#it’s an experiment I’m learning exciting new ways to clean my teeth right
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skyward-floored · 13 days ago
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Hmmm what shall I attempt to use to brush my teeth tonight
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atlafan · 4 years ago
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Je T’aime - One Shot
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a/n: Bonsoir! I’m back on my French bullshit! Harry is the head chef at a five start restaurant, and he unfortunately has a new manager coming in: Ariel Bardin. They don’t start off on the right foot, and it just gets worse from there. How will they learn to work together? Read to find out! (not proofread) Support me here if you’re able! FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY PLEASE REBLOG, DON’T JUST LIKE, REBLOG REBLOG REBLOG! LEAVE ME LITTLE NOTES IN THE TAGS, GIVE ME FEEDBACK! I’M BEGGING YALL PLEASE THROW A BITCH A BONE I DO THIS ALL FOR YOU!
Warnings: light soft dom/sub themes within the smut, hate fucking (light degradation, but not really???) lots of swearing, plenty of angst, and a tiny bit of fluff, mild choking
Words: 12.9K
Pairing: Harry Styles x OC (Ariel Bardin)
Managing a five-star restaurant was no easy task. Ariel had to make sure all of the schedules for the waitstaff were up to date, double check that the cleaning crew left everything spotless, and make sure those that came in early had set up the tables as beautiful as can be. There were many headaches that came with all of it: drama with the waitstaff, customers trying to get in without reservations, large parties that couldn’t be turned away because it was for someone famous – it’s what made the previous lead manager of Je T’aime quit. The owner, who lived far away, was not happy about this news since the previous lead manager had been there for years. So, he sent in the only person he trusted to get the job done – his daughter, Ariel Bardin.
Ariel was only twenty-seven, but she was honored when her father asked her to take over. She had plenty of experience in the food service industry, and she watched her father run the place for years. It was always her dream to manage Je T’aime, and now she finally had the chance. Being a lead manager meant giving up a lot of personal time, having to step in when the kitchen got busy, running food, and a lot more. Ariel was more than up to the task.
The head chef of the restaurant wasn’t so thrilled with the change in personnel, though. He had a good relationship with the previous manager in that the manager let him run the kitchen how he liked. Chef Harry had never met Ariel, but he had a feeling things would be a lot different. He was very particular, and ran a tight ship. He didn’t want someone else coming in and thinking they could take command. He knew he needed to get ahead of things. He had emailed her to see if she wanted to meet for dinner to discuss things before her first day, but she declined. Ariel appreciated the initiative, but she explained that she wanted to meet the entire kitchen crew at the same time. Harry was already annoyed that his efforts were thwarted.
Ariel was excited for her first day. She made sure to get a new pair of no slip grip shoes that weren’t totally ugly. She put on a pair of black slacks and paired it with a baby blue blouse. Lastly, she put her hair up in a cute ponytail, and put on a little eye makeup before heading out. She had requested a tasting at the restaurant before it opened for dinner, and she wanted to leave the cooks plenty of time to get their prepping done. She also wanted to get their early enough to set up her new office.
Before entering the restaurant, she takes a deep breath. She smiles and waves to the people setting up the dining tables as she makes her way towards the kitchen. She remembers being a little girl and going to work with her father. She loved it when he’d sit her up on one of the counters because the cooks would always let her taste test their latest creations. They figured if a child liked the cuisine, then adults would too. Ariel goes right to her new office, and smiles. Arthur had kept up the family photo of Ariel’s parents. Her mother was pregnant with her when they opened Je T’aime. In fact, her father named it that because Ariel’s mother was French, and her father learned the language just for her. Ariel’s mother passed a few years back, and it was pretty devastating. She was a wonderful woman, and Ariel always hoped to have a romance like theirs.
She snaps herself out of her thoughts, and starts taking out the things she brought with her from the box she was carrying. This was going to be a great day, she could feel it. She takes out a notepad and pen, and heads back out to the kitchen towards the chef’s office. She taps on the door frame when she sees two men sitting inside chatting.
“Hello?” She says to them, and they both turn in their chairs to look at her. “I’m Ariel, the new lead manager. Which one of you is Chef Harry?”
“That would be me.” Harry stands up to shake her hand.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you. So, that makes you Chef Garrett, right?” She says to the other man.
“Correct, I’m the sous chef, it’s nice to meet you, Ariel.” He shakes her hand as well.
“Wonderful, is everything ready for the tasting? The menu’s changed a lot over the years, and I want to see if it needs anymore.”
“With all due respect,” Harry starts, “the menu’s more than perfect. It changes seasonally as is.” He crosses his arms.
“With all due respect, Chef, I don’t particularly care.” She smirks and crosses her own arms. “I’ve worked hard to get here, and my father finally trusts me to take care of this place. I’m not going to make him regret it. Now, if I like everything, then nothing will need to change. But I’ve got a couple of ideas I may like to try out, and you’ll have to deal with it when the time comes.” She smiles and leaves the office.
Harry and Garrett share a look, and follow her out. A few of the other cooks had already set up the plates for the tasting. Ariel greeted all of them warmly, and started tasting the food. She was impressed, for the most part, but she definitely had notes.
“These mashed potatoes could be whipped a bit more…possibly with more sour cream?” She says. “And this chicken…more seasoning could do it some good. The salmon is excellent, though, just delicious.”
“Chef Harry prepared that.” One of the cooks says, and Ariel looks back at Harry who had a smirk on his face.
Ariel narrows her eyes at him, and then turns her attention back to the food. She enjoyed the pasta dishes, but she makes a face when she gets to the steak frites.
“What…what are these?” Ariel asks as she points at the fries.
“French fries.” Garrett says.
“Mhm, yeah, they should be steak fries, freshly made. These look like they were frozen before.”
“Because they are.” Harry says. “They’re more cost effective. We season them after they’re fried, and they’re great for when kids come in.”
“Kids like steak fries just the same. I want fresh cut potatoes used. They’re more authentic. This isn’t a fast food restaurant. You already have to order potatoes for the mashed potatoes, right? I bet we’d get a discount if we order a larger quantity. We can talk it about it later.”
After tasting a few more things, and thanking the cooks, Ariel heads into the dining room to start greeting the waitstaff. Things felt a lot less hostile with them. Harry was fuming in his office with Garrett.
“It’s her first day and she already wants to change things! And the worst part is, she’s completely right about the bloody fries.” Harry huffs. “Steak fries would be ten times better!”
“Chill, Harry. She just needs to see how well you run things while it’s busy, and she’ll understand her place here. This is your kitchen.”  
“Right, good idea. Her real job is to manage the waitstaff.”
Ariel was on fire. It was a busy night because blackened salmon was the special. She was helping run food, and the waitstaff was extremely impressed. The previous manager rarely helped liked that. She was even running bread and water to tables, starting off orders, and helping seat. She even went behind the bar to help get drinks to tables, and help the bartenders catch up. It was a great first impression. She was exhausted by the time she got to sit in her office at the end of the night. She sat with the head hostess to go over the receipts before cutting her for the night. Her last task was to make sure the kitchen was closed down properly after locking up the safe.
“Ariel?” One of the cooks asks her as she steps out. “Would like anything for dinner before start to throw things away?”
“Throw things away?” She furrows her brows. “I have food at home, thank you, but don’t throw anything out. Surely we can start up a makeshift compost before getting a real one.”
“Oh, well, we don’t throw everything away, just-“
“Can you let me see all of the leftovers that usually get put in the trash?”
The cook nods, and she follows him. Harry was in his office checking over what the most popular orders of the night was, and getting some paperwork done. He notices Ariel speaking with Eddy, and he sighs. He gets up, and makes his way to where they are.
“Is there any particular reason your keeping Eddy from his sidework?” Harry asks her.
“I asked him to show me what usually gets thrown out. This could easily be donated or used for compost. I’ll be coming in early tomorrow to set up a new compost area, and I’ll be talking with the local food kitchens to see what they need. This is good food, and it shouldn’t be wasted.” She crosses her arms. “Is that going to be a problem?”
“Why,” he sucks his teeth, “Come to my office when you’re done telling my staff what to do, we need to talk.” Harry turns on his heel and goes into his office, nearly slamming the door.
Ariel helps the kitchen and dish crew clean a few things up, earning herself even more brownie points, before going into Harry’s office. He doesn’t look up at her until she clears her throat.
“You wanted to talk?” She says.
“Yeah, have a seat.”
“I’d prefer to stand, thanks.”
Harry turns in his seat, and looks up at her.
“Are you and I going to have a problem?” He asks, standing up, towering over her, but she stands her ground.
“I don’t know, are we? Are you seriously going to tell me that you never thought of composting?”
“It’s expensive. We find other ways to stay green, though. You would have known that if you had gone to dinner with me. I could have told you everything you needed to know. But no, you blew me off, and decided to find every possible way to embarrass me and undermine me in front of my staff.”
“Look, Chef, I’m sorry if you feel disrespected, that wasn’t my intention. I just think a lot of changes need to be made. I spoke with the dining staff just the same, it wasn’t just your staff. This place means a lot to me, and I just want to make sure it’s being run well. I…I didn’t think a dinner would be appropriate for us.”
“Why? It’s not like I was asking you out on a date.” He scoffs.
“No, but I just assumed you were going to try to schmooze me or something, and I didn’t want to deal with it. Am I wrong in thinking you were going to try to work me over?”
“It wasn’t to work you over, but the last manager and I sort of had an understanding.”
“Which was what?”
“I do my thing, he does his, and we don’t get into each other’s hair.”
“Well, that’s not how this is going to work.” She gestures between the two of them. “I don’t want things getting hostile between us, for the sake of the staff. I didn’t think we’d be best friends or anything…but I was hoping we’d at least get along.”
“I don’t think that’s gonna happen. Not a great first impression.” He crosses his arms.
“Same could be said to you.” She scoffs. “If you start doing things better, then I won’t have a reason to talk to you. So, do better, Chef.” She looks him up and down, and then leaves his office.
Harry wanted to pull his hair out. This woman was going to make his life a living hell, he could feel it.
//
“What kind of a name is Ariel, anyways?” Garrett scoffs a week or so later. He was in charge of the new composter, and he wasn’t thrilled about it.
“I know! We her parents big fans of The Little Mermaid?” Harry chuckles.
“It’s French.” Ariel says, entering Harry’s office. “And it’s a family name. My grandmother’s name was Ariel, and my mother named me after her.” She looks at both of them and smirks. “And, Ariel just so happens to be my favorite Disney princess, so it’s an honor on many accounts.”
“Did you need something?” Garrett asks her.
“Yes, actually. I wanted to talk about Passover, it’s coming up and we need to talk about a kosher menu.”
“Seems like something for just the two of you to discuss.” Garrett says, and leaves quickly. Ariel takes his seat.
“A kosher menu, huh? Don’t you need a separate kitchen for that?”
“Not necessarily. I was just sort of thinking we could offer some different specials throughout the week.”
“Like what?”
“I’ve got a killer brisket recipe, we could offer a matzah ball soup too. There’s lots of stuff we could whip up. Oh! Macaroons would be good, and maybe some matzah bark as well. I’ve got recipes for all of it if you’re game.”
“When’s Passover?” He sighs and looks at the calendar on the wall.
“At the end of March, plenty of time to order what we need.”
“You know we do a brunch on Easter, right?”
“Yes, I’m aware.” She nods. “If we do for one, we should do for others.”
“If you email me the recipes, I can work on them.”
“Alright, I can do that. I ask that you don’t tweak them. They’re family recipes and I promise they’re golden.”
“One of our cooks is Jewish, he can work on them. I’ll be focused on the brunch food.”
“Oh…well, great, okay.” She stands up. “Thanks for hearing me out. I think a lot of our customers will be excited, and it’ll being good attention.”
“Listen, uh…I’m sorry about Garrett and I before. We were just-“
“Don’t.” She shakes her head. “I know you both don’t like me. I’m a bossy bitch that’s come in and made things difficult, I get it. This isn’t my first male-led restaurant that I’ve managed.”
“Hey, I’ve got no problem with women in charge.” Harry stands up. “You just came in like a bull.”
“Aw, would you have preferred if I pouted my lips and batted my eyes at you, and asked pretty please?” She pouts her lips and bats her eyes at him, making his mouth fall open. She smirks at him and shakes her head. “It’s too easy.” She laughs and leaves his office.
If he couldn’t stand her before, he definitely couldn’t stand her now.
//
It really pissed Harry off at how much the Passover food was liked. The restaurant had never been busier, getting completely booked with reservations from patrons that had never been before, but heard about the diverse specials. Then there was the Easter brunch. Ariel walked in with her hair half pulled up, and the rest of it flowing. She was wearing this gorgeous pastel pink blouse along with some navy slacks. She was dolled up for the holiday. She pumped up the staff during the pre-meal chat, and then she started running around with coffee carafes to help out the busy staff.
It was an elegant brunch, and Harry was also dressed up because the head chef usually went around the dining room checking in with the patrons. He wore his nicest chef’s jacket, and made sure his hair wasn’t too out of sorts before he went into the dining room. Ariel had never seen him be so personable. He was genuinely laughing with people at their tables, she couldn’t believe it.
Ariel was tired, but her customers were happy, and she got to go home around four, which was a blessing in disguise. She couldn’t wait to get home and flop herself onto her bed. She just needed to put the cash in the safe, and check the receipts.
“Is there any lobster mac ‘n cheese left?” She asks as she walks over to the line.
“Got a pan of it right here.” Eddy smiles at her.
“Amazing, I’ve been looking forward to it all day.” She scoops some into a to-go container, and adds a couple of other things she wanted.
“Why is that you always like the food I make the best?” Harry smirks as he also fills up a container for himself.  
“I’m not too big to admit you’re a very talented chef, Harry.” She says and looks at him. “It’s your personality that could use some work, Happy Easter.” She smiles at him. “Great job today, everyone!” She exclaims before making her way back to her office.
“Man, did you see Ari’s tits in that shirt today?” One cook says to another.
“Her tits? I was too busy sneaking a peek at that ass of hers. Wouldn’t mind tapping it.”
“Oi.” Harry says to them. “None of that, alright? It’s rude.”
“C’mon, Chef.” One of the cooks says. “I know you don’t like her, but even you can admit she’s hot.”
“Do you all want to get out of here on time to see your families?!” Harry shouts. “Finish cleaning up.” He huffs, and goes back to his own office.
“He’s not wrong.” Garrett says to the cooks. “Don’t be disrespectful.”
“Yeah.” Eddy chimes in. “Don’t think your girlfriends would appreciate it very much if they knew you were talking about another woman like that.”
Harry was about to head out for the day. He was going to go home and cuddle up with cat, Luna, and veg out. He walks by Ariel’s office, and he stops short. He sees her sitting with her face in her hands. He looks around behind him, they were the last two people there.
“Hey, are you alright?” He says as he opens the door, and she jumps in her chair a bit, obviously startled.
“Yeah.” She wipes under eyes. “I’m fine, why?”
“You just…were you crying?”
“No, don’t be silly.” She wipes under eyes again. “I’m just a little sweaty, I ran around a ton today.”
“How was the mac ‘n cheese?”
“I haven’t eaten it yet, I’m bringing it home…”
“When are you headed out?”
“Soon.”
“I can wait for you, if you want…”
“I’m all set.”
“Ariel, if something’s wrong-“
“Nothing’s wrong! Go home, Harry! I’m just finishing some things up.”
“You know something, you are a bitch.” He puts his hands on his hips. “I was just trying to be nice, and you have to be so nasty about it!”
“Right, because I need a fuckwad like you checking on me.” She rolls her eyes. She takes her leftovers and puts them in the trash.
“What are you doing?!”
“I’ve lost my appetite.” She says, standing up, grabbing her purse, and brushing by him on her way out.
Harry was shocked Ariel hadn’t turned his hair white with how much she stressed him out. The interaction they had pissed him off to no end. He had defended her, told his staff not to talk about her a certain way. Then, when he sees her in distress, she’s as ungrateful as ever. He tried calming down in the shower, but that didn’t work. He tried watching TV with Luna, but he just wanted to know what she had been so upset about in the first place.
He takes out his phone, and searches her on Facebook. He figured she must have one, if not he would search Instagram. He rolls his eyes when he sees how gorgeous she looks in her profile picture. She had most of her privacy settings on, but his eyes widen when he sees her tagged in a post. It was written in French.
Il y a quinze ans aujourd'hui, nous avons perdu notre Nana Ariel. Comme elle nous manque tellement, et nos étés avec elle sur les plages françaises.
Harry only understood a few words, so he taps the translate button: Fifteen years ago today, we lost our Nana Ariel. How we miss her so, and our summers with her on the French beaches. He furrows his eyebrows at the photos. It must have been a cousin that tagged Ariel. Her nana looked like a lovely woman.
“Shit.” Harry sighs. Ariel was probably putting on a brave face all day. He knew her mother had passed, but he wasn’t sure about her grandmother. Her female figures were gone, and he called her a bitch to her face. He felt terrible. “Jesus fucking Christ.”
Harry gets off his couch and goes into his kitchen. An hour or so later, he’s driving to Ariel’s house to deliver a fresh lobster mac n’ cheese. He was lucky he knew her address. She lived in a quaint neighborhood. He pulls up out front, and goes up to her door, ringing the bell. After a few moments she opens the door. She was in a long robe, and slippers. Her hair was up in a bun on the top of her head.
“Harry?”
“Here, feel better.” He practically shoves the casserole dish into her arms. “And…I’m sorry I said that to you, okay?”
“What is this?”
“Lobster mac n’ cheese. You threw yours out because I was being an ass…but to be fair you snapped at me first.”
“What made you do this?”
“The Easter bunny came to me in a dream, alright? It doesn’t matter, just take it and eat it. M’sure you don’t feel like cooking after such a long day.”
“Well, you’re right.” She raises an eyebrow at him. “I’ll take it, thank you. I shouldn’t have been so short with you.”
“I shouldn’t have tried to pry. I’ll see you Tuesday.”
“Yeah….” She almost invited him to have some with her, but as nice as the gesture was, she didn’t really feel like spending anymore time with him today. So she lets him leave.
Harry was back on his couch in no time with Luna, feeling much better than he did before. He feels his phone buzz, and he looks down to check his notifications.
Ariel Bardin: I don’t know what makes me more furious, the fact that you’re an incredible cook, or the fact that such a simple dish could make me feel ten times better
Harry smirks down at the message. This didn’t change anything between the two of them, but Harry felt a little better knowing there was a bit of a common ground between them now. They didn’t have to like one another, but maybe there would be a bit more respect.
//
There was a respect between them, but the two still bickered and argued and made things difficult for one another. He’d call her a spoiled brat, and she’d call him a fat headed fuck, it was just their thing. No one in the kitchen seemed to mind, especially because if Harry was yelling at her, then he wasn’t yelling at them. Garrett had warmed up to Ariel considerably over the last few months. He was starting to see that she really did mean well, and over time the changes she made were for the better.
A lot of people understood why Ariel and Harry butted heads so much. They both had dominant personalities, and kitchens were hot. Usually one of them would go into the walk-in fridge, and come out much more cooled down. As the summer months started, it just got worse.
“I’m not sending out wilted lettuce!” Harry screamed at her.
“It’s not wilted!” Ariel screamed back.
“Did you go to culinary school?! You’re not the fucking expert, I am!”
“So, you’re just going to chuck perfectly good lettuce because you think it’s wilted! Put your fucking glasses on!”
“Enough!” Garrett yells. “We’ll double check the lettuce and make sure none of the dingier looking pieces get sent out. Take a break, the kids are getting scared.” He was referring to the kitchen staff, and to the few waitstaff that were in the kitchen.
They both growl and walk away from one another. They stayed away from each other for the rest of the night. Ariel was there late catching up on some paperwork. She jumped when she heard something fall on the ground. She thought everyone had gone home for the night. When she goes out to the kitchen to see Harry, she sighs with relief.
“Scared the shit out of me, what are you still doing here?” She storms over to him.
“Prepping the dinner roll dough so it’s ready to go for tomorrow. It’s been too hot to make it in the morning. The prep cooks can just come in and use the ovens while it’s still cool if the dough’s already set and proofed.” He says as he continues to knead the dough on the counter.
“Why not have someone else do it?”
“Why should I make someone else stay late?” He scoffs.
“Well…here, I’ll get an apron so I can help.”
“I’m all set.”
“Don’t be silly, it’ll help you get out of here faster.”
“What do you care about that?”
“God, you’re so stubborn.” She goes to wash her hands, and steps over to the dough, but he swats her hand away when she goes to reach for it.
“Go home, Ariel.”
“What the fuck is your problem?!”
“You! You’re my fucking problem! Cooking is supposed to be relaxing, this is my me time, and you’re ruining it!”
“Well, excuse me for offering to help!”
“I don’t need your help!” He slams a fist down on the counter, causing flour to splatter onto her chest and face. “Oops.” He smirks.
Ariel wipes her face off, gathers a bit of flour, and flicks it into Harry’s face. He takes a deep breath and looks at her.
“Oops.” She says in the same mocking tone he had.
“You know, for someone who hates wasting food, I’d think you’d be more careful.” He says, wiping his face off. “It was an accident when I did it.”
“Oh well.” She shrugs.
“You,” he starts walking towards her, backing her up to the opposite counter, “are one of the most infuriating people I have ever met.” They were practically chest to chest. She could feel his breath fanning over her face. “I wish you never started working here.”
“You know what they say, can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” She says, looking up at him with a searing gaze.
“It’s my kitchen, you get out.”
“Make me.”
Harry’s eyes widen, and his nostrils flare. He was about ready to boil over. He’s not sure what comes over him, but his flour covered hands reach up to cup her cheeks, and he leans down to kiss her roughly, pressing her further against the counter. She gasps as he does it, but she doesn’t fight him. She doesn’t push him away, she doesn’t do a thing to get him to stop. In fact, she reaches to tug at his shirt so he could be even closer to her. She could taste the mint from his gum, and his lips were insanely soft. He breaks the kiss first, but doesn’t move her hands from her face.
She opens her mouth to speak, possibly to question him on why he kissed her, but she doesn’t get the chance because he’s kissing her again, this time licking into her mouth. She pushes against him, backing him up to the opposite counter, and he grunts against her. Her arms move to wrap around his neck, and her fingers tug at his hair. Just as she was sucking on his tongue, he shoves her up against a nearby wall, and lifts her up. She wraps her legs around his waist, and he carries her over to a counter to sit her on.
Their lips hadn’t parted, and they both needed air, but neither could stop. Harry kisses sloppily towards her neck, and she bites on her bottom lip to suppress a whimper. She reaches down to untie the apron he had on, and she tugs it off. His hands work to undo her pants just as he bites down on the crook of her neck, making her gasp.
“Lift your hips ups.” He says into her ear before nibbling onto her lobe. She does as he says so he can tug her pants down. He places his hands on her thighs, and scratches his nails down them before looking at her. “You want this?” She nods yes at him. “Need you to actually say it. I’m not gonna do anything you don’t want.”
“I want it.” Her cheeks flush. “Happy now?”
“Very.” He growls, and bites down on her bottom lip before letting it snap back. He reaches between her legs, and he groans. “You’re soaked, did yelling at me rile you up?”
“No.” She blushes, and then tugs at his hair. “Stop talking before I change my mind.”
He tugs her panties to the side so he can get a real feel for how wet she is. He plunges two fingers inside of her, and her mouth falls open. Her head rolls back as he pumps them in and out of her.
“Christ, when was the last time someone fucked you?” He grunts. “You’re so tight.”
“Harry, please, shut the fuck up.” She grits her teeth and reaches for the button on his pants.
“Only cause you said please.” He smirks, and she flicks his forehead.
He sucks his teeth and reaches into his back pocket for his wallet, pulling out a condom. She rolls her eyes at the fact that he’s one of those guys that kept a condom in his wallet, but she wasn’t going to complain too much. She was glad he had one. He takes himself out of his pants, getting them down just enough, and rolls the condom on. He looks at her, just to make sure one more time that it was alright and she nods. He splays his hands on her back, pulling her closer as he pushes inside.
“Fucking, shit.” He grunts.
“Try to last longer than a minute there, sport.” She says, trying desperately not to wince at the stretch he was giving her.
“God, I fucking hate you so much.” He says as he starts to thrust in and out of her. She grips his shoulders to hold onto him.
“The feeling’s, ngh, mutual.” She bites down into his shoulder to suppress her moans, but he yanks her head back by her ponytail.
“If I’m gonna fuck you, you’re gonna let out every single little sound, do you understand?”
“You really like telling me what to do.” She grunts.
“And you’re shit at listening.”
“So are you!”
“Weren’t you just telling me to shut up?! Take your own fucking advice!”
She lets out an exasperated noise, and crashes her mouth back to his. He grips her hips as he pounds into her. Her legs wrap tighter around him to get him even closer. They’re both moaning into the other’s mouths. One of his hands leaves her hip, and he brings it over to rub at her clit. She whimpers, and starts panting. He nips at her lips, and works his way back to her neck.
“Fuck, ugh, that’s it.” She mewls. “I’m close, don’t stop.”
“Can feel you squeezing me, like the way I feel?” He licks up her neck back to her ear, and then slots his mouth over hers, not even giving her a chance to answer him before she’s crying out.
She lets her body rest against his as he picks up the pace. He was close himself, but he was trying to savor how good she felt. She was soaked between her legs because of him. He’d never let her live this down. A few more thrusts, and he’s spilling into the condom.
He rests his forehead against hers for a few moments as he catches his breath. He pulls out of her, and tugs her panties back into place before helping her off the counter. They both wordlessly work to get their clothes back on properly.
“So, uh, do you really not want help with the dough?” She asks, smoothing some hair away from her face.
“No, it shouldn’t take me too much longer…thank you.” He chews on his bottom lip. “Why don’t you wait, though, I’ll walk you to your car.”
“Sure…I was in the middle of some paperwork anyways. Just come get me when you’re done.”
Harry nods and goes to wash his hands before getting back to what he was doing. Ariel makes her way to the bathroom to properly clean herself up. They walk to the parking lot together later in silence. He makes sure her car starts before driving off and heading home to Luna.
//
Work was…awkward after that. Everyone was confused because the kitchen had never been more quiet. Ariel had mostly kept to herself and if she had something to say, she was less brash. Harry was the same towards her.
“Do you think we could add pudding pie to the summer dessert menu?” She asks him. “Like an Oreo thing?”
“Um, sure, yeah…should be easy enough to work into the rotation.” He says. “Good, uh, good suggestion.” He swallows.
“Thanks, Chef.” She nods and walks away from him.
“Dude, not that I’m complaining, but what’s up with you two?” Garrett whispers to him as they both work to chop vegetables.
“Nothing.” Harry shrugs a shoulder. “We’ve just…reached an understanding, is all. We, uh, hashed things out a week or so ago.” He clears his throat. “Just focus on the your beets for the borsht. I need to get started on that chilled melon soup.”
Harry heads into the walk-in fridge to grab the cantaloupe he had already cut up to make the soup with. He was essentially making a creamy smoothie, but this was one of their summer best sellers. He stops short when he sees Ariel trying to reach for something on the top shelf.
“Need a hand?” He asks, and it startles her.
“Y-yeah, could you get the, uh, shredded Brussels down for me?”
Harry nods and reaches above her to grab the pan. He hands it to her, and she thanks him before making her way towards the door.
“Ariel?”
“Yes?”
“How…how have you been since-“
“We can’t talk about it now.” She shakes her head. “Find me later if you want.”
And that’s what he does. At the end of the night, Harry goes into Ariel’s office and sits down at the spare chair she had.
“So…what’s up?” She asks him.
“I just wanted to see how you were since we, you know…” He looks away from her for a moment. “We haven’t talked about it.”
“I didn’t think you wanted to.” She shrugs. “It’s really not that big of a deal, it was a heat of the moment thing.”
“Yeah.” He swallows. “Nothing more to it than that. I can’t help but notice that things have been a tad more civil between us over the last week.”
“I just haven’t wanted to make waves, I guess. Sort of hard to yell at the guy that made me come as hard as I did.” She says shyly, and he smiles.
“Glad I could finally be of some use to you.” He smirks.
“Don’t get too cocky. I have things at home that make me feel even better.” She smirks and his face falls.
“It was good, though, right?”
“Yeah…nice way to get some frustration out.”
“I think…I think that’s how we make things work here.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, think of how peaceful everything’s been this week with us being nicer to each other. I think when we’re starting to get on each other’s nerves we should just fuck because clearly talking shit out doesn’t work too well.”
“Are you asking me to be your fuck buddy?”
“The word buddy implies that we’re friends, and we’re not. I still can’t stand you, Ariel.”
“Likewise.”
“But you’ve got a tight cunt that I wouldn’t mind fucking into again, so what do you say?”
“Harry, this is a five star restaurant. We can’t just fuck in the kitchen every time we get on each other’s nerves. That’s a major health code violation.”
“So we wait.” He shrugs. “We both have cars and houses. Lots of places to let out our frustrations.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“You do that.” He says, and stands up to leave.
“You didn’t tell anyone, did you?”
“Might have mentioned to my cat, but only because she was mad at me for getting home so late. I’m not one for bragging about intimate details.”
“Good.” She nods. “Thank you.”
Harry leaves her office and she sighs heavily. She wasn’t expecting the conversation to go that way at all. Ariel thought for sure Harry was going to say that it was a mistake and it never should have happened, but he didn’t. He wanted to fuck her s again, he said it himself. And he wasn’t wrong, the kitchen had been a much happier place to be over the last week. The only thing was, she didn’t know if she wanted to give into his request so easily. He was the one who admitted to wanting to do it again, not her. The ball was totally in her court! She also wasn’t too sure how smart it would be to start fucking her chef on the regular. It could do more harm than good.
//
“What do you mean you let a party of fifteen come in?!” Harry shouts at Ariel, who was now putting on an apron and gloves to help the cooks out.
“You heard me! We can either waste time arguing about it, or we can get to preparing their meals! It’s not you who’s gonna have to stay late, it’s me and my dining staff.”
“Why would you let a group of fifteen come in right before closing?!”
“Because they paid up front with cash for four bottles of $500 wine!”
“Holy shit.”
“Yeah, holy shit. They already gave us their order, so we just need to get everything out to them, and then everyone can clean up. Let’s move!”
Harry sighs heavily, but does as she says. He and Garrett get to work on the entrees while the cooks work with Ariel on the appetizers. She runs the food out so she can help out her dining staff that were trying to wrap up their sidework. Two hours after closing, the large party left, and luckily they left a huge tip. They apologized over and over again about coming in so late. Apparently they were in a production for something, and it closed so they wanted to celebrate. Ariel assured them it was fine. She sighs when she’s finally able to go back into her office. She still needed to go over all the receipts for the night.
“Need any help with that? I know your hostess usually gets this done with you…” Harry says as he walks into her office.
“No, thank you.” She says without looking at him. “You can go, I don’t need you to wait for me.”
“You’re such a hypocrite.” He shakes his head and sits down. “You tried to force yourself two weeks ago into helping me make some bread dough, and now here I am offering up some help and you won’t take it.”
“Guess the shoe’s on the other foot.” She still wouldn’t look at him, so he reaches forward to grab her chin, and turns her head in his direction.
“You’re, quite literally, the most annoying person I’ve ever met.”
“Yeah? Then why are you trying to fuck me right now?”
“Who said I was trying to do that?” He says, letting go of her and sitting back in the chair.
“Please, it’s so obvious.” She scoffs. “We’re the last two people here, you’re coming in here offering help. What’s wrong, hm? None of my waitresses wanted to suck you off?” She pouts at him, and his face hardens.
“I have never done anything like that with a member of the dining staff.”  
“No? They sure talk about you like you have.”
“You sound a little jealous.” He smirks.
“Don’t flatter yourself.” She deadpans.
“You know, when my cooks make crude remarks about you, I tell them it’s wrong and to stop. Do you even try to defend me when you hear them talking out there?”
“Sure I do, I tell them that this neither the time nor the place for any of that, and that they should have more respect for you. One of the bartenders, Jess, she seems to have a thing for you. Her eyes are glued to you every time you come out into the dining room. Why not go be her fuck buddy?”
“Because I don’t want to fuck her.”
“And you want to fuck me?” He nods yes at her. “Why?”
“Because despite how much I can’t stand you, it was a good fuck and I’d like to do it again. This isn’t news, we’ve talked about this already.”
“I smell like food.” She mutters as she gets back to checking the receipts.
“So do I.”
“So, go home and shower and meet me at my place in a little while. I’ll text you when I’m ready.” She looks at him. “Go feed your cat or whatever, I’m sure she’s missing you.”
Harry tries his best to bite back the smug look that was growing on his face. Wordlessly, he stands up and leaves her office. Ariel shakes her head and continues with their work.
“Far too easy.” She says to herself with a smirk.
//
Harry didn’t end up at Ariel’s place until nearly midnight. It took her a while to finish things up at work, and then she wanted to shower so she didn’t smell like food anymore. Her rings her doorbell, and she opens it wearing the same robe she had been wearing the first time he showed up at her place, only this time she wasn’t wearing her cute little slippers, and her eyes weren’t puffy from crying. She doesn’t say anything to him, she just steps aside to let him in.
He doesn’t look around, he doesn’t compliment her place, all he does is kick his sneakers off, cup her jaw, and shove her up against the wall. His mouth crashes to hers, and she sinks into it. She almost wanted to sigh with relief. It was amazing how simply kissing someone could make you forget all your troubles. She tugs him closer to her, and his hands brush down her body to lift her up.
“Where do you want it?” He breathes as she wraps her limbs around him.
“Bedroom, upstairs.” She says before kissing on his neck.
He grunts as he finds his way to the staircase, and carries her up. Of course, he makes a few pit stops to kiss her, smoosh her up against the wall and lick into her mouth. When he finally does make it to her room, he practically tosses her on the bed. He starts to rid himself of his clothes while she sits and watches.
“Aren’t you going to take yours off?” He asks after getting his shirt off.
“M’only wearing this.” She shrugs. “Thought you might like to take it off yourself.”
“Stand up.” He tells her and she does so, walking over to him.
His hands reach for the tie on her robe, and he undoes it. He pushes it off her shoulders, and licks his lips when he sees her naked body, the robe pooling at her feet. He wraps his arms around her waist, and pulls her close so he can kiss on her chest. He licks between the valley of her breasts before pulling one of her nipples into his mouth with his teeth. He sucks on it harshly, eliciting a soft moan from her. He walks them back towards the bed, and he pushes her onto it. He climbs on top of her, and goes back to kissing on her chest. He works his way down her stomach, nipping where he pleases, before he’s able to lay comfortably between her legs.
“You…you don’t have to.” She says to him, and he looks up at with a confused look.
“I know I don’t, I want to. Didn’t get to do it last time.” He rubs circles into her thighs with his thumbs. “Do you not want me to?”
“No, I just…I don’t know, it’s sort of intimate for what this is.” She chews on her already swollen bottom lip. “You really want to?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t wanna suck your dick.”
“I didn’t ask you to.”
“Okay.” She takes a deep breath and opens her legs for him.
He uses his thumbs to open her folds up a little more so he could better see what he was working with. Ariel always hated this part when a guy would go down on her. She always felt like she was at the doctor’s office getting a checkup. She stopped feeling like that the second his tongue licked around her clit. She sits up on her elbows to watch him. He continues to lick around her clit, watching it get a little more swollen each time and then he sucks on it.
“Ah!” She gasps, reaching for his hair to tug on.
His fingers soon replace his tongue on her clit so he lick around where she’s wet for him. He moans into her after he finally gets a real taste. She smelled sort of like cocoa butter, he assumed she moisturized after her shower. For a woman that couldn’t stand him, she sure was considerate. He licks into her, and she squeaks out a noise that she had never heard come out of her own mouth. Ariel tries to wrack her brain, but she can’t seem to recall a time where a guy had ever actually licked into her before, teasing her in such a way with their tongue. Harry was licking and sucking on her while his fingers were working magic on her clit. She had tears in her eyes from how good it felt. Her thighs were squeezing against his head, and her heels were digging into his back, but he didn’t care. He was too caught up with fucking her with his tongue.
“Shit, I…fuck, Harry, I’m gonna come!” She warns him, and all he does his moan into her, encouraging her to do so.
She tugs on his hair a little harder as she cries out, back arching and head rolling back. He sits up and licks his lips. She was speechless, she had no words. He reaches into his back pocket to pull out a condom before standing up to get his pants off. His cock slaps back against his stomach once it’s free, and her eyes widen. His tip was already leaking.
“You got that turned on just from eating me out?” She wasn’t being condescending, in fact, her tone was full of shock.
“Yeah.” He says as he rolls the condom on. He knees back onto the bed, and shuffles to sit up against the headboard. “Since you’re not gonna suck me off, the least you could do is ride me for a bit.”
Her mouth falls open at that. She wasn’t quite sure how he expected her to have the energy to ride his dick after what he just did to her. She furrows her brows, and moves herself onto his lap. When they make eye contact, she realizes that she doesn’t want to look at him, so she turns herself around to ride him reverse. She guides him in, and sighs into her ear once he hits bottom. She takes a moment just to get reacquainted with him before she starts to swivel her hips in little circles. He gets an arm around her, securing it between her breasts, and gripping her shoulder to help keep her close and steady. He nibbles on her earlobe, and she whimpers. He carefully thrusts up into her as she grinds on him. She couldn’t believe the restraint he had. Most guys would thrust up too far when she was on top and it would hurt. But this…this felt heavenly. She almost hated him more because he was so good.
His mouth moves to the crook of her neck, sucking a bruise into her skin. Her head rolls back, and his other hand snakes around to rub at her clit. She picks up the pace, bouncing a little more on him. The way he was grunting and moaning was giving her goosebumps, which was an odd sensation to feel while her skin also felt extremely hot. His tip starts to hit her g-spot in just the right away, and she loses all control of the noises she’s letting out.
“That’s it.” He groans. “Come all over my cock.”
“Oh my god.” She mewls.
Her fingernails sink into the meat of his thighs as she cries out. She arches into him, and looks up at him, almost distressed, so he licks into her mouth. One of her arms hooks around his head to tug at his hair as she rides out her orgasm. She squeezes around him so tightly that after one more thrust he’s spilling into the condom. She lets her body go slack against him as they both catch their breaths. He sponges open mouth kisses to her neck and jaw before lifting her off of him. She whimpers from the abrupt change.
“Sorry.” He says. “Know that stings a little.”
“Yeah, just a little.” She swallows.
She watches him get off the bed and throw the condom away. He walks right into her bathroom, he didn’t even ask first, and she wasn’t sure why that annoyed her so much, but it did. When he comes out, he grabs his clothes to put back on. She goes to the bathroom next and puts her robe back on when she comes out. She walks him down the stairs and to the door.
“Well, uh, have a good night.” He says, running his hand through his hair.
“You too.” She opens the door for him, and he quickly steps out. She closes it and sighs, resting her forehead against it. She hated him, she really did.
//
A pattern had started between them. After hooking up, things were usually cool for about a week, until they’d eventually fight over something. The cooks almost wanted to set up a bingo card of things they fought over.
“Why can’t we offer lentil pasta instead of just gluten free?!” She yells one day.
“Because lentil pasta is more expensive than standard gluten free pasta!”
“You’re such a cheap prick!”
“I’m sorry, I’m trying to save this restaurant some money!”
“We can splurge on some different options! It’s what the people want!”
“Oh, did your bloody survey results tell you that!”
“Yes, as a matter of fact!” His eyes were full of rage. They were both in his office going over the order sheet.  “Why can’t we just order it, try it out, and see how many people order it? If it’s a flop then we don’t have to order it again!”
“Fine!” He throws the clipboard with the order sheet onto his desk. “You’re coming to my place tonight.” He says lowly.
“M’allergic to cats.”
“Take a decongestant then.” He brushes by her to open his door, and he slams it behind him, leaving her standing in there.
Despite her gut telling her not to go, she follows him to his house after work. They say nothing to each other as they walk in. Luna comes over to greet Harry, and he picks her up. Ariel grimaces at the cat.
“You seriously don’t think she’s cute?” Harry asks.
“I’m not a cat person, they’re no fun.”
“You just haven’t met the right cat, then.” He snuggles Luna to his cheek for a moment before setting her down. “My room’s this way.” He nods towards the hall on the right, and she follows him. He walks straight into his bathroom and turns the shower on.
“What are you doing?”
“We’re doing this in the shower, I smell like steak.” He says, already taking his clothes off. She crosses her arms and huffs. “What?”
“I don’t want to shower right now. Just rinse off quick.”
“Ariel, I wasn’t asking. Get your ass in the bathroom, now.”
“Who the fuck do you think you are? What do you think this is? You can’t just – mmph!”
He had yanked her into him, kissing her to shut her up. She doesn’t fight him on it at all, and he walks them both into the now steamy bathroom, kicking the door closed. They both work quickly to get the other naked before stepping into the warm water.
“You better have a fucking spare towel.” She mumbles against his lips.
“Obviously.” He bites her bottom lip and then steps back from her. He reaches to grab his body wash.
“You’re seriously taking a shower?”
“Yeah.” He says as he lathers his body up. “I was balls deep in au jus today.” He steps in the water to rinse himself off. “Much rather be balls deep in something else, though.” He tugs her to him, licking into her mouth, and reaching between her legs to rub at her folds. His middle finger slips inside her, and she gasps. “Always so ready for me.” He grunts, and backs her up against one of the tile walls. “Can I hit it raw?”
“Are you, um, are you clean?” She asks.
“Yeah, are you?”
“Yeah.”
He grins, and hooks one of his arms under one of her legs to lift it up enough for him to have the room to thrust up into her. She grips his shoulders as he rocks in and out of her. He slots his mouth over hers and they both moan. Her nails rake down his torso and she grabs onto his love handles for dear life as he pounds in and out of her.
“You really fucking pissed me off today.” She says to him. “It’s just pasta.”
“You like spending money left and right.” He grunts.
“If people like it, then it’ll bring in more business. It could pay for itself.”
“The more people that want it, the more we’ll have to, shit, buy.”
“I’m aware of how supply and demand works, you asshole.”
Harry growls at her and presses his other hand to her throat.
“Do us both a favor, and just shut the fuck up, yeah?”
She nods at him and he lets go of her throat, but she pulls his hand back to keep it there. He groans because, quite frankly, it was one of the hottest things he had ever seen someone do. He wasn’t going to last very long, and he had no way of rubbing her clit.
“Touch yourself, rub your clit.” He says into her ear, his breath hot on her.
She snakes a hand between the two of them, and she whimpers when she touches her throbbing clit. She presses on it and rubs circles into the little bud.
“Ah, oh fuck.” She starts panting. “Just like that, Harry, shit.” She wanted to cry she was so close. She bites down on his shoulder as she comes to her release. She didn’t want her noises to scare his cat.
He pulls out of her quickly and comes on her stomach. He steps away from her and grabs his shampoo. She stands there awkwardly while he scrubs his head.
“You can use my body wash if you want.” He says, nodding to it. Ariel doesn’t say anything. She starts to tear up. “Hey, whoa, are you alright?”
“I…um…” She blinks a few times, but can’t really form a sentence.
He’s not sure what’s going on, but it he takes it upon himself to guide her back into the water to rinse her off. He gets his body wash on a spare cloth to wash her with, and then he turns the water off. He grabs a towel to wrap around her, and then gets one around himself. He picks her up and sits her on the sink counter to get a better looks at her.
“Talk to me, what happened?”
“I’ve never, um, let someone, uh…choke me before.” She looks up at him, and he sighs.
“Did I hurt you?” He asks softly.
“No.” She shakes her head. “Just felt a little…floaty for a second, like, lightheaded.” She swallows. “M’fine, I think it was just the steam. I have asthma and it can act up after a particularly hot shower.”
“If I had known I wouldn’t have-“
“I put your hand back on me, it’s okay.” She takes a deep breath and hops off your counter.
“Do you…wanna just crash here?”
“No.” She laughs. “Not at all.”
“You can’t drive if you’re all lightheaded.”
“I’m fine now.” She says as she puts her clothes back on. “I need to get going, I have a busy day tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow’s your day off.”
“Yeah, and I have things to do.” She leaves his bathroom, and he follows her out to his front door.
“Just…could you at least text me when you get home?”
“Sure.” She nods. “Bye.”
“Bye.”
She’s out the door in a flash. Harry didn’t quite understand why things were always so awkward with them afterwards. It was like neither of them ever knew what to say because they just didn’t really know how to be soft with one another. Harry scoops up Luna and brings her to bed with him. About twenty minutes later his phone buzzes.
Ariel Bardin: I’m home
Harry Styles: thanks for letting me know, you made me nervous for a second there
Ariel Bardin: I’m fine, you can go back to not giving a fuck now
Harry Styles: will do, goodnight!
Every time he was nice to her, she had to reject it. He hated her, he really did.
//
“You’re really liking it, you’re not just saying that?” Ariel’s father, Frank, says to her.
“Yes, Papa, I swear.” She smiles. “It’s better than I thought.”
“Good.” He sips on some lemonade. “You look awfully tired.”
“It was a long night.” She shrugs.
“How are things going with the head chef, Harry is it?”
“Yeah, um, I mean, we butt heads from time to time, but it’s fine.”
“It wouldn’t be a normal kitchen if the manager and chef didn’t butt heads.” He chuckles. “I used to fight with the chef all the time.”
“Papa…Uncle Matthew was the head chef when you were there.”
“Don’t I know it. We fought constantly, stubborn old bastard.” He shakes his head. “We still argue about recipes to this day.” He laughs. “Tell me, are you still planning to do the staff appreciation shindig at the end of the summer?”
“Course I am. Hotel’s booked and everything. It’s going to be a fabulous evening.” Ariel smiles. “The dining staff are really excited.”
“Good, good.” He nods. “Do you think you’ll bring a date?”
“Papa.” She groans. “I’d have to be seeing someone in order to bring a date.”
“You work too much, you don’t make time for yourself. Your mother and I were married with a kid by the time we were your age, you know?”
“Yeah, I’m the kid.” Ariel laughs. “I just have other priorities right now.”
“There’s really no one you’re talking to? No one that you like?”
“No.” She takes a sip of her own lemonade. “Don’t worry about me so much, I’m perfectly content, alright?”
“Okay, okay.” He raises his hands in defense. “I won’t ever stop worrying about you, though, that’s the curse of being a parent. At least let me pay for a new dress for the party, hm?”
“You know your money’s no good. I’ll send you pictures, though.”
“Please do, you always look so pretty when you get all dressed up. Spitting image of Mama.” He smiles.
“Thanks, Papa.” She gives his hand a squeeze. “Maybe, um, when I feel like I can take a vacation we can go to France? We haven’t been in so long, and I think it would be good to see our cousins.”
“If you plan the whole thing, sure.” He shrugs. “I think it would be a blast.”
//
Ariel was feeling a little nervous for the staff party. Not only was the restaurant closed for the weekend, but her staff had never seen her in a dress before. She was second guessing everything. Her hair was down and wavy, and she had on this gorgeous navy blue, lace mini dress paired with white heels. When she walked down the hall to the elevators she heard someone suck their teeth. She turns to see it’s Harry.
“Oh, hi.” She blushes.
“Hi.” He looks her up and down. “You look nice.”
“Thank you, so do you.” She swallows and steps inside the elevator once the doors open. Harry steps inside as well, and presses the button for the floor they need to get to with the small ballroom. “Should be a fun night, huh?”
“I’m hoping so.”
“It’s usually a good time.”
“I remember coming with my parents when I was little, it was great. They let me drink all the Shirley Temples I could stomach.”
Harry chuckles slightly at that. In that moment she wasn’t sure if she had ever genuinely made him laugh before. They had hooked up a few more times since the night in his shower. It was always the same, hot and heavy, and then awkward when they were done.
“Wait until you see Garrett on the dancefloor after a few drinks, he can breakdance.”
“No shit, really? I’ll have to keep an eye out.” The elevator dings and they both get off and head towards the ballroom. They both could hear the music the DJ was playing. “Well, have a good time tonight.” Ariel makes her way over to some of the dining staff members that were closer to her age. She had become friendly with a few of them.
Harry migrates over to where his staff was, and buys them all a round of drinks. Ariel stayed nursing on the same vodka-tonic for a bit. She didn’t want to get trashed. She was talking with a couple of the hostesses, having a good time.
“Alright, ladies, I’ve had a couple of drinks, I’m gonna go talk to Harry.” Erica says to them. “My mistake last year was waiting until the end of the night to talk to him. I’m starting earlier this year.”
“And what’s the end goal here, exactly?” Ariel smirks.
“To see what his hotel room looks like, of course.” Erica winks and walks over to where Harry was. “Evening, Chef.” She smiles.
“Hi, uh…”
“Erica.”
“Erica! Right, I knew that. You still working behind the bar?”
“I hostess too.” She smiles.
“Good for you.”
“Are you having a good time?”
“I am.” He nods, and sips from his drink. His eyes flash to Ariel and then back to Erica. “Are you?”
“Yeah. Must be nice that you have the whole weekend off for a change.”
“It’s definitely a nice break.” He smiles, and looks at Ariel again. “Could you excuse me for a moment? I just remembered something I needed to tell Ariel, and I don’t wanna forget again.”
“Oh, um, sure.”
Harry walks away from Erica, and she pouts.
“Don’t take it personally.” Garrett says to her. “Personally, I think he has a thing for Ari, but I have very little proof.”
“Are you kidding? They can’t stand each other.”
“Maybe so.” Garrett shrugs.
Harry makes his way over to Ariel, and clears his throat to get her attention.
“Yes?” She asks, eyebrows raised.
“Come dance with me.”
“Very funny.” She scoffs.
“M’serious. I think it would be good if everyone saw us palling around. Show them the squabbles we have are purely work related.”
“Harry, I have a feeling I’d hate your guts no matter the setting.”
“Just humor me, will you?” He says, visibly annoyed.
“Fine.” She rolls her eyes, and finishes her drinks before following him to the dance floor. A slower song was playing, so she figured it wouldn’t kill her to dance with him.
Once they’re on the dancefloor, his hands go on her waist, and she puts her hands on his shoulders. They sway back and forth for a bit, and it just feels awkward…
“This is weird.” She giggles, and he can’t help but laugh too.
“Why is that the only things we’re good at doing with each other is fighting and fucking?” He smirks.
“Been wondering the same thing myself.” She smirks back at him. “Things would be so much easier if you didn’t question every little thing I wanted to do.”
“Someone’s gotta play Devil’s advocate.”
“You’re not the advocate, you’re the Devil himself.” She rolls her eyes, and it makes him laugh.
“I happen to be a very nice person, you just tend to bring out the worst in me.”
“I suppose a guy who named his cat Luna has to have a soft side.”
“Oi, leave her out of this.” He pouts at her. “You’ve warmed up to her.”
“She’s alright.” Ariel shrugs.
“Those are, uh, really beautiful earrings you’re wearing.” He blushes slightly.
“Oh! Thanks, they were my mother’s. She left me all her good stuff.”
“You must miss her a lot.”
“Yeah.” Ariel sighs. “But it’s nice having these little pieces of her.”
“You know, I’ve never asked, can you speak French fluently, like, are you bilingual?”
“Je ne sais pas, dites-moi.” I don't know, you tell me. She grins at him.
“Okay, I know you said I don’t know…something…me…” He narrows his eyes in thought.
“Dites is tell, it’s the past tense of ditre, which is say.”
“Ah, right, it’s been a while since I conjugated a French verb.” He chuckles. “Remind me, how do you say fuck in French?”
“Merde.”
“I thought that was shit.”
“It works for both.” Ariel shrugs. “There are a lot of variations and translations, like, if I wanted to say I want to fuck you, I’d say Je veux te baiser, but baiser translates to kiss.”
“French is so confusing.” Harry shakes his head. “But it sounds nice while you’re speaking it.” The song ends and she tries to step back from him, but he keeps his grip on her waist. He leans in to whisper in her ear, “Tu veux coucher avec moi ce soir?” Do you want to sleep with me tonight?
“You could have at least used the formal voulez-vous.” She sighs.
“Just answer the question.” He rolls his eyes.
“Oui.” She nods. “But I wanna do it in my room so I can hang my dress up. I don’t want it getting wrinkled.”
“Do you wanna head up now? Think I’m done hanging out with everyone else.”
“Yeah, let’s go. Uh…go ahead of me, I’ll meet you at the elevator.”
Harry nods and makes his way off the dancefloor. Ariel counts to ten Mississippi before making her way out. Harry was leaning up against the wall waiting for her. The elevator dings and they both head inside. Before she knows it, she’s being shoved against the wall, and Harry’s tongue is down her throat. She wraps her arms around his neck, and she groans when he presses himself against her hip. When the elevator dings on their floor, he steps back from her, and they both quickly walk to her room. The second she’s inside, she kicks her heels off, and jumps up for Harry. He carries her over to the bed, and they both fall onto it. They’re both being sloppy with their kisses, but neither cares. The need to be close is overpowering. She starts unbuttoning his shirt while his lips stay on hers. She imagines they’ll still be red and puffy by morning.
He flips them both over so he’s on his back, and she grinds herself against his growing erection. He grips her hips and helps her rock back and forth. She kisses on his neck, and sucks on the area just below his ear. His hands squeeze and knead her ass as a bruise starts to form where her lips are.
“Fuck, need you naked.” He grunts, sitting up to tug on the hem of her dress.
“Hold on, you’re gonna rip it! There’s a fucking zipper on the back.” She huffs.
In the next second, he’s shoving her down onto her stomach so he can undo the zipper of her dress. He pulls her up by the hips so she can free her arms, and then she’s being moved into her back so he can get it the rest of the way off.
“Take your underwear off.” He says as he undoes his pants.
“No.” She smirks at him.
“What do you mean ‘no’?”
“You do it.”
“Ariel.” He says firmly. “Have you not learned how this works by now?” He moves to hover over her, kissing her slowly. “I talk, and you listen.” She shakes her head no, and his eyebrows raise.
“What makes you think you’re always in charge, hm? I let you do all of these things, you know?” Her smiles grows wider. She pecks his lips before speaking again. “Now, tell me you hate me and take my bra off.”
He sits back, and yanks her into his lap. He works to undo her bra, and tosses it across the room. He kisses on her chest, and sucks on the plushier areas before taking a nipple into his mouth. He pops off with a smirk.
“I don’t just hate you, Ariel, I absolutely loathe you.” He pushes her down onto her back and yanks her underwear off. He finishes taking his own clothes off, and he reaches for a condom, but she grabs his wrist. She shakes her head no. “You sure?” She nods her head yes, and he moves back over her.
He kisses on her neck while one of his hands roams down her body and between her legs. He slides two fingers inside her, and she moans softly. He pumps them in and out slowly before curling them up inside her, and rubbing his thumb on her clit. She grips at the comforter on the bed.
“Like that?” He says into her ear.
“Yes, fuck.” She bucks her hips up to grind against his fingers easier. He pulls them out and she whines.
“Would you relax, I was just gonna flip you over.”
“Oh.” She blushes and rolls onto her stomach. Harry yanks to her to her knees, and slides his fingers back in. Ariel sighs with relief.
“There we go.” He rubs his other hand up her back, and scratches back down before giving her ass a smack. He squeezes the supple flesh and leaves his hand there as he continues to work his fingers in and out of her.
“Oh, oh! Right there!” She gasps and starts rubbing her clit.
“M’I hitting it?” He grunts.
“Y-yeah, you’re right on it, don’t stop, please!”
She can hear him grunting and groaning behind her. He got so much pleasure making sure she got off, it astounded her. She cries out as she comes around his fingers, and he pulls them out slowly. He rubs her back as she catches her breath, and he sucks her slick off his fingers.
“Good?” He asks.
“Yeah, thanks.” She turns onto her side. “Wanna hit it from the side?” She wiggles her eyebrows at him, and he chuckles.
“Sure, if that’s how you want it.”
“It is…for now.”
He gets into position, and gets one of her legs over his shoulder. He pushes inside and watch as her mouth falls open. That was always his favorite part. She’d had him so many times at this point, and she still seemed so shocked at how he stretched her out. He rocks in and out of her slowly before really getting a groove going.
“H-Harry?”
“Yeah?”
“Could you like, go behind me, like, we’re both on our sides? Do you know what I mean?”
He nods and pulls out of her so he can lay down behind her on his side. He lifts one of her legs a little so he can slide back inside of her. She hooks one of her arms around his head so she can get her fingers in his hair, and he kisses on her shoulder while his hand presses on her lower tummy. They were grinding against each other in the most perfect way. His fingers start to work her clit and she whines.
“Sensitive?” He asks her.
“Mhm.”
“Fight through it, know you can come again.”
“Need something to bite on.” She pants.
He gets his other arm around her neck so he can get his fingers in his mouth. She moans around them, and her eyes roll back.
“M’not gonna last, Ariel.” He rubs her clit harder, and she just moans louder around his fingers. “I’m gonna have to pull out soon.”
“No! Come inside me!” She shouts around his fingers.
“Fuck!” He cries out as he comes inside her. It pushes her over the edge, and she comes with him, milking him for everything he’s got. She kisses the palm of his hand before he pulls out of her.
“Could you, uh, bring me to the bathroom?” She asks, looking over her shoulder. “I don’t wanna sleep on sticky sheets.”
“Yeah.” He breathes, and scoops her up, bringing her into the bathroom. He sits her down on the toilet, and leaves to give her some privacy. When she comes out, he’s laying in his boxers on the bed.
“What are you doing?” She asks, going to her suitcase to look for her nightshirt.
“Figured we could fuck again in a bit, it’s not like we have to worry about getting up early, right?” He says, not looking up from his phone. “Or did I tucker you out.”
“No, um, we could…we could do it again in a little while.” She knees onto the bed and lays down. “I just need some time to cool down.”
“Yeah, no worries.”
“Harry?” She asks, turning on her side to face him.
“Hm?”
“Do you really loathe me?”
He looks up from his phone at that and turns on his side to face her.
“No…just sort of said it to keep us in the mood.”
“Do you think, like, we keep fighting as an excuse to fuck?”
“No, I mean, I genuinely can’t fucking stand you sometimes and doing this helps.”
“But what happens when one of us meets someone and we can’t just fuck it out?”
“Oh, please.” He scoffs. “Do you have time to meet someone else?”
“No, I’m just saying-“
“Besides that, who’s gonna fuck you better than me? Gimme a break, Ariel.” He laughs and rolls onto his back again, going back to his phone.
“Harry…eventually I’m going to want more than just fucking someone on the down low. I want certain things.”
“Yeah? So do I. You act like I’m going somewhere.”
“I’m…very confused right now.”
“Come here.” He pats his thighs and she shifts to straddle him. He tucks her hair behind her ears, and then pulls her down to kiss him. “You really think I’d like you run off to be with someone else? If that’s what you think, then you’re even crazier than I thought.”
“Harry, you don’t want me, stop messing around.”
“I’m being completely serious. I’ll get you the big house, the white picket fence, we’ll fill it with babies, and then they’ll have a romantic story to think about just like you did with your parents.” He kisses her again. “What’s cuter than mum and dad meeting in the kitchen at work, right? We can leave out the rest.”
“What makes you think that I…that I want any of that with you?” She was trembling.
“Because you wouldn’t have fucked me a second time if you didn’t like me, Ariel.”
“Harry, stop it, you’re gonna make me cry.” Her bottom lip quivers. “This isn’t funny.”
“I know it’s not, I’m not joking around.”
“But I don’t want us…I don’t want us to always be at each other’s throats. I don’t want that to be the only reason there’s a passion between us.”
He caresses her cheek and rub away a stray tear.
“It won’t be like that. I mean, I certainly know how to make you shut the fuck up, but I think we really have this weird connection. Things always get so awkward after we hook up because I think we’re both sort of soft people, and we don’t know if it’s okay to be soft with one another, but…I wanna be soft with you, I think. I want to sleep over, and cuddle, and all that other shit.” She blinks at him. “Do you want all of that…with me?” She nods yes at him. “Alright then, quit your blubbering and come here.” He tugs her down to him all the way so he can hold her properly. “Je t’aime.” He says softly as he strokes her hair.
“Je t’aime aussi.” I love you too.
580 notes · View notes
automaticneon · 4 years ago
Text
Hunting Season
Helmut Zemo X Fem!Reader
Summary: Going into hiding isn’t easy, and you and Zemo have to find new ways to entertain yourselves. Your Baron wants to introduce you to something a little different today.
Warnings: Very not safe for tumblr lmao. BratTamer!Zemo comes out in full force, inappropriate use of a riding crop, impact play, Zemo in leather gloves (that deserves its own warning in my opinion), oral (fem receiving) but with ✨added spice✨
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When your new partner Zemo had said that you were going to have to lay low for a while, there was evidently an error in communication.
You see in your world flying under the radar meant months travelling between safehouses and run-down apartments, living out of your rucksack and calculating how long you could make your rations last before you had to emerge to restock. 
In Zemo’s world that meant something entirely different.
After his escape in Riga the two of you had rendezvoused and begun the long drive to Austria, hesitant to take the jet out of fear the Dora Milaje would be keeping tabs on it. After two days of driving and an overnight stop in Poland the two of you had finally arrived at the location Helmut had deemed sensible for your hiding place. 
A sprawling country manor somewhere between Vienna and Graz. 
“I inherited it from my mothers side,” he told you when you first entered the light airy entry hallway, as if it was a common occurrence that someone would inherit such a place.
It was times like these that you were reminded that you and Helmut were not cut from the same cloth, he was a literal Baron and you were only an agent of S.H.E.I.L.D. 
Had been. You had been an agent of S.H.E.I.L.D. You were now technically a fugitive of the law, wanted for aiding and abetting the escape of your criminal boyfriend.
It took a lot of time to adjust to your new life in the manor, but Zemo was ever so patient with you. He never berated you for getting lost in the long hallways, was always patient when you asked about the difference between a Baron and an Earl, and humoured you when you quizzed him about the events frequented by aristocracy. 
Eventually you began to feel at home. You and Helmut fell into a happy routine of exploring the house and grounds and enjoying each others company. 
Of course these activities were all interspersed with a healthy dose of fucking. Frantic, groping sex hiding behind marble statues in the sculpture gallery, giving fashion shows to Zemo in all the new clothes he bought you just so he could tear them off you again, kneeling between his thighs in the parlour whilst he enjoyed his evening whisky. 
The two of you couldn’t get enough of each other.
“I should take you to see the stables tomorrow” he muses one night, trailing the tips of his fingers over your exposed back  “I want you to meet the horses before I take you out one”
“You should know then that I can’t ride to save my life” you warn.
An amused smile spreads across Zemo’s tired face.
“I beg to differ” he quips roguishly, breaking out into a smug laugh when you slap his chest in admonishment, 
“Don’t be crude, I’m being serious!”
“And so am I, you broke me tonight my love. You can be a cruel mistress when you want to be” he says, pressing a tender kiss on the top of your head.
“I learnt from the best” you say, and return the kiss with a brief peck against his chest.
“And I’m sure you’ll learn a lot more”
-
The sun over the grounds the next morning was bright and crisp, dispelling the mist from the lake and leaving behind a pleasant climate for your walk.
“You look lovely,” Zemo says as you meet him in the entry hall. He’s fixing the lapels of his long brown overcoat in one of the ornate mirrors and his warm eyes find the reflection of yours as you approach from behind. He picks up his trusty pair of worn leather gloves and slides them on, flexing his fingers to soften the material.
Ever the gentleman he offers you the crook of his arm.
“Shall we?”
-
The two of you make pleasant conversation as Zemo leads you through the grounds of the estate. Today he’s full of promises about the future, it warms you to know he intends to make this last.
“I should take you into Vienna soon, I know a place where they perform Mozart by candlelight”
“Have you been to any races before? We could visit Monaco, or perhaps somewhere in Spain would be less conspicuous”
“I promise we won’t always have to hide like this”
The stable was an old building, as old as the house, but impeccably well maintained. The stalls, of which many were empty, were arranged around a courtyard and as you wondered around the perimeter Zemo pointed to the various amenities.
“Back when we still hosted the hunting season this place would have been filled with horses. My mothers side of the family took great pride in their collection” he said as you stopped to pet the nose of a great black horse.
“You hunt?” 
“Not personally, my parents were fans of the tradition of it all”  he says, his gloves creaking as he flexes his fingers “I joined the army very young. I suppose when you start killing out of necessity, killing for sport becomes somewhat repugnant.” 
You knew very little about Zemo’s time in the army. From what you could gather it had been a particulalry unpleasant time in his life, one born from a sense of duty to his country and a need to establish his place in the world before he took up the mantle of Baron. 
Helmut’s aversion to hunting didn’t seem to impact his care towards the horses, he told you each of their names and ages and you admired how healthy and shiny their coats looked. 
As you walked he kept a hand on the back of your neck, a possessive little gesture that he had taken to recently. The warm leather of his gloves a relaxing presence as he lead you through the tack room, a clean and chalky white room with a high vaulted ceiling. Your footsteps echoed on the stone floors as you admired the expensive riding gear mounted on the wall, stopping at a collection of leather riding crops.
“Oh Baron,” you teased, plucking one from the wall “very kinky” 
Helmut gave you a lazy smile as you reached out and tapped the flat end of the crop against his cheek, huffing out a little laugh before taking it from you. 
“Careful there my love, you could do real damage with that.”
You laugh and move to perch on the sturdy wooden worktable in the centre of the room.
“As if I’d ever want to hurt your pretty face, Helmut” 
“I’m flattered, but it’s hardly a matter of if you’d want to,” he says, fixated on tapping the crop in his open palm “you need good training to use these properly.”
You narrow your eyes. You’re fairly sure that he’s sizing you up right now, trying to figure out if you’re down for whatever it is he has planned. 
You decide to bite the bait.
“Do you think you’re well trained, Baron?” 
For a fraction of a second he doesn’t respond, keeping you trapped in his levelled gaze instead. His nostrils flare and he puffs his chest ever so slightly.
“Get up,” he says in a tone that verges on cold. 
You obey, but the sparkle of a challenge still glints in the deep of your eyes. If Zemo notices he doesn’t make it known, simply clenching his jaw as you come to stand before him.
“Turn around and put your hands on the table,” he instructs, and you can feel his gaze on you as you comply. 
“We’re going to try something new today. You can always say no if you want to,” he says, placing his hand between your shoulder blades and pushing, bending you slightly over the table.
Experimenting wasn’t anything new with you and Zemo, over the last few months the two of you had tried just about everything that took your fancy in the bedroom. You were fairly sure you knew what he had planned, particularly from the way he was using the riding crop to tease the inside of your leg, but you still wanted him to say it out loud.
“What do you have planned?” you ask, and your voice gives out just a little when Helmut uses the crop to make the tiniest slap against your leg.
“Five hits. If you can take five hits I’ll give you something special in return” he says, lifting the hem of your floaty skirt with the crop until it rests on the small of your back and leaves you exposed to him.
You know he’d give you something in return no matter what happened. If you noped-out after one swat? No problem. You had complete faith in this man to make sure you stayed happy and satisfied and so you arch your back a little in anticipation. 
Helmut smooths his gloved hand over the globe of your ass, lulling you into a soothed state before stepping back. You don’t look back at him; the silence and the tantalizing suspense only adding to the excitement growing between your legs.
You register the sound of the hit before you register the pain.
The soft whoosh and harsh crack echoes around the high ceilings and bounces off the white-washed walls. It’s not a strong hit, barely even a swat. Zemo had used more force with regular spanks before yet the harsh bite of the leather crop still startles you.
“Alright?” He asks, and finally you turn your head to face him.
A rogue strand of hair dangles over his forehead and his pupils have blown to swallow up his hazel eyes. Helmut looked as though he was holding onto his sanity by a thread, and that was a thread you wanted to break. 
You nod, not trusting your voice to remain levelled and instead turn to face forward again to await the second hit. 
The next swat was just the same as the first, but with the now tender condition of your skin it hurt slightly more. The third was ever so slightly harder, forcing a yelp out of you and making your nails dig into the wooden table. 
Zemo puts down the crop for a moment, coming to stand behind you and hovering his hand over the welts you’re sure are forming on your ass. You peer over your shoulder at him, watching the way his breath comes in quick pants as he examines his handiwork.
His eyes flit up to briefly meet yours before using his teeth to pull off one of his leather gloves and he tentatively brings his fingers between your legs, careful not to touch the tender flesh of your rear. His fingertips gently run along the clothed seam of your pussy, feeling the way your arousal is soaking your underwear.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” he quizzes as you tremble under his touch. His fingers find your clit through the fabric and begin to circle it, letting out a low chuckle the way you moan and slouch at the contact. 
“God your wet,” he berates, and that momentarily sated spark reignites at his tone. 
“I’d be a lot wetter if you actually put your back into it” you quip, and Helmut’s fingers still. You keep pushing.
 “I assumed you were trained well with these. I guess I was wrong” 
Your Baron doesn’t respond, and you can practically hear the last strands of his self restraint snapping. 
Grabbing his discarded glove, Zemo presses himself against you fully, using his weight to pin you down against the table. The expensive material of his trousers rub against the sore skin of your ass, and you can feel his arousal pressed into you as he uses one hand to grasp your jaw.
“You’re going to regret that, мали зека” he warns against your ear, tightening his grip to force your mouth open and stuff it with his leather glove. 
Zemo steps back, pulling his other glove off and pressing it into your palm.
“You drop that glove and this all stops. If you don’t, then I don’t want to hear anything else from that smart mouth” he says, picking up the crop and taking his place again. 
You love it when he gets like this. When you’ve broken down that cool and collected exterior you know that both you and your pussy will be paying for it for days to come. Not that you have a single complaint about that, though.
The next hit catches you entirely off guard. It’s much harder, causing your skin to warm instantly and your body to jolt against the table. Helmut waits, probably to see if you drop the glove.
When you don’t he delivers the final hit, so harsh that the tears pooling in your eyes spill over, trailing down your cheeks and mixing with the drool that has begun to dribble from the corner of your gagged mouth. 
You don’t realise that your face had pressed itself against the table-top until Helmut is pulling you back up. He pulls the glove from your mouth, using one had to smooth your hair away from your face in a soothing gesture. 
“It’s over,” He says, pressing his lips to yours in a frenzied kiss “you did so well.”
He shrugs off his coat, placing the material on the table and guiding your head back down, giving you a soft place to rest your head.
“Do you want your reward?” he asks, stepping back behind you again.
“Uh-huh” you nod against the soft coat, all of the fight had been drained from your body, evidently the ability to speak had gone with it too.
You feel as Helmut slowly pulls your underwear over the curve of your ass and down your legs, shushing you softly when you whine over the soreness of your skin. He nudges your feet apart, and you feel him kneeling down behind you. 
His hands find purchase around your waist, and he presses a kiss to the skin of your ass, being careful to find a place that doesn’t have any welts. His breath fans across your skin as he moves to press a kiss directly on your pussy, pulling away to listen to your breathy sigh. After the pain, soft and pure pleasure felt so good. 
Helmut buries himself into the warm wetness, feasting on your pussy whilst you moan into his coat. His signature smell clings to the fabric and fills your nose, fisting your hands into the silky lining you pull the coat closer to you.
It’s almost embarrassing how quickly he manages to make you cum like this. All he has to do is bring one of his fingers to circle your fluttering, soaked hole and he has you falling apart on his tongue. 
He holds you up as you practically sob into his coat, pressing fleeting kisses against your swollen pussy until your aftershocks stop. Helmut raises to his feet, gently pulling up your underwear and fixing your skirt, trailing kisses up your back until he reaches your head.
“How was that?” he asks, his voice quiet and tender.
“Good,” you push yourself up from the table shakily, letting Helmut keep his hands on your arms to keep you upright “you’re waiting on me hand and foot for the rest of the week though” 
Helmut laughs, picking up his jacket and draping it over your shoulders.
“Of course,” he says, pulling you in for a tender kiss “your wish is my command”
You kiss him back, smiling into the embrace as a few ideas for revenge spring to mind.
162 notes · View notes
rosaliepostsstuff · 4 years ago
Text
Good Team | B.W.
Pairing: Bill Weasley x fem!reader
summary: Right after you graduate from Hogwarts you manage to get a job as a curse breaker at Gringotts. You surprise your dear friend, Bill, as the two of you get an assignment together, to find precious manuscripts, in a place believed to be only a legend. word count: 7696
warnings: language, cigarettes (Bill is a smoker), briefly nudity (a shower), food and drinking, alcohol, a bit of violence, an injury
a/n: It’s finally here! I’ve been working on this one for so long, seriously, but it was a lot of fun. It’s my first Bill fic and it is pretty long so I’m a bit anxious, so if you liked it, please do leave some feedback, it means the world to me!
tags: @izzyyy-1​ ; @amourtentiaa​ ; @thisismynerdyself​ ; @pxroxide-prinxcesss​ ; @lumos-barnes​ ; @hufflepuffalice​ ; @slytherclawbitch​ ; @famdomhideout​ ; @mollenniumfalcon​ ; @accioweaslcy​​
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 You drew the string on your trusted backpack and patted it gently.
You looked around the room one last time - mostly to calm yourself down rather than to actually check whether you had forgotten anything - if you had, you wouldn’t have noticed it anyway.
You picked the backpack up with ease, even though its contents would allow you to survive in the wilderness for weeks. Thanks to your fresh, new job, you had obtained a permit to charm it with the Undetectable Extension Charm.
You threw on your dragonhide jacket, then glanced at your watch while tying the shoelaces of your boots – 10 minutes till you were supposed to be at Gringotts to pick up your Portkey. Just enough time.
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The day for William Weasley started ordinarily. He was supposed to be back at work at 9 A.M., after having a few days off thanks to an assignment well completed, to receive a new one.
He also knew someone new, from England, was going to assist him on this one. It wasn’t uncommon for him to work with others, curse-breaking was a highly dangerous, often tricky profession, after all, so he didn’t put much thought into it. Maybe apart from hoping they wouldn’t make his job more difficult for him, which was fair.
He had woken up in the small flat he was renting in the city. Having grown up on the outskirts of a small village in Devon, living in a big city was an entirely new thing to him – with all it had to offer. He quite enjoyed that, so even though he was out on the job rather often, he opted to rent a flat in the city and commute to work, outside of it, by apparition.
The flat was pretty shabby, but he didn’t need much. The bed in his small bedroom was situated in just the right spot in relation to the window, that most of the year the sunrays hit him in the face, waking him up, at just the right time – like today.
He got up and grabbed a pair of sweats and a t-shirt to pull on after a quick shower. Then he had a mug of coffee with a quick breakfast. The grounds at the bottom of the mug stubbornly got into his mouth a few times, but he didn’t care really – he just spit them out and took another sip, glancing at the clock while the news reporter on the Muggle radio spoke in the background.
Bill could understand a few words here and there at this point – the man presented the weather forecast, as Bill was finishing his coffee and cleaning up after himself.
A quick change of clothes and a teeth brushing later, he was glancing at himself in the broken mirror of the tiny entry hallway. He seized a hair tie off a dresser and tied the upper half of his shoulder-length hair into a ponytail, then apparated to the headquarters of the Egyptian Gringotts branch.
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Standing by the Portkey with less than a minute to go you felt slight nerves in your stomach. You couldn’t know if this was the excitement of your new job and finally getting to see and surprise Bill, or just the anticipation of the unpleasant feeling of travel you were about to experience.
You had no time to dwell on it. “Miss Y/L/N,” the goblin called out your name to signal you, and you grabbed the broken clock, then a few seconds of your insides turning later, you were standing in some kind of hall.
“Miss Y/L/N, right this way, please,” before you could have a look around, another goblin spoke from behind your back now, evidently not wanting to waste any time.
You were brought to an office and told to wait for your new supervisor to fill you in. You had a feeling this would take long, and you were right.
The office decor was quite unlikely for goblins, there was no grandeur – on the contrary, it looked rather mundane, and very beige. You got to study the appearances of Mr Wickedgher – the goblin you were waiting for – and his predecessors a few decades back. Behind the small window covered by aluminium blinds, you saw ordinary buildings on the other side of the street.
After a while, you started bouncing your knee up and down, while admiring Wickedgher’s quill arrangement – it was very neat. There were a few moments where you heard voices in the corridor outside the door, but they passed by.
Finally, the fourth time it happened, after a voice unmistakably belonging to a goblin, you heard a very familiar, deep and warm wizard’s voice. You straightened up in your chair a bit, (as if it mattered,) then got up when the door opened.
Bill was shocked to see you, just as you expected. You put your warm greetings off until you were done with this meeting. You couldn’t tell if Wickedgher picked up on the fact that you and Bill knew each other – and if he did, he didn’t really care.
You sat on the edge of your seat when he spoke – you had only received a brief description of your assignment in England and it seemed as if Bill knew nothing. Even though they were stationed in Egypt, the goblins were sending you into the middle of Europe upon learning some new facts concerning a legend previously believed to be made up. The task, although very challenging, seemed exciting.
“We were able to confirm one location you can start with, I’m afraid you’ll have to take it from there. We have prepared you a Portkey that will depart tomorrow at 7 A.M. precisely. Any further questions?” your boss asked calmly, glancing at a drawer in his desk very briefly.
You thought intensely – this was your first job, nothing came to mind now, but was there anything else you could ask about? Anything you should ask about?
You put your faith in Bill. He glanced at you after a second, to check if you were going to say anything, then replied, “We’re good, Wickedgher. Anything else today?” “I suppose you could use the time to show our new recruit our office, but nothing apart from that. Just make sure you’re on time tomorrow.” “Will do,” Bill said and you nodded, then you grabbed your backpack lying at the foot of your chair and the two of you left the office.
Bill had his back turned to you. A cheeky, slightly shy smile made its way onto your face. He turned around with arms crossed on his chest and an eyebrow raised, suppressing a smile. “Got something to say to me?”
You grinned at him, saying “surprise?”, and you saw him break, so you reached up to embrace him. He gave you a tight, Bill, bear hug.
“Why haven’t you told me, you rascal?” he chuckled, still holding you a couple of seconds longer. “I wanted to surprise you..! I applied right after I got my N.E.W.T. results and they reached back two weeks after. When they told me I was going to Egypt I knew I had to keep it a secret, though I didn’t know they were gonna give us a mission together until three days ago,” you explained, still beaming at him. When you decided to become a curse-breaker during your fifth year at Hogwarts, working alongside Bill once again seemed like a dream. No matter how helpful the rest of your friends have been over the years, you didn’t feel as good with any of them by your side, during your curse-breaking feats, as you did with Bill.
“That would be because I’ve just finished working on one nasty tomb down south then,” he told you, his facial expression saying he was just recalling that particularly difficult task he clearly just wanted to forget about.
Bill showed you around the few spaces to your disposition during work and you took some time to go over all the evidence you had been provided with, and prepare yourself for the assignment. Then the two of you decided to grab lunch and coffee together, to catch up.
“So where are you staying? Renting anything?” Bill conversed, lighting a cigarette, as the two of you sat at an outside table of a small café. “No, not yet. They still haven’t told me if I’m gonna be stationed here, or for how long. And as for today - I wasn’t really expecting to have to stay the night here just yet. I thought we were leaving right away,” you admitted, you still haven’t figured out where you’d be sleeping that night. “Oh- then, you can crash at mine. It’s not much, but it would be hard to find anything for you on such short notice…” Bill offered, concerned.
You felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement. But then you supposed crashing on the floor of his flat was nothing in comparison to what you were probably gonna go through very soon.
“Thanks, Bill, I appreciate that,” you smiled at him kindly.
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You followed behind him on the narrow staircase of the old apartment building, after a day full of walking around the city. On the fourth floor, Bill walked up to one of the doors, fumbling in the pocket of his jeans for the keys. Standing by his side, you had an odd mixture of feelings.
At 18, most of your friends still lived with their families. It was a part of stepping into adulthood, but nonetheless, it felt strange to think that you were about to walk into a friend of yours’ own flat.
Upon entering the tiny space, you saw Bill everywhere. It did look like a 20-year-old’s place. There was a faint smell of cigarettes present and it was quite tidy, but not Molly-like immaculate. Just like Bill – the most laid-back Head Boy Hogwarts has ever had.
Going from the tiny entry hall there was a small kitchen, a bathroom, and a room serving as a living room and a bedroom, with a foldable couch.
“I was speechless too when I first saw it,” he joked, making you chuckle. “Make yourself at home, Y/N! You thirsty, want something to drink, water..?” He walked over to the kitchen and visually searched it. “Nah, I’m good for now, thank you,” you replied, walking over to the couch after setting down your bag. “…Booze..?” he continued, in a tone pretending to be ashamed of the question, a single hand holding a bottle poking out of the archway. “Sure, Weasley, let’s get hammered the night before a job. 7 AM, remember?”
“Eh, suit yourself,” he said, stretching his back while he walked over to the window. The sun was setting, the room was illuminated by its pinkish-orange rays. He opened the window, reaching one of his hands into his back pocket for a smoke.
You walked up next to him and leaned on the windowsill.
It was a beautiful evening. The warm air was blowing in your face, the sun setting low and you lost yourself, enjoying that moment. You felt an immense sense of freedom, like you could do just about anything at that point. Nothing was stopping you, all worries and responsibilities forgotten. All you felt was the open world in front of you, and Bill next to you. You were happy.
“We should probably get an early night. A good rest before leaving for Merlin knows how long won’t hurt,” Bill reasoned, breaking the silence, as the smoke from his last drag was leaving his lips. The sun was almost fully set now, the inside was getting dark. He stubbed the cigarette out on the outside of the wall, then tossed it into an old jar, already half-full with others.
“Right, yeah…” you nodded, pulled out of your daydream. “Do you want to use the bathroom first?” he asked.
You felt a bit odd using his shower, though just like any shower outside of home.
After turning the water on you allowed yourself to relax a bit. You took a look around the kind of cosmetics he used and it felt like learning some deep secrets.
You lathered your body and tried not to think about the less pleasant part of your job, namely, when would the next time you get to take a proper shower be, after this one.
A double knock on the door startled you. “Would you like tea?” William asked from behind the door. “Uhm… yes..?” you replied, subconsciously covering yourself. Even though there were a closed-door and a wall between you, it felt strange to speak to him while you were naked. After that, he was gone again, and you quickly finished your shower.
When you walked out, the couch was unfolded and the bed was made. On the floor, some distance from it, laid a make-shift bed out of blankets.
Bill was in the kitchen, sitting by the small table, looking out the window with a steaming mug in his hands. Another one was waiting for you on the other side of the table.
He looked up at you as you walked into the room, then sat down opposite him. “Thank you,” you said, sliding the mug closer to yourself. “I like having one before sleep,” he confessed, referring to the tea.
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When Bill was taking a shower you had a look into your backpack, preparing for the morning, then looked out the window some more to pass time.
He walked out in a pair of boxers and a loose, weird sisters t-shirt. You wondered if that was how he usually slept or if he put the shirt on because of you.
A bit hesitantly, you walked over to the bedding on the floor, ready to tuck in for the night, but he stopped you.
“You didn’t think that when I offered you a place to crash, I’d make you the one sleeping on the floor,” he pretty much stated. “Noo,” you replied sheepishly, both of you knowing well that you did.
You walked over to your spots and laid down in silence, then you could hear the rustle of Bill’s bedding as he tried to get comfortable.
“Thank you, Bill,” you said, quietly. “Not a problem,” he replied, and you rolled onto your side to sleep.
“Night, Y/N,” he said, sounding as if he were falling asleep already. “Good night.”
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When you woke up it was already bright outside. You rolled onto your other side and saw that Bill was still asleep.
He was sleeping without covers, curled up in a ball. His long hair was messy and his face half-buried in the pillow. You let yourself look at him for a moment with a small smile on your face.
Glancing at the clock, it was still early. You closed your eyes back, to wait until he woke up. When you opened them again, you could smell the breakfast being cooked.
Bill was trying to be as quiet as possible so you wouldn’t have to be up earlier than necessary. As soon as you realised what was going on, you felt giddy. You stretched in bed, then got up. When Bill heard the commotion, he poked his head out of the kitchen.
“Morning,” you greeted with a smile upon seeing him, making your way to where he was. “Good morning, colleague,” he replied, then got back to making food.
He appeared to have washed up and dressed already, his hair half-tied up into a bun. You sat by the table, wincing after hearing the term. “Colleague?” you asked, not amused by that banter. He chuckled with his back turned to you, but didn’t reply. “Tea, coffee?” he asked sunnily instead. “Coffee, please.”
He poured some into a mug, then placed the ready food on a plate and carried all that to you at the table.
“Thank you, Molly,” you couldn’t help yourself.
Bill snatched a kitchen rag off the counter and with an angry expression, placed his hands on his hips. The resemblance was uncanny and you found that funnier than you probably should’ve.
With a smirk, he let go of the act after you giggled and joined you at the table with his own plate and mug.
“How did you sleep?” he asked. “Pretty good, thank you. It didn’t take me too long to fall asleep in the evening. And I actually woke up before you did, but fell back asleep.” “Oh, wow.” “Yeah, how was your sleep on the floor? You seemed to be pretty comfortable,” you giggled to yourself, recalling the image. Bill cleared his throat, “I am a man of many talents, and sleeping anywhere is one of them.” “Okay, then…” you suppressed another chuckle.
“How d’you feel before your first job?” “Excited, I guess?” you answered truthfully. “I think I’ll do okay. You always said I’d be a good curse-breaker…” “And I stand by that.” “How did you feel right before your first job? What was it, some castle ruin in Wales..?”
“Mhmm, yeah…” he mumbled, chewing on his food. “I remember not being able to get a good rest because Fred and George stayed up and had a little emergency. They mixed up the powder of a few different types of fireworks and almost blew the whole house up. Excited to go to Hogwarts, they were. Charlie and I had to help them fix it without waking mum up so she wouldn’t find out,” he grunted. “So you’re already one up on me.”
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Bill extended his hand to you, to help you up after you’ve fallen out of the Portkey.
“Ahh, I thought I was getting the hang of it, I landed in Egypt pretty gracefully,” you grunted while getting up, brushing gravel off of your butt. “Practice makes perfect, love,” Bill commented, already scanning your surroundings.
You found yourself on a dirt road, and though the opening for the path was pretty wide, there were miles of woods surrounding you. You had a rough idea where in central Europe you were situated, in a valley between mountains. You didn’t expect to find what you were you were looking for so easily, however, so all maps you could need were securely in your backpack.
The weather was pleasant, much cooler than Egypt for sure, but it was still the middle of summer. You tapped the watch on your wrist with your wand to change it to local time.
“6:06 AM – look, we went back in time…” you joked stupidly and Bill looked at you with a half-smile.
“We should move. From this spot, it shouldn’t take us too long to find some clues mentioned in those notes.”
Your goal was to find a tower, where over 500 years ago, a wizard named Halllegend Hugshot supposedly lived and carried out his research and experiments. The fruit of said research was the true purpose of your mission.
The only real problem was that apart from a few lucky apprentices, nobody has ever seen the tower. Halllagend was believed to have disappeared without a trace somewhere off the coast of the Black Sea, and the folk from a nearby dwelling, long abandoned and in ruin, said the area was always empty, uninhabited. And till that day it was believed to be only a legend, magical historians saying that Hallagend never set foot in that part of the world.
You went on quite the hike through the woods, the only thing to guide you were vague notes and a few inaccurate maps from the middle ages. Dawand Davisshot, for example, would find his way to his mentor’s residence by cutting through a cave that has collapsed centuries ago.
You and Bill had your lunch on the way, wanting to make as much progress as you could before setting up camp. Hours were passing, you’ve made your way up a smaller mountain and the only thing keeping you from believing you were completely lost – were occasional sightings of things like peculiar rocks or old trees that may have been the landmarks mentioned by the apprentices.
“You think when we get there, what’s next?” you questioned Bill a bit out of breath, to relieve boredom, well into the afternoon. “Hmm?” Bill muttered, pulled out of his thoughts. “We find the tower, we high five, we get inside and then what? See a desk in the middle of the room, and on it, a pile of parchment rolls waiting for us to take them? What do you think the place is going to look like?” “Guess I haven’t thought about that in much detail. Could be anything... But I doubt a regular building would’ve remained uncharted for that long,” he pointed out. “I suppose,” you agreed. “I’m just hoping for no dragons inside. I’ve had my share of dragons…” you mumbled, recalling your venture to the portrait vault and mostly, the time you joined Bill on his job at a dragon sanctuary.
You’ve noticed that he stopped and hesitated to go further, looking around and down at the ground.
You dug your foot around a bit. The ground was covered with dense thickets, it was easy to blend in with the rest while walking. Underneath, however, was not soil, but solid rock.
“Good one, Weasley,” you praised, having a closer look, and he didn’t reply. The mineral was like nothing you’ve seen before. You didn’t reckon it was Muggle.
When a single ray of sunshine got through the leaves above, when the clouds moved with the wind, shining on it, it almost glowed.
“The place looks like what Humpty Wanderer or whatever his name was described…” Bill observed, suspiciously. “Where’s the tower, though,” he didn’t hide his mild annoyance.
It was true, the opening in the trees stuck out in the middle of the woods, and all that rock seemed justly out of place.
With the lack of a better idea, you took your wand out and raised it. “You think a simple spell will break his defences?” Bill quipped defiantly.
Ignoring him, you opted to start with the simplest one – you cast Revelio nonverbally and the mineral started to glow underneath the cover. You could see now that it covered all of the circular area of the opening in the trees.
You looked at Bill with the smuggest smile. “Shove it,” he retorted in a friendly manner, then flicked his wand to get rid of the thicket. The general glow subdued and shapes started to reveal themselves. Shapes you recognised to be runes.
“HA!” you laughed “Don’t take ancient runes for your newts, it’s good for nothing, d’you know how boring it is?” you mocked the voice of Bill from a bit over two years ago, when you were finishing your fifth year at Hogwarts, about to start your sixth year, and he – graduate.
“Yeah, I take it back, alright… I’d be fucked without you,” he muttered, studying the shapes without understanding. Instinctively, you’d counter that. But instead, you smiled idiotically to yourself at those words, reading a bit too much into them.
Bill looked up at you expectantly and you blushed a bit. “So… would you..?” he prompted, bringing you back to reality. “Ah..! Yeah, yeah, of course…” you muttered, then went on to translate the message.
“It says the passage can be opened on the night of the new moon… the new moon..?” you looked at him desperately. Waiting around for the right phase of the moon didn’t sound very pleasant to you. “No, no, that’s in a few days. What is it today, the 22nd ?” “Yeah.” “Then that’s three days from now,” he said, with focus written on his face.
It made you feel a bit guilty, as if by translating the message you were the one making you two sit around and do nothing in the middle of nowhere.
You set up camp in a pleasant spot not far. Being one to fear an encounter with wild animals after dark, you made sure to set up magical barriers as well.
The tents Gringotts provided its curse-breakers weren’t the most luxurious, the goblins had better things to spend their gold on. Your tent consisted of two rooms – one, middle-sized, with a bunk bed, a table that could fit four people and a small, very basic kitchenette. Off to the side was a bathroom.
“Shotgun the top bunk,” you announced after Bill finished setting up the tent and the two of you walked in. He tutted and swore.
That evening you prepared supper for the two of you and as a peace offering after snatching the superior bunk, you also made some tea.
“Bill..!” you called out to him when you were done. He had been hanging around before, then disappeared. “Out here!” he answered, by the sound, from somewhere near the tent entrance.
Upon stepping outside, you saw two foldable chairs and a table, and Bill standing next to them, looking unsure.
“Ah, making a house feel like home,” you commented and Bill winked in reply.
You sat outside as it was getting dark. Your moods were mixed after that eventful day. You were exhausted after the whole day of walking and you weren’t exactly happy with what you discovered. You couldn’t know what would happen on the night of the new moon. All left to do now was wait around for three days and it could still be for nothing.
But you supposed it could still have been worse.
And so both of you weary, you got ready for bed and clambered into your bunks. You turned off the light and tried to get comfortable in the cold camp-bed.
“Night, Y/N,” said Bill, yawning, bringing you a bit of comfort. “Good night, Bill.”
And so the first day ended.
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When you woke up the next day, your whole body ached. Bill was already up, it was past 11 AM. After making a teasing remark about how well you slept, he disappeared somewhere, while you groggily ate ‘breakfast’ and got ready for the day.
He was still absent when you finished, so unsure what to do with your time, you grabbed a book you took the liberty of packing into your backpack. However, after you positioned one of the chairs in the shade underneath a tree, you managed to read half a chapter before you saw him walking back towards the tent.
You were curious as to what he was doing but didn’t want to appear nosy. Glancing up from your book with a small smile, you showed you had acknowledged his presence, and hoped he’d start talking first.
He smiled back and walked past you, inside. You fought a battle with your curiosity, your fingers almost ready to close the book.
But you reopened it fully in haste and pretended to be immersed in it, when he came back out a minute later, after having refilled his water bottle.
He placed the second chair next to you and sat down with a heavy sigh. Agonizingly slow, he opened the bottle and quenched his thirst.
“What’re you reading?” he asked, curiosity in his voice.
You tried not to show your mild disappointment and raised up the book to show him the cover and let him see for himself.
“Mhmm… I’ve heard about it. I read her last book and wondered if this one was any good.” “I’ve barely read a few chapters but so far it’s alright,” you pondered.
Bill hummed in response. He leaned back in his chair and looked up into the bright sky, closing one eye due to the sun poking through the leaves.
“I took a walk and had a look around the area,” he started. You hummed this time. It was exactly what you were waiting for. “Yesterday not enough for you?” you asked. “Why, muscles achy?” he teased you, nudging your leg with his. He was fit, you had to give it to him. Ignoring your groan, he continued – “I found a nice spot by the cliffside. Maybe we could go there tonight.” “Why do you wanna hang around a cliff edge during the night?” “I thought it would be good for stargazing if the sky’s clear,” he explained, making you suddenly feel a few degrees hotter at the thought. “If we’re to camp here, might as well do something worthwhile in the meantime,” he reasoned.
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“Wow…” you exclaimed, after arriving at your destination as the sun was setting.
This spot showed a clear view of the valley and the stream running through it. You could see all the surrounding mountains and the different various layers of flora at different heights.
“Told you,” Bill said in an undertone.
The cliffside itself didn’t look as dangerous as you had imagined. The spot was actually quite cosy, you felt sheltered. You put a thick blanket over a large log to sit on it.
The two of you admired the view almost wordlessly until the sun was fully set.
The starry sky prompted a bit of nostalgia in both of you. You reminisced your years at Hogwarts, talking of your shared adventures and friends. Of how you visited the Burrow for the first time and almost sabotaged your trip, wanting to prepare a gift for the Weasleys. Or how indecisive Bill had been with his career choice in his OWL year.
A cloudless sky during the night caused a chill in the air. The two of you had brought blankets but you still subconsciously sat a bit closer to Bill and leaned into his side, as he leaned back on his arms, looking up at the sky.
“Good thing I went with curse-breaker in the end,” he stated. “Yeah… and here we are,” you chuckled.
“I’m glad you’re here with me,” he said. Bill sounded different that night. He spoke in a tone you’ve never heard before. It was simultaneously deeper and softer, reaching into your very soul. And without thinking, you somehow spoke differently, too. Your voice was sweet and tender.
“We just make a good team,” you claimed with a smile. “Yeah,” he agreed.
There was a bit of a pause after that, after which he added – “…and I’d have bored my ass off otherwise,” making you laugh. “This camping trip’s not so bad after all…”
“Aaah, ah..! I almost forgot!” he began, straightening up abruptly. “I packed this…” he muttered, reaching into his own bag to retrieve a thermos with two mugs, one for each of you. He flicked his wand and the mugs filled themselves in the air, then floated into your hands.
And so the custom was followed. You went back into the tent before too long, and when Bill wished you a good night that time, it felt somehow better, spreading warmth through your body.
And so, the second day ended.
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You felt a gentle stroke on your shoulder, that had nothing to do with what you were dreaming of. In an instant, you couldn’t even remember what you were dreaming of.
“Y/N…” Bill said quietly, standing next to the bed as you laid on your side with your back turned to him, and woke you up completely.
He retreated his hand, you took a deep breath, slowly opening your eyes, and stretched. When you turned, you saw him leaning his forearms on the railing. “I made breakfast and got tired of waiting,” he admitted, smiling a bit.
Indeed, you could smell food and coffee waiting for you at the table. The air was considerably chillier than the two previous days. When you got up and pulled a hoodie over your head, Bill opened the door a little to let a bit of natural light inside.
You sat at the table together, not saying anything, and for a moment you forgot why you were there in the first place. You forgot how inconvenient the delay seemed at first. You couldn’t place the feeling, but you were really happy about spending that time with Bill.
There he was, with all his cool aura – his hair half-tied up at the back per usual, slight stubble on his face, wearing a loose, grey t-shirt, fitted jeans and boots. And you got to see him with his resting face on, then furrowing his eyebrows slightly as he wondered whether to put raspberry or strawberry jam on his toast, while he sipped on his morning coffee. And nobody, and nothing else around.
He looked up suddenly, noticing you haven’t touched anything yet and pulling you back to reality, his blue eyes pierced into you. You dropped your gaze instantly and he did the same, you felt the heat reach your cheeks right away.
He cleared his throat quietly, possibly making the situation more awkward. “The weather got worse,” he began, having made his decision concerning the jam. “Yeah, it’s chilly, isn’t it?” you chuckled, hugging the hoodie tighter around yourself. Bill turned to you with a smile and you noticed once again, that he was wearing a t-shirt. “Right, of course…” you recalled all the times at Hogwarts when you’d wrap yourself in jackets and scarves, while he walked around in barely a thin long-sleeve.
You spend the rest of the morning each doing your own thing. It started raining in the early afternoon, providing you with the background noise of pitter-patter, the droplets hitting the tent’s surface.
Bill suddenly remembered he had packed his set of wizards’ chess, which kept you entertained for about a couple of hours.
“It is still gorgeous outside, though,” Bill pointed out, pulling the fabric covering the entrance back a bit to take a look.
He walked over to his bag with a purpose, grabbed a hoodie and pulled it over his head. “Care to join me..?” he asked. “In what?” you questioned in reply, confused as to what he had in mind. “Getting a bit of fresh air,” he answered, matter-of-factly. You stared at him with an expression suggesting the idea wasn’t very appealing, which only seemed to make him smile wider.
He snatched his jacket and throwing it at you, said – “Come on..!” with a grin, then pulled the hood over his head and walked outside.
Fully certain you had gone insane, you put on his jacket and joined him. He looked completely unbothered, content just standing there. Having cast the umbrella charm, you quickly skipped over to cover him too.
Bill dried a part of a boulder for you to sit on. “See? Pretty nice,” he noted and you scoffed in response. But his shit-eating grin meant you couldn’t keep a straight face.
It wasn’t bad, despite the rain it was quite sunny. You had Bill’s jacket on, keeping you warm from the wind, surrounding you in his scent, and his mood was contagious.
He reached into the pocket of his jeans. “You wanted to go out just so you could have a smoke, didn’t you?” you quipped. “Not just for that,” he countered with a cheeky smile, putting the cigarette between his lips. “Remind me, have I asked you before what your mum said when she found out that you smoke?” you put on a face of the deepest thought. “…she doesn’t know,” he answered, lighting it.
He was right, it was pretty nice.
You sat in comfortable silence. When he finished smoking, you put your head on his shoulder, almost pulled in. It came to you without another thought, to wrap your arm around his, your other hand resting in his elbow, and he rested his cheek on top of your head.
The sound of rain all around you, tapping against the leaves above brought you a sense of serenity. You looked at the sky above, wondering if you could perhaps spot a rainbow somewhere, as the sun poked through the clouds for a moment.
You felt the gentle weight lift off of your head and, almost instinctively, you lifted your head too.
“Do you think I’d look good with earrings?” Bill asked, thinking deeply.  “Or just like one, maybe..?” You chuckled, shaking your head. You couldn’t believe this guy.
“Probably depends on what kind of earrings you’re thinking of…” “Something cool,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders. “Ah, of course. Well then, I guess so. Would match your vibe,” you said without much thought, not looking at him.
He was suspiciously quiet, so you turned your head and saw the mischievous smile. “So I’m cool, huh?” he shrugged his eyebrows.
“Forget I said anything,” you shook your head again and tried not to smile or blush. “Fat chance. I’ll store this one deep down,” he announced. “Though I may have heard that one once or twice before…”
You had no witty comeback for that, and your façade cracked quickly. You started laughing and Bill joined in quickly. It felt light-hearted.
You didn’t know when his face had gotten so close to yours, he brushed a strand of hair off your face and his hand stayed on your cheek. His thumb brushed over your skin delicately and you leaned closer, leaving the last step to him.
He connected your lips, yet they were barely touching. He tested the kiss as if he expected you to push him away any second, and when he pulled away it left you awakened and frustrated.
He saw that in your eyes, while his showed shock. He kissed you once again, passionately this time, pulling you in. You kissed him back with just as much emotion, you wrapped your arms around his neck and his hood got pulled off in the moment. You failed to realise you broke the umbrella charm. One of his hands remained on your face, cupping your jaw, while the other found your waist, both of them felt as if they were made to be there.
He pulled away reluctantly. Only then you realised just how soaked the two of you were and laughed about it. Needless to say, you ran back to the tent hastily, to dry yourselves off.
And that night you could safely say that it felt, by far, the best out of all the previous times, to be wished good night by Bill when he lied next to you in the warm bed, as the sound of rain lulled you to sleep.
And so, the third day ended.
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The final day before the new moon, the weather was considerably nicer.
You didn’t talk much on your way there. It was getting dark quickly, but you could see the spot in the distance – the almost courtyard-like area where the tower, or the passage to it, was supposed to appear, stuck out like a sore thumb.
You arrived there and waited. It got dark, and you still waited for something to happen.
“It said the passage can be opened, but not how to open it,” Bill pointed out.
You didn’t say anything. Truthfully, because he was right. And the fact that there could be something you should be doing right now, but instead, you were just standing there, was scary. You could be waiting until the very dawn and nothing would happen, and for your next chance, you’d have to wait for a full moon cycle, or come back to the goblins empty-handed.
“It’s… it’s still early, the sun has just set,” you attempted to stay positive, looking up at the dark sky and trying to find the moon.
It took some more waiting for you to start seriously worrying, Bill was pacing the area and smoking. But then you felt something.
Very strong magic in the air, it was like the whole ground was shaking, shaking your insides, while none of that physically happened. The moon shone through the opening in the leaves above, and once more, the rock below you started glowing.
This time the glow kept growing, it became unbearable, you had to close your eyes to protect them, and the magical force became so strong it was pushing you away from the circle.
This lasted for maybe two minutes, yet felt much longer. You saw through your eyelids that it was dark again, and nothing was pushing you away anymore. You were finally able to take a proper breath.
“You okay?” Bill asked, concerned, from somewhere behind you. “Yeah,” you answered and nodded, even though you could see nothing. You cast Lumos Maxima overhead and Bill finally joined you as you realised you stood a few meters away from the steps leading up to an old, wooden doorway. Doorway into the tower.
You looked at each other as if trying to find answers for what just happened. When you walked up the steps slowly and approached the doors, everything suddenly became eerily quiet. You could no longer hear the forest around you.
“What do you think?” you asked Bill quietly. “Just… just stay on your guard.”
You did so, but without seeing any other option, placed your hand on the door handle.
You knew immediately what happened, feeling it drive through your mind. It was enchanted, the entrance used Legilimency on you, but this was not your first time. You blocked your mind quickly, and the lock clicked soon. You pressed the handle and opened the door ever so slightly, just so it wouldn’t lock again.
“It was enchanted. The handle. Some security charm, it used Legilimency on me,” you explained, coming down from the shock. “Did you manage to block it?” Bill questioned, placing a hand on your shoulder. “Yes,” you replied as if it were obvious.
“Can you use Legilimency on objects?” he asked after a few seconds, remembering you were a natural Legilimens. “Think about it, Bill, you should have your answer. Though if something’s charmed to have sentience, maybe. Haven’t tried…”
You stepped inside, keeping your eyes and ears peeled for anything dangerous. Bill lit the lamps, and you were able to get a proper look at the spacious room.
It looked like a normal house. From the 1400s of course, but nonetheless. Not a hermit’s lair, not some kind of evil den, but a house someone lived in. It wasn’t even dusty, or cobwebbed. An illusion charm?
After searching the entire first floor you still didn’t come across a study, a lab, or anything alike. You were about to leave one of the rooms when you heard a familiar purr.
“He had a cat..?” Bill wondered, but your eyebrows furrowed. “A chimaera, rather,” you replied, making his face fall.
There was no other way out for you, anyway. Hoping your experience with chimaeras would prove enough for you to handle this one, somehow, you stepped back into the main hall.
The beast stood guard in the centre of the room, proudly, and didn’t show any signs of aggression just yet. It watched contently as you made your way along the walls towards the exit at first, but it didn’t like it when you got closer to the staircase upstairs.
Its purrs changed into growls and its hoofs kicked the ground angrily, giving you a clear signal to stop. The surroundings changed, the paint started to peel off the walls at first, everything began to age rapidly. The tower seemed to shake the stronger, the louder the beast roared, and threatened to fall apart.
There was no other solution now, but to fight it. Yet even for two certified, skilled wizards such as you and Bill, and adult chimaera was a dangerous challenge. Stunning spells were flying, you had to dodge attacks from the beast who could not decide whom to attack while thinking of a solution.
As you were getting tired, so was the beast, but that still didn’t mean your success was close. You saw your chance when it was about to pounce the ground in front of you. You got ready to cast the Conjunctivitis curse and raised your wand.
The chimaera hit the ground and you felt a sharp pain at the back of your neck, then everything went dark.
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When you eventually came back to your senses, you felt incredibly tired. Your head was lying on something soft and warm. You could open your eyes, but you didn’t want to, you felt comfortable like that.
“Y/N..?” you heard a warm voice say as someone’s fingers delicately pushed some hair off your forehead. Bill’s voice, and Bill’s hand, you realised. And underneath your head, was Bill’s lap.
You opened your eyes slightly and saw his face, a bit shiny and dirty due to the dust that stuck to his sweat. He was relieved. You also noticed you were still inside the main hall of the tower.
“How do you feel?” You took a breath and wet your lips. “I could use a nap,” you admitted, making him smile.
You sat up with his help and felt the back of your head. It still hurt a bit, but probably not as much as it should’ve. You could feel a freshly healed wound there - Bill’s doing.
“Where is it?” you asked, impressed with how not only Bill remained intact after you’d collapsed, but also you were still alive. “I managed to push it back into one of the back rooms and close the door,” he answered, looking into space as if he couldn’t believe it himself.
You looked around all the rubble and remembered why you’d come here.
“Soo… all that for nothing, huh,” you said grimly. “Well, not quite,” Bill corrected you, “there’s still the attic.”
You carefully climbed the spiralled stairs, hoping for no more security beasts or charms. You took the door which stood out the most and hit the goldmine.
A room full of bookcases and worktables, measures, ingredients and lab glass. Little bottles everywhere, and above all, scrolls upon scrolls of parchment.
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It felt weird to finally be done with it. You were almost sad to leave, as you hiked back down the mountain the next morning, but shook the feeling off instantly. You couldn’t know what the future held for you. What epic assignments were yet to come. One thing was certain.
“Soo…” Bill began, looking straight ahead. “…Still looking for a place to live..?”
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kindahoping4forever · 4 years ago
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Watch Me Bloom: A Few Months Ago // Ashton Irwin
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I’m so excited to finally share this with everyone! As I mentioned, the week leading up to Superbloom really inspired me. It was so hard to believe that just seven months prior, we were living the ups and downs of CALM’s release while this was a essentially a never ending parade of self-reflection and joy. My fic Release explored a relationship dealing with CALM and I thought it’d be fun to see what the Superbloom experience might look like thru the lens of a relationship. (I wouldn’t say it’s a sequel - in my mind, they’re different relationships- but you could call it a thematic companion.)
As always (but honestly even more so this time because omg this section especially changed again and again), my eternal love and gratitude to @cal-puddies​​ for always offering direction, notes, encouragement and a good roast when I need it.
Warnings: What a surprise, it’s Boyfriend!Ash. Brief quarantine mention. So much fluffy smut you’ll wonder if I’m alright. Oral sex performed on a female. Unprotected sex within an established relationship. This is the tame chapter, folks. The calm before the smutty storm, if you will.
Word Count: 3319
Watch Me Bloom Masterlist
Masterlist // Taglist // Ko-Fi
Let  me  know  what  you  think!
You sleepily roll over to snuggle your boyfriend but instead of being surrounded by the warm firmness of Ashton’s back, you feel cool air and the beginnings of a falling sensation. Your body jolts awake to catch itself, your brain making the unpleasant discovery that there’s no one laying next to you and you’re about to tumble off the couch. You shake your head upon realizing you once again fell asleep in the living room, watching TV.
It was a bad habit you fell into once Ashton got busy with his new project. You still hadn’t gotten used to falling asleep without him and a part of you can’t help but long for the early days of quarantine, when you spent the majority of your time lazily wrapped up in sheets and each other.
But as time went on, you started waking up alone and finding him sitting outside with a coffee, scribbling away on a notepad. Other days you’d wake up to the sounds of him already in the shower, singing gibberish words to fill out gorgeous melodies he dreamt of and is trying to perfect while he gets ready to take on the day.
He eventually showed those scribbles and shower songs to his housemate, Matt, who helped him shape them into demos, which they then decided to make into fully produced tracks. After weeks of rearranged furniture, strewn about instruments and dodging cables running through the hall, Ash gleefully shared that he planned to release these songs as his own album. You’d kissed him happily, shared in his joy and teased him relentlessly that it took him this long to tell you. You couldn’t have been happier for him and you loved seeing him excited about work again, especially after the frustration surrounding the band's album release earlier this year, but every night when you go to bed alone, you just miss him.
You shuffle into the kitchen and dump the rest of your long forgotten tea in the sink, turning on the tap to wash the cup. While you wait for the water to warm up, you cartoonishly stretch your arms over your head and loudly yawn.
“Long day?” A voice asks from across the room.
You chuckle and turn to greet Matt, who’s headed towards the sink with an armful of various mugs he and Ashton must’ve used for tea, coffee and water over the course of the day.
“Well, I got up earlier than usual and Ash had already made his side of the bed, so I’m sure it was nowhere near as long as yours,” you comment, reaching out to take the dishes from him.
He silently thanks you with a kind smile. “Yeah he was up and at it even before me today,” he admits, shaking his head. “Had quite the breakthrough today, though. I’m sure he’d love to tell you about it if you wanna pay him a visit.”
You lightheartedly scoff as you quickly wash the cups. “And also he’s just moved from your studio down to his and you think I can talk him into actually getting some rest?”
He laughs at how well you know your boyfriend. “I told him I was gonna call it a night but I don’t think he’s taking the hint,” he admits.
“Sounds like our guy,” you shrug, setting the clean mugs on the rack to dry. “I’ll pop by and check on him before I turn in.”
You head for the bathroom and quickly go through your routine; you mentally cheer when you turn on the light and see Ash’s green henley draped haphazardly over the bathtub. It smells like him so he must have just tossed it aside when he showered earlier; you inhale deeply as you slip it over your head and throw on a pair of sleep shorts before heading down to the basement where he’s working.
You tentatively make your way down the stairs, not wanting to startle him. As you suspected, he’s intently focused on his computer screen, dragging and dropping components of a track, trying to layer the elements just the way he wants, something he was recently so proud to tell you he had learned to do.
You knock quietly on the wall when you reach the bottom. He turns around to investigate and exclaims your name with far too much enthusiasm for the late hour. He opens his arms, which you know means he wants you to come sit on his lap. He greets you with a sweet kiss as soon as you sit down and hums when he recognizes the scent of your nighttime skin products. “Bedtime already?” He asks, sounding slightly disappointed.
You jab his side playfully. “Already? It’s pretty fucking late, dude,” you tease. “I fell asleep on the couch again.”
“Aww, baby, no,” he commiserates, stroking your arm empathetically. "You weren’t waiting up for me again, were you?”
“Maybe subconsciously,” you shrug. “Missed you a lot today. Dreamt about you last night. Dreamt about you while I was asleep right now. I dunno, it’s weird.” He hugs you tighter to him and you rest your head in the crook of his neck. “Matt said you had a good day, though?” You say in a bright voice, trying to compensate for your sad admission.
Ashton softly smiles and squeezes your leg, indicating he knows you wish you hadn’t told him what you did. “Yeah, it was crazy, I woke up with this song in my head and I had to rush down here before it went away,” he explains. “It was so clear in my mind - every instrument, every aspect of the production - and it took all day but we’ve almost got it exactly how I imagined it.”
You rest against him while he clicks around on the computer, playing you different files and explaining each step they took in their process that day. You watch him, instead of the screen, admiring the way he lights up when he talks about his art, the way his dimples just keep sinking deeper and deeper as he delights in telling you the inventive tactic they came up with to get the guitars to sound a certain way.
You peck at his cheek, enjoying the scratch from his light beard. “I’m so glad you had a good day,” you coo. “Think you might want to head up to bed with me now, though? I love seeing how happy this makes you but you’ve still gotta take care of yourself, babe. Still working when I go to bed and getting back at it before I wake up? It’s happening a lot and I get worried sometimes.”
He plays with the hem of your - his - shirt while he listens to your concern. “I know. It’s just easy to get caught up when it’s going good. And it’s all been going so good!” His wide smile turns to an understanding nod when he sees you lovingly shake your head at his excited excuse. “But I know you’re right, baby, I promise I have been trying to be mindful. Today was just the perfect storm.”
“OK,” you murmur, believing him for now, knowing you’ll surely be having this conversation again in a few days’ time. He tilts your chin up to him and moves in for a soft kiss. You sigh as his lips gently move over yours and you reach up to run your fingers through his hair; because of the lockdown, he’d been letting it grow and you were loving it. You’d convinced him to let you trim it a few times to keep it healthy and now you were obsessed with getting your hands on it all the time.
He starts to pull away but you let out a slight whine and bring him back in, deepening the kiss while you’re at it. He lets you lead the makeout as he wraps his arms around you, holding your body against his. You shift yourself in his lap so that you’re straddling him in the chair.
“Is this your plan to tire me out so I’ll come to bed?” Ash grins.
"Thought this was your plan," you tease, tugging his lip between your teeth. "You asked me to sit in your lap, I know your style."
He giggles as you start nipping at his jawline before making your way down his neck and settling in to kiss up and down his collarbones. He sits back and lets you work, running his hands up and down the back of your top, occasionally letting his hands wander down to appreciate how tight your sleep shorts fit over your ass.
“You’re markin’ me up, baby,” he laughs, attempting to detach your mouth from his chest.
You allow him to bring your mouth back up to his, darting your tongue across his bottom lip before saying with a smirk, “Something to help you remember me while you’re locked away working.”
Before he can respond, you move in to kiss him again and as you feel him growing hard underneath you, you lazily begin grinding on him. He groans and moves against you a few times before running a hand up the leg of your shorts.
He raises his eyebrows when he feels how wet you already are for him. “Aww, you really have been missin’ me, huh?” He teases, eyes shining in the dimly lit room. “You know you can always just tell me when you need me, that’s part of the fun of working at home.”
“Don’t wanna interrupt the artistic genius process,” you tease back, sitting further back on his thighs so you can palm him through his shorts. “Plus, I don’t think Matt would appreciate that very much.”
“I’d love it if we didn’t talk about Matt while your hand is on my dick,” he jokes, lifting his hand out of your shorts and up to his lips to lick. You roll your hips impatiently as you watch his lips suck your essence off his fingertips. “Mmm, sweet tonight, baby,” he murmurs. “Think I’m gonna need more.”
Ashton grips the backs of your thighs and suddenly he’s standing to lift you off of his lap and onto the desk in front of him. He deftly uses one hand to move his laptop and various hard drives to the side and uses the other to start tugging your shorts and panties down.
He drops to his knees and the surprise of that sight gets a low moan out of you. When he licks a stripe up your center, you take on a much whinier tone. “Babyyyy,” you try to reason with him, tugging on the collar of his white t-shirt. “I don’t wanna keep you awake any later than you need to be, let’s just fuck and get some sleep.”
He sits back on his heels, peeling off his shirt, flinging it behind him. “Heard my girl was missing me,” he counters, dragging a finger slowly through your wetness. “Gotta make sure you can make it through the day tomorrow.” His thumb plays gently at your clit while he runs his beard along your inner thigh - he’s learned you love the scratch - before fixing his mouth on your skin, clearly intent on leaving a large hickey.
You shiver when without much fanfare, Ash starts softly licking at your clit with just the tip of his tongue. “That’s my needy girl,” he says in a low voice that gives you almost as much of a chill as his mouth just did. Your brain constructs a witty reply but you’re not entirely sure the mumble that came out of your mouth made sense; his tongue is fluttering against your clit now and his hands are forcefully spreading your legs wider while somehow also tenderly massaging your skin.
You pry your hands off the edge of the desk where you’ve been bracing yourself and wrap them in his hair while his mouth works you, loving how his eyes dart up to thank you every time you brush a wayward curl off his forehead. It’s a great juxtaposition to the warning look you get when you start bucking your hips against his face. You didn’t mean to start getting rowdy but he slipped his fingers inside you at just the right angle and at the same time his beard dragged across your skin and his lips finally enveloped your clit - you couldn’t help yourself.
“Easy, sweetheart,” he soothes, sliding his hand underneath your shirt and laying his palm flat across your stomach to settle your movements. “Need it that bad? Could’ve sworn I had you the other night, you’re acting like I haven’t touched you in weeks.” His tone is the perfect blend of condescension and care and his words tease you almost as intensely as his fingers curling inside you.
Your reply is interrupted with a surprised moan when he fits his lips over your clit once again and starts sucking rapidly. “Maybe… having you… just makes… Jesus… makes me want you… mmm-more… fuck, babe, I’m cumming.”
You’re shocked by how fast and strong your orgasm hits you - maybe Ashton’s teasing wasn’t too far off and you are just that needy. You lay back on the desk, tugging at his hair, biting your lip to keep from crying out too loudly; try as you might, you can’t ignore the urge to grind against his mouth and the vibration from his groaning only adds to your pleasure.
He keeps at it until you push him away and you whine when he withdraws his fingers from you; you’ve just barely caught your breath when you squeeze his arm to get his attention, craving him near. He, of course, knows what you need and stands to tend to you. He brushes his fingers across your lips before cleaning the rest of your wetness off of them with his own mouth.
You’re pretty sure you see his cock jump in his basketball shorts as your tongue peeks out of your mouth to sample what he’s shared with you. “Taste good, baby?” He asks with heavy breath.
“Tastes better when I’m mixed with you,” you counter, pulling him in.
He moans into your passionate kiss, one hand trying to lean you back on the desk and the other yanking his shorts down. You resist his attempt, catching him off guard by pushing on his shoulders, guiding him back to his abandoned office chair; you climb in his lap to straddle him again, explaining, “Been wanting you like this all day.”
You take his cock in your hand and give it a few strokes before lifting yourself up and tapping your clit with the tip; you play like this for a minute, using him to tease yourself, rubbing your pussy on him, coating him in your wetness until he grabs your hips and sighs your name in a soft plea.
Smiling to yourself, you think maybe you should rib him about being as needy as you, except you don’t want to wait any longer to get him inside you; he watches intently as you balance yourself on the arms of the chair to line up and sink down on him. You groan together in lustful harmony at the feeling and you begin tentatively rocking your hips, enjoying the familiar stretch of him filling you.
You’ve got a moderate rhythm going when Ash starts playing with your nipples through your shirt; you slow your pace a bit and reach to pull the henley off when he stops you. “Leave it on,” he requests with a glint in his eye, fingers swiftly undoing a few buttons to expose more of your chest. “Now whenever I wear it, I won’t be able to stop picturing you riding me.”
You grin at him and lean back on his thighs, grinding slowly on his cock, trying to find that perfect angle. His hands are all over you, under and over the shirt, running over the tops and inside of your thighs; his grip eventually settles on your ass, kneading it and helping you bounce yourself on him.
You ride him at varying speeds, paying attention to the sounds he’s making and the way his body responds to your movements; you can’t get enough of seeing his jaw clench as he struggles not to fuck up into you, trying to let you have your moment.
He squeezes your ass so hard you know there’s bound to be finger shaped bruises in the morning. “Fuck, Ash,” you whisper, mouth against his ear. Your tongue flicks out to toy with his earring and the gasp you get in response is as satisfying as you’d hoped.
“Gettin’ close,” he strains, lifting his hips against yours slowly, thinking if he’s subtle enough maybe you won’t mind.
“God… same,” you tell him, speeding up and bringing a hand between your legs. “Wanna cum with you, babe.”
Ashton takes that as permission to be more blatant with his thrusting and as your breath starts stuttering, he even throws in a few slaps across your ass cheeks; his instincts are correct and within seconds you’re pulsing around him. Your eyes squeeze shut and flashes of white are all you see; you can tell by the tone of his voice he’s praising you as you orgasm but you can’t process what he’s saying.
His arms wrap around you and he holds you close as you squeeze his cock. You rock against him, working yourself through it when he buries his face in your chest to muffle an exhausted grunt as he cums inside you. You stroke his hair, murmuring how good he feels; he catches his breath and his embrace tightens around you as he pulls you into a soft yet sloppy kiss.
“Love you,” he says quietly, resting his head between your breasts again, beard prickling your skin.
You play with the thin chain he’s wearing, admiring the way the silver contrasts with the dark ink on the back of his neck. You’ve seen this side of Ash more in the past few months than you had the entire time you’d been together and it still takes you aback every time it comes out. “Love you too,” you whisper in reply.
He helps you off of him and you excuse yourself to the adjoining bathroom. When you return a few minutes later, he’s redressed, the desk is back in order and all his equipment is shut off.
“Bedtime?” You ask, pleasantly surprised.
He grins. “Like I’d be able to think about anything else tonight,” he reaches for your hand. There’s a comfortable silence as he starts to lead you out of the room before pausing at the foot of the stairs and turning to you. “You know I miss you too, right? When I’m working all the time like this? I think about you a lot.”
You lift your joined hands, kissing his knuckles. “I know, babe, I’m sorry if I made you feel bad when I said all that, I was just tired,” you frown slightly.
Ash slings his arm around you, kissing the top of your head. “Can I tell you a secret? This shirt was actually clean, I sprayed it with cologne and left it out for you,” he laughs, tugging at your collar. “Wanted to wear tomorrow and spend the day having you close to me.”
“Ashhhh, that’s so sweet it’s almost gross,” you aww. He chuckles as you hop onto the step in front of him and peck rapidly at his lips. “Bold of you to assume I’d let you have it back, though.”
He snorts and follows you up the stairs. You turn to him at the top. “Make you a deal: if you’re still in bed with me when I wake up tomorrow, the shirt’s yours.”
He spins you around and gives you a gentle swat, directing you to the bedroom. “Deal.”
————-
@mymindwide​​​ @suchalonelysunflower​​​ @pxrxmoore​​​ @loveroflrh​​​ @ghostofmashton​​​ @sexgodashton​​​ @spookydaddycal​​​​  
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jimlingss · 5 years ago
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Sugar and Coffee [1]
Chapter 1 - Chapter 2
➜ Words: 3.8k
➜ Genres: 99.5% Fluff, 0.5% Angst, Pâtisserie school!AU
➜ Summary: It isn't hard to be a pâtisserie chef, but it's not a piece of cake either. It seems like for you in particular, life keeps throwing in one wrench after another. It always finds ways to make your sweets bitter. The cherry on top is Jeon Jungkook — a rival with a sensitive sweet tooth who always finds ways to complain about you.
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cr.
Baking is an art form. It takes more than just having ingredients and following a recipe. It’s the flavour, texture, taste, and the presentation. It’s knowing why when things go wrong and how to fix it. It’s knowing the right kinds of ingredients to pick, how much of each should be combined, what techniques and methods to use. Baking is therapy. Baking is scientific. It is art.   The ingredients are as follows: 
Fresh strawberries
Sponge cake
Sugar
Heavy cream
Vanilla extract
You slice the freshly washed strawberries into halves as the stand mixer whips the two cups of heavy cream and quarter cup of sugar into medium peaks. Once you’ve got your components prepared, you slice the cooled sponge cake into two layers and set the bottom layer on a cake board on the turning cake table. You spread the whipped cream evenly with an offset spatula and layer the strawberries with cream on top.    Afterwards, you place the other sponge cake on top and repeat the process.   You finish the shortcake with strawberries on top for decorative purposes and pipe flowers with a twelve inch piping bag.   “Very well done! Everyone give a round of applause for Y/N’s shortcake demonstration.”   The teacher claps and the students around the counter follow suit. “Now it’s time for the real test.”   She begins slicing the cake into pieces, but you’re not nervous whatsoever. You know you did a great job and your strawberry shortcake is worthy of salivating over. And as expected, while your classmates take careful bites and allow the flavour to linger on their tongue, there’s nothing but praise.   “Wow, the sponge cake is so soft and moist.”   “The cream is so smooth.”   “It’s so fluffy.”   “It’s melting in my mouth.”   Even the teacher is nodding as she eats. But of course—   “Isn’t it too sweet?”   Jeon Jungkook has his brows deeply furrowed with a soured expression like he bit into a fucking lemon. His fork is cleaned but he puts the utensil down with a noisy clank, not wanting another bite.    A muscle in your cheek twitches.   “Didn’t you say that last time?”   “Yeah.” He shrugs. “But you didn’t follow my advice. Obviously.”   “Maybe you just have sensitive teeth, Jonhson.”   “I don’t,” Jungkook deadpans, not appreciating how you pretend that you don’t know his name.   “I don’t see anyone else complaining.”   “Because they’re too nice to. If you can’t take criticism, then there’s nothing I can do, Y/N.”   There are eyes flickering around. This happens often enough that no one’s particularly surprised, but there’s still bated breath held amongst your classmates.    You open your mouth to retort. But the teacher eats with a thoughtful look, and then nods. “You’re right, Jungkook. You could lessen the sugar just a tad, Y/N. The strawberries are quite sweet this time around. Just goes to show that ingredients might always change, everyone!”   “Okay.” You force a smile. “I’ll make a note of it.”   “Alright class, now that we saw the demonstration, off you go! Watch that whipping cream! It shouldn’t be soft or hard peaks!”   Everyone turns to leave, but your glare connects with Jeon’s until he turns around all the way.    No matter what you make — Jeon Jungkook always complains that it’s too sweet.    He’s a fucking ass.   “What was up with that?” There are audible murmurs behind you. “I thought they were going to fight.”   “In the kitchen? No. Maybe outside — but you know how it is.”   “They still hate each other over the September incident?”   “Well Jeon almost got Y/N expelled….”   You turn around and once they realize they’ve been caught gossiping, they look away with big eyes and they quicken their hands. “So, uh, pass me the cream!”   “Y-Yeah.”   The teacher brings your attention back as she finishes marking the rubric. “Thanks for doing that demonstration for the whole class, Y/N. Job well done as usual. Just lessen the sweetness and you’re good to go.”   You’re given ninety five percent. Full marks lost because of that asshat.    You hope he can feel your glare on his backside.   Eventually class ends and with your station all cleaned, hands washed, and apron put aside, you leave.    Outside of the room, is the most handsome man on the planet waiting for you. The person who you love wholeheartedly. The person you’re most excited to see. Your person.   He’s dressed in a white turtleneck sweater that you got him last year for his birthday, black jeans, and that baby blue trench that’s always soft to the touch. His dark hair is brushed and he’s leaning against the wall casually. But the glimmer in his sheepish eyes betrays the nonchalant exterior he tries to put on.   And the corner of his plump lip pulls into a tender smile.   “Hey—oof!”   Laughter bubbles out of Seokjin’s mouth and his arms wrap around your frame after you quite literally leaped onto him. You barely manage to pull away from the man, having the strongest urge to stick to him forever.   “I missed you.”   You pout and he grins. “Missed you too, sweetheart.”   You lean in to kiss your boyfriend silly. He holds you by your waist and you greet his plump, soft lips that makes you melt in a chaste peck. After a moment, you break away and he wraps an arm around your shoulder. “Should we go?”   “Yeah.” Your steps sync together. “You won’t believe what happened to me today.”   “What happened? Tell me.”   The pair of you walk down the corridor together as the rest of the class continues to spill out. There are girls who caught sight of the heartwarming interaction and they hold their books to their chest as they sigh wistfully.    “God, I’m so jealous. I want to be in love too. When am I going to get a boyfriend?”   “At this rate, never.”   “Hey! Rude!”   “I’m kidding!” She giggles. “You just won’t get someone like Seokjin.”   “Let’s be real, no one is gonna get someone like Seokjin — he’s just...perfect.”   “They’re such a good couple, aren’t they? They’re gonna have such pretty…” Their voices fade, but Jungkook exits and hears their commentary. He turns to steal a glance at your backside down the hall.   Jungkook scoffs audibly.   “What?” Taehyung catches up to his best friend and swings an arm over his shoulder. The same-height brunette follows his line of sight and hums. “Jealous you’re not in a relationship?”   “As if. It’s just pathetic, is all.” Jungkook looks away and they make their own way to the dining hall.   “You really handed it to Y/N today.” Taehyung grins mischievously. “Like damn. I didn’t think her cake was half-bad. But you’re not scared it’s gonna come bite you in the ass, Kook? Y/N’s gonna hammer you down when it’s your turn for demonstration.”   “So what? Like she knows what she’s even doing.”   “Are you sure about that? She seems pretty decent at what she does to me.”   “Decent isn’t good enough,” he says blankly. “She thinks she’s the shit but she came here to follow her boyfriend.”   Taehyung whistles. “You still mad over September?”   “She just irks me. Always has.”   “Right, didn’t you guys go to high school together? You, Jin and her…”   “We never talked. Whatever, it’s not worth talking about and wasting our time. Hey, what’s on the menu for lunch?”   “You tell me. Jimin never texts us what’s new today. Dude just eats and then goes.”   “What class does he even have right now?”   “Bakery safety and sanitation.”   Jungkook grins, remembering just how nightmarish that class was. “Rip.”   The two of them turn the corner, moving the opposite way from you and Seokjin, and the hallway empties out. 
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Anxiousness boils at the pit of your stomach. Today’s the day you’ve been waiting for ever since you found out your application was accepted into the institution and you were successfully enrolled. Whatever results appear, it might dictate where you’re headed in the near and far future. The experience that you gain in these two years will pave the path to your career after all.   “It’s today?” Moonbyul puts down her spoon. “Isn’t the paid internship in May? It’s only November.”   “The posting went up for us in November too,” Hani pipes up past a mouthful of eggs. “Remember?”   “Did it? It was so long ago, I forgot.”   “It was only last year.” Sandeul rolls his eyes. “You haven’t gotten that old.”   “I sure feel like it.”   “Well if anything, you sure look like it.”   “Umm, excuse me?”   “Okay, okay, guys,” Your boyfriend interrupts with a laugh. “You’re freaking out Y/N even more.”   They mutter apologies, but you smile. In an attempt to calm yourself down, you ask, “Where did you guys end up going?” After all, they’re a year ahead of you and they’ve been through the entire process. Any advice is helpful advice at this point.   “Sandeul and I got hired by a hotel,” Hani says, “The Marriott. It was a pretty sweet gig, kind of tough though. Out of the entire class, I think five of us went there in total, so we were pretty lucky that we knew each other. It was long hours, but I learned a lot.”   Sandeul scoffs. “Can’t say I did.”   “When do you ever learn?” Moonbyul bites back.   “My internship was at a private club,” Ken recalls, interjecting as the two of them argue again. “But all I baked was bread all day. It was awful.”   “Oh god.” You look to Seokjin. “What if I have to bake bread all day? I hate yeast.”   Jin laughs and he lifts his thumb to affectionately swipe at the corner of your mouth, getting the spaghetti sauce off your skin where you missed. “You’ll be fine. Promise. You’ll probably get hired at a catering company like I did. Or maybe a pastry shop.”   “God, I hope so.”   “Which did you apply to?” Hani asks, playing with her noodles.   “Just a bunch of them. Restaurants, catering companies, shops. I applied to I think ten.”   “Oh, you should be fine then.”   “But I heard sometimes they put you in ones you didn’t apply for.”   “That rarely happens. Don’t worry about it.” She bats the air with her hand, easing your worries a little more.   Your boyfriend smiles warmly. “See? Told you so.”   You nod and check the time. It’s five minutes to noon. And with that realization, you get up. “We should go.”   “Don’t they email you?” Sandeul asks, pulling himself away from his argument with Moonbyul and ignoring whatever half-hearted and playful insult she throws his way.   “Yeah, but the physical posting gets put up faster.” You’re jittery, hopping on both feet and Jin chuckles before he gets up too, taking your food tray and his to dump into the trash.   They wish you all the luck you need and you’re off with Seokjin by your side.   You’re excited and afraid, not exactly sure what to expect. You just hope you get your internship by the same catering company as the one Seokjin had. They liked him enough that they’ve ensured him a position after he graduates. If they hire you too and you do well enough, they’ll hire you back and you’ll get to work with him. It would be absolutely perfect.   You can already imagine it. A small apartment in the city. Working together. Coming home together. There’s not a better plan out there.   The hallway is crowded with lots of people pushing past to look at the posting. There are loud conversations, eager claps and cheers, to disappointed sighs and whines.    “Wait here, okay?” You turn to Jin, not wanting him to be stepped on or pushed by the crowd.    “I’ll be right here.” He squeezes your hand before letting go.    And you push past the horde of students. “Excuse me, excuse me. Sorry…”   “Aw man, I have my internship at a grocery store?! This sucks.” — “The hell is Dog World.” — “Oh my god, oh my god! I got into the East Wood Country Club! Fuck yes!”   Finally, you stumble out of the crowd to the very front. The list is grouped together by locations and you search your name on the paper posting. After an antagonizing minute, you find it. “Kim’s…..Wedding Cake Company….”   Blood drains from your face. It runs cold.   Jeon Jungkook is coming with you.   //   You stomp your foot and cross your arms. You’ve been pouting for the past hour. But you can’t help the distress — not when you were still unable to comprehend it. It was the worst news on Earth. You thought your eyes were wrong, that maybe the posting or printer made a mistake, but the email wasn’t any different either.   “I can’t believe I have to go with that jerk! It’s all ruined!”   “I know, baby.” Seokjin pouts with you, sympathizing with your situation. He pulls you in to plant a kiss at the top of your head. “But you’ll be okay. Promise.”   The way he says it calms your nerves, but that doesn’t mean you still aren’t frustrated to no end.   There was only one paid internship to be done. One that was supposed to pave your way, help with the rest of your career, teach you things that couldn’t be learned through lectures and classroom work. But your one shot is destroyed. In shambles. What should be a fantastic experience is going to be a dreadful one.   Why did things never go right for you?   “I just….I just really wanted to be hired at your company.” You look up at him, eyes stinging and glossy with tears that threaten to shed.    Your plans are ruined.   “It’s okay. You can always apply after graduation.”    “I know.” You sigh. “But of all people, why him?”   A few hours later, the pair of you catch up with your friends at the dining center for dinner, and they quickly notice the way you’re not necessarily jumping for joy, but rather grieving. “Not...good news, I presume?”   Moonbyul gasps. “Did you not get hired anywhere-OW!” She rubs the spot where Sandeul smacked the back of her head for being tactless.   “It’s not that,” you reassure them with a small smile. “My internship is at Kim’s Wedding Cake Company.”   Ken’s eyes are enlarged. “Oh shit.”   “Wedding cakes?!” Hani sharply inhales. “That’s brutal.”   “No, it’s not that either. I don’t mind. It’s just…” You steal a glimpse at your boyfriend. For one, you wanted to go where he went and secondly— “I’m with Jeon Jungkook.”   “Who?” Ken asks, brows furrowing.   “You know, the black haired kid,” Moonbyul says in an attempt to jog his memory.   But the man’s impassive expression doesn’t waver or alter. “You literally described at least a quarter of the population.”   “The one that looks like a rabbit, you idiot.” Hani makes grand gestures. “The deer-looking fellow. You know, the cute one.”   “Right!” He snaps his fingers, as if that was enough to remember him by.   You shake your head. “He’s not cute. He’s an ass. Steer clear territory.”   “Can’t you steer clear from him?” Sandeul asks before he slurps up his carbonara and then chews in his cheek. “There’s like what— four or five kids coming with you? You can probably avoid him if you wanted to.”   “No.” It dawns on you just how bad the circumstances are. “Apparently only two of us are going there. At least I didn’t see anyone else assigned to that place. It’s only going to be just him and I.”   “Yikes.”   “Not helping, Hani.” Seokjin gives her a look that makes her sheepish and mumble an apology. “It’s not going to be that bad.” He reaches for your hand underneath the table, a private place without the prying eyes of his friends. “It’s only for three months and it’s during summer. It won’t happen for quite some time.”   “Yeah.” You squeeze your hand tenderly with his.    It’s wondrous how effective Seokjin’s reassurance is. You feel like there’s no reason for you to be afraid, for you to dread the inevitability. He makes you feel like you could take on anything.   All plans have their obstacles. Maybe this is just yours. Things always have a way of working out after all. You’ll get your experience, do your internship without talking to him, and then apply where Jin will be working after. You just have a feeling — call it your intuition — that it’ll work out.   //   But you’re still somewhat unsettled. You wonder if there’s a way you could switch. At least it wouldn’t hurt to take your chances and ask, then you knew you tried and did all you could. So with a hopeful heart, you approach the office area and open the door. The secretary is gone from her desk, maybe gone to take a bathroom or coffee break, so you take a seat in the waiting area.   One second passes before you overhear a familiar voice that you’ve grown to detest.   “—don’t see how I’m qualified at all! I haven’t even learned about wedding cakes yet!” The frustration is tangible. “It’s a course for next year!”   “Then you’ll get a head start from your classmates, Jungkook.”   There’s an audible sigh and his voice becomes calmer. “Miss. Kang, please. I just don’t understand how I could be put in something I didn’t even apply for.”   “What do you want to do, Jungkook?”   “Pardon?”   “What is it that you want to do after you’ve gotten your diploma?”   “I want to be a chocolatier.” There’s a pause. “A Master Chocolatier. I want to compete in The World Chocolate Masters. That’s why I applied for Oliver’s and Tokyo Confectionery. Spending my time and my internship at a place that does chocolate is important to me. Not wedding cakes.”   “Well, you’re lucky then. I personally know the couple that runs Kim’s Wedding Cake Company. They’re good friends of mine and the man who runs the place with his wife is actually a chocolatier. He studied in Paris and has been in the industry for more than ten years. I feel like you could learn a lot from him, Jungkook. Remember, it’s not the place you go to, but the mentor that you have. Think it over. Give it a few days. If you still have concerns, we can talk about it.”   Jungkook huffs in exasperation and grabs his bag. He mutters a reluctant ‘thank you’ before leaving the office. He doesn’t take one look back but on his way out, he catches you staring straight at him in the waiting area. His steps slow but then he scoffs, looks away and walks out.   When you get a chance to talk to the lady organizing internships, it’s brief — she apologizes and tells you there’ll be no changes made. There’s no arguing, you know that much. Not when Jungkook quite literally tried every desperate plea in the book.   You end up leaving and at the same exact time, Jungkook exits the men’s locker area, changed back into his regular attire. The two of you nearly bump heads, running into each other.   “Are you following me?” he flat out asks when your eyes meet.   You raise a brow, freezing in the middle of the hallway. “Excuse me?”   “Are you following me,” he repeats with a sharp tongue, obviously still peeved over his previous interaction with Miss. Kang. But you don’t know why he’s putting it on you and making such outlandish accusations. There was absolutely no limit to his cockiness.   “Get your head out of your ass, Johnson. I don’t have the time or day to follow you around.”   “Then what are you doing here?”   “I don’t think I need to tell you where I am or what I do.”   “Whatever.” Jungkook rolls his eyes and brushes past you.   But you turn onto your heel and shout after him—   “Do you really think you’ll make it?”   “What?” He shifts around to glare. His thick brows are knitted, mouth downturned.   “Do you really think you’ll make it as a chocolatier?” You meet his eye and a smirk pulls on your features. A rush of air leaves your nose in a snort. “You? Really? You want to compete in The World Chocolate Masters? That’s cute.”   “At least I have actual ambitions and goals and I’m not here for the sake of my boyfriend.”   “Excuse me? What are you trying to say?”   “Don’t play dumb and act like you didn’t follow your little boyfriend here.”   “You don't know anything about me, Jeon.”   “I don’t? I know that you’re not passionate about baking, that’s for sure. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have fucking stolen—”   “Fuck you,” you spit. “I didn’t.”   “Yeah right.” Jungkook scoffs. “Get real, Y/N.”   He gets the last word. Jeon Jungkook turns around, walking away with his bag slung over his shoulder. You shout insults after him but he ignores it, making you look like the fool.   Tears sting your eyes and your teeth grit. He’s an asshole through and through. You don’t know why you even bother wasting your breath.    If Seokjin was the most patient, kindest person and the person that you love the most — then Jeon was the complete opposite. You will forever detest his very being.   //   Your hand is squeezed and you’re brought out of your thoughts.   “Babe? What’s wrong?”   You look to your boyfriend. That’s right — you love him and this man loves you. There’s nothing else that could ever matter more than this. “Nothing. I just had...a really long day today.”   Seokjin stops walking and spreads open his arms wide. He gestures to you. “Come here.”   A smile pulls into your features and you jump into him. Jin laughs, stumbling back as you cuddle into his chest. His arms wrap securely around your frame, shielding you from the cold, from the darkness of the night.   You feel safe.   “I love you.”   He hums and kisses the top of your head. You’re beginning to feel better already.
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gottawriteanegoortwo · 4 years ago
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Yancy x Illinois - First Impressions Aren’t Always the Best
I decided to try properly writing Yanois, just to see how I’d manage it. After rewatching Illinois’ scenes, I think he would get on the nerves of the Yancy I write at first.
Word Count 2,122
(Read more because Illinois talks so much...)
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Happy Trails Penitentiary was renowned for its rehabilitation initiatives. They had a wide variety of classes and visitors to help prisoners. Educational courses, chances to learn new skills, pen pal projects. Many prisoners would never have the opportunity for such experiences, and it was an integral part of helping them prepare for a better life outside of prison when their sentence was finished.
There was one visitor that most prisoners in Yancy’s ‘Gang’ adored. His name was Illinois, a renowned adventurer and archaeologist. Between his job in the university and research trips, he only had time to visit once every few months. It worked in his favour, as those that wanted to visit were able to to hear the various stories that Illinois was more than happy to tell. Not only that, it would encourage the small ‘fan club’ among the younger prisoners.
It was one of the few events that Yancy avoided. Something about Illinois rubbed him the wrong way. He was so arrogant and cocky, acting like the world revolved around him. It wasn’t an act, either. Yancy had spotted Illinois speaking to the Warden on his first visit two years earlier, and he acted the exact same way as he did in the talk that happened that day. After that, Yancy decided he didn’t want anything to do with the adventurer. But if Illinois were to ever become an inmate? Yancy would make sure Illinois had the snot beaten out of him within the first week.
Unfortunately, a lot of the Gang were of the opposite view, especially those around Yancy’s age. To them, Illinois walked straight out of an adventure movie and lived the ideal life. What prisoner didn’t dream of going exploring in uncharted territories? It meant that they would frequently share Illinois’ tales in rec yard when he came to visit. Yancy would roll his eyes, but keep quiet. Let them have their fun.
Today was the day that Illinois visited the prison. It had been over three months since the last visit, so there was an excited buzz among individuals in the Gang. Yancy spent the morning bracing himself. There was a talk after lunch that the others would go to, which would mean the rest of the afternoon and evening would be nothing but historical chatter and “Illinois is so cool!”. He would grumble, but he would keep that to himself. It wasn’t fair to deflate their excitement. He went to the library, found some random book and focused on that for the day. Then, once they had their excitement, it would die down and Yancy could enjoy more casual conversation.
Which was the plan… Until Bam-Bam pleaded for him to go to the last talk of the day. It turned out that his shift clashed with the talk everyone else they knew went to, and he didn’t want to go alone. Begrudgingly, Yancy closed the book, returned it to the shelf, and followed Bam-Bam. A flaw of being a loyal friend was knowing when to swallow your pride and do something you would rather not do.
-
When you go to something with low expectations, it can be incredibly difficult to feel the time was used in a worthwhile manner. Some might have memories of a teacher they hated, or a family gathering they had been dreading. This was a similar position to what Yancy found himself in. One of the ‘classrooms’ had been adjusted slightly to allow various displays to take center stage, with the chairs in neat rows in front of it. Bam-Bam and Yancy claimed two seats at the back, allowing the greaser to slouch in the chair with his arms crossed. Then, once more prisoners had arrived, the talk began.
On and on Illinois went, droning endlessly in that slow drawl. Yancy wished he had a TV remote to speed up the talking a fraction. Was Illinois focused on making sure everyone could understand him, or did he want to prolong the joy of hearing himself talk? It might have been more tolerable if Bam-Bam wasn’t genuinely engrossed in the lecture. They could have made amusing comments throughout. Instead, Yancy was stuck. Sure, history was interesting, but Illinois really drove home the stereotype of boring history teachers. The ‘adventures’ even sounded cliché and fake. Maybe he should have taken the book with him after all...
A painfully slow half hour passed. Once the talk was over, Illinois would literally open the floor to the other prisoners. The chairs would be pushed aside and those that wanted to look at the items Illinois brought were welcome to do so. Yancy was dragged along to view the pieces. Most of the articles were dated to be approximately eight thousand years old. What caught Bam-Bam’s attention was a stone carving that vaguely resembled a cat.
“Ahhh, I see the ‘White Jaguar’ has caught your attention.” Yancy had to repress a shudder at the smooth voice interrupting their own questions back and forth. Illinois stepped over, resting an arm against the perspex container. “She’s a beauty, isn’t she? A miracle we even found her in the first place. She was why I wasn’t able to visit like I said I would last month.” Bam-Bam’s eager question had Illinois chuckle and shake his hand dismissively. “Oh, I’m sure you two gentlemen have much better things to do than hear about how I nearly lost my right hand in my most recent adventure.” When Bam-Bam insisted otherwise, Illinois smirked (and Yancy nearly gagged).
“If you insist. While on our recent dig, I noticed one of the ruins had a floor panel that looked a little different from the rest. It took a little persuasion, but I got that pesky stone up. There, sprawled out before me, was a staircase leading down into the earth. I picked up one of the torches and made my way down. Slowly, I delved deeper into the darkness. One step gave way under me to set off a series of poison-dipped darts, but I was able to dodge them all without breaking a sweat.” Illinois continued, dramatically regaling every single trap that he encountered until he found the White Jaguar. When taking everything around it, he surmised that the owner of the house had been a thief. The jaguar motif was familiar, as he had noticed something similar in a nearby cave that had been repurposed at the time as a sacred spot.
“- Now, this heart of this cave was still guarded by ancient jaguar spirits. They rattled the large statues as I approached, obviously sensing the treasure I carried. In the middle, there was a jaguar’s head carved out of stone. Its jaw was open wide and I couldn’t help but feel as though it was just the right spot for this precious lady. But then, skeletons of what I assume were magic users from an era long gone by pounced and tried to wrestle the statue off me, but I was too fast for them. At last, I reached the carved head, put the White Jaguar in the mouth… and the stone head moved, trapping my arm in a ferocious bite!” He gestured to the cloth wrapped around his right wrist. It was unwrapped just enough to show the healing bite marks. “It had the strength to bite it clean off, but relented when it realised what I had done by offering my arm as blood payment to return -”
“Wait wait wait.” Yancy’s interruption had Bam-Bam elbow him, but it didn’t stop the objection. “That can’t be right. If youse managed to bring this back to where it’s meant to be, why the fuck is it here?”
“An excellent question. This is my recreation of it. I am no thief. I return artefacts to where they belong. Archaeology has a rotten connection with thievery, and I try to rectify the mistakes of my predecessors.”
“So then this entire thing could be bullshit!” Yancy scoffed. “Bam-Bam, this guy just got bitten by someone’s dog and has made this pile of baloney to hide that.”
“Are you accusing me of being a liar?”
“Well, I ain’t calling you a ‘truther’, that’s for sure!”
Yancy was ready for a proper argument. In fact, he was hoping for one. Instead… Illinois laughed, and it wasn’t that typical ‘cocky chuckle’. It was a bright, genuine laugh. He could almost see Bam-Bam go starry-eyed at such a rare moment. Typical Yancy. Getting more attention from Illinois when he wanted to rile him up.
“I suppose it all does sound rather suspicious when you put it that way. Let me show you something.” Illinois gestured for the pair to follow him toward a display of photographs. Instead of pointing to these, he instead reached for his briefcase. A small photo album was pulled out. Yancy noticed that it was dated three months prior. While Illinois flipped through it, both prisoners could see what looked like an area that had been dug up. It matched the pictures in front of them of an excavation site. At last, Illinois found what he was looking for.
“One Guardian Jaguar, complete with the White Jaguar in its mouth. As you can see, the teeth have fresh blood on them. It was an… Oddly tranquil sight, despite the unfortunate situation.”
“So then why act like these are the real deal? People just take youse’s word for it?”
“Normally those that attend my talks know that what I show are my artistic recreations for purely educational purposes. I suppose I do take for granted that those who attend here are invested regulars.” Illinois gave a small shrug. “It’s an easy mistake to forget to remind people who might be new to my talks. I’m sorry if you thought I was a fraud, but I am the real deal. Too good to be true, yet here I am.”
“Yeah yeah, ‘sucks that I’m perfect as shit’, I get it. Least you knows not to make that mistake again.” Yancy rocked back on his heel with the intention of turning and walking away.
“Now now. I can’t let you walk off like that. Take this.” Another item was pulled out of his briefcase. “I made this smaller model of the White Jaguar as a ‘first draft’. I was intending on using it as motivation to my first-year students but… I think it should stay here with you.” Illinois took the opportunity to reach for Yancy’s hand. The small clay model was gently placed in it before Illinois curled Yancy’s fingers over it to keep it in place. His hands stayed where they were as he continued, “We think the White Jaguar was a symbol of good fortune. Perhaps it might bring you some good luck.” He smiled at Yancy, only to have the moment broken by the guard announcing that there were five minutes before the prisoners had to return to their cells for the afternoon count. Yancy took the chance to quickly leave the room without as much as a ‘goodbye’. At least his friend, who introduced himself as Bam-Bam, quickly thanked Illinois before darting out.
A few more questions were asked of him by other prisoners and curious staff; and then it was time to tidy up to bring everything back to the university. It was only when he reached the White Jaguar model did Illinois hesitate. There was something about that abrasive prisoner he couldn’t put his finger on. Was it because he seemed uninterested in the adventurer? Or was there something else? It was a rare moment that Illinois wished he’d had an excuse to chat to the prisoner longer. Maybe not here, but somewhere quieter. Just the two of them.
Huh… Was this what an attraction felt like? He joked about others falling in love with him so often, he wasn’t sure if this was payback for never returning interest in others. He was drawn toward a prisoner that seemed keen to dismiss his hard work and reputation. And worse! Illinois didn’t even know his name!
Then again… A good adventurer always loves the thrill of a mystery. Maybe he could try and find that prisoner next time he visited. Now that the university was open again, he’d be able to drop by more frequently…
--
For what it was worth, Yancy also had a mystery on his hands.
Namely, how to get away from Bam-Bam - who would not SHUT UP about their prolonged conversation with Illinois - and half the gang - who were incredibly jealous Yancy got a gift from the Illinois!
He dropped his head against the chow hall table with a low ‘thunk’. This was the opposite of getting the others to stop talking about Illinois around him!
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particularemu · 5 years ago
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NSFW Alphabet | Hwang Hyunjin
Word Count: 4242
Type: Smut
Author’s Note: I’ve been seeing these go around and I felt like joining the NSFW Alphabet Club so here we are. 
A couple of the blurbs are straight from other fics that I’ve written because my stupid ass is LAAAAZY :3 
Side note: These are all my opinions, so don’t come @ me 
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A=Aftercare
This is Hwang Hyunjin we’re talking about here
The softest — sweetest boy I’ve ever seen to exist 
Of course, he’s going to be BOMB at aftercare
His favorite thing to do after sex is soak in a bath, mostly because he can clean you up, help you relieve some of your soreness, AND he gets to have you pressed against his chest
“Do you need anything?” Hyunjin pressed a soft kiss to your forehead. 
“I need you here with me.” You tugged on his arm, making the ebony-haired boy giggle. 
Hyunjin ruffled your hair. “I need to get the bed cleaned up love.” 
“Do it later.” You shifted in the warm bath water, giving him space to slip in. “Please?”
“Fine.” Hyunjin joined you in the bath, eyes going wide when you straddled his hips and kissed him. 
“I love you.” You nuzzled your noses together. 
Hyunjin’s hands rested on your waist, a sexy gleam in his eyes as he squeezed the soft flesh. 
“Do you want a round three?”
B=Body Part
His favorite part on your body? Definitely your eyes.
He loves looking into your eyes because your eyes always seem to hold so much love for him 
On him, Hyunjin loves his lips.
He’s gotten lots of compliments on them, so he figures they’re his best feature.
“Look at me love.” Hyunjin’s forehead rested against yours as he slowly rocked his hips against yours. “Let me see your eyes.” 
You slowly opened your eyes, a quiet moan escaping your lips as your legs wrapped around his waist, allowing him to hit impossibly deeper. “It feels so good Jinnie.” 
Hyunjin picked up the pace, moving faster. He couldn’t help but smirk when your eyes rolled in the back of your head before drifting shut.
“Now love, how many times do I have to tell you keep your eyes open?”
C=Cum
Let’s talk about cum super quick
He loves to cum inside you in every way
There’s something about the way you clench around him (whether he’s fucking your throat or any other hole whoops) that makes the orgasm 10x better for him
He also low-key loves seeing his cum on your tongue
“Open your mouth sweetheart.” Hyunjin tapped his cock against your tongue, breath hitching when you stuck your tongue out for him. He pumped, teeth clenching as he came across your tongue. 
“Hold on.” You looked up at him after hearing his words. 
“Keep that pretty tongue out for me. I love to see myself on your tongue.” 
D=Dirty Secret
Before you were dating, he walked in on you when you were masturbating
You were so caught up in the pleasure that you didn’t hear him walk-in
Poor boy was shooketh
He walked right on out, and dealt with the raging hard-on in his pants 
He thought of you the whole time he was stroking himself
Low-key ashamed but high-key had the greatest orgasm of his life while thinking about you
Couldn’t look you in the eye for like a week
Hyunjin’s eyes raked over your body as you rubbed yourself underneath your panties. 
“Ohh Hyunjin.” 
He rushed out of your room, figuring it was best to leave you alone and take care of his own problem. 
Hyunjin pulled his cock out of his pants and stroked himself. 
“Oh the things you do to me.” 
E= Experience
Ok, so some people feel like these boys have some experience, I respectfully disagree
I feel like these boys don’t have time to get up to any nonsense
Especially Hyunjin
Hyunjin has mentioned that he was a curious child, so he took up many competitions and hobbies
So I feel like he threw himself into sports and hobbies
I also imagine he had 0 time when he was a trainee, so this boy was probably a virgin when he met you
He has definitely masturbated before, but he has never had sex with a woman. 
“I’m a virgin.” 
Hyunjin’s cheeks flushed at your confession. “Me too.” He chuckled nervously. “God, I was so worried about telling you.” 
“Why?” You giggled, grabbing his hands. 
“I don’t know…” Hyunjin trailed off. “I want to make you feel good when the time comes.” 
“We’ll learn together.” 
FIRST TIME
His first time having sex was extremely important to him, and he didn’t want to fuck it up
You and him had been dating for a while 
He wanted you to feel good, so he did some research ahead of time
Boi legit Googled “How do I make a girl cum?” 
He must have found some good information because WOOO
From the get-go, he knew exactly where to touch, lick, and suck to bring you to your high quickly
Of course it took a bit of time and exploring to find what pleased you the most, but once he figured that out, he was hooked
He loved to hear your moans, so he made you cum numerous times with his tongue before even moving on to the main event
Now, he came quickly, and he was a bit embarrassed, but you reassured him it was fine, considering he made you cum many times before penetration
Hyunjin’s eyes squeezed shut as he came, cheeks flushing bright red as he buried his face in your neck. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” He groaned in embarrassment. 
You couldn’t help but giggle. “What’s there to be sorry about?” Your hands ran along his shoulders, making the boy relax into your touch. 
“You didn’t finish.” He mumbled against your skin. 
“Jinnie.” You tilted his chin up, forcing the boy to look at you. “You made me cum three times before you even finished undressing.” You chuckled. “Don’t worry about it.” 
Hyunjin’s cheeks flushed as his brown eyes remained fixed on yours. 
“I love you so much.” 
F= Favorite Position
Missionary king
He loves to look in your eyes when you’re having sex, because it gives him a good idea of how you’re feeling
He can tell by your facial expressions whether or not he’s hitting the right spots
He also wants to be able to tell immediately if you’re in pain
Aside from missionary, he loves the lotus position, and he adores fucking you against a wall with your legs wrapped around his waist
“Oh God, Hyunjin.” You threw your head back against the pillows, nails raking across his back as he thrust into you. 
“Look at me, love.” Hyunjin’s forehead pressed against yours as he rocked into you, eyes watching your facial expressions as you wrapped your legs around his waist. Hyunjin nuzzled your noses together, making your heart flutter in your chest as you came close to your high. 
“I’m gonna cum.” You moaned. 
“Go ahead sweetheart.” Hyunjin’s husky voice sent you over the edge. “That’s it.” His hips rolled against yours to coax you through your orgasm. 
“You look so pretty when you cum.” 
G= Goofy
Sex with Hyunjin can vary from super playful to extremely romantic
You could go either way
Sometimes you guys get a bit giggly when things get hot and heavy and someone sneezes or trips over their pants
Then that playful mood won’t go away and y’all are just giggling while making love
“What are you doing?” You giggled as Hyunjin’s fingertips rubbed across your ribcage.
“Nothing,” Hyunjin smirked — that shit-eating grin driving you bonkers as you reached for him. 
“Please quit fuck me.” You raised your hips up to his, hoping you could pull the boy out of his playful mood. 
“Aww, but I wanna have fun with you~” 
H= Hair
He likes to stay trimmed, but sometimes gets lazy with it
99% of the time he’ll be trimmed up
If he isn’t, he’ll be a bit embarrassed, especially if you keep yourself neat and tidy
You groaned around Hyunjin’s length as his hand pushed you further and further down his cock. “You take me so well baby.” Hyunjin moaned and threw his head back, hand pushing you down until his entire cock rested in your throat. Your nose pressed into the bare skin of his pubic bone. 
“So fucking well.” 
I=Intimacy
Most of your sexual experiences with Hyunjin will be extremely intimate 
He’ll want to shower you with compliments and worship your body
He loves taking his time, pressing kisses to every scar, stretch mark, or mole scattered across your skin
He’ll also want to hear some praises back
“Jinnie stop.” You flushed bright red as Hyunjin kissed along your stretch marks. 
“Why don’t you love yourself?” Hyunjin looked genuinely confused as his lips trailed across your skin. “You’re so beautiful, I don’t know how you don’t love yourself.” 
Oh your heart! 
“Please, let me worship every single piece of you.” 
J=Jack Off
Ahem
I feel like this boy would jack off if the mood hits him and you aren’t there
99% of the time he’d just want to fuck you
But if that isn’t an option, he’d rather use his right hand vs. having blue balls
Hyunjin rolled his head back as his hand closed around the base of his cock. God, he wanted to fuck you so bad, but you were at work. His hand will just have to do. 
A shaky sigh escaped his lips as he ran his hand up and down his length, pulling the foreskin as his thumb rolled across the prominent veins on the side. Oh, how he wished your soft tongue was providing such pleasure. You would always trail your tongue along the underside of his cock, eyes rolling in the back of your head as his cock hit the back of your throat. 
Hyunjin’s thighs shook, a low groan rumbling in his throat as he came in his hand. 
“Fuck, I wish you were here.” 
K=Kink
Jinnie has a praise kink
He loves to give and receive praise
Receiving praise helps him know whether or not he’s doing a good job + it gives him a confidence boost
If this boy seems hesitant with his touches, tell him what you like. He’ll immediately smile and get to work
He’s also into light bondage. He really loves the way Shibari looks and he loves testing out new patterns with the Shibari rope. 
He’s definitely a switch, so he wouldn’t mind letting you take control, but he prefers to be the dom most of the time
He’s totally interested in pegging, but he’d be all sly about it
Like he’d buy butt plugs and be like, “I thought we could try these out tonight. We could use them on you… or me…”
Sly Jinnie
Once you tried them out on him, he’d probably bring up pegging
He’d be super embarrassed but excited
Loves overstimulation: giving and receiving
He really enjoys feeling your thighs shake around his head as he slurps at your core
Is cunnilingus a kink?
It is now
This boy loves dipping his tongue between your folds
He adores you and wants you to feel amazing, and he knows his mouth can do wonders
“You good baby girl?” Hyunjin leaned his head on your inner thigh, a tantalizing smirk tugging at his lips as he watched your body shake and thrash beneath his teasing fingertips. 
His fingers slipped inside you with ease, curling upward to rub against your g-spot. A choked sob escaped your lips as his tongue rolled across your clit once more. 
“I love watching you squirm under my tongue.” 
L=Location
Could fuck you anywhere sis
But he’d prefer to have sex in bed
It gives you two the privacy you need, and he can take his time with you
BUT sometimes he likes having semi-public sex — as long as there’s a VERY small chance that you guys could get caught
“Jinnie, we’re in public!” You moaned as Hyunjin roughly yanked your skirt down your legs. 
Hyunjin slid your panties to the side as he slammed into you. “Maybe you should have thought of that before teasing me.” Hyunjin roughly pistoned into you, making your choked moans echo in the small dressing room. Hyunjin’s hand clamped over your mouth. 
“You better be quiet baby. Unless you want everyone to see me fuck your pretty little pussy.” 
M=Motivation
He loves to see you in pretty lingerie
He also loves to see you in his oversized shirts
Put both together and he’s DEAD
You’ll be bent over in no time if you wear lacy underwear and one of his t shirts
“Hey.” You leaned against the doorframe, clad in one of Hyunjin’s favorite shirts and a lacy pair of underwear that made your ass look perfect. 
Hyunjin tore his eyes away from his book, mouth dropping open as his eyes scanned your body. The boy’s cheeks flushed a bright shade of crimson as he watched you saunter over to him. 
“God, you look perfect.” 
N=No
He’s not willing to do anything that could harm you in any way
So he’s not a fan of knifeplay, breathplay, 
He’s totally fine with a bit of spanking, but for the most part, he wants to worship you, not put you in pain
I also think he isn’t a fan of anything that involves any bodily fluids aside from cum and saliva (so no watersports) 
“What on earth is knifeplay?” Hyunjin’s eyes went wide as the two of you looked up the definition. 
You both wanted to try out different kinks, but you had no idea what kinks even existed, so you and Hyunjin decided to look some up on the internet. 
“Oh, it’s sex involving knives.” You giggled at the look of genuine fear on Hyunjin’s face. 
“We are NOT doing that.” 
O=Oral
This boy is a boss at oral
Hyunjinnie deserves a gold medal
This boy has spent lots of time with his tongue in your folds
He knows exactly how to make you cum with his tongue
He always starts off slow, with long licks up your slit
Then he just dives in like a man starved
His tongue will lap between your folds, the tip circling around your clit before he harshly sucks
He’ll suck your clit between his teeth and nibble a bit
Hold on sis
Because you aren’t cumming just once from his mouth
He loves to overstimulate you, holding your legs open for him while he slurps at your core
Yum
Get me a Jinnie~
Hyunjin pulled you closer and sucked even harder on your clit, making your body shake from the intense orgasm that followed. You practically screamed as Hyunjin rolled his tongue over your clit, the overwhelming pleasure making you lose your mind. You couldn’t think of anything but him and the way his tongue moved along your core. You couldn’t tell if you were moaning, screaming, or crying at this point — you just knew that you were completely under Hyunjin’s control, whether you liked it or not. 
A third orgasm washed over you, but Hyunjin wasn’t finished. He pulled away for a split second. “One more.” You cried out as his fingertips toyed with your sensitive core. “Hold out for one more.” 
The words barely hit your ears before he wrapped his lips around you. You thrashed against the soft mattress, sweat dripping down your brow as tears streamed down your cheeks. “I can’t cum anymore.” You cried, shoving at his shoulders.
Hyunjin pulled away from your core and smacked your outer thigh. 
“You can and you will!” 
Taken From: Caught
P=Pace
His pace typically starts off slow, and speeds up near the end
Foreplay is HUGE for him
He wants to make sure you’re ready for him
And he also REALLY enjoys making you feel good
Once foreplay is over, he starts off with slow, deep thrusts
As he gets closer to his release, he’ll speed up.
Hyunjin started to thrust into you again, setting a much quicker pace to make up for all the pausing throughout the night. You moaned and reached for his hand, smiling when he threaded his fingers between yours. He squeezed your hand before reaching between your bodies, brushing his fingers between your folds to stimulate your clit. 
Your back arched off the bed, making the tall boy chuckle as he continued to rock his hips against yours. You were so close, and you could tell he was too. Hyunjin’s brow creased, eyes clenching shut as he tried to hold off his orgasm long enough for you to reach your high. The way your walls closed around him, sent him over the edge. He came with a loud moan, hand stopping all movements against you. 
“Oh my God that felt so good.” 
Taken From: Goose Down
Q=Quickie
This boy is not very good at quickies
He always ends up getting overly excited and going for another round
So quickies are not his favorite thing
“Come on.” You ushered Hyunjin into the coat closet, instantly yanking your panties down your legs. 
After seeing Hyunjin kill it on the stage, you were so horny you couldn’t wait to have him. “Please hurry.” You moaned. 
Hyunjin pulled his cock out of his pants and slammed into you. “Fuck you feel so good.” Hyunjin chuckled as he started to thrust into you.
“We have to hurry. Someone might come in.” 
R=Risk
Hyunjin doesn’t like to take big risks
But he’d be willing to fuck in a practice room if it’s scheduled to just him
Sure people could walk in, but it’d be highly unlikely
He loves you so much and wouldn’t want to subject you to the embarrassment of someone walking in on the two of you
“Come on Jinnie.” You mumbled against his skin. “We can lock the door.” Your lips traveled along his jawline, making the boy hard in his sweats. 
“The boys could come in any moment.” Hyunjin practically whined.
“Please.” You looked up at him with your best puppy-dog eyes as your hand cupped his hardening cock in his pants. 
“Fine.” Hyunjin sighed and turned you around. 
“Let’s be quick.” 
S=Stamina
He’s a kpop idol and one of the main dancers
This boy got stamina
He draws out foreplay quite a bit
Then he can usually last 2-3 rounds of penetrative sex
His stamina rebuilds FAST so after like 15 minutes of cuddling he might be eyeing you up like, “wanna do round 4?”
“Hey baby.” 
“Jinnie no.” You giggled as the boy pouted. “How are you not tired?”
“I’m never tired when it comes to you.” Hyunjin giggled and pulled you closer to his chest. 
“That’s a lie.” you chuckled. “You’ve fallen asleep on me almost every time we start a movie.” 
Hyunjin laughed. “Hey! I try to stay awake, but right after practice I need to nap.” His chin rested on your head as his fingertips ran along your body. “Okay but what if —” 
“Okay fine,” you mumbled, giggling as Hyunjin flipped you over. 
“You know I can’t resist you.”  
T=Toy
Totally willing to use toys
He’s game for blindfolds, ball gags, shibari rope, vibrators, and a strap on (for you of course)
He loves to tie you up in Shibari rope. He finds the intricate patterns beautiful across your silky smooth skin
“How does that feel baby?” Hyunjin finished tying the last of the rope around your body, leaving you completely helpless to his torturous touches. 
You hummed as his fingers ran along your sides, tickling you every so often. “Good.” Your arms were tied behind your back, leaving you at his mercy. 
Hyunjin’s tongue ran along your folds, making your body jolt. 
“God you look stunning.” 
U=Unfair
Usually, he’s pretty nice
Like, “if you’re going to be a brat, I’m going to punish you, but I still want you to feel good, so I’ll let you cum”
Push him hard enough and the demon will come out
“You’re acting like a brat today huh? Guess you really don’t want me.”
“Bend over.” Hyunjin undid his belt and folded it in half, sending shivers down your spine. 
“No.” You crossed your arms over your chest, wondering what would happen if you defied him. 
Hyunjin smirked and repeated himself, “I said bend over.” 
“And I said no.” you couldn’t even help the stupid grin that took over your face. 
“Oh? You find this funny?” Hyunjin smirked and forced you over his lap, hand smacking your ass a few times, making you moan. 
“If you’re going to be a brat, you’re going to be punished.” 
V=Volume
Have you heard Hyunjin?
I’m pretty sure the whole world can hear when he laughs
His moans can be pretty loud too
When he’s fucking you, he’ll let out deep moans and groans
When he’s being fucked by you, his moans are high-pitched and needy
“Oh God.” Hyunjin moaned pornographically as you thrust into him. “Fuck please go faster please.” Hyunjin whined, rocking his hips back against your strap-on. 
“Calm down baby.” You chuckled and paused your movements, making the boy whine louder. 
“Please don’t stop,” Hyunjin begged. “Please keep going, I’ll do anything.” 
You smirked at his words. “Anything?”
“Yes PLEASE.” Hyunjin practically cried. “Please fuck me.” 
“Don’t worry.” You smirked as you pounded into the boy again, reaching your hand around to pump his cock. His choked moans echoed in the room as you ruined the poor boy. 
“I’ll take care of you baby.” 
W= Wild Card
Hyunjin loves praises, but a piece of him also loves to be degraded
He wouldn’t enjoy doing it to you as much (brat is the harshest name you’ll ever be called during sex) 
But he LOVES to be called nasty
“You like that baby.” You snickered as you stroked him past his orgasm. The boy frantically bucked his hips into your hand, trying to get away from your torturous touches. The ball gag in his mouth prevented any words from getting past the drool-coated silicone. 
“You’re such a filthy boy.” You scoffed. “Look at all that cum leaking out of your pathetic cock.” 
Hyunjin’s eyes rolled in the back of his head as another powerful orgasm raked through him. 
“Such a nasty little slut.” 
X=X-Ray
Not to be weird
Well, we’re already talking about smut here so weird is out the window
But I feel like he would have such a pretty dick
He’d be a bit longer than average (about 6-6.5 inches) 
He’s probably a got an average girth though
When fully erect, his dick has a slight upward curve, so (for the ladies out there) he hits THAT spot perfectly omg
Hyunjin pulled his cock out, making your cheeks flush bright red. Your boyfriend had the prettiest dick you’ve ever seen. 
You fisted the base of his cock, pumping a couple times making the boy beneath you fidget in excitement. “Oh, that feels good.” Hyunjin moaned as his head fell back against the pillows. 
You ran your tongue along his length, noticing the way he gasped as the tip of your tongue swiped along the prominent vein on the underside of his cock. You slid the tip inside your mouth, swiping your tongue against his slit before taking him as far down your throat as you could. 
“Oh fuck.” Hyunjin groaned. “You’re good at this.” 
“Who wouldn’t want to worship such a pretty cock?”
Y=Yearning
Has a really high sex drive — mostly because he yearns for that closeness that only making love can provide
I feel like when you first start getting sexually active with him, he’ll be a lil shy
He wouldn’t want to come across as a horny weirdo, so he’d be hesitant to take things further every time he gets in the mood
BUT if/when you mention that you want him — instant boner
I think it’d take a month or two of sex before he starts pouncing on you every time he feels like making love. 
“Can we?” Hyunjin’s cheeks flushed red as he rutted against you, his clothed bulge rubbing against your ass. “Please.” His soft begging sent a wave of arousal through you. 
“We just fucked this morning.” You giggled, hand reaching behind you to rest on his hip. 
“I always want you.” 
Z=ZZZ...
Hyunjin doesn’t like to go to sleep right after
He usually likes to indulge in some pillow talk until both of you pass out
You’ll talk about anything from what you did that day to what you enjoyed about that night’s heated session
He enjoys pulling you on top of his chest
He also really enjoys tracing shapes on your back and having you guess what he’s drawing
Overall really soft
10/10 would recommend you bang
Hyunjin hurried over to your side and cleaned you up, kissing you on the nose before tossing the washcloth into the laundry basket. You held your arms out to him, smiling when he fell into them, allowing you to hold him close. 
“You take such good care of me.” You kissed his forehead. 
“I try.” He chuckled and leaned further into your touch. “I love you so much.” 
“I love you too.” You ran your fingers through his hair, helping the ebony-haired boy drift off to sleep. You felt an overwhelming amount of love for Hyunjin at that moment — even more so when you heard the words he mumbled next. 
“You are my whole world.” 
You smiled and kissed him on the forehead. “And you’re mine.” 
Taken from: Goose Down
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hiswhiteknight · 4 years ago
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Fighting with Fire – Part 3
Summary:  The Reader is friends with Erin Reagan, but absolutely hates one of her brother’s. After meeting Erin for a case, Reader meets Erin’s youngest brother. But due to her hatred of a certain Reagan, the Reader isn’t necessarily warm towards the youngest Reagan.
Pairing: Jamie Reagan X Fire Fighter Reader
Words: 1700
Warning: This chapter focuses around learning attack strategy, please be cautious if this can be difficult. I recommend watching Chelsea Kyann tutorials about self-defense. Also some cursing, eventual angst, eventual fluff
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As much as it displeased you, it was nice to have a male volunteer. It was usually one of your brothers or one of the guys from the station. Usually they are pretty distracting for the ladies at first, but it was able to show them potential real-life scenarios. However, it did feel strange bossing a Reagan around. Eddie, Jamie, and a friend who was a fighting instructor for jujitsu named Chloe.
Chloe walked up to you, leaning in, “Well this is new, what a snack.”
You and her watched Eddie and Jamie chatted with a few regulars. You could tell it meant a lot to them both to build rapport with the community. It felt strange to not see a Reagan male not take up so much space and give off an ego, testosterone driven vibe. If his brother were in this space, he would show the woman he is a strong powerful male, who will protect and avenge their justice. Jamie vibe was a bit different and you couldn’t necessarily map it, which bothered the shit of you. Acknowledging Chloe’s statement, you made a vomiting sound in your mouth, “Get your mind out of the gutter.”
She looked at you strangely, straightening up and turning to look directly at you, “Something weird is going on.” She looked at you closer, Chloe had a psychology degree and loves to add her own analyses to things. Usually she only uses it to counselor some women after a bad trigger or if they want to open about a past trauma. Before she can pick your brain or poke you, you clap your hands heading towards the crew.
This caught Jamie’s reaction, as you ignored the mischievous look your friend is giving from behind you. He turned his body to face you, “What do you need boss?”
You shook you head, “Don’t call me that,” you point at him. You spend the time to give the group of women a greeting before directing instructions towards the pair, “So Eddie, I’d love for you to help pair women up and volunteer to be someone’s partner. Chloe usually floats because she is the true expert when it comes to fighting techniques.”
“Sounds great,” Eddie nodded.
Clearing your throat, you look at Jamie, “I don’t think I have to tell you, but most women in these classes had some bad experience with a man.” He nodded his head slightly, still listening, “I don’t let men come to this particular class to learn for a reason. Though usually a guy plays an especially important role in this class.”
Jamie looked excited, rubbing his hands together, “What is it?”
“My dummy,” you smirk. Eddie chuckled into her hand, trying to make it sound like a cough. You took a second to think about your feelings, a glow of satisfaction to be able to kick the crap of a Reagan and nervousness, though you couldn’t pin point why, “That’s not a problem is it?”
He shook his head, “Use me any way you need,” he tried not to smirk.
You look him up and down, looking unamused by his comment, “Stay hydrated, I don’t need you passing out,” you said walking away to prep your resources and workspace.
Eddie tapped him on the chest, “Real smooth Romeo.”
He looked down at her, before glancing back towards you, “I think I got a chance.”
Straightening up to look at him directly, she wore an amused look at her face, “That woman is going to eat you alive.”
 You had all the women pair up and explained the boundaries and expectations of the class, like not pushing themselves and taking a break if they feel overwhelmed or exhausted. It’s a rousing speech about the realities of being a woman and how to be a community. You introduced your volunteers before instructing each of them to discuss their comfortability level with their partners, as well a little about themselves. This gave you time to look at Jamie to explain some of the movies and what he should do, “You got to make it real,” you say to him. “Don’t be gentle, don’t hold back, the best these women can learn is if they see what it’ll possibly look like in real life if it happens.”
“If I were to hold back, it would be because I know you can kick my ass,” he whispered down to you, “But I get your point.” He looked around to the women talking, “You did quite a thing here, I wish we had a program like this.”
You blinked a few times, looking taken back. You never anticipated hearing something nice from a Reagan, well at least a young Reagan, “Thank you.” You instructed the women to wrap it up to start the officially lesson.
Jamie noticed how you got flustered after his compliment. He decided to break whatever tension you were feeling, “Should we have like a safe word?”
You smirk, not looking at him, “Just tap out Reagan, give me a few taps.”
 You hated to say it, but Jamie was a great asset. As you taught the class about getting attacked in different scenarios, from the front, the back, with a weapon, etc, he was patient with you tossing him around and hurting him in various ways. He and Eddie were able to add some insight from the police perspective. And he was extremely good at complimenting and empowering the woman. Honestly, outside of enjoying beating up on a Reagan, he was a great member of the team.
This was the last exercise of the day, where the attack gets them on the ground. This was the first time Jamie seemed hesitant, “Well let’s go dummy,” a few woman chuckle.
Taking a deep breath, Jamie gets on top of you and you start your instructions, like how to use your legs, how to protect your body, different ways to use your own weight as your weapon. Your favorite instruction dealt with using the attacker’s shirt as your weapon. It didn’t have to do with as much strength as it was strategy. Jamie rapidly tap at your waist, you let go and bounced up before instructing the pairs to try. Jamie finally caught his breath stepping up to you, “I wish Danny knew who scary you were.”
You let a laugh leave your mouth while watching some pairs. You give him one more smile before walking away to give some individual tips.
 After some talking with some of the students and cleaning up, Chloe and Eddie were talking about the next lesson when Jamie approached you, “This was really great, I hope you keep me in mind to help even if I’m a Reagan.”
You look away from the brochures in your hands, “The jury is still out on you, but I’m getting a vibe you are different from your brothers.” You put rest of the stuff in your resource box, “Thank you for your help, you are always welcomed.” Jamie was about to say something, “But don’t think for a second I’m letting my guard down, this might be a ploy from Danny about getting in my head. I’ve got my eyes on you and him.”
He put up his hands defensively, “If that was ever a plan, I would never start something with you after what I learned today.”
You jabbed at him, “And that is just the tip of the iceberg there sparky, spread the word don’t mess with Y/N Y/L/N.”
Shaking his head, fighting this feeling on intrigue he has about you, “I will definitely spread the word of your power to all who can hear, mainly Danny.” You smirk holding your box, waving to Chloe as she headed out, “Look Eddie and I are grabbing a beer, would you want to join us?”
Eddie was casually looking at you both from the stairs. You were taken back for a second, “Oh, I’m sorry. I just got done working a 48-hour shift, I’m dead on my feet. But thank you, like for everything.”
“My pleasure, really and maybe next time,” he started to walk you towards the entrance, meeting up with Eddie, “You wouldn’t want to walk us to our car, would you,” he joked at you.
You genuinely laughed, shaking your head. You plopped your box in you back seat before looking at him. Eddie tried to stop her scoff of his response. He surprised you differently from any other Reagan including his sister and father, “I don’t believe that in necessary, I felt all that muscle you got underneath there,” you point towards his clothing. “Plus, you’ve got Eddie I know she saves you all the time from humiliation, attackers, etc.”
“She’s got that right,” she pointed at you, “Bye Y/N.”
Jamie started to walk backwards in the direction of Eddie, “I’ll see you later Y/N.”
“Take your time,” you smile back at him, “I’ve had my monthly fill of Reagan males.”
You got in your car, starting it up, and driving off. Something was different and you didn’t take the time to acknowledge your physical attraction to the younger Reagan. It was easy to distract your thoughts when teaching self-defense, but now all you could think about was Jamie’s body and how it felt around you.
 Eddie teased Jamie some more about the interaction between the two of you, “Hey man, you’re making waves. This time she didn’t show her teeth and she acknowledged your assets,” she gestured to his body.
He rolled his eyes, “Shut up.” He drank some of his beer, “I’m not crazy right, you see the chemistry?”
“Oh no, you’re crazy,” she commented. “But I do like to watch you try to be charming and epically get torn apart by her,” she added.
He shook his head thinking about you, you had a good feeling and it had nothing to do with hate, “Whatever, I am charming.”
Eddie scoffed before getting distracted by a game on a tv.
Taglist: @screeching-student-unknown
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chumpmagump · 3 years ago
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24 things you've learned about your 24th year on this planet. 1. After having lots of trouble with love and loss, I've learned I will be ok. Remember you are growing into the woman you are are piece by piece.. reclaiming the person you were before the rest of them thought it was okay to take you away from yourself and you thought it was okay to let them. Many will come and go, but you dont have to lose a piece of yourself with them. Be strong, don't let them. 2. It is okay to love someone but not like them. It is okay to have compassion and empathy yet still hold your ground that you deserve better treatment. Compassion is not synonymous with lack of boundaries. 3. After talking to your therapist and doing some hardcore reflection you know you show traits of bipolar disorder or borderline personality. Your therapist thinks its bipolar, you're pretty sure its BPD.. this hurts because BPD is stigmatised to the shit house - you would almost rather have bipolar. You work in a hospital where BPD presentations are rampant and you diagnose them in your assessments a lot. Your coworkers like to say things like '' we got another borderline up in ED...'' as if its a massive inconvenience. You feel kind of weird being a 'quiet' borderline because you function quite well but know you have this fucked up secret that you keep from others for fear of judgement. Your behaviour isnt affecting your functioning enough to warrant a diagnosis. But that doesnt mean your experience isnt true. You're good at recognising when your triggered and where it originates from, and actively pull back more and more from impulsive decisions. You can sit with your emotion at times and you've stopped abusing phenergan and have been self harm clean for almost a year now? so yay for you regulating more of yourself! 4. You realise searching for validation only leads to experiences of invalidation. Stop doing it. 5. You're good at empathising to a point where you find it hard to be angry at others for long, you sometimes tolerate too much because you can reason with the persons reasoning for acting the way they are. You shouldnt mistake this for respect, because its not. You still need self-respect. 6. Making spontaneous choices has led to some new experiences, like changing jobs, moving towns, meeting new people. You've learned you've missed out a lot in your last 5 years of 20 hood because of fear of rejection/anxiety/ unsafe situation phobia. but now thats all you want to do, you fear staying static for too long more than you do change. You're ready for new exciting things. 7. Friendships matter way more than romance ever will. Build your friendships and you will always feel connected and OK no matter what the status of your dating life is. 8. Going for solitude car trips with your music blaring, singing meaningfully, on a road in the dark to no particular, with no particular deadline is your muse. You spend a lot of time in your thoughts and with yourself, and sometimes you imagine being in company when the loneliness hits. But funnily enough when company does finally arrive, you yearn for the space you had with yourself. Honour that time. 9. What you make of this life literally doesnt fucking matter. You will be born again. You will never get another chance to be in this body, with this family, with these friends, in this place, at this time though. Do whatever you can to enrich your experience and dont worry about if other people are having a better time. Concern yourself with your own experience. 10. You validate yourself. Stop asking your friends what you think you should do about a situation, dont feel the need to tell them every situaiton thats going on with you to hear their perspective. Listen to your own voice. You dont listen to her enough. 11. You dont actually have to put up with people being rude to you anymore, you can voice that things bother you. You're not quite there when it comes to friends you dont know too well.. or family you know blow up easily, but you're less of a people pleaser somewhat and i'm proud
of you for that effort.
12. You realise you need to stop seeking validation that others have hurt you. If it hurts it hurts. Simple as that. 13. Trust a person by their actions waaaaaaaaaaaay more than their words. And give a person 6 months. They tend to send their representative first for a while. 14. Sometimes you dream up people without knowing first who they are. Its ok to do this but don't be surprised when they dont fit the version you had of them in your head. Sometimes living in fantasy is far more intoxicating than what comes to fruition. Sometimes i wish i only knew some people for the period of time where they were warm to my heart.
15. Keep going to therapy, its doing amazing things and slowly but surely helping you change your procedurally learned patterns of behaviour including the desire and panic to want to fix social relationships that sometimes shouldnt be fixed. If someone did something shitty to you, and they are upset with YOU , for whatever reason- this does not mean what they did to you is void. It may even mean they are deflecting and gaslighting you. Get out of there and you know dont like goodbyes of any kind. so in this case slowly drop off contact. 16. people cant read your mind with how your feeling, so tell them.. what they do with that information is on them after that.
17. you dont have to take pictures of everything. You will remember the experience more if you dont. 18. Drink your damn coffee!! its not going to stain your teeth anymore. you are so diligent with your skin and teeth care, you deserve to live a little.
19. Dont have sex with friends, just dont. its messy.
20. Just because someone doesnt choose you, doesnt mean you arent good enough. It means they're blind, theyre not meant for you, or better doors are opening. Sometimes you need to shut a few doors for some to open. Trust the process. 21. Its time to start doing the things yu have said you were going to do for years. Its time to sign up for that dance class, its time to start writing again (and you have been!), its time to start stretching (and you have been!), its time to finish your courses (and you have been chipping away!). The best thing is you are so motivated right now to do all of these things. They no longer feel like words, they feel like happenings. 22. Your body and mind is so much stronger than you think. You are managing a 23 + caseload, and working across emergency and intake. You sometimes dont have a lunch break and work 9 hour days at times. You still have the ability to relay information and type notes at great speed, connect with clients at a great depth and come to eat, shower and have been dedicating time to study and friends. Your body is a machine, and you are so much more robust than you give yourself credit for. People look at you and see a small petite typical white girl, but you are strength! 23. You have learned sex can be a safe and very enjoyable experience this year very recently. Even though the partner turned out to be a careless character emotionally within the friendship, you were able to experience what it was like to be that connected with someone sensually in such an intense way which was a first for you. Now you know what kind of sex you like - well you always did but now you know it exists. Good for you.
24. You spend the most time by yourself with yourself. Validate your own experiences and try to interrupt the fantasy that you should be waiting for someone else to enhance or witness it. i know you like to think about what it would be like to sing in the car with someone next to you, or to laugh about a ridiculous vine and hear someone elses laughter drown out your own, or to dance around your house and have someone watch you in awe... but its okay to be your own witness. This is one is probably the hardest ones of them all... All you've ever wanted is to feel seen. You fantasize about it all time, you live in fantasy because atleast you can always feel seen there. You're not so sure if you put yourself out there you'll leave feeling more discarded and invisible than before. This way its safer. It's time to witness you. It's time for 25. A year full of spontaneity, new experiences, enhanced friendships, self validation and enormous growth.
It's finally time to stop hiding from people, pleasurable experiences and desire.
It's time for 25.
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twiceblackvelvet · 5 years ago
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One Night Stand
A/N; someone requested this but for some reason i can’t find the ask in my drafts among all of the other requests but hopefully they find it anyway. enjoy me writing way more than i expected and ending things on an open note in case people become interested and i get to write a second part.
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Nights like these very rarely happen. In fact, they never do. Usually, you’d be sat at home with a glass of wine, binge-watching yet another drama, and stuffing your face with whichever snacks you could find in the cupboards. An unhealthy combination, sure. But it’s what comforts you the most after spending way too long dealing with people during the day. 
But tonight, your friends have practically dragged you out of the pit you’ve created in the middle of your sofa that you tried endlessly to convince them had not in fact molded to the shape of your body, it just looks like that naturally. Apparently, a new bar opening offering free entry is enough reason for you to break your usual habits and let your hair down instead.
It’s been so long since the last time you went out to a nightclub that you’d forgotten how much work goes into just getting there and looking somewhat acceptable. Spending hours on end searching through your closet for a dress that you had been told must cling to your skin and not look like something a librarian would wear. 
Maybe, it’s just time to get some new friends who won’t rip your everyday style to shreds for a quick laugh. 
You’re not even sure why you agreed, really. The thought of drunken slobs throwing themselves all over anyone within proximity in the hopes of getting lucky at the end of the night is not something you’ve ever found appealing, thus, you’re yet to gain your one-night stand card. Not that such a thing exists, but according to numerous sources, or rather just all of your friends it’s an important step in the life of an adult. You’d rather keep both feet firmly outside of that circle and never dip your toes into the daunting pool of regret and possible after-effects of bedding a complete stranger. 
Despite the lingering feeling deep down that this night would not end well, after a few pre-drinks to get you in the mood, excitement soon washes away any worries. Even the one’s telling you that you’d likely spend half the night pulling your friends away from anyone they find attractive only because they’re wearing beer goggles.
Stepping out of the cab and into the cold night air makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and brings about your first regret. The short black dress you decided upon makes it impossible for your body to find any warmth as you walk toward the queue hovering outside waiting to get inside. It’s shorter than you expected, which you’re all grateful for but there’s still a good amount of people there.
After a few minutes of pacing on the spot, your teeth have begun to chatter and the alcohol that had previously warmed you up has started to lose its effect. 
“How long until we’re in?” You decide to ask, aimed at no one in particular, just hoping for a positive answer from anyone that the cold suffering will end soon.
“It’ll be about ten more minutes babe, don’t worry.” One of your friends shouts from behind you. The loud music from inside blaring out into the street makes it impossible for you to know which, you’re just grateful it’s not going to be too long before you can get inside and feel warmth once again. 
Bodies begin to shuffle closer towards the door and soon two burly men dressed head to toe in black come into sight, the words security plastered across one side of their chest. One of them, more muscular than the other and with a far more intimidating face places his meaty hand upright in front of you to pause the steady flow of patrons being allowed inside. 
“Do you have any identification?” The smaller of the two men who now that you’re closer is in fact still huge in comparison to you croaks out, his voice not matching his appearance. You notice he has a cut above his eye, likely from someone drunkenly thinking it’s a good idea to fight the hulk’s cousin after one too many. 
Your hands roam around inside the small clutch bag you’d decided upon pairing with your outfit and pull out your driver's license and point it towards both of them. They eye it suspiciously, but you can see the cogs in their heads quickly trying to decipher whether your year of birth makes you legal to enter or not.
“Great, thanks. Go right ahead.” The larger man speaks and ushers you toward the door. 
Before stepping inside, you turn in place to face your friends who are also being inspected head to toe. A strong breeze gusts past all of you and without thinking too much about upsetting them, you walk in alone and leave your friends to the freezing weather. You quickly holler that you’ll meet them inside, but it’s unlikely that they heard it. 
Walking through an extra set of doors, you’re greeted by a dark interior with painted black walls,  a bar placed dead in the center of the room with low lighting hung above it. Red seats line the counter and one half of the room and your feet move without you thinking about it towards one of them. The other half is an open dance floor full of people moving along to the music, some less on the beat than others but they’re trying. 
A small woman, no taller than 5’2 with brown short hair appears out of nowhere in front of you, a sharp smile placed on her face which you easily recognize as the fake customer service greeting she’s likely learned from years of experience handling people in an intoxicated state.
“Hey! What can I get you?” Her voice is soft, too soft to be working in this kind of environment.
You decide to look further down the bar at some of the other people seated next to you and spot a woman holding a glass filled with a light blue liquid. Truthfully, it looks like something you’d clean your kitchen floor with, but it’s calling out to you for some reason. 
“I’ll have whatever that is.” You point toward the girl and the bartender gives a quick nod before heading off to pour the potentially poisonous concoction you’ve just ordered on a whim. 
As you watch a couple of people throw down some moves that would be acceptable if they were from a five-year-old child, not a grown adult, small hands wrap around your waist that startles you for a second until you come face to face with your friends who’ve finally made it past the two roadblocks patrolling the doors.
“Here you are, this place is nice, right? Have you gotten a drink yet?” 
“Yeah, I just ord-” 
Before you can finish your sentence, the bartender returns and places the drink down in front of you. 
“The first one is on the house, have a good night!” Her words are far more excited than previously, probably more than they should be for someone offering out drinks for free during opening night. Part of you wonders if this is her way of flirting or maybe just hoping for some extra tips.
“Thanks for the offer, really but I’ll pay, I’m not looking to date anyone right now and you’re not my type, sorry.” 
Her eyes widen the more you speak and you realize that perhaps you’re the one who is in fact sat in the very wrong tree and barking like an idiot.
“I’m one of the owners here, the flyer outside says the first drink is free for everyone. Sorry to disappoint you, sweetheart, but I don’t swing your way.” 
She’s already turned around on the heel of her foot before you can force out an apology. However, her swift exit doesn’t stop your cheeks from heating up and a mild headache from forming out of embarrassment. Your friends’ laughter all around you isn’t helping the situation either. 
“Next time, maybe save that for someone who bats for your own team.” A husky voice from beside where you’re seated speaks lowly into your ear. 
As you swing your chair quickly to face where the words came from, all you find is flowing brown hair trailing off toward the dance floor. You watch the body strut away, and by watching, you definitely saw something far more appealing than a kind yet uninterested bar owner. Her hips sway casually as she floats in between several bodies moving to the music and enters the bathroom without waiting in the line formed outside of the door. 
A few angry customers shout after the girl, but she doesn’t bother to listen to their calls informing her of the queue. Whoever she is, her attitude is one of not caring about anything other than herself. Usually, this would be a major red flag under any other circumstances, but something is drawing you towards her even though you have no idea who she is or what she looks like other than her back profile. 
Your friends order their drinks one after the other, all of which is a cocktail of sorts that will definitely cause the world’s worst hangover for each of them individually, however, that’s their problem. The lights near the dance floor quickly change colors to strobe blindingly through the crowd that’s formed, drinks have been spilled already causing some already inebriated bodies to crash land on the ground only to rise up once more to sway from one side to another. 
You can’t help yourself from watching the bathroom door every few moments, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mystery woman and confirm whether she’s everything you’ve managed to imagine in the few moments since she decided to teasingly whisper into your ear. But, the line outside quickly moves and disappears meaning she has already left and you’ve missed it. 
Before you know it, several hours have passed, numerous drinks have infiltrated your liver and your sight has become less and less able to make out whether the person in front of you is that close or if they’re actually halfway across the room. Your body has been dragged to the center of the dancefloor and whilst you are trying to keep up with the rhythm of the music, your loose limbs have a mind of their own and sure enough, you too end up looking like an inflatable tube blowing in the wind in any direction you decide to throw it. 
At least two of your friends have decided that ramming their tongues down someone’s throat is a far better way to spend their time. You’re strangely quite envious of them.
Just as you’re about to stagger off back to the bar to relieve your throat of the dryness that has formed and maybe rid yourself of some of the sweat you’re unsure of which belongs to you or someone else, a hand slides it’s way around your waist and pulls you backward. Your body now pressed against another in a tight embrace that had you been sober you’d struggle to get out of, however, in this state, it’s even more difficult to break free.
“Why didn’t you follow me?” 
When the words hit your ears, you recognize the voice from earlier and a cold shudder settles itself throughout your spine. The mystery woman has somehow managed to find you amongst the full capacity crowd whilst you couldn’t even keep up with her in the midst of a small bathroom queue. The teasing tone still there but her husky voice now replaced with a more hoarse yet sultry one.
Without even thinking about it, you force your body further into her own and spin around all at the same time. Turns out, that was a mistake as it sends both of you flying toward the ground at a pace that makes it impossible for either of you to break your fall. You may not have gotten to see her face previously but in your current position of laying on top of her, you’re now offered a close up to what your drunken mind can only describe as perfection. 
Her wide eyes bore into your own, they’re a dark shade of brown and intensely eye you the same way in which you’re doing to her before quickly flitting toward your lips for a split second. Your own eyes can’t help but do the exact same to her in return. Pink plump lips that are daring you to take them in with your own, but you manage to resist, or rather, she pushes you upward and stands before helping you off the ground too. 
She’s taller than you first thought. A loosely fitted blazer covers a black crop top that lies just above an abdomen that threatens to bring tears to your eyes from how toned it is. Dark pants tightly hug her long legs that you’re sure would look better without the material hiding them. You’re having difficulty removing your eyes from her magnetic form when she cups your chin and raises it so she can meet your eyes once more.
“You didn’t answer me.” She says sternly this time. 
“I didn’t know you wanted me to follow you.” No thought goes into your response, you’re simply on auto-pilot mode and hoping she doesn’t vanish once more. 
“Well, I did. But, your loss.” 
She begins to stride away, once again. However, your arm flies out and grasps hold of her wrist before she can escape. Despite having way too much to drink, your strength still exists for a split second as her body ends up bumping into your own, hips clashing with one another.
“What are you doing?” She asks.
“Who are you?” 
The airy way in which the question leaves your mouth makes it sound like you’re asking something far more prophetic, or as if you’re expecting her to give you her life story in the middle of a packed nightclub. Truthfully, you’re just after a name. 
“Come with me.” Her words should be a question, instead, they sound like a command and you’re helpless to it as you trail behind her without worrying about the consequences or thinking about what it is you’re going through with. Placing in your trust in someone like this is not something you’d ever dare to do previously, but this feels right, somehow.
The two of you step outside of the club, her strides are way too quick for you to keep up with as she wanders down the street away from the loud music and your friends who you’re quickly trying to type out a text message to tell them not to send out a search party for you, though, you still don’t even know this girl’s name so perhaps that isn’t the smartest idea. You send it anyway and hope your blind faith in this godly woman who keeps checking you’re still behind her every few seconds is correct.
Her arm raises at the end of the street and a car pulls up. Everything about this feels wrong, yet, you get inside the vehicle with her anyway. 
“Sooyoung.” She bluntly states. The confusion your face makes it obvious that you have no idea why she’s saying this suddenly. “My name… is Sooyoung.” 
It could just be the alcohol talking, but you’re sure that it is the prettiest name to exist. 
“Do you have one? Or am I supposed to guess?” She follows up after watching you mouth her own, something you hadn’t even realized you’d been doing. You quickly slur out your name that makes it only barely comprehensible and Sooyoung just chuckles in response.
You can’t help but let out a small laugh yourself when you consider your thoughts earlier in the night about your entire crisis of still clutching tightly onto your one-night-stand card and how this complete stranger in front of you is about to snatch it away, no doubt.
“What’s so funny?” The teasing tone is back in place as one of Sooyoung’s hands rests carefully atop your thigh. Her hand is cold yet despite only just finding out her name, you feel safe with her placing it there. It feels like she’s trying to steady you with it.
“Nothing, I’ve just never done this before.” 
“You’ve never used Uber?” She cocks one of her eyebrows as she looks at you with an amused smirk. 
“Very funny.” 
Her face straightens out and turns serious for the first time since you’ve been graced with looking at it. You can tell she’s thinking about something but unsure of whether or not to speak it into existence. The ability to read people so far hasn’t disappeared no matter how much tequila you’ve consumed. 
“I guess you meant it when you said that Haseul wasn’t your type.” She quietly lets out after a few moments. She spots the confusion once more and continues. “The bartender, her name is Haseul. You told her she wasn’t your type.”
“Oh, no. She definitely is my type. I just… wait, what exactly do you think I meant by saying I’ve never done this before?”
Now it’s Sooyoung’s turn to feel lost by the conversation as she tries to decipher where things have gotten lost in translation between you both.
“Well, girls. You didn’t pick up on me wanting you to follow me and now you’re telling me on my way back to my place you’ve never done this before. I’m assuming that your usual type is the two meatheads working the door stopping people from smashing the bar up.” 
Loud laughter fills the small space of the car. The driver even looks into his rearview mirror to see what is so funny that you’re doubled over in pain from Sooyoung’s assumption. 
“Oh that’s good. You know, trying to take a straight girl’s home is a massive stereotype.” You’re not sure if the look you’re receiving from Sooyoung is of her being offended or still lost. “I didn’t mean I’ve never slept with a girl before. I meant I’ve never gone home with someone that I just met hours before.”
Everything suddenly clicks into place for both of you and Sooyoung bites her lower lip, likely feeling that same embarrassment that you did earlier with the woman you now know is named Haseul.
“I didn’t think you were straight, by the way. That’s not why you’re here with me. I just assumed from what you said.” 
The two of you continue to laugh at just how crossed you’ve managed to get the wires in the few minutes you’ve been traveling towards her home which was longer than you thought as soon enough, the driver is pulling up and asking you both to leave a good review. Sooyoung politely tells him that she will before helping you out of the car.
Had you known that going back to Sooyoung’s apartment meant that you had to conquer stairs, you may have turned her down. Well, you wouldn’t have because she’s the personification of flawless. But you’d have prepared your legs to feel less like jelly and more capable of completing the trek up to her front door.
She slides a set of keys out of her blazer and opens the front door inviting you to step in first. You do and are greeted by a  space with hardly any furniture. Sparse is the only word that fits her home. Anyone with a knack for home design would have a field day if they were to be welcomed in too. 
“I know, it’s not much. I just moved here from the city and I haven’t had time to finish decorating.” 
All thoughts about how Sooyoung could still be a serial killer who has lured you away from your friends to her apartment that is lacking any form of personal touch evaporates with her explanation. You set yourself a mental reminder to never drink whatever that blue liquid was again, it makes you feel way too trusting.
You move further into the apartment and see that it’s spacious and open planned. The kitchen is well lit with brand new appliances that look like they’ve yet to be used. A television far bigger than the one you own sits on the wall of the living room. Sooyoung sits casually on one of the two white leather sofas as she plays with the remote and turns it on to a music channel. A door blocks off both the left and right side of the apartment, likely leading to a bedroom and bathroom. 
“You can sit, you know. I don’t bite.” Sooyoung pats the space beside her as she speaks. “Well, unless you’re into that.” 
There’s a confidence to everything that Sooyoung says, it makes you feel envious that she’s able to pull it off without being cocky. If you tried, it would likely come out sounding pretentious. You sit beside her, though, there’s probably more space between your bodies than she was hoping for as she shuffles closer toward you. 
“So, what now?” Once again, words are leaving your mouth without you thinking about it. But, you can’t help in feeling awkward that she’s seemingly not made a move beyond putting her hand on your thigh since you agreed to leave the nightclub with her. 
“What do you want to happen now?” 
Truthfully, your lack of experience with the whole one night stand thing had led you to believe that people didn’t even get the chance to scan the person’s apartment that they’d decided to sleep with. Part of you expected Sooyoung to just tear your clothes off the second you walked through her door. Part of you wanted her to do that, then you wouldn’t find yourself in this semi-uncomfortable situation. 
The logical side of your brain that is screaming for you to listen to it is instead and telling you that Sooyoung is not a threat. She’s teasing, flirty, and probably thinking about all of the former things your mind has listed, but she has been respectful thus far and it doesn’t look as if that is going to change anytime soon. 
“I’m not sure, I told you… I’ve never done this before. I thought I’d be back inside another Uber on my way home by now.” You finally reply.
“Are you accusing me of being a five minute hit it and quit it kind of girl?” Once more, that look of being offended without actually being offended overtakes all of her features. Features you can’t help but admire in the clear lighting now rather than the darkness of the club. 
Her face is lacking any blemishes whatsoever, and despite being ready to enter her bedroom, you also wouldn’t like seeing her bathroom just to know what kind of skincare routine she has going on. The same plump lips you wanted to touch with your own are still inviting, but you restrain yourself once more.
“No…  But why would you want me to stay once we both get what we’re here for.” 
This time, it does offend her as your words hit her like a slap to the face and she huffs out a deep breath. 
“Maybe, and bear with me here because it could be a concept you’re unfamiliar with, but just maybe, I like you beyond tonight.” 
She stands abruptly and shuffles towards the kitchen area, her footsteps heavier than previously and shoulders slumped. You consider following her to apologize and ask if she wants you to just leave now, but she returns with a glass of water in one hand and a box in the other. 
“Here, take this.” She opens the box to reveal a strip of tablets and pops two out of the metallic packaging placing them down on the table in front of you both. “Painkillers  for when you wake up, your head is going to feel like hell no doubt.” 
She moves away once more toward one of the closed doors but again returns quickly, this time with a pillow and blanket in tow. She lays the pillow down gently and offers you the blanket to hold onto. 
“As much as I’d love to spend the night with you, and I would have by the way, had you followed me earlier in the night when you still had some sobriety about you. I’m not much into sleeping with drunk girls.” Despite not having a clue who Sooyoung was prior to tonight, you can’t help but feel both happy and hurt by her words. Happy she isn’t willing to take advantage of people in your state. But hurt because by god you’d love nothing more than to wake up next to her after a night of being beneath her. 
She turns on her heels to leave you once more but stops herself upon reaching the bedroom door. 
“But hey, I’ve always had a thing about morning sex, so, who knows? Maybe you’ll still get lucky.” She offers you a quick wink before closing the door. 
This time, she doesn’t return and you’re left to wonder about just what the morning with Sooyoung might have in store for you.
pt.ii
157 notes · View notes
ruewrites · 4 years ago
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Birthday Plans
A/N: Alright. Alright. I promise I’m working on requests and chapter 10 of WBT. But I learned Solomon’s birthday is today... And Solodeus birthday smut. That’s it.
AO3
Ship: Solomon/Asmo
Word Count: 1878
Warnings: Smut
Solomon didn’t remember how old he was. Not that it mattered much, time lost its meaning after being alive for so many millenia. He might have forgotten his own birthday if not for-
“There’s my favorite sorcerer!” Ah, Asmodeus. A package hit Solomon’s desk with an audible thump as Asmo plopped down in Solomon’s lap and pecked his lips, “Happy birthday dear.” Long nails ran through his hair and Solomon couldn’t help but let out a sigh. Those nails were always a pleasant experience.
“Thank you Asmodeus,” he smiled, allowing his eyes to close ever so slightly. Asmo was so incredibly warm. What Solomon wouldn’t give to have his warmth constantly about him. Maybe one day, for now he would settle for the tiny moments he had with him. His eyes opened ever so slightly, Asmo’s eyes filled with intrigue.
He felt Asmo’s hands travel from his scalp down to his neck. “Any plans?” he asked, reaching behind himself to grab the package on the desk. Of course Asmo wanted to know what he had planned. Solomon knew his boyfriend, he knew Asmo was expecting him to say something exciting.
With a chuckle, Solomon started to unwrap the package with nimble fingers. The golden letters were what caught his eye first. He traced his finger tips over it before opening the cover. A kiss mark stained the corner of the top page followed by sweeping cursive underneath ‘With all my love.’
He leaned over to peck Asmo’s lips once more, “Well, I have this wonderful book to read now. One I’ve been looking forward to.”
Asmo frowned, “Wait, that’s all you have planned? You’re not going out? Not spending time with friends?”
“I mean, Simeon and Luke went over to help Barbatos with a cake-” He hadn’t been allowed to help. They all said it would be unfair for him to work on his own  birthday cake. Solomon had said he didn’t mind, but they were all so insistent. So he stayed home, knowing they’d stop by later.
Asmo shot up straight with a huff, “Darling it’s your birthday. You could be out clubbing, or exploring ancient ruins, or going on vacation or-”
“Or I could spend it staying in with my magnificent, thoughtful, and gorgeous boyfriend.”
He watched Asmo’s facial expressions contort for a moment. It was funny seeing Asmo caught between wanting to indulge in Solomon’s praise and chewing him out for not making plans to enjoy his birthday. To drive his point home, Solomon nuzzled into him and smirked, “Don’t you want to help me enjoy my day? Being with you, having you by my side all day, I couldn’t imagine anything more wonderful even if I tried. Won’t you indulge me my darling?”
Asmo groaned and leaned into him. “Oh you-” he sighed, “Why must you be like this?” 
Solomon liked staying in, and having a house to himself with his pretty boyfriend surrounded by his books and endless possibilities? Honestly Asmo could disagree all he wanted, but Solomon couldn’t imagine a better way to spend his birthday. Well, people letting him cook would be nice. Maybe one day. He was about to  open up the book once more and offer to make Asmo some tea when he noticed a frilly strap peeking out from Asmo’s sweater. He slid his finger underneath it and tugged it upwards ever so slightly before raising an eyebrow. “This is new, I haven’t seen it before.”
Asmo’s expression quickly changed, a giggle escaped him and he playfully swatted Solomon’s hands away. “You didn’t think that little ol’ book was the only thing I got you, did you?” he purred, readjusting the sleeve of his sweater, “I’m honestly a little disappointed, it was supposed to be a surprise for later.”
Solomon cocked his head, eyes full of intrigue and fingers itching to slip underneath the fabric. If not for Asmo’s ever quick reflexes swatting him away every time he tried, he honestly might have. So instead  he settled for playing with the hem of his sweater, images playing in his mind of what could be underneath. He could feel himself starting to stir. “Later?” he echoed back.
“Later, for when no one else even has the chance of seeing, just a private show for my Solomon,” he smiled, a soft hand coming up to caress his face. Solomon couldn’t help but hold it in place before turning to kiss it.
“We’re all alone now,” he murmured, “They won’t be here for a while. We might not get the chance later.”
Asmo continued to giggle as Solomon kissed up his arm, before he came to his shoulder. The strap was exposed once more, and Solomon caught it in his teeth, glancing up at Asmo with a smirk. Asmo bit his lip and wiggled a bit in his lap, “Oh you do make a convincing point.”
He slid off of Solomon’s lap and put the book back on his desk. Then he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Solomon’s. Solomon didn’t remember standing up, but before he knew it, he was crumpling the pink sweater in his fists, tongue exploring Asmo’s mouth, indulging in the pretty little noises he was making. Asmo knew what Solomon liked, new what got him going. 
“Go make yourself comfortable,” Asmo purred, his lips were puffy and glistening, “Let me put on a show for you.”
Solomon nodded deftly and sat on his bed, watching intently as Asmo sauntered in front of him. Each movement of his hips made Solomon’s pants a little tighter. Asmo was just out of arm's reach as he slowly removed his pants revealing long silky pink socks and black garters. His sweater came down about mid thigh and Solomon swore he’d never seen anything more lovely in his entire life. That was until the sweater came off. Pink and black lingerie. It was frilly and pretty and oh so Asmodeus. Large bow rested just below his chest with a pink gemstone in the center. It covered up all of the right places, but left little to nothing to the imagination. Not that Solomon needed to imagine anything, he’d had plenty of experience with Asmo’s body, but that didn’t stop his breath from hitching when Asmo plopped down between  his legs, cupping the noticeable bulge in his pants.
“Did I do this birthday boy?”  he giggled. He grabbed the zipper, and pulled it down slowly, pulling his pants and underwear down just far enough to release him. Solomon let out a soft groan as Asmo gave him a few experimental strokes. “My, my, so hard already. Don’t worry, I’m gonna take real good care of you,” he smiled, licking the tip ever so slightly, making Solomon’s cock to twitch. 
Solomon loved Asmo’s blow jobs, he was just amazing. Sometimes Asmo would let him grab his hair, other times he'd be forced to hold onto the sheets beneath him for dear life. Asmo always gave attention to the head first, he was slow and methodical in his work. He would take his time making his way down to the hilt, making every inch feel like pure bliss. “Fuck,” he whispered as he felt Asmo tighten around him, tongue working his sweet spots, “Fuck Asmo.” His hips were bucking, fingers on one hand buried deep  in strawberry blonde locks. He was going to cum, and that’s when Asmo popped off.
“You want to?” he smirked, giving the tip a slight peck before nuzzling into the side of Solomon’s thigh. “I’ll let you unwrap me if you’d-” 
A squeak escaped Asmo as Solomon yanked him on top of him, precum smearing against the front of the lingerie. He rummaged underneath his pillow for a moment before presenting Asmo with a small little bottle. What could he say? He was a man of few words. Sometimes. 
“Well, I guess you want to,” he giggled. Slowly he hooked his thumbs inside the waistband of the bottom portion of the lingerie and slowly slid it downwards. Solomon didn’t realize how much he could appreciate thigh highs until that moment. Once Asmo took the bottle from him, he ran his hands up the front of the socks and towards his hips. Oh he had wonderful hips. Then he wandered closer to the back-
“Oh!” Asmo yelped, when Solomon squeezed, “Oh you’re so eager.” As he spoke, he inserted his first finger into himself, and then another, and began to  stretch and prep himself.
“What can I say? I know how to appreciate the good things in life,” Solomon chuckled, watching Asmo’s face at it contorted in pleasure. Soon moans and whimpers started spilling from his lips. Asmo had always been loud. Solomon loved his noises and honestly he thought he’d finish right there, if it hadn’t been for the cold liquid coating his dick and Asmo starting to stroke him. 
When Asmo finally began positioning himself, he winked down at his boyfriend, “Feel free to hold on.”
As if he even needed to say anything. 
No sooner had Asmo sunk down than Solomon was bucking up into him. Asmo whined as he moved up and down, Solomon’s finger tips digging into his hips. Bruises bloomed underneath his grip. He changed his angle slightly and a gasp left Asmo, “Solomon. Please, do whatever you want, you feel so good!”
Their pace picked up, their rhythm became sloppy, Asmo calling out his name more beautiful than anyone else ever could. It was pushing Solomon near the edge.
“I’m going to cum,” he warned. Solomon’s breathing was heavy, a slew of curses leaving his lips until he buried himself deep inside his boyfriend. Asmo squirmed on top of him, wanting more, eyes pleading at the man below him before Solomon reached over to finish him off. It didn’t take long, Asmo had already been close.
With a few strokes Asmo let out a cry, tightened around Solomon, and then collapsed forward into his waiting arms. Solomon peppered him with kisses, relishing in post-orgasmic bliss. If it hadn’t been for The notification from Simeon saying they were heading back home, he would have been content staying like this for the rest of the evening.
“You can wear some of my stuff,” Solomon offered, after he’d cleaned both of them up. While the lingerie had been gorgeous, Solomon wasn’t exactly sure how comfortable it was wearing it around underneath the things Asmo had been wearing. Not to mention, he liked it when Asmo wore his stuff. It was cute.
“You can just ask if you want me to wear your clothes,” Asmo said, “It is your birthday after all, I wouldn’t deny a wish of yours.” With a smirk he slid into a pair of Solomon’s sweatpants.
Oh he had no right to be adorable. 
By the time the others arrived back, the two of them were already curled up on the couch, kissing, and being disgustingly cute. Asmo had been convinced to stay for cake. After all, it was Solomon’s birthday, surely Asmo could enjoy a little cake. They two sat close together, and when no one was looking, Asmo took some of the icing and liked it all too suggestively. Perhaps Solomon would have birthday plans for the evening after all.
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petersasteria · 4 years ago
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The Forces of Nature || Ch.11
Pairing: Peter Parker x Superhero!Reader
Summary: “There’s this kid out there that can control the wind or something. I think she’s a great addition to the team. Let’s recruit her.”
SERIES MASTERLIST  ||  PP MASTERLIST
Click the pictures for better quality
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Step six. The step that Peter has been waiting for. He can finally and officially recruit Y/N. He didn't know how to do it, though. Maybe he could butter her up first like what he did on the previous step.
Peter wanted to just get her on the team, but he knew it wouldn't be easy. Nevertheless, he knew he had to start somewhere. So when he and Y/N were walking around the mall on a peaceful Saturday, Peter knew he had to shoot his shot.
"Y/N, I realized something." Peter started.
"Yeah?"
"We're, like, friends now and we both have powers." Peter whispered. Y/N nodded, "That's correct. What about it?"
"I'm on the Avengers, right?" Peter said. "And we need a new member. I figured that you might be interested." He shrugged. He was trying his best.
Y/N pursed her lips and said, "I'm, uh, really not into the whole hero thing. I told you last time; I want to live a normal life."
"But we could use your help, though. You're a great addition to the team, Y/N. We'd be powerful!" Peter smiled excitedly.
"And while that's true, I'm still not sure. I'm sorry, Peter." Y/N gave him a sad smile. Peter nodded, "Okay."
Y/N felt guilty for letting Peter down. "How about this- show me what your job is like as an Avenger or something for a week and if I'm not enjoying myself, I'll turn down your offer and go on with my normal life."
"And what if you enjoy it?" Peter asked.
"Do I get a welcome basket?" Y/N giggled.
Peter laughed it off as they continued to stroll around the mall. "You know, we could go there now if you want." He shrugged.
"Okay! I have nothing to do anyway." Y/N said.
"Really?"
"Yup."
"What about our Spanish homework?" Peter smirked, knowing full well that she hasn't done it yet.
"Let's not think about that." Y/N shook her head. "Let's go!"
The pair went to the compound and Y/N thought it would be nice to bring something for the avengers. After all, it's not everyday that she could meet such interesting people. Peter went straight it with Y/N trailing behind him with two boxes of pizza.
He told Y/N to buy donuts instead, but she didn't want to. She insisted on buying two large pizzas for the heroes. After all, they deserved it. They entered the elevator and a voice came through the speakers.
"Hello, Peter. Do you want me to notify Tony about your arrival?" F.R.I.D.A.Y asked.
Peter shook his head, "Uh, no thanks. We'll just be here for a while and I want it to be a surprise."
"Okay, Peter."
Y/N looked impressed, "Wow. That was cool!"
"Does that make you want to join?" Peter asked as they reach their destination.
"I need a little bit more than that, but I'm very impressed." Y/N smiled as she and Peter exit the elevator and walk to the living room where everyone was.
"H-Hey guys! I've brought a guest." Peter smiled.
"Peter, what did I tell you about-" Tony said but as he turned around to look at Peter, his jaw dropped when he saw Y/N. In fact, all of them were surprised to see her. Because of this, Y/N felt awkward and uncomfortable under their gazes.
Peter cleared his throat, "This is Y/N. Y/N, these are the Avengers."
Y/N looked at them and she was starstruck. She didn't know what to do except smile at them. Her knees were weak and suddenly the two pizza boxes felt super heavy.
Tony was the first to approach her and he shook her hand, "It's so nice to meet you, Y/N!" He turned around and looked at the rest of the team, "Right, guys?"
A chorus of 'yeah' filled the room. It was very awkward and the tension was thick. Y/N didn't know why the tension was thick, but the rest of them knew. "So, Y/N brought two boxes of pizzas, didn't you, Y/N?" Peter looked at her and slightly nudged her.
"Oh, um, yeah! I-I did." Y/N stammered. She set down the two boxes on the coffee table and gave the team a tight smile.
"Relax, kid." Steve said with a warm smile. Y/N's eyes sparkled when she saw the hero. She loved him! She still did. "Oh my god. I'm such a huge fan of yours, Captain America!" Y/N smiled a giddy smile.
"Please, call me Cap or Steve." Steve said and Y/N nodded as she repeated it over and over under her breath.
"So, what brings you both here?" Tony asked and turned to Peter with his eyebrows raised.
"We wanted to surprise you!" Peter said.
Tony nodded, "Yeah, uh-huh and we definitely were!"
"Peter was asking me to join your team actually." Y/N said in a soft voice. Everyone turned to look at her, waiting for her to continue. They really really wanted her on the team.
"Please tell us you agreed." Sam said and Bucky nodded.
"Did you agree?" Tony asked. His gaze was serious, but he was full of hope even if it wasn't obvious.
"Peter and I made a deal. I'll participate in one week and if I don't enjoy myself, I would turn down his offer. But if I do enjoy myself, then I'll accept it." Y/N smiled.
Tony nodded, "That seems fair."
The next few days after school were spent at the compound while Peter was off patrolling. After patrolling, Peter would pick up Y/N from the compound and he'd swing her home. It was a new experience for her, but she loved it. Recently, she had been hanging out with Clint, Wanda and Thor.
She and Wanda would bake together and sometimes, they'd show each other's powers. Wanda would forever be amazed by Y/N's powers and Y/N would forever be blessed to see Wanda's powers when it's not being used for heroic actions.
Thor was like the uncle Y/N never had. She was jealous of Peter for having an uncle before his uncle's untimely demise and she wanted one. Now, she was glad to have Thor. They would play games together, dance together, tell jokes, eat, and binge watch movies. Thor's favorite was leaving mjolnir in different places and Y/N would have to look for it and try to lift it.
Clint was like a father to her. She missed her father terribly and she saw similarities between her father and Clint. Plus, Clint had a family and he loved Y/N like his own. In a span of a few days, Clint became a father figure to her and she loved it. It made her think of her own father.
On the last day of the week, Y/N was hanging out at the compound as usual while Peter patrolled. She was watching Wanda move things around using her telekinesis.
"Why are you moving things around again?" Y/N asked.
Wanda shrugged, "I'm just bored."
"Same here." Y/N sighed. Her frown was quickly replaced with a smile when she looked at Wanda with an excited look on her face, "I have an idea!"
"What?" Wanda smiled.
"Let's make smores with our powers! You can levitate the ingredients and I can produce the fire on my hands." Y/N lifted her hand with a closed fist and opened it with her palm facing upward. Then, a flame appeared.
Wanda looked at her and she did her part with the ingredients. The two of them happily made smores for everyone after that.
"Y/N! I've hid mjolnir somewhere. It is your time to find- what is that amazing smell?!" Thor's voice boomed. He reached the living room and grabbed a ready made smore on the plate. He took a bite and nodded, "This is delicious!"
"Hey, guys! I'm here now!" Scott entered with a grin. He gasped at the sight of Y/N. "OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. ARE YOU ON THE TEAM NOW?? THAT FIRE THING IS SO COOL. Wait, if you can do your own fire, does that make it organic? But I think fire can't be organic... or can it? I'm not really sure, but you're super cool!" He said quickly.
Y/N stared at him and awkwardly smiled, "Thanks, mister."
"Call me Scotty!"
"I think I'll call you Scott instead." Y/N laughed nervously.
"Scott, calm down." Clint said as he entered the room. He sat next to Thor who was comfortably sitting on the couch as he munch on smore after smore.
"Y/N, it's time to leave." Peter announced as he arrived and grabbed his backpack from the living room floor, not bothering to change in his normal clothes. Y/N visibly frowned as she and Wanda stopped making smores which made Thor upset.
Peter saw her frown and he was thankful that he was wearing his mask and no one could see him smirking. "C'mon, Y/N. Eunice wants you home early tonight, remember?" Peter said.
"Yeah, I guess." Y/N said sadly as he got up from the couch to give Clint, Wanda, Thor, and even Scott a hug. They bid her goodbye and they left. Peter swung her home and they didn't speak on the way to her apartment.
When they landed on the fire escape by Y/N's window, that was when Peter broke the silence, "So um, it's been a week. What'll be your answer?"
Y/N turned to look at him before she entered her room. She smiled at him and said, "I'll be looking forward to working with you, Spider-Man."
The eyes of his suit widened and he said, "D-Does that mean-?"
"Yes, I'll join your team." Y/N giggled. "It would be an honor."
"Yes!" Peter cheered. "You won't regret this, Y/N! I swear and promise you that you won't regret it."
"I trust you, Pete." Y/N smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay! Good night, Y/N."
"Good night! Text me when you get home, Pete." She smiled and watched Peter swing away. When Peter was far, she entered her room and changed into comfier clothing.
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Peter happily walked out his room and helped aunt May with dinner and they ate together. Y/N ate dinner alone because Eunice was working late, but she didn't mind. It's been a while since she's been alone with her thoughts. She thought about everything she could learn from the Avengers and she thought about what other things she was capable of that the Avengers could help her discover.
After dinner, Y/N got ready for bed and watched a little bit of television before heading to bed. Peter, on the other hand, wasn't going to bed yet. He had to report to the group chat. So after dinner and after cleaning up, he brushed his teeth and went to his room. He plopped down on his bed and quickly texted the Avengers group chat.
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Peter charged his phone and drifted off to sleep. Peter didn't know it yet, but he would have one hell of an experience in the following days and he wouldn't like it one bit.
* * * *
We’ve now begun the other half of this series. I hope you lot will support this series’ journey towards the nearing end.
𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @blueleatherbag​ @harryismysunflower​ @buckys-little-hoe​ @justanothermarvelmaniac​ @itstaskeen​ @sandystoriess @heeeyitskay​ @slytherin-chaser​ @quaksonhehe​ @yaya4302​ @lil-mellow-bunbun​ @starlight-starks​ @swiftmind​ @alexx-stancati​ @sovereignparker​ @nerdyandproudofitsstuff​
𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @marvelousell​ @justasmisunderstoodasloki​ @rubberducky-jrr​ @petersholland​ @osterfieldnholland​ @miraclesoflove​ @god-knows-what-am-i-doing​ @perspectiveparker​ @hollands-weasley​ @itstaskeen​ @call-me-baby-gir1​ @the-panwitch​ @iamaunicorn4704​ @chloecreatesfictions​ @holland-styles​ @halfblood-princess-505​ @spidey-reids-2003​ @herbatkazmiloscia @whatthefuckimbisexual​
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iwantitiwriteit · 5 years ago
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Slow Burn: Act 1 - Part 4
The Game Night
Pairing: Chris Evans x Famous!Reader
Summary: Game night with your cast and crew turns into a silent game of cat and mouse between you and Chris.
Warnings: Profanity, Sexual connotations, drunken silliness
Notes: This one was a fun challenge for me. Wanted to make sure there was a decent amount of conflict, but it was hard cos I am the queen of avoiding drama IRL; literally don’t know how that shit starts lol. Enjoy! Read the previous part here and check out the moodboard + music here.
Lush, autumnal trees that have yet to drop their leaves become more abundant and houses fit for large families grow farther apart as your Uber takes you from the bustling Boston city into the neighboring suburbs. Over the last few weeks, between staying with your sister in her Boston brownstone and filming on location on Harvard’s campus, you’ve become familiar with the urban terrain. You’re looking forward to the slowness of the suburbs, even if it’s just for an evening. It’s an experience you missed since being on tour non-stop. Always in an airport, then some large city, then on stage, in front of thousands. The quiet of the suburbs had evaded you the past few years, so you welcomed it with open arms.
“Whatcha got back there?” You had hoped having your earbuds in would keep talking at bay, but Charlie, the older gentleman driving your Uber, had other plans. The stress of his vowels lets you know he’s Boston born and bred. “I won’t say it smells bad, just… interesting!” 
In the backseat with you are a ton of old, dusty games you borrowed from your sister, but no matter how musky, you know he’s talking about the aromatic platters of food. “Oh, it’s um, samosas.”
“Orange juice and bubbly got the cah smelling like that?!”
You giggle slightly at his misunderstanding, “Not MImosa; SAmosa. Here, try one.” You hand Charlie a fried savory pastry.
He screws his face at it, the sight obviously foreign to him. “What is it?”
“It’s a fried pastry with some really flavorful potatoes and peas on the inside. Go on! You’ll love it!”
Charlie takes a tentative bite, then widens his eyes as the food hits his palate. You both begin to nod at each other slowly, knowingly.
“Good right?”
“So good! Where’d you get this?”
“From the Indian place on Columbia.”
“Oh I know that place! Pass it all the time, never go in. Smells weird.”
“It doesn’t smell weird; it’s just different to you. But now that I’ve introduced you to something on the menu, it won’t be so foreign to you, now will it?”
“You know what, you’re right! Next time I pass by, I’ll order me some, um, what’s this called again?”
“Samosa.”
“Yeah, samosa. Thanks miss!”
“No problem.” You love introducing others as well as yourself to new cultures, part of the reason you don’t mind being on the road so much.
“Wanna know something? My Ma has a restaurant on Columbia, too.”
“Oh yeah? What’s it called?” You ready your phone to look it up, but Charlie is already handing you a takeout menu. “Thanks. ‘L'amore Della Madre’. Mother’s Love?”
“Sì! Puoi parlare Italiano?”
“No, at all. I can read a little if I go slow and the words are short, but that’s just about it.”
“Well if you come by, tell ‘em Charlie sent you, and you’ll get free Italian lessons!”
“Really?”
“No, but they’ll treat you like family and you’ll learn all the bad words you’ll ever need to know.” You both laugh as you pull up to a gate with a call box. You tell Charlie the passcode to let you through —‘Harvard Hottie’, to which he quirks his brow at you through the rear view mirror.
“My friend thinks very highly of himself,” you laugh as you think about how excited Scott was to make that the passcode. He’s been highly excited in general about having some of cast and crew over for game night, insisting it was a great way to bond and team build.
“Your friend has got some money, huh?” Charlie remarks as he drives the stretch of winding road along a sizable amount of land before there’s a grand but understated farmhouse in view. Yeah, I guess so. Scott is living well. Good for him.
The car parks in front of the house, and you bid farewell to Charlie, gifting him another samosa for the road. “Thanks sweetheart, and I’ll see you at Ma’s sometime soon, yeah? We’ll get you set up with a nice Italian boy, ok?”
What is with everyone and setting me up?? “Least of my worries, Charlie. Least of my worries.” You collect your cumbersome party offerings and head for the door, then ring the doorbell with your pinky, as it’s the only appendage you can get free. As you struggle to balance the things in your hand, the door opens. You have a nervous smile ready to greet whatever familiar face that will be on the other side of the door, but it fades into a nervous confused expression as you take in the unexpected, but familiar face opposite yours.
There you are: dumbfounded and face to face with the one person you dutifully have not thought about or seen in the last few weeks since New York. Chris stands across the threshold looking widely at you, just as you are at him. You stare at each other for a few more seconds before you fumble with the stuff in your hands, Chris catching them effortlessly.
“Woah there, I’ll get those for you.”
“No, it’s ok.” The two of you do an awkward little dance trying to keep the things from falling. Just then, Scott comes from another room to greet you, but is met with the sight of you and Chris, each holding a little bit of everything, and one another, in order to keep the things between your bodies from hitting the floor. Scott can’t help but smirk at the two of you before coming over to help some of the things out of your hands. He’s quick to leave you alone with Chris, disappearing around a corner.
“Um… it’s good to see you again…”
“Uh-huh, that’s nice. SCOTT! Can I talk to you a moment?” you say as you go in the direction Scott disappeared in. You’re brought to a large, homey kitchen. You take in the simplistic decor, modern but rustic design and clean state of it. Scott was at the counter, already digging into the samosas and looking through your tattered game selection.
“I thought you said this was a cast and crew get together. What’s your brother doing here?”
“Well, I'm staying with him while we’re filming; couldn’t just kick him out of his own house! Besides, he hosts a WICKED game night and offered to help.”
“What’s with y’all Bostonians and ‘wicked’? Like, who the hell actually says that?”
“Plus I figured you guys hit off ‘cos he only asked me about a million times if you were coming…”
You resist the urge to roll your eyes. Yeah, yeah, whatever. Knowing you couldn’t badmouth your costar and new friend’s brother, even if he had done so about you, you were careful with your answer.
“Look, I know what you and Mackie are up to and you gotta stop.”
“What EVER do you mean?”
You clench your teeth at his faux ignorance. “You know what I mean! Stop trying to set me up with your brother, or anyone for that matter. I need to focus on our film, ok?”
“Hey, is everything ok?” Chris comes to check on you and Scott.
“Yep, everything’s everything!” Scott turns to you, “I’m gonna go let everyone know you're here and that we’ll be starting in a few.” Scott excuses himself with a wink at you.You and Chris stand a few apart, stiff as rods. This literally couldn’t get more uncomfortable.
Thinking that if you gave Jimi the coffee and flowers, and focused on your work, you could magically disappear Chris from existence. You let yourself believe that you’d *unrealistically* never see him again, while Chris made sure that wouldn’t be the case. When he didn’t get a response for his green room gift, he knew he’d have to apologize in person, but he didn’t think too much about what he'd say.
Chris breaks the silence. “Soo, how’s filming going?”
You look at him, head tilted, eyes squinted, nose scrunched. Really? That’s what you’ve got to say to me right now?
“Right… that was—  listen, I—“
“Where’s your bathroom?” you interrupt him.
“Uh, down that hall to the left.”
“Thanks.” You briskly make your way there and whip out your phone. Glancing over your shoulder, you see Chris face palming himself. As soon as you’re in the bathroom, you FaceTime Jimi.
“Hey hun! What’s up?”
“Girl, he’s here!” Your voice is panicked.
“Use more descriptive words honey. Who is where?”
“Chris is here at the game night!”
“Ooookay… and that’s a problem because...”
“Because he’s gonna ask me why I didn’t respond to his apology gift and I’m gonna say what? ‘Cos it was lame attempt after you grossly offended me after playing nice in my face all night. Like dude, I thought we vibed!’” You catch your breath before you start again. “Jimi, I may act like I want the smoke, but I really don’t! What do I do?”
“First off, take a chill pill. Secondly, just steer clear, and be neutral. Play nice, but don’t get too friendly. No need to make this bigger than it is.”
You exhale at your friend’s rationality. “Ok. Ok, I can do that!”
“Yeah you can! I have faith in you! Now, leave me alone until tomorrow, I’m catching up on Insecure and this ice cream is NOT gonna finish itself. Love you, bye!” You hang up with Jimi, and repeat “steer clear, be neutral, play nice, not friendly” as a mantra, while opening your messages. You text your sister to remind her to pick you up at 10pm. She offered since she knew you’d be drinking and said she didn’t want her “drunk, famous little sister in an Uber at night. They might hold you for ransom!” Simultaneously annoyed and endeared by her concern, you accepted her offer. She replies affirmatively.
Slowly opening the bathroom door, you poke your head out, checking to see that the coast is clear of Chris. When you find that it is, you step out and exhale.
“Hey.”
“OH SHIT!” You jump at the sound of Chris’ voice behind you, clutching your imaginary pearls.
“Sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you.” He chuckles a bit, but stops as you side eye him. She's not gonna make this easy. He clears his throat. “Um, I was hoping I could talk to you for a few—“
“Hey Kid! Scott said you were here!” Mackie pulls you in for a hug. You hadn’t seen each other all week because you hadn’t shared scenes with him. “What’s up with ya?”
“Oh ya know… same old, same old,” you say with a shrug. You look over to Chris who's rubbing his neck.
“Hey!! Party in the hallway!” Ansel joins the three of you in the hallway already a little tipsy. “What are parlaying about?”
“Not how you use that word.” Ansel boops your nose as the hallway fills with a couple more people, and you were never more grateful for your overly personable, slightly invasive film family. You squeeze out of the “hallway party” towards the living room, relieved to have escaped interaction with Chris, but unsure of if you would be so lucky the rest of the night. 
----------------------------------------------
The group of about 30 cast and crew members congragate in the living room and are split into 2 teams: Team 1 In A Million and Team A-fucking-mazing. Team 1 In A Million includes you, Scott, and Jaden while Team A-fucking-mazing has Mackie, Ansel and your director, Sonya.
“Wait, we only have 14, they have 15!” Mackie complains.
“No need to whine, Mackie. Chris, I know you were gonna hang back some tonight, but you mind joining their team?” Scott gestures to the opposite team and Chris reluctantly joins them. He sits with his team on the end of the sofa across from you. He’s dressed like the big brother of a fraternity: cap on backwards that pulls his hair away from his crystal blue eyes, too tight t-shirt that show off his bulging biceps, basic jeans that accentuate his long legs, and a plain pair of color coordinated Nike’s, a size who knows, you just notice how big they are, and quite frankly, you find it all… mouth-watering. He offers you a shy smile and shrug, but you look away before you could melt and forget why you’re icing him in the first place. Chris just sighs to himself.
The games get under way, drinks and conversation are flowing, while both teams compete in a series of minute-to-win-it games. You forget about Chris long enough to have some real fun. Not really one for smack talk, though you love healthy competition, on-the-spot made-up cheers to hype up your teammates is your specialty. Every once in a while, you’ll look up mid-smile or laughter and catch Chris looking and smiling at you. Your expression immediately resolves into a neutral one, and Chris’ heart sinks every time.
“This next one is called ‘Blow Ball’.” Scott announces.
“That’s what she said,” Jaden jokes, and you just shake your head, barely laughing.
“Thank you for that, Jaden. When the timer starts, each player must use only their breath to blow the 73 blue ping pong balls off the pizza tray, while at the same time keep the 3 yellow ping pong balls on the tray. Any questions?”
Jaden raises his hand. “So you’re saying the players have to blow on the blue balls until they get off?” Chris does his classic, boisterous belly laugh, and you’re inclined to smile and sigh to yourself. I forgot how good that sounds.
“You’re exhausting, Jaden. Ok teams, pick your representatives!” After some deliberation, you’re chosen to go for your team, insisting you had the best breath control. You turn from your huddle to see who your opponent is. Of. Fucking. Course.
“May the best player win,” Chris offers his hand to you to shake.
“I intend to,” you reply, slapping his hand away and the group erupts in instigating chorus of “ooo’s”. There’s even a “you gone take that Cap?!” from Mackie. Under normal circumstances, Chris would’ve found your cockiness cute, attractive even. But seeing as you snubbed his apology, have been avoiding him all night, and consistently let your face fall at the sight of him, he couldn’t help but take it personally.
“Alright, alright,” Scott calms everyone down. “On your mark, get set, go!”
The two of you set to work on your trays. Chris struggles to get strong enough breaths out to move the balls thanks to the amount of beers he’s already thrown back and his distracting thoughts. What’s up with this girl? Why won’t she accept my apology? Is she really that full of herself?
Meanwhile, you breezed through your ping pong balls, moving them off the tray with your controlled breath with ease. A couple minutes pass of you going at your trays, your team ridiculously rowdy thanks to the copious amount of alcohol consumed at this point. You’re down to the last few blue ping pong balls on your tray, careful not to blow the yellow ones off.
You look up slightly at Chris who has a little ways to go before catching up to you. You lock eyes with him. He then flicks his eyes down to your tray and notices there’s just a single blue ball between you and victory. He brings his eyes back up to yours, then to your Fenty-glossed lips that are serving him a cocky grin, which turns into a soft ‘O’ as you puff out just enough air to skid the last blue ball off your tray and onto the floor. You win.
You both rise slowly, maintaining strong eye contact, but it’s broken as your team crowds and rough houses you like you’ve just won the Super Bowl. Jaden puts a beer bottle to his mouth like a microphone. “So here we are with the most badass, bodacious Blow Ball player in the land. Tell us, how does it feel to bring your team to victory?” he asks you in his best broadcaster voice.
You patronize him because you’re having fun. “Well, you know, I couldn’t have done it without their support… and my Grammy-award winning singer’s lungs baby!” There’s another round of rowdiness from your team, but looking over at Chris, your smile falters for a different reason. He seems unamused by your antics. What’s his deal? You don’t stay looking at Chris for long, as your team turns you around for more drunken celebration.
“I want to challenge you to a game of beer pong.” Chris pipes at you amongst the loud chatter.
Your back is to him, as you were talking to one of your teammates. You only look over your shoulder as you reply. “Challenge all you want, but I don’t wanna. We won. That’s it. Move on.”
“What, you’re scared cos it’s not in your element you won’t win?” The group quiets down as you turn to face Chris. Studying his face, you come up with nothing, unable to read him. He’s joking, right?
Your mantra about steering clear and playing nice are gone from your tipsy brain. “No, but I’m sure your confidence is coming from the fact that it’s well in your element.” You approach him, sizing him up as he looks down at you.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Despite your best efforts, you had been watching him tonight. The more drinks he threw back, the more bro-ish he became. Hella loud, overly competitive, with unsolicited coaching. It gave you a headache, but you brushed it off until now.
“Nothing, just that some of us,” motioning to yourself, “spent our college days studying, while others,” poking his chest, “got their frat on. Hence why beer pong is right up your alley.”
“Jokes on you: I didn’t go to college.”
“That explains why you think ‘brown’ and ‘mouth’ rhyme,” you say low enough for only him to hear. So she got the gift... There’s a pang in his chest and it’s evident to you in his eyes. The look he gives pains you and causes you to soften your features.
“So are we gonna do this or what?” says Ansel, mouth full of samosa, cutting the heady moment.
-------------------------------------------------------
The next 30 minutes are a complete blur. There’s yelling, cheering, sneering, and shit talking. Cup after cup of beer is thrown back on your end as Chris whoops your ass at this game, just like you knew he would. By the end of it you are thoroughly drunk, having reached tipsy quite a few games back. His team swamps him in congratulations, but his eyes stay on you, his face still unreadable.
You’re not a sore loser, you swear it, you just couldn’t take the unsaid tension with Chris any longer, and excused yourself. You find a quiet corner to take a breather and an opportunity to text your sister to remind her to pick you up at 10. She says she’ll be there.
“Hey, cute doggie!” You notice the pooch perched on an oversized ottoman and sit next to, not bothering to make it to a chair. You read his tag. Dodger.
“Aaahhh. Chris’ best boy and dysfunctional codependent,” you recall from when the night you met in New York a few weeks ago. “Tell me, is he always this, this… frustrating?” You drawl out. Dodger just responds with a light bark as you scratch behind his ears to his delight.
You enjoy the dog’s company for a few minutes longer until he gives an alerting bark, causing you to look in the direction of the patio that you’d just left. You look up and can see double the Chris approaching. Not even thinking twice, you crawl out of the sitting area and into the next room where most everyone is now sobering up and playing low energy board and card games. You, however, are frantically looking for somewhere to avoid Chris.
Once Chris reaches, he only finds a happily panting Dodger, that he crouches down next to. “She’s seriously avoiding me, huh Bubba?” Dodger barks then licks Chris’ face, as if to say, “Yeah dude, give it up.” How childish.
---------------------------------------------------------
9:55 pm rolls around and you are waiting at the front door for your ride like a kid on the curb of their school. All night has been an exhausting game of cat and mouse between you and Chris, and you appreciate the moment of solace in his foyer. The ringtone for your sister fills the room, and you put your phone to your ear.
“But Lynn, you offered!” Chris hears an anxious voice from his spot in the kitchen and walks in its direction to investigate.
“You didn’t just find that out! Why didn’t you tell me earlier?!” As he gets closer, he identifies it as your voice. There you are, at his front door, coat and purse, ready to leave the festivities, and scoffs. Last to arrive, first to leave.
“Are you kidding me right now? I don’t need you to send me money! I’ve got money! Money is not the issue here!” Chris raises his brows to your statement. He has no idea who you’re yelling at like that, but it’s not helping your case in his mind.
“Yeah, whatever. Just don’t even breathe in my direction tomorrow.” Stupid sister, and her stupid bowling league. You continue to mumble to yourself as you assess your options. Seeing as you didn’t want to interrupt anyone’s good time, and want to get the hell out of there ASAP, you decide to just take an Uber anyway.
One last try. “Everything ok?” You look up to see Chris, eyes glossy from drunkenness, red from tiredness, nursing a water bottle and leaning on the archway.
“Yeah,” you say, not meeting his eyes, hoping he’d go away. When he didn’t, you moved closer to the door, hoping he’d get the picture then. Steer clear.
“Leaving already?”
“Uh-huh.”  Be neutral.
“We were just about to cue up some karaoke. I’d love to hear what those singer’s lungs could do.” You loved karaoke. But not tonight. Not with him.
“You all enjoy; I’m not in the mood.” Play nice, not friendly.
That’s it, I’ve had it with her cold shoulder! “Wanna know something? I was wrong about you.”
“Is that so?” You brace for another cringey apology.
“Yeah… You’re not an airheaded, wannabe popstar. You’re an arrogant, childish diva.”
You’re taken aback, but not entirely surprised. You can see how he got to this conclusion. What with you icing him all night, taking digs at him, and if he was in that archway long enough, that conversation with your undependable sister could have sounded diva-ish out of context. It’s a complete misjudgment of you, but you can’t help but think you started it. “Oh yeah?”
“Hell yeah.” The two of you meet in the middle of the foyer for your second stand off tonight.
“You wanna know what you are?”
“I get the feeling you’re about to tell me.”
“You’re a fickle, judgmental bro dude.”
“Bro dude?”
“Yeah! A bro dude! You're good at beer pong, you flirt relentlessly, try to get in my head, and get pissed and start calling names the second you realize you’re not getting the time of day.”
“Oh honey you wish I was flirting!”
“Is everything alright in here?” Scott appears in the archway his brother was in just moments before.
“Yeah, I was just going; my Uber’s here.” Your ride share arrived just in time to save you from any further wanton ridicule.
“Uber? I— or someone can drive you home.” Chris says as he grasps your elbow.
“More of your mixed signals. Save the fake concern for someone who’s got the time, cos it ain’t me.” Taking back your arm in a huff, you leave for your waiting ride.
“Woah... what was that about?”
“I… I’m gonna call it a night. I’ll help cleanup in the morning.” Chris kisses his brother goodnight, one last drunken act before retiring for the night. Scott is left in the foyer stunned, as Mackie comes to see what’s holding him up.
“Hey man, where’s Chris and— are they… ya’know?” Mackie gives a suggestive look, bumping Scott with his elbow. “I know you felt that tension, that sexual tension!”
“No, they’re not— They just had some intense words, and she left and he went to bed— alone.”
“What?! What happened?”
“I don’t know but we gotta think of something. They can’t hate each other!”
“Yeah, we’ll think of something… after we sing some karaoke. I’ll be Diana if you’ll be Lionel.”
“No, I’m definitely more Diana, you be Lionel!”
“Fine.”
Part 5
199 notes · View notes
maybeimamuppet · 3 years ago
Text
dream a better dream
hello my little muppets!! happy wednesday!
this is a request fill for @erikascadys who requested sharkboy and lavagirl au! janis is lavagirl and damian is shark boy. and cady is just cady :))
i don't think i need any trigger warnings, but as always if I've missed one please let me know so I can add it!
anyway, please enjoy!
---
Cady has always been a dreamer.
Growing up in Kenya, it was nearly the only thing she could do to entertain herself. Sure, she had a few toys, or books to read, or lions to chase. But in terms of other humans, all she had were her parents and her dreams.
Her personal favorite dream first appeared one night when she was ten. Cady’s family had just gotten the news that her older brother, Rhys, had been killed in the line of combat. The only place Cady has as an escape from her grief is in her dreams.
She dreams of two people. Friends. A boy and a girl. The boy is part human, part shark. He has legs, but also fins. A human face, but shark teeth. And human hands, but sharp claws. In spite of everything, he seems kind. He cares for his shark friends and all the fish, carefully tends to the corals and feeds the seaweed and anemones. Cady cleverly dubs him Sharkboy.
The girl is very different. She’s made of lava and fire, with bright pink hair and the ability to shoot lava from her hands. Cady doesn’t know much else about her. She names her Lavagirl and leaves it at that.
-
Cady frantically writes her dream in her dream journal when she wakes up the next morning. She’s kept one since she learned how to write, detailing all her most precious dreams. She has a feeling this one is extra special.
“I’m going to the watering hole to take a bath!” She yells to her parents as she runs out of their tent. Her dad grabs her by the back of her shirt and scoops her up before she can make it out. “Hey!”
“Why are you suddenly so eager to take a bath?” Her dad asks, setting her down again.
“I’m not! I’m just excited for the day! I had a super special dream!” Cady says, bouncing up and down a few times. Her dad gives her a sad smile and ruffles her hair.
“Okay. Watch for crocs and hurry back for breakfast, binti.”
“I will!” Cady says, dashing out again.
-
After a quick but expert assessment, Cady dubs the small pool to be free of crocodiles and any other predators. The zebras wouldn’t be drinking here for so long, otherwise.  Cady leaps in with a small splash and opens her eyes under the water. She’s been trying to learn how to do that recently.
But someone else is there. She screams and pops her head back above the surface. The figure follows. “Sharkboy?”
“Yeah!” Sharkboy says. “Hi!”
“You’re real?” Cady asks in awe.
“Yeah, duh! I’m right here,” Sharkboy says.
“Whoa,” Cady whispers. “Um… can I finish my bath, please? Then we can get to know each other!”
“Oh! Yeah, sorry!” Sharkboy says, turning around and covering his eyes. Cady swims back down and finishes cleaning herself, then dries herself off and gets dressed. Sharkboy swims up and rests on the shore.
“I thought you were a dream,” Cady murmurs, tilting her head. Sharkboy shakes his head.
“Nope! Well, kinda. But everything that is, or was, or will be, began with a dream.”
“Huh,” Cady says, tilting her head. “Okay, do you wanna go play? I’ve never… I’ve never had a human friend before.”
“I’m not human,” Sharkboy says, smiling so she can see his teeth.
“Oh, right,” Cady giggles. “I’ve never had a shark friend before either.”
Sharkboy smiles wider. “Yeah, come on. I bet you’re pretty fast growing up out here.”
“Tag! You’re it!”
-
Cady shares her breakfast with Sharkboy, and they play together in between Cady’s chores. She learns his real name is Damian, and that he was a marine biologist with his mother. Their research base was destroyed in a storm, and he was practically adopted by the sharks. And now he searches the universe for his mother.
“I hope you find her,” Cady says genuinely. “We lost my brother a while ago. But he’s not coming back.”
“I heard. I’m sorry,” Sharkboy says. Cady shrugs.
“It’s okay. I miss him a lot, but my parents say he’s still with me. Anyway, you wanna come see the lions? They’re my favorite.”
Sharkboy nods and runs after her to help feed the lions their dinner. The sun is setting, painting the sky gold and orange and pink as it makes its way down for the day. Once the first stars are just beginning to twinkle for the night, a bright flash of pink light suddenly glows from behind them.
“Lavagirl,” Cady breathes when she turns around. Lavagirl smiles slightly and nods. Maybe that really is her name. “You’re real too!”
“Sharkboy, I need your help,” Lavagirl says. “You have to come with me. A great crisis is developing on the Planet Drool.”
Sharkboy nods and heads to her side. They begin to run off together, before freezing and turning back to Cady.
“Can you come as well, Cady?”
“Er… I would,” Cady stutters. “I’d really like to, but… I have homeschool tomorrow.”
Lavagirl nods in understanding, and they both turn back and continue running off. Cady doesn’t see them again.
—-
Until six years later. Cady’s parents have lost their funding and are forced to move back to America. Cady is both upset and excited. She’s sad to be leaving the only home she’s known, but eager to experience life in the west. And go to real school for the first time.
She starts at North Shore High three days after they move to Chicago. Her wishes for a happy American life are quickly dashed.
The building is massive and meandering, built of a labyrinth of hallways and classrooms that all look the same and packed wall to wall with other kids all shoving and pushing and yelling. Like sardines.
Sharkboy would like that, she thinks with a little smile. And he could use his navigation instincts to help me get around this place.
By some miracle she makes it to homeroom on time and plops herself in an empty seat near the front of the room. She looks up when it suddenly goes quiet and the teacher begins speaking.
“Hello class, I’m Ms. Norbury, I teach AP Calculus,” she begins. Cady looks up in relief and checks her schedule. This is her math teacher. “And we have a new student this year, I see. Caddy Heron?”
“Uh-it’s Cady,” Cady stutters quietly, raising her hand. “I used to be homeschooled.”
That gets a few snickers from people in the back of the room, and Ms. Norbury’s demeanor seems to change slightly. “That’s a fun way to steal from my union.”
“Oh! No, no,” Cady says immediately. “I grew up in Kenya, my parents are zoologists. Not many unions there.”
Much to her relief, Ms. Norbury relaxes slightly and gives her a kind smile. “In that case, welcome to North Shore. I saw you on my roster for the afternoon, I look forward to seeing what you can do.”
Cady gives her an eager smile back and nods as she gathers her things once the bell goes off.
—-
In her English class, she gets an assignment to write a short story about her favorite childhood memory. Cady thinks long and hard about which moment to choose. The time a lion broke into her tent and cuddled her all night? Or the time she got to see the city of Nairobi for the first time? Her first airplane trip?
Suddenly, it hits her. She had never had more fun as a kid than when she spent the day with Sharkboy. So Cady writes about that. What could go wrong?
As it turns out, reading the essay aloud in front of the whole class is what can go wrong. Cady eagerly volunteers to go first. Mistake one.
She looks up when she finishes reading, to the sneers and smirks of her classmates. And that’s before they start laughing out loud. One of them even throws a ball of paper at her.
“Sit down, Cady,” her teacher says gently. Cady sits down quietly back at her spot, trying to ignore the jeers of the other students. “Cady appears to have merely misunderstood the assignment. I asked for true stories. But that was a very well done work of fiction.”
“It is true!” Cady says, much louder than she’s spoken all day. Another paper ball hits her. Cady pulls her dream journal out of her backpack, where she also wrote about the day she got to spend with Sharkboy. “He said everything that is, or was, started with a dream. It’s true.”
Her teacher looks at her sadly and gives a slight head shake as the next kid gets up to read their essay. Cady doesn’t speak up again until the bell rings.
“Cady, a moment please,” her teacher asks quietly. Cady sheepishly heads over to her desk. “You have a real way with words. But you’re sixteen, in the eleventh grade. It’s time to stop dreaming, okay?”
Cady takes the pencil she had tucked behind her ear and scratches that down in her journal. “No dreaming. Got it. I-I’ll try harder.”
Her teacher looks at her sadly but nods, sending her off to her next class. Cady is pulling her schedule out of her backpack to check the room number when she’s suddenly knocked to the ground.
“Watch where you’re going, jungle freak,” the girl she’s bumped into spits.
“I’m sorry,” Cady says desperately. “I didn’t see you, I didn’t mean it-“
“I’m sure you didn’t. As payback… what is that?”
“My-my dream journal,” Cady says, clutching it to her chest.
“Can I see it?” The girl asks. Cady naively hands it over. The girl flips through it and laughs. “You’ll get an edited version tomorrow.”
“Wait, give it back!” Cady yells, trying to run after her. The girl’s two cronies block her path.
“Trust us, don’t mess with Regina. We’ll try to keep her from doing too much to it. But she can do a lot worse,” the blonde one murmurs.
Cady hollowly stops fighting them and steps back. The girls give her an apologetic look before they run after their friend.
————-
Cady cries herself to sleep that night. America is nothing like she thought it would be. She wishes she could be back in Kenya, where the only things around for miles to laugh at her were the hyenas. Or, at the very least, that she wouldn’t have to go to school tomorrow. Maybe there’ll be a bad storm. With tornados.
In her dreams, Sharkboy and Lavagirl make an appearance for the first time since she was eleven. She’d gotten little glimpses of their work on planet Drool, as they helped make it into the awesome planet of Cady’s dreams. They seemed happy.
But something is wrong, now. Cady can’t quite piece it together, but the scenes she can see clearly aren’t right. She wakes up with a gasp and runs to the window. A bright, clear day greets her mockingly.
“Guess I didn’t dream hard enough.”
—————
Cady trudges through the morning. Her parents are arguing over something or other, probably trying to get her father a job again. Cady’s mom asks her to come right home after school so they can all talk. Cady suddenly starts wishing something will happen at school so she doesn’t have to go home.
By lunch, the sky about matches her mood. Dark clouds block out any hint of blue that wanted to shine through, and loom ominously over the building. Her science teacher takes the opportunity to teach about tornados and their origins.
Regina strolls in casually about ten minutes after the bell, holding a bag that must be too small to carry all her books. Not that she cares.
Cady stands and goes to her desk, holding out a hand. “Give it back.”
“Ladies, is there an issue?” the teacher asks.
“Regina took my dream journal yesterday.”
“Ooh, a liar, too, how fun,” Regina titters.
“Regina, give Cady her book. It hasn’t even been a week and you’re already picking up the bullying again,” the teacher huffs. Something tells Cady that Regina had never set the bullying down in the first place.
Begrudgingly, Regina picks up her designer bag and roots through it. Cady thankfully takes her precious book back. But as she opens it to check that all her dreams are where they were before, she gasps in horror.
Every single page has been scratched out one way or another. Lipstick, black marker in swirly handwriting, even a few pages covered in letter stickers that spell out particularly cruel taunts.
“She ruined it!”
“Where’s your proof, you little freak?” Regina retaliates.
“That’s enough! Both of you will be reporting with me to the principal’s office after school. With your parents,” the teacher yells, trying to get her class back under control. It turns out to be a futile effort when the windows suddenly blow open with the force of the winds outside. “I do not get paid enough for this.”
Everyone ducks underneath their desks as papers start flying around the room, covering their heads and faces for protection. In her haste to get back to her desk, Cady accidentally drops the journal by Regina’s feet, who bends down to pick it up with a coy smirk.
Cady has curled up in a ball beneath her desk when there’s suddenly a thunderous crash accompanied by the sounds of breaking glass. Carefully, Cady peeks up above to see…
Sharkboy and Lavagirl. Evidently having entered through a new hole in the wall.
“I’m looking for Cady,” Lavagirl says, staring down Cady’s classmates. Everyone points to Cady’s desk in the far corner. Cady squeaks and ducks back down. Lavagirl makes her way over regardless, setting homework alight on her way. When she reaches her, Lavagirl lifts Cady’s desk off the ground with just one hand, revealing Cady curled in a frightened ball. “We need your help, Cady. Come with us.”
“Wh-what do I have to do?” Cady stutters, following after the girl made of fire.
“Just come with us, we’ll explain on the way.”
“Hi Cady!” Sharkboy says, waving eagerly. Lavagirl whacks him gently.
“I can’t go with you.” Cady says.
“Why not?”
“Be-because you’re not real! Both of you! You’re just a dream,” Cady says, trying to admit it to herself as well. “And-and you’ll be gone when I open my eyes.”
Cady squeezes her eyes shut for a moment.
When she opens them again, Sharkboy and Lavagirl are gone. Or so she thinks.
“We’re still here, Cady,” Sharkboy says from behind her. Cady screams and whirls around.
“If you want to stop The Darkness from destroying our worlds,” Lavagirl growls slightly. “You’ll come with us.”
“You should probably go with them,” Cady’s teacher squeaks, poking her head up from behind her desk. Cady nods.
“Okay. I-I’ll go with you.”
——————
“Where are we going?” Cady yells, trying to keep up with her friends. Creations? No, friends is much better.
“Planet Drool!” Sharkboy yells over his shoulder.
“It’s real?!”
“Yeah! We just punched a hole in your school, is it so hard to believe?”
“How are we getting there?”
“Enough with the questions!” Lavagirl demands. Cady suddenly notices the shark shaped rocket ship in front of them.
“Oh. Sorry.”
“Put on the goggles,” Lavagirl says, handing Cady a pair of electric blue ones. Hers are purple, and Sharkboy’s are pink. Cady doesn’t judge.
“So how do you fly this thing?” Sharkboy asks. Cady looks at him.
“You don’t know?”
“That’s our whole problem!” Lavagirl says angrily. Cady blinks at her a few times sheepishly before she slams her foot on a pedal. It reveals a green ‘GO’ button. Cady presses it, and they’re off.
Cady looks out the window at the tornados, before they’re suddenly in the atmosphere.
“How do you control it?!” Lavagirl yells at her over the roaring of the engines.
“It has an auto-pilot!” Cady yells back. Lavagirl smacks the button in front of her.
“Wow, you really thought of everything!” Sharkboy says happily.
“Er… not exactly,” Cady says.
“How the fuck do we land?!” Lavagirl says when she realizes.
“That’s the bit I forgot!”
“Well, there’s Neptune,” Lavagirl spits. “Hold on to your asses!”
Cady braces and shuts her eyes, clinging to her harness for safety. Luckily they don’t seem to crash too hard. The ground is almost… squishy.
The mouth of the shark-rocket opens for them to step out onto the surface of the planet. Cady looks out in awe at the world she’s created.
“Do you recognize it, Cady?” Sharkboy asks quietly.
“Not really,” Cady admits shyly. “I feel like I should, but I just… don’t.”
“It’s affecting you too, then,” Sharkboy says sadly. Lavagirl glares at him. “I thought she’d remember!”
“Remember what?”
“Your dreams,” Lavagirl says. “The whole fucking planet? Us? Your powers?”
“I’ve got powers?”
“More than any of us,” Sharkboy says. “Remember what I told you when we met? Everything that is, or was, or will be, began with a dream. And you dreamt us, and this whole place!”
“Every dream you ever had landed here,” Lavagirl says.
“Oh. Why-why is it so dark? I don’t have that many nightmares,” Cady says.
“It began yesterday. What’s the calculation, Sharkboy?” Lavagirl asks. Sharkboy pulls out a shark-shaped device. It’s beeping quietly and seems to be scanning the environment for something.
“About forty-five minutes,” he replies.
“Forty-five minutes until what?” Cady asks.
“Until the planet… is… destroyed,” Sharkboy says sheepishly.
“We didn’t pick you up to save you,” Lavagirl says, looking out over the darkening horizon. “We need you to save us.”
“Oh. How-how do I do that?” Cady asks anxiously. This is way more responsibility than she asked for when she started keeping a dream journal.
“The dream lair over there. That’s where your dreams are going bad,” Sharkboy says sadly. “We have to get you there and find out what’s happening to them. And hopefully reverse it.”
Sounds simple enough.
“We’ll have to travel through the Passage of Time, catch the Train of Thought, swim down the Stream of Consciousness, and skate across the Sea of Confusion. Because it’s frozen now. Nice going, Cady,” Lavagirl grumbles.
“Lava, don’t be mean! It’s not her fault,” Sharkboy admonishes. “We brought Cady here to put things back in order. We just have to stay positive! It’s not the end of the world.”
“It literally is, though!” Lavagirl yells from a ways away. She turns around and walks backwards away from them for a moment. “The planet is dying, come on!”
“What’s her deal?” Cady asks anxiously as she and Sharkboy run after Lavagirl. Suddenly, a groaning creak is heard, and they both turn around to find the shark rocket being swallowed by the Darkness. “Run!”
Everyone picks up the pace, until they’re suddenly on a platform moving rapidly towards a sort of carnival.
“How is this here if you’ve never been to a carnival?” Lavagirl asks.
“I read about them in books and stuff. I always wanted to go to one,” Cady says sheepishly. “I was, like, ten, give me a break!” Lavagirl shrugs and turns away from her with a huff. “Where is everyone? My dream planet shouldn’t be so lonely.”
“They’re stuck,” Sharkboy says, pointing to a roller coaster weaving around a tall mountain that looks remarkably like Kilimanjaro. “Trapped. Ms. Neverbury has everyone kind of held hostage.”
“How awful,” Cady says sadly. “My world was supposed to be fun.”
“Oh, it’s fun, alright,” Lavagirl chuckles sardonically. “Endless fun. Once you get on, you can’t get off.”
“Kids aren’t allowed to rest here, because if they rest, they sleep, if they sleep, they dream, and if they dream…”
“It takes power away from Neverbury. But we have a secret weapon to stop her,” Lavagirl says mischievously.
“Oh, good,” Cady says in relief.
“It’s you, dipshit,” Lavagirl huffs.
“Oh. You know, you’re a lot more rude than I remember!” Cady yells as Lavagirl rushes up to the coaster. “You’re very dismissive!”
“Get used to it!” Lavagirl yells back, reaching up a fist and floating up to the carts rushing around.
“Don’t mind her, she’s having a sort of… identity crisis,” Sharkboy says apologetically. “She’s usually pretty nice, but she’s scared, and she gets angry when she’s afraid.”
“Would you two shut up? We’re on a time crunch here!” Lavagirl reminds them, dangling upside down from the coaster.
“Oh, oops,” Sharkboy says. He does the same motion and joins Lavagirl above their heads, moving to stop the coaster. Cady tries it too, but she can only jump about a foot.
“Man, why can’t I do that?”
Luckily for her, there’s a ladder a few feet away. She’ll have to use that until she figures out how to jump the way her new friends do.
“Whoa,” she breathes as Lavagirl suddenly lands on the cart of the coaster, somehow perfectly steady even as it hurtles around the winding track. Everyone on the cart cheers in relief. Lavagirl hops down in front of it, causing sparks to fly as she attempts to stop it with one hand and shoots lava to weaken the tracks with the other. Sharkboy grabs onto the back and pulls, and their combined strength makes the coaster grind to a halt.
“Who knows where Neverbury is hiding?” Lavagirl demands. She tilts her head in confusion as everyone appears to have both hands raised. “All of you?”
“You’re all upside down,” Cady giggles from her position on the ladder.
“Oh.”
Suddenly, a booming voice echos around them. “Who is stopping my unstoppable fun?!”
Lavagirl gasps and shoots small jets from both hands to release the bars on all the kids, allowing them to fall gently to the ground and run to safety.
“Who is Neverbury?” Cady asks, hopping into the coaster herself and bringing the bar down for protection as it begins to move again. Sharkboy sits next to her, and Lavagirl stands on the front to coast along.
“She’s supposed to be the sort of protector here,” Sharkboy says. “Keep everyone safe. Be a light. But all she brings now is darkness.”
Cady is about to respond when she’s suddenly slammed backwards into her seat. She screams as the coaster suddenly rockets off, hurtling down the track at impossible speeds. Nothing is impossible here, she reminds herself.
“She’s taking us up!” Sharkboy yells. Cady clings to his arm in fright. She decides she’s not quite so interested in riding roller coasters anymore.
Cady peeks up from Sharkboy when they finally come to a blessed stop, letting out a little squeak of fright. Sharkboy gently pats her head to let her know it’s alright before he hops out of the cart. Lavagirl follows him, and Cady scrambles out once she can feel her extremities again.
A large robot has its back to them, fiddling with various buttons and levers to bring images up on the large screens in front of it. It yells something at whatever she sees before it turns to see them. Cady screams quietly. It looks a lot like Ms. Norbury. What I wouldn’t give to be in calculus class right now.
“Well well well, if it isn’t Sharkboy and Lavagirl,” the robot says. “What do you want? Why have you halted my endless fun and infiltrated my lair?”
“We don’t need permission from you, you circular bitch,” Lavagirl huffs.
“Man. Fiery today,” Neverbury huffs. She appears to notice Cady then. “Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met. I am Ms. Neverbury.”
“Um-hi,” Cady says anxiously.
“Why are you doing this to our planet? You’re supposed to be running it,” Sharkboy demands.
“You’re supposed to be running it,” Neverbury mocks. “I am running it, I do run it. Right into the ground. Er, those are my orders.”
Maybe Cady has less control here than Sharkboy and Lavagirl thought. Everything here is supposed to be under her command, but she would’ve never ordered something like this. “Who ordered that?”
“No school, no discipline, no rules,” Neverbury continues. Cady loves school. She loves rules. This is clearly the work of someone else. Not even childhood Cady would’ve done something like this. “And no dreaming.”
“Dreams can destroy you, can’t they?” Lavagirl asks coyly. “That’s why we have to stop you.”
“You and what army?” Neverbury scoffs.
“Guys,” Cady says quietly, pointing behind them. A series of electrical plugs appear to have come to life behind them, sparking ominously. That’s probably not good.
Sharkboy and Lavagirl snap to attention, doing a series of very sophisticated moves and fighting the plugs back. Lavagirl looks very eager to be demonstrating some rather violent tendencies.
“Hey Sparky,” she calls loudly, getting Neverbury’s attention. “Catch me if you can.”
Cady and Sharkboy watch as she sets her hands and feet alight and rockets herself upwards, to another metal platform higher up. Neverbury follows and winces as Lavagirl shoots jets of magma out of her hands.
Cady doesn’t quite know what to do. She was never much good at fighting. Sharkboy snaps back into his fights, punching out several of the plugs and grinding their circuits with his sharp teeth. Wanting to be helpful, Cady grabs a cord and tugs as hard as she can. Eventually, it gives, and Cady winds up on her behind looking up at a plug. It rattles rather ominously and gives chase, so Cady bolts. So to speak.
She runs as fast as she can, and being Kenyan, she’s still pretty fast. She turns to check that she’s lost her pursuer at one point, and finds the plug straining at the confines of its cord.
“Aww, are you a bit short?” She teases. “We’ve all been there. Come get me, loser!”
“Cady, stop trash talking, it doesn’t suit you,” Lavagirl yells, still fighting off Neverbury above them.
“Fine,” Cady huffs. She tips her head and coos quietly as the plug continues straining. Suddenly it appears to ‘look’ to its left and spies another plug. Cady watches in horror as it plugs itself in and gives itself more reach. “Ah, shuck!”
She runs again, but pauses when she hears crunching behind her. Sharkboy is jumping up
and down on the plug, smashing it to bits and stomping out any hint of current still running through it. He smiles at Cady when the last spark flies and fizzles out.
“You’re amazing,” Cady beams.
“You had to be scared of electricity?!” Lavagirl yells.
“I grew up in a tent, I don’t like it!” Cady yells back.
“Both of you shut up!” Neverbury yells. Lavagirl shoots a stronger jet at her face. Neverbury closes her eyes and drifts down slightly. Lavagirl relaxes, but Neverbury quickly pops back up. “Haha, pranked.”
“Good one,” Lavagirl huffs, grinding her heels in an attempt to get a good stance to continue fighting.
“Did you really believe you could stop me? Aww,” Neverbury coos.
Lavagirl kites her back down to Cady and Sharkboy. Sharkboy runs up to aid in the fight.
“I know we can’t,” he says threateningly. “But she can!”
They both point to Cady, who stands there uselessly. Neverbury laughs. Cady holds up her fists.
“Show ‘em what you’re made of, Cades,” Lavagirl huffs.
“What am I supposed to do?” Cady asks urgently. Lavagirl takes a moment to smack Sharkboy upside the head.
“I told you this would happen!”
“I thought she would remember!” Sharkboy defends, rubbing his sore spot.
“Remember what?!” Cady demands from the both of them.
Lavagirl is about to answer when she’s suddenly snatched up by one of Neverbury’s metal claws. Cady shrieks as the other claw grabs her by the foot and dangles her upside down.
“Your dream! Remember the dream,” Sharkboy yells at her.
“I don’t remember half my dreams!” Cady yells back. “That’s why I write them in my journal!”
“What part of your dream do you remember?” Lavagirl yells, trying to get free from Neverbury’s grasp.
“I remember this,” Cady says, feeling like she’s about to hurl. Keep it together. Sharkboy is grabbed by a third claw and brought up to their level.
“Where are you taking us?!” He demands.
“Oh, where all useless dreams go. The dream dump,” Neverbury shrugs. The three of them are suddenly dangled over the chasm below, and dropped.
“This is not what I signed up for!” Cady yells on her way down.
—-
They fall for who knows how long before thudding down onto a metal platform. It spits them back out, onto a sort of conveyor belt. At least they all made it.
“Cuckoo!” Sharkboy warns. Everyone ducks down to avoid being decapitated by a large bird. “At least we’re on the passage of time! Maybe it’ll take us to the dream lair!”
Cady looks around at the various clocks they’re surrounded by. Something isn’t right with them. They’re going backwards.
“It’s going the wrong way,” Lavagirl huffs. “Dream lair is that way, genius.”
“What is the dream lair?” Cady asks quietly.
“It’s where all the dreams that fuel the planet are stored,” Sharkboy replies. “But they’re being destroyed.”
“How?”
“That’s what we have to find out. Soon, even the two of us will cease to exist,” Sharkboy sighs, gesturing to himself and Lavagirl.
“Duck!” Lavagirl yells, pointing. Everyone hits the deck again to avoid a duck-shaped cuckoo. “Heh.”
“Cady, just out of curiosity,” Sharkboy asks as they warily stand once again. “Where is this dream journal?”
“Oh, good idea,” Lavagirl says, the first positive thing she’s said all day. “We can read it out loud and set everything back the way it was!” She adds in a whisper, “And maybe find out my true identity.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Where is it?”
“I… uh…,” Cady stutters, feeling around in her pockets. “I don’t have it. I must have dropped it during the storm.”
Lavagirl’s hair suddenly sets ablaze in anger, and she shatters the next cuckoo in a single punch. “I was really starting to think you were the answer, Cady.”
“Don’t listen to her,” Sharkboy grumbles protectively. “She’s just mad because she’s having an identity crisis and you didn’t fix it for her.”
“Shut up, Sharky!” Lavagirl yells. “Look who’s talking. You’re mad she didn’t make you… king of the ocean or whatever the fuck, with a giant fish army. Cady thought her dream world would be a happy place. We’ve all been had.”
“Guys!” Cady yells, interrupting their bickering. “End of the line.”
“Oh, shit,” Sharkboy says, as the end of the conveyor belt gets ever nearer. There’s nowhere to go but down. Lavagirl falls first, followed by Cady and Sharkboy.
Cady yelps in pain as she lands smack on top of Lavagirl, scrambling away to avoid any serious burns. Lavagirl buries her face in the dirt and groans. “I think you dislocated a few of my craters.”
“Sorry,” Cady says frantically. “Ow, you’re hot.”
“Thanks,” Lavagirl teases. “We gotta find a way out of here.”
The three of them stand and dust themselves off carefully, before setting off in an attempt to find an exit.
“I don’t think there is a way out of here,” Sharkboy says after a while. “And the Darkness is coming.” He appears to realize something, suddenly. “Wait! Cady, sit down.”
“Uh… okay,” Cady says confusedly, sitting down on a pile of calculus textbooks.
“Now dream,” Sharkboy commands. “What do you see?”
Cady closes her eyes carefully and tries to dream. “I see… a giant… Kälteen bar.” Both her companions look very unimpressed when she opens her eyes again. “I’m sorry, I’m starving! I never got my lunch.”
“For the love of magma,” Lavagirl huffs, massaging the bridge of her nose.
“Here,” Sharkboy offers, brandishing a… fish? Maybe? “Fresh sushi.”
“Blech, that’s not fresh,” Cady nearly-heaves. “I don’t even know if that’s sushi anymore.”
“Just a few weeks old,” Sharkboy shrugs.
“You want me to cook it for you?” Lavagirl asks, wrapping a fist around the poor… thing. When she pulls away, it’s been charred to a crisp. “Oops.”
“Er… on second thought, I’m not that hungry, it’s fine,” Cady says. “Let me try again.”
“Hey, um… if you happen to dream about, like, who I am… how I fit into this world,” Lavagirl murmurs. “That would… really be helpful for me.”
“Stop distracting her. Focus on the problem at hand,” Sharkboy insists.
“I can put her to sleep,” Lavagirl huffs. Sharkboy grabs her and pulls her away. “Come on, one punch?”
“She made us!”
“And where has that gotten us?!” Lavagirl roars. Cady backs away in fright, until she hits something with a metallic clang. She whirls around and looks up to see…
“Tobor!”
“Huh?”
“It’s Tobor! I tried to build him out of our old food cans and stuff when I was little,” Cady says happily. “But… I could never get him to work.”
“So here he is, forgotten in the dream dump,” Lavagirl says, finally seeming to calm down.
“He’s supposed to be very smart. Maybe he can help,” Cady says. “Tobor, wake up!”
“Yeees?” Tobor replies. Cady gasps in shock. That voice is… familiar.
“Rhys?” She asks, eyes brimming with tears. She hasn’t heard that voice since she was eight years old. She thought she had forgotten.  Tobor just gives her a wink. That’s all the confirmation she needs.
“Hello, Cady Heron.”
“You can answer anything, right?” Cady asks, wiping her eyes and looking up at Tobor’s large tin head.
“That I can. Whether it is correct is another matter entirely,” Tobor replies ominously.
“It can answer anything?” Lavagirl asks, unceremoniously shoving Cady out of the way. “Tell me something about me. Please.”
“Never heard you say please before,” Sharkboy grumbles under his breath.
“You are extremely bright,” Tobor says to Lavagirl. Her brow furrows, but she gets a slight grin as she tries to work out what that could mean. Sharkboy goes next.
“Hi Tobor! Am I king of the ocean?”
“No.”
“Damn it.”
Cady chuckles and pats his shoulder comfortingly before she goes to ask Tobor her question. “How do I save this planet?”
“The answer… is in your dreams,” Tobor says.
“You mean if I put her to sleep?” Lavagirl asks, brandishing what looks to be a tire iron.
“No, where did you even find that?!” Sharkboy says, wrestling her to take it and throwing it as far away from them as he can.
“No… at least, not here. Darkness is falling. Any dream of hers will become a nightmare. And you don’t want those becoming a reality,” Tobor continues. “But, if you go to the land of Kälteen bars… that’s where the good dreams are.”
“Oh, duh!” Sharkboy says, as if it should’ve been obvious the whole time.
“That’s where the answers are.”
“Can you take us there?” Cady asks Tobor.
“I would, but I have no body. I can’t move,” Tobor says sadly.
Lavagirl looks him up and down suspiciously. “You can move your eyes and your mouth.”
“I suppose that might work.”
Lavagirl and Sharkboy each take one of his eyes, and Cady climbs into his mouth. Suddenly, they detach from the large tin can that made up Tobor’s head a drift off to the land of Kälteen bars. What a day.
——
“Tobor, why didn’t you work when I built you?” Cady asks, drifting peacefully over what looks like a forest of brains.
“Some dreams are so powerful they become real on their own, like Sharkboy and Lavagirl. I, on the other hand, am still only a dream.”
“Oh.”
“Um…” Tobor says.
“What’s the matter?”
“Train of thought. I’m losing it.”
“Land of Kälteen bars,” Lavagirl huffs.
“No, I’m literally losing the train of thought,” Tobor says. “Down there.”
“Huh,” Cady says interestedly, looking down. “I never thought I had a train.”
“What did you think you had?” Sharkboy chuckles.
“I dunno,” Cady shrugs. “Maybe a race car. Doesn’t get too much use, but when it does it goes fast and needs frequent pit stops.”
Lavagirl chuckles at that, but stops abruptly and tries to cover it up with a cough.
“Well, since I do actually have a train… how do I keep it on track?” Cady asks anxiously.
“With your mind. You are easily distracted. Stay focused, and it will speed you directly to the land of Kälteen bars,” Tobor explains. “The rest is up to you.”
Cady and her companions jump down onto the train. Cady looks back at her old creation for a moment. “I’m sorry I forgot you.”
“Are you kidding? You’ve just saved me,” Tobor chuckles gently. “I’m free.”
“Cady!” Lavagirl yells. “Get your ass down here!”
Cady gasps and whirls around. Lavagirl has her head poking out the window of the engine car.
“What’s wrong?!” Cady yells over the roar of the train engine.
“We can’t control it!” Sharkboy says as he and Lavagirl frantically press every button and flip every lever they can reach. Cady joins in as if she knows what she’s doing.
“All you have to do is keep it on track,” she says. Sounds easy enough.
“There is no track!” Lavagirl reminds them. Cady freezes and looks out the window. She’s right.
“What do we do?” Sharkboy asks anxiously.
“Uh… scream?” Lavagirl says. “I don’t know.”
Sharkboy flips another lever, and the door opens. “Jump! It’ll be fine!”
He leaps out the door and is quickly blown off by a gust of wind. Lavagirl follows almost immediately. Cady is left alone on a crashing train. At least if she jumps she’ll crash with her friends.
Cady closes her eyes and leaps, hoping for a miracle. The wind blows her hair everywhere and stings her skin as she hurtles to the ground. Until it stops. Warily, she opens her eyes.
“A Kälteen bar!” She says happily, pushing herself upright. It tips slightly, so she puts her arms out for balance. “Whoa. In a river of milk. Huh. Um… do you guys know what it means when your train of thought… crashes?”
“Nothing good,” Lavagirl says, sounding remarkably chipper. “How much time, Sharky?”
“Twenty minutes,” Sharkboy replies anxiously. He takes a step forward to look around, but his foot suddenly sinks into a puddle of something. He yelps in surprise, but crouches down to inspect it. “Chocolate?”
“It must be the s’mores flavor,” Cady chuckles. “There’s marshmallows too.”
“Why Kälteen bars, though?” Lavagirl asks. “And not, like, cookies, or something?”
“I never had cookies as a kid,” Cady replies. “But we always had Kälteens. And I wasn’t really allowed to eat them, I ate a whole box in a row once and got sick, so my parents hid them and I could only get them if they gave them to me. They were a special thing.”
Lavagirl gives this a moment’s thought and nods. “Try to dream again. Lie down.”
Cady does, using a bit of marshmallow as a pillow. She closes her eyes, but the bar beneath her begins to shake. “It’s too shaky.”
“I hear it too,” Sharkboy says, listening around with his highly trained ears. Lavagirl raises a suspicious eyebrow at the two of them.
“Let me try.”
“No, Lava-“ Sharkboy says, but it’s too late. Lavagirl rests her head on the marshmallow, and the whole thing is suddenly charred. “Hothead.”
“Cady,” Lavagirl says suddenly. “When you dreamt up these giant bars… who did you expect to be able to eat them?”
Cady shrugs. “I dunno, I never really thought about that part.”
“Because if you dream giant bars, something has to be created to consume giant bars,” Lavagirl explains. The rumbling sounds get louder, suddenly, and everyone looks around for the source.
“Giants!” Sharkboy yells, pointing off to the left. He abandons ship again, followed by Lavagirl. Cady is so distracted looking at the giants that she nearly doesn’t make it off, leaping at the very last second before one of the giants chomps down on the Kälteen bar raft.
Luckily for them, they appear to land on…
“Hey, this was my ninth birthday cake! That thing was awesome,” Cady laughs. “Nice and springy.”
“Too much frosting,” Lavagirl grumbles, trying to brush herself clean.
Cady removes herself from her cake and turns around, watching the giants leave peacefully hand in hand. Sharkboy approaches her and rests a hand on her shoulder.
“Those giants look a lot like my parents,” Cady murmurs.
“They seem happy together,” Sharkboy nods. “Is that… another dream of yours?”
“Family,” Cady nods. “Hasn’t really been coming true lately.”
“Well, most dreams don’t come true on their own. You have to make them true,” Sharkboy says. “It takes a lot of work. Not easy. But it’s not impossible either.”
“Alright, we’ve had enough sweets, go to sleep,” Lavagirl huffs, joining them.
“I’ll try,” Cady says anxiously, laying down on the granola ground. Sharkboy gently plays with her hair to help her drift off while Lavagirl paces around.
Flowers begin to bloom around them as Cady dreams, and a shark-shaped motorcycle suddenly drives up. Sharkboy gasps excitedly and runs to check it out, so Lavagirl takes over his position by Cady’s head.
“Dream about me next,” she says quietly. “I need to know who I am. Dream of me as something good.”
A clap of thunder suddenly booms overhead, making Lavagirl whirl around. She looks back to Cady’s face and finds it pinched in concern. “She’s having a nightmare. Sharkboy, get back here!”
Sharkboy runs over and tries to shake Cady back awake, to no avail. Lavagirl stands and aims her hands carefully at Cady’s backside.
“Sorry Cady,” she murmurs, firing a jet of lava.
“Jesus!” Cady yells, her eyes snapping open as she leaps to her feet. “Ow! What the hell was that for?”
“You weren’t waking up,” Lavagirl shrugs sheepishly. Sharkboy kindly fires a jet of water to help cool her off. “Thanks Sharky. Cady… your nightmare… it was about me, wasn’t it?”
Cady tries to think. Surely that can’t be right. She can see bits and pieces, but can’t quite reach them enough to put them back together. “I don’t remember. I’m sorry.”
“Plug hounds!” Sharkboy suddenly yells, pointing to an ice cream hill above them. Neverbury makes her way to the top.
“I have the high ground!”
The hounds suddenly run towards them, stumbling down the hill. Cady and her friends run to the shark bike, but nothing happens when Sharkboy attempts to start the engine. Other than…
“Ah, fudge,” Cady says. “I forgot to dream of gas.”
“Oh my-“ Lavagirl says angrily, storming off in a huff to fight the hounds off. Sharkboy joins her. Lavagirl shoots a jet of lava at one, before she looks at her hands. “My powers are weakening.”
One of the hounds suddenly unravels, wrapping her up in tight confines while a few others zap at her toes. Sharkboy, on the other hand, is doing remarkably well, punching out several with a series of very elaborate karate moves.
He rips off a part to the shark bike to use as a staff, and takes out several more. Unfortunately, he doesn’t notice one that hasn’t quite been beat down rise to its feet, followed by another. They both shock him, causing him to fall to the ground with a pained moan.
“Hey! Leave my friends alone!” Cady yells, bending down and swiping some frosting onto her face like war paint. She’s in the middle of a battle cry when she also gets shocked and falls to the ground. It didn’t quite go to plan, but it did allow Sharkboy to escape his attackers and rush to her side.
“I don’t-I don’t have much fight left in me, Cades,” he pants.
“Where’s Lavagirl?” Cady puffs back. Lavagirl comes… flowing over, so to speak.
“What?” She asks when they both give her confused looks. “How else was I supposed to escape? Oh, don’t look at me like that, I’m literally made of lava. It’s up to you now, Cady.”
“Cady, you can dream us out of here,” Sharkboy realizes. “We believe in you, go on.”
Cady squeezes her eyes shut and tries her hardest to dream. Lavagirl quietly pleads for a lava bike behind her, and Sharkboy asks for a shark boat.  Cady opens her eyes to reveal…
“A banana split?” Lavagirl spits. “Seriously?”
“They’re really good!” Cady defends, crossing her arms over her chest protectively.
“Still hungry?” Lavagirl says threateningly, popping back into her human body and holding up a fist. “How about a knuckle sandwich?”
“Lava, chill,” Sharkboy says, batting her hands away from poor Cady’s face. “Look at it, it’s a banana split boat!”
“Then let’s split,” Lavagirl yells as another wave of plug hounds rounds over the hill. Cady helps Sharkboy push it into the milk river and start rowing just before the hounds reach them.
Once they’re steadily drifting down the river and being steered by Lavagirl, Cady and Sharkboy finally get to sit down on a swiss roll bench. “This is great, Cades. You’re starting to daydream. If you can keep this up, they’ll never get us!”
“Really?”
“Yeah! If you learn to dream with your eyes open, you don’t have to be asleep to dream,” Sharkboy explains. “You’ll be able to make anything happen at any time. You’ll be unstoppable.”
“Grool,” Cady says. She freezes suddenly. “I-uh… I meant to say great, and then started to say cool…”
Lavagirl bursts out laughing, a remarkably bright, clean sound. Cady likes it. She smiles back at her before scooping some whipped cream onto a finger to taste it. “Mm!”
“Sugar will give you nightmares,” Lavagirl says, already back to her typical brooding. Cady immediately spits out her mouthful before she swallows any. “How much time, Sharky?”
“Uhm… best not to ask,” Sharkboy says anxiously, checking his radar. “The lair of dreams is across the ocean of ice. We’ll have to travel there on foot. What did you see in your dream, Cady? Anything we can use?”
“I saw an object, shaped like… do you have something I can draw with?” Cady asks. Lavagirl holds up one of her fingers and shrugs.
“Sharky, come steer.”
Sharkboy takes hold of the cherry stem to steer their raft, and Lavagirl offers Cady her hand. Cady takes it gently and aims at one of the ice cream scoops. Lavagirl fires a jet of lava from it, letting Cady steer it around.
“A heart?” She asks, tilting her head when Cady finishes. Her eyes go wide when she puts it together. “The crystalheart!”
“It’s the treasure of the kingdom of ice, it can freeze anything!” Sharkboy says excitedly, coming to join them. The raft spins wildly until Lavagirl leaps to grab the cherry stem to keep steering. “Even time.”
“Wow,” Cady breathes. “I’ve only ever dreamt of freezing a moment in time.”
“And, even better,” Sharkboy says. “The ice kingdom is ruled by the ice princess. She’s said to be the most beautiful girl in the world.”
Lavagirl’s jaw drops open indignantly, and she fires some magma at Sharkboy’s bum.
“Ow! What the hell, man?” Sharkboy pouts, rubbing his sore backside.
“She is not! She’s cold and cruel and cares for nobody but herself! And you don’t even like girls,” Lavagirl accuses.
“Cady does!”
“I do?” Cady says in shock. She thinks for a second about her past crushes, and then shrugs. Lavagirl certainly doesn’t look too bad. “Eh, yeah, I probably do. Have you met her, Lavagirl?”
“No,” Lavagirl replies sheepishly. She puffs out her chest before continuing, “But I know we don’t get along! She’s ice. I’m fire. We must be enemies.”
“We need that crystal heart,” Cady says pleadingly. “But I’ll need you both to get it.”
Lavagirl sighs and lets go of the cherry stem. Sharkboy leaps to grab it so they don’t drift away too far. Lavagirl looks out off the edge of the raft and huffs. “I just hope this isn’t a trap.”
—————-
“Wow,” Cady breathes happily, looking around at all the beautiful crystal clear ice and powdery white snow surrounding them. It’s absolutely gorgeous, and clearly very intricate, but the air is barely chilly. Even in her thin flannel, Cady isn’t cold.
They approach a thin bridge, made of solid ice. Cady is a little apprehensive at the height, but carefully steps out onto it. Sharkboy follows. Lavagirl thinks about it, but pauses and hunches in on herself a bit just before she tries.
“I can’t go with you,” she calls. Cady and Sharkboy pause and turn around. “I’ll melt the bridge.”
“Can you chill enough to get across?” Cady asks, reaching a hand for her. Lavagirl looks at her feet, then back at her.
“I’d have to be asleep.”
“Try sleepwalking!” Cady calls to her. “You can do it!”
Lavagirl nods slightly and closes her eyes, shaking out some of the tension in her muscles before warily taking a few steps forward. She mumbles under her breath about… a dream of her own. To live on Earth. Someplace warm. And to be accepted.
“Oh no,” Sharkboy says suddenly, anxiously watching his best friend as she crosses the bridge. “No, Lava, don’t sneeze!”
He runs to block her nose with a finger, and breathes a sigh of relief when she relaxes again. He carefully removes his finger and takes a small step back.
“Achoo!”
Lavagirl sneezes, unleashing a rush of hot wind that blows Sharkboy backwards and off the bridge. He grabs onto it with one hand just before he topples all the way off to a certain doom. Cady runs to help him back up.
“Look,” she says quietly, gesturing to Lavagirl. She’s somehow still upright, but deeply asleep. She’s actually snoring quietly, which is remarkably cute. “She’s sleeping.”
Lavagirl sleepwalks towards them carefully, slowly, but isn’t melting the bridge. Cady watches her with a small smile. Until she looks behind her.
“They found us again,” Cady says, her heart sinking. “Lavagirl, behind yo-“
Sharkboy claps a hand over her mouth before she can finish her sentence. “If you wake her up, she’ll reheat. She can make it.”
Cady nods and clings to his arm in fright. “Come on, Lava.”
Sharkboy holds her back, feeling himself growing more tense. They’re all in danger, and his instincts are demanding he protect his best friend. “Lavagirl, they’re behind you!”
Cady frantically slams a hand over his mouth, and he covers it with his own hands in shame. But it’s too late. Lavagirl opens her eyes and looks behind her, bursting into flame when she sees the hounds closing in.
Cady and Sharkboy both scream in fright and run away, barreling for the other end of the bridge. Lavagirl follows them, the bridge melting and crumbling away beneath her feet as she goes.
“Come on, Lava, hurry!” Sharkboy yells. He and Cady both reach out to help her make it onto the platform holding up the castle, but yelp and quickly pull away as she burns them. They made it.
But the ground beneath them begins to crumble. The three of them whirl around.
“It’s a trap!” Cady yelps, instinctively shoving her friends behind her. A small pit suddenly forms from the ground that’s crumbled away, and Neverbury leaps out at them. Cady furrows her brow in thought. “This can’t be right. Someone-someone else’s dreams are in here.”
That’s the last thought she has before the world goes black.
—-
When she comes to, she’s suspended from the ceiling by a spring over a hole in the ground. Sharkboy is also hanging next to her, and Lavagirl is on the other side with her feet stuck in a block of solid ice.
“Welcome to the dream lair,” an ominous voice says. Ominous but… familiar, somehow. “I am the leader of this planet.”
“No you’re not!” Sharkboy yells, wriggling to try and get down. “Cady is!”
“Cady might have dreamed it originally,” the voice says with an airy titter. The large chair in front of them suddenly rotates to reveal none other than Regina George. “But I’m, like, so much cooler, wouldn’t you say? I… am Requiem.”
“How did you get so much power here?” Cady asks. “This is my world.”
Requiem pulls out a small book and holds it up to show them. Cady gasps in understanding.
“My dream journal! That’s why all my dreams are going wrong! You’re changing it!”
Requiem gives a quiet chuckle and sashays her way down in front of them. Sharkboy gasps and goes into a sort of Superman pose when he spies the tank of electric eels beneath them.
“Shocking, isn’t it Sharkboy?” Requiem hums. “Reminds me of… when an electrical storm blew apart your mother’s research lab.”
Sharkboy stops struggling for a moment and looks at her. “Where is my mother?”
Requiem flips through the journal to see if it says anything, and gives a particularly evil sounding chuckle when she finds the right page. “Check the bottom of the ocean.”
Sharkboy snarls at her and tries to get loose again. Requiem moves to Lavagirl. “And you. Once I figure out how to freeze the core of this planet, all your powers will disappear.”
“I have powers?” Lavagirl asks quietly. “What powers?”
Requiem doesn’t grace her with a response, walking to stand in front of Cady. “And last, but least. You. You thought you could escape fear by running to dreamland, hm? But fear exists in the one place you can never escape.” She hops a few times, and is suddenly floating at Cady’s eye level. “Your mind. I’ll show you the true meaning of fear.
“Anyway, for now, you must all leave. I have dreaming to do. Kisses!”
She blows them a mocking kiss with two fingers before they’re dropped, plummeting through the holes beneath them. Sigmund Freud would love it here, Cady thinks to herself.
——————
They land in a large bird cage. Lavagirl paces back and forth while Sharkboy sits next to Cady on the uncomfortable bricks they have for chairs. “If only I had my journal. Then I could turn everything back to the way it was.”
“My fire is dimming,” Lavagirl says quietly. Sharkboy looks at her sadly. He grabs one of the bars behind him and pulls as hard as he can. Nothing happens.
“My strength is fading too.”
“How much time is left?” Cady asks.
“Who cares?” Lavagirl huffs. “We’re never getting out of here.”
Cady frowns at her, but looks up in confusion when a quiet song can be heard. “That’s freaky.”
“Aww, hi La-La’s,” Sharkboy says, playing with the small bubble creatures. Lavagirl bats them away from her face angrily.
“Where did these come from? They’re so annoying.”
“Don’t listen to her, she’s just mad you’re not made of fire,” Sharkboy comforts the little things.
“They piss me off,” Lavagirl grumbles. “That song. Disturbing. It’s so high!”
“Sing louder. Higher,” Cady encourages them quietly. Lavagirl’s hair is on fire again, and she’s visibly tense. Sharkboy grabs her and pulls her close.
“You don’t want to be too close to her when she erupts,” he says quietly.
“Enough!” Lavagirl yells, firing lava out of both hands at as many La-La’s as she can reach. Inadvertently, she also melts them a way out.
“Nice progress, Lava! Much more control this time,” Sharkboy praises. Lavagirl grins at him sarcastically before she crawls out of the hole she’s made. Sharkboy and Cady follow quickly.
—————
“She’s asleep,” Lavagirl whispers to her friends beneath her. Cady crawls her way back up into the dream lair and tiptoes back over to Requiem. Ever so gently, Cady lifts her journal off of Requiem’s chest. She tiptoes back to her friends, and slides down the pillar holding the lair aloft.
“Okay, first things first,” Cady says, flipping through the pages. “A way out of here.” Suddenly, she finds the perfect page. “Oh, Lavagirl! You have a lava bike!”
“I do?” Lavagirl asks. The bike suddenly materializes next to her and she gives a delighted cackle. “I do!” She eagerly gets on and revs the engine. “Hehe, this is tits!”
“Chill out, babes,” Sharkboy chuckles.
“Even has fuel this time! Now, Sharkboy,” Cady continues, flicking through to another page. She quiets when she reads the first few sentences of it. “Your mother really is at the bottom of the ocean.”
“Oh,” he says quietly. Lavagirl takes his hand and squeezes it gently.
“She’s in a submarine, she’s looking for you! She has been since the storm,” Cady continues, looking up at him with a smile.
“Oh!” He says again. Lavagirl squeezes him one more time and smiles at him too. Sharkboy comes to read over her shoulder to figure out specifics of where it is. “I’ve gotta get back to Earth.”
“What does it say about me?” Lavagirl asks quietly. Cady flicks to yet another page.
“I’m not sure what this is.”
“I can figure it out!” Lavagirl replies, climbing off her bike and running over to them.
“Lavagirl, no, you’ll-“ Cady tries to warn, but it’s too late. Lavagirl grabs the book and turns it to ash. “Burn it.”
Lavagirl stares at her hands in shame. “What have I done?”
“Hey, it’s okay-“
“Why the fuck did you make me out of lava? Why? What fucking good am I?” Lavagirl yells, holding up glowing fists and with her hair on fire yet again. “Look at me! Why, Cady?!”
Cady looks at her sadly, and tries to follow as she storms off, but Sharkboy grabs her shoulder and pulls her back. “Let her cool off a little.”
Cady doesn’t listen, running over to where Lavagirl is sitting on a rock, head in her hands. “All I’ve ever wanted is to be good. I know I can be. I-I can feel it. But I destroy everything I touch.” She turns to Cady with tears in her eyes, boiling away into steam the second they touch her cheeks. “Why-why did you make me like this? I have-I have more potential.”
“I’m sure you do,” Cady says quietly. Lavagirl stands suddenly and turns around to see her.
“And why did you make us a team?” She continues, pointing to Sharkboy. “We’re nothing alike! I fizzle out when I touch water. When he’s near heat, he shrivels. We aren’t compatible!”
“You’re… really on fire,” Cady murmurs sheepishly.
“Yeah. I do that,” Lavagirl huffs. Sharkboy shoots some water at her to put her out. “Thanks, Sharky.” Sharkboy nods.
“No problem.”
“Maybe I really am evil. So far, everything sure looks that way,” Lavagirl murmurs, sitting down again. “Everything else you’ve dreamed has been right. Maybe I do need to learn to accept it.”
“That’s it!” Cady says. “Everything else I’ve dreamt has been right, the crystal heart!”
“We were captured last time,” Lavagirl sniffles.
“Because Requiem doesn’t want me to have it! That must mean it’s important, we must be able to use it to stop her!”
Lavagirl’s face suddenly splits into a wide smile, and she rejoins her companions.
“We have to get back to the ice kingdom!”
“We only have ten minutes left,” Sharkboy says. “We’ll never make it!”
“We can do it!” Cady yells, running off.
“How?!” Sharkboy and Lavagirl yell at the same time as they follow her.
Cady freezes in her tracks and turns back to look at them with a small smirk. “You’re Sharkboy and Lavagirl. You can do anything.”
—————
“This way,” Cady says, beckoning Sharkboy and Lavagirl over to a sort of slide into the ice palace.
“You had to pick ice?” Lavagirl grumbles.
“Hey, Kenya is really hot,” Cady defends. “Not my fault that’s where I wound up. I’m sure if my parents were studying penguins we’d be somewhere hot and you’d be having a better time right now.”
Lavagirl just crosses her arms and pouts. She’s remarkably precious, for a girl made of fire. Cady chuckles before turning back around, stopping just in time to avoid crashing face first into a tall ice pillar. Sharkboy is already looking up at the large heart shaped crystal floating above it.
“Is that what you saw, Cades?”
“Uhhuh,” Cady nods. “You’ll have to climb up there and get it. But it’s as delicate as a snowflake, so don’t drop it. And don’t touch it or you’ll freeze, use your claws.”
“Got it,” Sharkboy says, using his claws as a sort of ice pick to climb up the ice pillar. He makes it rapidly up the tower, but as he’s reaching for it, he loses his grip and slides back down. He ends up dangling from his fin a few feet off the ground. “You’re up.”
“Lava, can-“ Cady asks. Lavagirl raises an eyebrow at her. “Er… nevermind. Chew on some ice, it’ll help you cool off a bit.”
Lavagirl looks confused when Cady hands her a chunk of ice, but gnaws a bit off with her molars. “Hmm.”
Sharkboy removes his claw gloves and hands them to Cady to climb the pillar herself. It’s slower going for her, but she finds enough hand and footholds to make it to the top. Carefully, she puts on the gloves and reaches out.
“Hey, nice job, Cady!” Sharkboy calls up at her when she grabs it. Just then, he slips, and the crack caused by his fin splits the whole tower in two. It crumbles beneath Cady and she’s forced to drop the heart to save herself.
“I got it!” Lavagirl yells, lunging to grab it before it can hit the ground. She makes it, but is immediately frozen into a solid block of ice.
“Lavagirl!” Cady yells, sliding down what she has left to hold and helping Sharkboy out. She knocks carefully on Lavagirl’s forehead. “She’s frozen solid.”
Just then, a creaky rumbling echoes throughout the cavern as several ice golems rise from the ground and come to life. One with a large club looms over them threateningly and escorts them to a different room.
Once they arrive, they’re roughly shoved to the ground with a command to, “Kneel before the ice princesses.”
Princesses? Cady thinks. There’s more than one?
Sure enough, two girls in white dresses come out onto what appears to be a small stage, hand in hand. They look familiar too. An uncanny resemblance to Regina’s little minions back on Earth.
“You try to steal our crystal heart,” the one on the left asks gently. “Why?”
Cady is too distracted staring at the both of them to hear her. Why are they here? Sharboy nudges her gently to get her back into the moment. “Oh! Uh, we believe it can stop time. Long enough for us to defeat Requiem.”
“Our crystal heart cannot help you,” the other one says. “Only the two of us have the power to use it.”
“Then you can come with us!” Cady says.
“They cannot leave this castle. The crystal is the only thing that protects our kingdom,” one of the ice golems says.
“Please, princesses, we’re running out of time,” Cady begs.
“Perhaps we could… give it to you?” The first princess says. “But are you worthy to wield it?”
“I think so!” Cady chirps. “I hope so.”
“The crystal you stole was a decoy,” the second one says. A rumbling noise sounds off behind them, and several more ice pillars rise from the ground. “The real one is somewhere in this room. Choose the correct one, and you may take it with you.”
Cady and Sharkboy both turn around and look at all the crystal hearts glimmering above them. Sharkboy points to the one nearest them. “That one looks nice, pick that one.”
But Cady shakes her head and turns back to the princesses. “It’s around your hands. Tying you together.”
Sure enough, the gem dangling from what Cady originally thought to be a simple bracelet gives a magical glimmer, and the princesses give her a kind smile. She heads to stand before them politely.
“How’d you know?” Sharkboy asks in awe.
“Saw it in a dream,” Cady murmurs.
“Be aware, Cady,” the first princess says, more serious this time. They gently remove the necklace they had looped around their entwined hands and rest it in the palm of Cady’s. “If anything happens to the crystal heart, our entire kingdom will be destroyed.”
“I won’t let anything happen to it,” Cady says bravely. “I promise.”
“The crystal will now work, but we must stay here,” the second one says. “Good luck.”
And with that, they’re all tossed from the palace onto the frozen sea of confusion. Sharkboy and Cady have no choice but to push a still-frozen Lavagirl to their destination themselves.
—-
“We’re almost back to the dream lair!” Cady yells when she has it in her sights. “How much time do we have?!”
“Uh… we’re out of time!” Sharkboy yells back. “Ten seconds!”
Cady stops Lavagirl and hops off, standing on the frozen sea. She holds the crystal heart aloft. “Here goes nothing.”
The crystal gives a promising glimmer, but then… everything goes dark. Including the crystal.
“What happened?”
Sharkboy shrugs. “It didn’t work.”
“How could it not work?”
Suddenly, a crunching noise can be heard as Lavagirl finally frees herself from her ice cocoon. “Only the ice princesses can use it. I was trying to tell you.”
“There’s nothing,” Sharkboy says, staring at his shark radar. “No readings, no nothing.”
Suddenly, a small crack forms in the ice, revealing a melted chasm. Neverbury’s cackling laughter can be heard.
“Sharkboy, no!” Lavagirl says. “She’s baiting you.”
Sharkboy tenses, and clenches his jaw. “I can’t… resist my instincts!”
Before either of them can react, stop him, Sharkboy dives into the water in front of them and swims rapidly to the other side. Neverbury stands ominously above him. Sharkboy tilts his head in confusion as she tries to make a poorly timed electrical joke.
“Oh, fuck it,” Neverbury huffs. “Electric eels, eat up.”
“Sharky, no!” Lavagirl yells, lunging for him. Cady grabs her to hold her back. “Swim away! Run!”
Sharkboy tries, swimming as fast as he possibly can. But the eels are faster, and quickly surround him. Cady and Lavagirl watch in horror as he suddenly goes limp and sinks to the bottom.
“No!” Cady says, trying to touch the water. It’s still electrified, the current nearly melting off the rubber sole of her shoe. “Can-can he survive down there?”
“He can hold his breath,” Lavagirl replies, staring hollowly at the water. “But not forever. He’ll drown if I don’t save him.”
“No, I can’t let you go,” Cady says with a sob, clinging to her arm. “You’ll die too.”
Lavagirl turns to look at her, gently cupping her cheek with a warm hand and kissing her. She pulls away before Cady has time to process what’s happening. “He’s my best friend. I have to. We love you.”
With that, she turns back and dives into the water, swimming down to Sharkboy on the sea floor. Cady watches as she grabs him by a hand and hauls him back up to the surface. Cady helps lift them both back onto the shore.
“Sharkboy?” Cady asks frantically, trying to shake him awake. “Wake up, please! Come on, please, please please.”
She’s so distracted with Sharkboy that she doesn’t notice Lavagirl crawling away from the water before collapsing. She’s not breathing, and her fire has been extinguished.
Cady whirls around when she hears a rattling breath, and finds Lavagirl’s lifeless form. “No, no, no, Lavagirl, please! Not both of you!”
Neither of them wake. Cady frantically shakes them, crying harder than she thinks she ever has, but to no avail.
“I can’t do this without you!” She sobs. “What am I supposed to do now?”
Suddenly, the disembodied face and voice of Tobor appears. “What do you think you should do, child?”
“Dr-dream… a better dream,” Cady whimpers, holding the lifeless hands of both her friends.
“Interesting,” Tobor says kindly. “Explain.”
“I wanted all my dreams to come true,” Cady sniffles. “But… I only dreamed for myself. This whole place only exists because I wanted to escape my real world. But I should’ve dreamed to make my real world a better place. Selfish dreams shouldn’t come true.”
“You’re becoming a very good dreamer, Cady,” Tobor says. “You always were, monkey. Get it back.”
“What do you do?” Cady asks hollowly. “When your dreams have been destroyed?”
“Dream a better dream,” Tobor replies. “An unselfish dream. You can do it. I believe in you, monkey.”
“I love you,” Cady says as Tobor floats away. She never thought she’d hear her brother call her ‘monkey’ again. She needs to say it. Tobor winks at her, and then he’s out of sight.
Cady takes a deep breath, and squeezes both of the hands in her own. “Dream a better dream.”
Sharkboy suddenly snaps awake next to her, coughing some water out of his lungs. Cady tips him onto his side and pats his back to help. He looks at her thankfully before crawling over to Lavagirl.
“She knew this would happen,” Cady murmurs. “If she saved you. I couldn’t stop her.”
Sharkboy nods sadly, taking Lavagirl’s hand. It’s cool to the touch, for the first time since their creation. Suddenly, a bright light is visible from behind them. Sharkboy and Cady turn around to see Lavagirl’s volcano home glowing brightly.
“Lava,” Cady breathes. “We have to get her there.”
“I’ll go,” Sharkboy says. Cady grabs his arm to stop him. “I’m stronger, and faster.”
“No, I can’t let you go again. You’ll burn up,” she says desperately.
Sharkboy doesn’t listen, cradling Lavagirl’s body in his arms. “Are you sure this will save her?”
“It’ll do more than save her,” Cady agrees quietly. They have a stronger bond than they’ll ever have with her. She knows she can’t stop him now. She blinks, and Sharkboy is gone. She can faintly see a blue and pink blur running at inhuman speeds towards the volcano. Cady hunches in on herself and says a little prayer.
“I know who you are now, Lavagirl. You are not fire, or a simple flame. You are greater than that. Something more important, and so necessary. That is why you have to live. You are not destruction. You are not evil.”
Cady winces as she sees Sharkboy chuck Lavagirl into the mouth of the volcano, and watches in horror as he’s thrown back by the force of the eruption once she makes contact.
But then, she sees Lavagirl standing where he just was, and watches her hands suddenly glow bright like beacons.
“You are light.”
Cady closes her eyes as a bright glow rushes over her. Lavagirl has realized her true power. And so has Cady.
“Holy shit!” Sharkboy screams when she suddenly appears beside him. He holds a hand over his heart as he tries to get his breath back. “How-how did you get here so quick?”
Cady doesn’t answer that. “Hold off Neverbury. I’m off to deal with Requiem.”
“I’ll need my fish army,” Sharkboy says. Cady turns to look at the frozen ocean they were just on.
“I’ll unfreeze the ocean.” With a snap of her fingers, it’s done. “Good luck. I love you both.”
-
“I’ve become what you feared most,” Cady murmurs to Requiem’s turned back. “Requiem.”
Requiem whirls around in surprise. “How’d you get in here?”
“I’m the day dreamer,” Cady replies. “Able to dream with my eyes open.”
“Hate to burst your bubble here, dream girl, but I’ve read your little book,” Requiem says. “There’s not one dream you have that I haven’t already seen. So what do you say? Let’s blow the roof off this place.” She raises her arms, and suddenly they’re on what appears to be a battlefield. “May the best dream win.”
She sticks out a hand towards Cady, releasing a wave of piranhas. Cady winds up and sticks out her own hand, releasing a wave of…
“Bubbles? Come on,” she whispers. But, as the bubbles make contact with the chomping fish, they’re suddenly trapped inside and carried off with the wind. “Oh. I guess that worked.”
She winds up again, and blows a wave of butterflies towards Requiem. Requiem unleashes her own swarm of wasps.
“Wait!” Cady yells. All the bugs suddenly disappear. She puts a finger to her temple and closes her eyes. “Brain storm.”
Requiem looks at her in confusion before she puts the pieces together and looks up in horror. “Eww!”
Brains splat down to the ground all around her, and she puts her arms up to protect her head from the falling craniums. She screams when one lands in her hands and throws it as far as she can, wiping off the fluid on her cape.
“Brain… freeze!” She yells, lifting her arms to the sky. All the brains raining down pause in place before landing in the ground in a single sheet.
“Brain.. fart,” Cady replies with a giggle. Requiem’s head suddenly swells to roughly one hundred times the size it’s meant to be, and she leans from side to side in a ditch attempt to keep her balance. Before she knows it, she’s completely upside down resting on top of her hand. “Nice headstand!”
Requiem’s head deflates, and she lands back on her feet. She looks at Cady and gives her a quiet chuckle. “You’re afraid of me, aren’t you?”
Cady watches in horror as she moves her hands down her sides in a quick motion, and suddenly rockets off into the sky on a stone tower. Cady repeats the motion and rises to the same height on a pillar of her own.
“I used to be,” she says quietly. “But now I understand. Someone ruined your dreams, and now all you can do is ruin everyone else’s.”
Requiem scowls at her, and sends her tower even higher. Cady follows again. The air is getting a bit thin up here. Hopefully she won’t have to go any higher.
“We can create a better dream than this,” Cady pleads. “A better world. Don’t you see?” She snaps her fingers, and a makeshift bridge suddenly appears between each of their towers. Cady carefully walks halfway across it and reaches out a hand. “What do you say? Regina?”
Regina looks at her in shock for a moment, but slowly joins her on the bridge. She looks at her own hand, before inching it toward’s Cady’s.
Just before they touch, a creaking can be heard and the bridge gives way beneath them. Cady uses her day dreamer powers to sort of float, rushing quickly after Regina.
“Don’t let me fall!” Regina screams, covering her face so as not to see her rapidly approaching doom. Cady grabs her wrist and floats them gently to the dream lair.
“Wouldn’t dream of it. Don’t ruin people’s dreams, Regina. Because you ruin your own, too. And then you’ll stop believing.”
Cady is suddenly tackled to the soft ground from behind. She screams, but looks up just in time to see Lavagirl before their lips are slammed together. Her warmth is back.
“Cady,” Lavagirl whispers against her lips. “I am light. Thank you.”
“You always were,” Cady replies, holding Lavagirl’s hips as she straddles her. “Nothing to do with me.”
Lavagirl kisses her again. “But now I know. So thank you.”
“Big deal,” Sharkboy teases. “The real news is what I am!”
“A pain in the ass?” Lavagirl asks, finally standing and helping Cady up.
“I’m king of the ocean!”
Cady giggles at their bickering.
“Yeah, yeah. Thanks for saving me,” Lavagirl says quietly, leaning in to kiss his cheek. There’s a quiet sizzle and flash of light when she makes contact.
“Ouch,” Sharkboy says, rubbing his cheek. At least he’s smiling.
“Everything will return to the way it was,” Regina says from behind them, joining the conversation. “You will be able to travel to Earth and back again as you wish.” She gestures to Sharkboy. “You can search for your mother.” To Lavagirl. “You can rule Earth’s lava realm.”
“And just what am I supposed to do?” Neverbury asks, appearing out of nowhere. “Now that you’re all… buddy buddy.”
“You can go back to being the good guardian of the planet,” Regina replies.
Neverbury cackles. “Oh, really? Keeping everything running? Making sure this loud, obnoxious world is a happy place?”
“Hey!” Cady says sadly.
“You’re dreaming.” Neverbury chuckles.
“I dreamt you,” Cady says boldly, letting go of Lavagirl’s hand and puffing out her chest at Neverbury. “And I can un-dream you.”
“You think you can just snap your eyes open and make me vanish?” Neverbury threatens. “Not so easy. I am the danger of dreaming. For every person who dreams up the lightbulb, there’s the one who dreams up the atom bomb. This is one dream you won’t be waking up from. I’m gonna put an end to this ridiculous tangent at it’s source.”
With that, she takes off towards Earth. Cady yelps and leaps out of the way. “Where did she go?”
“She’s headed to Earth,” Sharkboy says, tracking her on his radar.
“She’s going to try to destroy you in your sleep,” Regina says.
“In my sleep?” Cady asks quietly. “You mean I’m asleep?! All this time I’ve been asleep?!”
“No,” Lavagirl says calmly, coming over to her. “You’re dreaming, Cady.”
“With your eyes open,” Sharkboy adds.
“Make the dream real,” Lavagirl says, taking her hand again. “And you can live out your dreams on Earth. Just like you made us real.”
“Make it real,” Sharkboy commands gently. “You can do it.”
“Blink three times,” Lavagirl murmurs, gently cupping Cady’s face in her hot hands. “One.”
Cady listens. “Wait, but-“
“Two,” Sharkboy says. Cady blinks again.
“Will I ever see you again?”
Lavagirl kisses her one more time before letting her go. “Three.”
Cady blinks.
——
When she opens her eyes, she’s back on Earth, huddled under her desk in the science room. The teacher is trying to gather everyone to head to shelter from the storm, with the help of Ms. Norbury.
Ms. Norbury lifts the desk off of Cady. “Cady, get up! There’s a tornado heading our way!”
Cady scrambles to her feet and dusts herself off. “It’s not a tornado!” She yells over the gusts of the wind. “It’s worse!”
“Regina, wake up,” Ms. Norbury commands, tapping Regina at her desk. Regina snaps awake and winces at the large puddle of drool coating her desk. Gross.
Cady leads them to the gaping hole in the wall, created by Sharkboy and Lavagirl. That was a mere moment ago, but it feels like years. “Look!”
The tornado barreling towards them suddenly begins sparking, and Neverbury emerges from the cyclone before it dissipates into a simple thunderstorm.
“It’s Ms. Neverbury, from planet Drool! The one from my dreams!” Cady explains.
Ms. Norbury and the science teacher both look at it in confusion. “You mean… this is real? Your dreams are real?”
“Some dreams are so powerful they become real,” Cady says.
“I don’t believe it,” Ms. Norbury says.
“It’s literally right there!” Cady yells.
“No, yeah, I can see that!” Norbury replies. “What I can’t believe is… you dreamt me! As a big, round bad guy!”
“Sorry!” Cady says. “Kinda took on a life of its own!”
Ms. Norbury sighs before turning to the class, watching in horror as the storms grow again and Neverbury looms ominously just outside.
“Okay class, we’re just teachers,” Cady’s science teacher says. “And we are here to inspire the answers in you! And there’s some damn good inspiration outside. So, this is now a pop quiz. We need to defeat that lady! Any ideas?!”
Regina raises her hand, surprising everyone.
“Wow, Regina. Yes?”
“I can take her,” Regina says boldly, running outside.
“No, you can’t!” Cady yells, grabbing her hand and pulling her back in. “Not by yourself. We need another idea.”
“No dumb ideas, come on,” Ms. Norbury says.
“Maybe we can freeze her circuits,” Regina suggests.
“That’s literally the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard,” Ms. Norbury replies. “We’re in Illinois in August. Next?”
“No, that might work!” Cady says. “Regina, where are your friends?”
“Gretchen and Karen?”
“Yeah, where are they?”
“Uh… English, I think?” Regina says with a shrug.
“Then come on!” Cady yells, grabbing her hand and hauling her out the door. The English wing is on the other side of the school.
“I am in heels!” Regina yells.
“Take them off, then! This is kind of an emergency!” Cady yells back, breaking ahead. Regina pauses to snatch her shoes off before barreling after her.
The teacher looks up in shock as a very disheveled Cady and Regina suddenly slam the door open. Cady points at them and pants, “We need… Gretchen and… and Karen.”
They already seem to have known this was coming, and stand to join them. Regina says, “Take off your shoes now, save yourselves. Just come on.”
When they make it back to the science room, Cady reaches into her pocket.
“Those jeans are horrific, by the way,” Regina says. Cady waves her off as she pulls out the crystal heart.
“Is this yours?” Cady asks, holding it up to show Gretchen and Karen. They both look at it and each other in shock.
“I’ve only seen it in my dreams,” Karen says quietly, gently running a finger over it.
“Me too,” Gretchen murmurs.
“It can freeze anything,” Cady murmurs, looping it gently around their intertwined hands and fastening it.
“Even time,” they both say at the same time before looking at each other with a small smile.
“Let them out,” Cady commands. Everyone parts like the Red Sea to make way for them to get outside. “Do you know what to do?”
“Yes,” they say. “Stand back.”
Cady watches with a smile as they approach Neverbury casually and each hold up a hand. They still hold each other with one, and fire a beam of ice at Neverbury with the other. Neverbury freezes solid, and then shatters. Snow begins to fall around them.
Everyone cheers and runs outside to play in the magical snow, except for Cady.
“You’ve made me a great teacher today, Cady,” Ms. Norbury says.
“How did I do that?” Cady asks. “I punched a hole in the school.”
“A good teacher learns as much from her students as they learn from her,” Ms. Norbury explains. “You’ve awakened something in me. That being said, I’m going to start looking into a different career.”
“I don’t blame you,” Cady chuckles, before Ms. Norbury pushes her outside to join her peers. Cady heads out aimlessly, not really knowing who to join. Until she sees Sharkboy and Lavagirl standing with her parents. “Sharkboy! Lavagirl!”
“Hey!” They both say. Lavagirl catches Cady as she barrels into her and slams their lips together.
“Oh, um…” Cady says sheepishly when they break apart. “Mom, Dad, I’m bi.”
“After today, we’re just glad you’re alive,” her dad chuckles, ruffling her hair. Cady throws her arms around both of them, and smiles as they squeeze her tightly. They feel like a family for the first time in years.
—————-
epilogue
“The following story is true,” Cady begins. “It may have began as a dream, but as we all saw last month, when you let your dreams become reality, reality becomes a dream.
“Sharkboy and Lavagirl both live here now. Sharkboy rules the ocean as king, and is searching for his mother. He says his instincts tell him he’s getting closer every second, so he’ll find her soon. And Lavagirl lives with me. We just have to keep the heat on max.”
That gets a chuckle from everyone.
“She gets to live her dream too, don’t worry. She rules all of Earth’s volcanos, a source of light and life for all of us. Just from a distance. So… so she can be with me. My advice to you all is… dream your best dreams. Then work to make them real.”
The end.
---
hope you enjoyed!
I'm sorry it wasn't the most romantic, but i did my best to make it fit with the story. we'll be back on earth next week :))
thanks for reading!
lots of love,
ezzy
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thetravelerwrites · 4 years ago
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Monster Match #26: Duamutef (Lemon)
The Traveler's Masterlist
For @one-halloween: “My pronouns are she/her and my orientation is pan. I'm small (like 4'9") with waist length brown hair that's bleached in an ombre style. I dress in a kind of retro style (so like 80s acid washed jeans and crop tops). Uhh I love reading, writing and gaming as well as hiking and working on a car or something like that. I'm often quiet but around people I like I can be the jokester of the group.
Cliché but I like partners who are taller than me, and those I can joke around with. Someone who is also loyal and honest as well as loving and will take interest in hobbies. The things I dislike are dishonesty and secrets. As well as someone who takes life way too seriously and won't crack a joke here or there. Also someone who doesn't take interest in what others do. I was thinking if you could make it NSFW that would be great.”
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You’ve been matched with Duamutef!
Duamutef is one of the four sons of Horus and one of the protection gods of the four canopic burial jars, specifically the jar which contains the stomach. In war, the most frequent cause of death was from injuries in the torso and stomach, and Duamutef protects this organ, both in life and in death.
Duamutef was originally represented as a man wrapped in mummy bandages; however, from the New Kingdom onwards, he is shown with the head of a jackal and is an example of cynocephaly which, in Greek mythology, is a creature with a human body and a canid head, specifically a jackal.
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What gives a god their power was the belief of their followers; however, many of the ancient religions had either died completely or were far less worshiped during modern times, affording the gods of those pantheons less power. While some gods lamented this decline in their abilities, others found it freeing, and delighted in the opportunity of roaming the earth as they wished. One such deity was Duamutef.
As a lesser god, even people who followed the revival religion Khemetism didn’t tend to worship him as much as Anubis or Ma’at or his father Horus, so he decided to come to earth and travel the world, learning about an era with which he was unfamiliar.
Of course, you didn’t know all that when you met him. He introduced himself as Tua, an exchange student from Egypt. He was a mysterious figure and his age indecipherable to you. Sometimes he seemed young and boyish, easily a full foot taller than you, always smiling and laughing. However, there was this ageless look in his eye that told the story of a very old soul. He was tall and dark, just like in fairy tales, and already very popular on campus.
It surprised you when he took notice of you. You were a quiet girl, unassuming and not the type to draw attention, so his sudden interest in you was a little startling.
“Excuse me,” He said one day, coming up to you suddenly. “I’m afraid I don’t know your name.”
“That’s probably because we’ve never spoken before,” You said. “And I don’t think you know any of my friends.”
“An oversight. My apologies,” He said, smiling. “I make it my aim to know everyone in every place I go.”
You looked at him in alarm. “There are hundreds of people attending this college.”
“I am aware,” He said, still smiling. He had those deep, dark type of bottomless black eyes one could get lost in. “I’ve managed to at least introduce myself to most of the people, but it seems I have missed you. Forgive me.”
“Honestly, it’s not a big deal,” You said. “I’m nobody, really.”
“That’s not true,” He said. “Everybody is somebody to someone, and I’d like to be a friend to you. My name is Tua. May I ask yours?” He offered his hand to shake and you shook it, telling him your name. “Will you walk with me? The cafeteria is offering something called a corndog I’m eager to try.”
You laughed. “Don’t get too excited about that. It’s not exactly a culinary masterpiece.”
“But it’ll be new. I like new. I spent a very long time in one place, and now that I’m out in the world, I want to experience as much as I can.”
“Were you homeschooled as a kid or something?” You asked.
He laughed again. “Or something. My family had a lot of responsibilities many years ago, you could say. After working my whole life in the service of others, I think I’ve earned a vacation.”
“Well, I can’t argue with that,” You said. “It can be tough when your parents expect a lot from you.”
“That’s the truth,” He replied. “So, corndog? I’ll treat you.” He extended his hand toward the cafeteria.
You echoed his laughter. “I don’t know if I’d call it a treat, but sure. That sounds nice.”
From then on, Tua spent a lot of time with you. He seemed to go out of his way to seek you out. He said he enjoyed listening to you talk about things, saying that your perspective was entertaining. You didn’t mind his presence. He was earnest and funny and he always wanted to hear your opinion on things. He’d often come to the bookstore where you worked to get your recommendation for new books to read. He seemed confused by a lot of western culture’s practices and often asked you for advice or to explain things to him. His open curiosity and wonder with the world around him was very endearing.
You weren’t sure why he chose you to help him navigate life in the western world. Surely there were better candidates in the large pool of people who followed him around. He had a legion of fans who hung on his every word and shadowed him like love-struck puppies, but he dodged them consistently to spend time with you. There were more attractive people of several genders that he could have had his pick of, but he decided on you, and you were slightly baffled by it.
“What are you doing tomorrow?” He asked you one day while you were ringing up his new purchases. He must have a significant library by this point. “There’s something called a farmer’s market I’d like to go see.”
“I can’t go tomorrow,” You said. “My friend’s car is acting up and he wants me to take a look at it. From what he’s telling me, it sounds like his alternator is shot, and if that’s the case, that’s a full day’s work.”
“You can fix cars?” He asked. If he had animal ears, you’d swear they had perked up when he said that. “How interesting. I don’t know anything about cars. Can I observe?”
You shrugged. “If you want to. Make sure to wear stuff you don’t mind getting dirty. It is very hard to get motor oil out of clothes, trust me.”
“Of course,” He said.
“Here,” You said, taking out a pen and running out a length of receipt paper to write on. “Here’s my address. He’ll be dropping it off around 9 A.M. and picking it back up after his shift at work.”
“Excellent. I won’t be late.”
“If you say so,” You said, handing him his purchases. “Here you go. That D&D book is a classic. I think you’ll really like it.”
“Much appreciated,” He said with a smile, nodding politely as he left.
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He arrived the next morning carrying a sack of donuts and coffee. You were glad he already knew what kind of coffee you liked, because he drank his very strong and you wouldn’t be able to stomach it. You had to do a double take when he took off his jacket and revealed a v-neck black shirt and tight black jeans. Normally he wore a pair of slacks and a button-up, so this look was quite a change and you were having trouble not staring. He was skinny, but he had a lot more muscle definition than you would have suspected.
“I hope I’m not late,” He said. “There was an accident on the way here. No one seemed to be hurt, but there was quite a backup on the highway.”
“No, you’re fine,” You said. “My friend hasn’t even shown up yet. Let’s eat before he gets here. Eating with grease on your hands is a bad idea.”
Your friend pulled up as you were inhaling a bear claw. You introduced him to Tua, they exchanged brief pleasantries, and your friend took off for the bus stop down the road.
“He seemed nice,” Tua said.
“He’s gay and single, if you want his number,” You laughed as you popped the hood of his Honda Accord.
Tua laughed as well. “I appreciate the offer, but he’s not my cup of tea. Or coffee, if you will.” He took a big gulp, and you shuddered.
“I can’t believe you take that black. It’s got to be so bitter.”
“We didn’t have sugar where I grew up, so I’m used to it.”
Your head rocked back. “Where did you live that you didn’t have sugar.”
“Near Cairo,” He replied. “It was called something different when I was born, though.”
You made a face. “Cairo was founded in 969 AD. You’re not that old.”
He smirked. “How old do I look?”
You stared at him, trying to gauge his age, but blanked. “Let’s just get to work.”
The alternator was indeed going out, and while changing it out wasn’t rocket science, it was labor intensive work for someone as small as you were. You were actually glad to have an extra set of hands to help. In addition to the alternator, you also found a crack in one of the hoses that was also going to have to be replaced, as it was leaking coolant.
Both of you were elbow deep in grease by the time you decided to take a break for lunch. You went to order a pizza as he went in to wash his… self. He somehow managed to get grease all over his face. You had a sneaking suspicion he just liked getting dirty.
After putting in your order, you went back outside to clean up the area around the car and put away the tools you didn’t need anymore in their rightful place in the toolbox when you happened to look up to the bathroom window. You had to squint and blink, because something was… off.
Tua had taken his shirt off to clean up, but something was odd about his head. It was larger, darker, and blurry almost. It almost looked like an animal’s head. Maybe it was just how the frosted glass reflected the color of his hair, but it didn’t look… normal. Something on the top of his head resembling ears flicked back and forth. Something that looked like a snout opened and shut, as if inspecting its teeth. The head shook like a dog slinging water from its fur. You blinked, and he had put his shirt back on and his head looked completely normal again.
Were you going insane?
Tua came back out of the house, the water from washing his face and neck glistening on his skin. You didn’t realize how bug-eyed you were until he tilted his head in concern.
“Are you alright?” He asked.
You shook your head to clear it. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. I thought I saw… nevermind. It doesn’t matter. Pizza’s on it’s way.”
“What did you see?” He asked neutrally.
“It doesn’t matter,” You said. “It was probably a trick of the light.”
“What if it wasn’t?” He asked in the same neutral tone, watching your face. “Hypothetically.”
“What are you talking about?” You asked.
He sighed, shook his head, and his usual smile was back in place. “No matter. What kind of pizza did you get?”
You let the matter drop, but it nagged in the back of your mind for the rest of the day.
That night, your dreams were unusual. You dreamt of a dry place, of women in soft, sheer gowns and men in short skirted garments. Shaved heads and wigs.
In one of the dreams, a woman led you to a huge, grand hall made of stone. There, sitting on a throne of ebony inlaid with gold and jewels, was a man. He had a falcon’s head on a fit human’s body. He held a staff in his hand, and on his head perched a red and white pschent, the crown of Pharaohs. Behind him were four gigantic statutes of other men and women. He sat at their feet, surrounded by attendants.
The woman gestured for you to walk forward, and the man on the throne waved a hand. All of the attendants left him, leaving you standing there alone with him.
“My son has shown you interest,” The man said, his voice booming throughout the chamber, though his mouth never moved. “That is unusual. He and his wife have divorced millennia ago, and he has not taken interest in anyone for many, many years.”
“Your son?” You repeated. “Who is your son?”
“Know you not who I am?” He asked, standing and laying his staff against the armrest. “The god of the sky above and kingdom below. The wisest of my siblings, the most benevolent. Am I a stranger to you?”
“I’m sorry,” You said hesitantly. “I’m not really religious.”
He sighed. “I suppose that’s to be expected. The power of our pantheon has declined dramatically. I must be grateful that the revival in modern times has allowed us to rise from our sleep and reclaim any sort of rule.” He stood to his full height, which had to be at least seven foot. “I am Horus. You are a friend to my son, Duamutef, blessed with the head of a jackal, the animal of death, guidance, and protection.”
“The head of a jackal?” You asked. “Like a dog? So I wasn’t hallucinating? Tua really has the head of a dog?”
“In so many terms, yes. Tua, as you know him, asked for my permission to travel the world, and I granted it to him, hoping he would stop pining and bring his knowledge of the new world back to his peers.”
“How long is he allowed to explore?”
“Not that long,” Horus said. “A few centuries.”
You gaped at him. “You realize that since the industrial age, humanity and its technology is advancing very quickly. The world isn’t the same as it was ten years ago, and it will be different in another ten years.”
“Oh,” Horus said, seemingly baffled. “That’s alarming. In the ancient kingdom, it was as if time stood still. Once we gave humans the knowledge they needed to live and create, things carried on as it always did for over three millennia.”
“Things are different now,” You said, perhaps too boldly considering you were speaking to a god.
“It would seem so,” He replied thoughtfully. “Duamutef is eager to learn, however. As long as he sends back a report, I suppose he can stay in the mortal plane as long as he wishes.”
“I’m sure that would make him happy,” You said.
“I think you would, too,” Horus said, looking down at you. A falcon can’t smile, but you felt kind approval radiating from Horus’s body.
“I would?” You said. “I’m his friend, just a girl he follows around because I explain things to him. I’m not special. Besides, I don’t even think he likes me that way.”
“Aren’t you?” Horus asked patiently. “Doesn’t he?”
You flushed. You hadn’t really considered it. He seemed way out of your league. “Well… even if he did, how can I be worthy of a god?”
“You are worthy. You do not need me to tell you so, nor do you need him to. But he has chosen you, and I am pleased that he is happy and moving on. He has been alone for a very long time.”
“This is a lot to process, you know that?”
“Indeed,” Horus agreed. He turned and went back to the throne, sitting in it. “Take some time to think it over, but do not make him wait long. My son’s happiness is important to me.” He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
You woke covered in sweat and gasping. That… that couldn’t have been real, could it? Thank god… or gods… that tomorrow was Sunday. You needed a full day to just… deal.
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Monday, you returned to school, both confused and… a little excited. There was something innately fascinating knowing an actual god was walking around campus, acting like a human. While you weren’t a fan of the fact that he was hiding it from you, you were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Just this once.
You saw him in the courtyard surrounded by his usual fans. His magnetism suddenly made a lot more sense. You wondered why you were so resistant to it.
“Tua!” You called. He looked up, caught your eye and smiled, walking over. His gaggle of… worshipers?… followed behind him.
“I need to talk to you privately,” You told him in a terse undertone.
“That sounds serious,” He said, still smiling, though he looked concerned. “What about?”
“Your father came to visit me,” You replied.
The smile slipped and the color drained from his face. “Uh…” He said to his group, trying to laugh lightly. “Sorry, friends. Family business.”
They groaned in disappointment but thankfully dispersed. He took you by the hand and led you to the side of the Sciences building.
“What did he say to you? Was he angry?”
“No,” You said. “He told me he was pleased.”
Tua sighed in relief. “I’m glad. I was worried he was annoyed with my decisions. He said he wouldn’t interfere, but I’ve been concerned because I hadn’t heard from him.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” You asked, folding your arms.
“What, that I’m a lesser god of an ancient religion that had almost died out, until the recent revival?” He said shrewdly. “Would you have believed me.”
“Your real head might have convinced me,” You replied. “The jackal?”
“Ah, yes,” He said. “I figured you had seen it the other day, but you didn’t press the issue, so I hoped you’d think it was a figment of your imagination.”
“Why didn’t you want me to know?” You asked.
“I did,” He said. “But I wanted to tell you myself, when the time was right.”
“When would the right time have been?”
He shrugged and looked at the ground. “I don’t know, I guess. I almost did, the other day, but I was nervous.”
“Your father told me something else,” You said carefully. “That you had been alone a long time. That your wife divorced you and that you had been pining for a long time. He also said…” You cleared your throat and swallowed. “That you had chosen me.”
He looked at you through his lashes, looking apprehensive. “Can… can we discuss this later? Somewhere private?”
“Come to my house after school. We’ll talk, okay?”
He nodded, looking self-conscious, turned, and jogged away, dodging his fan club and ducking into the Arts building.
Later that night, you paced in your living room, waiting for him to arrive. When you heard his car pull up, it took every ounce of willpower to not dash outside.
When he knocked, you opened the door to find him holding flowers and a gift bag.
Oh god.
“I figured if the cat was out of the bag, I might as well try,” He said. “Here.” He handed you the flowers, which were your favorites, and the bag. Inside was a book.
“Someone wrote a book about me,” He said. “Well, about me and my brothers. It was written while we were sleeping, so there’s a little missing, but I’m happy to fill in the blanks.”
“I don’t like that you hid this from me,” You said as you moved aside to let him in.
“I’m sorry,” He said. “I didn’t mean to hide it. Most people don’t look that closely. You’re the first person to see my true self.”
“That’s not entirely true,” You said. “I only saw an outline, a shadow.” You folded your arms. “So show me the real you. I want to take a good look.”
He took a deep, calming breath, and his body shimmered. His head elongated, black fur sprouted from his neck up, trailing down his spine and the middle of his chest. His normal modern clothes disappeared and the traditional gathered skirt of ancient Egypt appeared around his waist, ending at the knee. His eyes were silver and had markings around them. He wore no crown, but there were markings where a crown might have once sat.
“Is this what you saw?” He asked. Like his father, his mouth did not move when he spoke. Instead, his voice came from all around you.
“Something like it, yes,” You confirmed.
“Are you frightened?” He asked hesitantly.
“No,” You replied. “I’ve had time to come to terms with it. I think I’d be more freaked out if you had sprung it on me out of nowhere, maybe.”
“See? What else was I to do but keep it to myself?” He said in exasperation.
“I guess I see your point,” You admitted. “But no more secrets, okay? There’s nothing I hate more than people keeping secrets from me.”
“If that’s so, then… there’s one more thing I must confess,” He said slowly.
“I think I know what it is,” You said, bracing yourself. “But I’d like to hear you say it.”
He cleared his throat and stood tall. “I have become… enamored with you. I don’t know when it started, but it came to me quickly. Perhaps it was because you didn’t fall into worship of me, as others have done. As gods, it is humankind’s natural inclination to bend the knee to us, but you did not. Perhaps it was your patience with me and my multitude of questions. Perhaps it was the extent of your knowledge. Perhaps it was all of those things. But I care for you. I do not expect you to return my feelings, but I would wish to remain close to you, in whatever form you desire. Friend, companion, lover. It is your decision.”
You laughed a little. “That’s a hell of a declaration. I mean, you haven’t even kissed me yet.”
He looked startled. “Is that something you wish?”
“I don’t know.” You moved closer, considering him. “Are you any good at it?”
He took your hands. “Well… it has been some time. I may be out of practice.”
“Give it your best shot,” You challenged.
His lips curled into a smile, and he pulled you into an embrace. Tall as he was, he had to bend to reach your lips. His kiss was light, but experienced, and he lingered for many minutes. When he pulled away, you were seeing stars.
“How was my technique?” He asked playfully.
You shook your head to stop it from spinning. “More than adequate,” You chuckled. “You’re not quite as rusty as you claim.”
“Ah, that’s good to hear,” He said, and kissed you again.
You weren’t sure how the two of you made it into your bedroom, but suddenly there you were, the bed right next to you. You began shedding clothes and pulled at the belt that gathered the skirt at his waist. It fell into a pile at his feet, and he stepped out of it, lifting you into the air and setting you gently down onto the bed.
You began to shake a little. You hadn’t had a serious partner before and while this wasn’t your first time, the sex you’d had before hadn’t been as… significant as this was turning out to be. Were you going to fast? You’d known him for months but it was only in the last few days that you’d known he was carrying a torch for you. It had been a lot to process, and still was. Were you rushing into it?
He seemed to feel you tense. “Are you alright?”
“I…” You struggled to find the right words and not sound insulting. “I feel like we’re moving to quickly? I’m not even sure how I feel, and we’re already in bed with each other. I just… feel…”
“Rushed?” He said. “It’s alright, I understand. This was a lot to lay on you at once. We can stop.”
“That’s just it, I don’t know if I want to stop. I don’t know if I want to keep going. I don’t even know for sure how I feel about you, or the situation. I feel really overwhelmed.”
“It’s alright,” He said. “Why don’t we just lay here for a while and be still and give you some time to find your bearings. I can leave you to think for a while, if you’d like.”
“No. No, stay,” You said. “Just turn off the light and let’s be quiet for a little while. I just want to think.”
“Of course,” He said, reaching for the lamp switch. The two of you were bathed in darkness. He lay next to you, and you allowed him to put his arm around you. You put your head on his chest and listened to his slow heartbeat. It was strangely reassuring: you almost expected him to not have a heartbeat at all.
At some point you must have fallen asleep. He still lay with you, his body illuminated in the moonlight, slightly propped up on the pillows, watching you sleep. He smiled when he saw you rouse.
“Good evening,” He said quietly.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to doze off,” You said.
“It’s no problem. I actually rather enjoyed it. You’re very cute when you’re asleep.”
“Don’t be silly,” You said, smacking his chest.
“I’m not!” He chuckled. “You make very adorable noises.”
“Hush, you!” You said, tickling his side.
“Hey, hey!” He exclaimed, squirming away. “Don’t do that!”
“Oh, is the big, bad god ticklish?” You asked playfully, dodging his arms and going in for more tickles. “Is he? Is he ticklish?”
“No!” He cried, trying to wiggle out of your grasp, whimpering like a puppy. “I shall retaliate if you don’t cease!”
“Oh yeah?” You taunted. “Whatcha gonna do about it, big man? Sniff me to death?”
“I may just!” He said, putting his muzzle in your ear and sniffling.
“Ah!” You squealed. “It’s so cold!”
“You like that?!” He said, tickling you back and pressing his nose to your neck. “Have some more, then!” He licked at your neck and shoulders. He grabbed your hands and held them above your head as you wiggled underneath him.
At some point, the mood shifted. The weight of his naked body on top of your naked body was exhilarating and made your heart race. His licks slowed and went from playful to deliberate and were interspersed with open mouthed kisses. He let go of your hands and touched your body. You instinctively pulled your knees up and wrapped them around his waist, holding him close by the back of his head and petting down the fur of his spine.
“Is this alright?” He asked heavily, breathing hard.
“Yes,” You whispered in reply. “Yes.”
Some more minutes of touching and kissing and licking later, he reached between the two of you and rubbed his knuckles on your clit, making you moan against his lips. He rubbed himself and you at the same time, then pushed the tip against your entrance, gently pushing himself inside of you. Your head fell back onto the pillow, your mouth wide open, your brows furrowing. He was thick and long, but no so that it was painful. You whimpered as he inched all the way inside and pulled out slowly, thrusting inward and pulling outward.
Slowly, but with gaining speed, your bodies moved together. Wordlessly, he flipped you so that you were on your stomach and pulled you toward him, reentering you and thrusting vigorously, while you gripped the sheets desperately, crying out in pleasure. You bit the pillow and shut your eyes as you felt the ecstasy well up in you, your inside walls clenching and contracting. He huffed and grunted above you, gripping your hips as your bodies smacked together over and over.
You could feel beads of his sweat dripping onto your back as he sped up again, groaned loudly, and spilled himself into you, gushing out with each jerk of his hips against your body. When he was spent, he withdrew and fell sideways as to not crush you. You lay on your stomach for a few moments, allowing yourself to catch your breath and cool down, before turning over and sliding into his arms. You’d change the sheets tomorrow.
“I hope this means you accept me,” He said sleepily.
“I always accepted you,” You said. “I just wasn’t sure what I wanted my role to be in all this. I’m still not sure. I think starting with a date might be nice.”
“Of course,” He said. “Anything you want. I am your humble servant, at your beck and call.”
“You’re not my servant,” You said firmly. “And I’m not yours. We’re partners or we’re nothing at all.”
“I understand,” He said, turning on his side. “So, my partner, where would you like to go for this date?”
“I don’t know,” You said. “This’ll be your first date on the mortal plane, won’t it? Do what you love to do: research it.”
He laughed. “That sounds like fun.”
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