconsidering, “Oh… hadn’t thought of that. But these walls seem better than the last place. The noise hasn’t been a problem lately. I think one of the neighbors may be doing woodworking or crafting though. If it wasn’t such a new place, I’d assume a mouse… But anyway, haven’t seen the sticks. Anything else missing?”

Blaine was frowning after hearing that. The guy’s hearing was really that good? At least he assumed it was a neighbor’s hobby and not a rodent. But he’d have to be more careful. Space out the work, try to time it for when that guy was out. He missed what Ty said about missing stuff… He already knew taking the popsicles sticks for the walkways may have been pushing things a bit. He’d have to get stuff from some neighboring apartments for a bit to let things die back down here.

A few days later Blaine was working on making a hidden doorway for himself on the counter while Finn was out for the night. He was certain Ty was sound asleep at the moment, so it was the perfect timing. He could work on weaving thread into sturdier ropes when Finn was home. Blaine slipped out onto the counter to check that when it was closed, it blended in with the counter. He backed up a few steps, admiring his handiwork. He really was doing a great job getting set up. The next little person to come to this building would be able to stay with him and thrive easily while more access points were developed in neighboring apartments. 

Blaine yelped in surprise when the front door swung open with Finn rushing in, blood covering his mouth. He had someone leaning on him, their neck a bloody mess. Finn called out to Ty, currently red eyes glancing over the open floor plan before focusing on Ty’s bedroom. Blaine broke from his panic, rushing to the side of the counter and hooking a string-rope on the side, sliding down to the floor quickly to get to the door behind the fridge as Finn called out to Ty.

The tiny man was breathing heavily as he leaned against the wall. No wonder Finn could hear noises in the wall. He wasn’t human. Blaine had seen such things on tvs, obvious works of fiction… but this was reality. Finn was a vampire. Blaine listened as Finn asked for help bandaging up the person he bit. Well, while it was nice to hear the vampire didn’t like to kill to feed, that didn’t mean such kindnesses would extend to him. Hopefully when he looked around to see if Ty was up he hadn’t noticed Blaine… If he had been seen, the risk was huge. The only way vampires could have remained a myth to not only humans but also little people was if they were incredibly careful about guarding their secret. Which meant if Finn figured out a little person living in the walls knew, he would likely be killed to guard that secret. 

Blaine took a couple deep breaths. There were no signs yet that Finn had seen him. He seemed too concerned with dealing with the injured person. So it wasn’t safe for Blaine to stay at this apartment… He would have to start scouting out the nearby ones. He couldn’t rush this or he might slip up. As much as he wanted to leave immediately, slow and steady was far better.

He made his way back up to one of the elevated platforms, peeking through a tiny hole. Looked like they got the person’s neck wrapped up and were discussing assuring nothing was told to anyone. This was a bit concerning… Was it some sort of psychic power? Magic? Or were they just going to drug the person? None of those sounded good for Blaine’s situation. Psychic would mean higher chances of being caught. Magic would mean more options for imprisonment or experimenting. And drugs… they couldn’t properly dose a little person meaning death would be the only option for maintaining the secret. It was scary to consider something like psychic powers or magic could be real, but he couldn’t discount anything anymore.

Blaine watched Ty come to the kitchen, getting a cup of water to offer the person. Ty paused, sniffing the air. Blaine frowned. Ty clearly knew Finn wasn’t human… and Ty ate all the time so wasn’t a vampire. What if he was something non-human as well? If vampires were a secret, no telling what else may be too… and may also have enhanced senses. Moving to a different apartment’s walls would take time… So Blaine would be here a while to at least have access to food until he made access to more places. He had used up the food he brought with him for this move, so options were limited. 

Blaine was relieved when Ty walked away. Maybe he was just being paranoid about Ty possibly also being something scarier than human. Maybe the trashcan had an odor. He needed to stay calm. Panic would only lead to mistakes. The small man took a deep breath. He had a lot of work to do to make access points to other homes. He had barely been able to manage getting in other apartments and rooms by squeezing under doors so far. But such high risk, exposed movements weren't ideal. He needed to restrict where he had access points set up. Where he had better odds of staying hidden. 

Blaine spent more time listening to the roommates over the next couple days. Trying to pick up any hints he had been spotted, or any indication that Ty may also be non-human. The situation was so stressful. Because he wasn’t going under doors to reach extra locations anymore, building supplies to make more access was hard. But the kitchen had the most important things. 

It was night again, when Ty was asleep and Finn was out… Perfect time to check the plates for scraps of food. The hidden wall door slid open with ease. He was so glad he took the time to assure it was well hidden. Blaine looked around. Lights were out as he expected. It was hard to see, but the safest time to do this. Carefully, quietly he ventured out. He reached the sink and secured a rope to the faucet to assure he could get out if he slipped. 

Then he heard a voice from next to the counter.

 “What a curious little thing you are. Since I saw you the other day when I came home I’ve been pondering what you might be. I already figured out you must be the source of the sounds I heard. But you’ve been more quiet lately… Wasn’t hard to guess you worked out schedules and were taking advantage of them. So what are you? A brownie? A hob? Perhaps an imp, a sprite, or a tomte. So many tiny folks of legend… the similarities in stories should have been a hint there was some truth to it.” 

Hearing Finn’s voice, Blaine was starting to panic. The vampire must have sat with his back to the cabinets where he couldn’t be seen. Waited until Blaine was too far into the open to get back to his hidden door. Still, Blaine had to try. Surely if the vampire caught him, it would kill him to keep his secret. So he very slowly took a step, figuring a quicker way out of reach would be to drop between the counter and fridge. He heard Finn’s voice again, “Oh? Stepping away from the sink before you go after food? Your steps sound quieter… You know I can hear either way.” 

Okay. Sneaking back to hiding wasn’t going to work. He would have to rely on his speed and hope the vampire wasn’t faster to get up and reach him. Blaine bolted, unraveling his makeshift rope as he ran and preparing to put the hook on the edge of the counter. He could see movement to his side but didn’t dare look at the vampire standing. Looking may slow him down. 

Then he slammed into something. Thin, clear plastic. The aim of it coming down over him hadn’t been perfect, one leg was now pinned under the edge of the container. He had seen these before… big people used them to store food for later. And now a hand had one clamped down over him. It shifted slightly to a different position, no longer pinning his leg. But he couldn’t stand… his leg was really sore now. Finn was staring at him through the plastic, “Sorry pipsqueak. Couldn’t have you running off without a chat… Didn’t mean to get your leg.”

Blaine watched the container lift away and a hand come near him. He tensed, expecting this to be the end… but a finger just gently touched his leg, as if checking it. Probably making sure he can’t run away. Finn was speaking again, “Okay. Doesn’t seem broken. Probably pretty bruised though. So little fella, can you speak? I suppose if you can’t object I could just pick you up for a closer loo…” Blaine interrupted, “Don’t!” 

He saw Finn smile. Blaine didn’t like that, the vampire showing off his fangs. But it didn’t seem malicious, yet, “So you can speak… I certainly hope you haven’t said anything to anyone about what you saw… That would be most unfortunate.” Blaine was shaking a bit, “I can’t have told anyone! I'm the only person in this building!! Just… let me go!” Blaine pleaded… but also felt sure it was completely hopeless. There was no way Finn was going to let him go, not when he knew his secret. Blaine closed his eyes tight as a massive hand came down towards him once more.

Blaine expected to have his life quickly ended… and was surprised to just have a finger lightly prod him, as if confirming bow real he is. Blaine opens his eyes, looking up at Finn. The man was just… staring at him. Apparently thinking. Blaine was so scared of what kind of conclusion the vampire would reach. All he could do was wait and listen as Finn talked, “I’m not exactly happy about you saying you are the only person here, as if I’m not a person. Not exactly kind wording. But I’ll ignore that for now… But at least it means my secret is still safe. But it still leaves the issue of the fact I don’t like people knowing my secret.”

Finn took a deep breath, “Ty is the only one who currently knows that isn’t also a vampire. I tend to avoid killing when I can… But I am also finding it difficult to think of a way to keep you from telling anyone. Other than the fact you also clearly keep your existence a secret.” Finn sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Damn complicated situations… I don’t really currently have the means to exactly keep you… So we have to come to an understanding.”

Finn leaned onto the counter close to Blaine, staring down at him and causing Blaine to shudder. “Your coexistence inside homes leans me towards the stories of my own land, back when I was there. When I was human. You haven’t stated a preference for species name so I’ll lean towards hob for the time being. Your kind, whatever you are… For there not to be anything beyond stories to indicate your existence… You must be existing in secrecy like my kind. Which is what makes me think we might reach an understanding.” Blaine was hesitant, but nodded, “An understanding is good…” Finn smiled, flashing those fangs again, “Excellent. Since you don’t seem to socialize with regular sized folks, I am hopeful this means you won’t go blabbing about what I am. I can keep my mouth shut about you if you can do the same for me. That seems fair enough, doesn’t it?”

Finn leaned over even closer to Blaine, clearly purposely trying to intimidate the little person, “Oh, and if you try to sneak away, move to a different apartment or building, I’m going to assume you are planning to expose me and track you down. I will be a lot less friendly. I can move silent enough you’ll never hear me coming. I can punch through bricks to get to any hiding spot. So until I say otherwise, I better hear you in the walls at least once a day, understand?” Blaine gulped and nodded. He had been planning to relocate to a different apartment as soon as he learned the truth… but it sounded like that was no longer an option. “I… I understand. I won’t run away.” 

Finn straightened himself back up. “Excellent. Just to keep it a fair demand, I’ll make sure there’s food and drink accessible regularly. I assume you can handle anything else you need.” Blaine nodded slowly. He was really not liking this ultimatum. He wanted to move to a different place, get far, far away from this scary fella… but he had no choice. If he fled he would be hunted down.

Blaine cocked his head as he saw Finn move, hearing the sound of a drawer opening. Blaine wasn’t sure what he was doing. But it probably wasn’t good for him. Blaine flinched as he saw a large pair of scissors set on the counter near him… That was extremely concerning… The box of matches that followed was less so, but still not good. He wanted to run… but the vampire would likely grab him if he did. He needed to wait until the monster allowed him to leave. The last thing set near him… napkin? That made very little sense… unless it was to be used as firestarter and the vampire intended to burn him alive. A horrific thought.

Blaine watched the scissors get picked up, then the napkin being cut into thin strips. Definitely firestarter. Blaine closed his eyes. This was going to be so painful… He felt something touch his leg and opened an eye. He was… holding the match next to his leg? How weird. He glanced up, watching the vampire lift the match to the scissors and clip it short. This… didn’t make any sense. Why was he cutting the match? Blaine used his good leg to start scooting away while the vampire was busy, but the vampire’s hand came behind his back and Blaine froze. “Please remain still for the moment,” Finn said simply. Blaine had no choice…

What happened next made even less sense. Finn wrapped the thin strip of napkin around Blaine’s leg… then lined up the wooden part of the matchsticks to his leg and continued wrapping. It was… a splint. The vampire was making a splint for his sprain.  Finn started talking as he worked. “While this certainly isn’t a perfect match for when I treated a bat injured by a stray cat, I think the prior experience is sufficient that it won't be too tight. Since it’s my fault you got this sprain, the least I should do is assure you can still move around with it.” 

Finn straightened himself and gestured, “Try it out. I can trim the wood shorter if needed, but I tried to line it up to walk on properly.” Blaine hesitated, but stood. The splint was surprisingly usable. He may have to shave it down a tad with his own blade, but it was definitely good enough to get him behind the wall. “Uh… yeah… it’s… it’s a good enough support to get around…” Blaine said, glancing at Finn. Finn smirked slightly, “Want me to help you to the ground? Or are you going to use the little door you hid in the wall on the counter?” Blaine frowned. He didn’t like that Finn saw the door location… but if he was already aware of it, no reason not to use it. So he limped over to the door, quickly vanishing behind the walls again.

As Blaine made his way across the platform he built to some of his supplies, only one thing kept running through his mind: How was he going to handle a situation where he had been spotted but couldn’t run away?